Saturday, August 30, 2008

Athato Brahma Jigyasa

Have you ever seen deeply in the eyes of poor and down trodden human?
Most of us do not have courage to to look inside those black eyes. But you felt the pain of his sufferings in your heart. It cannot be defined by science. This pain is experienced by your soul. Existence of soul is denied and suppressed by everyone.

Who am i?
This is the first question arose in the spiritual minds. We hide and run from this question whole life. We boast ourselves for scientific endeavor but do not want to search for the this answer. Everybody search for deeper meaning and purpose of life.

You try to compose yourself by cursing the cruel world or unmerciful god or an individual for yours suffering. You simply forget that you are the part of the same system. The world is nothing unreal but weaved and governed together by the dream and wishes of human. Humans try to mend and break the rules of nature for his survival and then luxury. Human has a free spirit unbounded by laws of nature. It is only chaotic element in well disciplined nature.

Life is lived forwards and analyzed backwards. There are certain times in our life when world appears to be nostalgic, insomniac and full of chaos. Identity crisis in the lost worlds tops the priority list. It is also entertaining to remind readers that nothing like priority list of wishes exist. We are generators of infinite wishes in the tiniest part of time. The world is nothing but mirror of wishes and work of all people. Yet the search of paradise with shortcut escape route is pursued by everybody. To become extraordinary from ordinary is zeal of human mind. To become simple is more difficult than anything. Simplicity is just a man with esteem but no ego of success.

Everybody talks about religion but only few have experienced it.
Search for perfectness and eternity leads only to metaphysics. The life changing experience was not born due to single incident. They were results of series of self analysis and improvement. Solitude and silence provokes the feeling of loneliness in the crowded world.

A lot of people misunderstood the word 'Divine'.
Divinity is in the joy on watching the natural landscape,hearing the sound of jungle, touch of grass with the bare foot, feeling the taste of food & fragrance of the flower. Only nature is eternally new and eternally old with time.

Man is a social animal.
Man is beast with divinity in him. Every animal fights for territory, food and protection of their infants. Man fights for his beliefs also. It makes him more dangerous and supreme creation of the nature.

Discipline, morality, ethics and humanity are basic values and ingredients of characters.When there is search of secret ingredient or shortcut path of success, the human is altered from true path.Curiosity for discovering new path lies deep inside conscience of every human.

Ultimate Guru Mantra:" Life's desire should never be directed towards sense gratification. One should desire only a healthy life or self preservation, since a human being is meant for inquiry about the absolute truth (ultimate reality). Nothing else should be goal of one's work."

Friday, August 29, 2008

Unofficial Nursery Rhymes

I celebrated my 23rd birthday in mine native village with joy. It was not big celebrations and bumps but entirely new experience. I was able to recall my favorite rhymns of childhood days on birthday.
1
Tantan tantan ghanti baajee ,bache gaye school
masterjee ne sawal poocha, bache gaye bhool
master jee ko gussa aaya, jama diya rule
bachoon ko bhi gussa aaya ,choed diya school;

2
Tam tamatar tam
tamatar khayen hum
angrez ka bachcha kya jaane
angrezi jaanein hum

3
Nana nana bhookh lagi hai
khalo beta moongfali
moongfali mein dana nahi
hum tumare nana nahi
nana gaye delhi,wahan se laye billi
billi ke do bachhe ,hum hain sache;

4
Motu seth sadak pe let
gadi aaye phat gaya pet
gadi ka no. 88,gadi pahunche india gate
india gate pe khade sipai,motu seth ke hue pitai.

5
Ram naam ke kothare mein ho raha ttha match
ram ne maara chakka,hanuman ne liya catch.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Bahadur Shah Zafar - Last Mughal King

Lagta Nahin Hai Dil Mera Ujde Dayar Mein

Kiski Bani Hai Aalam-e-Napaidar Mein


Bulbul ko baghban se na sayyaad se gila

Kismat mein kayd thi likhi fasle-bahaar mein


Kehdo In Hasraton Se Kahin Aur Ja Basen

Itni Jagah Kahan Hai Dil-e-Daagdaar Mein


Umr-e-Daraz Mang Ke Laye The Chaar Din

Do Aarzoo Mein Kat Gaye Do Intezaar Mein


Din zindagi ke khatm hue shaam aa gayi

phaila ke paanv soyenge koonje mazaar mein


Kitna Hai Badnaseeb “Zafar” Dafn Ke Liye

Do Gaz Zameen Bhi Na Mili Koo-e-Yaar Mein


English Translation:


My heart is not happy in this despoiled land

Who has ever felt fulfilled in this transient world


The nightingale laments neither to the gardener nor to the hunter

Imprisonment was written in fate in the season of spring


Tell these emotions to go dwell elsewhere

Where is there space for them in this besmirched heart?


I had requested for a long life a life of four days

Two passed by in praying/wishing, and two in waiting.


The days of life are over, Its evening of death

Now I can sleep without any stress forever in my tomb


How unlucky is Zafar! For burial…

Even two yards of land were not to be had, in the beloved land

Monday, August 11, 2008

Engineering Education in India

Who are Engineers?
''Engineers ... are not superhuman. They make mistakes in their assumptions, in their calculations, in their conclusions. That they make mistakes is forgivable; that they catch them is imperative. Thus it is the essence of modern engineering not only to be able to check one's own work but also to have one's work checked and to be able to check the work of others ''
- Henry Petroski
(From: To Engineer Is Human. Engineers Creed)

Derived from the Latin world"ingeniare" engineering means ''to design'' or ''to create''. Hardly any engineer knows this definition,understanding is distant dream. Theoretically engineers apply the theories and principle of science and mathematics to research and develop economical solution to technical problem.

We, Indians are producing hardly these kind of engineers in practical. My statement is not indirect insult to the system, but a down to earth filthy slang on engineering education system. Production of mass scale of engineers instead of class scale has lead us to this crisis.

Most of the students in India enter into field of engineering with the passion to turn the world upside down with their talent. Simply speaking, they want to achieve some distinctness in this field. Few of them go through IIT and became elite class. Its not necessary that all IITians are ingenious and incarnated from heaven. In reality,only few of them has been poisoned by the deadly snake of scientific temper and creativeness. Then,long story short... they face harsh and brute reality. The infrastructure of engineering education is more based on suppressing than nourishing of talent. With few exception of really dedicated students, curiosity and passion of the students die slowly. Most of the students will really agree with me that their sharpness of mind is blunted in the span of four years of study of engineering and technology.

Students are really good in P.C.M. [Physics, Chemistry and Maths] till engineering entrance examinations. Logic, Reasoning and Creativity abilities vary with each individuals. Our academics much focus on data [subjects] than information [Interpretation and In cooperation]. Scientific Temper is not in the scene of study. The system focus on learning (mugging) without understanding or blind faith on authority.

Hold for a minute.... What is the meaning of this word 'Scientific Temper'? It means curiosity and willingness to investigate facts by logic and reasoning.

Most of the engineering students and teachers are rigid in their thoughts. Left alone the numb administrative policy makers. All scientific temper sublimes in the practical life of college. All Labs,Workshops and even tutorials have become ritual than a scientific investigation of concepts.

Result oriented practicals and experiments have doomed every talent of this country. Weightage of success rate of experiment is much high than understanding of concept behind it. Every teacher of engineering has suffered from this curse. Yet,they became infectious carrier or paralyzed patient of this lethal virus.

Problems created by few teachers are false ego and unfriendliness behaviour towards junior teachers,working staff and students. They want to hide their faults under the huge banners of discipline and respect. They have infact never learned the basic principle of teaching.

-Discipline cannot be imposed on any person force fully especially on 17+ age group.Discipline is a self applied phenomenon.Disraeli had quoted '' You cannot make men virtuous by acts of parliament ''. A student should fear from administration only on imbreachmnet of rules. Nothing less than this should be accepted.These few teachers make a gap between them and students. Knowledge can only pass through bridge between them;

-Respecting teachers is important virtue of the student.Teachers tend to demand it from students.Respect can only be earned by command not demand. Command comes from knowledge, not from whip....

-Questioning on authority is always taken in negative percepts by administration. Lack of transparency in economic matters is principle concern for students. There is misunderstanding for word 'investment' and 'expenditure' between students and administrators. Lack of vision for future and crawling action on plans is our major problem.

Few teachers don't change with time and makes engineering boring. They bring same yellow pages of notes to dictate lectures over years. Student feel engineering as:
''The sad mechanic exercise,Like dull narcotics,numbing pain.'' They ensure and give more emphasis on written work than learning concepts. When technology is growing exponentially, we are not even changing linearly. Sarcastically, only electronic gadgets are updated at colleges of technology....

A teacher is friend, philosopher and guide to the student. But most of faculty fail to perform the task. No teacher can give all knowledge of a subject but atleast they can ignite the flames of interest of the subject in students. It is quite correct that some teachers accept their limitation in modest manner. They pursue the question together with student for optimal solution. They are really the ones,a student looks for a role model.

'A single line of Truth is more convincing than epitome of false knowledge'.
Most of students believe in their exceptional talents but go for smart than hard work. Learning is plant of slow growth but current students are more interested in earning. Open discussion on any topics should be made between students, teachers and administration on equal grounds. All of them are basic component and just incomplete without each other in this engineering education system. A platform is necessary to put the ideas together.

There is a flame of hope in every new students and teachers to fill shortcomings of pattern in the system. It dies slowly with time. Now, the choice is ours. Mourn on the dead flames or rekindle the minds in the dark.Let our hope and efforts do not perish within the system.

Long Live the Spirit of Innovation..

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Save ITBHU

"Greetings,
Recently, I read a news in TOI about the 6 new IITs being preferred over IT BHU. Only low rank holders are opting for BHU. Well, that is pretty normal and I would have also opted for one of the IITs if I were to take the admission.

Why?

- I don't know anything about IT BHU that makes it different from other institutes that admit students through JEE.
- The IT BHU section in the JEE brochure talks more about the trivial details than giving information about the IT BHU's vantage points over the the other Institutes that participate in the admission process.
- It doesn't answer all the questions that come to mind of the students when they opt for a college during the JEE counseling.
- It doesn't talk about IT BHU alumni who have made a difference.
- It doesn't talk about the opportunities a student will get if he opts for IT BHU.
- It doesn't talk about the state of the art facilities, a student will get if he/she joints IT. Actually, we have none so the purpose of mentioning this point is self defeated.
- It doesn't talk about how joining IT would give it's students a head start in their career.

In reality we don't have much to talk about except the placements. Students are not motivated; they keep cribbing; they are in low spirits.

The reasons?? Well there are many
- The curriculum is not interesting. Its a lot theoretical, with very little scope of doing simultaneous practical projects. That is the reason why many ITians go to the IITs for summer internship projects.
- There is lack of facilities and funds for the labs.
- There are no collaborations with research labs and universities.

The only reason for the good placements has been that BHU's linkage with JEE. With the coming of the 6 new IITs, only the low rank holders will join BHU.(I assume BHU will now open around rank 3500 ) This change is surely going to affect the reputation of our Institute. It may happen that no big shot companies will come to the college campus for recruiting.

What can be done?
A lot. Believe me, we can bring the change.
- First of all, there should be common platform where representatives of administration, alumni and students can come together and discuss different things. The administration should give an ear to the things being discussed. So, please register @ http://www.itbhuglobal.org/
- Students should come up and speak out if they are facing any difficulty. It can be about lack of funds or lack of any facility or anything.
- The curriculum should be redesigned to introduce more electives so that students have more choices.Also there should be more opportunities of carrying out research projects .
- Take the example of ISB. It has reserved a place among the top B schools in India in no time. It has made so much progress that people have started to prefer ISB to IIM A. The reason behind this trend is that ISB have done so much to maintain the aura of exclusivity of the Institute. If we can do something similar ISB has done, then there is no doubt that we shall be one of the best engineering colleges in India and who knows JEE toppers might want to join IT BHU instead of joining any other IIT. Our alums are at very prestigious positions and we can come together to make our Institute the best in terms of facilities; in terms of benefits; in terms of academics; in terms of anything that comes to the mind of the students when they opt for a college during the JEE counseling.
- We can collaborate with research labs, universities (if not foreign then at least with Indian big shots such as IITs,IISc, TIFR, ISI ).
- We can sponsor students for filing patents or publishing papers.
- We can donate different software, which students can't afford on their own, to the different department labs.
- All the obsolete courses should be removed from the curriculum.
(There is much more to do)

Something is sought after if it is exclusive.
I am ending this article with a hope that next year IT would come up as a strong contender among the choices of Institutes that participate in JEE. I hope we shall do something about it.

This is part of a mail by an alumnus in ITBHU yahoo groups. I am putting this material in general public to aware the ITians who are not part of these group. This message is really a matter of introspection for ITBHU to stand in the race of best engineering colleges in India.