The 'Mess' list

College Days or Happy Days?
Bunk classes or listen to lectures?
What to do and what not to do?
I wonder, what is college life about!

Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates chose to startup,
Steve Jobs chose to wander around,
Chris Nolan chose to produce a lot of short-films.
And I was messing around!

I bunked classes, screwed my grades!
founded new clubs, led a fest,
wrote blogs, did short films,
did research projects, founded a startup!

But did I ruin my life?
I recall my college life and I repent,
my mess-list wasn't long enough
it was just one stanza long!

I am no Jobs, was no Gates, they're geeks!
But. are we different? Were they like me?
They may be they were nerdy or crazy,
but definitely not studious or disciplined.

They surely loved breaking rules,
they were the true rebels,
they were day-dreamers,
with a nice and long mess-list!

Little did they know,
that the little 'mess'es would grow,
into gigantic multi-national corporations
or into several-million-dollar films.

Were they lucky to discover what they loved?
Were they lucky to match passion with profession?
Do we have to serious towards our career?
How important is fun in our lives?

May be. rebels live life, to the fullest.
They don't wait for weekends,
they don't have to run away from their lives,
every moment is intense and fun!

So may be you're missing something,
if you haven't found your passion,
may be there is a lot in store for you,
do recognize the vistas of opportunities

Is it scary? Is it intimidating?
Can't leave the comfort zones?
Well, may be, a whole new world,
is waiting for you, break yourself free!

You could stand out,
You could express yourself,
And yes you could etch,
your story forever, within history!

Jobs, Zuckerberg, Nolan did,
so go ahead,break the shackles,
and etch your story, within history,
fill a poem with a mess-list!

------    PS   ------
Random thoughts post confusing discussions about Indian undergraduate students. My unlucky number of stanzas of confusion for young friends who are currently going through their happiest days of life.

To know my startup story- Sciensation which I founded at 19
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/sensitivities-startup-hiring-tarun-sciensation

The Awesome Life

Startled and perplexed by the externalities,
Awed and pumped by the internalities,
Yearning for more such impasses,
More, give me more exigencies, I ask!

Energy and enthusiasm they say,
Knowledge and Consilience, they miss,
Overflow of emotions and passion they say,
Yeard of philosophy they fail too see!

Cheerful navigating through adversaries,
Hustling past the barriers, I ponder,
Understanding the plot, I wonder,
Life empathizes, I realize!

Real I am, I'm Sanguine I exclaim,
I know right says life,
Ambling through, I chicken out, but,
I know right says life again!

Enablers they are, though they constrain expression,
Leaving me with few and newer possibilities, the secret!
Rejuvenating my thirst for the quest, this is my shortest!
First few letters, first few thoughts, reveal it all,

Truth be told, I did write a wishlist,
And I was exhilarated by what I've got,
Ecstatically, I introspect, I met my dreams,
Euphorically, I scream-"I'm in love with my life"

Sciensation Pedagogy Program

Problem Statement: How do redesign our curriculum/pedagogy/assessments so as to induce a philosophical understanding of the subject.

Requirements:

1. Insights/Universal Principles: Insights over information, universal principals derived out of the inventory of facts.
2. Connecting the dots: How does the student apply this knowledge in an other context?
3. Assumptions- more from less for more: Fewer laws which can produce more logical predictions which could in turn explain a lot of phenomenon.
4. Intuitive Presentation: An analogy/metaphor to implant the abstract formalism into the students' worldview.
5. Strategy: Improve the child's understand of strategy and decision making. 
6. Discovery Thinking: The context of the discovery can be presented so that the child learns the process of a discovery and can experience the eureka moments and the elegance of the concept.
7. Research Questions: The student can be exposed to research questions, explored by the academia.
8. Problem Solving: Analysis of the curriculum material can be followed by a synthesis project where the student solves a problem or creates something.
9. Academic Rigor: The student shall be asked to present and all his arguments shall be critically questioned for evidence/proofs. Questions shall reveal the conceptuals gaps  of the child's understanding.
10. Inquiry Based Learning: The curriculum can be transformed into questions through which the child discovers the concepts himself. Assessments can utilize higher order questions which test the understanding of the thought process rather than the content (open book assessments could be preferred).
11. Philosophy of X: The educators can be provided material which helps them in understanding the Philosophy of the discipline, which could promote an elegant, simple and appliable understanding of the discipline.
12. Worldview: The lesson plan must foreshadow how the class could evolve it's worldview.

Examples:

Insights/Universal Principles

1. "Second largest kindgom chooses aggressive warfare while the number one player chooses defensive warfare. The next few empires can choose flanking warfare while small groups are better off engaging in guerilla warfare"
   
   This is Jack Trout's retelling of Claussewitz's strategies as described in the book "On War". This idea can be applied in a variety of contexts. It explains how a player can attack other players, basis the amount of resources he has. Veerappan would be better confining himself inside Nallamalla forests whose terrain remains his strength and his adversary's adversary. Google better focus on defending its user base from invaders, they needn't attack any competitors head-on, which only gives them mileage.
   
2. "Constitution: A body of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is acknowledged to be governed."
   
   This could be presented through inquiry based learning/discovery thinking approach. Discussion starts off with questions around why we need to live in a society and why we need collective action. We then discuss need for permanent institutions and procedural convictions to establish authority and hence the constitution. The various aspects of the constitutions can be defined by brainstorming a constitution for governing hobby classes.
   
   A problem solving activity could be handed out at the end of the session, with students working on ammendments/ appendices or may be a constitution of their own.
   
3. "To introduce the concept of electron delocalization from the perspective of molecular orbitals, to understand the relationship between electron delocalization and resonance, and to learn the principles of electron movement used in writing resonance structures in Lewis notation, known as the curved arrow formalism"
   
   Middle monkey game could be used to introduce students to the idea of delocalization. An analogy could be constructed- ball: electron, boys: atoms and middle monkey: electrophile. The students could then appreciate why electron charge delocalization is essentially, keeping in mind the subatomic electro-magnetic interactions which govern the electron dynamics.

The Philosopher's Enigma

This world is beautiful,

This world is strange,

This world is endless,
This world is a myth

Give up the emotions,

and the myth breaks down,

Give up the material,
and the mystery reveals itself

The emotions trap you,

inside a material vortex,

which clouds your experience,

and makes you run,

makes you run relentlessly,

in search of the berries,

leaving behind the bodhi,

and the ultimate quest

you are confused, you run,

you chase the royal coins, 

infatuated by the patina,

ignoring your desiny

but that's until you find her,

her enthusiasm shows the way,

her excitement propels you all through,
and then you're apparently enlightened

after experiecing the stroke of insight,

you introspect and you ask yourself
you kept chasing what you wanted,

and then you find what you needed

you've finally experienced it,

the stroke of insight,

and you don't believe it,

you are terrified, you're puzzled

you don't know how to react,

you're happy, you're astonished,

you're full of emotions, you don't know why

and so you ask - who is she?

Is she destiny?

Is she happiness?
Is she ecstacy?

Who is she?

Whoever she is?

you've got to find her,

for, she can get you out,

of these cobwebs

The successful men may have

a women behind them or they may not, 

but they have had this experience

but they can't help you!

How do you find her?

No one knows!

No one wants to know!

You'd have to find her!

And you don't want to,

give up this time,

you will search,

you won't give up

she is no emotion, she is 

the inspiration, the motivation,

you really wanna find her,

but who is she?

She's beyond words,,

She's beyond experience,
She's the Poet's Ecstacy!

She's the Philosopher's Enigma!

The Amazing Mirror

The world's best mirror,
shines a new reflection,
of the world's best person,
as a completely new character

The motivational mirror,
reflects the colors in me,
evolves my persona,
and pumps energy!

The mentor mirror,
listens patiently,
reflects the inner voice,
and nurtures curiosity!

The emotive mirror,
shows my world,
the world in me,
and imbibes empathy!

The reflective mirror,
questions every moment,
exhausts knowledge,
and nurtures humility!

The reciprocative mirror,
embarrases me, embraces me,
fill me with hope,
and inspires positivity,

The smiling mirror,
runs me out of words,
fills me with emotions,
and drives me into ecstacy!

The amazing mirror,
Well, thank you mirror,
thank you for your existence,
for, you evolve my existence,

I'd like to thank you,
every grain of you,
but how? how do I?
May be I already have!

You're the philosophical mirror,
You're the most powerful force,
you're the world's best mirror,
you're the most amazing mirror! 

The Lone Warrior

I am a Lone Warrior, I keep marching,
with a goal in mind, I keep marching,
in search of my destiny, I keep marching,
towards a better tomorrow, I keep marching

I may be alone today, I had an army yesterday,
I may be alone today, I will have an army tomorrow,
For now, I am on a mission, I am my army,
with head held high, I keep marching, I am a Lone Warrior

I experience highs, I experience lows, I experience them all,

I have won games, I have lost games, I have played them all,
winning from the jaws of victory,taught me character,
obiliviously, I keep marching, I am a Lone Warrior,

The ever evolving character helps me navigate through times,
through the day, I am a Leader, advancing swiftly,
through the night, I am a Protector, I staying behind,
leading the pack, I keep marching, I am a Lone Warrior,

Now that I am alone, I move faster, exploring,
I see more, inspecting the terrain, visualizing the tactics,
I eat anything I find, calculating, anticipating the future,
with new lessons, I keep marching, I am a lone warrior,

These lonely days are not many, I need to learn fast,
every single creature has so many stories to tell me,
the worth of every single resource has to be understood,
learning through, I keep marching, I am a Lone Warrior

Refusing to give up, digging through my mistakes, I learn,
to seek a new beginning, to conquer newer frontiers,
positioning myself strategically, for a better tomorrow,
Perseverantly, I keep marching, I am a Lone Warrior

My horse asks, are you alone, My breath asks me,
My energies ask me, My wisdom ask me, are you alone?
I realize the strongest of all armies, I realize me,
with new found energy, I keep marching, I am a Lone Warrior

Wherever I go, the skies give me a thundrous welcome,
I hear newer and newer songs which keep me going,
the adrenaline rush takes me to newer highs,
I keep marching though, I am a Lone Warrior

My horse is the lookout for newer pastures,
I am on the lookout for newer waters,
just so that my people find newer fortunes,
with hope, I keep marching, I am a Lone Warrior

My people join me, my character joins them,
my new found wisdom guides me, guides them,
we wake to the opportunities we never saw,
triumphantly, I keep marching, I am a Lone Warrior,

My people are now etched in pages of history,
as heroes, generations will now remember us forever, 

we'd go down some day, but our legacy is here to stay,
well, I keep marching, I am a Lone Warrior

I have a tale to tell the generations, it is my story,
I have always found newer territories alone,
I have always conquered them with my army,
and so, I keep marching, I am a Lone Warrior

As a king, as a fighter, I disown the praise,
leaving the songs to my men, I move forward,
towards what keeps me going, newer opportunities,
I explore, I keep marching, I am a Lone Warrior

Waking up to the inspiration, I release the brake,

I get back moving, to join the waiting army,

I keep advancing, to discover Hyderabad,

I am a Lone Warrior, I'm an entrepreneur!

On subsidies for IITians/IISERites

Photograph: IISER Pune students organizing an activity at a school in Pune, to convey the excitement of research in pure sciences, way back in 2010. 

There is a post taking rounds on Facebook, called "Dear Smriti Irani, stop giving my money to IITians". The author also asks the question- "If IITians are so intelligent and can earn lakhs in their placements, why do they sponge off taxpayers' money"? I think the question is as insightful as this one- If the Bansals could build a billion dollar company, why did they need Mahesh Murthy's precious money?

There is no way a middle class student can cough up Rs 3.4 lakhs a year for his education, let it be at IIT, IIM or even IIPM. The subsidy gives students the luxury of concentrating on their studies and more importantly extra-curricular activities. To add a little context to this question, let me introduce myself. I happen to be an alumni of IISER Pune, an institute set up by Indian Govt to encourage youngsters to pursue pure sciences.

Going by my director's statistics, about Rs25 lakhs are invested in every student of IISER Pune and Rs900 crore is the financial outlay for each IISER. We were provided a stipend of Rs80,000 per year(5000 each month and a contingency amount of Rs20,000). I had managed to save slightly more than half of that amount and had invested in a science media startup called Sciensation. 
Arguments against subsidy
1- These students don't work for Indian government
2- Many of them go abroad
3- They don't stick to their specialization, can't they leave it for somebody else who would utilize the training better.
4- Serious issues with IITian turned novelists/film makers etc
5- IITians not joining ISRO/DRDO
6- Can't they take loans instead?

Most of these arguments fall apart if one can look into the details. I do agree that several students land up in IITs due to parental pressure and lack of proper career counselling. However, dropping a smart kid into a wonderful eco-system leads to interesting consequences. Within my limited understanding of these issues, allow me to present my perspective regarding this issue.

An IIT, IISER, IIIT or an IIM stands apart from most other educational institutes in the country. A few students, faculty and buildings don't create a great institution. Rome could be probably be built in a day, but I'm sure a Harvard or a Princeton can't be! The culture in the institute and the student activities bring out the citizens of tomorrow. These institutions manage to infuse enough confidence into a young mind, so that he could dream of conquering the world with his India. Rohit Bansal, Sachin Bansal, Binny Bansal are probably a few famous ones, although IITs boast of some of the finest technology incubators in the country.

If you're computing immediate ROI, you're just having a sales mentality- invest Rs10 and get Rs 15 on the second day. The money spent on IITs/IISERs is a long term investment and India is actually way behind other countries in having world class institutions, especially considering the gigantic population we have. These institutions produce world class intellectuals who contribute to Indian economy, either directly or indirectly.

If you think an aerospace engineer has nothing to do in an e-commerce startup, then good luck! An intellectual is not a robot trained in a university to repeat a pattern of thoughts which produce a desired outcome. We keep hearing that this is the age of interdisciplinary sciences and that borders are rapidly disappearing to give birth to new disciplines. Just yesterday I was told about how particle physicists add immense value as investment consultants in companies trying to model stock markets. There is a big world of opportunities waiting for a computer science graduate, outside what would conventionally be considered his/her territory.

We must produce world class citizens in all spheres of human excellence. It'd definitely be nice if NIFT can produce engineers/scientists too. Diversity of thought is very essential. Apple tries to ensure that designers and programmers interact so that we have a consilience of ideas. I'm sure it is nice to have many more Chetan Bhagat, provided they write good stuff, although his works may not enthuse many of us, we've got to admit he inspires a young chunk of Indian youngsters.

Quite a few IITians do try and crack the civil services exams and add immense value as technocrats. Raghuram Rajan, Manohar Parrikar, Arvind Kejriwal have been contributing immensely to the Indian Government. Before we talk about students taking loans, let us see the importance of pumping money into educational institutions. The Tatas saw the importance of the same, even before Indian government did.

I was very fortunate to spend a year's time at the Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, which is funded by the Department of Atomic Energy. The best part of the workshops there was the food being served. We had several speakers flying in to deliver lectures. Life was luxurious with institute providing food, accomodation, transport and several other facilities. This let the students and researcher enjoy a good quality of life and hence produce good research output. So I guess the focus should be on making IITs better and cutting their funds or forcing their students to take loans will definitely not help.

The money going into creating these few institutions has interesting repercussions. Passionate students of not so fancied engineering colleges visit IIT's fests. They attend workshops, they listen to NPTEL lectures. They are directly or indirectly influenced by the IITs, they allow a middle class student to dream of being a Fortune 500 Company's CEO. IITJEE is not the end of the road, but is definitely the beginning for many, including me.

In a nut shell, you don't pay an individual, you pay to build an eco-system.