New Life in Pune

It all started with waking at 6 AM in the morning in the train after sleeping at 3.30 AM. I had been advised by many people not to miss the Khandala and Lonavala scenes from the train. And it was awesome. It was an amazing experience. The train was “flying” within the clouds. The mountains looked as if they were covered with green blanket of huge trees. One and a half hour half of scenic beauty tantalized my senses.

Then got off the station, settled down, found my buddy Priyank waiting for me. Nice flat we’ve got here, 2 BHK, large gallery and an ‘active kitchen’. The area is very happening, loads of students flashing their id cards roaming in Aundh. If feels as if this area is a treat for all IT professionals. Aundh is the most preferred area for people who have their offices in Hinjewadi IT park. The IT park (as I have heard it, I have yet to visit it) is India’s 2nd largest software IT park with Infosys, Tata Tech, Cognizant as neighbors.

Tomorrow is my first day at job, hope it turns out to be good.

The Solution to Corruption: Not Lokpal

The Lokpal Bill has become the worst nightmare for Congress. The arrest of Anna Hazare before he could start the fast highlights the fact. The arrest was, no doubt, undemocratic and unconstitutional. Freedom of Speech is the fundamental right of every citizen, and its violation is the highest disregard of the principles of democracy. This act shows the half-thought panic reaction given by the Congress. The arrest has further intensified the support for Anna’s team and it looks like Congress has stabbed its own back.

Just a day after the Independence Day, a Gandhian arrested for protesting peacefully has brought the the images of Gandhi being arrested by the British Government in the minds of people. The movement has gained momentum since people see Congress as the cruel British Government and Anna as the new Gandhi. The show has cropped up a lot of patriotism in people and they have taken it to the streets. The arrest is the biggest blunder made by the Congress.

Of course, we do require a law to deal with corrupt people, and not just some, but all corrupt people, from a clerk in local municipal corporation to the Prime Minister. Yes, I agree that PM should be brought under the ambit of Lokpal Bill. But the demands of Anna Team to bring the Judiciary under the Lokpal is a little too much. Judiciary is above everything, (at least on paper it is), and that should be the way it is. If we go by the way of team Anna, Lokpal will be an all-power body which answers to no one, and such power can be exploited at will.

But my question is that are these efforts justified? I have always been a supporter of “Prevention is better than cure”. Why do we have such policies that breed corruption? Why do we require the signatures of government officials at every stage? See, for example, the Income Tax Department. Everything is computerized. Even tax returns can be e-filed now. With technology and precision everywhere, there is no place for corruption. Similarly, we should aim at altering those policies, those loop holes which give rise to corruption. It is high time we change the system and policies that are there since the British Government.

Consider the scenario: A computer program has clear guidelines for the companies eligibility for allocating 2G spectrum, and after submitting the e-documents, the computer decides the eligibility and either accepts or rejects the company’s offer to participate in the bidding. At a particular time, bidding starts online, and after few rounds of bidding, the licences are awarded online. Where is the question of corruption here? The thing that gives rise to corruption are the policies, the manual work that involves people in between. If college grads can make a virtual bidding system with full security, I think the government can do it too.

Effective way of tackling some menace is not by making new laws, but to find the root of the problem and repair it from there. We need to root out corruption, not check it. Change the policies that breed corruption, not try to control it. That is my mantra.

Why US is a Leader

Recent US debt crisis raised many questions in my mind. What is debt? What is credit rating? What happens if US defaults? As I was finding the answers to this questions, I got to know more about why US is the world leader today. It had $14.7 trillion GDP in 2010 - an unimaginable amount. It accounts for a quarter of the global GDP. It is a net exporter of food and food items and it controls almost half of world grain exports. Manufacturing occupies a very small portion of US economy as compared to other countries. Yet it is the world’s largest manufacturer with industries like petroleum, steel, automobiles, construction machinery, aerospace, agricultural machinery, telecommunications, chemicals, electronics, food processing, consumer goods, lumber, and mining. It produces approximately 21% of the world manufacturing output, a number that has not changed since the last 40 years!!! Apart from that, the total monetary evaluation of New York Stock Exchange is $10.1 trillion (as of 2008), more than three times from the second biggest stock market - the Japan’s Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Apart from this, the median income of a US household in a year is a staggering $53000! That is huge. Compared to other countries, the US is way ahead in quality of life and per capita income. There is law and order in the country. Police is modernized. They have social benefits and health insurance plans like no other country in the world offers. Truly, the Great Migration in the early 90s to the US was justified.

I kept wondering what was the reason behind such huge success. And then as I kept reading, I came to know. The reason behind it all is one word embedded deep within the visionaries, technocrats and reformists of the US - Innovation. US leaders always encouraged innovative practices. As a fact, the United States has been the birthplace of 161 of Britannica’s 321 Great Innovations, including items such as the airplane, internet, microchip, laser, cellphone, refrigerator, email, microwave, LCD and LED technology, air conditioning, assembly line, supermarket, bar code, electric motor, and ATM. US is home to 30% of world millionaires and 40% of world billionaires, and there are 29.6 million small and large businesses that run in the US. Surely, innovation and business go hand in hand. Who would imagine a world without Apple, Google, Microsoft, IBM, General Electric, General Motors, Ford etc. These companies drive the world today.

The data left my mouth open in wonder and amazement. And shocked too. Because in Britanicca’s list, we have only 1 Indian. Since I am a patriot, I felt jealous. So I read more to determine why are the success stories in US based on innovation. The answer was obvious - quality of education in the US. Education system in US a very well-organized system. It is controlled and funded at three levels - Federal, State and Local. And as soon as a child enters middle school in the 4th or 5th year, he/she is given option of choosing subjects based on his/her interest. The subject vary and every discipline is available for study. They have a comprehensive grading system ranging from D- to A+. Apart from this, there a lot of extra-curricular activities that students participate in. Attention is given to all round development. In short, it is a self-sustaining system. And even the college education in the US is world class - we all know it - Purdue, Yale, Harvard, MIT - these are dream destinations for students worldwide.

Compared to US, education in India is far behind. Though we are a very young nation compared to the US, (US gained independence in 1776 and India in 1947) and India has an education system that invites the envy of many countries - we can still do better. At the college and university level - we are almost there, with world class institutes like IIMs and IITs breeding a young talented pool of people every year. But we need to improve education at the grassroots level.

What I remember about my school years is - importance was given only to getting high marks in the examination. Learning subjects and writing on paper, I have never done any project in my school time - a harsh reality. Although the education system is changing in the recent times, I still see much focus given only to cramming up things and getting high marks. An above average student, with excellent marks throughout the school, and studied in IITs and IIMs is not capable of doing innovation. A world class job and business - yes, but innovation - no. India has not invented anything.

There is very low scope for R&D in India, every science student is opting for engineering (including me) - no one takes Sciences. The reason: our education system doesn’t encourage innovation. We are taught so that we can have a degree and earn money in life. So we follow those jobs which are demanded the most, with no respect for our aptitudes and interests. Our IT companies do nothing but outsourcing. We do the the less brainy jobs, all the intelligent decisions are taken in the US. What Indian Software Engineers do is that they substitute US engineers for a fraction of a cost so that they can be engaged in a more fruitful and demanding job - one that requires lot of ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking and innovation.

India needs to wake up to this reality. Encouraging innovations is the only way to be a world leader. We have missed out many things, it is time we board the train and don’t miss out the future. I am neither a US fan nor a India critic. All I am saying is that they have something which is better, which we need to think about.

Computer Engineering Myths

Being a Computer Engineer is not easy. No, I am not talking about the academics part, I am talking about some myths that the Indian society has about Computer Engineers. These myths are so perplexing that sometimes you need feel like banging your head to the wall. It is so frustrating when people miscalculate our skills in computers with our academics. And when stare at them – with blank expressions – wondering what to say next.

This understanding gap is because of the fact that in the previous generation, only a fraction of people knew what a computer was. Others had only heard about it, and wondering that it would take lot of skills and knowledge to operate it. The myth still lives on, and one can find it spread across the society. I do not blame them for the myths, but sometimes, they are really funny.

So, the following messages are for people who have some inherent myths about Computer Engineering. I have experienced some personally, some I have heard of happening to my friends, and some are just thought up based on my imagination. Please read this, and spread this message, so we can have an easy life.

Computer Engineering does not teach us how to turn on and turn off a computer.
Never ever in those entire span 4 years, no one tells us. We just learn that, like a baby who learns to walk.

Studying Computer Engineering does not increase our typing speed.
Although 4 years of incessant code writing may increase our tying speed, but we do not practice “type” in our labs.

Computer Engineering does not teach us how to fix or repair a computer.
This is by far the biggest myth that has troubled me. Every relative or friend comes up to me and said “My computer is not working. Can you please repair it?” Please people, we are not taught how to repair a computer, in fact, we are fined if we try to open one of the CPUs in the lab. Although I have some basic hardware knowledge, this is not what those college people have taught me, so don’t dare tell to anyone “You are a Computer Engineer. Can’t you repair a computer?” It infuriates me.

Computer Engineering does not teach us MS Office.
MS Office is the most widely used software for office applications, and has thus gained reputation among the masses. Some people tend to think that learning Word, Excel and PowerPoint is a rare feat and can only be performed by some people. Also, they tend to think that Computer Engineers know MS Office better than others, because, well, they are Computer Engineers. No, they don’t teach us MS Office, we have to learn it ourselves, just like others.

Computer Engineering does not teach us hacking.
Another myth associated with Computer Engineers is that they are those mean hackers who can steal your passwords and hack any account on the web. One of my friends comes to me and says “Please hack my ex-girlfriend’s Facebook account; I want to teach her a lesson”. They do not teach us hacking, it is something people learn by themselves, and not all Computer Engineers are hackers, so please stop viewing us with that look on the face.

Computer Engineering does not teach us how to efficiently use Windows.
Many a times, people don’t know how to clean up a hard-disk drive, how to defragment a drive, how to make a zip file, how to create virtual drives, how to mount images, how to install complex programs, how to update an anti-virus etc. The list goes on. If I know it, it is because I have used it, and if I do not know something, it is because they do not teach us how to use things on Windows.

Computer Engineering does not teach us how to make a computer/laptop.
Some people just ask me on my face “So, now you will make computers?” No, we do not make computers; they are made in a factory, just like a car, with millions of circuits being embedded on a single chip – a technology known as VLSI, and that doesn’t mean an Electronics engineer can make a computer too – its requires firmware and assembly coding and what not. In short, we cannot make a computer at our home.

Computer Engineering does not teach us how to make robots.
This is a much less myth compared to others, but still I have found this myth present among the people. Robotics is a special field of study and all engineers – mechanical, electronics, and computers can take interest and learn it. Just because Computers and Robots both are machines that doesn’t mean at all that they teach us how to build robots. Not all Computer Engineers are robot programmers.

Computer Engineering does not teach us the specs of latest laptops in the market.
Some people come to me seeking advice in buying laptops. Ok, I appreciate it, and I help them too. But, what makes me angry is that they think we know this because we’re Computer Engineers. They do not teach us the specifications of latest laptops; we simply know it because we use it. A non-computer engineer can also know it, that doesn’t mean he should’ve taken Computer Engineering.

Computer Engineering does not entitle us to own a laptop.
This situation is frustrating for non-computer engineering folk. One of my cousins was arguing with his father about buying a laptop. He cited my example and said that he could use the laptop to read e-books, write a blog, read journals etc. His father said, he has a laptop because he is a Computer Engineer. No, being Computer Engineers does not entitle us to use a laptop, it can be used to watch movies, play games, surf the internet and what not, nothing among that is related to Computer Engineering.

Well then, the question must be, what do they teach us at Computer Engineering? They teach us Operating Systems, Database, Mobile Computing, Networks….aah leave it. It is useless to tell anyways.

Please don’t expect us to do things simply because we are Computer Engineers and please respect our skills and knowledge in Computers, don’t take it for granted simply because we are Computer Engineers. That is because they don’t teach us all this back there.

WiFi through light bulbs???

Ever imagined the technology behind WiFi? Well let me give an introduction. WiFi technology uses radio waves. Radio waves travel in all directions and can penetrate walls. This is the prime reason why someone can steal your bandwidth and can access your router for internet if manual security settings have not been done. Also as physical distance increases, strength of the signal gets weak. I experience the same problem as I have a wireless router in my dad’s room and I get a puny 1-point signal in my room one floor above. One solution to this problem is to have multiple access points or to have a repeater, but these options are not viable in general and are costly.

A German Physicist, Harald Haas, has brought in a new technology - transmission of data through light waves - he calls it “data through illumination”. Visible light is used to transmit data through a LED light bulb, and he claims that the data transfer can be upto 10 megabits per second. Thats huge !!!

Also, the visible light spectrum range in 10,000 times larger than the radio waves, and thus interference among the signals is reduced to ta great extent. Also, the source of information, or “access points” are everyday light bulbs, and we already have 40 billion of them on our planet, already set up. “The infrastructure is already in place” exclaims Harald Haas.

Accessibility is greatly enhanced as light bulbs are everywhere. You can even access internet in an airplane as there would be no radio waves interfering with the pilot communication. And for people who do not like their WiFi to be used by hackers, it can only be used when you can see it. Now isn’t that a revolution?

“Do we have to keep light on all the time, even during the day?” is the question. “Yes” said Harald Haas, but he says the light can altered to such an intensity that it won’t be visible to the human eye and yet it would be enough to provide high speeds.

Personally, I am impressed by the technology. Still long time to put into effect, I would like to give a try to this simple yet effective technology of “web through light”. The ancient scriptures are so true: God said “Let there be light, and there was the world”

Trembling Global Economy

The recent stock market crashes in two most developing countries of the world – India and China, is just the icing on the cake. There have been a lot of developments in the past year, which threaten the existence of a peaceful, semi-utopian world. The decision by Democrats to raise the US debt ceiling at the last minute to prevent a default was an adrenaline shot to the dying economy. Fiscal stimulus and debt revisions are drug addictions for the economy on the whole, with no long-term positive effects.

This situation has just augmented the fears of a double-dip recession in the minds of many analysts and policymakers. Already, Europe is reeling under its own debt crisis with Greece, Ireland and Portugal in knee-deep waters. Austerity measures and high tax rates have paralysed the day-to-day life of citizens in these countries. Analysts expect that there is as much as 90% chance for Greece to default on payments, which would destabilise the Euro rate and in-turn cause global economy to go haywire.

Another economy which is recovering from a stygian abyss is Japan – the country with the worst stroke of luck. Although the devastation in Japan in 1945 catapulted it to its post-WWII growth story, it was a time when the US and Soviet Union were there to the guide the world. But in current scenario, it seems that the story is not quite the same. With no developed countries ready to take on the shock, we are through a rough patch.

The thing that troubles more than Europe and Japan is the US, with its dominance in the world economy. GDP of the US in 2010 was $14.7 trillion, approximately a quarter of the normal global GDP. US remains the largest manufacturer and service provider to the world. Any dent on the US economy would send shockwaves all over the world. As Russian President Putin has put it “The US spends beyond its means and lives like a parasite off the global economy”. Frustration with the US is self-explanatory for its behemoth share and contribution to the globe.

The reason for following all this so diligently is because this situation can affect me too, and since I am joining a “US based IT firm” in India this month end, I can’t stop thinking how this will affect my career path. Well for starters, Indian IT companies gain roughly 70% of its revenues from the US and the rest from Europe and other developing countries. Any spending cuts and austerity measures in the US will directly lead to lower spending and negotiations by the clients. Lower budgets for projects will lead to completion of the project pipeline and revenue crisis in the companies here. The natural option is layoffs, salary cuts and less hiring, which we have already experienced in the 2008 recession due to the collapse of Lehmann Brothers.

The domestic problems of high inflation and high interest rates have slowed industrial and manufacturing economy in India, and agriculture is bound to remain dependent on season. In such a scenario, the 8% growth figure is a distant dream for Indian economy. Coupled with a global shock, the implications will leave a scar in careers of many young like me.

I am no expert in economics; this is my naive analysis from TOI and Wikipedia. But one thing I can say for sure is that it’s time to develop the domestic economy. World Trade will always carry a risk factor .A decade has gone by and it’s not the Y2K era any more. It is time our generation builds up India to a level where we stand resilient in the trembling global economy.

The Silent Issue

It’s been more than a year since I have “blogged”. Well, I accept I am not an active blogger, but this issue specifically compels me to pen down my thoughts and vent out my frustration in Times New Roman.

Since January this year, all I have been hearing is Corruption, Anna Hazare, Lokpal. It seems like Rs. 1.76 Lakh Crore is giving jeepers to the Indian civil society and the activists. I think the attempt by Kapil Sibal and PM Manmohan Singh to expose the futility of this attempt is by rolling out a statement like “The Government exchequer has not lost anything by the 2G scam spectrum”. That statement seems a little far-fetched, but the fact, in my opinion, remains is that magnitude of efforts going in the case is futile. Especially when we know that the money is not coming back. Punishing the guilty for such heinous crimes is one thing, and politicising this issue on a national platform is another. Of course when the issue comes to coalition politics, there are bound to loop holes.

Of course, there is the media then. How else would we come to know what’s happening in that big
large red house in Delhi? TOI had a page dedicated to Lokpal for 2 weeks when Anna had gone on fast for the first time. Thousands joined, millions voted and SMSed (even gave a miss call). We were the innocent sheep for the media. I don’t blame them though, after all, it’s a business. They need to have something to feed us and in-turn feed their employees.

But, there is another pressing issue, silently creeping into our daily lives while we remain focused on Rs. 1.76 Lakh Crore. The issue is – rising costs. I have purposefully not termed the word as “inflation” because then I would find people saying that is in the limelight. When I entered my college 4 years ago, the Orientation Programme mentioned that Engineering students in Nirma get an average salary Rs. 3.0L p.a via campus placements. 4 years have passed, I landed with the same amount, and with me another 400 (approx). But in these 4 years, I have noticed the average price of Regular Gujarati Thali going up from Rs. 35 to 50, a price rise of 43%, Nirma fees going up from Rs. 27500 per semester to Rs. 73000 per semester, a price rise of 165%, average price of a 2-BHK in Ahmedabad (and many other cities) going up from Rs. 16L to Rs. 40L, a price rise of 150%. And the list goes on.

We have a 7.5% GDP growth on average for the last 3-4 years then why isn’t my salary increasing? Why does the cost always rise? The answer lies here: the GDP growth occurring in India is due to the top 0.2% of people, the industrialists, Tata, Ambanis, Adanis etc. Their revenue is increasing, but is that getting reflected on the salary? The salary hike is 10-12% once in 3 years, which is not enough to battle the rising costs.

The point I am trying to make is – I would be happy to rally myself for a fast that focuses on this issue, and with me may be another millions, because corruption, on an average, pinches lesser than the rising costs. The youth today needs to open its eyes to the reality today – is the GDP growth an overall one or a per capita one? It is true that India has the second highest growth rate in the world, but in terms of per capita, we lag far behind.

The power of democracy lies in the hands of people, and the primary function of the elected representatives should be prosperity of the nation. If these two facts are accepted true, well then, the government, the civil society, the media and the corporate honchos need to focus on this issue as well. That is all I have to say.