this is Udit

IN-Dependence

2011-08-14T12:37:00.000+05:00

A day some 64 years ago

stays etched in my mind

when the brutal British rule

came to a grind.

India rose from the ashes, the time stood still

entry into a new era

people ushered in free air

the moment captured in a virtual camera.

As the clock ticked along

India evolved,

new leaders, new challenges

gradually resolved.

We fought our dreary neighbors

curbed their ambitions

but , in the will to succeed

forgot our traditions.

With the population explosion

grew our demand

the country with its depleted resources

enroute to development, came a withstand.

Decades gone by,

the golden days of yore

the ‘sone ki chidiya’ ; our nation

does not sustain it any more.

Are we really independent

my mind thinks

with millions under poverty line

the government hardly blinks.

Seeing the India of their dreams,

the martyrs weep

to see the nation they won with blood

go down deep and deep.

There is no doubt that

we have made our stride

our land has bred heroes

who proliferate our pride.

But is that copious

to mark our independence

celebrating cricket victories and flying kites

has become a good riddance.

Freedom is not a mere slave

Of the rich and the elite

Every Indian has his right on it

It’s a national feat.

Lets all come together

to forge an oath

we will have zero tolerance policy

towards corruption henceforth.

This 15^th August
lets redefine independence day
allowing the gloom prevailing
eradicated by a ray.

Ray of zeal and belief
like never before
to instill in every Indian

the everlasting roar.

Wo udti huyi patange bhi bol uthe,
udne do zara hume aur upar
likhe hum is watan ka naam
un roshan sitaaron par...

The Common Man

2011-08-01T15:17:00.000+05:00

He toils through the day

to make ends meet

his efforts of living a dignified life

are inarguably discreet.

He commutes through the city

in bus, metro and train

nothing halts his steps

bombs, quakes or rain.

He is suppressed to indefinite limits,

made to tolerate as much as he can

the intense fire that burns inside him

no one can fan.

He stays mute

inspite of all atrocities

his ire, his animosity

stay hidden in his miseries.

He is trampled perennially by

his own barbarous government

petrol, diesel, gasoline, vegetables

he is always made to torment.

He strives throughout

to attain a sense of divinity

but his limits of turbulence and agony

tend to infinity.

He is a victim of deplorable negligence

piercing his dilapidated esteem like a knife

in a country ruled by the people

five lakhs is the price of his life.

He has seen it all

CWG, 2G, Taj corridor and Bofors...

but one wonders why

none of these created a sustained furor.

I urge him to strive

against all odds

to attain justice

against the corrupt lords.

For if he doesn’t speak now

it would be too late

the poor common man then

would be responsible for his fate.

Udit Bhatia

Electronics and Communication Engineering

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University

The plight

2011-07-12T11:33:00.000+05:00

An open letter to the Ministry of Railways

Honourable Prime Minister

Subject: Negligence in action leading to loss of lives.

It is a matter of extreme grief and disappointment that the India Railways is going through a turmoil.What happened in Uttar Pradesh was nothing but a coup de grace on the fragile threads by which our railway system is hanging.

Three railway accidents in four days claimed over 100 lives and left as many as 400 injured. According to the latest official figures, between April 2010 and January 2011, over 300 people were killed and 437 were left injured in railway related mishaps. In all, this year alone has seen six major railway accidents.Be it Uttar Pradesh, Assam or any other state, the Indian Railways is surely evolving into a mode of transport that cannot be entrusted upon.

With as many as three MoS and you at the helm of the Ministry, it is baffling to witness the kind of negligence and irresponsibility shown by the Railway staff and officials at the time of mishap.Tragedy does not strike before knocking at one’s door.Why were the ministry officials so sluggish in their actions?Why is there a shortage of 10,000 personnel in Railway Protection Force? Why are dynamic measures not undertaken to prevent the derailment of trains?We, Indians, need an immediate response to all these questions.

Railway finances are also shrinking with working expenses going up. Basically Indian Railways is increasingly becoming an inefficient transporter.As the sabotaged bogies lay on the dilapidated platform, it was the nearby villagers who undertook the rescue operations and tried to save the critically injured passengers.The animosity that prevails in the hearts of an Indian citizen is reaching its threshold levels and the time won't be far, Mr.Prime minister when your government will have to face the ire of these Indian people.

As the death toll mounts, as I write this letter, your ministers are busy in mud slinging and cascading the blame of the railway mishaps on one another.It is indeed a sorry state of affairs for a railway network which is the fourth largest in the world and a carrier to over 18 million people everyday.

Mr. Prime Minister, are 5 lakh rupees sufficient to a family who has lost their only son; a sole bread earner.Are 5 lakh rupees adequate for a mother who has lost her children, is this amount enough for a wife who was waiting at the platform for her husband only to be informed that he would never return.Is 1 lakh the amount to give to a guy whose limbs are impaired for life? India awaits your reply.

Just think about the plight of the widows and orphans.All this loss, pain and suffering due to a negligence of a few hours.Is the price of life of an innocent middle class Indian 5 lakh rupees?

My pen trembles as I jot these words, Mr.Prime Minister.Tolerance levels have been crossed.We don't want any false claims.We need result-oriented actions from you and your subordinates in this serious issue and the forging of a reliable,scientifically tested and a swift Railway mechanism that can put an end to these mishaps which lead to gruesome consequences.

Awaiting your reply.

Yours sincerely

A middle class Indian

The soap which made me smile

2011-06-24T12:32:00.000+05:00

'Meri momma ka purse jaise hospital ki pyaari koi nurse'....these lines still manage to bring a smile to my lips.The characters, Maya,Indu, Sahil, Monisha,Rosesh and how can we forget the quintessential lunatic son-in-law, Dushyant.What a family! Sigh

Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai,was one of the most popular and loved sitcoms in the history of the small screen entertainment in India.There had been serials and daily soaps depicting upper – class Gujarati families with a tinge of humour and a splash of satirical gags before this, but the response Sarabhai v/s Sarabhai got was perhaps unparalleled and unprecedented in Indian television.What exactly made it a hit with the audience? Here are a few definite reasons:

First things first, the characters were outrageously hilarious.One completely insane Gujarati family.

Be it Indravadan Sarabhai(Satish Shah), the doting father who never missed an opportunity to make digs at his wife(Maya) and nothing amuses himself by picking on his erratic son Rosesh.Next in the queue is Maya Sarabhai(wonderful portrayal by Ratna Pathak Shah), she likes only crème de la crème in every aspect of her life and family.Her confrontations with her middle class daughter in law(Monisha) are suave and sugar-coated.Voila, a sight to watch!Sophistication was the keyword for Mrs.Sarabhai.

Next character is Sahil Sarabhai(Sumeet Raghavan), who is Maya’s eldest son and Monisha’s husband.A cosmetic surgeon by profession, he is a quintessential example of a husband sandwiched between his mother and wife .He too like his father loves to tease Rosesh, his elder brother.

Monisha Sarabhai(Rupali Ganguly) is the wife of Sahil Sarabhai and the daughter in law of the family.Coming from a middle class Punjabi family, she has to bear the brunt of her extra elite, extra upper class mother in law and gets bashed regularly for keeping her house untidy.’Beta, you’re so middle class’ is the refrain she hears from her mother in law.

Another important person is Rosesh Sarabhai(Rajesh Kumar) who is the youngest son of Maya and Indrvadan.He’s a theatre artist and a wannabe poet(ends up writing lines that can make Ghalib shiver).He’s a ‘momma’s boy’ and because of his eccentric antics and whimsical personality and poetry, he is teased by his brother and father.

The other reasons making it popular were the screenplay and the dialogues.It wasn’t the quintessential slapstick humour that is generally served to the Indian humours , but more plot oriented intelligent humour that became extremely hilarious at times. Lastly, the support cast was equally impressive.Be it Dushyant(Deven Bhojani at his best) or Madhusudan Phupha, all added to the laugh riot on the screen.

So many ‘quintessentials’ in my article,well that’s what Sarabhai’s do to you, because everything about the show was …quintessential.

Leave the TRP’s and the other commercial terms aside, this show generated humour from the artificiality and the shallowness in the interactions of the city’s elite and their perceived notions of the shortcomings of the middle class family.It was indeed a light and a perfect watch!

The author earnestly hopes that it returns back to the small screen(so that people start watching Star One again) and entertains us for more years to come.

Before concluding the article, let me conclude the poetry(or the lack of it) from Rosesh Sarabhai:

"momaa ka purse jaise hospital ki pyaari si koi nurse
purse mein rakha tissue paper karta hai paseene ka ilaajaur lipstick ho jaise bhookhe honton ka anaaj
momaa ke purse ka hai makhmali sa sparsh
momaa ka purse
momaa ka purse "

Udit Bhatia

Electronics and Communication Engineering

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University

ONE NIGHT STAND

2011-06-14T19:09:00.000+05:00

Before you think that I’m getting into a dangerous territory on writing about the mischievous and audacious adventures which raise eyebrows, I want to set it straight.The one night stand here is a one which has a bed but instead of a girlfriend there are books.

When one lays on a bed besides books there is hardly any sensuous feeling but there is a similarity between this one night stand and the one of popular perception and that is at the end the person involved gets screwed(by books in this case).

One night stand is apparently a one night stunt ; the dreaded night before an exam where one has to study as there is no other choice left. It is the(only) night when an n-p-n transistor excites more than Megan Fox in a bikini, when boolean algebra invades your mind more than the flavor of vodka you had a night ago, when Isaan Newton beats Hugh Hefner and when the length of the transmission line has more significance than the length of Maria Sharapova’s skirt!

It is the night of extreme significance like the judgement night for engineers who like booze more than books.It is the last impetus to pull off a semester with an infinite probability of non occurrence(though I know that probability lies from[0,1])

So, how does a one night stand really span out.Based on our observations of 15 years of academic life, it goes something like this:

THE LAST AFTERNOON

12 NOON: Wake up.

12.30 PM: Take bath.

2.00 PM: A hearty lunch followed by a nap.

THE LAST EVENING

4.00PM: Waking up; opening books for the first time in the semester.

6.00PM: zzzzzzzzz……

THE LAST NIGHT

8.00PM: Finally Up, sms to your best friend(read geek) ’whats the syllabus, jaldi reply kar’

Half an hour later a 7000 word reply appears on your cell like a knife piercing through your chest.You hope there would be a winking smiley below that sms saying ’just kidding’, but in vain.

Another sms goes ‘bro, important waale chapters bata de’.Now there is an sms with 6900 characters below which its written in capital letters ‘waise saare chapters important hai’.

9.00PM: So, okay you realize that you can pull it off.Though it is the height of pseudo-optimism, you feel like the one genius never born to see the light on this planet ; ready to challenge the same colossal agglomeration of perplexing text (read books) that took the prof. six months(and still couldn’t complete) and the author a decade or more perhaps apparently after which he died and we engineers have to complete it in one day, rather one night.This could blow the guts of any commerce, arts or medical student, but we engineers are made of some harder stuff.

20 minutes later: With every half a page you exchange 100 text messages.But, even at this time you feel like taking a break.The gray cells of your cerebrum are just getting used to the white and black text books.What a contrast, the brain thinks!

12.00 midnight: 2500 messages later the 25 page chapter finally ends.You feel elated.The feeling is same as that of Barack Obama after killing Osama bin Laden.As the midnight strikes, the syllabus rises exponentially and the messages get shorter each time.Example ‘do dis dis and dis’, ‘kitna kiya’,’ lagi padhi hai yaar’ and finally ‘:o’ (sic).

1.OOAM-3.OOAM: This is the most important phase, you can either make it or break it.As the silence spreads all over, the spirit of engineering rises from inside(literally, all those engineers who died while battling through B.Tech rise from their graves).In fact, in a baffling manner you break all the boundaries of human competency and study even more than the geeky University toppers who enjoy exams more than their birthdays and rave parties.

Now, with just 4 hours of sleep available(the bare minimum that I need before an exam), you dig into the bed. Relief and jubilance all around.The bizarre relief of succeeding in something that was a far fetched dream just a few hours back.The hibernation period of 4 hours (read zzzzzzz…) commences.The one night stunt ends but what remains is ‘D-Day’.

THE NEXT DAY

10.00AM(Examination Hall): With unparalleled grit and undeterring resolve to score 50 marks(yes, our lunatic University has a pass % of 50), you take the question paper from the invigilator.Just one aim flashes in front of your blurry eyes:Pass.

Just when you are about to read the first question, someone shouts ‘yeh question paper hamaara hai kya’.The decorum of the room and your mind gets disturbed.These words are enough to break the pseudo-confidence that thrived your brain, enough to change the aim of your life, enough to classify you as a loser.Mission Impossible.

The cerebrum says,’Shit’.But the heart says, ‘You’re an engineer.Apply the theory of jugaad’.The theory states that,’If the question is so bizarre that you don’t know what the answer is, assume that the checker too doesn’t apply sanity while checking your copy.Hence, write anything that could end up perplexing the checker that you’re right correct’.

Using the theory all the questions are dealt with an highly engineered fashion.As you’re busy fabricating answers that could make even Einstein shriek with dismay, the guy behind says, ‘Bas kar be, Mahabharat nahi likhni’.Thus, the ordeal ends.The performance in exam is judged on the basis of the blank sheets left…..Mission Accomplished.

In this way something that was appearing to be far beyond the horizon is attained and transformed into a success story(in most cases).

Guys, a one night stand is not the ideal way of studying, it won’t make you ace the college or anything, but it certainly gives you peace for many nights ahead, so its worth the effort.All the nerds who haven’t tried it must give it a try.Though don’t blame the authors for the consequences!

Written for all engineers who sacrifice their one night of numerous exciting possibilities to study for a boring exam.

Anubhav Tyagi and Udit Bhatia

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University

Swaminomics

2011-06-02T17:30:00.000+05:00

Tell me honestly readers, how many of you would have thought that a docile, milquetoast ascetic could blow the air out of the Prime Minister of India.Not many, perhaps none.Well, Swami Ramdev has done exactly that and whats even better, this is just the beginning.
Popularly known as Baba Ramdev, the yog guru has indeed emerged as a central figure to retieve the $1.4 trillion,the black money stored by the corrupt Indian bureaucrats and opulent government officials.The Bharat Swabhiman Movement, which he initiated about 18 months ago has been a success with the oppressed middle classes of our country, who have to bear the the brunt of the rampant corruption the most.Swami has now taken a giant stride toward his aim of a chasten and a dignified India.The saffron - robed sage has pledged a hunger strike from June 4 to protest against corruption and to pass the Lokpal Bill to full effect by August, 2011.He has also urged his legions of followers to join in this noble movement.The popularity of the sage is so high that many big bureaucrats and political honchos landed at the Delhi airport to convince him to call off the strike.
Over the past decade, Swami Ramdev has built a massive devotee base all over the country and as I write this article more than one crore people have vowed to support him in his fast.Anna Hazare, whose highly publicised fast in April struck a chord with millions of Indians has also been roped in to join this cause.
The Union HRD minister Kapil Sibbal and veteran Congress leader Digvijay Singh though are busy making digs at the saint calling him a maverick and terming him as an industrialist than a yog guru.Playing politics at its best, the duo seem like delirious men unsure of what they want.Call it dirty tricks or 'Chanakya- niti', the two eminent politicos are leaving no stone unturned to halt the uprising.
Some journalists and frustrated politicians might call this hunger strike a gimmick and a way to waste resources and money of the country, but one cannot deny the cause Swami Ramdev is espousing despite the politicians giving it a spin, perpetuated by the display of prostration in front of the Swami.
The government is clearly in a quandary.After the Anna episode they are now skeptical about the antics of Baba Ramdev whose bandwidth of supporters increases by the nanosecond.Though,the news is ripe that the shrewd marauders of the constitution are trying their level best to create a civil divide by pitting Anna against the Swami.

God, save thy country!

PS:the author does not want to offend any politician or a political party through this article.If anyone feels reproached in anyway, apologies to the person concerned.

Udit Bhatia
Electronics & Communication Engineering
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University

The French juggernaut

2011-05-28T09:26:00.000+05:00

With the hard courts of the Oceania are conquered and the masters of Rome and Monte Carlo accomplished,the tennis fraternity is all set for the the clay court season.
Les internationaux de France de Roland-Garros or the French Open is already underway.It is one of the four majors or grand slams known in the tennis world and attracts all the top men and women players across the planet.The premier clay court tournament has always held a place of prestige in the hearts of the players and fans alike.
Touted by many as the most difficult slam to win, given the treacherous winds and the disconcerting bounce on the red soil, the French Open has always tested the endurance and dexterity of the tennis pros.
The elite tournament, which began in 1891, has indeed come a long way with close to $7 million in the prize money.

An overview of the French Open makes us pretty sure of the fact that this year there are certainly no favourites.In the men's draw, leading the pack is the six-time defending champion Rafael Nadal who is bidding for his seventh French Open crown in the city of Paris.Novak Djokovic would be eager to spoil Rafa's plans as the former is having an impeccable 2011 with 37 wins in as many encounters.To add to the excitement, there is a certain Roger Federer, regarded as the greatest player in Open Era.The swiss maestro would dearly like to add another grand slam to his existing tally of 16 and enhance what has been but an illustrious career.Roland Garros stands testimony to the unseeded and seemingly innocuous players who have gone on to win the championship, hence, ignore Robin Soderling, Andy Murray and Jo Wilfred Tsonga at your your own peril.

The women's draw is even more volatile with the sabbatical of the William sisters-Venus and Serena.With the top seed Caroline Wozniacki already ousted and Kim Clijsters defeated, the defending champion from Italy, Fransesca Schiavone is the favourite.But Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Victoria Azarenka might have something to say about that.
The Indian representation at the French Open has already suffered a hiccup when Sania Mirza lost her second round encounter against her polish opponent but the veteran duo of Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes are going smoothly until now.Here in India, we earnestly hope that the break the jinx and bring more glory to the nation.
As a tennis buff, I hope to catch some of the nerve biting matches and hope to see a Rafa-Roger finale.

With figers crossed and happiness in my heart I can certainly say Viva la France...chemin a parcourir!

THE END

2011-04-15T20:13:00.000+05:00

The evening was balmy.But ironically, the atmosphere was equally inclement.She was in a state of complete consternation.It was a condition that resembled that of a body which is paralyzed, like of a fish seconds out of water, trying to survive, trying to just elongate the life, the breath.

She brushed aside her whorls which were scattered all over her face.The face which used to blossom at his sight, was looking like a barren land pleading the almighty for the elixir,a solicitation that was futile.The lips which used to be like a bud ready to sprout at the sight of the spring, were puckered, as distraught as it could get.Her eyes, which were equally cryptic like an ancient treasure hitherto unexplored, protected by lids and girded by fine brows which furrowed each time the wind touched her face, brimming with tears.She tried with all her might to control the stream flowing across her cheeks which he used to caress.That touch would bring a subtle smile to her lips and a shimmer in her eyes.She missed that touch today.

She turned towards him.Her dappled maroon coloured saree fluttering as a strong gush of wind blew across the courtyard.Her visage was again caressed by the wind as she moved towards him like a hypnotized soul.

He lay there wrapped in tricolour with a battery of men in green around him, their magnificent rifles pointing to the azure of the horizon.She bent down to embrace him one last time.She touched him one last time, perhaps knowing that this touch would be the last one.A tear trickled down her face in this process.But, she swabbed it off.
She was a widow of a martyr, a man who had brought unparalleled glory to the motherland.A baronial soldier, who puts all he has at stake to shield his country, to hedge it from all evil.
She should not cry.She must not cry.
But a layer behind that brave woman was a newly- wedded bride.A dainty girl, who had just entered a new world,had novel hopes, fabricated new dreams and aspirations and new apprehensions about her life as a wife.All this had shattered for her.For she was a widow now.
She should cry.She must cry.

The men in green fired their 16 rounds and bend to pick the body.She stared hard to get that one last look.The vermilion on her brow was swiped forever.
She finally let go off the tears she had been holding back.

(written for those thousands of widows of war who inspite of adversity and bereavement stand up, accept the destiny and move on, lets salute their gut, grit and courage)
Jai Hind

Udit Bhatia
Electronics and Communication Engineering
Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi

India has an exam system but not an education system

2011-04-14T11:08:00.000+05:00

In the thick of the entrance exam season, a furious dispatch to the Prime Minister from his own scientific adviser has termed such tests as one big menace.

Strongly recommending an immediate halt to the system of sitting for a pile of exams, C N R Rao, who heads the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (SACPM), said in a letter sent last week that the American method of holding one national exam before joining university is the way.

Putting it bluntly, Rao told the PM that India is said to "have an examination system but not an education system... When will young people stop taking exams and do something worthwhile?"

Referring to the exam overdrive, Rao briefed Manmohan Singh on the various flavours of examinations that dot a student's life: "It is important to relook the entire examination system including the system of final examinations, entrance examinations, qualifying examinations, selection examinations, and so on. Now one hears of a proposal to have a qualifying or accreditation examination for medical graduates and post-graduates."

Students who groan under the pressure of multiple entrance exams will cheer this advice. Citing the example of Joint Entrance Examination conducted by IIT, he said: "IIT entrance exams have the reputation of being difficult and purposeful, but they have also had a negative effect on young minds. Young people suffer so much to succeed in these entrance exams, and in the process lose excitement in education itself."

The lakhs who don't make it across the IIT gates, Rao told the PM, get exhausted and can't perform as well as young people with fresh minds.

Talking about the agony that the Indian higher education sector is in, the SACPM, in a brief document sent to the PM recently — accessed by TOI — noted, "Today there is not a single educational institution in India which is equal to the best institution in the advanced countries".

In view of the growing number of aspirants for higher education, the SACPM has readied a 10-point checklist of key problems and challenges. It has asked the human resources development ministry to set up a taskforce to come up with an action-oriented document within a year.

"We should seriously consider a possible scenario wherein the young India advantage enables India to emerge as the provider of trained manpower for the entire world in the next 20-30 years. This could be a worthwhile national objective," he told the PM.

Rao's checklist for higher education include:

Raising the bar: Provide all required support to 10 educational institutions to enable them to compete with the best in advanced countries

Look ahead: There's a manpower mismatch in many countries with too many professionals in some subjects. Prepare a vision document which foresees the problems 20 years hence

Inclusivity: Increase the number of fully residential schools up to higher secondary level in rural India to nurture rural talent

TOI report

10 THINGS TO LEARN FROM JAPAN

2011-04-06T12:55:00.000+05:00

1. THE CALM

Not a single visual of chest-beating or wild grief. Sorrow itself has been elevated.

2. THE DIGNITY
Disciplined queues for water and groceries. Not a rough word or a crude gesture.

3. THE ABILITY
The incredible architects, for instance. Buildings swayed but didn’t fall.

4. THE GRACE
People bought only what they needed for the present, so everybody could get something.

5. THE ORDER
No looting in shops. No honking and no overtaking on the roads. Just understanding.

6. THE SACRIFICE
Fifty workers stayed back to pump sea water in the N-reactors. How will they ever be repaid?

7. THE TENDERNESS
Restaurants cut prices. An unguarded ATM is left alone. The strong cared for the weak

8. THE TRAINING
The old and the children, everyone knew exactly what to do. And they did just that.

9. THE MEDIA
They showed magnificent restraint in the bulletins. No silly reporters. Only calm reportage.

10. THE CONSCIENCE
When the power went off in a store, people put things back on the shelves and left quietly

Anwesha Bose

FOOLS...Really??

2011-03-31T17:02:00.000+05:00

The first of April, some do say,/ Is set apart for All Fools' Day./ But why the people call it so,/ Nor I, nor they themselves do know./ But on this day are people sent/ On purpose for pure merriment.

Poor Robin's Almanac

He who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool — avoid him! He who knows and knows not that he knows is asleep — waken him! He who knows not and knows that he knows not wants a beating — beat him! But he who knows and knows that he knows is a wise man — know him.

Proverb

Fools are wise until they speak.

Randle Cotgrave

A man who cannot reason is a fool, a man who will not reason is a bigot, and a man who dare not reason is a slave.

William Drummond

We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools.

Martin Luther King, Jr

A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends.

Baltasar Gracian

A fool without fear is sometimes wiser than an angel with fear.

Nancy Astor

This is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are on the other 364 days

The mother of all clashes

2011-03-26T18:50:00.001+05:00

30^th March 2011…a date which is going to be historic in the annals of cricket ….paramount, colossal, eminent…its gonna be as big as it can perhaps get….

India have set a semi final date with Pakistan on at Mohali after ousting the defending champions Australia in the 2nd quarter-final at Ahmedabad.

Mohali is going to be an epicenter of frenzy and fanaticism as the two arch rivals grapple for supremacy at the greatest cricketing spectacle on the planet.

India –Pakistan encounters have always been the ones which garner the maximum out of the players and the spectators alike, but when it’s the question of a place in the grand finale, things are bound to get tenser and hotter at the centre.

People from across the border are equally eager to witness their team emerge out of the dark and shut the mouths of the critics who feel that the cricket in Pakistan has succumbed to corruption and match- fixing.

It has been a credible performance by Pakistan so far in the tournament, to obliterate all the controversies that surrounded them prior to the tournament and beat formidable sides like Sri Lanka and Australia.

India, on the other hand were termed as favourites before the tournament commenced but lived upto that tag only when they outplayed the defending champions in the quarters.

Both the teams have got the players who can win games single handedly on their day, but the team which reconciles better and holds its nerve at crunch moments will eventuall emerge victorious.

Being an ardent fan of the Indian team, I earnestly want the men in blue to maraud their arch rivals but its high time that they learn from their mistakes and implement it in the match. Firstly, the fielding needs to be as good as it was against the Aussies and the pacers need to fire.

India also need to be vary of the threat which Shahid Afridi poses as a bowler. Thus,M.S. Dhoni and Gary Kirsten have their work cut out Its now or never.

Now, the question is: Can we beat Pakistan? We have better batsmen; they have superior bowlers. It promises to be another mouth-watering clash. A real cliffhanger

I would say, the odds are 60:40 in our favour. I know they are in ominous form. But we have the home advantage. We are also the better fielding side. But, more importantly, we are perhaps equipped to tackle their formidable spin and pace attack.

I will be praying for an India victory. But I will also say: Best of luck, Pakistan!

A Walk....

2011-03-14T23:48:00.000+05:00

This story is dedicated to the following lines by Albert Camus;

“You will never be happy if you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if you are looking for the meaning of life.”

Months after it was sown in the most anally retentive manner, the gardener with a watering can in hand surveys the garden with the exactitude of a hawk eyed hunter and music leaving like chopped wood from his chapped lips. “Lush”, he said with sarcasm as a fine line of perspiration was making way behind his ear. Months of grind had produced a shapeless patchwork of green and brown that without proper water, manure, and sunlight showed reluctance to coalesce, much to the agony of the gardener. A couple of furlongs behind the bungalow among the labyrinth of irregularly planted apple and plum trees lay the mound of concrete, steel and earth from the newly constructed bungalow. Shade is an unending season in this hopeless mountain of refuse, but tufts of delicate green grass with small sharp blades have made their way through like a guttersnipe does all his life in pursuit of survival. The grass here sucks up human filth from which even its producer maintains a fair distance.

I believe in justice and the concern for the hands that bring it about do not in the remotest way concern me for the end here precedes the importance of means that achieve it; all my life I have tried to find ways to break the walls of desperation that only get thicker and bigger more from my inaction. I am in a separate cell because my answers at the Court were so true that they could not have been uttered by a man of sane disposition and so I can be a threat to the prison inmates; in any way I hate these gormless convicts and love the peace of the cell, which sometimes becomes boring but never intellectually idle. All my life I had been a pedestrian filling the unimportant gaps, waiting to become something from which hope and courage would spring but all I ended up doing was cleaning the world of a drug pusher by injecting many doses of Meth into his anatomy in a fit of convulsive nervous energy. I am trying to picture the act, the trial, and everything from the mind’s acceptance of the initiation of act and its final purpose seemed to reverberate first and then dwindle; I felt some peace that even in the act of, let’s say, murdering people I had acted with some kindness when seen in the light of my firm conviction that it’s not a crime to do what the courts of justice fail to do in time. Years have passed, yet the desire to get out of the mire in which I have become numb is as fresh as when I entered because from the depths of abyss does one really desire the smooth white light that comes many a time from path of action and never from hope that is masquerading in guise of blissful ignorance and slavish obedience of a system of exploitation.

More refuse, and the winter that is same for the stone by the roadside or the sapphire in the crown have ended the struggle of the grass. Without any desire or remorse I was walking listlessly along the narrow muddy alley between the barracks with an uncommon spring as opposed to the leaden footedness I had become used to when a convict of weak constitution and quirky behaviour shared a piece of bread with me although his eyes spoke nothing but hunger. I ate some and put some of it on the windowsill of my cell, perhaps for tomorrow, and as I was laying on the cold floor my back felt like the cracking of autumn leaves under the feet of running children. I know not when but while looking at the piece of bread that I had brought down from the windowsill, I quietly slipped into the lap of sleep and from there into some densely wooded valley bereft of anything living; I was walking with uncertain steps following the smell of unknown plants or maybe flowers when I sighted on my right under a great oak tree, a turtle trying to climb on to some rocks. It started to snow, the stitches of my manky shoes could hold on no more. I walked a long time in haze and storm till I reached a natural exit to the wooded valley with mud and dead leaves clinging up to my waist and before me was a burning field of corn with a broad road in the middle of which lay a harvest table fully laden with fruits and pots of juices and alongside the table were steps raised towards a half finished pedestal. I hesitated for some time and even took a few steps back but then I walked up to the pedestal and lo and behold! A cherub in a silver basket lined with fleece was playing with the shadow of the tree on the basket; the silhouette of the skeletal tree against the orange sky creating enthusiasm with the sun calling after brief hiatuses from behind the tree. Beyond the mountain and towards the sun, I continued.

11 rules you won't be taught at school-Bill Gates

2011-03-13T15:25:00.000+05:00

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it!

Rule 2: The world doesn't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

UDRS and umpires...

2011-03-08T18:07:00.001+05:00

The ICC Cricket World Cup is well underway and the spotlight is, for a change, not on the cricketers but on a new phenomenon introduced for the first time in World Cup history: Umpire Decision Reviewal System (UDRS).

This probing eye of technology has been a part of the game for sometime now but when the stage and the stakes are as high as the World Cup, the constraints and the coercion are different.Ask an umpire how it feels about hid decision being overruled over and over in front of packed Indian stadiums with crowds getting frenzy every nanosecond….the reply would be abominable…to say the least.

The best umpires on the planet are scrutinized to the last bit by this amazing weapon given by the ICC.Daryl Harper, when asked how his travails to combat with this technology were, replied wistfully, that he perhaps felt like a dummy standing in the middle of a road under neon lights and without any protection, as vehicles zipped past, ever eager to hit him with a ruthless force.

If one of the best umpires in the game is left feeling completely exposed, spare a thought for lesser mortals. Blame it on the UDRS if, after the World Cup, some of these blokes decide to call it a day. These gentlemen are set to become the biggest casualty of this World Cup.If Harper was exposed in the Pakistan-Canada clash,Billy Bowden had to bear the grunt in the nerve wracking India- England tie.When the ball was pushed back in his court, Billy Bowden, the genial New Zealander, had to stick to his earlier decision. It was perhaps an ego thing for him. The rule says if the point of impact is over 2.5m from the stumps, the hawkeye is considered unreliable and therefore ineffective. In that case, why was the hawkeye brought into use in the first place? Why was path of the ball traced on the tram-lines, and shown to thousands inside the stadium on the giant screen and millions outside on the small screen?

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni indeed had a valid point when he called this act ‘adulteration of technology’.

Have these men in floppy hat at the non-striker’s end and at the square-leg outlived their utility? Should we just leave their job to the third umpire, a portly man far away from the scene of action and heavily dependant on television?

If you ask me, I’ve been a cricket fanatic for last decade or so and have been following it religiously.But, I’ve always fancied the human part in the game, which has been diminishing rather rapidly.

Perhaps we are going towards a state when the on-field umpire will become obsolete. As such, the combination of human and technology has rendered the former very vulnerable. The Bowdens and Harpers might well be some of the last quality representatives of their tribe. Who would want to become an umpire, knowing that his decision stands to be overruled? Who would want to be a sitting duck, like Harper,crossing his chest and being mocked at ? Technology will only improve with time, making the umpires even more vulnerable. Their confidence has taken a huge beating. Technology has devoured many a profession and cricket umpiring might just join this list.

God save the umpires from UDRS!

All art is propaganda of some form

2011-02-17T23:27:00.001+05:00

Art in Michelangelo’s words was something not created through brain but something sculpted from inner inspiration and culture. He believed that every stone had a sculpture within it, and that the work of sculpting was simply a matter of chipping away all that was not a part of the statue. That was the age of Renaissance, an age when art went through an interlude of resurgence. That was the age when art was nourished and so it flourished. Painters, artists and sculptors were commissioned to produce works of art which went on to become timeless masterpieces. Such was the soul in these works that Michelangelo once said, “The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection”.

The times though, as always, change. Art has come a long way, spanned many centuries and interested many curious minds. Beethovens’ melodious symphonies have given way to Nirvanas’ boisterous sounds (I still fail to understand how they decided upon the name). Shakespearean methods of literature have been substituted by the writings of authors like Dan Brown. Paintings too have undergone a sea change as M.F. Hussains’ creations adorn more walls than do the paintings of most Renaissance painters. Art has indeed traversed eons and has always pleased the aesthetic mind. Not once though has this gracious form of self-expression washed its’ hands of propaganda. Not once.

Art has been swamped by propaganda. In “The Frontiers of Art and Propaganda”, an essay which George Orwell wrote in 1941,he says that if we look back at the English literature of the last ten years , the thing that strikes us is that it has almost ceased to be aesthetic. Writers have always been aesthetically conscious but the writers which Orwell is referring to here are writers who have been more inclined towards subject-matter than technique. Paintings too haven’t been far behind. Leonardo da Vincis’ Mona Lisa is probably the worlds’ most famous and highly analysed painting but it still manages to perplex artists and academics alike. The lady conceals so much that till date no one knows what she is actually concealing. The Mona Lisa smiles down at everyone who examines her and always has the last laugh (pun intended). In another painting of his called The Last Supper, da Vinci incorporates major traces of symbology. The painting shows Jesus Christ dining with his disciples, one of which as studies today say is Mary Magdalene-the lady with which Jesus is alleged to have fathered a child. When Da Vinci created this painting, it was gleefully accepted as a magnificent portrayal of Christ and his twelve apostles having bread and wine. Later though, came to the forefront a stark revelation that the apostle sitting to the right of Jesus was in fact not an apostle after all but was Mary Magdalene herself.

Bernini, another famous artist of the 15th century, painted and sculpted for the church in order to propagate religion and promote religious beliefs. A lesser known fact here is that he also created sculptures for a group of undercover scientists called Illuminati. When scientists used to propose their ideas to the church in the 15th century, the church would blatantly deny their theories since it thought that these theories challenge and disregard God. The church would even go on to murder some of these scientists to send out warnings to all other scientists out there. The surviving ones decided to conceal themselves from the rest of the world and agreed to meet only in private. But they had to devise some way to let other willing scientists join them. This is where they commissioned Bernini to sculpt for them. Bernini created sculptures which had secret messages hidden in them and could be deciphered by only by a few brilliant brains. These sculptures acted as signposts to people who could decipher them and were placed along the Path of Illumination-the route which led to the secret meeting place of the Illuminati. Propaganda does not get bigger than this.

Propaganda lurks in every book, painting, drawing and sometimes even in sources of entertainment like movies or music. It reminds us that every work of art has a meaning and a purpose — a political, social or a religious purpose. It debunks art and leads to aesthetic judgments forever corrupted by our own prejudices and beliefs.

Inheritance of gross

2011-02-10T15:28:00.000+05:00

Living Legacy: Ever since New Delhi was made the capital 100 years ago, the city, its people and its problems have not changed much.

The unique quirks and problems and characteristics that we associate with New Delhi today, were very much present even a century ago.The imperial capital of the British Raj was one of the most planned and feted cities of its time, but it faced civic problems right from day one of its inception as the capital of India.Here are some of the Delhi- isms unique to the capital, and of course its people….

Spit second decision: Delhiites of every generation have a rather curious way of admiring the architecture….by spitting on its walls and throwing filth around.This technique of appreciation is not confined only to monuments;the babus in the 20th century used to throw ink from their fountain pens outside the windows, staining(read decorating) the walls outside. Only the almighty knows when the souls of those diligent architects and builders will attain salvation.

Traffic mismanagement: In the Delhi of 1930′s, the traffic on roads comprised a few cars, tongas, horse-drawn carriages, palanquins and a large number of pedestrians.But even then traffic mismanagement was a huge issue in the city.In National Archives of India, many documents dating back to the 1930′s can be found stating complaints regarding the the traffic arrangements and its control.This 100 year old tryst with jams does not seem to end any soon even with the arrival of the metro.

Taxis of yore and today’s autos: Overcharging, not going by the meter; rude; declining to go to a destination…. sounds like an autowallah in Delhi,doesn’t it?Well, we are actually talking about the taxi drivers of the Capital a century ago.If most Delhiites love to hate autowallahs today, it was the case with the traffic drivers of the newly declared capital.Three generations later the conflict between the passenger and the auto driver is more fiercer and competitive as ever.

Hangout zones: Think of a pleasant sunny day with light breeze.Now think of a large open space in the heart of the city with lush green lawns for a family outing.The India Gate lawns….??Exactly.That was indeed the popular hangout area for the middle class Delhiites even three generations ago.Designed by Lutyens, these lawns were very popular in the 1920′s as they served the purpose of military parade rehearsals, playing fields and car parking for visitors coming to the national stadium.

There are more quirky and incredible things that we can associate with our adorable Dilli, that make it so unique and idiosyncratic.Though, I wish some of these characteristics stay for many more centuries but I also hope that the coming generations strive to eradicate the atrocious and disgraceful elements which are degenerating the glorious status of this city.Its our Dilli afterall.

IIT-B in Big Apple!

2011-02-09T15:56:00.000+05:00

BIG APPLE WAITING

MUMBAI: The Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay could soon have a second address — in New York.

The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) has invited IIT-B to submit a proposal to set up a campus in the Big Apple for applied science courses. The institute will fill a lacuna that the city’s five boroughs have had all these years — a world-class facility for applied science teaching and research with a strong bent towards applied engineering. A committee at IIT-B is firming up the institute’s pitch, which will be sent to NYCEDC by April. The host city will make a capital contribution, in addition to possibly providing land and other considerations.

Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, director Devang Khakhar, who was invited by The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) to consider setting up a campus there, has said the concept is being explored. “Yes, we may start with something small there. My team is working on a feasibility plan of going to New York.”

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg has said the city must optimize its business strengths. “The city is committed to finding the right partner and providing the support needed to establish such a facility because research in the fields of engineering, science and technology is creating the next generation of global business innovations that will propel our economy forward,” Bloomberg said. “New York City has all the ingredients to complement an applied science and engineering hub—a highly educated global population, an unparalleled financial and business community to provide capital and support for new ventures and existing top-notch institutions performing cutting-edge research. We want to capitalize on those strengths.”

Apart from inviting top institutes around the world to send in their offers, NYCEDC has also broadened its hunt by allowing institutes wanting a presence in NY to apply under this scheme. IIT-B’s dean (international relations) Subhasis Chaudhuri, said, “The proposal is at a rather nascent stage. But we are considering it very seriously.”

NYCEDC, which has received responses from a select group of top schools from around the world bidding for the same project, is likely to assess all the expressions of interest in April and later work toward setting up the school in a year. Terming this as a “once-in-a-generation opportunity”, Bloomberg said, “The impact of this initiative will be extraordinary.”

ANUGOONJ...is back

2011-01-31T16:38:00.000+05:00

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (IPU) is back with its much awaited cultural fest- ANUGOONJ. This will be the twelfth edition of the annual cultural festival which is being organized from the 3rd to 5th of February 2011.The University has always garnered great response from the students of all the affiliated colleges and schools of study for the past 11 years in organizing this mega event.

What makes the fest bigger and more awaited this year is the fact that it would be organized in the new campus in Dwarka subcity.It is perhaps the only event in the University that unites the students from various colleges to participate with utmost zeal and vigor.

A large number of events and competitions catering to a variety of disciplines such as music, literature, dance,poetry, theatre and fine arts are a part of the fest.Also, the National School of Drama would be performing in the Universitypremises on the opening day of the fest.The rock band performance on the 5th of February is the most anticipated event of the fest.

I earnestly hope that the fest this year turns out to be exemplary in terms of participation and response and is able to replicate the success of the previous editions of this mega event.I also wish the student coordinators and conveners all the best for the grand success of the event .Finally, I expect the students to make a mark in the competitions and conspire to make this year’s Anugoonj a memorable milestone in the annals of the University

Eagerly awaiting for the fest!

A BILLION DREAMS

2011-01-26T10:59:00.001+05:00

February, the month of college fests, the month of love, the month where the chilly cold withers away giving rise to youthful exuberance to the environs. But, what’s new in it….this is how February has always
been….. But for this year…..

February 2011 marks the arrival of the greatest cricketing spectacle on the earth : The cricket World Cup and this time it’s here, in India.

Cricket, as we all know very well might be just a sport anywhere else in the world but here in our motherland, it’s a religion. Thus, these factors make the world cup even more colossal. This is perhaps the only adhesive that unifies a billion people!

With a billion people come a billion dreams. With a billion dreams come a billion blessings. With a billion blessings come a billion hopes….Each of those billion hearts yearns for a victory, like the one achieved 27 years ago at Lords which transformed India from the underdogs to a cricketing power. Each of those
billion hearts wants their team to perform. I once heard Sachin Tendulkar say in an interview that it is his ultimate dream to lift the world cup for India one day and he would do all he can to make that dream turn into a reality. Thus, the God and His worshippers, both have the ultimate glory in their sight.

With the squad announced a week ago, each member has his work cut out. The realization of the dream which a billion Indians have seen is on their minds. With the culmination of youth and experience, convention and innovation, this squad has got everything required to substantiate the dream. With the ever destructive Virender Sehwag, canny Zaheer Khan and the ever cool Mahendra Dhoni, India has got men who can prove their mettle against the best in the world. Also, the emergence of Yusuf Pathan and Virat Kohli as match winners strengthens India’s prospects of conquering the world. Another element which gives this young brigade impetus is home advantage. With thousands cheering in the stadiums and millions watching it live on TV, it just couldn’t get bigger. They also want to do it for Sachin…..the only accomplishment that has eluded his incredible career.

And above all they want to do it for those billion people who give away their heart and soul to cricket, for those billion fanatics for whom victory means more than a win….So guys, go out there with the support, blessings and cheers of abillion people and give India a chance to relive those specials moments of
1983 all over again.

All the best team India!

AI PANIC!

2011-01-23T15:23:00.001+05:00

Intelligence is best defined as the ability of an individual to adapt his/her
behavior to new circumstances. Human intelligence is not a single ability but is
rather a composition of abilities like learning, reasoning, problem solving,
perception and understanding of language. Since ancient times, people have been
thinking of designing machines that will replicate human intelligence. The
concept of thinking machines appears in Greek myths like the ‘Talos of Crete’.
John McCarthy coined the term, 'artificial intelligence' in 1956. He defines
artificial intelligence as the science and engineering of making intelligent
machines. AI Researchers hope to invent intelligent machines, which can
perceive, learn and reason like humans. General intelligence is their long-term
goal. By general intelligence they mean to incorporate other aspects like social
intelligence, judgment, commonsense, robotics and self-awareness into machines.
Researchers dream of bringing into machines, the capacity for wisdom and the
ability to feel.
The modern definition of artificial intelligence (or AI) is "the study and
design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that
perceives its environment and takes actions which maximizes its chances of
success.
The first concern regarding the application of artificial intelligence is about
ethics and moral values. Is it ethically correct to create replicas of human
beings? Do our moral values allow us to recreate intelligence? Intelligence is
after all a gift of nature. It may not be right to install it into a machine to
make it work for our benefit.
Though the idea of machines replacing human beings sounds wonderful as it
appears to save
us from all the pain. But is it really such an exciting idea? Concepts such as
wholeheartedness and dedication in work bear no existence in the world of
artificial intelligence.
If robots begin replacing humans in every field, it may lead to unemployment.
People will be left with nothing to do. Empty time may result in its destructive
use. Thinking machines will govern all the fields and populate all positions
pre-occupied by people.
Apart from all these issues, there is a fear of robots superseding us! Ideally
human beings should continue being the masters of machines. If things turn the
other way round, the world will turn into chaos. Intelligent machines may prove
to be smarter than us; they might enslave us and start ruling the world. Man’s
greedy creativity may endanger mankind!
Artificial intelligence will surpass human intelligence after 2020, predicted
Vernor Vinge, a world-renowned pioneer in AI, who has warned about the risks and
opportunities that an electronic super-intelligence would offer to mankind.
In May 1997, Deep Blue (a robot) won the chess tournament against
Gary Kasparov. It was the first glimpse of a new kind of
intelligence.Increasingly autonomous, gun-totting robots developed for warfare
could easily fall into the hands of terrorists and may one day unleash a robot
arms race
“They pose a threat to humanity,” said University of Sheffield professor Noel
Sharkey ahead of a keynote address Wednesday before Britain’s Royal United
Services Institute.
Intelligent machines deployed on battlefields around the world — from mobile
grenade launchers to rocket-firing drones — can already identify and lock onto
targets without human help.
Eventually, it is up to you whether to stand by artificial intelligence or warn
yourself of the likely disaster that it may lead to. In my view, there is no
ideal replacement for human beings. Artificial intelligence can help alleviate
the difficulties faced by man but intelligent machines can never be ‘human’.
In my view, AI should be a upto an extent where human beings can deal
with.Afterall, human brain is a product of evolution with a tremendous time, yet
AI is not.It needs enormous time to create the exceeding brain of humans.
Anyway, there is nothing either exceeding or not, but human thinking makes it
so.But as it goes: ' No threat and
no benefit'.

THE WAY WE THINK!

2011-01-18T12:06:00.000+05:00

Thinking….a process that distinguishes human beings from other living species on the planet.It is a trait that can be developed over the years.But, honestly, I’d like to ask, how many of us have used this endowment in its complete utility? How many have understood the true potential of one’s mind and thought process?

I’m afraid but only a few…very few….

Actually, rather ironically, we are not responsible for this.Since the very formative years of our lives, we are encouraged to adopt the technique of thinking that is primarily concerned with judging the true value of statements sand seeking errors.This traditional technique is called critical thinking or vertical thinking.Most people still believe that the traditional vertical thinking is perhaps the only form of effective thinking.But, in this era of stiff competition is it not necessary to rise above the average and do things
differently…rather more effectively?

Last week I came across a book by a renowned philosopher and thinker, Dr. Edward De Bono, which inspired me to write this piece.He emphasized on the fact that thinking is a skill and if developed, it can work miracles.He urged the readers to adopt a strategy called LATERAL THINKING.Lateral thinking is not a substitute for the traditional vertical thinking but a necessary complement. Logical thinking is incomplete without lateral thinking.The twin aspects of lateral thinking are first the provocative use of information and second the challenge to the accepted concepts.

Thinking is generated by the mind, thus it becomes important to understand what goes inside it.The mind is a pattern-making system. It creates the pattern out of the environment and then uses such patterns.This is the basis of its effectiveness.In logical thinking we have developed no methods for going beyond the adequate.As soon as something satisfactory is spotted, our mind stops working.But there are numerous better unexplored arrangements of information beyond the adequate.These arrangements can be explored through lateral thinking.With lateral thinking one can proceed beyond the adequate with insight restructuring.Vertical thinking is selective, lateral thinking is generative.Rightness is what matters in vertical thinking, richness is what matters in lateral thinking. Thus, it becomes necessary to train our minds to generate alternate approaches and avenues to facilitate better thinking.

In simple words, vertical thinking activates the black and white regions of our intellect, lateral thinking creates a GREYregion and works on it!
The ball is in our court now.We must delve into our minds and try to develop a strategy which enables us to think above the rest and rise above the ordinary.

Just THINK about it!

–

Udit Bhatia

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University