Connect the Dots: FAQs

I've been getting tweets and mails from you guys re: 'Connect the Dots', so let me give an all-for-one and one-for-all answer

1. Where can I buy the book?
Bookstores everywhere.

Yes, I know the distribution has been a bit slow but I'm told you will get 'Connect the Dots' in Crossword and other major chain stores by the end of this week. Do let me know if that's not the case!

2. Can I buy 'Connect the Dots online?
At the following websites:

a) Infibeam: click here

Infibeam will ship the books to locations in India and selected countries including
USA, Canada, Australia and Singapore.

b) Flipkart: click here

c) Indiaplaza: click here

By the way all three websites are selling author-signed copies. Yup, I sat and signed a mountain of books to make that happen...



And that's just the first 500!

3. Yet another title inspired by Steve Jobs?

Yes, the title 'Connect the Dots' is inspired by the same speech at Stanford where Steve Jobs exhorted graduates to 'Stay Hungry Stay Foolish'. And I have acknowledged that right at the beginning of the book.

Why am I obsessed with Steve Jobs? Well, I just am (and now that I own an iPhone that might get worse :) But seriously, I was inspired by Steve Jobs a long time ago, when I read the book Odyssey: from Pepsi to Apple.

Steve Jobs persuaded John Sculley, the President of Pepsi, to join Apple with these immortal words:"Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water, or do you want a chance to change the world?"

That line remained in my mind, and served as a guidepost, when I stood at the crossroads in my career.

That said, I can promise you the title of my third book is not inspired by Steve Jobs :)

4) Is 'Connect the Dots' a sequel to 'Stay Hungry Stay Foolish'?

Yes, and no.

Yes, because so many of you asked why does 'Stay Hungry' only feature stories of MBAs - that too from IIMA - I felt compelled to look at the completely opposite kind of profile.

My contention with Stay Hungry was that MBAs can be entrepreneurs and it was the objective (set by CIIE, IIM Ahmedabad) that the book should inspire young bschool graduates to consider such a career option.

Many of the readers however concluded that an MBA is what they should aim for, if they wanted to be successful entrepreneurs.

Anyhow, I thank them for their plaintive emails to me asking "what about us, 'ordinary' graduates". That question set the stage for 'Connect the Dots' and I am happy to say that in terms of sheer variety of people I met, this book was a more interesting experience!

5. So, is 'Connect the Dots' as good as the first book?

Well, I certainly cannot comment on that. In fact I have no idea if the first book was 'good' either :)

But here are some reviews from early readers of 'Connect the Dots':

Have read 5 stories so far, and each one stays, cos it's written so well, and the stories of each of the entrepreneurs are so inspiring. I also like that there's no melodrama and all the interviewees seem to accept things for what they are (for example, Ranjiv Ramchandani when asked if he decided not to cut corners wrt the quality of his t-shirts says, nah it's just that i was ignorant about the quality! Great read...

- Amrithaa on Flipkart

More reviews at Flipkart

Rashmi Bansal’s new book - ‘Connect The Dots‘ is a follow-up to her hugely successful book ‘Stay Hungry Stay Foolish’. The earlier book mentioned the inspiring stories of IIMA graduates. Connect The Dots is about successful entrepreneurs without the typical MBA degree.

The book has classified entrepreneurs in three categories:
1. Jugaad - Ones who have no formal business training and learnt by observation, experimentation and application of mind.
2. Junoon - Ones who are driven by passion and ideas which are ahead of its time.
3. Zubaan - Ones who are creative people with unique talent

The book has a biographical account of the entrepreneur and advice to other entrepreneurs - same style as Stay Hungry Stay Foolish. The selection of the entrepreneurs is interesting indeed which adds diversity to the book and the subject of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurs behind success stories like Reva, Dosa Plaza, Su-Kam, Crossword, Tantra T-Shrits, Veta, Fem Care are featured as well as Film Director Paresh Mokashi and Wildlife Photographer Kalyan Verma. Though there are no formulas to success, it is interesting to know the journey of the fellow entrepreneurs.

Rashmi Bansal’s style and language is amazing as always ! She has got another bestseller! Read it !

- Ashok Karania

Reviews on Infibeam

Twitter feedback:

@YouthPad I like the narrative of Connect the Dots.. :)

@ravisagar Read first 3 stories this morning. Truly inspirational stories. Almost finished the book. Why don't you write part 3???

6. When are you having a book launch in Mumbai, Delhi, etc etc?

There will be 'Connect the Dots' launch events in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai in the month of May. Would love to see you there, will keep you posted!

Launch of my second book: 'Connect the Dots'

Dear Readers

I am delighted to invite you to the launch of my second book 'Connect the Dots' on Saturday, April 3, 2010.

Venue: Crossword, Mithakali, Ahmedabad
Time: 6 pm

'Connect the Dots' is a sequel to 'Stay Hungry Stay Foolish'. It features the inspiring stories of 20 entrepreneurs without an MBA who dared to find their own path.

Four of the entrepreneurs featured in the book will be present.
They are:
1) Kunwer Sachdev, Founder, Su-kam
2) R Sriram, Founder, Crossword bookstore
3) Ganesh Ram, Founder, Veta (Vivekananda English Training Academy)
4) Satyajit Singh, Founder, Shakti Sudha Industries

A second event will be held at Crossword, Baroda on 4th April (Sunday) at 11 am

There will be more events in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad over the next month and I look forward to seeing you at some of them!

Thank you all for your love and support.

Book website and 'where you can buy it' (online, offline) will be updated tomorrow.

'Connect the Dots' is published by Eklavya Foundation and will retail for Rs 150.

Up in the Air

“If you have 150 million or 160 million children who don’t go to college, what is going to happen to them 10 or 15 years from now?” asked Kapil Sibal, the government minister overseeing education. “The demographic dividend will become a demographic disaster.”

- quoted in The New York Times this morning

Mr Sibal, let me put the opposite question to you. What happens if 160 million children DO go to college? Another demographic disaster, if we continue to define 'college' as it is today.

Let me give you a small example. The Indian Express carried this poignant piece a couple of days ago:

Maharashtra AHA moment: ‘Tribals don’t fit aviation bill’

About three years ago, every time an aircraft flew over Pen in Maharashtra’s Raigad district, children in the tribal village would look at it and say Bharti Sheed, one of their own, was on it.

It was a matter of pride for the community as Sheed, 24, had made it to the first batch of a course specially designed by the state government for the tribal community at the privately run Air Hostess Academy (AHA) in Pune. And even though she was still pursuing the course then, she was already a star for her community.

Three years on, those dreams have rudely crash-landed for Sheed and more than 100 other tribal youngsters who had joined AHA. None of the students who passed out of the first batch of the course in 2008 or the second one a year later has got any aviation jobs.

Following a lack of response from airlines to students who passed out of AHA, the government has now scrapped the course.

Commissioner for Tribal Development D S Rajurkar goes on to say...

“They are not physically appealing and because of their strong local accent they are not good communicators too. I had met (Civil Aviation Minister) Praful Patel to push for jobs but nothing concrete came out of it”

On the bright side, many girls have got jobs - in the hospitality sector. But, they feel cheated because sarkaar ne unhe ek bada sapna dikhaya. A job with glamour, a chance to move into a new social and economic circle.

And that dream has crashlanded.

The point is: As more and more Indians get a 'higher education', their aspirations rise. Even if I have done engineering from Jhumritalaiyya Institute of Technology, I see myself as an engineer in Infosys.

Is the economy and the job market growing fast enough to fulfil these aspirations? Not by a long shot.

Yes, there are jobs but according to the Ma Foi Employment Trends survey, the top three sectors creating these jobs in the near future are as follows:

1) Healthcare (283,000 new jobs on a total base of 3.6 million workers in this sector)
2) Hospitality (137,000 new jobs on a total base of 5.9 million workers in this sector)
3) Real Estate (136,000 new jobs on a total base of 730,000 workers in this sector)

Real estate is seeing extremely highest growth, thanks to the sundry infrastructure and building projects across the country. But when I met Santosh Parulekar of Pipal Tree Ventures, a social enterprise which trains disadvantaged youth to work in the construction industry, he was blunt.

"Our brochures show pictures of exactly what is steel fixing and bar bending - it is a field job. Otherwise, boys join and then drop out saying they don't want to do this kind of work."

This, despite the fact that placement of Rs 6000 p.m. is guaranteed, the fee is nominal (taken from the student only when he starts drawing salary) and there is opportunity for growth.

But even an 6th class dropout has a picture in his mind, about what kind of job he wants.

The vast majority of India - thanks to higher education - want naukris in air conditioned offices. Jobs with 'officer-like' qualities.

Working on computers.

Shifting papers.

Supervising someone else.

Nothing wrong in wanting, but there just aren't enough such jobs. It's a mismatch of skills with requirements; expectations clashing with reality. The problem exists right at the very top - in the IITs and IIMs. And extends all the way down to the grassroots.

So, what can be done? Well, yeh expectation ka virus aaj ki hawa mein hai. Like dry grass, the young 'educated' person awaits the baarish of opportunity.

The least we can do is refrain from lighting a matchstick and setting off a forest fire.

Instead of pushing tribal girls into aviation, can we motivate them to take up nursing? Because it is estimated that India needs one million nurses.

But certainly not more than a few hundred air-hostesses.

Instead of offering MBA (Finance) to all and sundry can tier 3 bschools be practical and stick to Sales and Marketing? Because every kind of business needs salespeople.

But only a handful require investment banking.

Minds can be moved, attitudes can be changed, students can be gently nudged in the required direction right from school.

Let us communicate that 'ITI' or diploma holders are no less than those with 'degrees'.

Let us make vocational courses a real, alternative career track and not just for have-nots and 'losers'.

Let us not wave around pieces of paper with acronyms printed on them and feel pride in our 'educated' status.

What matters is the skills you have, the ability to contribute and become a valuable member of the workforce, Mr Sibal.

Not merely attending 'college'.

What were you thinking?

hii dis is xxx...i m frm xaviers..studying in sybmm.. i m looking for placement.. plz let me knw if der r any...i hav sent u my resumare...plz hav a look at it...

This is a real email.

I swear.

I want to meet this kid.
I want to meet her and ask,"What were you thinking?"

Why did you join a mass media course anyways?

Because it sounds cool, better than doing just a B.A.

Because it sounds like you are on a path to 'somewhere' and maybe, in a good year, you might even land a job.

Of course, the poor sod who employs you will wonder "What were you thinking, St Xavier's?"

Can you at least pick people who can read and write English ?

Can you ensure that two years into the course they are aware of basic etiquette when addressing a prospective employer?

Can you drill into their heads that even though there is Google, real journalism is about going out there - on the street, on the beat.

Media schools, can you teach your students that being a journalist means paying attention to details.

Like recording interviews, whenever possible.

Taking care to quote people correctly.

Doing your basic homework and then asking for inputs.

Think, before you send off an email asking an expert to practically do your job for you.

Please revert me back with your ideas... We will appreciate if you write the story along with me.

"What were you thinking, young journalist?"

Ah, but you never knew journalism involved thinking.

Sugar free matrimonials

While glancing through the Sunday papers, I noticed this interesting new concept launched by The Times of India called 'Equality Matrimonials'.

The tagline: "Because marriage is an equal vow between two individuals. Not two families."

Yeah right. And this is not India, it is Utopia.

Still, for what it is worth let me take you through the "Equality Marriage Contract" drafted by them. Which - they hope - brides and grooms advertising under this column will sign.

Metaphorically speaking, I guess

Equality Marriage Contract
(remarks in italics below each point are mine)

HUM = TUM
Manifesto for equality in marriage

The HUM = TUM matrimonial column is for prospective brides and grooms who believe in a democratic marriage - a coming together of two individuals who value freedom of choices including those of parenthood, family and household responsibilities, social interactions and career-related decisions, as follows:

1. Personal preferences including those related to dress, food and hobbies will be respected, with no pressure from in-laws or relatives.

The wife can respect the husband's ponytail, and the husband can respect her thunder thighs in a mini-skirt. But what in-laws and relatives say or do is hardly in their control!

2. The couple would share the responsibility of caring for each others' parents - while each would remain the primary caregiver for their own parents.

Eh.. means we buy a 4 bedroom house and your dad and my mom can stay with us. But you make sure you have dinner with your own mom?

3. Both partners have an equal right to pursue - or not to pursue - a career and play the role of primary breadwinner. Either one could follow the other's decision to relocate home as per career movement.

Hee hee ha ha.

4. If both choose to work, responsibility for child rearing and home management will be shared equally.

Hee hee hee hee ha ha ha ha.

5. Together, the couple will resolve to overcome attempts by extended family to interfere in their key life choices. eg whether and when to have a baby will be decided only by the couple, not by parents and other family members who will not comment on, goad or influence the couple.

Note: When you have that Big Fat Indian Wedding with chaar peedi ke rishtedaars make sure to give some duct tape along with the mithai ka dabbas!

6. The bride does not 'leave her home' to merge seamlessly or fit into her in-laws scheme of things, she now has another home that she might choose to call her own in addition to the home she comes from.

'In-laws scheme of things'? Thy copywriter doth see too much Star Plus, methinks.

But seriously.

The 'contract' does address some key issues leading to breakdown in marriage today. Possibly, those advertising under this section will not be confronted by grooms who look 'well educated' on paper but belong to the caveman mindset.

I recall the kind of guys my cousin - an MBA and working girl - met through the matrimonials. There was a particularly memorable fellow who said,"You can continue to work but... make sure you get home before me".

Which meant approximately five o'clock. But it's really a blessing in disguise when people with such expectations say it upfront! And conversely, people who advertise in 'Equality Matrimonials' believe both spouses can kill themselves at work.

"Equality in high blood pressure, it is my birthright."

Sorry about the PJs, but you can't take this 'contract' seriously. Equality is an imaginary concept - like finding Blue Aliens Who Use Their Tails like USB Sticks.

Apples and Oranges cannot be equal. They can only exist in a fruit basket in a spirit of mutual respect and enjoy each other's fruitiness.

That's a good marriage.

The trouble arises when the Apples squeeze the Oranges. And when the whole world extols the virtues of being Orange Juice.

Let me say here that the principle also applies in reverse. Apple does not get the respect it deserves, in the pantheon of Juice. It must be strong, because nobody appreciates an apple gone phusky.

Here's a challenge. Show me one woman who is so career-oriented that she and the husband will actually sit down and discuss 'which one of us will continue working after the baby'.

OK, maybe there is one, but show me ten. Or a hundred. Or a thousand.

A majority of women will cite motherly instinct as a Supreme Right. One which precludes busting their butts to be the 'primary breadwinner'.

You get my point, I hope.

And at the end of the day, the things we want at 25, are not the same as at 30, or 40, or 50. So any 'contract' - real or notional - between two people, has to be fluid.

If the foundation is solid, the building stands. Otherwise you're just going to scream during a fight,"To think you found me through 'equality matrimonials'. Ab kahaan gayi equality huh? HUH?"

P.S. I must compliment the people at The Times of India. This is a great marketing gimmick. Folks, if any of you advertise under this column, do let me know how it went!

How you carefully cut the brownie at Barista in equal portions, and discussed how many shoes she would be allowed - you know, to keep things equal!

P.P.S. Abhi inaugural discount bhi chal raha hai - pachchis percent. Hurry, equality on offer as long as stocks last...

The above post was not sponsored by Equal. Zindagi ke pyaale mein asli mithaas ka koi substitute nahin.

As they say, shaadi koi mazaak to nahin so let me end on this senti note :)

The Constant Gardener

I haven't updated this blog for a while, for many 'reasons'.

First of all, I was writing a book. And now it's finally done. Yes, my second book has gone to print and will be out this month.

It is a 'sequel' to Stay Hungry and yet, different. Better, I think.

Writing it was exhilarating and yet exhausting. Many were the times when I would rather have blogged about Kapil Sibal than struggled with another chapter. Or proofread pages for the nth time.

But, it is over, I have moved on. In fact, I am now completing a third book.

Which brings me to reason # 2, a bigger reason. And that is, many were the times when I could have blogged - despite the book writing - but something inside me said 'stop'.

In a quiet moment I asked myself,"Why?" And I discovered an uncomfortable truth.

Writing has been one of the great joys of my life. A talent, a gift, a skill which has the power to take me out of myself. When I write, I am in flow. Thoughts come, fingers fly, words are strung together and this sequence of events gives me pleasure - as well as peace -at the same time.

And the amazing thing is, what I write - for the most part - touches people.

You appreciate me, you respond, you are moved to share a part of yourself. Although I do not write for appreciation, I appreciate the appreciation, for sure. In fact, apart from love of writing itself, it is one of the reasons that keeps me going as a blogger.

So?

Well, this part of life, the 'writer' part has been doing extremely well. Without any conscious effort. I mean sure, I do have to put my nose to the grindstone and struggle with 'what am I trying to say' at times. But I know it's just part of the process.

I know I can navigate myself out of any tunnel, no matter how dark.

But that's not the case with the 'rest of my life'. The one that involves people, and relationships. I mean, non-intellectual and 'real world'.

For the longest time, this was a part of myself I always thought I could be 'no good at'. Or at best, average.

Pictures of 'happy families' always made me think - "uh huh, lucky people". I've never felt really close in that way to the people I call my loved ones.

Over the years I realised I am a person whose brain always ruled over her heart. In fact, I barely knew how to deal with emotions - at all.

And yet, leading this life seemed okay to me.
Because, 'you can't have everything'.
Because maybe some people are meant to be this way...

But I realise this is all just rationalisation.

It does not matter how 'successful' you are.
How intelligent you are, how capable.
Or how much money you earn.

If you cannot manage your emotions and connect with people in a deep and meaningful way, nothing really matters.

And so, instead of taking refuge in writing, I am learning to live more fully.
To love and understand myself.
To love and understand others.
To take better care of my body.
Make better use of my mind.
To just be, instead of trying to become.

I feel something inside me changing. And it scares me and thrills me at the same time.

To write about what is happening is a challenge.
I am afraid I will 'reveal' too much of myself.
I will stand exposed.

And I wonder, will you understand?
Or even care??

OKAY.

The good news is, I'm not turning into Paolo Coelho.

I will resume blogging on the subjects I am passionate about - careers, entrepreneurship, 'following your dreams'. And the occassional book review, movie review, thoughts on life, the universe and youth culture.

But from time to time, I will also share that work-in-progress part of myself. Because I think all of us - to lesser or greater degree - need to tend to it.

We nurture mighty trees called 'careers'.
But we let weeds grow in the garden of our soul.

That private space, that special place, where flowers must always be in bloom.
To make life beautiful, and fragrant.
To experience the joy of truly being alive.

Vote for GiveIndia

Rarely do I answer appeals to join online groups or petitions for some cause or the other, but this one's different. It's for a dear friend, it's for a great organisation and it seems to be a case where 'clicktivism' will lead to some tangible benefit!

I reproduce the email Venkat Krishnan of GiveIndia sent me and urge you to go cast your 'vote' and spread the word to whoever you can!

Hi Rashmi,

GiveIndia is 1 of 100 NGOs selected (globally) by Chase Foundation to compete for $1 million on the popular social networking site Facebook. NGOs have to get Facebook users to cast a vote for them and the NGO with the highest number of votes will win the prize.

We were among the 100 top winners of a prize of $25,000 last month after polling almost 3,000 votes, but we estimate that we will need >40,000 votes to win the $1m prize.

If we win, we plan to use the money to educate 40,000 children for a year. more details at http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/338730

So 1 vote that takes 5 mins, can literally educate 1 child for a year costing about Rs2500. This must be the highest payoff ever for a person to vote... usually it is Re1 per vote or so...

We're trying to pull out all stops to ensure that the money comes to India :-).

regards,

Venkat

Voting began January 15 and ends on January 22 - which is tomorrow - so hurry!

Lucky Idiot

It takes talent and a bit of luck to write a bestselling novel.

It takes a lot of luck to get a filmmaker with talent to buy the rights to your book. And create magic out of it.

I am talking about the celebrated Slumdog Millionaire. Adapted from the novel Q & A by Vikas Swarup.

Was Slumdog 70% like the original? Doesn't look like it. Many of the key characters, events and incidents were changed. To quote just a small example:

In Q & A, the first-person narrator and quiz show contestant is named Ram Mohammad Thomas, whereas the protagonist is named Jamal Malik in Slumdog Millionaire. Ram was abandoned at birth in the clothing bin of a Catholic church in Delhi, and raised for eight years by a benevolent English priest named Father Timothy.

His surname comes from a family that adopted him for three days before giving him back to the church. Local religious leaders suggested his first and middle names, on the theory that his birth parents might be either Hindu or Muslim.[8] Father Timothy and the Catholic Church do not appear in Slumdog Millionaire, nor does Delhi.

You can play compare-compare here. But despite the many changes, Slumdog retained the seed of the idea which sprang in Vikas Swarup's brain. And that was a boy from the slums winning a million bucks in a quiz show. Because every question asked was in *some way* connected to an event or experience in his life.

That seed was nurtured by people who were really gifted in their craft - making a compelling audiovisual drama onscreen.

The writer of Slumdog Millionaire was the hugely talented Simon Beaufoy (of 'The Full Monty' fame). Because of Simon Beaufoy, the hugely talented Danny Boyle took a look at the script and went on to make the film.

Ultimately, Simon Beaufoy won an Oscar for 'best adapted screenplay. And he did not forget to thank Vikas, even in his acceptance speech...

What's my point? Just one simple thing:

It does not matter how close or how far the film is from the book.

I am sure Vikas Swarup had a kickass agent/ lawyer to negotiate his contract. One who would not agree to let his client's name appear in 'rolling credits' (the ones that whiz by at the very end of the film!)

As for that acceptance speech... You can be a Chatur Ramalingam in life or a Phansuk Wangdu. And you know who we'd all rather be!

CAT: restore the faith

Eight days into the 'mother of all exams' reports of hardware problems, software errors, poor administration, repeated questions) and other testing issues are still coming in.

It is time the directors of IIMs acknowledge this experiment has failed and call for a re-test - in old fashioned paper and pencil format. A high stakes exam like CAT is an act of faith. When that faith in its fair delivery and character of merit is at doubt, it no longer serves its purpose.

Just like when it physically leaked in Nov 2003; and had to be re-administered.

But the issue goes beyond this year. At some level we've all accepted that computer based testing is better, more efficient than traditional methods. Is that really the case?

The issue is not just hardware or software - but more fundamental. This exercise is a 'CAT and mouse' game - and not just because the exam went online this time.

On the one hand you have a couple of hundred IIM professors, a handful of whom would sit down, rack their brains and come up with the CAT paper. On the other hand, you had hundreds of 'experts' preparing mock CATs, analysing past papers, predicting future patterns. And many of these experts are IIM grads themselves.

When it came to setting one paper a year, the CAT could somehow pull it off. Remain distant, difficult, unpredictable - the Mount Everest of all exams. Putting it online - with a poorly set question bank - has taken it down to the level of a Sahyadri.

This destroys everything the CAT has stood for - all these years.

Now one can dispute whether CAT actually does select people with the best managerial potential in the first place. An article posted on fairtest.org notes that in 1985 Harvard Business School (HBS) decided to eliminate the GMAT from their admissions process.

John Lynch, the Admissions Director at the time, gave several compelling reasons. In a blind test, Harvard found that admissions decisions made with and without the GMAT were essentially the same. Success at Harvard depended on intangibles such as motivation, interpersonal skills, perseverance and hard work – all factors not measured by GMAT.

Looking at undergraduate grade-point average (UGPA), ethics, leadership, community activities, prior work experience and the interview made GMAT scores "superfluous".

However, 11 years later HBS reinstated use of the test. The point is, as long as you are using a GMAT or CAT, let there be no doubts about the administration and standards of that test.

Which brings me back to the question of computer based testing. In 2008 there was a GMAT Cheating Scandal involving Scoretop, where 'live' questions were posted on a members-only website. This article published at that time reveals some interesting facts:

1) The item pool is periodically refreshed, but the same questions are reused for at least several weeks.

2) The testing industry was well aware of the vulnerability of computer adaptive tests to what it calls “pre-disclosure.” Before the 1993 introduction of the computer adaptive Graduate Record Exam (GRE), two researchers at the Educational Testing Service (ETS) wrote about their “fear [that examinees] will remember questions and reveal them to their friends or to a coaching school” and that “a group of examinees [might] memoriz[e] subsets of the pool and combin[e] their knowledge.

3) To expose the problem, staff from the Stanley Kaplan Education Center took the computerized GRE, compiled a list of items they had memorized, and presented it to ETS officials. ETS, which then administered the GMAT as well as the GRE, responded by suing Kaplan for copyright violations, even though the questions were never made public (see http://www.fairtest.org/ets-and-test-cheating).

4) After this incident, test-makers said they began using much larger item pools and changing them more frequently, but there is no proof for this claim. In 2006, ETS lost the GMAT testing contract after a series of administrative and scoring errors. The test is now run by the global conglomerate Pearson.

Under 'Indian conditions' where stakes are so high for both students and the coaching classes, I think it will be far more difficult to maintain the integrity of the question bank!

In conclusion, computerised testing can work - but requires herculean effort and partnership between the IIMs and the testing agency. It's not an exercise which IIMs can simply sub-contract - like housekeeping!

Brand IIM is like the venerable banyan tree, and the CAT forms the mighty roots of that tree. Destroy those roots and the very tree will start withering...

The IIMs must reclaim the CAT immediately, or they will lose the ground beneath their feet.

For more on the issues related to effectiveness and fairness of SAT, GRE and GMAT see articles on www.fairtest.org

ET 500: Old is gold, alas

I usually scan through the pink papers in under 5 minutes. But this morning I picked up the annual "ET 500" report (free with do rupaye ka ET every year) and actually spent over an hour poring through it. Just.

It's fascinating for many reasons. The # 1 company in India, by revenue, is IndianOil. Its revenues of Rs 290, 946 crores are double of the # 2 company Reliance Industries (Rs 153, 138 crores). But Reliance profits are 5 times that of IndianOil www.icocl.com (Rs 15, 296 crores vs Rs 2,599 crores).

Both companies are in the very same space (oil & gas). And no, I am not saying Indian Oil should be 'doing better' - that would be comparing apples to oranges!

A few other facts which caught my eye:

* 6 out of top 10 companies are PSUs - that's pretty much the story, every year.

* Only 1 out of the top 20 companies is what you can call entrepreneurial (started by a first generation entrepreneur in last 20 years). That company is Bharti Airtel. In fact such companies are pretty much non existent even in top 100.

Infosys (# 22), Pantaloons (# 73) and Kotak Mahindra bank (# 75) are the few exceptions although technically, they're all over 20 years old.

* Bharti Airtel and TCS are the only two companies from 'new age industries' in the top 20 (Wipro & Infosys are # 22 and 29 respectively). Oil, steel, auto, banking, power, capital goods dominate the top 50.

Interestingly, apart from ITC (# 35) and HLL (#36) and a few banks like ICICI bank (# 10), HDFC bank (#29), Kotak Mahindra bank (# 66) and maybe an Asian Paints (#95) and Reliance in its myriad avatars - you won't see any of the top 100 companies on this list on India's top 20 bschool campuses.

Except in a recession year (like this one).
And even then, they aren't places MBAs would like to join.

Which brings me to the question: is there a disconnect between bschools and the business realities of India? For long, bschools have been accused of producing 'managers' not entrepreneurs. Ok - but even within that definition, they want to be managers only in certain kinds of companies and sectors.

I understand there are cultural issues. That the majority of these top 100 and even top 500 companies are old (if this was a gathering of people you would see mostly grey hair!) A large number are fuddy duddy, family or government run enterprises.

But surely these are the very places where so called modern management principles and bright young men and women can make a difference - in the longer run.

It would be interesting if ET could come out with a report on how many MBAs the top 500 companies in India today employ. And what is the profile of the people they do employ.

Cynics might wonder whether these companies are healthy because of lack of MBAs... There's a thesis waiting to be written by someone, somewhere, on that!

Lastly, I noticed 5 companies from the 25 Stay Hungry profiles make it to the list (not counting Sintex, where Dangayach is not the owner). The highest ranked is Shree Renuka Sugars art # 227.

Am sure there are other interesting stories hidden in this list... and I'm sure someday I will tell some of them :)

Career query of the week

Hi Rashmi,

I've been working in XXX (a much admired American company) as a software engineer for the past 1.5 years. I did my BTech from YYYY, probably the best college for a computer science degree in the country.

I was always convinced that this would be sufficient even for the best tech jobs in India. However, lately I've been hearing that students who return with a "phoren" MS degree get paid almost twice as much as we do, even though their job profile may be the same as ours.

Now, I'm confused whether I should go for an MS or not. I do not wish to leave the country, neither for higher studies, nor for a job. However, I'm quite sure that an MS even from the best colleges in India does not compare to a degree from a US university, in terms of market value. Since it makes a huge difference, I think I should consider going abroad... its just a matter of 2 years, right?

Even though at this point, money is the only incentive for further studies; in the future, its possible that better jobs come to our country which require atleast an MS degree. I'm only 23 years old now. Isn't it best I do an MS now, rather than growing 30+(which is too old for an MS) and feeling sorry for not doing it when I could?

I should also make it clear that I am absolutely not interested in any kind of MBA. I love tech, and I do not wish to become a people manager. So NO IIMs, ISB, etc.

This has been a very long mail. Lets summarize.

Objective: A challenging tech job in India. Get paid as much as the other guy who is doing the same job, but may have another degree!

I have the following options:
1. No more studies. Be content with BTech and current job/salary.
2. MS from Indian univ. Will make resume a little prettier, but will it increase my package? Is it worth staying away from work for 2 yrs?
3. MS from some Indian univ affiliated with a foreign univ. Ex - JIIT(jaypee) affiliated with University of Florida. Again, I'm not sure how good this is?
4. MS from abroad.

Please advise!
S

dear S
I'm not too happy to learn about the foreign MS degree holder getting paid twice as much as you.. but that's life I guess. I think an MS from a top university in the US is a good idea for you.

As for which school, which program - I leave it to the wonderful readers of this blog to advise you! Folks, please do share what you know with this young man...

The Double Life of Ramalinga Raju - a review

Flying can be hazardous to mental health these days, unless you have a book or two to help you cope. Well, despite being well stocked up on a recent trip, I bought this one at Mumbai airport.

Ramalinga Raju beckoned , "Pick me up, pick up!" Pick up and read all about the bad-bad things I have done in life.

Well, quite like Raju's life, the book too does not live up to its promises. Agreed, nine months is a short time to put together and release a book but one does expect to learn *something* new?

"The Double Life of Ramalinga Raju", unfortunately, is like a 180 page long newsreport. With neither the brevity nor the breathless immediacy of 'news'.

Starting from the infamous "confession" the book takes you 'back' - but very superficially. There is a chapter on the crucial board meeting of Dec 16, one titled 'A Scheme is Hatched' - on the sub prime crisis and its effect on Raju's ill empire.

In between there is some mention of Raju's early days, his family, a faint whiff of his personality. But too soon, we are back to Maytas, Hyderabad metro project - the exoskeleton of the scam. What's missing is the pounding of the heart, the taste of fear, the rush of blood!

Author Kingshuk Nag thanks dozens of people connected with Satyam and the Rajus for 'sharing their insights' but very few of these insights shine through. And none are actually attributed to anyone.

While I don't expect a 'jeena isi ka naam hai' with Raju's primary school friends being asked to comment on him, surely some former confidantes could have been persuaded to talk?

Among them D V S Raju (a cousin who was instrumental in setting up Satyam between 1987 and 1992) and Srini Raju (brother in law, who helped run Satyam till the year 2000. Also the fesity Income Tax dy commissioner who almost derailed Raju with her queries back in 2002... wonder what *she* has to say!

At the end of this quick read, I gazed at the puffy clouds around the aircraft window and thought to myself...

a) Ramalinga Raju , you did all this for land, land and more land. But tell me, tu lekar kahaan jayega?. Kingshuk Nag makes just this point by referring to Tolstoy's classic short story "How much land does a man need?"

The answer is:"A man needs only six feet of land to cover him from head to toe..." Unfortunately this country is full of Rajus, who never quite understand that!

b) Raju was the proverbial dork who wanted to be Mr Popular. Quoting from page 76.

"It was partly a deep inferiority complex that made Raju embark on this unholy path... Raju knew that he could neither match Narayana Murthy nor Azim Premji, as Satyam procured mucht of its business by quoting cheaper rates... But Andhraites had made him into an icon and he had to live up to this image".

Raju had to show 'as good' quarterly results as an Infosys or a Wipro - hence he fudged. The company actually waited till Infy released its figures and then decided what numbers to show!

c) Lastly, blind love for his sons was another fatal flaw. Again, common with Indian politicians, actors and businessmen. No known cure for this affliction!

To sum up, 'The Double Life of Ramalinga Raju' will sell decent numbers but does satiate the thirst to get inside the mind of this smooth criminal. Perhaps someday we'll have a 'David Frost' to do unto Raju a full and final confession.

I think, like Nixon, he would probably justify his actions and say, "Karna padta hai - sab karte hain". Only to rue the fact that he was the unlucky one who got caught.

'The Double Life of Ramalinga Raju' by Kingshuk Nag
Rs 250, Harper Collins

Career question of the week

Q: I am a software engineer working in a product based company in Bangalore for the last 3 years. I want to go for higher studies (M-Tech) but at the same time i cant leave my job. So can you please suggest me some reputed institutes where i can pursue my M-Tech as a part time or by correspondence. My problem is that i need reputed institutes only because i have done my B-Tech with a private engg. college in U.P. and now i want a tag.

Also please tell me the value of that M-Tech in the market. I know i am asking for too much but please suggest. i am confused.]

Dear Confused - the best (and only distance learning MTech) I know of and can recommend to you is BITS Pilani. However from what I gather you need the consent and support of your organisation, including a Mentor at your workplace.

Can anyone who's completed this program provide more details? Also info about any other such 'part time MTechs' which have value in the job market.

You can post comments here or drop me a line at rashmi_b at yahoo.com

Business Standard on IIM Shillong

A day after my story on IIM Shillong Business Standard has done a wonderful report on the very same issue.

IIM-Shillong loses half its faculty over differences with director
Archana Mohan & Kalpana Pathak / Bangalore/New Delhi November 10, 2009, 0:31 IST

In slightly over a year since the inception of the Rajiv Gandhi Indian Institute of Management (RGIIM) in July 2008, nearly half the 13-strong faculty have left following differences with the institute's Director Ashoke Dutta...

The story made it to the front page on some editions :)

I do hope MHRD & the Board of Governors of IIM Shillong as well as other stakeholders find out the facts for themselves and take corrective action. The time to act is now!

IIM Shillong - a mockery in the name of 'IIM'

IIM Shillong - a mockery in the name of 'IIM'
- Rashmi Bansal

Can a person without academic credentials or a PhD be appointed as director of an IIM?

Can administrative staff attend faculty meetings and interfere in academic matters?

Can faculty be denied their allowances and even the contributory provident fund (CPF) due by law?

All this and much more constitutes the shocking state of affairs at IIM Shillong - the newest IIM which started functioning from July 2008. Every process, from the appointment of faculty members to the purchase of equipment, has been subverted, resulting in an institute which is only an IIM in name.

No less than 7 of the 13 full time faculty members who joined IIM Shillong in 2008 left in less than a year, leaving a demoralised student body and questions about how an institute by the name of 'IIM' can get by without following any prescribed norms.

At the core of the issue is the appointment of Ashoke Kumar Datta as director of IIM Shillong. Dutta's profile includes 40 years of erratic corporate experience and does not list any academic credentials. Directors and faculty at IIMs are generally required to have a PhD in their subject.

Mr Dutta's biodata lists his qualification as PGDM from IIM Calcutta and 2 years on the doctoral program of Case Western University between 1971-73 (he left without receiving the degree).

At the time of his appointment Mr Ashoke Dutta was already past the age of 60, a fact which should have disqualified him from what is meant to be a 5 year term.

A source who was closely involved with IIM Shillong at inception stage says, "Mr Dutta's appointment was not cleared by the PMO and earlier by the Dept of Personnel for a full three/four months after selection. I understand there was a problem of Security Clearance and a question of age besides the PHD which kept them from clearing the appointment. It took the intervention of the then MHRD Minister through a letter to the Prime Minister to obtain the clearance".

The appointment of a number of faculty members did not follow due process as well. A former professor at IIM Shillong, recounts the horrific way in which rules were flouted to accomodate some faculty members.

"A prospective faculty member is generally required to present a paper before the students and existing faculty, before being invited for interview. In the case of at least one faculty member, there was neither a presentation nor an interview."

Another shocking case was that of a candidate who was rejected by the interview board and yet appointed as a 'faculty associate'. Three months this person was promoted to the post of assistant professor.

Another professor was recruited to teach a subject, despite having no experience or background in this subject. These and many more decisions related to academics were taken by the director unilaterally, without consulting the Dean and other faculty colleagues.

The collegial system of governance, the Director's complete lack of powers in appointments and his accountability to the Faculty Council are at the heart of the IIM model of merit and excellence.

Apart from these processes not being followed, major issues with the organisational culture soon became obvious. Some of the strange practices at IIM Shillong included:

a) Daily faculty meeting for 1 hour between 9 and 10 am with no specific agenda

b) Administrative staff being invited to attend faculty meetings where they have no locus standi

c) Administrative staff interrupting lectures on minor pretexts.

d) Officer on Special Duty (Finance) sending emails questioning professors on issues related to CAT interview selections

e) Professors being humiliated in faculty meetings, intimidated verbally and through memos; and being told by the director "you are welcome to leave" if they raised their voice on any issue, including issues like CPF (contributory provident fund) not being provided by IIM Shillong, as per prevailing laws of the land.

A former IIM Shillong professor who spoke to me recalls, "I realised there was a problem when on 5th July 2008, when the director tried to force a faculty member to teach the accounting paper. The faculty member had refused citing lack of experience in teaching that subject".

"The Director insisted the faculty should teach accounting or resign. The person in question did resign but was later asked to stay on."

But this faculty member was not the only one to suffer thus.

Another such person was an eminent professor of Economics, who relocated to India from the US, where he taught at reputed schools including NYU. His wife, a professional with 20 years experience at leading American banks and financial institutions (and a visiting professor at schools like Northwestern university) also joined IIM Shillong as faculty member.

This professor objected to several of the goings on, including a faculty member being appointed in the economics area without his knowledge.

In less than 15 days, the economics professor became persona non grata. The director found an excuse to withdraw the offer made to his wife and he did so in the most callous manner - by serving a discharge letter while she was in the midst of taking a class.

Both professors left the very same day and subsequently joined another IIM.

IIM Shillong also failed to provide the basic support required by professors to do their jobs smoothly.

"I have spent substantial amount along with the student co ordinators for the winter placement activity. The money spent on STD calls, faxes, couriers and so on was not provided by IIM Shillong." says the former IIM Shillong professor.

Matters came to a head when in a faculty meeting he requested Mr Dutta to release money due to the faculty under CPF (Contributory Provident Fund). Since the probation period for faculty had been extended from 1 year to 2 years, various allowances such as relocation allowance and foreign travel grant were also not being provided.

"In fact I was not reimbursed for the travel cost incurred in my recruitment interview. The Faculty Development Allowance of Rs 36,000 per year which is provided to professors to subscribe to academic journals and magazines was also withheld, despite being specifically mentioned in my appointment letter," he says.

Ultimately, the director terminated the services of the professor who raised his voice - without citing any reason.

The former professor adds,"I had a very high rating from students, the highest for any faculty member. I was relieved because I am not a yes man and because I asked questions about the improper functioning of IIM Shillong." These questions included financial irregularities.

These include the following:

* Mr Dutta happens to be the chairman of a company from Kolkata, the All India Technologies, which is appointed as the webmaster of IIM Shillong for designing and maintenance of the institute’s website.

* Another related party transaction is the procurement of a web conferencing solution from Intellisys ltd, a company in which Mr Dutta occupies the position of a director.

Sources also allege that Mr Dutta is hardly present on the campus, with innumerable foreign and domestic tours taking him away for Shillong for 15-20 days in a month. Mr Dutta was to take the Business Communication course last year but only took 2 lectures. The rest of the course was handled by other faculty members.

The two areas where IIM Shillong has maintained sanctity are the course curriculum and the intake of students. In both cases external advisors are involved. Prof Paul Srivastava of Bucknell university has helped to design the PGP course curriculum.

Former director of IIM Ahmedabad Jahar Saha was the Chairman of the Admissions Committee of IIM Shillong and with the help of former IIMA and IIMC professors, conducted the interviews of shortlisted students. This process was smooth in both 2008 and 2009.

"The Ministry of Human Resources and Board of Governors of IIM Shillong is fully aware of what is going on, but not taking any action," says the former IIM S professor who spoke to me.

The biggest losers in all this are the students, who have no option but to graduate from IIM Shillong, making the best of a bad situation. They are silent, for fear of repercussions and harassment, as well as adverse impact on their placements.

(It is interesting to note that IIM Shillong had trouble filling up seats this year with scanty acceptances from the first and second list released by the institute. A third, fourth and fifth list was released before all seats could be filled).

In response to an email and fax questionnaire on all of the above issues, Mr Dutta stated that, "Most of the points raised by you pertain to jurisdiction outside the purview of the director."

Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) acknowledged they have received my questionnaire but would not commit on a timeframe in which they would answer.

All in all it is a very sorry state of affairs. With four more 'IIMs' slated to come up over next two years, it raises important issues of academic standards, governance and accountability of new institutions toward their stakeholders. And the IIM brand name.

Wanted: beer drinkers in Mumbai & Delhi

If you are a beer drinker living in Mumbai & Delhi and can spare 2 hours of your time for a study on what the youth think & what they drink - drop me a line.

You get cool cash (Rs 1000 to be precise!) + dinner/ high tea depending on time of day + meet some interesting people.

You need to be free on these days depending on yr age category:

MUMBAI

Males (18-24): Fri Oct 9, 7-9 pm

Females (18-24): Sat Oct 10, 4-6 pm

Males (25-35): Sat Oct 10, 7-9 pm

Venue: Ramada palm grove

DELHI

Females (18-24): Sun Oct 11, 4-6 pm

Males (25-35): Sun Oct 11, 7-9 pm

Males (18-24): Mon Oct 12

Sunday is in south Delhi (Lajpat nagar) and Monday at DLF phase 1 in Gurgaon.

Please note that you must not work in the advertising, MR, PR or alcohol industry. And that this is not a beer tasting or sampling session - you will only *talk* about beer. However you are free to go and blow up your cash however you like :)

If u think you fit the bill drop a line with your contact details including tel no to rashmi_b at yahoo.com.

Why the IIT faculty is on a hunger strike

Airline employees strike.
Bank workers strike.
But IIT professors? It is a very sad day when they go on strike!

Something must be very rotten in the state of Denmark - in a manner of speaking - for these gentle souls to take such an extreme step. Certainly IIT professors deserve far better salaries but rest assured it is not merely for a few extra bucks.

I am reproducing an email put out by the Faculty Forum of IIT Bombay which lucidly explains why they took this stand.

Dear Friends:

HRD Minister Mr. Kapil Sibal has been making comments which incorrectly portrays our protest as being for salary only. This is far from the truth and a look at our memorandum dated 21/09/09 will make it clear that the IIT faculty are fighting more for autonomy, dignity and honor that the MHRD is systematically robbing the IITs of. Our main concerns are the following:

1. In the UGC system there is a percentage cap on posts (like 10% only can be Professors). This has failed them since meritorious people may not be promoted if there is no vacancy. MHRD is trying to impose something like that on IITs, where, till now, promotion is by merit only. This is direct interference in the academic autonomy of IITs.

2. IITs heavily depend on recruiting bright young people as soon as possible after PhD. MHRD has offered that a fresh PhD graduate can only be given a contractual post with a salary of about Rs 28000. Does anyone think we can recruit the large number of good people, that IITs need, with this salary? (IITs need about 6000-8000 new faculty in the next 7-8 years)

3. The Goverment of India has honored DAE and ISRO by giving them something called PRIS (O) since they are “centers of excellence”. Everyone from the sweepers to the senior scientists are getting that which is a 20% added amount to salary. They have nt given this yet to IITs. Are IITs not as “excellent” as DAE and ISRO?

This is about prestige and honor of the faculty. All these can only have one outcome: destruction of the IIT system over the next decade or two. The faculty are fighting to prevent this from happening. The minister through the media claims that it is about money. IT IS NOT ABOUT MONEY. If at all it is about money, it is for people who are not yet a faculty member here, for students still doing their PhDs (or even in earlier stages of their career, who have the potential to teach in an IIT, but may not feel that such a career is viable)

I believe that honour and prestige is the crux of the issue. Yes, IIT and IIM faculty feel they should be paid better but I don't think they would ever go on strike for money alone.

In fact, whenever I speak to faculty about whether they would jump ship as soon as some fancy foreign university sets up shop they say,"Not necessarily."

Apart from salary, professors value academic and operational freedom.
Their status as members of a respected institution.
The kick of teaching the 'best' students in the country.

If the government keeps its hands off and allows the older IITs and IIMs to chart their own destiny, they'll have a fighting chance. Else, the war will be lost... even before the battle has begun!

White Tigress

Punjab may be the land of milk and honey but it is not the land of airports. So I found myself in a shatabdi (no complaints, excellent train!), on the way to Ludhiana, a couple of days ago.

The seat next to me is occupied by a 'typical Punjaban'. Pink suit, pink lipstick, pink cheeks, armful of red and white bangles. Add a sarson ka khet and a tall glass of lassi and I'd be on the set of a Yashraj film...

Of course there is no lassi; instead I make tea from an Indian Railways thermos. And just as I attempt to get some 'work' done (hurrah for railways - modem bhi chalega!), she strikes up a conversation.

I am a bit surprised to learn that "Pretty in Pink" - let me call her Ruby henceforth - is actually an MTech in Computer Science.

"I was teaching at ABCD (well known engineering college in Punjab) but then I got married. Now I am looking for a job again..."

Ruby's husband is in the software industry and has just joined a company in Mohali. Arranged marriage. In the general spirit of chattiness I ask impolite Indian questions: "How did you decide.. how did you know he was the *one*?"

And she replies,"I left it to my 'payerents'. I said you know what's best for me... you decide".

In fact, Ruby did not even 'meet' her husband separately before marriage. Ladka ladki ne ek doosre ko sirf dekha, with a hundred relatives hovering around with chai and barfis. As is the Great Indian Dekhne ka Tradition.

But don't boys and girls usually meet separately a couple of times these days... before making a final decision?

Yes, but in her mind, it was a 'foregone' conclusion.

They did speak about a few things. Like she would work after marriage - as a lecturer.

"Actually my husband is less qualified than me. He is only MCA, that too distance. But he was in a good job, good family, earning well... "

Isliye pitaji ko theek laga.

It's tough to find a job right now as the semester has started, she added. Perhaps she should also look for something in industry.

"No, my father told me long back ki beta you join academic line. If both husband and wife are in industry then there will be no time for family..."

Of course she has no plans of having an 'issue' for next 2 years. "I want to enjoy married life", she adds.

Great, but she does not seem too happy to me.. just one month after. I wonder, if marriage has been this compromise, a duty to be fulfilled, what happens if one fine day she meets someone who makes her heart flutter?

"You mean someone who I can really connect with."

*Thinks*

"No it can't happen."

Why not?

"Because I cannot think that way.. feel that way. I am not an expressive girl..."

Us tarah se kabhi kisi ladke ko dekha nahin... Aur agar kisi ne dekha to I won't give him a chance to get close to me.

Fresh from reading the White Tiger, the words Rooster Coop flash in my mind. There is one coop which keeps the have nots in their places. And another which does much the same for women - The 'Hen Coop'.

You bring up girls in this society *knowing* and *believing* it is dangerous to dare. And of course, to dream.

Abort your unborn ambitions at the altar of family. Ensure the heart is like banjar zameen where 'love' cannot and will not take root! In return we offer izzat, motherhood, lots of jewellery and the tag of Mrs to use on Indian Airlines...

The Hen Coop is what keeps the Great Indian Family going, even as the rest of the world hurtles towards chaos. Not that 'all is well' behind the closed doors of a courtyard where one SUV, one Honda city and one Alto (best for going to sabzi mandi!) stand proudly.

And then Ruby blurts,"Actually if I had met my husband properly before marriage.. I would not have married him!"

Bhai kyun?

"The other day he told me.. he had many girlfriends before marriage.. he was working in IT and BPO you know wahan to yeh sab hota hi hai."

Better before marriage, than after marriage, no? I venture.

Her eyes flash,"What guarantee is there that he will not be tempted after marriage also? So many families, so many, I have seen like that...!"

And suddenly I get a glimpse of a completely different person.

"I told him clearly one thing. If you ever have any hanky panky with anyone.. that day, that moment I will walk out and NEVER come back."

Under the pink salwar suit, I see stripes.

I see a 'white tigress'.

The White Tiger - a review, and then some

I picked up Aravind Adiga's 'White Tiger' only recently. Definitely a late lateef purchase and no, not from the traffic signal. I hate badly printed books and do not pick up pirated copies as a matter of principle.

It's the least one author can do for another :)

Well, the first 40 pages of 'White Tiger' did not take my breath away.

a) I felt it was written for a foreign audience. The way journalists write about India in Time magazine. (Yes I know, the author was a reporter for that very same magazine not long ago!)

b) The idea of Balram Halwai, the driver from the heart of Darkness writing a letter to the Chinese Prime Minister in the Queen's English bugged me. I mean, really, it did not seem like his voice.

But 100 pages on I fell into the rhythm of the book and started enjoying it. And I was filled with sneaky admiration for what Aravind was trying to do.

The White Tiger addresses the issue that we live with each and every day and which shocks every White Man who visits this country. How can we as a nation exist skyscraper to slum, BMW to bullock cart, PVR to piss-on-the tracks and never quite blow up?

If the have nots outnumber the haves by so many millions why don't they simply rise up and finish us all off?

Well, the answer according to Aravind, lies in the 'greatest thing India has ever invented' which is the Rooster Coop.

Just like roosters who are caged and accept their fate at the hands of the butcher, so do human beings accept the cage they are bolted in. The poor have a station in life, which is to serve the rich, and theirs is not to question, or to rebel. As Balram aka White Tiger puts it:

"A handful of men in this country have trained the remaining 99.9 % - as strong, as talented, as intelligent in every way - to exist in perpetual servitude; a servitude so strong that you can put the key of his emancipation in a man's hands and he will throw it back at you with a curse."

Hmm. Dark thoughts but much of the book is laced with equally dark humour. Or so it appeared to me - one man's tragedy is another's comedy as they say!

Never before have people like me smelt the insides of a servant's quarters and visualised the nocturnal dancing of cockroaches. Thought about how icky it might be to massage hairy feet. Or realised the importance of caste, of religion, of 'background'. Even to get a lowly driver's job.

(Yes, we had 'Slumdog Millionaire' but that was more of a fairy tale)

I was also fascinated by some of side characters like Vitiligo Lips, Pinky madam and the idea of drivers passing their time reading Murder Weekly (is there really such a publication? Perhaps a spicier version of Manohar kahaniyan which I remember from summers spent at my native place!)

I wonder how much time Aravind actually spent observing Balram types, to be able to touch upon the hierarchy that exists even in a servant quarters. Like in college - "Main tera senior, zara bach ke rehna"!

For every blonde Ukrainian prostitute there is the fair skinned Indian with the dye job. Because everywhere, there are two Indias.

There's English liquor and country liquor.
There's penthouse and basement.
There's Light and there's Darkness.

We who type away at a computer connected to broadband in a language left behind by our former masters are in the 'light'.

But every day we brush shoulders with those in the darkness. Maids, cooks, ayahs, sweepers and of course, drivers.

I am surely a much kinder employer than the Mongoose or even the well meaning but ill fated Ashok (for context, refer book!) but when one Rajendra Yadav reports to work tomorrow... For a moment, I will be reminded of the White Tiger.

As long as the tigers - or the roosters, who form the majority - remain in their cages, life as we know it will go on. Naxal movements are wreaking havoc but are yet to touch the main cities. And so it that we have the occasional report of murder or dacoity but on the whole still feel 'safe'. And believe we will stay that way, for another generation.

But who can really say?

I sure hope our various social upliftment programs do some good because I really don't want to see more 'entrepreneurs' like Balram Halwai... angry and not so foolish ones! The kind who get their start up capital by slitting their employer's throats.

And then cross over to Our Side, melt into the neighbourhood and become 'high net worth' customers.

The White Tiger, Rs 395

P.S. Harper Collins, I hope you are coming out with a paperback edition soon coz the Balrams of the booktrade have been hawking it for months now!

Also read: my blog titled White Tigress

Amazing grace

I went to Hypercity today thinking I would pick up a couple of things. Went a bit berserk (vegetables! detergent! icecream!) and emerged with five not-so-light shopping bags.

"Can I take the cart upto level 1?" I asked a guy in uniform near the exit.

"Aapko ricksha lena hai.. chalo main chhod deta hoon," he replied.

We got into the lift, then out, I walked slightly ahead of him - no particular reason. But maybe unconsciously in memsaab mode.

I fiddled in my purse to find change. First I took out a five rupee coin. Then I thought nahin, I have shopped so much. Should give him at least 10 bucks.

He patiently waited for rick to come ahead, carefully arranged my bags and then I got in.

I said, "Thank you" and handed him the note.

He gave a really wide smile and shook his head,"No madam, yeh to maine dekha aapko.. to aa gaya saath mein.. insaaniyat ke naate."

That guy - I don't even know his name - left me humbled.

There are good people everywhere, practicing random acts of kindness. I was feeling a bit low today - he made my day!

May more insaans practice this insaaniyat ka naata. And make the world a more beautiful place.

Career query of the week

An interesting question from a software engineer who wants to study filmmaking abroad...:

I m a software engg. Age is 26. I am very much interested in doing FILM Making (Direction) Course & making my career in this field out of india, preferably in US or Europe film industry or television industry.

Now I wud like to know what is the way I can proceed in this direction.

Q 1- I want to take admission in some good film making college in US or EUROPE. Concern : the fee structure is very high. Pl let me know any good film making schools with affordable fees either in US or Europe.

Q 2- : What will be the career path after learning the FILM making course. I mean I am ready to struggle few yrs with low compensation in that country from where I will complete the course.

Q3- : What is the way (entrance exam) to join film making colleges in US or Europe.

To be honest, I do not know much about film making courses abroad... Any recommendations or advice you can share in the comments would be a great help to this guy! And many others..

Does India need 7 more IIMs?

The cabinet has just approved the setting up of 7 new IIMs over the next 2 years. Locations range from Tamil Nadu and Haryana to Chhatisgarh to J & K. A sum of Rs 1057crores has been alloted for this purpose, reports Business Standard.

My question is why - why set up SEVEN new IIMs in a single go?

There are 1000 + bschools providing management education in this country. No shortage of seats there. Yes, 'quality' education is offered only at a few but what guarantee do we have that these new institutes will live up to extraordinary standards in any case?

What does one expect from an IIM? Well:

a) Quality of students: Intake being through CAT, toughly contested etc

b) Quality of faculty: A committed set of high quality people

c) Infrastructure: Land, buildings, ek acchha campus

d) X factor: That special something in terms of academic orientation, student life and overall culture that sets it apart.

So far so good, but is all this likely to happen, all of a sudden, at seven new locations? I think not!

First of all, the idea of situating a management institute in remote areas cut off from civilisation needs to be examined. Take IIM Shillong, which I visited a few months ago. Beautiful, relaxing - but the nearest industrial town - and airport - is Guwahati, which is 3 hours away by road. How much industry exposure, CEO visits on campus or guest lectures can they hope to attract?

Not to mention placement. I *really* don't see companies taking the trouble to visit IIM Chhatisgarh when there are so many management institutes in Mumbai, Pune and Gurgaon offering eager-to-work, decent quality graduates.

Coming back to our original four points:

a) Students: New IIMs are not hot destinations for the brightest of
students. Many will opt for an SP Jain, XLRI, MDI or FMS over IIM Uttaranchal. IIM Shillong has had that experience.

b) Faculty: It's tough for IIM A, B & C to get great faculty - given current payscales. Wonder what extra incentive, if any, there is for an academic to join an IIM in the middle of nowhere. That too with only teaching, no research orientation in initial years.

c) Infrastructure: Sure, the new IIMs will have great campuses
within 5 years. But today there are plenty of private bschools with very nice campuses as well - SIBM for example. It's not that big a deal.

d) X factor: This is the toughest bit. Culture is a collective energy, a vibe which is part intent, part accident. It is the asking of questions, the seeking of answers: "Who am I" and "What do I stand for".

The DNA of an institution cannot be to be an "IIM". Because by today's definition that would boil down to "best students, best placements."

We don't need more government sponsored management institutes with no particular focus. Have some USP, some reason to BE and not just exist!

In short, I think we are simply wasting Rs 1000 crores. If we need to set up new IIMs - let's figure out why, where and who is going to benefit.

If the intention is regional social development, well then let's accept that an IIM in Srinagar is not really going to do anything for the youth of J & K. Just as IIM Shillong makes no difference to the youth of the Northeast.

If you want to make a regional impact then go ahead and reserve 50% of the seats for locals. But that will dilute brand IIM, you say? Yes - so choose another name. ike we have IITs and we have NITs. And now IIITs.

Let the new institutes start with a clean slate. Let the old ones not be asked to carry new burdens.

And let it be an entire package deal: IIM + SEZ + airport. A stimulus package to grow the local economy by attracting industry, jobs and students. With the bschool being integrated - in a deep and meaningful way - with its immediate environment, and constituents.

Kapil Sibalji - are you listening??!

Experience the Joy of Giving

Hum sab is duniya se, doosron se, bahut kuch chahte hain
Magar hum duniya ko, doosron ke liye, kya kar sakte hain?

No matter who you are - young or old, rich or poor - you can experience a special kind of joy. And that is the joy of 'giving'.

Yes, I buy that but a few months ago when my friend and batchmate Venkat Krishnan came to me with the idea of a 'Joy of Giving Week' I thought it was a pretty bizarre idea.

Valentine's Day, Mother's Day - sure these days have been created by card companies. But can all of India really come together for one week of every year and celebrate something as 'giving'.



Three months later I have to say the answer is 'yes'. The 'Joy of Giving Week' from Sept 27-Oct 3 is turning into a national movement. People from all walks of life are coming together to create something very special.

Something you will hear a great deal about in the weeks to come.

So what is JOGW? Simply put:
It is a platform for all across the country to celebrate the joy of giving. Whether you are a paan wala in Lucknow, a traffic cop in Mumbai, an idli seller in Madurai, a millionaire in Delhi, a multinational company in Bengaluru, a saree shop owner in Kolkata, a teenager in a school or a college goer in Vadodara...

This is your opportunity to reach out to someone less privileged – by donating money, volunteering time, providing your skills and even just saying a kind word to someone who may not have expected it from you.

All you need to be part of the Joy of Giving Week is to do one simple conscious act of giving. So join the movement, now!

Some of the activities planned during Joy of Giving Week

* School Design Challenge - 35,000 schools across the country to participate in a new contest that invites children to think of solutions to India's problems, and implement them during the week.
* Goonj's Clothes collection drive will reach out to 25 cities across the country and raise 10 million donated clothes.
* Apollo Organ Donation Campaign -- Apollo Hospitals will promote a large campaign inviting people to pledge their organs and save lives
* Stars 4 Charity -- To be anchored by Farah Khan (with many from Bollywood participating). The proceeds will go to Jai Vakeel Trust.
CEOs Walk The Ramp - Taj has agreed to host the event pro bono. CEOs do a fashion show for charity
* Shadow A CEO - Indian School of Business to get on board India's top 50 CEOs and elite B-schools for a unique fundraising and learning opportunity
* Wildlife Conservation Trust - To match all donations made for certain wildlife conservation projects during the week, up to 1 crore rupees.

And, of special interest to college students - the Joyfest to be held in 300 colleges across India.

What is Joyfest?
Every college has a festival but this one is different. Joyfest is an opportunity for two Indias to come together - on a common platform

Step 1: Every college selects an NGO of its choice to partner with (orphanage, old people's home, orphanage etc)
Step 2: The college holds a cultural program of 60-90 minutes where students & NGO members participate together
eg Antakshari - one student, one slum child form a team and so on
Step 3: The NGO is the special guest of the college for that day.

Students will raise funds for the NGO through any activity of their choice eg sell tickets to the show, game stalls, sale of old books - or whatever they decide to do.

Why Joyfest?
It would have been easier to just hold a funfair and donate the money to a charity. But we think that you, the future leaders of this country, should actually reach out to the underprivileged. Get to know them, connect with them as human beings.

Giving is not just about money but about your time, our attention, your heart and your soul.

Joyfest is supported by MTV and JAM magazine, because we believe that youth does have that heart.

Do come forward and start a Joyfest in your college. You can register at the Joyfest website - www.joyfest.in Or drop me a line at rashmi_b at yahoo.com and I'll get someone to take you through the process.

The first 25 colleges to register will get 'pioneer status' and special media coverage. All students who participate in Joyfest will receive certificates from 'Joy of Giving Week'.

But hey, that is just a bonus! of As this film made especially for Joy of Giving week by ace South Indian Director, Jayendra should convince you.... This was his 'gift' to the movement!

It had to be an NRI

Madhuri Dixit did it.

Madhu Sapre did it.

Found an NRI/ phorener and rode into the sunset, I mean.

It's no surprise then that Rakhi picked Elesh from Canada as her future husband. The baby faced Manas and Chittiz (yuck what a name!) did not even look the part. Much less play it.

Elesh was the only one who said "I love you", with conviction.

The others were just acting, and Chittiz in particular was clearly not interested. Manas ki ma was hysterical throughout the finale - bete ye mujhe kahan le aaye ho. Laughing at all the wrong places and unable to say a single line to welcome her hone wali bahu. After all, her son is barely 22 years old...

OK - so the show was cheesy but well executed. Thank God there was no 'viewer poll' -- keeping in mind 'ek ladki ki zindagi ka sawaal' and all that.

And we do hope this *engagement* fructifies into a wedding nahin to Rakhi ki khair nahin! All of India sat up till 11 pm to 'bless her'. And confirm she would not wriggle out of it somehow. No 'kahani mein twist'.

I enjoyed the entire shindig, and whatever you say, the idea that a girl can choose her guy in this way is empowering. It's quite the opposite in the traditional arranged marriage where men still have the upper hand.

And there's no concept of wooing the bride, is there?

What Rakhi said about choosing Elesh was also interesting: "He came across as a genuine and caring person on and off camera".

Off camera is the important aspect. But in Rakhi's case then, do we believe the 'genuineness' she portrays on camera?

I liked the fact that even at the final stage - in the wedding outfit - she exposed a bit of cleavage and a lot of navel. "That's who I am, take it or leave it!"

Chalo, wishing Rakhi and Elace all the very best. I know there are lots of jokes about the impending divorce (if the marriage happens at all). But I think everybody deserves a chance and the happiest of couples are often the most unlikely ones.

Aapne sab se maangi, Rakhiji, toh here are my blessings!

And congratulations to NDTV Imagine for finally cracking the 'Hum aapke hain kaun' format which worked - for television.

Ode to Teenage - video library of my teens

Yesterday I saw a movie called 'Seven Pounds' on DVD which is one of the most pointless and depressing movies I have ever seen. Seriously, Hollywood seems to have lost it.

Of course I have not seen either Kambakht Ishq or Luck (and do not plan to) but even those cannot beat the sheer lack of colour, sense or style in 'Seven Pounds'. Will Smith, what were you thinking??

But this is not a lament on a specific movie, rather the whole DVD rental experience. A couple of months ago I joined Bigflix 6 month 'unlimited rental' plan. Which basically means you can keep 2 DVDs for as long as you like; or rotate them every day. Why Bigflix?

Well, their selection is not all that hot. Most of the movies they stock keep playing out on TV but this way you can watch at your convenience, and without ads. But the biggest point in Bigflix's favour is they actually have a store which is 5 minutes away from my house.

This is of course, a Reliance mobile showroom whose primary job is to sell SIM cards and collect bills. But, it also has a (mostly empty) cybercafe and small area devoted to BigFlix. Which means I can actually go across and pick up a movie - if I feel like.

I can also queue up movies and have them delivered but I like having the option of acting on impulse.

And being Reliance ADAG you have some surety that they won't just pull down the shutter one fine morning. Like clixflix.com did in New Bombay without bothering to inform customers. (reminder to self: must write a separate blog on that someday!)

My grouse with Bigflix - the corporate DVD rental experience - is that the folks who man the store are just doing a job. They don't really care about movies. Or wouldn't one of them have warned me: "Seven Pounds is absolutely avoidable!"

And my point of comparison of course is the one and only "Teenage video library". The folks who literally took me through my teens.

In 1983 my dad went to Japan and brought back a Hitachi VCR. Clunky by today's standards but an object of extreme beauty - and desire - back then. Promptly, we joined 'Teenage video library' in Colaba and began our romance with renting films.

The chief attraction at "Teenage" was a guy called Asif who was extremely cheerful and appeared to have seen every movie ever released. You just had to mention the name and he had an opinion for you. Or you said "I want a comedy" and he would recommend a few.

Asif must have been in his early 20s but for some reason did not have much hair on his head. I might have had a small crush on the guy, for some time. Even borrowed 10 bucks from him once, when on my way home from St Xavier's (as an FYJC student) I had no cash to take a BEST bus.

Asif had a brother who was older and had curly hair. He was obviously the 'boss' - probably the 'brains' of the operation. But Asif was the heart and soul.

The point is that a mom and pop shop like "Teenage" (or bhai and bhai in this case) had a certain charm. A stickiness, a sense of 'this is a service I trust'.

Unlike Bigflix they never ever shut down at 8 pm. Yes, we would argue if the 'print was bad' and much of their business came from pirated films. Bad bad boys :)

Bigflix cannot follow such a model (and those who want pirated don't rent DVDs - they simply download from the internet). But I wish they had a kid at the counter who was doing a part time job because he loved movies. I think it adds something to the experience.

Of course one can check reviews on the internet - or even on GPRS. But the point is, a human touch.

That touch is disappearing not just from DVD rental but every retail space as it 'modernises'. Salespeople come and give you a perfunctory "Madam can I help you" without the intention or inclination to do so.

And so many people behind the counter are busy jabbering away on their mobiles, or lost behind their headphones. Even when customers are waiting for billing, or for assistance of some kind. Because it's just a job and that means 'physical presence'. No energy, no emotion, no interest because "yeh mera thodi hai".

Aaj idhar hoon, kal kya pata.

I am sure "Teenage" still flourishes at Hampton Court in Colaba. Wonder if Asif still mans the counter. If not, I hope someone like him - to sell dreams and DVDs to the next generation of teenagers.

Sach ka saamna

Star Plus debuted the Indian version of 'Moment of Truth' today and I think it rocks as much as the original, in terms of morbid fasciation quotient for the viewer.

The real meat lies not in one family being torn apart with skeletons tumbling out of its Godrej almirah but the fact that every viewer is thinking: "How would I answer that question?"

When I first saw the phoren version of Moment of Truth on Star World, I thought,"Here is one show that will *not* get Indianised." After all we are a 'khaandaan ki izzat' loving country, would we do such things for money or 15 seconds of fame? (Infamy is more like it!)

Well I was wrong. The very first contestant - Smita Mathai- was an average middle class, silk-sari-with-mangalsutra kind of woman. She answered 12 questions - on everything from parents and inlaws to husband's alcoholism. She admitted she had thought of killing her husband at one point (heh heh - who hasn't :)

But seriously, she gave an eloquent explanation about his alcoholic period and how she could not see him suffering...

Q 11 I thought might do her in: "Are you still married to your husband for the sake of your children?"

Eh - 95% of the Indian population is, and finds nothing wrong with that. "Log shaadi bachchon ke liye hi to karte hain.. aur nibhaate bhi hain. Yehi to Indian culture hai."

Anyhow, Smita's lips quivered, her eyes seemed uncertain but she said "No".
And the polygraph agreed.
Husband whooped with joy.

Q no 12:"If your husband never came to know about it.. would you consider sleeping with another man."

Oops, I thought, she is trapped now. This is a hypothetical question. "If the bank never discovers you have stolen a crore of rupees, would you steal the money?" It's a fantasy and everyone has fantasies!

Now Smita can say "Yes, I would consider sleeping with another man if you never find out". Husband need not get offended because another man is not necessarily Mr Muthuswami next door but perhaps Shahrukh Khan. Or Brad Pitt. Or the dishy gym instructor.

Cosmopolitan magazine says fantasies are healthy, baba.

But Mr Mathai does not read such magazines. He is a hot blooded Indian male and will definitely feel insulted.

Knowing the consequences of saying "yes" Smita says "no".
When the polygraph beeps 'false' she looks surprised and says,"Yeh nahin ho sakta!"

Husband looks suitably crushed, embarassed, takes off glasses and wipes eyes.

Smita leaves the show with zero rupees and will spend rest of her life explaining that polygraph tests are not always true. They are not admissible in court as evidence. That she was tricked.

The truth is she was tricked, kinda. She thought she had 'nothing to hide' but discovered we are constantly hiding things. Even from ourselves.

The makers of this show have every intention of disrobing you -just like Draupadi was, in front of a full house. She had no choice, but Smita did and I wish she had quit when she could... She was too brave for her own good.

Tomorrow there is a thrice married buddha on the show. It will be spicy but you know what, more friends and relatives will snigger behind Smita's back than his. Because the 'morals' of society are supposed to be guarded by the women.

That's why brides in MP are 'tested' for virginity.

And why Rakhi Sawant is asked about hers, from a guy who apparently has a girlfriend back home (but still decides to participate in a swayamvar!)

The fun part is Rakhi got to kick that guy off her show. Which I think makes a statement.. of sorts. It's nice to see such issues being aired - even if is on a show which is about as 'real' as Michael Jackson's nose.

Sach yeh hai ki I am watching 'Rakhi ka swayamvar'. Apart from the drama, the palace is beautiful, and so are her clothes!

Aur ek chhota sach yeh bhi hai that I can't blame my book-in-progress for writing less on this blog. I've just been lazy, and I think I'm getting hooked on twitter. 'Instant gratification' and easier to tweet than blog on GPRS!

I need to remind myself that I am first and foremost a writer.

And so I must write.
Even if it is, about what I think of twitter...

As Captain Kirk might have put it, this blog's mission remains: 'To boldly go beyond 140 characters'

Sach ka saamna - 11 pm, Star Plus. Watch for high drama & Rajeev Khandelwal. And to have something to discuss, at the water cooler.

A good day...

Is a day when you learn something new.

And there is so much beauty and knowledge and wisdom in this world, that every day can be good, I say!

Well, today I was in a bookstore, waiting for a friend when I picked up a hardcover called '10 10 10' by Suzy Welch. I flipped through it and essentially she says:

"When making any difficult decision think about its consequences in 10 minutes, 10 months and 10 years."

Wow, I thought. That *is* a great rule to live by!

Now I don't plan to read the book itself (reviews are average) but the five minutes in that shop were certainly well spent!

On the way home I tried applying the 10-10-10 rule to a few dilemmas I'm facing in life. Let's take a relatively minor one, like not being able to blog that often these days.

It isn't lack of ideas, but a question of prorities. I'm trying to complete my next book and that takes all my heart, soul, discipline and determination!

So when I feel like writing a post I often just... let it slide.

For 10 minutes: It feels bad.

In ten months: It may affect this blog's readership (sometimes I wonder, if I slow down too much would I simply lose the *desire* to blog?)

In ten years: If I write a book which touches lives and ignites minds, it would all be worth it!

So, folks, forgive my long absences and silences. And think about the 10-10-10 rule, as it applies to your life! But hey, don't overdo it....

Like today I also learnt that I can eat an entire thin crust pizza (all 8 pieces) when really really hungry. But I don't think it qualifies for the 10-10-10 treatment.

Will just compensate by eating light tomorrow!