Innovation in public service

In India, public service is theoretically in the hands of elected leaders and the task of ope-rationalizing and executing the plans are practically in the hands of bureaucrats and govt. officials. Such a massive task of executing tens and hundreds of crores of development activities are in the hands of  these people. And at the ground level, many of these bureaucrats have an average qualification or exposure to best practices and innovation in operations management or planning or the practices of collaborator in social/public projects. (leaving aside very few candidates with very good credentials entering the services these days) Although, govt. do have experts of these at highest level of policy framing and policy monitoring in forms of planning commission or various other commissions. 

At the same time, there are literally thousands of bright stars who are graduating and post graduating from best to average colleges and working in various Indian and MNC firms. And there only aim is to have fat cheque at end of month, have decent lifestyle and metro culture. Although many of them are capable of qualifying for govt. bureaucracy but rarely do they bother about that on many grounds. Corruption, political pressure, remote location, lack of will power to serve society in large, meagre probability of success in qualifying examination and above all the most diminishing factor to bright candidates is lack of innovation opportunity in such jobs. And only one who used to prepare or have motivation to enter this field is because of huge power vested to these bureaucrats, social prestige associated with that. Also most of these students are from areas where importance to power is known over innovation and money.

Well, there are restrictions in this public service job, but also there are freedom to implement projects and policies at ground zero level. And taking consideration of shoddy states of affair, there is great scope for improvement. You may not change the system, but you can surely establish a university or a hospital taking help of private firms CSR initiatives by acting as a collaborator. You may not control the corruption in system but you can definitely improve the grievance redressal mechanism by ICT initiatives. You may not change the ethics of govt. employees but you can definitely input practices of operation management in ensuring timely delivery of projects deliverable. Opportunity is immense, only thing needed is candidates who are motivated towards innovation in public distribution and public service and obviously who see his smile in the satisfied face of destitute ones.

Educated and Enlightened

Atmosphere is getting hot not just because it's April, rather more because of election. Rise of middle class against the corruption, crony capitalism or nepotism in govt. or corporate circles is going to shape the Central govt. Leaders, activists and even general enthusiasts are talking about importance of education to uproot corruption. A lot more emphasis is given on education. But is education enough to solve all the problems India is facing from ground level at Panchayat or district official level to streets of planning commission and other secretariats?

I doubt this fact? Just by educating the uneducated rarely going to make an honest society and environment to thrive. Presently, a lot many of educated individuals specially belonging from lower middle class to middle class are eyeing govt. lucrative jobs. And they are lucrative from the point of black money or unprecedented power. And why they are eyeing all these? Because of the previous generation's deeds regarding making a fortune while being at that lucrative position and their practice of boasting in public meetings. 

On one hand, these educated parents want their wards to be educated to the best level. While on other side, expecting them to be at same or higher such lucrative jobs and make another fortune for the family. 

Just education is not enough in the present scenario, enlightenment is also must. 

Just enlightenment will make you a better citizen but never a better husband or a son or a father. Because it is through education (either acquired in schools or from experience) only, one can earn and live a decent life. It's only combination of education and enlightenment that can transform a society into corruption free hamlet.

Startup opportunity in Indian Education Sector....

True words from Einstein, "The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education".

This benign fact about education is still prevalent in Indian context. Adding on to this feature of Indian education sector, there is also the lack of individuality among Indian students regarding selection of field for their prospective careers.
It is not that there is lack of understanding among all the parents; rather it's their ignorance to all the other opportunities or their in-sensitiveness to other career prospects. Those who are enlightened, or exposed to various career prospects always have the advantage.
I am discussing this opportunity from the childhood of an individual. Nowadays, almost 80% of Indian parents want their children to be into IIT or NIT or so called engineer. This is happening because of exaggerated publicity from media houses over the few 8 figure salaries that poured into these campuses. No one is caring about the interest of students, in-fact they are not supposed to develop any interests.
And the irony here is that, when these students meet failures in life, the sole culprit are them only.
For example; even though some middle class budding mind clears IIT or any other tier I college; everyone in the family is seeing 7 figure salary in them rather than the individuality of the concerned student. And even after entering into such institutes, the degree of not meeting up with expectations is much higher because of multiple factors like networking, interpersonal skills come into picture. And these students have no one from their family to guide them of these aspects.
The opportunity here in this context is the "Urgent need of Career Counselling and Innovative methods of teaching" in Indian context. This will not only make the parents realize about importance of interests but also the guidelines to these half successful candidates. 

Why you need a break....

It's 8'o clock in the morning, and with annoying alarm an average working class unmarried youth wake up in a hurry. In order to be on time, he hurriedly get ready in half an hour and rushed to office. Somehow he managed to pre-scheduled morning meeting to discuss on targets  etc. After working his ass off for like 12 to 14 hours, he used to retiring back with no energy nor any aspiration for any other recreational or creative activities. This is the usual story of 90% of best talents of India passing out of IITs or IIMs or IISc etc. There isn't any time for them to even think about self or society or mankind. The best minds of this nation is getting ravaged in the glittering MNCs culture and glamour of money and positions and family and peer pressure too. It's because of these practices and cultures, there are very few writers or thinkers or innovators in Modern India.
Amid st all such, what I personally feel is the need to take a break at periodic intervals of career. These breaks will not only provide time to self realization but also the vision towards long term career prospects. When you have a complete day with no predefined tasks or appointments, and you have all the time to fulfill all your hobbies, your desires and realize your potentials. The true self of yours can only be realized when you are self-introspecting, when you are living the life in the way you want to.
These small breaks not only act as the true mentor of yours life but also help in framing a healthy society. Because when people are doing something of their interest, the results are always outstanding. On the lighter side, this further improves the productivity of society or business.
Well, I don't have much examples related to success of this thought; but going by the facts of self-introspection and sayings of some of the best minds of 20th and 21st century like Steve Jobs or Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela or Mother Teresa or several other entrepreneurs, this thought does have a weight-age.
Also, going by Indian context where 80% of students don't know by the age of 25 about their dream. And where childhood dreams are made upon the foundation of family's aspirations or glamorous thoughts of some seniors. In between all such environment, having a break and spending it on self is worth being happy for life.

"Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom" - Aristotle

Why it's best time to take risk and go for startups?

This blog has been written taking account of Indian and world youth below the age of 30.

We are taught from our childhood, to score marks, get good grades; and eventually we will land up with decent to lavish lifestyle. We would have then plenty of money to fulfill all our needs and desires; unfortunately, which were not been available in our childhood. And we would have a beautiful wife and a plush home, eight figure salary or powerful government bureaucrat; of which we would boast upon. Till school (leaving some exceptions) we are taught to imitate rather than explore, expedite or try newer things.

Moving further we come to college, away from the chains of family restrictions on physical stimulus as well as neurological stimulus. In college, our thinking horizon broadens, we are more rebellious, we are more innovative and we are more risk takers. But coming to final year of college, and again under the pressure of family, friends and socially established criteria; a student's intelligence is judged from his/her job or salary package. Every student seems running towards that dream of monthly eight figure salary and decent ego boosting job. And once a childhood innovator is lost in the social stigmas and showoff.

At this stage, most of Indians and youths of other nations are. They are in their mid or late twenties with almost no to very little responsibilities and yet they are suffering from one of the deadliest addiction of A MONTHLY SALARY drug. We work for 12 hours a day and at the month end, waiting for the hefty cheque or salary to take home and enjoy. In fact, we used to fall in love with these kind of lifestyle where we are away from any roller-coasters of life and a risk free income.

But this is something, against which everyone need to realize. This is the perfect time for us to take risk and steepen our learning curve to exponential. Entrepreneurship is something, every adult in his twenties should aspire about. It doesn't assure you a showoff and assured income but on basis of probability it makes you a millionaire and a truckload of experience and exposure. It might be that you have to pay some loan/EMI or liability but these can never be the discouraging factor for going on with start ups as these liabilities can easily be met.
But as per Steve Jobs, "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great word. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you will know when you find it. And like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."

In India, the main problem is job-employee mismatch; where people are working for survival and proving others that they are more talented judging on lines of money and materialism. Amid st such environment, it's the best time for adults in 20's to break these chains of social stigmas, take risks, live free, learn from failures and improve the lifestyle of a common man through innovation.

Will power...

If you take it as a word, it's very generic not at all exquisite. But when we realize it as a motivation, it's the only reason one's success and specially success of a team or a nation. Intelligence or a sharp mind may be genetic to some extent, may be these are from our parents; but only intelligence doesn't define success. 

The important point that makes us successful is what we do with our intelligence and knowledge after being successful which is as per the eye of society. 

Here, most of indians fail; not because they are not successful, the tragedic part is even after being aware of all the ways of spreading their experience, learning more and more; Indians are lacking that willpower and give reasons behind their in-activeness. The simple example is lack of indian authors in management; even after having an entirely different class of management in India very much in line with local culture and traditions, there is hardly any such author in English who describes these kind of case studies. 

Also, there are numerous good speakers in industry, but institute-industries relationship is poorest in India. But the problem here is the superego of these people, which is making them to wait for some offer from some college or institutions.

It's only because of this absence of willpower among people that indians always have reasons against all failures either family or family friends or related to medical. 

Developing willpower is the utmost need to be successful either social or business or education, until unless we don't share our info and experience; how we are going to replace our past and be successful. And all this requires is willpower and dedication which can only be gained through practice in our day to day llife.

Reality of IIMs...

I was on cloud nine like all other entrants of IIM Calcutta. Life was appearing like a bed of roses at that instant. Everyone was dreaming of good pay package, decent living standards and a sparkling future life.
The problem here is the data on which every other individual is relying upon, everyone expects himself to be above average. And another problem is inflated data being provided by these institutes to attract more and more and brighter candidates. Also the reason behind these expectations is the fee structure of these institutes. But beyond these, the actual problem arise when 80% of the batch is expecting to get 10% of available job profiles that used to come during placements. And every another candidate is aspiring for money rather than his/her interests or taking care of his background or his family needs.
And with all these dreams, college days begin. Few of the dreams are shattered during summer placements itself, as during this time candidates realizes the role of networking (better word nepotism) in getting an intern at good firm rather than just talent. Also, on the positive side, few of the candidates realize their shortcomings and start working on them. Still many dreams are alive on the base of final and lateral placements.
In all such events, learning is rarely the goal of any candidate. But exceptions are always there. Learning and paper publishing all are just for so called CV points because that will only increase their chances of getting the highest paid job.
Now comes the laterals, all with work experience are aspiring for the best available jobs leaving one after another low paying jobs or firm with low publicity ratings. Every one is aiming for next big thing. And the freshers are soothing themselves on the ground that better firms will come in final placements. And the D day comes, shattering dreams of many; realizing them their weakness, again the importance of networking and bitter truth of life. If that would be a recession time, things would be worst for greater number of people.
Mainly freshers are victim of the above mentioned phenomenon but many experienced candidates also fell prey to this greed. In all such cases, job is just a myriad mirage of which you are never sure of; but learning there at such a premium institute is the actual reality to be grabbed.