Improving Affirmative Action In India

Four points:

1. We need to define a parameter that quantifies backwardness in society. The definition of this parameter can include multiple variables such as caste, family income history, family education history and physical disability. This parameter can then be used to open up education and economic opportunities systematically for those who need an extra push. Observe that the value of this parameter, i.e. the extent of backwardness, will now vary from person to person.

2. Instead of reservations, we should use grace marks to combat backwardness. The amount of grace marks awarded to a person can depend on the extent of his/her backwardness (parameter value): 5%, 10%, 15%.

3. Jobs that directly impact human life (examples: medical and teaching) should work on pure merit. There should be absolutely no grace marks or reservations of any kind for such jobs - not even on regional considerations (example: Punjabis in Punjab, Marathis in Maharashtra, etc.)

4. Gender simply cannot be a part of this exercise at all. Else, stop all talk of gender equality. It's plain hypocrisy.

Note that this approach will also allow us to answer the question: When is someone no longer backward? Once the "backwardness parameter" dips below a cut off value, the concerned person will be deemed "forward" irrespective of caste and fully integrated into the mainstream society. This in turn will give us a handle on how effective our affirmative action program is.

Money With A Purpose

To aspire for a comfortable life is a perfectly fair aspiration, but the only valid reason to get rich beyond that is to help others: either by donating to worthwhile causes or by creating employment (I call this Compassionate Entrepreneurship).

To keep chasing money just so that you can call yourself a millionaire or billionaire is plain shallow. No one with a clean conscience can sleep easy with unnecessary wealth in his or her account while millions around the world struggle for even basic survival: three meals a day, two pairs of clothes and a simple roof over their heads.

THE Most Important Mantra

THE most important Mantra (and its translation) to contemplate and act upon:

Vaishnav Jan To Tene Kahiye

Jo Peed Paraayi Jaane Re

Call them the true devotees of Vishnu

Who feel the pain of others

Minus this understanding, all other spiritual practices and religious pursuits are simply bogus.

Reducing Crime Rate In UP: Here's How You Do It!

Yesterday I posted an article that lists UP as the highest crime rate state in the country. The economic situation in the state is so dire that a very large number of residents of UP are left with no choice but to migrate to other states as labourers, security guards, auto and taxi drivers etc. Healthcare and Education infrastructure in the state is laughable.

And look what the government is focusing on! Who eats which type of meat!

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/search-on-to-seize-banned-halal-items-in-grocery-drug-stores/articleshow/105431158.cms

Just think about how misplaced their priorities are 🤦!

Recall that ISIS was defeated under the leadership of Barack HUSSAIN Obama, a Muslim who offers Namaaz five times every day. Anyone with some basic intelligence knows the difference between fighting groups like ISIS vs discriminating against an entire community.

Likewise, Muslims of India are Indian citizens and many of them serve in our police force as well as the army, as ready to sacrifice themselves for their country as anyone else.

We the people need to insist that our politicians stay focused on development instead of this divide and rule nonsense.

It is my sincere hope that we vote wisely in all elections in the future. We need to elect people who will take us forward as a nation instead of going on and on with religious drama.

Indian Governments: Before 2014, And After. Here's The Truth (Part 3).

Did you know that India has 84 central government applied scientific and industrial research facilities spread throughout the country under the umbrella of CSIR? Details here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Council_of_Scientific_and_Industrial_Research

In addition, India has 22 central government research facilities dedicated to fundamental scientific research as well as technology development through 33 well planned scientific programs under the umbrella of DST. Details here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Science_and_Technology_(India)

This is the scientific age! Any country that aspires to be globally competitive and command respect must invest in and sustain a solid science and technology research infrastructure. And today we command respect globally because successive governments, starting right from 1947, did what was needed. And no, none of this is easy, but it was done, and done well 😊!

As I have already emphasized in my last two posts, the next time any politician comes to your town and says weird stuff like "1947 se 2014 tak to kuch hua hi nahi, ab ham dibhlopment karenge, dibhlopment", please tell them to develop a good reading habit and stay knowledgeable at least about their own country!

Have a wonderful week ahead 😊!

Indian Governments: Before 2014, And After. Here's The Truth (Part 2).

Everyone celebrated the success of Chandrayan III. But how many of us know that Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is not just one facility at one location? It comprises of a network of over 15 facilities spread across the country. You can find the complete details here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISRO

Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), the organization responsible for developing our defence capability, is a network of 52 labs spread across the country. You can find the complete details here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_Research_and_Development_Organisation

Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), responsible for our nuclear capability, is a network of 16 facilities spread across the country. You can find the complete details here: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Atomic_Energy

Space, Defence, Nuclear: The muscles we confidently flex to showcase our strength to the world.

Who do you think conceived of and systematically established all this? The Gaumutra Vishwagurus currently in charge? Be honest with yourself, ask yourselves, Do these people even have the intellectual capacity to have such a clear and deep vision of development? The answer is simply: No chance. Yet they (he) have (has) the gall to speak utter nonsense like "1947 se 2014 tak kuch hua hee nahi, ab main dibhlopmwnt karungaa, dibhlopment". No wonder chai pakoda dibhlopment is the new norm!

Building a nation is not just about bhaashanbaji, election campaigns and radio programs. It takes immense intelligence, resourcefulness, commitment, integrity and dedication.

As I said in my last post: Be alert! Research every single thing yourselves. Don't be swayed easily by election campaigns and speeches.

Vote wisely. Very wisely.

Indian Governments: Before 2014, And After. Here's The Truth (Part 1).

The next time any politician comes to your town and tries to tell you stuff like "2014 se pehle to kisi ne kuch kiya hee nahi, ab main dibhlopment karoonga, dibhlopment", please tell them to get their facts right before opening their mouths 😅!

Here is what was done in the field of education by the central governments elected between 1947 and 2014:

School Education: 1089 Kendriya Vidyalayas (Central Schools) before 2014 (159 more since 2014 based on exactly the same model).

NITs: 30 NITs before 2014 (1 more after 2014 based on exactly the same model).

Central Universities: 41 Central Universities before 2014 (11 more after 2014 based on exactly the same model).

IITs: 16 IITs before 2014 (7 more after 2014 based on exactly the same model).

The only supposed innovation by this government is the New Education Policy (NEP), which is so poor, so regressive, that it actually suggests doing away with English as the medium of instruction - which is what enables our students to connect easily with the world at large and move ahead in life! There are just way too many loopholes in the policy for a detailed discussion in one post - but none of it is surprising because the committee drafting the policy was chaired by someone who has not taught a single class in his whole life (while I respect Dr. Kasturirangan's contributions to ISRO, he has no business opining in a field he has no experience in - the field of education)! The rightful place for the New Education Policy (NEP) is simply the dustbin. But that won't happen because the powerful cannot be challenged today. They only like, and only accept, "Yes Sir Yes Sir".

The truth is if we are still standing strong as a nation, it is because our roots go deep, and the seeds of these were sown by people who directly contributed to our struggle for independence, who were educated, and who had a vision for the country's future that they tried to realize.

There is a reason why we have heard "Chai Pakora Dibhlopment Moddel" only after 2014. It is exactly the same reason why school teacher salaries are the lowest in Gujarat and there is not a single world class higher education institution in the whole state.

Be alert, do your own research on every single thing, don't get swayed by election speeches and campaigns easily.

BJP's Track Record On Reducing Crime Rates!

I invite you to read this article: https://www.timesnownews.com/web-stories/mirror-now/10-states-with-highest-crime-rates-in-india/photostory/104428167.cms

Six of the 10 states with the highest crime rates in India have their police force reporting to BJP governments. 1 Congress, 1 DMK, 1 JD+RJD, 1 LDF.

Right at the top: Uttar Pradesh! Over 6 years as CM for the much hyped Yogi Adityanath! What happened? Doing Hindu-Muslim Hindu-Muslim all the time didn't work? Sirf bhaashan baaji se kaam nahi bana?

And what happened to Delhi, our capital? Delhi Police currently reports to the Home Minister! And it boasts of the 4th highest crime rate in the country! What a shame!

And Gujarat Moddel of Dibhlopment was supposed to show us the way, right? What happened? If Gujarat is so dibhloped, why is it in top 10?

It's very important we research every single aspect of governance and give these people their report cards in every coming election.

PS: And Tamil Nadu and Kerala: What happened to your claims of being more "evolved" than the rest of us 😅?

Oft Misused Term: "Scientific"!

Isn't the word "scientific" grossly misused? Anyone wants to get your attention for something you may not have heard before, and they go: "Oh this is absolutely scientific!"

In fact, whenever I see someone claiming something is scientific a little too emphatically, I take them on on their understanding of the scientific method! I ask them about the hypotheses that were laid out, the experiments conducted, observations made and their analysis, conclusions arrived at, questions still open, and so on...

The result is often a hasty retreat, sometimes a bit agitated. But it's worth it. It's important to keep people honest.

PS: Isn't it plainly obvious that this post is not a criticism of science, rather, a shout out that using the term "scientific" loosely isn't cool! It's a disservice to science!

Extracting Oxygen From Air Using Wind Turbines?

In continuation to my previous post:

Here our "Honourable" Mr. Prime Minister is talking about extracting Oxygen from air using wind turbines!

https://youtu.be/BpWdQLkhtDU

Please understand this carefully: You can't expect a mind that is so scientifically uneducated to lead a nation sensibly along the path of scientific development. There is perhaps a reason why BJP leaders who talk about drinking cow urine (gaumutra) have never been rapped on their knuckles and been asked to shut up. And this is not trivial! Left unchecked such unscientific practices spread and slowly become a part of societal life.

To repeat verbatim from my last post: It is important we pay attention to this and realise that the same level of intelligence has been in play in demonetization (economically disastrous), economic models that rely on poor people taking loans to start chai pakoda shops (instead of creating steady jobs), reckless speeding up of trains without upgrading tracks first so that they can handle the increased vibration loads (hence the steep increase in railway accidents and fatalities) and a covid response that required cover up after cover up to hide the true number of fatalities.

We are in the year 2024. We can't afford such scientific and technical ignorance in our leaders.

We have to be alert, very alert, and vote very very wisely in all the upcoming elections.

No Such Thing As Climate Change? Oh Really :) !?!

"Honourable" Prime Minister Modi denying climate change: https://youtu.be/sGpTkxdJG2E

It's important we pay attention to this and realize that the same level of intelligence has been in play in demonetization (economically disastrous), economic models that rely on poor people taking loans to start chai pakoda shops (instead of creating steady jobs), reckless speeding up of trains without upgrading tracks first so that they can handle the increased vibration loads (hence the steep increase in railway accidents and fatalities) and a covid response that required cover up after cover up to hide the true number of fatalities.

We are in the year 2024. We can't afford such scientific and technical ignorance in our leaders.

We have to be alert, very alert, and vote very very wisely in all the upcoming elections.

I Am That

Below is a book recommendation, but first some remarks on a mistake many meditators (spiritual aspirants) commonly make:

You are seeing things upside down if 1) You hold thoughts such as "I am the Supreme Self" or "I am the Supreme Consciousness" or "I am Brahman" when pursuing activities in the world; and 2) You are thinking about what you did or did not or need to do or who said what when you sit to meditate.

No no no 😊! The right way is as follows:

1) When pursuing your activities in the world, focus 100% on what you are doing! Forget about yourself and who you are altogether and immerse yourself completely in whatever you are doing; and 2) When you sit to meditate, forget about the world altogether - past, present, future, everything - and simply be with the silence that you are.

With this clarity, I invite you to read one of the most fascinating books I've ever come across. This simple, unassuming man, cuts right through to the heart of the matter and can simply burn all illusions, delusions, obstacles down if you pay attention.

Buy I am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Book Online at Low Prices in India | I am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Reviews & Ratings - Amazon.in

Happy reading and practicing 😊!

Strong Book Recommendation

Here is a strong #book recommendation regardless of which religion you subscribe to (or whether you are an atheist or agnostic). Agreements and disagreements with what this man says aside, I promise you one thing: By the end of the book you will be touched that someone so innocent and guile free lived amongst us.

The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna Volume - 1 (chennaimath.org)

A few remarks are important to bear in mind:

1. This is a record of conversations between a saint and his disciples in the late 19th century in conservative Bengal. Most of his interactions were with conservative Bengalis and references to caste were unavoidable in those days. But it is an established fact that Shri Ramakrishna actively discouraged caste distinctions and spoke against untouchability. Even today, the temple that was his home (Dakshineshwar) as well as his personal room there are open to everyone who wishes to visit.

2. A large part of this book is a record of conversations between Shri Ramakrishna and his male monastic disciples (which included Swami Vivekananda). You will thus hear him being very firm about abstinence from sex and living a life of minimal means. Being a salt of the Earth personality, his way of expressing this was simply: Renounce "woman and gold". Female disciples received their instruction from Shri Ramakrishna's wife, Sarada Devi, who was equally firm about staying away from "men and gold" to female monastic disciples.

However, their instruction and advice to normal folks like us who might be in a relationship or marriage, is obviously different! We are encouraged to steadily move beyond our craving for sex and relate to our partner or spouse more deeply in time. I personally think this is valuable advice! When I see folks in their 50s still craving sex, I feel sad for them. That's a clear sign that mental and intellectual growth stopped at some point. By then one has seen a naked woman or man and had sex 100s of times! Its time to move on to something higher instead of repeating an act again and again! I mean, imagine teens and adults playing with toy trains instead of moving on from childhood as expected in normal human growth!

3. Shri Ramakrishna's personal path to enlightenment was Bhakti Yoga (the path of devotion). But if you are more inclined towards the other paths (Gyaan Yoga (path of knowledge), Karma Yoga (path of action), Raj Yoga (path of meditation)), that's certainly your choice! That has been the case with me too! But you'll still gain wisdom from him.

4. It's perfectly fine to agree on some points and disagree on others. He openly respected and encouraged a questioning attitude. Just make sure you are sincere with your questions, agreements and disagreements. That's all any saint worth his or her salt expects.

I hope you enjoy meeting a really sweet human being in these pages as much as I have ☺️!

#books

Never Let Your Desires Make You Weak!

Voluminous treatises have been written on the subject of desire. But this short, simple, statement that a saint once made to his disciples hit home for me:

"Never let your desires make you weak."

Absorb this statement deeply. List out all your desires in your diary. Then stand in front of a mirror, look straight into your eyes, and resolve: "I know what I want and I'm going to work for it. If I get what I want, I'll celebrate. And if I don't get what I want, then too I'm none the less for it! I shall not grovel, I shall not bend at my knees, I shall not compromise my self respect and integrity, no matter what. My sense of inner completeness shall not depend on external gains and losses, victories and defeats. The world is transient. My sense of contentment and fulfilment within isn't. With this spirit, I play the game of life. And I'm going to enjoy every minute of it - win or lose."

I look around and am just amazed at how easily people let their minds weaken! By all means buy yourself a bike or a car or a house if you want, or ask a woman or man you like out, but understand that you are not going to reduce in your identity even if you don't get all this, or if you get and then lose it all! You are going to be still you!

Are you getting what I'm saying?

We're all here for a short time 😅! Take life as a sport, as a game, enjoy it, be light-hearted, and when the referee blows the whistle, when the game is over, have a good laugh - win or lose, shake hands all around and come home!

PS: And please stop buying stuff on EMI 😅! Putting yourself in debt to buy a phone or bike or car is plain silly 😅! You don't have to prove anything to the world and don't need others' approval to be happy 😅! Most of the world doesn't care for you anyway, so who are you trying to impress and why 😅?

Keep The World In Its Place

I see so many people making compromises to get promotions, some become "yea sayers", some publish half baked papers, some overwork their PhD students, some fluff up their CVs (I personally know an Ex-IITD prof who used to call B. Tech. projects "dissertations" 🤦 when projecting himself for administrative positions - it worked 🤦).

And look at someone like Swami Vivekananda in comparison: No need for anyone to give him any title, position, promotion! Lived a life of such integrity, such character, that even people holding the highest positions humbly folded hands in his presence. And which home hasn't opened their doors to welcome his spirit even after his passing?

As I often remark: All "Full Professors", "Dean Sahabs" and "Director Maharajas" on one side and the simple straightforward Swami Vivekananda on the other - Swami Vivekananda wins hands down.

It's time people got over chasing this madness; Assistant this today, Associate that tomorrow, "Full" the day after, Junior this, Senior that, ...

Be still. Live lives so solid, so good, that you feel like a beautiful human being within! Bring yourselves to a point where it doesn't even matter whether the world pays any attention to you or not. You know within that you're good - that's quite enough!

Then you will know fulfilment.

Confidence-Humility / Arrogance-Shame

I once heard a saint say: "Either you bow your head in humility or some day you will have to lower it in shame. Nature does not tolerate arrogance."

And I have seen this statement come true innumerable times.

Be humble. Confidence is fine, arrogance not. Stay humble.

What The Fields Remember (Nellie Massacre)

If you have seen The Kashmir Files, you also need to see this documentary:

https://youtu.be/599LmFwHJwU

Always remember: There are people capable of unthinkable, unjustifiable, violence in every religion. There is absolutely zero merit in judging any one religion or community to be "violent" and others "non-violent". That's a very childish way of understanding the world and we must get over it.

As I often say: Read your history, read about the Mutiny of 1857 and the subsequent Divide and Rule Policy implemented by the British. It was consciously and deliberately done to retain power over the people, and it worked. Not only did Hindustan get divided into three parts India-Pakistan-Bangladesh, people within each of these countries are still fighting along religious lines.

You must ask yourself: Who benefits from our infighting? Definitely not us! Friends and neighbors become enemies overnight without even understanding why - all through waves of unseen hands in the background. But those hands never get hurt. Never have, never will.

We must move forward as one people. And the only form of governance that guarantees that is a secular form of governance wherein religion simply becomes a personal choice: Hindus go to temples, Muslims have their mosques, the Christians Churches, and the Sikhs their Gurudwaras. Even atheism and agnosticism are personal choices - belief in God and faith cannot be forcibly imposed on anyone.

Be committed to a peaceful, prosperous, tomorrow for the whole humanity. That's maturity. That's wisdom.

Brahminism Lurking In The Shadows!

I invite you to read this article: Himanta Sarma's post on 'natural duties' of Vaishyas and Shudras trigger row, apologizes later - India News | The Financial Express 

Apology my foot 😊, those of us who've been observing hindutva social media accounts carefully and have some understanding of what this RSS-BJP disease really is have been shouting from the rooftops that the end goal is Brahminvaad!

The present agenda of dividing society into hindus and non-hindus is just the first step. Once society is successfully divided into Hindus and Non-Hindus, they'll start dividing the Hindus into castes! If left unchecked, all the rot that we've worked so hard to eradicate will come back: caste hierarchy and exploitation, untouchability, oppression of women, mistreatment of widows, ... it'll all come back.

Be careful, very careful, very alert, these are not people to be trusted.

Baba Bageshwar's Slide Starts...

And there we go 😏, yet another "Hindu Baba" starts his downhill journey! Read the article below and watch the video featured in it!

Woman thrown at crowd at Dhirendra Shastri's event, cop suspended for inaction - India Today

I'm a practicing Hindu myself, but I can give you a written guarantee that becoming a "Hindu Rashtra" is the worst idea to encourage! The simple truth is that there are good and bad apples in every religion - we simply need to focus on the good and keep rejecting the bad wherever we see it.

And remove this idea of "Hindu Rashtra" and the Narendra Modi led BJP government will struggle in every election. They simply haven't delivered on things that really matter: Education, Healthcare, Job Creation, Law and Order. So all they have left to try and get votes by is polarizing us on the basis of religion.

Introducing TIERS in NIRF Rankings

This post is not for sincere and committed students. I know you are in a severe minority everywhere 😅 and the debacle that our educational institutions have made out of themselves is not on you 😅. Just keep working hard - if you're good, you'll be noticed and respected no matter where you are. Trust me, if you're good we know how to look beyond rankings and classifications and do it gladly all the time!

But for everyone else, there is a need to hold up a mirror to their faces, and I'm going to do just that.

When we look at rankings, we need to look at not just the rank but also the score. Consider NIRF for example. Below is the link to Engineering Rankings for 2023. The second last column carries the score.

MoE, National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF) (nirfindia.org)

I think universities with scores below 70 (after rounding off) should be formally classified as TIER II universities. Scores below 50 can be listed as TIER III. And any score less than 40 ought to result in a "not fit to be ranked" status.

Among other things this will start moving us away from classifying universities as TIER I, II & III based on considerations such as Central Government/State Government/Private/Etc. Let there be a level playing field and let universities earn their spots.

It will also keep everyone honest 😊! For example, the only four institutes with a score above 80 are IITs Madras, Delhi, Bombay and Kanpur. For any institute to start claiming that they are "close on the heels of these four" and "will overtake them anytime!", they have to at least cross milestones: 60, 65, 70, 75, 80... If someone is hovering around 50 and claiming parity with 80+, they're being plain dishonest 😊. That's the only way to put it 😊.

A Teaching Appreciation Gesture That Moved Me Deeply!

Below is a photograph of a gift I received at the end of the semester a few years ago.

This was one of the early instances when a student said or did something at the end of the semester that made me feel that maybe I'm on to something. Formal teaching awards are fulfilling too (and I've won my share of them), but these heartfelt intimate moments of appreciation move you very deeply. I remember just falling silent for the whole evening the day I received this. Look at the simplicity, the innocence! A simple handwritten note framed neatly so that I can keep it for years to come. And I'm doing just that!

I know I'm in a severe severe minority today in my emphasis on the need to give quality of teaching primary importance in educational institutions (just consider the irony in what I've just said!). But the truth stays the truth: The very quality of society we are creating and living in depends more than anything else on this one thing - Quality of Teaching.

What about research then, you might ask. To that, I say this:

The way to maintain a teaching - research balance is to simply keep teaching loads reasonable so that faculty members get the time to do their research; and then demand that both be of the highest quality. That's it.

I don't know what good deeds I did to deserve this blessing of living a life immersed in knowledge. But I'll take it 😊! I'll lap it up 😊!

Swami Vivekananda: One of My Favorite Personalities!

Everyone has his/her favourite personalities and I respect everyone's choices 🙂.

One of my absolute favourite persons and someone I wish had lived on for a few more decades to guide the world to a higher state of wisdom is Swami Vivekananda. Naren, as I take the liberty of referring to him in affection, went too soon, way too soon 🙂.

He could do something that I have seen very few people do: Synthesize!

No matter whether you are a theist or atheist or agnostic or which religion or culture you belong to, read his works. He will touch you deeply and will awaken a sense of strength as well as humanity in you at the same time.

I prefer reading books in hard copy and gladly recommend that you get a set of his complete works and read a bit every day.

If you prefer reading online, here you go 🙂: 

https://www.ramakrishnavivekananda.info/vivekananda/complete_works.htm

PS: You'll likely agree with Swami Vivekananda on some points and disagree with him on others (which is a sign of an awake intelligence anyway :)), but more importantly, you will catch his spirit of ceaselessly pursuing knowledge and truth and an unflinching commitment to maintaining the highest character and integrity in every aspect of life.

With my best wishes, always :)!

Must Read For Over Bearing Over Protective Parents!

Here's a very important song for parents and teenagers to hear alike: Pink Floyd - " MOTHER " The Wall 1980 (youtube.com)

Sometimes mothers get over-protective (story of this song) and sometimes it's the fathers. Either way, not good 😊 as it stunts the development of their sons and daughters.

Parents have two jobs at hand: 1) Make sure their children grow up to be men and women of integrity and 2) Make sure their children grow up to be men and women capable of thinking and living independently.

For the first, lead by example. Children and the youth are intelligent and observant. They learn more by watching you than by listening to what you say.

For the second, as your children grow up and pass through their teenage years, encourage them to think for themselves and take responsibility for their decisions and actions.

The two biggest decisions any human being takes are: 1) What to do with their lives professionally, and 2) Whom to marry (if they choose to marry at all). At least in India, most parents fail their children on both these counts.

I have seen eighteen year olds being told which career path to choose by their parents on the pretext that their brains are not fully developed to take this decision 😅! Well, this way their brains will never get fully developed 😅! Eighteen is the age when one is pronounced an adult and enters college. If even this decision, what to study in college, is not their own, where is the hope of them being able to think independently and confidently on any other matter. Not to mention the frustration they will go through for years and years because they are doing what they simply don't enjoy doing!

And the curse of arranged marriage is simply not leaving India for some reason! Who to spend one's entire life with has to be one's own decision. Absolutely nothing else makes any sense whatsoever!

Be humble parents, be humble! Listen to your children, listen to your teenagers! Yes, when needed, discipline them by all means, but listen first, and know the difference between disciplining someone and being over-bearing and over-protective. It's a gentle balance to keep and your getting this balance right is critical for your children's future. You will leave this Earth some day. Make sure you leave behind confident, happy, fulfilled adults capable of independent thought and action.

Pure Music Pure Minds

From Pandit Nikhil Banerjee's first lesson with the legendary Ustad Alauddin Khan:

Alauddin Khan: "Purify your mind in the beginning. Only then you can achieve your goal in #music. Our minds are extremely crooked. First of all you have to make it sparkling like a mirror."

Is it any wonder then that Nikhil Banerjee's music has so much innocence and depth in it?

This is what music has to be about.

Ecstasy of Silence

I would soak you in silence,
If only you would let me.

Just like that sunset

that burst through your being

and you could only smile in answer

as silent teardrops bathed your soul.

Don't you remember?

For A Community Or Nation To Be Respected Comprehensively

For any people (community or nation) to be respected comprehensively, it is imperative that from that people emerge individuals and groups exhibiting excellence in all subjects: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), Social Sciences (Sociology, History, ...), Humanities (Literature, Poetry, ...) and Fine Arts (Music, Painting, Sculpture, ...). If you underemphasize STEM, you will stay dependent; If you underemphasize Social Sciences, you will experience non-inclusive development and will stay unaware and intellectually shallow; If you underemphasize Humanities and Fine Arts, you will stay coarse and unrefined aesthetically.

And how does one achieve this balance?

1. Invest appropriately in all subjects: At the level of education as well as creating jobs.

2. Bring forward the best in every field to talk about their journeys and showcase how interesting and fascinating each subject is.

3. Insist on meritocracy. Affirmative action needs to be about a) ensuring everyone is treated equally, 2) the economically disadvantaged get all possible help and support in preparing for a fair and square competition and 3) everyone has equal access to opportunities. That's it. This much in place, it is for each person, each community, each nation to pull up their socks and earn their spot.

The Language of Nature

I invite you to see this video : Richard Feynman - The language of Nature (youtube.com)

This one is critical to absorb if you're interested in understanding nature: A good knowledge of Mathematics is a must. There is simply no way around it.

Unfortunately sometimes folks get turned away from Mathematics either because they weren't taught by good teachers or didn't refer to good books or some other reason. You have to beat these reasons and find a way to start enjoying Math again if you're serious about science and your curiosity about nature is deep and sincere.

Note 🙂: As I always remark when I post a Richard Feynman video, although he has inspired me no end I find myself philosophically more inclined towards Prof Erwin Schrodinger and gladly recommend reading "Erwin Schrodinger and the Quantum Revolution" by John Gribbin.

PS 😅: This is a Theoretical Physicist talking about the importance of Mathematics. Certainly not an advertisement billboard claiming that "Pure Mathematics" and "Pure Mathematicians" are "special" in some way or the other 😅!

Science and Mathematics Coursework in Engineering Education

I don't know about the rest of the world but there are now colleges in India that are graduating engineers without college level physics education in mechanics (classical and quantum), electricity & magnetism and special relativity, and at least one college level chemistry course.

This is disastrous! Not only is this much exposure to physics and chemistry required in any engineering branch in itself, the entire field of engineering activity in the world today is multi-disciplinary! On any given day, any real world engineering task today requires mechanical, electrical, chemical and other engineers to work together towards a common objective. And the foundation of this inter-disciplinary collaboration capability rests on "core courses" that are required for all branches.

[You will also find computer scientists claiming things like "computer science education does not require continuous mathematics like calculus - just discrete math is enough". But that is just too ridiculous for me to write a dedicated post on.]

The Highest Academic Post

The highest academic post is simply "Professor". All leadership positions - Head of Department, Dean, Director, Vice Chancellor - are simply administrative responsibilities that one takes (or does not) depending on how inclined one is towards administrative work.

These are *not* positions *above* Professor that one is "promoted" to.

Which is why every respectable university has its administrators declaring themselves as "Professor and Department Head", "Professor and Dean", and so on. The academic title of Professor is always declared first followed by the administrative role one has taken up at the present time.

Whenever you meet someone trying to pull rank based on administrative responsibilities, know that you are face to face with an intellectually shallow academic. Which inevitably translates into a shallow administrative temperament and a less than fulfilling work atmosphere.

The Fallacy of the H-Index

Here's an article by Prof. Mark Guzdial, Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, that I highly recommend: H-indices and how academic publishing has changed: Feynman and Einstein just aren’t that impressive anymore | Computing Ed Research - Guzdial's Take (wordpress.com)

This is the second consecutive post I'm putting up to emphasize that while I'm in agreement with Indian academia's desire to break away from a "teaching-heavy research-light" mindset and establish a new paradigm wherein teaching and research are emphasized equally - and while I too believe that we can and must make a global impact in knowledge generation (instead of remaining just knowledge transmitters) - merely chasing quantitative metrics that might be in vogue from time to time may not work!

Both posts are probably worth reading together as a single group.