Yantrakaal

The "Gayatri" Mantra is actually a misnomer. Perhaps it should be called the Savitri Mantra, that is sung, or chanted, in the Gayatri metre. But irrespective of the name that we use to refer to it, it is fact that it is the most significant string of characters that is central to the Hindu way of life. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, from Kamaksha to Kathiawar, this is one set of words that are universally recognised and held dear by the Hindu population or at least the scholarly and priestly class. It is of course a different matter that this string of characters is almost impossible to translate into English or even any other Indian language. The syntax, the sequence of nouns and verbs, incredibly archaic ... and yet for those who can feel its throb in the echoes of the heart it is quite clear and lucid ... but of course inexpressible in a language other than the native Sanskrit. I found this translation, which is first literal and then allegoric, to be the closest to what it ...

Most of us are familiar with the word agnostic but are slightly unsure of Gnosticism, so let me first explain the genesis of the word. The word gnosis derives from Greek and 'means' knowledge or the act of knowing. However this knowledge is different from rational, logical knowledge -- as is obtained by reading books or listening to a guru -- and instead refers to a form of knowing obtained by experience or perception. In this respect it bears an uncanny resemblance to the revelation or enlightenment that is experienced by Eastern mystics, which is different from the 'bookish' knowledge obtained by reading the Vedas or the Upanishads. The ascent of Kundalini in Tantra and the 'flash' of revelation that it brings to the sadhak is also an example of gnosis. Ramakrishna blessed many of his disciples by stating : Tor Chaitanya Hok - which may be translated as May You Be Aware Of, or, May You Realise (the Truth). In the first century after the appearance of Jesus Chr...

Yesterday began, like any other day in the life of an Indian corporate executive, with me taking a flight back home. It was a midday flight, 9W516 departing Bangalore at around 10 in the morning and reaching Calcutta just after noon. I had been on this flight a number of times and had noticed that it followed a very interesting path. The aircraft goes from Bangalore to Vishakapatnam crosses over to the sea and then follows the Coromandel coast all the way, past Andhra, past Orrissa and then makes landfall at Haldia after which it follows the Hooghly upstream to Calcutta. If you are sitting on the left hand side of the aircraft ( the 'A' seat) and if the weather is clear, you get a brilliant view of the coast, where the deep blue waters of the Bay of Bengal, crash into the gold & brown of the Indian subcontinent through an endless line of white breakers. [ The only better sight that I have seen from the air is the Himalaya's on the flight from Calcutta to Delhi, if you...

Alzhiemers disease is a condition that is becoming evident in a significantly large percentage of the ageing population. It is not a new disease but one about which the medical community and the public at large are becoming increasingly aware of. The award winning movie Black, featuring Rani Mukherjee and Amitabh Bachchan - where Amitabh is shown as suffering from the disease, has brought it to the forefront of the our consciousness. Alzheimers is a strange disease. The patient has no apparent physical disability. He is mobile, dexterous, articulate and suffers from no physical discomfort. However his mind is affected to the extent that he cannot remember even the most basic of things. For example his name, his address, profession .. progressively these fall 'off' from his mind. However from an analysis or 'processing' perspective, the mind is quite active and competent. He can jolly well brush his teeth, if he can find the toothbrush or even remembers to do so. To t...

This is a schematic plan for modelling the behaviour of large and diverse populations. The original idea was to see how people could vote in an election but the this model can also be expanded to explore how people would respond to marketing initiatives in the retail and consumer space.

An apparent sign of progress and modernity in today's schools is the presence Computer Science in the curricullum. This is true both at the Class X as well as the Class XII level, but perhaps we should stop and ask ourself if this is really necessary at all. I am no Luddite. I work in a multinational software company and have been an very early player ( albeit, a bit player ! no doubt) in the Great Indian Software story. But nevertheless and perhaps because of it I have some very strong views on the way computers are presented in schools today, by well meaning but extremely myopic academicians. There is obviously no doubt or debate that computers are and will be an integral part of the way of life in future ... however that does not mean that each and every individual will be a computer programmer in his or her career. Electricity is a way of life for all of us but does that mean that each and everyone of us has to know the intricacies of the generation and transmission of electric...

The Globalisation mantra is one that is routinely chanted by most sections of Indian civil society with the possible exception of those of at the xenophobic fringe, both left and right. However in the case of IIM-Bangalore we need to look at the issue from a slightly different perspective. Comparing an IIM with a Indian multinational like Infosys, L&T, Telco, ONGC or SBI or the IIM brand to something like Kingfisher is erroneous and to understand why let us look at the structure and charter of IIM vis-a-vis these other organisations. A shareholder owned company, whether listed or otherwise, exists for the creation and enhancement of shareholder wealth. If by expanding abroad, the management feels that it will earn more business and hence enrich its shareholders ... then there is no question that it must do so. But in the case of IIM, who is the shareholder ( or stakeholder ) ? It is the people of India, the tax-payer, acting through the Government of India who have set up these Ins...