Gustakhi Maaf: An Engineer testimony

Being enrolled in a four year degree course which would have not taken more than 2 years to accomplished if our policy makers would have thought out of the box resulted in mine writing this open letter to the Director-cum Principal of my college. 

Claimer: The post written here after is not a work of fiction. Any resemblance with dead or going to be dead (most likely to be me; thanks to all those scorching sycophants) is purely justifiable.

Sir, with due respect to your position (fair enough to ruin my career) and your age (fair enough to search Yatra.com) please bear with my impudence. It took my conscious more than 3 years and lots of humiliation to finally wake up to muster courage to pen my emotions. I wish you would have mustered the same amount of firmness and willingness to improve which could have laid me to suspend this self immolation task. Nevertheless, everything happens for good as your failure to curtail the wrongs gifted my blog a post to admire for long. 

Have you any idea about the crumbling situation of the college most scientific, modern and engrossing engineering branch? Please stop scratching your head… it has already been nominated for the best cricketing pitch! What, you aren’t able to figure it out the branch name I’m talking off? Mr. Genius, its Electronics & Instrumentation engineering whose students once were referred to as the extra intelligent engineers. Haven’t you noticed the apathy of the college faculty when I used the abbreviation ‘once’? Kindly have an introspection session with the faculty of the respective branch or gear up for the rebellious strike. Let the morons know that the custom of attendance in the lecture comes secondary to the duty of imparting knowledge. 

Dear sir I won’t leave you like that, it took me around 2 weeks and lots of courage to pen down the post. Have you ever been to the college canteen? I will suggest you not to try the daring task of entering it, if the answer to the above question is in negation. I know that the inflation is on a constant geometric rise in the country but then how can you justify the price of a single maggi as Rs. 25 when it hardly comes for Rs 10 in the market?  I always thought that MRP was something beyond which a shopkeeper can’t charge you even a single penny. But then the whole notion of MRP has been modified and transformed into LRP which stand for the Least Retail Price. Aren’t you aware of the fact that the canteen manager charges above the MRP? Please don’t nod your head again in negation, it sucks.

These were the two points a student can bear with, but what about the placements, a dream every student envisioned. Campus placements not only brightens up the career prospective of a student but also laden her/him with sense of pride and belongingness to the institute. Time and again I was told that the instrumentation engineering is the core of all industries as majority of them are switching to automation techniques for the production. Then why I’m left on the mercy of joint campus placements? Why I’m always asked to look for major IT companies setting aside my own core industries? 

Sir try to teach the faculty art of effective teaching, let them know that teaching if guided by favoritism results in an adverse effect in the mind and soul of a student which could jeopardize the country future as the students are the building blocks of a nation. Merit and not regional background must be kept in mind while rewarding the grades. 

Awake you soul and reason the post.

Rising Oil Prices

Government of India in order to bring local oil prices in an accord with the international market increased the diesel prices last week after a long hiatus. Last time the petrol prices were raised just after the commencement of voting in five states, raising many eyebrows and doubting government intentions. The government cannot solely be blamed for the opportunistic behaviour, as every ruling party in the country has followed the same way of thinking. 

"When it comes to political opposition, the ideology matters less."

Never missing the chance to bully the government, the opposition parties throughout the county used the stand of the government to cry out loud against the union wrong economic policies and took out protest movements to show the unrest in the minds of people. Majority of the protest sites were in the states ruled by the opposition parties and in other places they disobeyed the local administration orders thus overall disrupting the normal life of people. 

Do such protests yield any result?

Should government roll back the oil price hike?

As already stated, such protests are politically motivated and have no or little public support. Such protests are not more than the demonstration of power by the opposition. And in the recent case it looks like the power of opposition has slipped only to the states being ruled by them. A call for the full day closure of the country hurts the country economic stature badly which subsequently adds to the inflation and burdens the tax-payer. So in no way whatsoever protests like the last week yield desired results. 

Government of India by increasing the oil prices at this crucial juncture added nails to its coffin. Yet, it seems to be a much thought of process. Economically it’s a move to provide some air of relief to the debt ridden oil companies. Politically government knows that none of the opposition party including the NDA is in a better situation to demand for early parliamentary elections which are scheduled for 2014. And the government cleverly knows the fact that the Indian voter if once bombarded with lavish pre-election promises forgives the past mistakes. If the government rolls back the price hike then it will again become a laughing stock before the opposition.

So what’s the solution?

Amazingly, the production of oil from the Middle East over the years has increased still the supply lacks far behind the demand. In my earlier post on the petrol price hike I wrote on how to limit your transportation cost and switching to eco-friendly ways while travelling. Use of public transports must be encouraged and private vehicles must only be used at when utmost desired. Bicycles prove to be the cheapest and eco-friendly mode of transportation for small distances. Use of public transports and bicycles will surely help in reducing the burden on the refineries and will somehow assist in saving the ailing environment.

Good News: 1. Weakest Link featured in the TOP INDIAN GOLDEN BLOGS’11 

by the http://indiantopblogs.blogspot.com/. Last time it was among the SILVER BLOGS.
2. Weakest Link first ever page rank: 3/10.

P2H

Don’t worry it’s not an engineering relation or any other mathematical formula; it’s just Petrol Price Hike.  

Few confessions before moving ahead, firstly I don’t own any vehicle run through petrol. And secondly, I’m yet to explore the joy of riding a bike. So, you might be thinking why I’m bothering much about the P2H. Again a twofold reply, firstly people who own vehicle aren’t the only people affected by frequent P2H. And secondly, I’m bit insane.

Coming back to the topic, the P2H. Petrol price hike causes a direct increase in the already high inflation rate, I read it somewhere. But, isn’t it interesting when a vegetable vendor complains about the P2H for causing the increase in the prices of vegetables? I guess, diesel was meant as a fuel for the trucks caring vegetables instead the petrol. He felt flabbergast after listening to my set of truck theory. 

Also, have you ever thought why only the P2H? What stops the government in not doing the same with its cousin brother, the diesel? What, you never thought on that? Or, maybe you never had the time for that? I was bit free during the PLC lecture and gave it a thought. So, here what my musing replied. Politicians, Bureaucrats, Big businessmen, and others who happen to make or influence law travel through their ultra rich and big SUV’s. They don’t bother about petrol, its diesel which matters them the most. Petrol, like onion, is a common men commodity.  And, like onion, it’s getting far away from them.

Another thought to it, abandon your personal vehicle, put its cover on and smash it in the garage for some time. Use public transportation in day today life. Broadly speaking, it will serve three purposes; firstly it will reduce the congestion from the Indian roads. Secondly, it will help in reduction of air pollution. And thirdly (most important), it will help in generating revenues which can help in stabilizing the petrol price for some time in future. 

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Special thanks: PLC Lecture & Indian Government

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Words Unheard: The story of a Onion

Words Unheard, I guess, it’s the most appropriate topic for the article written hereafter. Onion constitutes the basic ingredient of Indian food and yet it’s far away from their reach. It’s the staple vegetable of India. But, the skyrocketing price of Onion has compelled the common man to keep a distance from it.

Isn’t it quite embarrassing on the part of the UPA government who are making all sorts of tall claims to curb the high inflation rate? Government yet again blamed the uneven weather for the current rise in Onion prices. But, isn’t it worrisome that a country like ours which needs to feed the 15% of the world population still depends on weather for the production of one of its most staple vegetable? The uncertain weather has always been a problem for agriculture so don’t you feel the government should focus more on unconventional means of farming rather than sticking to the dogmas?

So, why a sudden price hike? Government blames the high rainfall in the Nasik region which unfortunately is the Asia’s biggest Onion production region for the sudden spur in prices. But, a closer look will tell you that a close nexus in between the government officials and the middlemen holds the key to the whole price hike problem. Government knew that there will be a shortage of Onion in the domestic market in the coming days, yet it never banned its export. This shows its incompetency to predict the natural fallout of an event. Adding to the problem was the strike of trade unions in Nashik and Delhi. 

Now, the only respite for the country is to wait for the trucks full of Onions being imported from the neighboring country Pakistan. According to recent reports, government has asked the people to bear the price hike for at least 2-3 weeks more. Till then, people are left either with the choice of not eating a Onion or to buy one for Rs. 100 per Kg. 

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