Institutionalization of corruption

Its been a long overdue. There had been umpteen occasions where almost published a post. I had motivated myself many times and had been persuaded even more number of times but the lazy bones in me didn't dangle. Anyways, there is enough reason for me to write this. Recently, I have taken courage to leave the comfort zone of lucrative fixed salary and start my own business. I probably would have written similar lines on this topic but after after seeing it first hand, I felt compelled to write.

My dream had always been to create, to construct and to leave. Natural choice would always have resulted in me being a builder but I never thought it was possible without a lot of investment but then I came across public infrastructure. As I crawled my way to find an entry towards securing projects, I was led into the web of Indian corruption and its most modern avtar.

The most promising economic region in India for logistical and economic reasons is NCR (National Capital region) and within it the Eastern belt (Noida- Greater Noida- Gaziabad region) because of the free develop able land availability, its proximity to Delhi, the most ambitious master plans and a zillion more reasons but the serpent of corruption led and completely fuelled by the erstwhile government has resulted the potential growth of 20-30% for the region multiple times below.

There is a way everything is supposed to work -

1. There are plans and masterplans drawn at central and State level helped by commissions, consultants, ministries and pvt. companies like E&Y, McKinsey, etc.
2. Budget is allocated and plans approved and capital is sanctioned to the departments which should get it constitutionally
3. Tender notice declares project (s) plan from respective departments and asks for bids which pass the qualification criterion
4. Bids are submitted and results declared and tenders awarded in generally 2 days of submission
5. Financial, technical and experiential criterions have to met to secure tenders
6. Constant monitoring of projects under the authorities which awarded work and quality check as per a separate department such as RITES for civil construction.

Now these steps are followed diligently but I will tell how everything actually happens.

1. Bribes are given by huge corporates such as Adani, Reliance, Gammon, L&T and HCC which churn out reports through world famous consultants and high level bribes determine the budget. Interestingly, big players like reliance, etc run the mutka market and regulate betting even for budget results which they already know.

2. Now the department can earn illegal money only if it gets the project. The only way to get projects (at least in UP) is to pay bribe to state ministry. The highest bribe gets the projects. Interestingly, these projects are productized and sold through proper sales and marketing at the highest level. The Central Government pays for the high level debt through fiscal deficit to fund these projects. The morons at the center dont care a dime about where this money goes and on top of it are not even printing dough to supply the crunch. Anyways....

3. It is not necessary that project even exists for the listed tender, for example sector road for Sector Omega, Greater Noida was already built by favored contractor when the Tender was noticed. Tenders are supposed to be available online, but they are sold at a commision of 8.5% in Greater Noida authority, 5% in Police nigam and so on. The total of procuring a tender hovers around 20-25% of total project cost which should have been 6% (security and earnest deposit) but that also ensures that you also get the project with rest of the tenders either being bogus. In fact, the number of tenders printed are only as much as the companies available with predecided awardee.

4. Lion's share of this portion goes to behenji with rest being distributed systematically amongst the involved parties. Let us take a case of UPSIDC. Right from allocation to registry to transfer to mining clearance, everything has a fixed cost per meter square. Now this sum goes to Lucknow and is distributed accordingly through bank account transactions. Cut ot the Government projects, a govt. supervisor is appointed to the site to take care of quality, etc. In fact he gets salary from the contractor (typically 3K pm) and any material is allowed resulting in Metro like collapses. Now one can imagine what the actual size of the project should have been when after all of this, when completed on schedule, the margins are upwardly of 10% on project cost or around 50% of investment. Not bad for any business in the world.

For all of the reasons I have mentioned and many more, the costs of all private developments are so high that even the high strategic value of investments do not compensate for the high loses due to corruption. In turn, many big shots such as Wipro, Unitech, Omaxe, HP, Honda and many more have shut their shops in the region.

No one wants it. Not even the adhikaarees and babus in any of the departments because a reduction in commercial investments result in lowering of personal commissions and there a lot of added tension as there are bound to be many enquires when Mayawati leaves the place and the dust settles. Hopefully sooner then later

Just another brick in the wall.

I was arguing with someone the other day, what makes education special for him. Is it learning, friends, a way to social security, what? He gave a very good answer and I could not reply after that. He said - Teachers. For me, teachers has always been essentially a group which forces their curriculum and knowledge on you. Many a times in a way they have stored it themselves. I for one has always believed in practical knowledge. Going out on streets and asking those who know rather than someone who wrote someone else's account and a third party trying to make some sense out of it.

I loved the old Aryan system. The division of human life into 4 segments and gurukul education being a very important integral part of human growth both in terms of spirit and knowledge. Time and again, one learns about the whispers about progressive schooling which essentially means giving freedom of thoughts and action to children beyond books and rules and campus. Studies say that such methods have been much more successful and skill orienting than regularly used British methodology. Many after Lord McCaulay introduced English Education to create babus for English offices, we still hold on to dilapidated structure learning Hinglish as we grow. Hardly does anyone has the idea, that the only image created by this is lack of understanding of any of the two languages of which many like me are the victims.

80 years after Gandhi's emphasis on vocational training and skill based knowledge sourcing, we still look down upon Vocational colleges and stand at the bottom with 1 trade school of repute while China has in access of 4000. Having graduated from the trade school, I felt cheated because we were never taught about shipping, logistics management and port handling. At least never given any practical assignment so that we might learn. No field trips. No videos even. At best some ship photographs. All we are taught throughout our lives is to pass with flying though no one explains why. Even the Social Awareness Program, an NGO attachment is a farce. We are associated to an NGO for 2 weeks and are asked again to make a report. The idea is to improve the college brochure.

I believe the idea of education in India is marketing and as an offshoot may be learning for a few geeks. Few days back, i met someone who started a tourism and hotel management course in Agra. His business plan aimed 120 students in 2 years and he ended up with 1600 after two years. That too when the course if of 3 years and the first batch never got placed. Now more than half of his spend is on marketing.

Consider a normal course of Indian education. A child grows. Goes to school. Read books. Only other source of education. Questions to people he meet. Taking an average, 1-2 social outings in school per year for him. Come 9th and he has to prepare for college. Two options if ain't in a metro. Doctor/ Engineer? Next 4-5 years are dedicated in getting a college. Next 4 is questioning why. You get out with a job you never deserve and cry about your bad luck. Then either people try to go abroad or go for higher education. Either way the same story continues and in another two or so parents get you married. Most of us are virgins till marriage for heavens sake.

Sorry for the humor. Could not help it. Be it the gurukal system, progressive schooling or even the oldest democratic method of teaching created by Plato where he suggested different layers of education both in terms of period and skills imparted produced different categories of workers. From labors to clerks to engineers to doctors with believe me politicians and ideologists coming at the very last after 50 years of age; we need a change. Not just another brick in the wall.

First of all i believe there is a deep rooted flaw in education system. It creates too many people with too many degrees for white collar jobs when there are no

Countries and namesakes

The best memories of Vaishno Devi trip apart from the world class Charas I has to be the wonderful time spent in the van. We were 11 guys traveling and hence we tool 2 vans. The first van had 6 guys and all the cameras. The second van had 5 people. It was a perfect division between brash, rude guys and uptight resourceful guys. Everything thing fitted in perfectly and we called it a natural division of first and third world countries. Great per capita GDP barrier even if we account for PPP. They had all the cameras and tickets and money and the trip plan. The stage was set and battle swords drawn. The objective of third world was to exploit resources without giving much leeway to the developed world.

Battle plan being ready, the next thing was clarity on individual positions. I being the poorest of us all naturally became Somalia. No conflict in this. I guess I lived up to my expectations by asking camera from one and all and getting a kick at the butt at all times. Next in line was Morya. Reason: come on man! look at his face once. Third was Sanjay Jain. His unwanted deep insight on many things and data; specially with trade in it helped us suggest his name. Also his dear love for Olam and he was named Nigeria.

Two guys remaining in the van. Both at the opposite ends of adrenaline rush. Gaurav Gaud would have easily accepted any name and would have taken it personally but Mongolia fitted in like a mold. The large wasteful size of both, extreme lack of useful intellect (Mongolia has 20 horses for 1 man) and the fact that Mongolia is known for its Ghodas and the choice was final. The last remaining Akshay. Unfortunately he was wearing a Sri Lanka Coka Cola jacket and you guessed it. As always SL is an unfortunate addition to the third world and so in some ways semi refined Akshay in this group.

To talk about the other van. The first one, Dahuja with all the planning and strategic financial backup like trusted Swiss banks was named Switzerland. Next Hari, for unmentionable and very obvious reasons was deemed England. The third proud camera owner with Stuttgart belt was HS code-12 and we called Handa Stuttgart rather than calling him Germany. Sony trying to belong to the group by forming alliances (NAFTA like) was a pseudo third world member and was aptly named Mexico. Next was someone about whom no one knew or wanted to know. Just that for some odd reason all knew the name of this little country. In short, both Togo and apne Golu bhaiya knew how to occupy the center stage. The last guy remained and i wont comment- crisis.

Our van driver was playing fast bollywood numbers and we were dancing and humming all the way. Fun, pun and sarcasm, we all enjoyed every bit of it and thanks to countries and namesakes.

The good natured Kashmiris

On visiting the Valley of Kashmir, Jehangir, one of the Mughal emperors, is said to have exclaimed: "If there is paradise anywhere on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here." I guess when he said this not only meant the valleys and lakes and mountains but also the good nature of native Kashmiris. If the Atithi Satkaar culture is remaining in India, it is here in Kashmir.

Our Hotel attendant told us that if stuck approach any house, they will help you, give food , bed and provide for bath and will also inform us. This was so true. During out visit to the interiors of Kashmir, we once ran out of engine oil. We came to a marketplace. There was a group standing nearby , one of them went to house and asked for some guy to open his shop. That guy opened his shop. Fixed the bike. Gave us tea and offered us to stay overnight and leave next morning after bathing. It don't matter what problem you have, Kashmiris will always be ready with a solution and an almost customary "ismein kya hai?" in the end. It would also be very difficult to forget our attendant Yakoob who helped us utmost to get the camera, bike, giving directions, free food and what all not? This is the only tourist place where all want the tourist to have time of his life.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that that Kashmiris are arguably the most beautiful tribe alive. It was very difficult to find a girl you would not be attracted to. Almost a third had supermodel faces. So were the men. All tall, fair and handsome. More importantly, there was much more equality between the two genders as compared to rest of North India. All schools and coleges were co-ed. There was no special seating for women in public buses. Although there seemed to be an unwritten code which said women should not talk to men and different sexes formed different chat groups but women never cringed at male presence, anywhere.

A typical Kashmiri village comes to my mind. Almost everyone would be out there on street, walking criss cross and chatting idly. No fear. No care. One friend described it best.

"Kashmiri kumata 120 hai. Karch 140 karta hai. Must rehta hai. Ismein kya hai?"


We believed this carefree, guilt free nature and everyday cheerfulness is a result of their home being paradise. After all what else could one need. great people. Great environment. Zero pollution. I wish 1989 never happened in Kashmir.

People are so helpful that sometimes it might even freak you out. Always ready for a small tal, specially if one mentions Delhi. I remember our cab driver even wanting to have his honey moon in Delhi. If you ask directions, they will walk with you till the street you have to take turn so that you would not get lost. All in all a wonderful experience amidst incessant teas, hukkas, bollywood numbers and cricket.

Bollywood and cricket and Kashmir

Few days back, I went on a bike trip with one of my good friends. We went to Kashmir. It was an awesome experience. Something which cannot be explained properly in words. None of us had seen snow before and now we were on the National Highways which were blocked due to ice slates all over them. We both agreed that it would be very hard to explain in words what we felt on seeing the road melt away into a huge wall of ice-capped mountains on three sides even as we are driving on level roads. Sea green river and a small lake on one side and a mountain village on the other.

But even though the terrain was vastly different. The originality, integrity and ownership of mother country in question; I felt there were two very evident things which held the nation together. No doubt trade brings in money and relations and no bigger proponent of cultural integrity than popular bollywood numbers. I remembered the day when I met a French girl in Agra and she complained about loud music everywhere but in Kashmir, I felt proud. There is something common which Gandhi and Nehru saw during their pan India tour which still binds the nation together. The use of Hindi and Bambaiya words everywhere, even in the inner most parts of rural Kashmir was truly amazing.

Even cricket, there might be little in terms of business and trade but talking about indulgence of cricket and reverence of Indian heroes, there guys are no short of any other region of India. Even at the height of 5000 metres, people made wickets of ice and were playing cricket. There was an avalanche there yesterday. No one cares. Cricket comes first.

Long Live India!! Long Live Cricket!! Long Live Bollywood!!!

Sunny side up !!!

The best way to reflect on a place is probably to recall the moments still lodged in memory. I might not be the best person to say anything about IIFT because I didn't mingle with a lot of people but still being a part of it, I just wanted to blog down what the things that I carry along with me. I guess besides bitching around, guys have generally been talking about their insecurity. Even me. I don't count myself out. The general discussion revolved around how we are at par or may be better than most colleges and how we still are underpaid on recruitment front. Well, probably we are better off than most colleges but I guess, college education don't provide you any tool for doing business. If I had been an HR, i would rather go to an engineering college or other grad school, at least there would be less to unlearn.

The most knowledgeable person i found, did his MBA from some shit college in Agra. I joined a BPO for 1 day. There I found many much better and grounded on praactical knowledge than regular b-school shit. The guys whom I thought had more practical knowledge and experience, direct or indirect didn't end up with best of jobs. I believe management education should be banned for people having less than 2 years of experience. That includes even me.

Second thing which I will always remember is the discussion revolving around who is hooked up with whom. Who stands where and all that. I always felt uncomfortable discussing people who don't concern me but I did to satisfy unattended itches of quiet a few.

What else... I can never forget Bhola and it's contribution. This is one of the biggest gifts I got from IIFT. The night you get bholaaed, you understand more about life. Five guys bholaaed and a movie in PVR was an unforgetful experience. So was the one when i formulated the bubble theory or when we wanted to go from big banana to saket and ended up half way to gurgaon. I will also remember numerous sessions of random dance and booze and leg pulling and insane futile over next to nothing.

The best part though should be the IIFT parties, uncountable of those. I dont think I missed any except the last one where I passed out because I was too tired. Searching for booze like junkies. Standing at the bar table and dancing to anything which has beats in it. Lying helplessly on floor with many other and listening to senti songs. Also I can never forget the million times, I would have taken my car at night with six people in it and we went any to ber sarai or anywhere to fetch food. Theovernight drives to both Agra and Jaipur were also awesome where I drove all night singing and dancing. No one slept. Everything was just awesome. Great memories.

As I keep writing, many more things are coming to my mind. Thankfully all good. The hundreds of movies that I would have watched. Many with Arka and debating over small things. The rise and fall of Socrates. A personal adventure ride for me and great company to help me put up anything of substance. In fact I was the support, the main actors were Shirsha and Ravi Teja.

There could not have been a better gift than a trip to Jim Corbett and than to Kashmir. Both were wonderful and I guess almost all that took part in it, enjoyed. Thanks for memories.

Bbye forever

Wake up - Years of pain

Wake up young man, it's time to wake up
Your love affair has got to go
For 10 long years, for 10 long years
The leaves to rake up
Slow suicide's no way to go, oh
Blue, clouded grey
You're not a crack up
Dizzy and weakened by the haze
Moving onward
So an infection not a phase


The cracks and lines from where you gave up
They make an easy man to read, oh
For all the times you let them bleed you
For little peace from God you plead, and beg
For little peace from God you plead

Wake up young man, it's time to wake up
Your love affair has got to go, yeah
For 10 long years, for 10 long years,
The leaves to rake up
Slow suicide's no way to go, oh
Slow suicide's no way to go
Wake up, wake up, wake up

Bum Bum Bhole !!!

Yesterday i had the chance of visiting TEARS annual celebration. Now TEARS is a educational and training institute for mentally challenged people. Although it is not an NGO by definition because it takes money from parents but the work they do is nothing short of social service. The age of children engaged ranges from 2 to 22. I call them children coz they will always remain so at mind at heart. In this annual function, all children no matter how severely disabled they were (mental or physical) had to perform something.

What touched me the most during the whole function was a small dance presented by a group of about 20 odd children who were still learning to form alphabets by joining dots. The children here are as much as 20 years in age but it was great pain to even make them stand together on the stage for 5 minutes of bollywood music. The music chosen are very apt - "Bum Bum bhole !!!" from TZP, definitely one of the best movies i have seen in my life.

Being the observer I am, I started looking closely at the children. There were different categories. There was this group which was purely amazed, seeing all these blinding lights flicker in oblivion, the multitude of people in the background, the loud noise of music and strange movements of fellow students. It was pure magic to see such innocence of twinkling eyes telling their story of being alienated. Their teachers would come intermittently to move their limbs but hardly could they understand anything.

Then there this small child of about 6-7 years constantly staring and blinking lights placed almost on the stage. Probably he was trying to make out how such a thing was even possible. Experience would have told him that his best friend is he himself, hence as always he was asking questions to himself, biting nails. Then there was this group of students directly behind him who were trying to give their best shot by displaying all movements they could. I recalled my first time of being on stage when I hardly remembered my lines in the play still conjectured something. These were all but normal just trying to make a point of existence. My eyes welled. I pride myself of being macho and someone who is not very emotional but my eyes welled. i checked around. I was not the only one. The lyrics were perfect too. All filled with romanticism and imagination. Thank you Amir Khan. Thank you TEARS.

The Bus Journey

I just love observing people. Especially those to whom I am not connected. Probably this is the reason why I love using public transport with many people. Most of the guys laught when I tell them that I love Mumbai locals. I don't blame them. I guess it is not a normal thinking but I can't help it. I immensely enjoy guessing lives; even if I am wrong. Most of the times, I just observe. Couple of days back I travelled by bus. I enjoyed the 40 minutes ride like anything. I am trying to write what I saw and thought then.

Actually I was coming frm railway station to the college. I took the bus somewhere close to the the railway station, Fortunately, I got a seat. The best part was that I was sitting at a place from where I could see most people. There were about 7-8 people standing as well. The guy closest to me standing somehow reminded me of myself. The way his eyes moved it was easy to predict that he was day dreaming. He had a small bag in his hand which had some detergent company name on it. Some name I have not heard before. He bore a confident look on his face. Something which comes with experience of having dealt with many people professionally and successfully at that. He was wearing formal clothing. Not expensive but smart and ironed. He was not looking at anyone. Busy in himself probably preparing for a meeting mentally. I concluded he should be salesman.

Just infront of him was a small stout guy, a complete contradiction of the tall, lean guy I mentioned before. This man had a very submissive look on his face, so much so that he had an expression of requesting invisibility. He felt satisfied by the fact that no one cared about him. So much so that I thought he wanted to blur in the background. Now this guy was also dressed formally but his shirt was somewhat crumpled. He was empty handed and it looked as if someone had just scolded him. Probably his boss or so i guessed. At this point, our eyes met and it seemed that he became nervously conscious of his existence and after every few minutes he was staring at me from the corner of his eyes.

Just then, a stop came and few people boarded the bus at that stop. For obvious reasons, I remember the two girls who came in. Thanks to the great nation and unnatural preference to women, 1 of them sat and I could not even see her face properly. The other girl was in a red top and jeans. I am not sure about the color perceptiona and behavior patterns but somehow girls in red have always been more attractive for me. She was a good looking girl. Fortunately, as I was hoping she did not find a place to sit and in a minute or so our eyes met. This is classic flirting, Indian style. Both of us passed smile. We were stealing eyes intermittently.I actually forgot what I was doing. In another minute or so I felt bored and started looking outside. Now "Lambi Judaai" started on the radio. I love this song and started humming the tune.

There was a Negro outside. He stepped in. Now this guy was definitely behaving differently. I might have been biased but it definitely seemed to me that he didn't feel connected. In fact it he had a I don't give damn kinda attitute on his face. He was completely preoccupied, for the entire journey. It felt that he was disconnected to the proceedings, surroundings and although he was dressed very casually. You might assume that he came staright from his bed but it felt like he didn't care what was around him and in any case he was there just for a little time. Not only in the bus but also in this geography. In any case, he got off after two stops. Now I started staring outside. Mostly observing houses. I don't remember the name but it was posh colony. Great exteriors, construction and posh cars. Though most houses had make shift arrangements. Sometimes on the roof tops, sometimes balcony but in almost all houses that I saw there was that ubiquitous expression of Indianess. There was some jugaad which reminded me of oneness in sme odd way.

I shifetd my focus again inside the bus. Two house-wives stepped. Friends probably or so they would have claimed if you ask them but apparently both were trying to outdo each in the way they dressed. They were not great looking wore excessive lipstick and I guess some powder or something on face. In fact if you ask me, this futile effort make them look ugly. They were constantly chatting. They both grabbed the opportunity of sitting which they got pretty anyways.

There were few more interesting people. It is really amazing to acknowledge the the fact that no matter how important we think we are, there is so much more beyond one's own self. It is amazing that no matter how complicated we think we are, almost all have similar complex and yet very different lives. How much there is to learn. I was pre-occupied with these thoughts and then I saw one who was actually lookng at me. Observing. I thought that he was trying to analyze me. He was a young guy and jeans and white t-shirt. Probably a college guy. Graduation mostly. He seemed to be having the confidence of a smart guy who knew his ways. Someone who had learnt a lot from life or so he would like to proclaim to the extent of being boastful about it. Then there was this blank guy. Exactly the kind of people I am really jealous of. They never think. They are so happy with the present that future never worries them. This gets to you. Infact I would to steal their secret, use on myself and become carefree for life.

Now my stop was very close. I was mentally preparing to get down but dunno why the bus was taking ages to move from the current stop. There was a young girl waiting at the stop. Not great looking but defintely she tried hard to look good. And it showed. Hair combed carefully and tied to give them some style. Cheap but stylish clothes. Matching lipstick. I think she felt good and comfortable about her looks. She somehow reminded me of Call center people. These guys don't earn a helluva lot but they sure know how to spend. In fact she wore a proud look. Not bad pride but I guess a good one. At least for me. Something like you get when you do a job well.

I was just preoccupied. In fact I didn't even understand what I was thinking. All I could remember is cool wind blowing on my face and I was loving it waiting on the footboard for my step. Another 2 minutes or so My stop came and I got down.

To the biggest fears of life...

Well this is the first time I am writing something inspired by a movie. I am not the kind who writes on how others fared on something they created. I am of the school which believes that movies/ songs/ paintings/ nature are all but art at some level. Each in silo has different meaning for an individual. The reason why one likes any of the above when he sees/ listens/ feels one of the above is that at some point he or she could relate to it.

I have just finished watching Juno. There are many reasons why I am writing this. Personally I didn't like the movie a helluva lot but I still enjoyed it coz I could really relate to the Mark Loring character played by Jason Bateman. The movie is about teenage pregnancy and a wilful adoption. The movie circles around the most popular nouveau genre Dark humor but in the latter part lumbers into new found romanticism where everything falls into place.

Rather than hinting at the story I would like it to hit at things to which i related. Few days back, we guys had a small trip to Jim Corbett. We played a stupid game wherein we asked random questions to random people and truths should come out. Guess it is called Truth and dare or something. Anyways someone asked the question about the biggest fear in life to me. I answered being in a relationship because I think I am not capable of being just to the requirements of a successful relation. This is partially because of the past experience and partly because of the fact that no matter how good I think I am at character assassination and reading people; I still know nothing about half the humanity- women. But coming back to Juno, I have another fear and that has to do something about having babies of my own. Probably I have it because of ill-fated childhood and troubled history of my brother but somehow there is this thing in my mind where I have always pictured myself adopting children never making them. This is where I relate to the movie and to the character having sexual insecurity of adopting children and rushing into situations where finally he has cold feet. Juno is just the catalyst but in reality, Mark would have quit anyway.

There are a few other things I could relate to with the character, for starters the mid-life career crisis where the guy is doing a job related to his area of interest where he is supposed to happy but is not quiet there and though he knows he ain't good enough, he still has sown the seeds of quitting. Another thing is the relation of Juno and Mark; nothing sexual in intent, just a thing where 2 people can connect and discuss something common at length. Something I share with very few friends of mine where we debate for hours. Another scene where Vanessa is choosing color of wall for the baby and all the guy could think of is food. Very real. :)..

All in all, it was a decent movie but overhyped. I guess this is a real problem affecting a lot many in US hence so many like it so much. I would personally give it 7/10 though the songs were great and very intelligent.