Comments on Assos and a Fresher’s role @ NIT

In recent times we are witnessing a phenomenon of over protectionism, something which any free being would feel disrespectful about. We are forced to be over-submissive to the authorities.
(The recent naïve piece of mail which lies in ur insti’s mailbox was a quite a message and a driving force for me to jot down my understanding of the problem.)


Quite unaware of the total scenario, a fresher who enters this so-claimed elite institution falls prey to a system common to some NITs and IITs across the nation, the system of Asso(read State associations). A fresher having lack of gadget+internet+rock culture+galla activities and above all a whole lotta warmth of a senior-junior relation, which he has never seen in his school days seeks gratification and respite from an already existing load of academics and peer-pressure. Being submissive (hez a bichara fresher), joins up a State-Asso eg.UP, CB, KSA.. thus falling prey, himself totally unaware or may be inconsiderate, to the whole damn effect of "regionalism".
Now lets have a broader picture, What on earth makes me think that Asso is bad, is it because I never joined one?

When we join a ‘National’.I.T. seldom do we give a thought of the talent pool we are surrounded by. We are sadly pessimistic of any good/great that can possibly germinate here. Under the system of Asso, we tend to lose our abilities to actually interact with the best brains of higher years. We, out of obligation tend to meet up people and seniors of our own communities thereby gaining and cultivating warmth in this small group which parties together, raggs together(read Intro), dines together etc. Regionalism does no good and it’s a lesson which is the need of the hour. With the authorities taking good interest in stopping the menace and the present fresher batch evolving out with lesser effects of Assobaaji, we can expect to have the renunciation of the Institute’s values and ethics.
If we want our students to be responsible, ethically sound and timely exposed we shall put an end to the system of Assos, however making new ways for senior-junior interaction which plays vital role in a fresher’s upbringing and thinking abilities. The system of Year-wise hostel allocation does more harm than good and we need to learn from IITs in this regard, where students of all the years live together in single hostel. Don't authorities over there have scare of ragging?
We need not be over protective.
The Proud feeling of Oneness of being an NITian for all the inmates, rather than being from Mumbai, Chennai or remote Northeast is the only thing that can pave way to agree for the claims, of the Institute become an elite one.

-Parker

“A miscellaneous article”

For me education is all about having knowledge which makes your life meaningful, simple and comfortable. We educate not for jobs but to share our experience and expertise. In this chaotic and ultra fast moving world our degree of socializing has gone down. Getting glued to our desktop for hours on stretch are making us good for nothing and is a serious threat to our future generations.
When we, as juniors enter this prestigious institution, we are exposed to a lot of activities, some we chose, many we leave. “Writing”, one such activity, has seen a boon with the newly come up platform of blogging, but it too has eventually gone into hay way. Pen is mightier than sword and we as academic individuals do have our weapons. We have our weapons to showcase our concerns, to make people realize the glitches in the world around us. India has produced notable writers and individuals who have made significant contributions with their writings.
An ethical EndNote: It becomes very important for us to realize our potential and work to our limits to contribute to a change in our society, towards our nation. We all are privileged ones to have reached to this place for our education, and it thus becomes our responsibility to pay back to the ones who have given us this platform to realize our dreams.

Words and Notes (Some musical experiences)

Music is a tool, you won't learn without practice and prior knowledge. I often come across questions by friends, when I just pick up an instrument and start playing without any prior knowledge, to whom I reply, all one needs is to play music first in mind and then it jot down on his instrument, whatever he is playing. Music for me is unarguably a mental performance rather than physical.
I remember when I was judged by my Violin guru, Shri G N Kapoor, who before taking me as his student asked me to tune up a Taanpura, which I did tuned to fairly decent perfection only coz of the Vocal teachings I had in music. For me it was replication of what I was thinking in mind.
I would advise people who read this and are related to music to stop playing instruments by reading notes.
I also want you to know that 'Indian Music', though tethered in its present form, is an awesome experience. There is no restriction for you to create your own stuff out of it, say, Shankar.E.L are doing phenomenal in their music compositions, hardly people know about their Classical-Music base. Other master is John McLaughlin, who has done a lot in popularizing Indian Classical-Music across the globe. India is own such country which has given a lot of Culture to Humanity, its ours (your and mine) duty to carry it with ourselves, not to dump it or let it being dumped.

Let the music play

These are some of the best musical pieces I've heard till now,
Surely could've included more. But there is always something known as "Top Ten".

1.Carry you home -James Blunt
2.Brothers in Arms -Dire Straits
3.Life in Technicolor -Coldplay
4.East Side Story -Bryan Adams
5.Take me Home, Country roads -John Denver
6.Coming back to life -Pink Floyd
7.Another Day in paradise -Phil Collins
8.I still havent found -U2
9.Still Loving you -Scorpions
10.A Kaleidoscope of Mathematics -James Horner

PS: Any suggestions? 

The Intricacy of technical sabotage

For me, getting into an NIT (National Institute of Technology) was always not less than a dream. However, not very late though I realized that it wasn’t all about ‘technology’ which spells here. Seniors, all of them like a herd getting their well sought after technical brains dumped in solving mere Cat Sample Papers for not days but months. Irony isn’t it?
They, it seems have forgotten all their 14 years of efforts to be a good engineer/scientist. As if engineering is just a degree before IIMs just like BA, B. Com. The Govt of India spends millions in subsidising these technical Mecca (NITs) only to make sure that the money the students saves by paying less fee goes to n no. of coaching institutes who teach basic maths, english, how to sit and how to sleep etc. Irony isn’t it?
Sometimes I just don’t find any usage of a B-school, simply nothing. The monetary hype these schools have generated will make India completely insufficient in technical brainpower, which actually is the mainstay of any economy for that matter. The World Wars were only possible because of the technical might of various nations, and now its the scientific technology only which is powering and sustaining the world nothing else, simply nothing.
I hereby warn each and every student who aims to be a good scientist/engineer to stick to his goal of being the same and create a sense of patriotism which brings about the much needed scientific revolution in this great nation INDIA.

Wish you were here: Acknowledging Seniors @ NIT

A Tribute to Recent Alumini:

Although at the time of entrance examinations a JEE/AIEEE a guy burns equal midnight oil, but there may lie a different course ahead. At an NIT the number of inspiring-seniors is far less than at an IIT or BITS, leave the infra, that’s quite ok!
Probably one of the best guides you can ever have when you enter NIT, and I say it again, an NIT. 

I list some great souls for whom I’ll always long, till I’m here, In the surroundings which we once shared, the Gyan which you taught me and the experiences you showered!


Harsh Shukla:

I was in my second year, when quite fortunately, I got my room in third-year dorms. It was a substantial knowledge-seeking-driven time. In late 2009 when this guy came to our Dorm to address juniors about DAAD, the German Student Exchange Program (he was the first SVNITian to make it through it all by his own). He remarked, in his small seminar that, “Guys! This is not for MBA or IIM driven students, only those people interested in real Sci-tech , stay!”
But captivated, lay every one and none left the room. He talked about his own branch, ie. Electrical Sciences and the interests, along with the amenities that were provide, the financial aid and the requirements in Germany. He said he saved lotta money by cooking food by his own, and went to Paris too. ouaahhh!!! (Yeah its not that hard, either!)Later through several chat process and messages we met at, Nescafe and had some fine discussions on GRE and Germany.
At personal level I loved his presence, and his true respect for a technology driven society. He exhibits an imbibed shadow of European style of talk-n-walk, generosity and simple living.


Mohit Bora:

I had seen this guy, when I was a fresher, mostly because of the glowing white complexion [Oh sorry sir I know this isn’t any way to give an intro :)P ] Well this guy is one of the most noblest-tech-guy on campus to know about. I loved talking to him for hours on some of very out-of-the-common-day topics, like the ultimate reality of human existence and like sorts. I met him for the first time at a seniors room when I went for some work related to Techpedia (discussed later), with whom he was associated as a starting member. He was happy to see someone (ie. me) from Uttranchal, his home-town and it seemed we were poised to be not just good acquaintances but great friends.
One of the most non-regular NITian, who laid stress to watch documentaries and read novels from Narmad-Library rather than continuing one season after season of Priso-B, Heroes or HIMUM ....
Quite an unusual quality of quoting finest examples, which comes after a lot of mature reading, was worth appreciating always. One or two I better mention..
Imagine a god has given you a superb quality car, which can even start in its 5th gear and everyone around you is driving that car (the same is provided to them too). So coz everyone is driving it in 5th gear and zooming hard, you‘ll also do this, and everybody will do that, saying that why not me when everyone else in doing the same. BUT! Wait had it been so, then why had god-provided us five gears or rather four gears before the final one?
This is an exact analogy to the prevalent trend of Entering IIMs, immediately after BTech or Graduation, Hold on guys! have some experience first and then try to know whether you even want to go there or not. This rat race is a bull shit!
He also notified a point that people also get fascinated by the infrastructure of foreign universities rather than technology. And the ultimate example of teaching a dog Differential equations or Fourier transforms was hilariously content.
And with all those unstoppable discussions the night ended and we parted, only to remain great friends a meet again. Miss you Bora Saab!


Hiranmay Mahanta,

Action speaks louder than words, or words speak louder than actions?
I guess its true both ways, for you’ll know if you be with this guy, one of the most ‘big’ svnit alumnus till now and times to come.
I remember meeting him for the first time at my own hostel in first year, when being Convenor of our Techfest, Mindbend he had come to deliver participation syndrome and infuse tech-enthu into the fresh junta.
The man behind ‘Techpedia’, an online database-venture funded by a sub-organisation, Sristi at IIM-A. The site aims at bridging the gap between the academic and industry by making available the final year technical projects of B Tech and MSc. Students to the industry with proper database behind the screen workouts, thereby creating technical wealth of this country.
He had always inspired me to work for our Institute and then after a time, focus on own to forge ahead. The best part was that he was available 24- hours, and our most fruitful meetings used to start at 2 in midnight.
The basics of how to make better presentations to the personal id of APJ , all the info was of great help, and unlike his many batch mates he had a ego-less personality which gained huge respect in very short time amongst juniors and the faculty. You will surely inspire a generation to come!
One of my personal favourites, he has surely made significant contributions to my life as a whole, miss you guru, and I wish you all the best for your future endeavours in the field of Management and Education.


Some lines:
This isn’t ‘this-is it’!
For the times we’ve been together,
Had been memorable

From tech, life and management,
You taught me the requirements.

The grey-less shadows you casted,
For me to follow and rejoice
In my heart or brain,
Will forever be pasted

For,
This isn’t ‘this-is-it’!

Internship : The IIT B Experience

Learning never stops, and especially when you work in environment like the NANO-FABRICATION LAB at the electrical department, here at IIT-B. The lab is partly funded by US Based Applied Materials and the Govt of India and is one of India’s finest research facilities in the field of Thin Film coating, VLSI fabrication, and Solar PhotoVoltaics. The team of young research scholars, the great and experienced professors works in tandem with visiting scientists from various centres like, BARC,TIFR, PRL etc. The very first sight was not more than a dream come true, from the modern biometric access to dedicated lab culture.
My professor, Dr. B M Arora, who has headed the Dept. of Condensed Matter Physics at TIFR, a true gentleman, is making noteworthy contributions in processing innovative lab manufacturing and guiding various JRFs, PhD, and Post Doc Students along with the summer interns.
I met Karthik who was working as a JRF after his undergraduate studies (from Anna University) under Proff Arora in the field of Coatings and also Conductivity measurements of metal-semiconductor junctions. He arranged a guided tour of the lab for me and explained and tested my concepts. On that note, I realized that working here would mean to be really demanding both in terms of the concepts and hard-work.
You are totally surrounded by people of great intellect, who don’t bother to eat or drink till they are satisfied by the experiment results. Within two days I went so busy that even I relied on only Maggie and NesTea, which was available alongside the Deptt for hours..
Very soon clarifications will come out, as to what exactly will be my area to work on and the project title and with this note I’ll be back again, with more to speak of the work and the temperament.

China .cn

Google's withdrawal.. has from the beginning been implicated in Washington's Political games with China.
-"China"

Well whatever it is, as for us Indians, It gives India an opportunity to provide an attractive alternative business destination.
The Indian "Intellectual Property Rights, (IPR)" like the Chinese are not entirely problem free and need to be revisited, nor do we have the extent of broadband penetration needed to require the kind of these multinational Companies require(as cited in detail in my earlier article.)
But Err.. we are being muddled by the hierarchy but implementing the capital-intensive broadband laying rather than quicker and less expensive wireless networks.

Guys, rise! help address the problems and take advantage, as its high time to realize that its not ethics but big business which is speaking here.

College Chunks, 50 Commandments thats it..

Hi guys, although I generaly do serious and orignal blogging but this cauaght my eyes like none other... believe me u'll forget all bhagats and rupa publications ...
Just damn go for it ...

Alright its all about how to live college, written for MIT nerds but u know na we are'nt nerds, we are ever worse!

This guy "Ben Jones" here he goes...

http://www.mitadmissions.org/topics/life/workplay_balance_at_mit/50_things.shtml

Govt to Invest 18K Crore in Broadband Connectivity

Review:
The Global Innovation Index has seen India falling another 13 places, & one of the reasons cited is lack of availability of broadband. It actually is an irony that internet penetration is so limited and of mere speed in a country that prides itself on its IT prowess and that its telecom success stories. Broadband internet has the capacity to accelerate growth and facilitate socio-economic change by improving service delivery to the people.

What is being done?
The govt plans to spend Rs18K crore in the span of next three years in laying five lakh fibre-optic cables and reach every gram panchayat. The infrastructure company will be carved out BSNL, PGCIL, and RailTel all three PSUs (Public Sector Undertakings)

So what’s wrong in it?
This plan may be, needlessly expensive. Laying fibre optic cable across country is both time consuming and costly. The better alternative is to pursue wireless broadband connectivity.
According to the International Telecommunications Union, there are more mobile than fixed broadband users in the world already. It would be wise to invest in developing wireless internet networks, with cellular penetration crossing 50% marks globally and in India.