Mumbai...After the anger passes...

The Mumbai blast has further affirmed the cynicism and the exasperation we have all carried for so many years. What followed the blasts? This time the blasts were lower than the earlier ones, the emergency response was better considering the rains were there.

As has been in history, the Mumbaikars stood by each other. Help was made available from every neighbourhood. Heroic stories of students saving lives and so on....

For a change, the Government communicated well and in time with people through TV, radio...

What was same or worse as earlier?

Usual suspect 1 - Media. 

Tried to hype up everything. A smaller Hindi channel claimed 8 blasts! Someone said grossly understated...washout of evidence. What do you want from Police? Remember they are human-beings. As Narendra Shenoy put it well in his blog: "But the news networks made a pig's breakfast out the thing. They tried their level best to make it look like an enormous terror attack, and could hardly conceal their disappointment when it turned out it wasn't."

Usual Suspect 2 - Officials.

In less than an hour bickering started. Little children handle panic better. 

Usual Suspect 3 - We all.

What are we going to do after this? Show our desperation in email chains, online forums, blogs and then? Kya karoge? Bhool jaoge? Ya yaad rakhoge?

And remember, when we bolster Mumbai's defences, the remaining cities will be on radar of the terrorists. So it is something the entire nation has to worry about. And that does not happen by sulking, getting angry or finger pointing. A systematic change is made by first having the will to bring about that change.

"81% Fail" Education Quality

I have been away from the blog so long. I had the temptation to write something on the World Cup victory but by the time I woke on the next day, there were 200 good blogs already. So I only forwarded, tweeted and facebooked the links!

Anyway, so I read in Times of India yesterday that 81% of Engg. students failed in their first year. 81%!!!

1st Year students trip at first hurdle

The result tells me that 81% of the top of top students, by any means in the top 10% of their HSC / +2 and Engg. entrance cannot clear the first year?! As most would shrug and say, "They don't make any good students these days. They are paying attention somewhere else. Interested in movies and music and friends and TV. And yes mobiles are a distraction."

How convenient. Are you saying 30 years ago people did not have friends or were not interested in movies? Whom are you kidding!


If anything, this is a reflection on the kind of clumsy infrastructure we have built for the generations that are supposed to take care of our nation's future. The education, the much neglected education system and the rotten teaching quality MUST TAKE THEIR SHARE.

Ha ha! Who am I to decry this system? What do I know of the system. Just the little bits and pieces appearing  in our untrustworthy media. Would you not say that? I know sure.

Ok agreed. I am not an expert. So here is what the Economist has found out about our fabulous education system.Click on the link below and out of the drop-box click on Compulsory Education and University Education.

EIU's Global Talent Index - The graphic is fantastic yet a brutal and sad truth on how messed up our priorities are.



 In Compulsory Education (It should be more like Compulsory??!! Education) - In 2011, we are ranked 58th out of 60 countries. In 2015, we are still 58th! Ahead of Nigeria and Pakistan.

In University Education - In 2011, India is 56th out of 62 countries. In 2015, we are projected to move one step ahead to 55.

One of the criteria is expenditure per student for higher education (as % of GDP per capita). That it gives such a low figure tells us how sadly we are being outpaced by most our peers. The problem is that you and I can debate endlessly and write such articles. The powers that be continue to look in the other direction.

Aurora Pics - Nat Geo

Brilliant Aurora Pics from National Geographic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/01/pictures/110120-aurora-borealis-northern-lights-science-space/#/january-2011-northern-lights-aurora-borealis-tromso-kattfjordeide_31398_600x450.jpg

Tangled - Walt Disney's Magic Continues

The magic that Walt Disney created many decades ago still continues to mesmerize millions like us. 

Rapunzel is an ageless fairy tale that is itself fantastic. Add to that some fine creativity, brilliant direction and amazing dialogues - we have a brilliant movie called Tangled.

Tangled does not play with the main story. It sticks to the original one mostly. It is lovely and unique by the way it presents itself. As I said, the dialogues are cool. The 3D effects are fantastic.

The one scene that I absolutely loved was where Rapunzel and Flynn escape from a dam. Its action is truly great. 

This was the first 3D movie where I did not feel weary wearing those glasses. The length of the movie is just perfect. It runs at a rapid pace and comes to closure quickly too.

I think the best compliment came from my kid with this line, " I feel like seeing Tangled again!". I think that sums it up for me too - I want to see it again!

My rating - **** out of 5*

Ashes, India and Hofstede Index

Ashes was retained by England this week. There have been several articles on analysis and criticism of the game and series. The one article I found very interesting was this one in New York times by Huw Richards: England leaves Australia in ruins.

One paragraph that was extremely interesting was this one:
"There is more than captaincy at issue. Australia — unlike India, which has two former captains playing in the current test match at South Africa — dislikes demoting skippers to the ranks. Displaced captains generally leave the team."

Very interesting comment. I scratched my head and found it is true. Australia captains leave at the end of their careers. But their benchstrength, backup options have always been their strengths. In this team, there is not a dearth in options, there seems to be a crisis this time.


It is the example of India that has struck me. Yes, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid are playing under Dhoni, one of the most prolific captains India has produced. Also, Kapil has played under Azhar, Azhar played under Sachin and so on.

This defies the logic that the PDI in Hofstede Index gives us.
PDI in Australia is 32
PDI in India is 71

PDI is Power-Distance Index - a cultural norm that explains acceptance of superiority etc. More on http://www.geert-hofstede.com/

So how do you explain this paradox? Is there something amiss? By a simple fact - Dravid and Tendulkar are outliers and these facts do not matter to them anymore. They are far too detached from these trivias to block them from performing. And yes, Dhoni accepts their greatness and uses their resourcefulness. That is obvious when Sachin often fields at mid-on and Dravid is constantly talking to Dhoni from the slips.

One thing for us Indians to learn. Miracles happen when we break cultural norms for betterment of our performances. This Indian team is one such miracle.