Wednesday, September 23, 2009




For the sake of Love !





Please spare 2 minutes to read the ToI news-excerpt given below:

Times of India of 23rd Sept 2009 gave a news in connection with the dissatisfaction of the Highly Intellectual Community of IITs. It covered few illustrations given below :

1. "A PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Bharat Seth has been a professor at the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) for the last 20 years. However, when he recently built his house--the first one he has ever owned--he had to borrow money from relatives and dig into his provident fund. 'I even asked my son to take a loan for higher education for the money,' he said."

His is not an exceptional story--like him most IIT professors are highly qualified and passionate about teaching but underpaid. They are in academics for the love of it, but it gets a tad difficult to ignore that their own students and also their friends in the corporate world earn far more than they do.

2. While Prof Soumyo Mukherji says he can't afford to buy a house after retirement, another teacher says professor will never be able to afford a home in Mumbai. "After retirement, all of us may have to return to the towns we came from,'' he says. But they do not complaint about the paltry pay, it's the love for their work that matters.

"We're not fighting over the difference in the pay scales, which works out to Rs 1,500. We're upset because this will create a hierarchy, which was not there. Currently, you move up the ladder based on merit in the IITs. Why should there be any cap on professors getting a higher grade pay? What happens if the 40% quota is filled and deserving candidates are left out? Do they have to wait for older professors to retire? asks Seth.

3. "Why does the ministry want to micro-manage the IIT?'' asks another faculty member.

4. Another bone of contention is the fact that the ministry wants 10% of all faculty to be in the cadre of assistant professors on contract. Their pay will only be Rs 26,000 a month. "How will we ever get bright young people to join the teaching profession?'' asks Mukherji. A young IIT graduate, who was earlier teaching at a private institution, had to accept half the salary when he joined the IITs.

5. According to the faculty members, while they're in the profession for the love of it, there should be a limit to which they're willing to let their commitment be exploited. Some of their quarters on the campus even have leaky roofs, to say the least. Many of them cannot afford to send their children abroad for studies, or even to international schools in Mumbai.

6. Mukherji, who has been teaching at IIT for 12 years, bought his first new car only three years ago. "Before that, I had a second-hand Zen,'' he says. While professors often joke over their wages, they know that at the end of the day, few people are as highly qualified and as lowly paid as them.

7. They point to a recent TV show in which an IIT alumnus and well-known writer said he would not want his own child to become a faculty member at the IITs, because if his child was good enough to make it to the IITs as a student, he could find more lucrative careers elsewhere.

_______

Have you carefully read the news? What did you observe or what did you conclude?
IIT professors chose this profession of their own, despite the low salary. Why so? For the love of it (teaching profession in IIT). It was their choice.

What happened now? Why are they repenting over their choice now?
  • Because they cant afford the expenses to be borne for sending their wards abroad for further studies.

  • Because they cant send their wards to International Schools in Mumbai for unaffordable fees.

  • Because it gets a tad difficult to ignore that their own students and also their friends in the corporate world earn far more than they do.

  • Because there will be hierarchy now-onwards.

  • Their roofs are leaky.
    So on so forth.

This is the classic example of highly intellectual and research oriented class who could not anticipate so many problems.

They claim that they have a vision for engineering and technological oriented fields and can foresee the results of their research and analytical work.
But when it comes to the level of materialistic day-to-day problems does this vision-skill disappear?

It is said that the Scientists can explore the tiny stars in the sky above, but they cant identify the huge pits on the grounds.

Without going into the details of their problems, let us assume at the outset that THEIR PROBLEMS ARE GENUINE, one conclusion that can be drawn safely is that they are dissatisfied today, despite their choice of profession and their love for the profession.

They are highly intellectual and research oriented persons. And they are comparing their salary with their students and friends in Corporate world. They are not comparing with the students and their friends on various parameters like the type of their work, the job-satisfaction, the risk of retaining their jobs, the self-appraisal and appraisal at various stages, freedom and independence level, insecurity level, the time they have to consume daily for the work, the time-constraints imposed by their higher management to complete the assignment, the salary to exertion ratio, the last priority to the pleasure of work, injustice on their Family members. In fact, that will be the rational comparison of benefits and losses on either side.

There was a lesson in our School Book. All the people approached god with a bundle on their heads. It was blunder of their problems faced in everyday life. they asked to give it to the God and Get a new bundle of shear pleasure from the God. God showed his inability to give a new bundle to each of them. But he gave an option to them. He permitted them to exchange the bundles with each other. Everybody agreed happily. After exchanging the bundles and getting rid of their original bundle, each one returned to his house. Next week there was again a rush at the God's door. The God asked them the reason of their grief. everybody said that they wanted their original bundle back. God smiled and returned their original bundles. Everybody realised that it is not true that our grief and problems are the only serious ones in the world. They realised it only after experiencing somebody else's problems. A nice story, isn't it?

Now let us first concentrate on the words 'Love for the profession' or Job-satisfaction'. These respected teachers claim that they chose this profession for the sake of love for it. They sacrificed high salaried lucrative jobs/careers and accepted this noble profession.

One can always say that they were either not satisfied by their earlier lucrative jobs or they found themselves misfit in their earlier high-salaried jobs. Let us rule out the possibility that they might have been kicked out by the earlier employers because of their bad performance.

Then can we say that just because they chose this profession, they thought or anticipated that they will get a package of all good things, essential amenities, good house, a good car, educational facilities to their wards in reputed international schools nearby and the expenditure for their studies abroad etc at that time?

In such case, what is meant by love for their self-chosen work?

We know many things about love like, Love means sacrifice, Love does not demand anything, does not expect anything in return etc etc. But here what we see is totally different thing. Why so?

Let us take an example of a youth and the girl whom he truly and sincerely loves. Will it be correct if the boy says after their marriage that alright he loved the Girl, but now he realised that he is badly in need of house, car, international school for kids, expenditure for kids to be sent abroad, a house in Mumbai and the father-in-law has to take care of the same. Can he tell the father-in-law that there should be a limit to which he is willing to let his commitment be exploited?

We will laugh at the boy if he says so. We will ask him the exact meaning of love. We will question his purity of love.

Now let us concentrate on their next word of 'hierarchy'. They feel that due to the provisions or limitations of the provisions there will be difference in the cadres or levels of the Professors. But IIT-professors always and all the time maintained their separate superior identity from the professors of other engineering colleges around. IIT was preserved as a paradise by them.The cadres of Lecturer, Associate Professors, Asst Professors and Professors existed within the IITs. Did it never lead to hierarchy?

While enjoying all the other facilities including the foreign visits there is separate yardstick for different cadres. Then at that time why are they not paying attention to hierarchy? Even there is a difference of Status observed by the families of these teachers for different cadres.

In fact, as most of them are PhD-holders, the professors started mentioning themselves as Professors instead of Doctors. This was meant for the sole purpose of distinguishing their higher status than rest of the faculty. Is it not another form of hierarchy?

What about their maintaining separate Identity from Teaching Fraternity from other engineering colleges around? Is it not another form of hierarchy?

The financial budget for each IIT is 20 to 30 times than that of any other Govt-aided engineering college under State Govt. Their funding agency is the Central Govt and till today there is no interference of any kind from the Central Govt in their functioning/policy-making.

The projects of huge amount ( in Lacs and Crores of Rupees) are directly entrusted to IITs. In many cases the certification responsibilities are assigned to IITs. Private consultancy is allowed in IITs of which 70% share is given to the individual teacher and 30% goes to the IIT. And there is no upper ceiling to the Individual share. There are lot many other sources of income for the IIT Faculty. Is it not another form of hierarchy, in financial terms as well?

So this point of hierarchy is also unfounded. It was existing before and will exist in future. It is the state of human mind and different measures are required to overcome it. Neither the Govt nor the Pay-scale should be blamed for this.

Thevile Anante Taishechi Rahave, Chitti Asu Dyave Samaadhan. said Sant Tukaram, the Mahaguru of all has categorically said so. He said this 350 years back. He never said this for ignoring the duty of your own choice or entrusted by somebody else. He is particular about doing the duty sincerely. In fact he is the best example of Total Sacrifice for the Pandurang. He left all the relations for the sake of his Pandurang.

At another place he said that 'Jodoniya Dhan Uttam Vyavahaare, Udaas Vichaare Vech Kari' . He never said not to work or not to earn money but what emphasis he gave on is, 'Chitti Aso Dyave Samaadhaan.'. Satisfaction of the mind/Chitta is more important. This is the ultimate result of the pure Love. All other things are immaterial. But this is the saying of Sant Tukaram, who never took formal Education at School or College, did not do PhD or any kind of research. and IITs could not have given him admission for any post as he was lacking all the qualities and qualification required for it.

So who will follow what he said.

But still we have to remember the words, 'For the sake of Love'. Easy to remember and use in day to day practice.

Bye.

SNN

30-09-2009





















Tuesday, September 15, 2009

What a change ! Paradigm Shift ?









What a change ! Paradigm Shift ?



Svabhavo Duratikramaha !

It is said that human nature is difficult to change. V V Difficult. And in case of an intellectual person it is still more difficult. One may say that it may because of strong ego, or because of the pride of his high intellect. But it may not be that much true. Sometimes miracle takes place. People change from one extremity to another.
the nature of the person takes U-turn. And we get stunned.


Let me narrate one case-study actually happened where I was directly involved.

Few years back, I was in some prestigious statutory inquiry committee as a member. A case cropped in. A student of final year MBBS appeared before the committee. The examiner made a complaint against this boy. The examiner was not an ordinary person. He was a reputed, highly experienced Heart-specialist belonging to Parsi Community. He was examiner for UG and PG examinations in Medical Faculty for n number of years. An old tough guy. While assessing the answer-book of this student he became suspicious of the answers. He arrived to the conclusion that the answers are paraphrased for him by some other reputed person in Medical Faculty. According to him, the answers were definitely not written by the student. He vouched for it. He further said that he referred all the text books and the latest journal of international repute for verifying the source of the answers. But he could not get any success. Further to it, he used some of the medicines, mentioned by the student in the answers, in his actual practice and confirmed with the results positively. He was very much sure of the copy-case. He decided to expose the candidate and hence made an official complaint to the appropriate authorities and hence this way the case came for inquiry before our panel.

The student was served the show-cause notice well before the inquiry. The examiner was also requested to remain present at that time. In fact, he was damn eager to expose this case for his own interest. Nobody could fool him for such a long span of examinership, may be more than 30 years, he said. So he remained present well before time. We called the examiner first. We asked for the reasons of doubt. He explained all the points mentioned above. We politely told him, giving due respect to his finding and his reputed career that, he cant take part in the proceedings of the Committee. However, we requested him to give us few questions to be asked to the students, which would be pertaining to the answers written by the student. He did so. He insisted that the student be questioned regarding the source of the answers. We cautioned him not to utter a single word once the inquiry starts. We asked him to sit at the backside before we called the student in.

We called the student in. We were prepared to ask the pertinent questions one by one and were also eagerly interested in the source of the answers. We tossed the first question given by the Examiner. The student promptly answered it. We asked the source. He immediately told the name of the journal with other details like year, article etc. Second question was thrown. Answer flashed immediately. Source also followed instantly. Examiner became restless. He pulled himself in to ask further probing questions. But we persuaded him from doing so with a clear distinct warning. Third question also got the same treatment. Now the Examiner could not hold himself. He shouted, 'enough, I am fully satisfied.' We asked the student to wait outside. We were literally worried by the behaviour of the Examiner. How could he break the norms of the Inquiry Committee's proceeding? Every member was furious.

Once the student was out of the hall, we asked the Examiner about his interference. Quitely, the Examiner asked for the Answer-book. He assessed it and declared the marks. Cent percent marks were given to the student. The face was the Examiner was totally different than the earlier. His attitude was totally changed. His expression was showing utmost respect for the student. He expressed his mistake before the Committee. In the unequivocal terms he accepted his earlier firm opinion, based on which the charges were levelled against the student. The Parsi Old man was literally on the point of emotional outburst.

We called the Student in. This time we asked personal question to the student. Now it was our turn to become emotional. The things are written in the student's words as :

'I was studying in XII (HSC), when I lost my father. My father died because of lack of proper medicines in the hospital. I was elder in the family, studying in the college. Our financial condition got worsened. My mother was at home only. Uncle was helping us financially. I could not come out of the shock of my father's sad demise. I gave promise to the soul of My father. "I will become a Good Doctor in Medicine and serve the people by giving proper medicine". I vouched to myself to specialise in medicine. I studied hard, day and night. I got good marks and got admission in reputed Medical College. I dedicated myself fully for my studies. Every time I used to remember the Scene of my Father's death and the reason of lack of proper medicines, I used to get more involved in my studies. Dr Kapoor, a renowned Doctor used to take free workshops for Doctors and Medical Students in Birla Matushree Hall every Sunday, from 7.00 am to 2.00 pm. I started attending these lectures regularly from my first year of MBBS. I was totally influenced by his lectures. It was a real source of my inspiration. The lectures for 4 years gave the direction to my studies. It expanded the horizon of my Medical Knowledge. I was taking special interest while taking the rounds in the hospitals or following the given duties in the hospitals. I was just in the last phase of the completion of my MBBS course and the notice disturbed me a lot. It was a shock to me and my mother. I never used any unfair practices at the Examinations throughout my academic life. But everybody in the Family circle, except my mother, looking at me with dubious sight."

We saw towards the Examiner. The old Parsi man was literally crying. His tears were expressing the seriousness of the matter and his face the repenting gesture.

I introduced the Examiner to the student. I told the result to the student in that subject. Now I was concerned for his mother. I asked the student about the condition of his mother. The Student told that she has not taken a drop of water even for last 7 days since when the notice was received by them. I requested the student to use the phone to inform his mother the result of the inquiry. He told her the things in short. I talked to her and personally requested her to break her fast by taking some fruit juice. Ultimately we Committee Members were also human beings. She was happy and agreed to take fruit juice.

The Old man came forward, held the student close to him He said, " Son. Don't worry henceforth. I am there with you now-onwards. You study further. I will take care of everything for the higher education. My clinic and my library is yours from today itself. (The clinic is in the richmost area of Mumbai and the Library contains thousands of Books and Journals of International Repute.). Henceforth I am your parent. Go ahead and I am always with you."

A Paradigm Shift took place. I was the witness. I experienced 180 degree change in the behavior of a Well Reputed, Experienced, Renowned, Professional Doctor. All my prejudices and assumptions vanished in a moment.

Yes ! miracle happens. The nature of a person can change. The ego can wither away. The attitude can take a U-turn. But when ?

Have you came across such miracles? What exactly happens which proves the saying that the human-nature is difficult to change? (Sanskrit :
'Svabhavo Duratikramaha.').
If it is so difficult, than when and what makes the sea-change.

Help me to solve this riddle.

SNN
15-9-2009

Saturday, September 12, 2009


Are people really self-centered and non-communicative?
What is your opinion?


Dear Friends

Everywhere we hear that now-a-days people are thinking of themselves. They are busy for 24 hours in their own world. They are not bothered about anything which is outside the bounds of their world. Let there be any catastrophe outside. They are shock-proof. Are they like three monkeys of Mahatma Gandhi? Nothing to see, nothing to hear, nothing to talk.

Let us see our experience. When any two unknown persons come together for any reason, say for example market, bus stop, train travel, plane, conference, it takes ample time to talk to each other. What is the problem? Ego? Lack of Initiative? Fear? Self-pride? Self-contentment? What forbids them to come out of the shell?

My daughter stays in UK after her marriage. She stays with Nilesh (her husband) in an apartment. After 8-9 months she doesn't know anything about the neighbors. When asked she told that in UK, privacy is preserved with priority and legal action can be taken if the privacy is disturbed. Even one has to take appointment of a friend to visit his place. There is a similar situation in the towers and flat-culture in our country as well. Few years back in my society, I remember that a case of suicide was revealed to others two days afterwards. To share the happiness or grief is a rarely seen incidence now-a-days. To appreciate a thing in public is a matter of history. To write a letter to relatives or friends or to a congratulation letter to the deserving person is a remote-chance of a thing. I have seen a society where people will go to the office very early than usual and come late in the night if they see any problem with the neighbor/s. No communication, no urge for it. A travel of hours and days will be passed without exchanging a single word. Everywhere there are many many independent isolated worlds with rigid boundaries difficult to pierce through.

My observation may be weak or limited. What is your feel?

Assuming, without accepting, this postulate, let us see a different picture now.

If people prefer no open communication, why do they resort to e-mail writing and chatting? Why they become restless if they don't receive the mobile call or e-mail from anybody? Why they keep their cell 24 hours with them, even at the time of their quite sleep?

Why people prefer writing blogs? So many topics, so many case studies, so many mind-blowing articles, so much thoughtful literature. Why do they want to share their thoughts with the entire world? Why do they eagerly visit their blog for the comments given for their write-up? Why so many smses? Are they choosy in their communication destinations and tools? Why the young generation is rebellious about no-communication tradition of the elders? I have read many of the excellent articles on the blogs of youngsters. Really excellent literature. Profound experience! Heartbreaking experiences. Thrilling case-studies? Why do they write? What is the purpose? What for they are thinking and writing? For what and whose benefit?

Some persons go ahead with a website of their own. My son is a computer savvy person employed in NSE. He is reluctant to read the literature. But the mail and chat writing is accounted for, it will turn into thousands of pages. And nothing of it is discarded. Many times it is either sharing the experiences or giving advises, giving solutions over somebody's problems, counseling to his PG students and so on. He has hundreds of his friends in touch with him. This is the Representative story for many other youngsters.

Then my first observation is right or second ? I am totally confused.

And a series of questions at this juncture is appearing in my mind. Why I should write this to you all and pass on my confusion to everybody. Do the world have time for reading and then thinking on it? What will happen to me if they don't send their comments? Whether I will discontinue to write? or will continue to write with stubborn attitude. Recently I read a news that PM is in touch with lakhs of people through his blog? Why so? Does he in search of something which he could not get even after becoming PM, the topmost position of the Country?

Why don't you oblige me by helping me to overcome from this dilemma? A sugarcoated request?

SNN
12-09-09

Saturday, September 5, 2009

What a teacher can do !

A Teacher can do wonder- A real story of my life !

Dear Friends

I was in Fergusson College, Pune in Pre-Degree Science in 1968. I was happy for 2 reasons. I stood first in my Taluka at SSC exam and second, I got admission in the most famous, prestigious Fergusson College, and that too in F division. At that time F division was known for the division of meritorious students having scored distinction at SSC.

But my happiness faded away instantly once the classes started.

My balloon got burst. My knowledge, my mastery in english (high score in english at SSC) , my understanding level everything what I was proud of got shattered. I was from lower middle class family. I had my set of 2 dresses, very shabby as compared to other students who were relatively from higher middle class families or rich families. Secondly I realised that I was very very poor in conversational English. I was thinking in Marathi, composing statements in Marathi and translating the things into English. A long process. My English vocabulary was hardly of 50 words. Fergusson college professors were Pure Marathi People but they never spoke in Marathi in the class or outside. So my problem was how to understand the things in the class which were purely in high-level english. I score 97 out of 100 in Mathematics at SSC. But even in this subject I was a big zero at the start. I used to cry in my heart every single moment. Most of the teachers were coming in the college with suit, tie etc. So to meet them in person to tell this difficulty or to ask for their advice in english was next to impossible. First week was a terrible week for me. I never saw huge laboratories, nor I was used to handle the costly equipments. What would happen if something gets broken. All the time I was worried and worried. A totally helpless guy !

My inferiority Complex grew to Himalayan Height. I decided to change the college or quit. I opened out this subject of change of college to my Father. He ruled out this idea. In fact he was proud that he could provide me the best college. He did not listen to any of my difficulties. He gave ultimatum that either continue Fergusson College or quit the further education. He was having lot of expectations from me. I cried but in vain. I continued for one more week. But the problem aggravated further. I was a back bencher. No friend to help. No teacher to help. Not a single word of theory going into brain. Fear of laboratories. What to do. I was at the peak of nervous breakdown. No way to get rid of this situation.

I decide to quit the college. Got totally tires. I started walking from the college to Shivajinagar. I was literally crying. And a miracle happened. It was a turning Point.

Somebody was calling me by name. she was my Highschool Teacher, excellent teacher of Mathematics. Karamarkar Madam. She was staying at Pune and was returning from my School at Talegaon--Nutan Vidya Mandir. I stopped at once, to respond to her calling. I saw her. She came nearer and asked me in most sympathetic , 'Suresh, what happened to you? Why are you crying?'. This sympathy exploded the gate of tears. I started sobbing heavily. I could not speak a single word. She took me to a nearby cafe. (remember, at that time to go to cafe was not so common.) She gave me a glass of water and a cup of tea (I am not used to take tea at all till date). By then, I cooled down considerably. I narrated my problems and told her my decision of quitting the further education. She was surprised and taken aback.

She told, 'Suresh, I know what you are. You are really a brilliant student. You cant run away like this. Nothing is difficult. I will tell you how to cope up with these poblems. I will give you simple Marathi Books for Mathematics, Marathi-English Science Dictionary. If required I will teach you the subjects. Don't get disheartened. Everybody goes through this phase. You gain confidence.'
I told her about my inferiority complex and the reasons for it viz. money, language, incapability of purchasing books... n number of reasons. But she was firm. One by one she ruled out all these reasons. Her consoling / counselling words developed a ray of hope in my mind. She told in a simple statements, 'excel well in the terminal examination and see that flow of friends will start. Have regular study of each subject. Prepare your own notes. Gather confidence. You are intelligent.'

These words changed my life. She provided me the material that she assured. My self-study started. I did not see back then onwards. My terminal examination was cleared with distinction. My engish vocabulary increase to more than hundred of words. My english improved a lot, though not to the mark especially on conversational level. I got very good marks in Maths. Surprisingly I got few friends because of my good result. My confidence level geared up. My regularity was commendable. Understanding of all the subjects was superb and it gave me real pleasure of gaining knowledge. I felt no need to approach teachers or students for solving doubts. I was using my self-thinking process for the same or taking help of college library and Footpath
scrap-books library. I got the examination technique improved. I started getting hunch of would be questions in the examinations. I started clearing the doubts of falling-behind friends. I started liking lending helping hand to the friends.

I completed 2 years in Fergusson and 4 years of COE, Pune with First Class/Distinction marks. Last 33 years I am serving this pious Institute ! All the credit goes to my Respected Madam, Karamarkar Madam. I cant imagine what would have been my fate if she had not met me at that moment of time, at that juncture of my life. A Teacher can do wonder. She did it. My grateful Pranam to her and hence an Ideal Teacher. I am in this field because of her timely help. A self-less help. Out of gratitude I am trying to walk on the path she has shown 41 years back.


SNN
5-9-2009, Teachers' Day