Saturday, February 13, 2010

If this is the face of youth today, what will be the future of India tomorrow?

I had been to an engineering college today for some Campus Connect program. It is a 25 year old institute in Chennai and going by the ranking, it is a fairly decent one by standards. In fact, some say it is a good institute. I have a few managers in my unit who have graduated out of this college. Without any further dilly-dallying, let me get to the point; let me tell you what happened.

I reached the campus of this Insti at 9. AM Well, South India is very popular for the hospitality its people exhibit. Not an exception to this rule, the hosts fed me good breakfast! I should admit that the steaming hot filter coffee helped not only in washing the breakfast down my throat but also one of the worst disasters of the day: the placement officer and his talk about his greatness. I honestly admit here that I could not stand him for 10 mins. I wonder how his students stand his lectures for hours! On the hind-sight, will he even be able to deliver lectures? If he does, would he make sense at all?

The man seemed to be more bothered about telling my colleagues and me, about his own self and his greatness than the program we had come for. He is 22 years old with that institute and according to him, it is great that he is still with it because he could have stepped out and joined anyone of the umpteen number of institutes en route the college from the city. Honestly, I don't see any greatness in it. If he was here for 22 years and the richness of his experience does not show any signs of wisdom in the way he talks or carries himself. To me it only meant that he is incompetent.

I was all geared up to meet some young minds and have a eventful day! I wanted to meet some dynamic and smart youth. I was all set to be challenged. I wanted to make a difference and make a small contribution in grooming them.

The reality held a different picture from the one I had imagined!I saw a bunch of laid-back youngsters.

Non-response was their mantra!

From the time I stepped into the room, the standard response for any question, query, doubt or whatever I raised to them was a blank look. I was screaming my guts out that they respond. They can afford to make mistakes now and learn from them rather than not make an attempt. No use! No use!

They lack ambition to excel in career or for that matter an object or focus to life!

When I did their personal interviews, I was shocked to know what they were doing to themselves! When I asked them "Why do they want to become software engineers? What do IT jobs mean for them?" the answer was this: It gives you good money! Oh! Really?

I went one step ahead and asked them, why did they choose to do Engineering. It is because their parents wanted! Thats it heights of it. Even if that is the reality, have they not found a purpose in the last 3 years they have spent studying? Were they not able to attach a face to the name they bore?

Learning? What does that mean?

When I was a student, I saw almost all my classmates and friends brimming with zeal and enthusiasm. No one was restricted to the four walls of the classroom. Always wanting to learn news things, talk about them, share experiences, make papers, presentations, projects, industrial trainings etc. were very common. Learning possessed some meaning ! When I anticipate the same thing from them, what is it I got? Disappointment!

They do not have a point of view about anything!

If I ponder a little deeper, I could actually see, they lack of a point of view in them. I do not know if this is because if they do not have the
needed exposure, or the time for it or it is because they simply do not care!

It is very disheartening to see the youth of the nation to lack an objective in life! With no focus or drive towards an goa! No passion! No interests! No ambitions! Take life for granted! Are not at all opinionated! Wonder What future is going to be!

Sunday, February 07, 2010

"Thank you, Thank you"

Its been 3 weeks since the article is published and I am still receiving congratulatory messages.

Orey Autographs, Photographs, Bouquets, Phone calls!

Sounds Deja Vu?

LOL!!!

Monday, February 01, 2010

Auro-fun!

Pondy was the place!

Long drive along the ECR, wonderful company of Benjie and Mr Revolver!

Pondy ke log apne se zyada Auron ka sochthein hain! The thing about this place, everything starts with 'Auro'. Well, you have an 'Auro'bindo Ashram and as a side effect, you also have Auro-cafe, Auro-Shoppe, Auro-shika, Auro-service, Auro-everything. Wonder if they would start calling auto-rickshaws as auro-rickshaws, auto-mobiles as auro-mobiles. (Wonder if Balki was inspired by this, to name our man Auro in Paa!)

At the end of all the Auro Shopping at the Auroville and the Auro Clicking of photographs at the beautiful yellow French Consulate, the Grey Ashram, the rocky beach and the Auro DVDs at the tic-tac, our beloved friends to do their dues!

The biggest disadvantage of being a teetotaler is that people deem you useless during your trips to Pondy. Not very different from earlier times, my co-travelers were cursing me and my ideologies. But does that stop me from having fun? Who will mind to sit with 3 drunk people instigating them and making them maunder. Believe me it is so much entertainment!

Here we go marching, with our Don aka the Doc from the Pondy leading the troop, Benjie and Revolver dutifully following him, me in anticipation of some entertainment, all the way up to beach. From there, one pagdandi goes this way to the Old City and the other pagdandi goes that way to the Petrol Bunk. There! Sea Gulls is there! In the shadow of Pondy port!

Unfortunately, Sea Gulls was closed. Oh Oh Oh!

Destination next was Asian House! A very beautiful place, I must admit, with yin yang thrown generously all over the place. Lost in the beauty of the house, we go closer to the door. Two A-4 size sheets, "Today, Dry Day". Oh Oh, only now we remembered, Martyrs Day! Yes, Martyr's day and out our great Martyrs sacrificed the joy of having Cocktails and ended up with mocktails! And me, ya like it makes a difference!