GEMs of India

An open letter to all the sane authorities of Indian Education System and Government/s in general.

Greetings.

Recently I followed some news encapsulating the proposed changes in the CAT examination to be conducted this year that most probably would translate to reality, much to the horror of General engineering male candidates, or GEMs, if you will.  

The proposals included- reducing either the weightage of the quant section or reducing the number of such questions, for a simple reason- to combat the growing majority of engineers being admitted to the country’s prestigious B-schools. The first question that comes to my mind is - WHY? If any GEM is talented enough to crack such tough exams because of the aptitude that he has developed over years of hard work and toiling, why do the authorities wish to discourage or rather stop them from joining top schools. Wasn’t the big black blot of reservation not enough that now we’ll have to face this impartiality too?

Well, before I go any further, it’s important to state here that I am not against any caste, creed or division. I respect people for the content of their character and not by the caste, sect, religion they come from. But the basic point remains- What could the GEMs have possibly done wrong to face such humiliation and tampering with their careers?

Many of my friends, including me could have been at the IITs given our general category rank had there been no reservation. And possibly, if the entire system would have been based on pure merit our most prestigious IITs wouldn’t have been struggling in the global rankings. Perhaps more of us GEMs would have got the opportunity, the exposure that we worked so hard for and those that the reserved candidates often take for granted. No offence, but it’s true. While I worked hard to secure a decent rank in JEE during my preparation years, one of my reserved friends used to enjoy his evenings playing out there in the field. Well often he used to call me a fool to have been working so hard. Pretty cool huh? An academically/intellectually  lowly mind ridiculing me by stating- “Why do you study so hard dude. Look at me. I’ll make it to the IITs I am sure, but I am enjoying my life at the same time”. Well now to think of it, I should have taken his advice, after all what good did all of it do to me?

But yeah! Coming back to the topic. I am afraid the same 4 year old memory has come back to haunt me again, but this time the problem is much more devilish. Coupled with reservation we have an extra 5 points if you are a girl candidate, reduction in the traditional quant section etc. One would argue that it’s all to diversify the students that choose this field, i.e. students coming from humanities, arts, etc. need to be encouraged. But think over it, the 2 year of MBA programme would most certainly expect me to be a good analyst, an optimizer for the company that I’ll be serving- to say the least. Won’t it need someone with a reasonable quant aptitude that sort of covers it up and gives GEMs an edge over others to perform well and produce the desired results in the real world?  In my opinion, it does.

But still… GEMs continue suffer.

I won’t go on and on enumerating all the problems that the reservation policy and the attempt to keep engineers away from B-schools have. I’ll offer a simple solution too, if only the authorities are interested, read concerned.

Solution is- instead of continuing to spoon feed everyone and struggling to get everything on everyone’s plate, teach them how to cook. Understand the importance of merit. I understand there are weaker sections in our society and they need our help. No doubt. But what we are doing is neither helping them out nor doing any good to our country. Instead of reserving seats for them, give them fee waivers, incentives/resources to study. Provide them free coaching, free books, guides, internet, test series to prepare for national level examinations. This applies for all non-GEMs. Do everything you could, or rather we could to help them rise up to the same level as us- but strictly, grant such concessions only before and after the exam. Not during the exam. What do we do to the 2 year old who does not know swimming? Throw him in the pool saying that JAL MATA would take care of him? Or do we train him to swim? Of course we train him. Similarly train the weak students before the exam, not during the exam. Spare the exams to test only the merit and not anything else.

Their also has been a substantial fall in the number of CAT- takers in recent years, mostly engineers, and much of it owes to the aforementioned reasons. Coupled with this, or rather as an outcome of this, the number of engineers going abroad to pursue higher studies is at an all-time high. Top talent is being drained out annually to the US and here we cannot stop pondering as to why brain drain is happening? And neither do we have state sponsored foreign education like China that mandates its students to return back once they’ve finished their education to serve their country. Well there’s a reason that the world is ahead of us, right?

Rise above the good for nothing vote banks, rise above such concessions, rise above such excuses. If you really wish to solve these problems, get to the root of it. Of course the people in power are intelligent enough to figure this out but problem is that they don’t want to. If they really want it, it’s just a matter of time that the new, refined, purely merit based system would be accepted by all.

In a country where what is RESERVED counts more than what is DESERVED, GEMs continue to lead a miserable, frustrated and below their standards kind of a life. God, I plead for mercy. Hope you have no reservations on this.

Sincerely

A fellow GEM.

*Disclaimer- Pardon me for the language but not for my intent.     

Bestest Core Team ever

Bestest Core Team ever

With officially dissolving the Core and Executive Team of IBC 2k14-2k15 session, only to promote all to a higher level, I finally have a chance to extend my gratitude specifically and exclusively  to my 3^rd year companions, my family at MANIT. A post would have been insufficient to encapsulate all I had to say and also I wished to make the moment memorable, hence I made up my mind to give you all a well-deserved place in my blog.

Guys, we have rocked it big time. We have made it bigggg, we have made it Huuuuggggeeee. I say this not only because IBC hosted few of the biggest events ever at MANIT, it’s much more than that.

Everyone’s a witness to the quality of events we’ve hosted this session, along with the trend-setting majors of the likes – MG 3.0, VB and Career Workshop.  With the amount of dedication that the CORE members and executives had, the outcome was well within imagination. I specifically talk of the personal front.  

The situations in which our team was formed, the extremely repulsive environment in which the rich legacy was passed onto us, the trust that our seniors posed in us and the promise we made to them to take IBC to greater heights- which definitely seemed to be a very distant dream back then.

I, first and foremost, would definitely like to thank from the bottom of my heart to one person without whom our core team could never have had made it this through. Ankita, I distinctly remember last February. Had not you shown enough courage to stand back with IBC, none could ever imagine the IBC that it is today. Year long, you’ve been the master of everything at IBC. You are the perfect all-rounder, and no one could ever fill in for you. What you’ve done for IBC in these two years- reminds me of Vivek sir. And professionally, I think things have been more difficult for you, if it were bad for all, it was worst for you, then also you made it, and you made it bigggg.. You are my greatest source of inspiration, the biggest contributor to IBC’s success this year, the silent guardian of each and every affair at IBC, the ultimate care-taker of IBC. Thanks for being there. You surely are the bravest girl I know of and the BACKBONE of team IBC 2K14-2K15. And as they truly say- “What Rajni can’t, Ankita can”.

Anshuman, bhai… among the 2 closest members I always had by my side in the most horrible of the conditions, it were you besides Ankita. I proudly say this- had either of you given up back then, I surely would have followed or I would never have been able to serve the way I should have. Be it anything, anyplace, anytime.. you were always there to stand up for the right, to support me in all my hearty ventures. You were a constant support. Even after being burdened with what they call –‘MADE EASY’, you did all you could. Thanks for everything bhai.

Akanksha. I think we became good friends only in the 3^rd year. And the inception of our friendship for sure was not an ideal one. But the maturity with which you’ve handled the difficult circumstances and the level of understanding that you’ve shown is truly praise worthy. I felt it at times that perhaps all of it was getting a bit burdensome for you and your patience might as well collapse, but no, you stood there, you stood there for the team, you stood there for US, you stood there for our family, you stood there for IBC. I very well understand how difficult it might have been for you, but you certainly have made our family proud, very very proud.  Thanks for being a wonderful friend, thanks for being a friend with whom I could discuss the extremely sensitive issues of the team. Thanks for keeping our family intact.

Aayush. Brother, truly speaking, a year back, when I had big dreams for the team, I had the 3 pillars in mind- I, Ankita and Anshuman. Despite being the king of wild dreamers, I never dreamt of you playing a worthy role in my big IBC dream. Our relation on the personal front was no doubt flourishing and one the best I had at MANIT, but professionally, I had so less of an experience with you. And at the beginning of this year long journey, I seriously was not very sure of how your part would be defined, how we’d accommodate ourselves professionally, how would things work out. The start was a bit clumsy but the momentum our professional relations gained during techno rose to its unimaginable heights since then. There was no looking back after October 2k14. I always silently appreciated the amount of professional space you provided everyone and am glad you did. With the amount of hardwork you have put in this year for IBC, you certainly have earned what I am about to say – “I realise that you have been the 4^th missing pillar for IBC this year”. Thanks buddy. On a personal note – “Phoda hai bhai apan ne, really proud of our professional camaraderie”.

Kamakshi. Hahaha.. the cutest member of our family.. True that before this year, I never got to work with you but this year I had the opportunity. And I am glad to have worked with you. The perseverance you have with our work is worth complementing. I remember the countless troubles we had to go through for the MG 3.0 poster, and me calling you every other moment to work it out a different way to match the specifications provided, even a day before our minors you sat down for something like an hour for the same. I thoroughly enjoyed working with you on the MG 3.0 poster and one of the biggest compliments I have ever received at IBC came from you. I know not if you remember it, but it certainly made my day. Whenever the team needed you, you were always there. Thanks for being there.

Nimisha. I’ll always appreciate your- stick to the basics- attitude. Event manager, oh yes you are, all the logistics always with mam, not to worry, they’re safe and secure. You were always ready to fill in any lacuna in the team. Nobody to sit at the registration desk- wait I’ll do it. Nobody to go for the permissions with Ankita- wait I’ll go with her. Timings of two events clashing- wait I’ll sort it out. Whenever and wherever the team needed someone to fill in, you were the first one to respond. Proud.

Shreya, Swati and Sadhana. The three S’s for the 3 S’s of the team- Strong, Spry and Sincere. The H7 authorities were always left to you and you people definitely took the best care of it. Again, our friendship blossomed this very year and I am very happy and very proud of having you people in my one big loving family. Swati, I don’t care of what people say- I certainly appreciate the kind of jolly atmosphere you aimed to keep at IBC, it definitely made things a bit easier for everyone.  Sadhana- as Vivek sir said- You’re a taskmaster whom we needed at many occasions. And Shreya- the happy go lucky friend one always needs to talk to when looking for positivity around.  

Arnav. We’ve known each other for 3 years now, but I guess the foundation was laid somewhere around the IBC farewell last year. As you yourself have said at multiple occasions- “Tere sote hi sab senti ho jaate hai, that’s why you don’t sleep early”. True that.  Working with you was of course un-imaginable for me a year ago, but things have changed big time, and I am glad they did.

Diksha and Palak. I didn’t get to work with you people much. But Diksha, I remember the incident when I was hosting a dinner at my place and I asked you about your aching ankle. I have never felt so sorry for having asked a question as I did that day. Hahahaha, Sorry to make you cry. By the way, how is it now? And Palak, I always felt that you wanted to be more with us, and I appreciate that whenever you could, you did. Be it the birthday celebrations, be it the dinners, be it the parties, whenever it was possible for you, you made it a point to join us. Not everyone can do it, am glad you did.  

This year was a dream run. My team rose from the ashes to the unimaginable heights- both personally and professionally. I heartily thank you all to have given me the opportunity to experience the best phase of my graduation. It’s hard to say if this was my last lengthy post; it’s too early to promise that. But a year like that, a society like this and a family like ours for sure needed this documentation. 

Thank you again.

P.S: Kamakshi and Akanksha, the team’s eagerly waiting for our customised T-shirts.