Dilip D'Souza's Expose of Kota's IIT Factories

And this is where Dilip D'Souza writes a brilliant expose about Kota's coaching institutes that churn out IIT entrants like flour from the flour-mill (Sorry for the bad simile, but not in the mood today. Somethings aren't going as expected. Maybe, we should tell you about our problems, but we stand the risk of being ridiculed, made fun of. That's another thing to agonise over.)

Witty, ironic, as ever. I am a great fan of his writing. Here's a sample.

This is a place for schools. When students come to Kota to work towards the IIT exam, they still have to sit for their 12th Standard board exams. For that, you can enroll in a school at home, or in one of several Kota schools. Rushika, for example, was officially a student at A's Saint Steward Morris Convent School in her hometown, Bhilwara. Her two friends were enrolled in two Kota schools, but neither could tell me their names. 

 

Puzzled by this stuff—that Rushika was enrolled in a school hundreds of miles away, that her pals could not remember their schools' names—I walked one morning into one such school, in Talwandi. A man ushered me straight into the principal's narrow office. From behind a desk that seemed to fill the room, he told me all I needed to know: annual fees 35,000, admission guaranteed as long as you are admitted to one of the coaching institutes, attendance required once a week. 

The article raises a lot of issues, we think. Such as: 

Is education for knowledge and betterment of society, or only to attain enough marks to enter IIT? 

Can knowledge be handled by a group of hack tutors? 

What does it say about the nation? 

Can you expect an IIT graduate to be a polished and smart Indian as was supposed, not long ago? 

Can education be degraded to the state of a nut-and-bolt industry?

Can the government afford to invest so much on IITs when primary and secondary education are suffering?

Shouldn't the IIT coaching factories be closed down?

And above all, are they paying any taxes?

I am @johnwriter on Twitter and John.Matthew on Facebook. I blog here.

J.K.Rowling Sets Up Site to Sell eBook Versions of Her Books

So J.K.Rowling, the teller of stories about wizards and witches, has started a website to sell digital versions (ebooks) of her books. Go to Pottermore for details. 

However, one rider. Need to have some patience. The store is going to open only in April. Meanwhile, the site is in the beta stage.

I am @johnwriter on Twitter and John.Matthew on Facebook. I blog here.

Following in the Footsteps of the Midnight's Children's Author

Contrary to the popular belief that authors are reclusive lot working from lofts or, better still, from padlocked studies filled with books, our own Salman Rushdie is living it up on the New York night-life scene. Here's the article in New York Times. Read.

What is impressive about Rushdie (something I garnered from interviews I have seen on Youtube) is his personable, affable nature and his sense of humour. He can say something witty about almost anything and make people laugh. This is great considering most writers can't open their mouths to say anything profound. They are creatures of the written work, they argue, not the spoken word. That must be the charm of Rushdie and the magnetism with which he attracts women to him. The article ponders about Rushdie's recent love interests also. Need it have? These days a book is more about its author than its contents. Books have become publicity tools. It's the age of instant mass consumption, use and throw, glance at a few pages and place on the shelf. So if you want to make an impression then you have to be written about. So, why not in the society columns?

In an interview, I remember, Rushdie saying to effect, "You have read about me in the social pages, where do literary pages feature authors these days?" What a true statement on the state of literary show biz!

Right. Then Indian Writers in English (IWE) how about casting aside your shyness and tutoring yourself to face the press and attendant publicity, if you become as famous as him, that is.

I am @johnwriter on Twitter and John.Matthew on Facebook. I blog here.

Giving Hope and Help to the Distressed and Poor. Why I Like Oommen Chandy, and What Manmohan Singh Should Do.

They emerged out of the gloaming outside CBD Belapur station a few nights ago. The mother was the one who hailed me, soon the young son came forward, rather shyly. I asked what the matter was. I knew from their lost looks that they were from out of town and, moreover, totally lost. I have seen people like them all over Bombay, looking shocked and rendered immobile by the frenetic activity around them. They are basically good people wearing clothes that are frayed but washed. They show signs of obedience and good upbringing, unlike their city-bred contemporaries. They may have come, I assume, for some purpose, which wasn't served and, they are stranded with no money. All this is guess work.

Bingo! They are. I am right! See? Around 48 years in the city, I can make out who belongs and who doesn't. (Aside: people tell me they have seen me before. Obviously, since having been around for 48 years, you can add the nickname of "Most-seen-around-man-in-town" as one of my credentials. Aside over.) The son starts to speak hesitantly.

Well, he came to the city for a job, as promised. Once, in the city they couldn't find their employer. He has disappeared, pardon this cliche, into thin air. Vanished! Did they give any money?

"Yes we paid him Rs 10,000 upfront. The balance was to be deducted from the salary."

Nice ploy! Very clever and cunning way of conning people. I admire these guys (for it's always a guy). What guts, what gumption. 

"And you paid him?"

"Yes."

"Where do you come from?"

"Amravati."

"How will you go back?" There are three of them, the mother, and her two sons.

"We will board a train without tickets, we can't help."

As the bad reporter of news that I am, I forgot to ask them the reason they wished to leave their village. What was the cause? Drought? Displacement from dams? Micro-credit (Seems micro-credit is turning out to be the Credit Cards of the poor villagers, something they can be tempted to fall for and then suffer huge pangs about.) they couldn't repay. 

Since the night is old, and I am in a hurry I give them Rs 100 and walk away. I tell them to have something to eat, since they look famished. I help such people. I used to help such stranded people who walked into the office of Malayala Manorama, similarly duped by people who offered them jobs, when I was working there. I have helped families who have come from Gujarat, UP, Bihar and Tamil Nadu. I am a sucker for sob stories. Anyone can suck the blood out of me with a convincing story, which I think, is the trouble with people like me who write stories.

Anyway, I absolutely like Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. The man is wonderful. He goes around villages offering money, help, and jobs to distressed people from the chief minister's fund. He knows that if he sits in an office and signs requests for help, no help will ultimately go to the poor in the villages. Instead the money will fund the holiday of some devious clerk. So he tours villages and gives help on the spot to the poor and really distressed. I don't know if it is our Christian upbringing. Really, I don't know.

I think that's what Manmohan Singh and Rahul Gandhi should do.  

I am @johnwriter on Twitter and John.Matthew on Facebook. I blog here.

World TB Day – March 24 (Apologies for Posting This Late!)

March 24 was World TB Day and on this occasion here's an interview with Ms. Karishma Sadan, Program Assistant of Global Health Strategies, New Delhi, on the subject. Of late, drug resistant TB (DRT) has been in the news giving cause for concern for all since we live in over-crowded metros. People living in over-crowded cities like Bombay are worst affected because people spit without looking. You never know when the man sitting in a bus or a man standing on the road would turn around and spill deadly Tuberculosis virus at you.

Why is India leading in the spread of TB, is it because we spit so often, indiscriminately?

 We seem to lack what is known as 'cough etiquette'. In the case of TB it is essential for one to cover his/her mouth when coughing to prevent the spread of infectious germs and of course spitting does not help.

What is drug resistant TB? How far is it prevalent in India?

These forms of TB include Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR), Extensively Drug Resistant (XDR), Extremely Drug Resistant (XXDR) and Totally Drug Resistant (TDR) TB. The latter two terms have not been recognized by the WHO yet.

MDR-TB is caused by TB bacilli resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, the two most powerful anti-TB drugs. This means that two or more first line drugs are ineffective in treating MDR-TB.

XDR-TB is defined as resistance to at least isoniazid and rifampicin, and to any fluoroquinolone, and to any of the three second-line injectables (amikacin, capreomycin, and kanamycin).

The recent reporting (January 2012) of 12 cases of TDR TB at Mumbai's Hinduja Hospital has created quite a panic as researchers suggest that the patients are resistant to all known TB drugs. The National Programme has suggested that these are not cases of TDR-TB rather they are cases of XXDR-TB which stands for extremely drug-resistant TB as against XDR and MDR versions. The term TDR-TB has been used by local investigators.

The annual incidence of MDR-TB is estimated at 99,000 cases according to the WHO Global TB Report.

Why is there such social stigma attached to TB?

There is ignorance, a lack of awareness and at one point in time this disease was associated with the lower socio –economic classes. It was considered to be a disease which spread in unhygienic conditions. Although now we see that TB affects people from all sections of society.

Free TB drugs made available by government are not available in hospitals. Why?

Free TB drugs are supposed to be available at all government hospitals. Free TB drugs are for all, although sometimes patients turn to the private sector where they might be charged for the drugs. In some cases there is a lack of monitoring which is why the drugs are not available.

What's India's expenditure in TB control?

The direct and indirect costs of TB stand at $23.7 billion annually. (RNTCP Status Report 2011)

How many children die due to TB?

TB kills close to 280,000 men women and children each year in India.

What is the ratio of adult to children when TB deaths are concerned?

Exact figures are not known.

What new research has been initiated into finding a definite cure for the disease?

New research is being carried out to develop a vaccine for this disease. For more info:  http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-03-15/news/31197181_1_effective-vaccines-tuberculosis-tb

 

I am @johnwriter on Twitter and John.Matthew on Facebook. I blog here.

Your Weight Increase Might Be Dehydration, Keep Yourself Hydrated!

Having problems with fluid retention, something I think I have been facing for a long time. I used to like carbonated drinks and would wait to feel thirsty to drink liquid. The result was that I used to feel bloated with the slightest intake of water. Then I started reading about fluid retention, water intake and related subjects. I  found that there was a lot of misconceptions about drinking water. I had assumed that drinking water was causing the retention, and therefore the bloating. How wrong we are sometimes! 

However, to my shock and disbelief, the opposite is true. Drinking less water leads to bloating as the self-sustaining system in the body retains water when it is dehydrated. People who are overweight also think water is leading to all the weight increase. Not true! People who are overweight should increase water intake as fat accrues more with dehydration. And most important of all, all the craving for food is not actually hunger, it's dehydration. And, consumers of wine and alcohol, here's another truth: the craving for a drink is also dehydration. Also don't wait to be thirsty before drinking water, take small amounts throughout the day, that will keep the supply regular and constant.

Here's to a rehydrated you. 

I am @johnwriter on Twitter and John.Matthew on Facebook. I blog here.

Elmo Leonard's Writing Insights, for You Writers!

Thought I would post this Elmo Leonard's pithy, though insightful, quotes for writers in this space. 

I find that these are the rules I keep breaking. I don't know if it's inbuilt fault mechanism, or the problem with my education and upbringing, which is partly to blame. In childhood I was - sort of deliberately - kept away from reading books by strict puritan parents. They thought reading would corrupt my mind and compromise my Christianity. For them reading the book meant reading the Bible. All this in a family which gave Malayalam three of its stalwart writers! Imagine! In school the library was in a small room having musty dust-laden books, which were under lock and key most of the time. The library was a namesake library. All the books I read were clandestinely passed on my kind friends and those were bootleg books. Books would be seized if seen by teachers and parents and the possessor questioned on his/her intentions. Punishment would be meted out, which included writing, "I will not bring story books to school" a thousand times. A bit on the hyperbole side, but situations such as these have occurred. Such was my childhood. Imagine, that too!

Never open a book with the weather (We all are tempted to do that, aren't we?)

Avoid prologues (I wrote a detailed prologue for my current novel, which I am ditching into the dump.)

Never use verbs other than "said" to carry on dialogue (Yes, I use a lot of "said wistfully" and all that crap. It's also out.)

Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said" (same as above.)

Keep your exclamation points under control! (Now that's not done! I love exclamations! You too have to go dear!)

Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose" (well, I have used them in my "wet-behind-the-ears" years.)

Use Dialect sparingly (my present novel is full of them. Pronto, will go and delete most of them. Too much dialect bores and results in turgid prose.)

Avoid detailed description of characters (Yes, I avoid them. I let the characters emerge in the narrative.)

Same for places and things (Yes, I avoid. You too avoid! Places and things can be described cursorily so that readers' imagination takes over and completes the picture.)

Leave out the parts readers tend to skip (In Dostoevsky's The Idiot [which I am reading at present] there are a lot of unwanted dialogues and it's a pain to read. Will do that.)

Thanks Leonard and thanks Amanda Patterson for sharing the original.

I am @johnwriter on Twitter and John.Matthew on Facebook. I blog here.

Is Twitter Long Form, Short Form, or What?

This article in the New Yorker says that far from being a medium that discourages long-form journalism, Twitter actually is long-form where writers and journalists post links to their detailed stories. So the argument that it can't cite facts and develop arguments also flies in the face of what the author - Sasha Frere-Jones - states:

It's sort of a self-cleaning oven, where the wisdom of the crowd can work out the kinks. 

I am @johnwriter on Twitter and John.Matthew on Facebook. I blog here.

Arundhati Roy on Failed Trickle-down Capitalism. And Yes, Ghosts, too!

Here's Arundhati Roy's world view compressed and encapsulated in an article in Outlook titled "Capitalism: A Ghost Story". A commendable effort. The article might have been triggered by her visit to Antilla the 27-story home of India's richest Indian - Mukesh Ambani. (Antilla is also the most expensive residence of any living person in the world.) I have not seen it yet, but I suspect I will faint whenever, if ever I set my eyes on it. Because only a kilometre from it are the cages of  Kamatipura, probably the world's worst centre of human trafficking. If I am invited into Antilla's hallowed portals, I guess I will have a heart attack. Come on, do invite me, come on!

Rumour has it that the first couple and family doesn't stay in this huge pad of their's because of bad Vastu (traditional architectural concepts) and ghosts. In my own meagre house I get a queasy feeling when wifey and Ronnie are away. So our fears become ghosts lurking in the shadows behind expensive curtains, in deserted guest rooms. Why even car parks are spooky these days.

As she says trickle-down capitalism has failed. How are India's 10 per cent holding all the wealth while people are dying of hunger in the interiors? Well, that's a question nobody is asking because we all are beneficiaries of the capitalist make-believe. We all profit from it one way or the other, even Arundhati does. However, must admit her guts in exposing the very system she may even be part of. Let's remember the hungry millions when we gorge on those expensive tarts and chocolate fudges.

Here's to Arundhati Roy's versatile pen and its vitriolic ink!

I am @johnwriter on Twitter and John.Matthew on Facebook. I blog here.

Elderly People Are Taking to Crime Because of Financial Need, Senility - TOI

"Mumbai Grapples with Grey Crime Wave" screams the headline of this article in Times. Now, what? 

As the article alleges (probably a first to its credit), old people are increasingly taking to crime. For the life of me - one who is on the threshold of old age - cannot imagine India's biggest newspaper alleging this spurious thought on its page number two. 

Has all sense of common decency gone from people, will they stoop to anything to make a sensation? That's what popped up in my mind when I read this. The statistics the paper quotes also show a one-sided view, as if it is going all out to prove it is right. It shows an increasing number of criminal acts committed by elderly people. Sure, buddy, all crime and criminal acts have gone up. So what's new if elderly people also committed more crimes? Is this news? But why didn't they show the increasing number of crime by juveniles, youths, by middle aged people, and people in their fifties? I am sure these graphs might have shown an even more grimmer picture.

The newspaper is firmly on the side of the young in this case. So, the thinking seems to be: old people are criminals. Now, spread the word. They are doing this because of, "Financial need, deteriorating community ties and senility." Old is no longer the period when a man rests on his laurels, a man is content to give up his fight gradually and fade away, because a new allegation has been put forward: old people are also criminals. 

Imagine the number of young people who are - with their tongues hanging out and salivating - waiting to cite this as example to drive poor helpless parents on the roads, forcibly seize their assets, brand them as satans and excoriate them, brand them as anti-social elements. 

Oh, God! It's better to die than see such a day!

I am @johnwriter on Twitter and John.Matthew on Facebook. I blog here.