"The question isn't who is going to let me,it's who is going to stop me."

Sunday, December 24, 2006

A Brief History of Change

BC 65 million:
An Asteroid Strikes; Wipes out Dinosaur Population, the course of evolution of Life on the Planet Changes

BC 10 million:
An ape takes a small step upright; humanity takes a leap forward, the saga of anthropology Changes

BC 3200:
An Egyptian develops hieroglyphic writing, the process of communication and knowledge aggregation Changes

BC 509:
Roman Republic is founded, political and social setup of human civilizations Changes

AD 1:
The Christ is born; A Mel Gibson gets the subject for his passion; Eras of Beliefs and Calendars Change

AD 820:
An Al-Khwaizini invents Algebra; Comfort levels of Generations of High School Students to come Change

AD 1492:
A Columbus discovers America, the destination of freedom and prosperity seekers for generations to come Changes

AD 1776:
A James Watt invents steam engine, an Industrial Revolution Changes the scale of Human Enterprise

AD 1879:
An Edison invents Incandescent Bulb Power Equation of Day & Night Changes

AD 1969:
A Concorde is airborne; the relative Speed of Transatlantic sound waves Changes

AD 1991:
A Manmohan Singh assumes office; a nation’s economic orientations Change

AD 2000:
A Y2K bug mania bites computer Systems, the face of Indian IT Industry Changes

AD 2007:
A magazine by the name of THiNK is published in BIT Mesra.


Crash! Boom! What the Hell!


Wait a second! I thought we were talking about change here?!
Yeah!

Change.

That's what THiNK is all about.
About stepping out of the cast mould. Away from the mindless rush of life to ascertain one's identity. No, THiNK is not a movement. It's just a thought. Exhorting you to THiNK.

To stay hungry. To stay foolish.

In these two lines lies the paradox of this idea.
Stay Hungry.
For more knowledge. For more of everything in life.
Stay Foolish.
Not dumb. Not arrogant. Humble. plain ol' simble you.

Like all good things under the sun, this idea was born during a time when ideally the idle mind where it sprung to life should have been doing something else. Like studying Electromagnetic Theory. or Linear Control Theory for that matter. But it was elsewhere. Musing to itself, to try and do something different. Something off the beaten path. I think the original idea came to me sometime around idle week following the mid-term papers, when we were preparing to return home and stuff our faces with good food. It went something like this:

Left> so what are we gonna do this semester?
Right> something different?

{
Note to reader:
Left and Right (L & R henceforth) can be freely interpreted as per the limits of your imagination. They are however to be both treated as mutually exclusive integral parts of the author. Suggestions include parts of:
a> the brain
b> vacuum occupying the place of the AWOL brain
c> alter egos - without the obvious political leanings of course
d-z> your imagination?
}

L> let's continue blogging.
R> Na, that was last year's idea. Something else.
L> like what?
R> how about actually writing?
L> you mean like a novel? That will take umpteenillion millennia to finish, and longer to spell-check, proof read, plus it will never be published.
R> hmmm. Point.
L> so what to we do?
R> you temme.
L> ahem. I know this may sound lame, but how about resurrecting Zog's idea?
R> which one? Starting a movie library?
L> No dude. The other one.
R> Ok. You mean setting up a propah coffee shop-cum-eating joint near the library wi-fi hotspot, right?
L> seriously! I am surprised I happen to be connected to you. I am talking about Buzz-In-Town. R> What! Not that Gossip rag! Isn’t that the reason she buried it in the first place?
L> exactly. Let's come out with something more like, you know, my style...
R> you mean a half-baked re-incarnation of Douglas Adam's writing that no one this side of the galaxy can interpret?
L> uh.........
R> loaded with brain teasers, quizzes, useless trivia, comic strips, smart alec comments on everything under the sun and over it, et al?
L> uh.........
R> that is sure to ruffle some feathers and other appendages of most people that hear about it? That will be another time sink for you?
L> uh.........
R> Well, You are absolutely right. Sounds exactly up your alley. Let's do it. But how are you gonna mange it?
L> uh........., what?!
R> I said, how are you gonna manage it? What form will it be? What will it be called? Who’s gonna do the designing? Who will contribute to it?
L> I think I need to sit down.
R> what you need is another shot of caffeine.
L> yes that will do just fine.

Post Caffeine Ingestion

L> hmm. Name... the obvious moniker will have to serve as a placeholder till I THiNK of something better.
R> and what’s the obvious moniker called in these parts?
L> think.
R> I am.
L> no, THiNK.
R> Huh, why can’t you just say it?
L> i already told ya. T H i N K.
R> oh. Right then. What about the....
L> you know what your problem is? You never...
R> Eh? Which one?
L> What?! Now how am i supposed to know which one?
R> you should. You are the one that brought it up in the first place.
L> ya right. So why don’t you just make a proper numbered list of all of them and we could check later which one it is that we were discussing, or add it to the list if it isn’t already there.
R> ok.
L> as i was saying, your problem is...
R> but what am I gonna call it?
L> call what?
R> the list of course.
L> how about things that aren't right?
R> but that describes you doesn’t it?
L> yes, but not exclusively. Or completely.
R> ok. "Things that aren't right" it is. You were saying...
L> saying what?
R> that my problem number is...
(whispering- x being a placeholder for its number on the list you see).
L> ah yes. Since you ask, just not these down. Firstly …
R> you are dictating a list.
L> that’s right, and you are to be taking it down without interrupting me, get it?
R> ok. Go ahead, make my day
L> ya rite. Ok, where was i?
R> 3rd rock from the sun
L> i mean where as in...
R> Sector ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha
L> Jesus Christ Bananas!
R> Alright, alright. Firstly?
L> God! Yes. Firstly, you never stop
Secondly, you make hyperspace jumps at every pause for breath on part of the other person communicating with you, or trying to.
Thirdly, you leave all others confused, dazed and tired from jetlag / spacelag / whateverlag, trying to keep up with you
Fourthly ... what are you doing?
R> … … …
L> hello? I’m talking to you.
R> … … …
L> will you bloody answer me?
R> No.
L? No?
R> N. O.
L> why?
R> I’m trying not to interrupt your stream of thought, seeing how hard it is for you to get into it in the first place.
L> ok. I give up. What do you say we do?
R> are you sure you can handle it?
L> ya
R> absolutely?
L> yup
R> positively?
L> yes
R> lock kiya jaaye?
L> Y.E.S. Is that clear, or you want it in writing on stamp paper, signed in triplicate, attested in duplicate and sealed by legal counsel?
R> Nah. that will do.
L> so...
R> so what?
L> WHAT DO WE DO?
R> oh that? Yes yes.
L> well?
R> ya. catch some carbon based life form, show it how hard it is living the way we do, with this endless stream of ideas and thoughts, focus on the one's about fun, food, enjoyment, college and print THiNK diagonally in bold across it.
L> and?
R> that should be enough to put things into perspective. Meanwhile we can think of more things to shock the living daylights of the poor thing. What say you?
L> Seems like a plan.

Ok.
(deep breath)

So that is something of what went on in the devil's workshop before i manage to dupe Mr. insaneunknown into listening to my latest brainstorm
(believe me; you have no idea why it is called a Brain-STORM!). He further suggested SS (Not the Schutz Staffel, in case you were wondering) & logistics undefined. I decided to call everyone to a war conference at the canteen, threw in the zog as part of a forgotten package deal and Voila! We had the editorial team of THiNK ready. That left the creative group/team/person issue dangling. At which point the lioness was lured in, putting my fears to rest (in pieces…) with sharp measured ninja chops of creativity. Whatever that means. So the next day at the canteen, i managed to dole out the stuff swimming in my mental cavity, between bites and sips of a free treat from idontknowwho. Well, that's that, and this is THiNK now.

What originated as a bored gestation of thought seems to have picked up some wind, even if it should only be from half a dozen individuals, at least it's there.

So come the Ides of March in the year of our lord 2007, THiNK shall be distributed as a PDF on orkut, Gmail and bit-mesra.ac.in (God & Pant Sir be willing).

Dear weary reader, if you have managed to reach here unscathed, drop me a line and I promise to treat you to a coffee at the canteen and a copy of THiNK.
Alternatively, you can also take your revenge by sending in your contribution to bit.think@gmail.com


Auf Wiedersehen
(Google it out if you don’t know German! that's what I did.)

And meanwhile,


THiNK
stay hungry, stay foolish.

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Her Tender Touch

Her Tender Touch would cure all Pain,
Her Godly smile was like drop of Rain.
Robed in a white saree bordered blue,
She looked heavenly True.

A leper in the street was cared by None,
Mother came in his life like bright sun.
If it was not foe her care,
Thousands would have lived in despair.

‘City of Joy’ felt her presence,
She changed poor people’s life’s essence.
To bring Joy to the neglected in the City,
She worked day and night till she was eighty.
And when she bade the World Goodbye,
Hearts and Eyes filled with tears, looking towards the Sky.
Shall we call her Saint, or Mother,
I think Mother, which is more intimate, is Sweeter.


--by P2
(about Mother Teresa)

Shade

One fine morning I took out my Old Car,
Drove around merrily and went very Far.
But Oops, my Car broke down,
Far away from busy Town.

Sun was shining overhead,
Its scorching heat made me sweat.
I searched around and found a Mango Tree,
Sat under its Shade and felt a bit free.

Another day I was in the middle of Thar,
(The Great Indian Desert)
I was betrayed again by my old Car.
Any guesses, the tree for shelter I found,
It was a Tall Date tree, with nothing around.

I found no Shade, my worries didn’t fade.
A tree so Tall, does not give pleasure at all.
Its better to be humble than be Tall,
Live a Life such that, it helps all.

---by P2

The Apple

I was wandering in an Orchard, Big and Green,
Among Trees of all size, I saw a beautiful Scene.
An Apple Tree so wonderful and Fine,
Caught the attention of Mine.

The tree was loaded with apples mostly Green,
Leaves were hiding a Red one like a Screen.
I went towards the Apple attracted by its Shine,
I didn’t know what was I doin’

The Apple was Shiny, Fresh and Red,
I plucked it, and then away I sped.
I sat on Green Grass admiring the Fruit,
It seemed Juicy, Sweet and Cute.

After a while I cut it into Two,
What I saw, would please not even a Few.
Black in colour, filled with worms that cause irritation
Bitter in Taste, producing burning Sensation.

Never Judge anything as I judged the Apple,
A thing which most people are not able.
Outward Shine can make you Regret,
An advice, all of you, please never forget.

---by P2

The Journey

With a loud whistle the train started,
Slowly, its haven (station), it parted.
A Journey of quest, a Journey to end in Rest.
Ready to move through odds, fight them with Swords.

I sat on a seat beside the window,
And saw the distant mountains moving slow,
But when I saw the Bushes near,
They hurried away like sparks of Fire.

I see the past, the scenes, the places gone by,
When I sit on the seat in front, the Future is in my Eye.
Smokes from the Engine cover the Future,
When I reach there, they are beautiful creations of Nature.

I sit now watching the Rivers, Mountains and Sky,
And great towns and beautiful villages passing by.
Indeed, life is a beautiful Journey,
Not without Ups and Downs, Days Cloudy and Sunny.

---by P2

The River

Cutting the Rocks, She flows so Gracefully,
Sometimes swiftly and sometimes slowly.
Twisting and turning, she makes so sweet sound,
She appears to be dancing within her bound.

She makes everything around her Green,
She makes the world around her serene.
She brings life and makes it grow,
She is there whether there is Joy or Sorrow.

She can give you everything,
She can leave you with nothing.
She can make you drown,
She can give you Crown.

And sometimes, if she flows out of her Bound,
Provoked or unprovoked, She can ruin everything around.
She can become a lethal knife,
And rip your Life.

She is so powerful, yet so tranquil,
She can change the World at her will.
God’s most wonderful creation,
I can’t stop singing your admiration.


---by P2

HIVisms

Quotable quotes, that originated from their point of origins without the influence of Elements. It just happens that this particular assortment of malapropisms happens to be by the residents of H IV.


Bibek
"The moon is falling towards the Earth and the Earth dodges it"

Bibek
"All form of heat is created by infrared rays"
(I guess Microwave ovens also use infrared.....Wanna kill someone rub your hands together n emit infrared towards him to smoke him!!!!!)

Bibek
"The objects color that you see is not its actual color but its complimentary color (white is actually black)....so extending the argument day is not actually day its night"

Bibek
“I knew everything in today’s paper. It totally rocked. Way too easy. Only, there was this small problem. I couldn’t remember any of it on time to write it down.”

Ankur
"Nepal has the best navy in the world"

Ankur
“Vijayawada is a country.”

Ankur
"When sea horse's come out of the water they become horses"

Ankur
"Dolphins grow old to become whales"

Ankur
"Orkut was developed in BIT (R&D bldg) by BIT'ians"

Varun
"Nagaland is India's neighbor"

Varun
"Odomos is a multi purpose cream (sun screen, face cream, toothpaste, hair cream...and not to forget mosquito repellent"

Robin
“You wish.........”

Vyas
“What do you call a person who gives giving fundas?
A fundamentalist... which fundamentalist group do you belong to??”

Harsh (Puppy)
“The frequency of dc is 50Hz.”

Anon
“Tsunami waves were 1000 km tall.”

Bibek
“Light exhibits a dual property, which means it has definite mass. When it passes a black hole light travels with a speed greater than light. Of course it’s true. Don’t you know F=ma?”

Ankur
Dumb Charades Situation - Ankur enacting Shawshank Redemption to Frankie.
He turns to Frankie, starts off: English. 3 words. SHAW SHANK REDEMPTION

Ankur
Dumb Charades Situation - Ankur enacting Frequency.

Jay, Gogin & Smaran
Jay: "Good Friday is on a Thursday man."
Gogin: "how is that possible?"
Jay: "It’s according to the stars or something."
Smaran: "oh yeah, that’s possible man."

Smaran
"Why was the Jessica Lall murder case started after she was murdered?"

Chimpu
“I don’t wanna go to Chilka Lake (Puri) because of the man-eating dolphins.”

Chimpu
(On Gangtok / Darjeeling trip)
“I don’t wanna go to Tiger Hill; there will be too many tigers there.”

Anshul
“Hey, do dolphins come to the beach?”

Chimpu
“Are dolphins man-eaters?”

Jay, Gogin & Smaran
Once, Jay was explaining some kind of situation to Smaran when he said..."Undy was sitting on my left and Gogin on my right." Then confused Smaran asks Jay, "If Undy was sitting on your left and Gogin on your right, Then WHERE WERE YOU SITTING?”

Shrikar
SAT is an IQ test.

Vyas & Ankur
Vyas: Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
I’m a schizophrenic,
And so am i.
Ankur: How?

Varun
The reason why Varun cannot say 'r' in any word is, that when he was small all he would do is 'rrrrrrrrrr'. So by the time he grew up he had finished the entire quota of 'r' for his tongue!!!

Vedant & Ranga at Physics Lab
First Question
Prof: Haan CRT ka phull phorm batao..
Ranga: ummm hmmmmmm aaaa hmmmm uummmmm Sir mmm Cupid R.. something
Prof: (bewildered) passes on the question to me.
Ranga 0/5. Vedant 5/5.
Second Question
Prof: Ab LASER ka phull phorm batao..
Ranga: ummm hmmmmmm aaaa hmmmm uummmmm Sir mmmmmmmm Sir I know SONAR... ummm aaaaah but LASER.. ummmmmmm
Prof: (in a daze) passes on the question to me.
Ranga 0/10. Vedant 10/10.

Sujith at Chemistry Lab performance
Scene: 4 Profs seated at the desk and students choosing experiments through lottery.
Sujith's roll number is called out. So our stud walks across the lab and approaches the desk n then sits down in front of the Profs. Then they ask him to choose one experiment. Sujith takes one sheet, cuts out the experiment name and writes his name on it!!
And then when he finally realizes what’s going on. He is in the wrong lab and has no idea where the equipment is.

Jibran & Sujith at Physics Lab Viva
Scene: Prof seated on one side of the desk, Jibran & Sujith on the other.
The 'missionary position' for any viva.
Preface: Jibran & Sujith were told not to tell that they were NRI’s in any viva.
For obvious reasons ;-)
Prof: achcha..toh..(pointing to Jibran)..kahan se ho tum??
Jibran: sir, hum?? hum Patna ke hain!!
Prof: (thinks) "arre bihariiii hai, kuch nahin toh 5 mein se 4 toh mil hi jayega"!
(speaks) achcha..theek hai..(pointing to Sujith)aur tum kahan ke ho?
Sujith: Sir,um? I am frum kerela sir.
Prof: (thinks) "chalo isi des ka hai, kuch hain to 5 mein se 3 to mil hi jayega.
Sujith: (continues suddenly) But sir actually, I did my schooling from 'Our Own English High School, Sharjah’!
Prof: (says some shit but means) " !@!@#!@#$@#%$%#$(%@#($$^)(%*)&*#$)_!!"
Translates to “you are dead meat!”
Result:
Sujith 0/5, Jibran 3.5/5, Although Sujith answered much more!

Robin at Physics Lab
Cast: Robin and some random dude from our batch.
Robin picked up his experiment sheet and confidently walked to his experiment. He had a potentiometer experiment. Surprisingly, Robin gets off to a great start and starts making notes of his readings also!! The random dude walks up to Robin all confused and tells him that it was his experiment. So Robin grabs hold on the dudes sheet reads his experiment name and tells him "Hmm.. No No. Yours is in the other lab. Go fast you don't have much time left to do it. Hmmm go go…" Then for some reason Robin is not getting the answers he has on the chits so he calls the Prof and tells the Prof that the apparatus is faulty. Prof checks and screams at Robin "You fool this is the resonance experiment. Yours is in the other lab."

Zameer, Varun, Akshay & Jibran at Physics Lab
Varun and Zameer had no clue about their laser experiments in the dark room, but they were well prepared. Varun had the whole bunch of the practical sheets tucked in his pants hidden by his t-shirt. So Zameer finishes copying everything and goes out. 5 minutes later, Varun walks out all happy that he finished the experiment, BUT does not realise that he's tucked the practical sheets away while his t-shirt is tucked under it. So the bunch is popping out of his pants for everyone to see. And The Prof sees him.
At exactly this time, Akshay n Jibran are doing their experiments n obviously they have no clue what they are doing. So Akshay manipulates and calls the Prof. But little does he know that the results he reached are not obtainable by any means. So the Prof starts screaming at him. So basically Varun and Akshay are going to get screwed. Then Jibran comes to the rescue. He amazingly manages to blow up the transformer. All the Profs run towards him screaming "YOU FOOL"!

Vyas at some Lab Viva
Pulls out a toothbrush out of his pocket thinking it was a pen to draw a diagram.

Anshuman
PDC Lab Viva
Prof:“Why have you come? The idea of any Viva is I ask you questions and you answer them back. Your answers are full of ummmmmm... aaaaaaa..... oooooooo..... eeeeeeee....
Why have you even come for the Viva ?”
LD Lab viva
The Prof himself was a pretty meek and sober guy. Still, he fianlly ended up saying “Sach sach Batao tum Kaun Sa Subject Padh Ke Aaye ho? What you're saying has nothing to do with LD even by a mile!”
General Lab Viva Tactics
1. Answer exactly the same thing that your other guy is saying
2. Speak so quickly so as to disorient the Prof
3. Smile. Make the Prof comfortable.
4. 'Sorry Sir....' 'It JUST slipped out of mind sir.....' 'Good question sir...... Next question sir...?’
5. Engage in small talk about the Bihar-Jharkhand. Most of them always fall for it.........

Prof Given Names
SP Bhyus for SP Vyas
Subhanshu for Sudhanshu
Jeevan for Jibran
Manpreet for Mandeep
Gameer/Jameer for Zameer
Rubin for Robin

Lab Experiences

E.Mech.
2K2-
All NRI’s walk in. 2 minutes later, they walk out.
Toughest question - How many experiments have you done? Some got even that wrong.

2K3-
Prof: Name one application of Flywheel.
Feroz: (after thinking a whole minute) Sir, Lab sir!

Workshop
Zameer and Ashutosh - Oxygen is the fuel for gas wielding.

DIAC
Vyas - Didn’t know if he should answer the question or laugh at the shocked face of BB Pal when one of them proved 5V = GND.

BEE
Circuit = burnout (both students and circuits)

Quote

KARMANYE WADHIKARASYE MA PHALESHU KADACHANMA KARMA- PHALA-HETUR BHUR MA TE SANGO'STV AKARMANI

(You have a right to work, but not to the result thereof. Never consider yourself to be the cause of the results of your activities, and never be attached to not doing your duty.)

The Story of Infosys

This is written by Sudha Murthy, wife of Infosys Chairman Narayanamurthy, in Ananda Vikatan newsletter, about her life . sweat equity and the story of how Infosys was born... it goes like this from the proverbial horse's mouth...


It was in Pune that I met Narayan Murthy through my friend Prasanna who is now the Wipro chief, who was also training in Telco. Most of the books that Prasanna lent me had Murty's name on them,which meant that I had a preconceived image of the man. Contrary to expectation, Murthy was shy, bespectacled and an introvert. When he invited us for dinner, I was a bit taken aback as I thought the young man was making a very fast move.
I refused since I was the only girl in the group. But Murty was relentless and we all decided to meet for dinner the next day at 7.30 p.m. at Green Fields hotel on the Main Road, Pune. The next day I went there at 7 o'clock since I had to go to the tailor near the hotel. And what do I see?

Mr. Murthy waiting in front of the hotel and it was only seven. Till today, Murthy maintains that I had mentioned(consciously!) that I would be going to the tailor at 7 so that I could meet him... And I maintain that I did not say any such thing consciously or unconsciously because I did not think of Murty as anything other than a friend at that stage. We have agreed to disagree on this matter. Soon, we became friends. Our conversations were filled with Murty's experiences abroad and the books that he has read.

My friends insisted that Murty was trying to impress me because he was interested in me. I kept denying it till one fine day, after dinner Murty said I want to tell you something. I knew this was it. It was coming. He said, I am 5'4" tall. I come from a lower middle class family. I can never become rich in my life and I can never give you any riches. You are beautiful, bright, intelligent and you can get anyone you want. But will you marry me? I asked Murty to give me some time for an answer. My father didn't want me to marry a wannabe politician, (a communist at that) who didn't have a steady job and wanted to build an orphanage...
When I went to Hubli I told my parents about Murty and his proposal. My mother was positive since Murty was also from Karnataka, seemed intelligent and comes from a good family. But my father asked: What's his job, his salary, his qualifications etc? Murty was working as a research assistant and was earning less than me. He was willing to go Dutch with me on our outings. My parents agreed to meet Murty in Pune on a particular day at 11 a.m. sharp. Murty did not turn up. How can I trust a man to take care of my daughter if he cannot keep an appointment,asked my father. At 12 noon Murty turned up in a bright red shirt! He had gone on work to Bombay, was stuck in a traffic jam on the ghats, so he hired a taxi (though it was very expensive for him) to meet his would-be father-in-law.

Father was unimpressed. My father asked him what he wanted to become in life. Murty said he wanted to become a politician in the communist party and wanted to open an orphanage. My father gave his verdict. NO. I don't want my daughter to marry somebody who wants to become a communist and then open an orphanage when he himself didn't have money to support his family.

Ironically, today, I have opened many orphanages something, which Murty wanted to do 25 years ago. By this time I realized I had developed a liking towards Murty, which could only be termed as love. I wanted to marry Murty because he is an honest man. He proposed to me highlighting the negatives in his life. I promised my father that I would not marry Murty without his blessings though at the same time,I cannot marry anybody else. My father said he would agree if Murty promised to take up a steady job. But Murty refused saying he will not do things in life because somebody wanted him to. So, I was caught between the two most important people in my life.

The stalemate continued for three years during which our courtship took us to every restaurant and cinema hall in Pune. In those days, Murty was always broke. Moreover, he didn't earn much to manage. Ironically today, he manages Infosys Technologies Ltd., one of the world's most reputed companies. He always owed me money. We used to go for dinner and he would say, I don't have money with me, you pay my share, I will return it to you later. For three years I maintained a book on Murty's debt to me.

No, he never returned the money and I finally tore it up after my wedding. The amount was a little over Rs. 4000. During this interim period Murty quit his job as research assistant and started his own software business.

Now, I had to pay his salary too! Towards the late 70s computers were entering India in a big way. During the fag end of 1977 Murty decided to take up a job as General Manager at Patni Computers in Bombay. But before he joined the company he wanted to marry me since he was to go on training to the US after joining. My father gave in as he was happy Murty had a decent job, now. WE WERE MARRIED IN MURTY'S HOUSE IN BANGALORE ON FEBRUARY 10, 1978 WITH ONLY OUR TWO FAMILIES PRESENT.

I GOT MY FIRST SILK SARI. THE WEDDING EXPENSES CAME TO ONLY RS 800 (US $ 17) WITH MURTY AND I POOLING IN RS 400 EACH. I went to the US with Murty after marriage. Murty encouraged me to see America on my own because I loved traveling. I toured America for three months on backpack and had interesting experiences, which will remain fresh in my mind forever. Like the time when I was taken into custody by the New York police because they thought I was an Italian trafficking drugs in Harlem. Or the time when I spent the night at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with an old couple. Murty panicked because he couldn't get a response from my hotel room even at midnight. He thought I was either killed or kidnapped.

IN 1981 MURTY WANTED TO START INFOSYS. HE HAD A VISION AND ZERO CAPITAL... initially I was very apprehensive about Murty getting into business. We did not have any business background. Moreover we were living a comfortable life in Bombay with a regular paycheck and I didn't want to rock the boat. But Murty was passionate about creating good quality software. I decided to support him. Typical of Murty, he just had a dream and no money. So I gave him Rs 10,000 which I had saved for a rainy day, without his knowledge and told him, This is all I have. Take it.I give you three years sabbatical leave. I will take care of the financial needs of our house. You go and chase your dreams without any worry. But you have only three years!

Murty and his six colleagues started Infosys in 1981, with enormous interest and hard work. In 1982 I left Telco and moved to Pune with Murty. We bought a small house on loan, which also became the Infosys office. I was a clerk-cum-cook-cum-programmer. I also took up a job as Senior Systems Analyst with Walchand group of Industries to support the house.
In 83 Infosys got their first client, MICO, in Bangalore. Murty moved to Bangalore and stayed with his mother while I went to Hubli to deliver my second child, Rohan. Ten days after my son was born, Murty left for the US on project work. I saw him only after a year as I was unable to join Murty in the US because my son had infantile eczema, an allergy to vaccinations.
So for more than a year I did not step outside our home for fear of my son contracting an infection. It was only after Rohan got all his vaccinations that I came to Bangalore where we rented a small house in Jayanagar and rented another house as Infosys headquarters. My father presented Murty a scooter to commute. I once again became a cook, programmer, clerk, and secretary, office assistant et al. Nandan Nilekani (MD of Infosys) and his wife Rohini stayed with us. While Rohini babysat my son, I wrote programmes for Infosys. There was no car, no phone,just two kids and a bunch of us working hard, juggling our lives and having fun while Infosys was taking shape. It was not only me but the wives of other partners too who gave their unstinted support.

We all knew that our men were trying to build something good. It was like a big joint family, taking care and looking out for one another. I still remember Sudha Gopalakrishna looking after my daughter Akshata with all care and love while Kumari Shibulal cooked for all of us. Murty made it very clear that it would either be me or him working at Infosys. Never the two of us together. I was involved with Infosys initially. Nandan Nilekani suggested I should be on the Board but Murty said he did not want a husband and wife team at Infosys.

I was shocked since I had the relevant experience and technical qualifications. He said, Sudha if you want to work with Infosys, I will withdraw, happily. I was pained to know that I will not be involved in the company my husband was building and that I would have to give up a job that I am qualified to do and love doing. It took me a couple of days to grasp the reason behind Murty's request. I realized that to make Infosys a success one had to give one's 100 percent. One had to be focused on it alone with no other distractions. If the two of us had to give 100 percent to Infosy then what would happen to our home and our children? One of us had to take care of our home while the other took care of Infosys.

I opted to be a homemaker, after all Infosys was Murty's dream. It was a big sacrifice but it was one that had to be made. Even today, Murty says, Sudha, I stepped on your career to make mine. You are responsible for my success. I might have given up my career for my husband's sake. But that does not make me a doormat...

Many think that I have been made the sacrificial lamb at Narayan Murty's altar of success. A few women journalists have even accused me of setting a wrong example by giving up my dreams to make my husbands a reality. Isn't freedom about living your life the way you want it? What is right for one person might be wrong for another. It is up to the individual to make a choice that is effective in her life.

I feel that when a woman gives up her right to choose for herself is when she crosses over from being an individual to a doormat.

Murty's dreams encompassed not only himself but a generation of people. It was about founding something worthy, exemplary and honorable. It was about creation and distribution of wealth. His dreams were grander than my career plans, in all aspects. So, when I had to choose between Murty's career and mine, I opted for what I thought was a right choice. We had a home and two little children. Measles, mumps, fractures, PTA meetings, wants and needs of growing children do not care much for grandiose dreams. They just needed to be attended to. Somebody had to take care of it all.

Somebody had to stay back to create a home base that would be fertile for healthy growth, happiness, and more dreams to dream. I became that somebody willingly. I can confidently say that if I had had a dream like Infosys, Murty would have given me his unstinted support. The roles would have been reversed.

We are not bound by the archaic rules of marriage. I cook for him but I don't wait up to serve dinner like a traditional wife. So, he has no hassles about heating up the food and having his dinner. He does not intrude into my time especially when I am writing my novels. He does not interfere in my work at the Infosys Foundation and I don't interfere with the running of Infosys.
I teach Computer Science to MBA and MCA students at Christ college for a few hours every week and I earn around Rs 50,000 a year. I value this financial independence greatly though there is no need for me to pursue a teaching career. Murty respects that. I travel all over the world without Murty because he hates travelling. We trust each other implicitly. We have another understanding too. While he earns the money, I spend it, mostly through the charity. Philanthropy is a profession and an art... The Infosys Foundation was born in 1997 with the sole objective of uplifting the less-privileged sections of society. IN THE PAST THREE YEARS WE HAVE BUILT HOSPITALS,ORPHANAGES, REHABILITATION CENTRES, SCHOOL BUILDINGS, SCIENCE CENTRES AND MORE THAN 3500 LIBRARIES. Our work is mainly in the rural areas amongst women and children. I am one of the trustees and our activities span six states including Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra, Orissa, Chandigarh and Maharashtra. I travel to around 800 villages constantly. Infosys Foundation has a minimal staff of three trustees and three office members. We all work very hard to achieve our goals and that is the reason why Infosys Foundation has a distinct identity. Every year we donate around Rs 5-6 crore (Rs 50 -60 million).

We run Infosys Foundation the way Murty runs Infosys in a professional and scientific way. Philanthropy is a profession and an art. It can be used or misused. We slowly want to increase the donations and we dream of a time when Infosys Foundation could donate large amounts of money. Every year we receive more than 10,000 applications for donations. Everyday I receive more than 120 calls. Amongst these, there are those who genuinely need help and there are hood winkers too. I receive letters asking me to donate Rs five lakh to someone because five lakh is,like peanuts to Infosys.

Some people write to us asking for free Infosys shares. Over the years I have learnt to differentiate the wheat from the chaff, though I still give a patient hearing to all the cases. Sometimes I feel I have lost the ability to trust people. I have become shrewder to avoid being conned. It saddens me to realize that even as a person is talking to me I try to analyze them: Has he come here for any donation? Why is he praising my work or enquiring about my health, does he want some money from me? Eight out of ten times I am right. They do want my money. But I feel bad for the other two whom I suspected. I think that is the price that I have to pay for the position that I am in now. The greatest difficulty in having money is teaching your children the value of it and trying to keep them on a straight line....

Bringing up children in a moneyed atmosphere is a difficult task EVEN TODAY I THINK TWICE IF I HAVE TO SPEND RS 10 ON AN AUTO WHEN I CAN WALK UP TO MY HOUSE. I cannot expect my children to do the same. They have seen money from the time they were born. But we can lead by example. When they see Murty wash his own plate after eating and clean the two toilets in the house everyday they realise that no work is demeaning irrespective of how rich you are. I DON'T HAVE A MAID AT HOME BECAUSE I DON'T SEE THE NEED FOR ONE.

When children see both parents working hard, living a simple life, most of the time they tend to follow. This doesn't mean we expect our children to live an austere life. My children buy what they want and go where they want but they have to follow certain rules. They will have to show me a bill for whatever they buy. My daughter can buy five new outfits but she has to give away five old ones. My son can go out with his friends for lunch or dinner but if he wants to go to a five star hotel, we discourage it. Or we accompany him. So far my children haven't given me any heartbreak. They are good children. My eldest daughter is studying abroad, whereas my son is studying in Bangalore. They don't use their father's name in vain. If asked, they only say that his name is Murty and that he works for Infosys. They don't want to be recognized and appreciated because of their father or me but for themselves. I DON'T FEEL GUILTY ABOUT HAVING MONEY FOR WE HAVE WORKED HARD FOR IT. BUT I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE FLAUNTING IT... IT IS A CONSCIOUS DECISION ON OUR PART TO LIVE A SIMPLE, SO-CALLED MIDDLE CLASS LIFE. WE LIVE IN THE SAME TWO- BEDROOM,SPARSELY FURNISHED HOUSE BEFORE INFOSYS BECAME A SUCCESS. Our only extravagance is buying books and CDs.

MY HOUSE HAS NO LOCKERS FOR I HAVE NO JEWELS. I WEAR A STONE EARRING WHICH I BOUGHT IN BOMBAY FOR RS 100. I don't even wear my Mangalsutra until I attend some family functions or I am with my mother-in-law. I am not fond of jewellery or saris. Five years ago, I went to Kashi where tradition demands that you give up something and I gave up shopping. Since then I haven't bought myself a sari or gone shopping. It is my friends who gift me with saris. Murty bought me a sari a long time ago. It was not to my taste and I told him to refrain from buying saris for me in the future. I am no good at selecting men's clothes either. It is my daughter who does the shopping for us. I still have the same sofa at home, which my daughter wants to change. However, we have indulged ourselves with each one having their own music system and computer. I don't carry a purse and neither does Murty most of the time. I do tell him to keep some small change with him but he doesn't. I borrow money from my secretary or my driver if I need cash. They know my habit so they always carry extra cash with them. But I settle the accounts every evening. MURTY AND I ARE VERYCOMFORTABLE WITH OUR LIFESTYLE AND WE DON'T SEE THE NEED TO CHANGE IT. NOW THAT WE HAVE MONEY. Murty and I are two opposites that complement each other... Murty is sensitive and romantic in his own way. He always gifts me books addressed to From Me to You. Or to the person I most admire etc. We both love books. We are both complete opposites. I am an extrovert and he is an introvert. I love watching movies and listening to classical music. Murty loves listening to English classical music. I go out for movies with my students and secretary every other week. I am still young at heart. I really enjoyed watching "Kaho Na Pyaar Hai" and I am a Hrithik Roshan fan. It has been more than 20 years since Murty and I went for a movie. My daughter once gave us a surprise by booking tickets for Titanic. Since I had a prior engagement that day, Murty went for the movie with his secretary Pandu.

I love travelling whereas Murty loves spending time at home. Friends come and go with the share prices... Even in my dreams, I did not expect Infosys to grow like the way it has. I don't think even Murty envisioned this phenomenal success, at least not in 1981. After Infosys went public in 1993, we became what people would call as rich, moneyed people.

I was shocked to see what was happening to Infosys and to us. Suddenly you see and hear about so much money. Your name and photo is splashed in the papers. People talk about you. It was all new to me. SUDDENLY I HAVE PEOPLE WALKING UP TO ME SAYING, OH, WE WERE SUCH GOOD FRIENDS, WE HAD A MEAL 25 YEARS AGO. THEY CLAIM TO HAVE BEEN PRESENT AT OUR WEDDING (WHICH IS AN UTTER LIE BECAUSE ONLY MY FAMILY WAS PRESENT AT MY WEDDING). I DON'T EVEN KNOW ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO CLAIM TO KNOW MURTY AND ME SO WELL. But that doesn't mean I don't have true friends. I do have genuine friends, a handful, who have been with me for a very long time. My equation with these people has not changed and vice versa.

I am also very close to Narayan Murty's family, especially my sister-in-law Kamala Murty, a schoolteacher, who is more of a dear friend to me. I have discovered that these are the few relationships and friendships that don't fluctuate depending on the price of Infosys shares. Have I lost my identity as a woman, in Murty's shadow? No. I might be Mrs. Narayan Murty. I might be Akshata and Rohan's mother.

I might be the trustee of Infosys Foundation. But I am still Sudha. I play different roles like all women. That doesn't mean we don't have our own identity. Women have that extra quality of adaptability and learn to fit into different shoes. But we are our own selves still. And we have to exact our freedom by making the right choices in our lives, dictated by us and not by the world.

SUDHA MURTHY

stay hungry stay foolish

Someone asked me for a justification of the motto of THiNK :
sTaY hUnGrY, sTaY fOoLiSh.

Here is where i first came across it, explaining it's relevance-

This text is an excerpt from the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005, at Stanford University.


When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.

Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Thank you all very much.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Remembrance

A guy went for a picnic with his girlfriend n friends to a waterfall where he lost his life. He will be remembered as a boyfriend , (as the papers claim!) a brilliant student or by many as the (misleading) "Don" ka beta… But I have a very different reason to remember him by….Our college bus was as usual overcrowded…this time there were small school children when all of us boarded the bus… around 20 excited girls…. A few minutes later when luckily I had found a little place to sit (hoping not to go sprawling onto the floor when the thoughtful driver would apply the brakes!) I noticed 2 guys enter… The above mentioned person was one of them… unkempt hair, stubble, tight t shirt n if possible n even tighter pair of jeans with a suspiciously low waistline … obviously they left me unpleased… finally when those two had found seats in front the bus started…there was still the fair chance of us making it to college before our in-time…But the bus slowed down again…this time an old man in a Dhoti kurta climbed up… There was no place for him to sit… so many species of the fairer sex (considered kind n revered for their soft hearts) n yet none of us stood up to make room for him… But surprisingly someone else did… The same "brilliant Don" ka beta made the old man sit while he remained standing whistling the tune of a song as the bus continued its journey…And while he remained unaware of my furtive glances I thought of the age old saying… looks can be deceptive…One cant bring the dead back to life but remembrance helps to keep their memories alive…. And while the newspapers n TV channels continue their pointless discussions (at least that's what they seem to me) about the cause of death…I pray to God to give a certain female courage and whatever happened or may happen I empathize with her because she loved a great guy….



By Rhea Sinha

Kri8vity

This is from my creative team - NJoy...

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Think People Think

NATIONAL INTEGRITY-golden letter words in any country’s diary of “Great Speeches By Political Leaders”. It is the most common topic given for any debate, any speech competition and tea parties of the intellectual working class of our country. Following the trend, B.I.T put up the same topic for the extempore competition in the youth festival.
Variety of students came up with the same points –“different flowers forming the subparts of the same garland”, “unity in diversity” etc.

My first question is, where does the word unity hold when we have already mentioned diversity before unity? Unity does not lie in diversity. Flowers of various shapes cannot form a perfect garland. What unity do we boast about when we mention Maharashtra or Gujarat before India when asked about our native place. Why cannot we talk of India and not our individual states. We cannot stand Bihar and Madhya Pradesh not being divided. Why divisions when we shall still belong to India. Or maybe… Bihar will become a part of Bangladesh. To top all anomalies we cannot even stand nature benefiting 2 states-the Cauvery issue. We honour the army above all-even that has divisions-gorkha rifles, maratha unit etc etc. These flabbergasting issues really allows us to talk about national integrity.

The recent uproar over the incendiary reservation issue- it does prove our stand on national integrity. Our political leaders never felt shy of boasting how their respective parties stood for all castes and creeds of society. That is why we need to have reservations. My primary question-why do we need to call a particular caste or tribe as scheduled-just because some part of the population is financially backward? We have school dresses so that there is no distinction between kids but we have reservations to identify who is forward and who is backward. What is the basis of this classification-educational levels….nah, mental strength or physical disability…….no ways. Vote bank politics…………correct answer. Ludicrous! This gives us a right to praise India’s integrity.

All the candidates without fail mentioned the whole episode concerning Prince-the kid who fell into a gorge. Each praised his /her state for the number of yagnas and lachrymose performances by them for the safety and well being of the child. Who cares a fig about the country’s future falling into a gorge. We wanted that kid’s life to be saved and beside our house, in our neighbourhood, each day a kid dies of malnutrition, leave aside the figures for the whole of India. Even if we save the life of that one kid we shall be doing a great favour on humanity. We are not bothered about that because it does not bring in publicity. Egregious! Who can stop us from talking about national integrity.

The time has come when it is imperative to take national integrity from the pedestal of debates and discussions to emotions. The time has come when Republic day and Independence day do not signify holidays and parties. The time has come for us to realize that a 9-5 job and 20000 p.m. is not what we are living for. We have to rise to the situation. Sitting comfortably and recriminating the hegemony for every wrong that is done is easy enough, but it takes guts to stand in the political arena, to withstand the gushes of corruption and take the onus for every wrong that is done. Dr.B.R. Ambedkar had truly said on India’s independence ”We have lost the right to blame the Britishers for every wrong that happens. From now on we are responsible for it.” This applies equally well to the Indian youth. If we cannot do it we don’t even have the right to crib about it.

To admire the moon you don’t have to hold it in your hands. You can do so even by seeing its reflection in the water. To do what our ancestors did, we do not need the Britishers again. We can make national integrity a reality even without them and we shall. The umbilical connectivity with India cannot be severed. As Mahatma Gandhi said” Almost anything you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.” Be like the fountain that overflows, not like the cistern that merely contains. Generally at the end of such patriotic speeches, people write Jai Hind. I shall do that only when I have done something for my country which gives me the right to say “JAI HIND”

Friday, November 17, 2006

उसकी आँखों मे नमी थी

उसकी आँखों मे नमी थी
उसकी खामोशी में दॅद का एहसास था
होठों पर कोई अनकही दासतान थी
दिल में गम का तूफान था
हर गुजरते पल के साथ
उसकी सांसे बोझल हो रही थी
एक पल ऎसा लगा जैसे
रूह भी उसकी रो रही थी
जाने कौन सा दॅद दिल में समाकर
वो निकला था मुLकुराने के लिए
खुद बाती बुझाकर जैसे निकला हो
अंधेरा मिटाने के लिए
बात कया है उससे पूछूँ
इतनी मुझमें हिEमत न थी
बात कया है वो बता दे
ऐसी उसकी फितरत न थी
उसकी खामोशी मुझे
उससे दूर कर रही थी
अब तो कदमों की आहट भी
शोर कर रही थी
जाने कया बात थी
वो खुद से लड़ रहा था
इतनी भीड़ में भी जैसे
तनहा ही चल रहा था
सUनाटे के कोहरे में
हम दोनों खो चुके थे
इतने करीब होकर भी
अजनबी हो चुके थे़

....contributed by V.S.

ORKUT CHIRKUT

Two frnds bitten by d orkut bug….

S:hi…….u seem

2 b on orkut al day haan……wassup??

M: well it seems u too r right der 2 check it out…caught u!

: S:wot to do…dis d only place I get all d taza info first hand…masala et al!

M:u r right man…u dnt kno wot I saw on xyz’s scrapbook….i’ll tell once v meet…orkut’s not d place…

S:shit…m dyin to know! Ny hot news frm BIT?

M:BIT”s toh sizzling nowadays…nyways hope d youth fest is a success unlike d fugiya…

S: I was d inti one sleepin in m room on fugiya,u only mad ppl went to dat….

M:leave d borin stuff…nything NEW???

S:arre…abc wrote a testimonial for me, dunno wheather to accept it or not…..

M:omigosh…accept it man…varna dukhi ho jaayega bechara..speakin of BECHARAS …u know who sent me a frnd request…

S:arre dnt talk abt frnd requests..they keep pourin in …did u come across dat community,”reservation”?

M:reserv shud be banned…be it 30% or 50%…be it for girls or otherwise….

S:yaar…kaise docs aur enggs banenge…chal lets speak to arjun singh…

M:u dunno hw I hogged on chocolates after I came home…

S:speakin abt food…d mess ka khana is..goin goin gone…its pathetic man…

M:listen…remove ur pic frm ur profile…shudnt do that orkut…

S:I was abt to tell ya…lets search our juniors on orkut…nd read their profiles..we dnt kno them ,do we???

M:what if dey find out???

S: what makes u think we care????

M: yeah…so many ppl keep checkin my profile day in day out….

S:did u wish pqr on her bday??? Orkut gave me a reminder…

M:yeah..dats d bst part…the remnder..it dsnt let us f’get…seriously man…orkut is a blessin..cant tell u hw many school frnds I hav found…

S:bt thers one thing wrong wid our frnds here..they scrap u, bt dnt talk to u on ur face…wiered…bt yes…orkut helped me improve my frnd circle immensely..

M:don’t u think orkut should a music station of its own???

S: yes..nd an e-library too…it’ll be awesome..

M:yaar.. waapas jaake midsem marks!!!

S:I know…d shock is also a part of college life…njoy…

M:arre..what does “orkut” mean?

S:who knows..bt to us it means…

O- opportunity to find lost frnds nd make new…

R- remindin ur dear ones that u r just a scrap away….

K- kaleidoscope of emotions…

U- ultimate gossip channel…

T- testimonials faked…..

M:man u givin gyaan nd all haan…..

S:go to hell u…gotta go..lotsa work…

M:yeah yeah….i know wot work u hav…bye…c u!

S:b’bye…tk care…

Thursday, November 16, 2006

How was technIEEk like

technIEEk is the ultimate experience one can have in BIT. You can find the most cream people of BIT gathered together. The best platform where one can use one’s talents to the fullest. I got to meet the real talents through technIEEk. Not just that, I got to learn more than I have done in past two semesters. The best part is students really put all their efforts and struggle hard to get into the core night of technIEEk, a cherished place to reach.

technIEEk is an assembly of a number of events which can otherwise be called technical games. These games are such that one really wants to put his brains into it. These events are to sharpen one’s mind. The technIEEk’06 had an event called brand image which impressed me the most. A drink was to be launched which had its distinctive features so as to take over coca cola drink. The presentations that were given for launching the drink were commendable.

These presentations were unique in themselves and the event as such was an equipment to take out all the creativity one can have. The coding contest and robocode (coding to make a battle robot) are most interesting ways of testing coding skills. The best part of technIEEk, which people love the most and find most exciting is Blitzkrieg.

There were five events going on all together in five different places. The exciting part is that, the team has to divide its members according to their skills to participate in those events. These constitute number games, vocabulary games, IQ tests and general knowledge tests. technIEEk is something to keep a person busy in something which is productive. Three days of struggle are completed with all the above mentioned events. Now, comes the core night with the top 6 teams performing excellently in the events. This night teams have to prepare a skit to justify their team names which require team work. Other events like spin a yarn, Dumb C, etc are again team events which are a good display of team spirit.

technIEEk is a blend of productive work and enjoyment and one who misses it I feel really loses a great substance in life. Don’t miss it is what only a participant can say. It’s really great that we have technIEEk in Bit. All these and much more is technIEEk which you can get to know only when you form a team and participate in it as a part of the team.



contributed by a 2k5 female, about her first encounter with what was known as technIEEk.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Life In Biotech Department



Hello people,
Loads of people wonder what actually happens in the pompous dept of biotechnology of B.I.T. Mesra looking abominable impassable from a distance. Here's my account.
Lab starts at 8:00 a.m. thereby giving you full freedom to stem from your dreams at 8:30.
People manage to reach the department at around 9:00. Then starts the usual (yawn) "aaj kya karna hai?" We decide what to do by 9:30. Its an autonomous department so the teachers don't decide what you have to do. Work begins by 10:00. It involves staring at senior's samples, admiring an empty flask, complaining about the placement scenario and for the serious ones observing the instruments. Mind it! You cannot touch any instrument. It costs more than 10 lakhs and students cam make even the best quality steel brittle like bone china. So basically you tour the museum called "The Department".This extend till 10:30 when you finally reazlise that you are very hungry & have to leave. Give the attendance and run off fast because the last one gets the gali for not doing any productive work. Losers! We contribute generously one and a half hours of our precious life which can be better utilised in the canteen(if you have cash) or at the I.C.(Onlookers).
Then comes the second half strting at 12:50 (officially) and 1:15 (pragmatically). You need to have a lappie to survive in this highly advanced and technical department. Come early if you have to get the benches near the switchboard. Otherwise you have to relie on the unreliable battery of your lappie. Switch it on (mind you in silent mode or else the teacher might confiscate your lappie to show his slides). Surf on the net & check out the latest technologies in (?) while the teacher continues with his never ending list of his achievements and great contributions to this field. You bloody nobel laureates listen to them and you willl donate your prize out of utmost shame.
Strike 3:00. Come out because the teachers in association with the research scholar and supervised by the "khai ke paan banares wala" H.O.D. have to do top secret research work. They are about to launch the next nucleus bomb (midsem marks, but don't worry bout that coz the dept believes in judging what you know rather than what you do not and everybody knows how to fill in pages of crap shit.)
Now is the most important part. How to embellish your dept. Anybody you meet has to be told, yaar abhi wapas jaana hai. expt chal raha hai. It gives you glory(its an engg college) and saves you from any gureilla attacks on your pocket.
So guys and gals, you have to repent for not being in this dept. Besides the halo on your personality it also gives you decent placements in dream companies like biocon err T.C.S Infosys etc.
So you know how to counsel the 2k7 batch about this dept
HAIL BIOTECH!


Disclaimer : This inside information has been leaked by a 3rd year Biotech student whose has just escaped a grueling 6 hours of viva-voce with no meaning attached.... Who calls herself S.S.

Monday, November 06, 2006

THiNK - FAQ's

Here is a list of Frequently Asked Questions to shed some light on what THiNK is:


1.What is THiNK?
Ans. An e-magazine, to be launched early in the next semester, Spring 2007, from Birla Institute of
Technology, Mesra.

2. Which club/organization is publishing this magazine?
Ans. None. It's a collective initiative by a group of students who are working independent of all club
banners.

3. How does THiNK mag function??
Ans. We are an e-magazine. We have posted our mag online and on this blog. The mag shall be
modified regularly to include your contributions. The final compiled version shall be posted online
sometime around February 2007.

4. How can I contribute to THiNK?
Ans. With any piece of knowledge/information/creation/idea/point of view that you would like to share
with the BIT community(and beyond...)

5. What can I write about?
Ans. Just about anything!!! Essays-poetry-scientific facts-technical articles-projects-points of
view-incidents--to name a few...

6.Can I make direct references to other people in BIT?
Ans.We suggest that you refrain from anything like that, unless the person you are referring to has no issues. We will not be publishing the names, until we check with the people attached to those names.

7. How do I send in my contributions?
Ans. Simple.
A>Email your articles to bit.think@gmail.com
or
B>Hand them over personally to any of these individuals in the campus:
Nikhil Kumar Verma / Abhishek Sahoo / Shradha Shrimal / Peeyush Rohela / Neelakshi Joshi

8. I submitted my article/contribution. It wasn't published. Why??
Ans. we at think mag are looking for all kinds of contributions.we intend to publish as many contributions as possible.however if your contribution was not included in think mag, do contact us and we will help you out!!

9. How do I express my views/suggestions on an already posted article?
Ans. Post a comment on this blog or send us an email with your feedback. kindly identify yourself.If you wish to remain anonymous, kindly say so. We shall mark you as Anon on request.

10.How do I get my copy of THiNK?
Ans.We will mail you when we publish it. Till then you can check regularly a this blog.

11. Why THiNK mag?
Ans. THiNK mag follows the CLP (Community Learning Programme) Model. We intend to share
knowledge and information about a plethora of topics and issues through this medium. The idea is to reach out to as many people as possible and include them in this initiative of ours.

mail in your ideas, suggestions, contributions, brickbats et al at bit.think@gmail.com

Monday, October 30, 2006