Penning Thoughts...

Pardon my political ignorance

2026-04-17T17:51:00.001+05:30

Why does political parties have to pass bills for reserving seats for various categories in the parliament? Why can't the parties just do it themselves and be an example for the other political parties?
Why is the government brining in the Constitution Delimitation Bill to increase the number of Lok Sabha seats? Is it to compensate for the increase in population? In the private sector, companies continuously look for increasing efficiency and in the recent past many of the companies are using advanced technologies and AI to reduce the manpower and increase productivity. Should a government working for the progress of the nation look at using similar technologies to increase their efficiency and effectiveness and reduce the seats in the assembly and parliament?
Why do MPs and MLAs advertise on bridges and bus-stops that it was build with their fund, when it is actually the public's money paid as taxes by the people who elect them to govern as their representatives?
Why do political parties compete on "freebie" rather than focusing on how they can ensure every citizen of the nation becomes capable to buy them with their own money, and live a life of dignity.
People need to be informed of the developments that are happening in the nation. But, why do the people have to pay for the advertising expenditure of the ruling party. Any advertisement that includes the name of a political party or that of a person should be funded by that political party or by that person. Isn't that how it works in our life?
Why does investigations against political opponents stall midway when they align with the ruling party?

A Project Manager's Perspective:

If the government were run like a Tier-1 company, most of these "leaks" would be flagged as compliance risks or process inefficiencies. The challenge is that the "stakeholders" (voters) often prioritize short-term benefits over long-term system health.

My 8th Half Marathon: A Journey of Growth and Self-Improvement

2024-11-03T18:51:00.000+05:30

On October 27th, I laced up my running shoes for the Kochi Spice Coast Marathon, my 8th half marathon. This journey began in 2014 with the Bengaluru Marathon - 1st Edition, coincidentally my first half marathon. Thanks to Terry Thomas for introducing me to marathons, encouraging me and being my running buddy while he was in Bangalore.

Unlike previous marathons, I didn't treat this as a standalone event. Instead, I drew from past experiences and crafted a strategy:

Start with a comfortable pace for the first half
Enjoy the run
Break the overall run into multiple short targets
Falling forward running technique, with short strides enhancing running economy
Mid foot strike
Gradually increase speed in the second half
Sprint to the finish line

The Run

The plan worked beautifully! I maintained a comfortable pace for the first 12 km, conserving energy. Then, I picked up speed, overtaking fellow runners in the second half. Rather than focusing on the remaining distance, I counted the number of participants I was able to overtake. The final 500m was a thrilling sprint to the finish line.

The Kochi Spice Coast Marathon course presented its challenges, with three bridges and potholed roads. However, the well-organized hydration stations every 2 km, offering fruits and water, kept me fueled and hydrated throughout.

I crossed the finish line at 2 hours 52 minutes, slightly off my target of 2 hours 30 minutes. While I didn't meet my goal, I'm proud of running the complete course unlike walking and limping to finish line in my previous runs.

Lessons Learned and Takeaways

Reflecting on my experience, I identified areas of success and improvement:

What went well:

1. Effective stretching and warm-up

2. Comfortable pace and energy conservation

3. Short running strides

4. Enjoyed the run without exhaustion

5. No injury and quick recoery

Areas for improvement:

1. Increase pace after 10 km for a faster finish

2. More thorough stretching and warming up

3. Maintain falling forward running through out

Future Goals

For my next running challenges, I aim to:

Run faster in the second half of my next half marathon
Start sprinting at the 20 km mark
Improve my overall pace and finish time, and achieve my target of 2 hours 30 minutes.
Participate in a full marathon within the next 12-18 months

Conclusion

The Kochi Spice Coast Half Marathon was a valuable experience, showcasing my growth as a runner. I'm grateful for the journey and look forward to enjoying running and continued improvement.

An ignorant Indian

2020-10-04T06:50:00.001+05:30

In a democracy, the election is a process to elect a representative from the people who will work for the people who elected him/her. Is it a technically correct statement even if it might not be fundamentally true.

While growing up I learned about four pillars of democracy - parliament, executive, judiciary and press. These pillars were to work independently, perform necessary checks on each other so that democracy can stand tall and is not incapacitated due to deficiency in any of the pillar.

With an unqualified understanding of armchair politics and activism, I'm just pondering on the current state of Indian democracy wherein all the pillars are infected.

As an ignorant Indian, when I look at the first pillar I see a few political parties or ideologies. I failed to find a political entity that has the will to enrich the life of the people in front of whom they begged for a vote, protect the houses where they knocked for support to win, wipe the tears of the people whom they smiled at before election, and valuing every Indian equally without discrimination.

Can an individual make a difference? Yes, but it would be soon covered by the mass. Hence, we are forced to look for a political party with the resources to work for the electorate.

I see a party with a glorious history tainted by nepotism. A force which played a major role in India's independence, which is not able to find a capable leader to lead the party and keep its various fractions united. A group of power-hungry nincompoops, who drained the party of its nationalistic values for personal gains.

Who else to turn to? A political party that rose to prominence by sectarianism. A deadly cocktail of religious fundamentalism, and divisive politics. A powerful political force that taught India the power of marketing over ground reality. Who suppress any voice of dissent as anti-national and non-patriotic. A socio-political religious group that is ready to rewrite history such that it endorses their claims and demand for a unified religion and language in a country that had always believed and accepted diversity. Authoring a history that portrays them in prominence and their ideologies as facts. A group that has an effective leadership which understands the fragile human mind, and its motivations and trepidations. A clever manoeuvre of which delivers a mass effect conducive for their wiles. Why can't we keep religion as a private affair for spiritual well-being and politics for common good?

Looking down south, I see the remnants of a strong social movement with took a political turn. A vocal political group that seems to have wandered off the very ideologies that gave birth to it. The camaraderie at the grassroots that laid a strong foundation for a force that fought and succeeded over various social evils and economic disparity, being eroded by self-serving, and self-centred leadership. A political force expected to work for the downtrodden that has been consumed by capitalists and affluent, with no interest in the wellbeing of the economically oppressed but the sheer will to maintain the economic dependence to maintain the vote bank.

What is the purpose of an election, when you don't have a good candidate to represent your needs, aspirations and dreams? What purpose do these political entities serve if they can't build an India that makes every Indian proud and the other nations jealous, without rewriting history? I look forward to a political force capable of defining a lustrous future that takes pride in its vivid and illustrious past.

The executive establishes the controls that ensure the policies and programs are effectively implemented, and every paisa of taxpayers money is accounted for in a couple of swiss bank accounts. I feel protected when my like is valued more than that of animals. When they ensure protection for livestock at the cost of human life, I'm glad that my family will be listed in the top 100 rich families of the world provided I don't starve to death by then. It is empowering to be part of a society that values human life with such vigour that an entire state conspires to hustle up the tragic events that culminated in the death of a girl and the ceremonies burial by the state machinery.

I'm comforted by the degree of jurisprudence in the country, that ensures the death of lakhs of Indians are forgotten as it was not planned well, but well-executed.

The executive and judiciary seem to flock together in tarnishing democracy and containing the freedoms established in the constitution. Power corrupts, and corrupt protects the corrupt. The members of the executive and judiciary who strike the right chord are rewarded on retirement with constitutions positions so that they continue to enjoy the frills and benefits of power.

My last resort is the unbiased press which is controlled by religious groups or political parties. A continuous flow of convoluted, opinionated information. Where do this ignorant Indian look for some cognizance of reality?

All time favorite Malayalam film songs

2020-09-08T13:22:00.000+05:30

- കാതിൽ തേൻമഴയായ് പാടു കാറ്റെ - തുംബോളി കടപുറം

- ശ്രീരാഗമോ - Pavitram (1994)

- സാഗരമേ ശാന്തമാക നീ - മദനോത്സവം

- ഹൃദയസരസ്സിലെ പ്രണയപുഷ്പമേ - പാടുന്ന പുഴ

- ശ്യാമമേഘമേ നീയെൻ പ്രേമ ദൂതുമായി - അധിപൻ

- മനോഹരി നിൻ മനോരഥത്തിൽ - ലോട്ടറി ടിക്കറ്റ്

- ശ്യാമാംബരം - അർത്ഥം

- നിലാവിന്റെ നീലഭസ്മ - അഗ്നിദേവൻ

- ഇന്ദ്രവല്ലരി പൂ ചൂടി വരും - ഗന്ധർവ ഷേത്രം

Roads Bangalored

2019-10-04T20:13:00.001+05:30

My friend asked me how much i believe in God?
I said, "I drive on Bangalore roads (with the belief that there is a road under my tyres) even when it is raining. Do you think that I'm able to do that believing in BBMP who is supposed to maintain them or on other government agencies like BESCOM and BWSSB who dig the roads as per their whims and fancies.

Connecting the dots...

2018-05-22T15:47:00.001+05:30

Your aspirations and expectations should not anchor someones ship of dreams.

All of us are right within the limited information we have.

Talent Pool - An Irony of Availability

2018-02-22T13:38:00.001+05:30

Every region has a unique talent pool depending on the geo-economic conditions. There isn't a lack of talented individuals, but organizations always find it difficult to find the right talent. By right talent, I mean sufficiently skilled individuals at a reasonable cost.
We have a plethora of recruitment agencies and job posting sites, and new ones keep sprouting up seeking job seekers to upload their profiles. But, the talent pool in a region, technology, domain, or industry is so widely distributed and duplicated making the whole infrastructure inherently inefficient. The recruiter is not able to connect to the right talent who might be right next door but not in the pool the recruiter is searching for.
As a result, organisations and job seekers end up making compromises. A costly compromise for both parties. Organizations end up with a suboptimal talent (overpaid and underperforming because of skill and attitude issues) set resulting in lower performance, higher cost and of course additional efforts to steer the wheels in the right direction (the speed is already compromised). On the other side, we have a set of talents who are dissatisfied, underpaid, seeking new opportunities and again suboptimal performance (due to lack of interest or not being challenged adequately).
I humbly appeal to the HR fraternity who act as the bridge between the talent pool and job market, to build an infrastructure that provides an ocean of demand and supply or an interconnected network of pools.
How about a common verified and validated the source of talent and demand, build on the latest technology that can be continuously updated by individuals and organizations and validated by the various nodes within the network. An open and fully transparent system that is tamper proof.

PMPC 2017

2017-07-22T21:37:00.001+05:30

My takeaways:
1. Effective communication to drive the change
2. Time to replace current performance management systems with competency management systems
3. Manage the experience in project delivery and platformize your solution
4. Invest in your strengths and stay relevant

Right Education

2017-04-12T05:41:00.001+05:30

Source/Author: Unknown

Collapsing any nation does not require use of atomic bombs or the use of long range missiles. It only requires lowering the quality of education and allowing cheating in the examinations by the students.

The patient dies in the hands of the doctor who passed his exams through cheating.

And the buildings collapse in the hands of an engineer who passed his exams through cheating.

And the money is lost in the hands of an accountant who passed his exams through cheating.

And humanity dies in the hands of a religious scholar who passed his exams through cheating.

And justice is lost in the hands of a judge who passed his exams through cheating.

And ignorance is rampant in the minds of children who are under the care of a teacher who passed exams through cheating.

The collapse of education is the collapse of the nation.

Good and Bad

2016-03-14T09:53:00.001+05:30

Our concepts on good and bad depends on our perceptions, and at times our convenience. The more it depends on our perceptions, the more consistent we are with our decisions in life.

The Seven-Day Weekend by Ricardo Semler - Excerpts

2016-01-02T18:08:00.001+05:30

But people don't come to work to produce an inferior product. To come late and leave early. To be bored and in subordinate. They must come to work for some reason, some kernel of interest that attracted them to their particular field or profession as a means of earning a paycheck.

Even from a purely financial point of you, isn't it wiser to discover what's wrong? Instead of wasting your time, effort and money already invested in the employee, repeating that investment on a new worker, and running the risk that the next person may turn out to be an underperformer as well?

Telling people that the company trust them and then auditing then makes it impossible for them to feel secure. They know they are under some suspicion, that they have been subjected to a shot of Nepoleonic code declaring everyone guilty until proven innocent.

A company that lacks integrity will eventually lose its best employees. Some will quit, others will stay and be dumped down. Anyone who stays will disengage emotionally, and soon will be a candidate for motivational seminars. But a company can't expect integrity from its employees until they see it in the organisation. People need to have faith and feel pride in what a company promises to its customers, includes in contracts, or touts in its advertising. If they know there are falsehoods on deceptions involved, their willingness to associate with the company diminishes. Soon they will be working there just for the paycheque, and be embarrassed to tell anyone.

The only source of power in an organization is information, and withholding, filtering or retaining information only serves those who want to accumulate power through hoarding. Once an e-mail is not circulated, or if it is edited, then illegitimate pockets of power are created. Some people are privy to information that others don't have. Remove those pockets, and a company removes a source of dissatisfaction, bickering, and political feuding.

Thought for a Lifetime - Be like water by Bruce Lee

2015-07-10T13:58:00.003+05:30

"Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.

Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend."

-- Bruce Lee

Kiren Rijiju and Mukhtar Abaas Naqvi - Brothers in Arms

2015-05-27T15:52:00.001+05:30

Isn't the statement "those who are dying without eating beef to go to Pakistan or the Arab countries or any part of the world where it is available", by Naqvi and "I eat beef, I’m from Arunachal Pradesh, can somebody stop for me? So let us not be touchy about somebody’s practices,” by Rijiju mean one and the same. Naqvi was hitting on a majoritarian rule across India, while Rijiju was suggesting pockets of majoritarianism within the country based on existing state boundaries or new regions boundaries based on the population dynamics.
We do have a majoritarian democracy, which is not the same as the majoritarian philosophy being propagated by narrow-minded, and short-sighted politicians like Rijiju and Naqvi.
I wish to live in a democratic country where the majority do elect the government, but the minority is given equal rights as that of the majority and their welfare is taken into consideration.
I do not wish to live under a majoritarian rule as proposed by Rijiju or Naqvi where in the majority decides what every people living in that region should eat, drink, wear, learn, speak, read, see, etc. We already have certain states which have passed rules on what people can eat, drink, wear, learn, speak, read, or see in their own fancy variations. Or propagated and executed by a group of so called moral polices or local brigades who has no clue about the culture and heritage of the region, but has nothing better to do in life and has taken regionalism as their source of income and power.
We won't be living in the much celebrated democracy of the world any longer, if such thoughts are not curtailed soon. We will soon be living in a world were minorities will have to live by the whims and fancies of the majority. And, then the resulting animosity between the states or regions so created because of the differential treatment they have as they move across there states or regions. We will no longer be moving freely across the country as citizens of a free India, rather be constraint by region boundaries and rules.

An Experiment - Live Without WhatsApp

2015-04-06T15:07:00.001+05:30

Why I choose to delete my WhatsApp account on 1st April, 2015 is a question which I have been asked by a few friends. And, now I'm asking it myself. Why did I? I don't know. I may be be able to make some logical arguments to support my decision. But, as usual this decision wasn't the result of a conscious deliberation, rather the culmination of the various unconscious thoughts and feelings which doesn't have any place in the logical world.

So let me rather look at what have I got by foregoing WhatsApp:

I see more of the world around me rather than my phone screen
I no longer look for unreceived messages
I don't look for messages to forward to my friends
I'm content without knowing whether someone is online or not
I'm content without knowing whether someone has a new profile picture or not
I don't scan my contacts for new status messages
I'm not worried whether there is a single tick, double tick, or blue double tick against my message
I no longer wait for someone's response to my message
No longer do I think about why someone hasn't responded to my message even after seeing my message
No longer do I think about why someone hasn't responded to my message even after being online
No longer does it bother me whether someone has come online or not
No longer do I have to wait for someone to come online to respond to my message
No longer do I wait for messages which will never be received

Further, why life is better without IMs. I like to get feedback during conversations, and that is something that I'm never going to get over IMs. Even for a proper response I will have to wait for long and many a times the communication is misinterpreted. Further, what a verbal conversation can accomplish in 5 minutes might take 5 hours or 5 days or 5 weeks to accomplish over an IM.

Sometimes

2014-04-01T22:17:00.000+05:30

Sometimes I don't message you, it's not because I'm not thinking about you. But, because I want you to think about me.
Sometimes I message you, because I want you to think about me.
Sometimes I don't call you, it's not because I have forgotten you. But, because I want you to remember me.
Sometimes I call you, because I don't want you to forget me.

Bitter Truth

2014-03-22T20:56:00.001+05:30

Truth is not bitter, only because lies are artificially sweetened we just feel so...

- Monkey Pen (Malayalam Film)

Facebook

2014-03-07T16:05:00.001+05:30

The number of friends in Facebook or other social networking sites is proportional to the loneliness you suffer in you life...

Emotions...

2014-03-07T13:47:00.001+05:30

Throughout our life we take the help of our memories from the past and expectations from the future (sometimes of/from others) to create sadness within us. And, then we thrive to remove them from our life using various physical, mental, and spiritual distractions.

Emotions...

2014-03-06T14:09:00.001+05:30

Many a times you are sad in life because of small, insignificant and silly reasons. And, we don't discuss it with others even if that's the best solution. Because, we understand how stupid it is or we don't want them to realise how weak we are.

PIN that Pricked

2013-11-09T09:14:00.000+05:30

I consider myself to be a very prudent credit card user ensuring that all the benefits are pocketed without the side-effects. Some of the rules of the engagement which I strictly follow are:

Keep track of credit card spend: It’s psychologically easier to spend money using your credit card compared to cash. So there is always a chance of spending more than your means and ending in a vicious circle of defaults and interest charges.
Pay the credit card dues at least a day before the due date: It ensures that you will not miss the D-day because of any other commitments. If you are comfortable the best way is to put in standing instructions with your bank for the entire outstanding amount.
Never fall into the interest cycle due to late or partial payment: It’s a brutal animal on your credit card never ever go close to it if possible. Even if you stumble on it by mistake, escape/run/vanish/log-out/dissolve as fast as possible. Remember, that the interest charge on your outstanding as per your credit card statement is as on the statement date and not the day you receive the statement or the payment due date. The clock keeps running and so you need to run faster.
Never, never ever withdraw cash from your credit card: This is the beautiful girl who will entice you and burn your purse, pocket and everything you own. Yes, it’s too wild an imagination but it’s just to describe the beast behind the beauty. There are two deadly tentacles that this beauty possesses. One, the cash advance charges of 2-4% with a minimum of Rs.200-400. And two, the interest charges are calculated from the day of withdrawal and not from the statement date. So by the time you get your credit card statement you will have a figure printed on it as interest charges. Yes, I said two deadly tentacles. But, there is another invisible tentacle which can keep troubling you. When you make your payments against your credit card due, the payment is allocated to your spend category (purchases, outstanding, interest charges, cash advance, etc.) in a predefined order and cash advance is the last animal to taste it. So, when you go by your credit card statement and clear the outstanding; as I mentioned earlier your credit balance will not be zero – you have your interest charges accumulated in your account. And, the balance will be considered as part of your cash advance which will keep attracting interest.

You might be wondering; what’s the connection between the title and the credit card dos/donts. You can take it as a tip as well as background to my story.
To cut the long story short, I withdrew cash from my credit card. Luckily I realized my mistake within a week. And this realization has prompted me to scribble. I was checking my credit card spend for the previous week when I stumbled on this blunder. And, to repair the damage and I don’t get into the vicious credit interest cycle, I had to clear all my credit card outstanding which isn’t due yet along with some additional amount to cater to the interest charges which has accumulated by now and not yet calculated and included in the outstanding by the bank.
"If only I used a different PIN for my debit and credit card, it could have been avoided - Poka-yoke."

Honey you are a Rose

2013-10-26T18:46:00.002+05:30

Rose by any name is lovely,
Honey by any name is sweet.
Might not call you honey or rose,
Yet you are lovely and sweet.

Book your Railway Tickets 120 days in Advance

2012-02-09T10:18:00.000+05:30

"Now one can book his train ticket 120 days before the journey as we have decided to provide an opportunity to the passenger to plan his journey four months in advance," said and official in the Commercial Department of Railway Ministry. Source: The Economic Times

I would like either to know from this same officer or any other person in the Railway Ministry, on how exactly is this going to help the passengers.

I do not think that this is going to help the passengers in any manner because of:

Currently people are finding it difficult even to plan their travel 3 months in advance.
Currently people book advanced tickets only to block a seat and many cancel it a few days before actual travel
All trains which get fully booked on the opening day of booking will get booked completely booked now 120 days in advance rather then 90 days [This would translate into additional 30 days of interest free money in Indian Railways coffer]. Because, the number of convenient trains are less and people don't want to be hunting for a reservation once the travel is confirmed, which mostly happens only a week in advance.
Number of cancellations will increase as people find it extremely difficult to firm up a travel plan made 4 months in advance [More revenue in terms of cancellation charges to Indian Railways].

I believe that this increase in advance reservation period is only meant to increase the Railway's revenue from cancelled tickets. And, is no where going to increase passenger convenience in terms of getting a reservation when they want to travel.

Anna, Try Understanding the Meaning of Democracy

2011-12-21T07:57:00.001+05:30

I have been a strong believer in the righteousness of Anna Hazare's crusade against corruption. But, with time its loosing its charm on me with the rock solid stance taken by Anna and the quantum of dirt flushing out of Team Anna. I do not say that the dirt on Team Anna has really pushed me away from it. I can appreciate that people act on the basis of incentives and sometimes these lead to corruption, with no exception to key members in Team Anna.
But, what really drives me away from the crusade started by Anna to fight corruption is his adamant attitude which has time and again opposed any fruitful dialogue with the Government. I do agree that his attitude has been able to push the Government to include clauses which were opposed initially. Again a BUT, there is a limit. How can only Team Anna be right every time? Aren't they not humans and susceptible to mistakes? Why should Anna's version of Lokpal be passed as-is by the Parliament? Does he consider himself as the new found dictator of India to pass bills which he feel or his team feels is right?
Finally, if the Lokpal is made supreme to all Government and Semi-Government institutions and the people find that Lokpal itself is corrupt where will the people go??? Find another Anna to fight for Higher Lokpal which will have control over the old Lokpal???
Dear Anna, please try to understand we live in a democracy. Yes, it has its flaws, but its something which we have gained with lots of struggle and bloodshed. Every citizen of India is with you in the fight against corruption, but we tend to fall back when you oppose every step by the Government to bring in the Lokpal in whatever form it be. We have got bills amended across the years, why not consider improvements in the Lokpal bill after the current version is passed by the Parliament. At the end, please don't forget what you are fighting for...

An EasyCab Experience

2011-12-14T22:41:00.003+05:30

07-Dec-2011

20:30 >> Booked an Easy Cabs online from Sultanpalya to Cantonement Railway Station on 8th Dec at 4:30pm
20:41 >> Received SMS from Easy Cabs | Dear Customer, Your booking id for dt 08 Dec 04:30 is A120813495; Thank you for choosing Easycabs.

08-Dec-2011

04:03 >> Received SMS from Easy Cabs | Dear Customer, you cab details for Booking ID: A120813495 are - Car No: 2722, Chauffeur No: 9972493126. Thanks you for choosing EasyCabs.

Waited till 4:00 pm, no calls from EasyCabs yet!!!

16:00 >> Call Chauffeur on the given number. He responds that his shift has ended and the next shift chauffeur will do the pick up. And, he gave me the contact number of the other chauffeur.
16:05 >> After waiting for 5 mins thinking the new chauffeur will give me a call, I called on his number. "Subscriber is out of range."
16:10 >> Called EasyCabs. After all the pleasantries...

EasyCabs: Your booking has been cancelled
Me: Why?
EasyCabs: The vehicle broke down
Me: Why wasn't I informed?
EasyCabs: You are being informed now
Me: So, what am I supposed to do now
EasyCabs: We are sorry, we can't do anything
Me: Thanks for your wonderful service, I will do my best to avoid requesting your service in future.

Finally, reach railway station on an auto...

Keynotes - Freakonomics by Steven Levitt & Stephen Dubner

2011-10-28T20:06:00.001+05:30

Just about anyone cheats if the stakes are right
Incentives tune peoples behavior
Discrimination exists even today, as long as the discriminator feels confident that no one realize it
Conventional wisdom is not necessarily the truth, it's just simple, convenient, comfortable and comforting