GEN ZEE : COMING OF AGE

 The term  “Gen Zee” has recently been added to the vocabulary of almost every Indian today. This can be counted as one of the achievement of this generation, apart from having secured the resignation of Mr Dharmendra Pradhan. The naming of generations is essentially an American phenomena, we had the Lost Generation (those born before 1900, fought in the First World War), Greatest Generation (those born till the Great Depression of 1929 and fought the Second World War), Silent Generation (born after 1930 and involved in the reconstruction after the war), Baby Boomers (mid twentieth century, baby bloom as the name suggests), Gen X (most of us belong to this generation born after 1964, Millennials (1990 onwards until early 2000s) and then the proverbial Gen Zee. It is to be followed by Gen Alfa and Gen Beta. Since this whole concept is American, obviously there is no method in the madness, we have alfa beta following zee. May be they expected an armageddon hence zee was supposed to be the last and final one. But now that we have survived and outlived that era, they have had to come up with the next generations.

I don’t think period depicting a “Generation” today, can be two or three decades. In the last about two decades or so, the world is on a blitzkrieg,  everything is on a fast track, so even a period of a decade or may be less may qualify as another generation altogether. Generations are normally determined by technology, demography, society  and even historical events. Obviously the American and Western generations will not conform with the Indian and Oriental generations, as in all the factors listed above there was a huge gap between the two types of societies. However with the advent of internet and the digital era, they are tending to converge and the Gen Zee probably is the first one where the two worlds are similarly placed as both are born and brought up in the Information age. 

This is as far as the nomenclature goes, now coming to the typical traits of a generation, the initial generations were involved in the two world wars, and the Great Depression. Naturally they were fighters and survivors having been through a living hell, seen their comrades die in  front of their eyes, they treasured life, friendship and lived by a value system. India during that era had just one generation probably, as though we were effected by the global events, even fought in the wars but were under subjugation struggling for our own independence. Our post independence generation was in a way similar to the Western ones as both were working towards building infrastructure and scientific innovations although from different starting blocks. We were impoverished and illiterate too, whereas they were already way ahead. In Indian context the Silent, Baby boomers and Gen X are probably again a single generation, as the value systems and technology wise we did not encounter any tectonic shifts.

While the older generations look upto the younger ones for growth and progress in all the fields, the latter normally look down upon the former as losers. The recent protest in a way proves this point amply. Even middle class households are witnessing a clear divide in their views between parents and children. Parents are concerned about the values, language, public decency, respect for elders and decorum, while the youngsters believe the oldies can’t hide behind these pretensions and they need to wake up and see the elephant in the room. Parents do understand the issues and are peeved with the situation, but the anarchical solutions being propounded by their progeny is what worries them. We are a young democracy and such protests have been a norm here, since similar protests played a major role in throwing off the yoke of imperialism too. In the 70s too the youth had revolted and were instrumental in bringing about a regime change, but decorum was always maintained, elders were given due respect,  even though they were on opposite sides of ideology. Gen Zee must censor their own brethren, something which their leaders could have laid down as a ground rule. Grievances are genuine and naturally the government of the day has to address the issues in right earnest. Mr Pradhan’s resignation and the setting up of a Task Force headed by none other than Mr Nandan Nilekani is a step in the right direction, but that alone is not going to be enough. A de novo look at the Education system as a whole is the need of the hour, we need to cease doling out these degrees, as most are not even worth the paper they are printed on. We need to educate our youth, where cheating in the exam ought to be an anathema and not an aspiration. Gen Zee will then probably  truly come of age.

WITHER PROTESTS

 

It is “Protests” season once again, in India we are used to doing things seasonally, we have seasonal fruits, harvesting is seasonal, even marriages are solemnised as per seasons. Periodically we have a season when the protests begin, sometimes farmers agitate or it could be the CAA, Anna Hazare anti-corruption LokPal or Delhi Nirbhaya. Sometimes these succeed, as was the case in Farmers or Nirbhaya protests, sometimes it takes a while but it bears fruit for a regime change as in LokPal protests. The protesters are also more emboldened now with the evident success of such movements in the immediate neighbourhood, so much so that they openly threaten that they will convert India into another Nepal. If only wishes were horses, cockroaches would ride!

Protests are engineered, that there is no doubt about, as even when Mahatma Gandhi launched his movements, they were not spontaneous. It requires funding, organisation, resources and leadership. It is widely known that the major protests like Farmers and CAA received widespread funding from abroad, obviously there are vested interests involved. Forces inimical to the country would like nothing better than India embroiled in its internal conflicts rather than pursue its path of progress. Notwithstanding that, this round of protest has a genuine raison d’être, the rotting education system of this country. NEET paper leak is just the manifestation of this decadent system which is in much need for an overhaul and not just some patchwork solution. 

While this generation does like their jeans distressed, you know the ones which are torn with threads emerging from the vents, they don’t really approve of their education system in total tatters. An education system which rewards only memory and not knowledge or its application per se, is not a recipe for a budding super power. A simple comparison with China who spends $800 billion a year, whereas we spend just $12 billion, a clear give away of the priority we accord to education in India. By our own planning figures, we should be spending at least 6% of our GDP, whereas we are managing just above 4%. There are challenges as the subject is in concurrent list in the constitution, hence uniformity of policy and their implementation is a huge ask, as is evident in the recent logjam in the conduct of NEET exams itself, with Tamil Nadu up in arms insisting on following their reservation system rather than the one applicable at the national level. The three language formula is also being actively contested by Tamil Nadu primarily.

Despite the  mess in Education system, the sincere and hardworking middle class puts their progeny through the grind of coaching institutes hoping to get out of the rut by qualifying in one of these competitive exams. This is the dream which almost every parent  has, and leaves no stone unturned to ensure their children cross the rubicon, thereby hoping for salvation of the complete family. Examinations were supposed to be a fair system of assessment, at least that is what one would have liked to believe. If the candidate has acquired the skills which these coaching institutes drilled into him/her over the two-three years period, he/she cracks it, else he/she probably did not have what it took to succeed. But of late, paper leakage has acquired menacing proportions, with hardly an exam managing to buck the trend. Barring the UPSC conducted exams, all the others can hardly be called fair. The so called demographic dividend is very demanding, but unfortunately the returns are only diminishing. So it had to come to a boil sooner or later.

Govt, as usual hasn’t covered itself with glory, it can’t offer any excuses, as having been in power for more than a decade, they had adequate time to fix the system. The conduct of Re-NEET is at best a patchwork solution, the National Testing Agency (NTA) itself has failed the test time and again. Repeated failures of this kind can’t be excused and heads should have rolled even without any protests. The minister in question should have offered to resign much  earlier, which would have sent the right signal, the NTA bureaucracy should have been sacked for their failure of oversight. Getting into a confrontationist mood with the youth can hardly be considered a politically wise decision. Once the anger dissipates, holistic reforms  should be on the agenda.

One moot question which needs introspection by all of us, is that why are the papers leaked? Obviously for just one simple reason, ‘greed’. The perpetrators are greedy for money, the parents are greedy, as they see this as an investment with disproportionate returns. So, again reverting to the education system, isn’t there a dire need for character building in the curriculum?

PIRATES OF HORMUZ

 

Most of us recall the Disney movie series “Pirates of the Carribean” with Captain Jack Sparrow’s iconic role being played by Johnny Depp. That off course was a fictional account of the piracy prevalent in the high seas in the seventeenth-eighteenth centuries. While piracy on the seas has been romanticised and even glorified, it remains a nemesis of the sea farers since times immemorial. It was the Somalian pirates who posed a genuine threat for the ships near the Horn of Africa. Somalia as we all know is an anarchy and there is obviously no rule of law, so piracy is a way of life there. For Trump, it is business as usual, with no faith in the rules based world order, he is living his fantasy; now essaying the character of Sparrow himself. 

The  self styled ‘Guardian of Hormuz’, naturally demands his cut of 20% for guess what, ‘providing security to the ships transiting through’. In India we call it “hafta”, which literally means a calendar week, but is a euphemism for the money paid to the local goons for similar kind of security. Since it is in the high seas so it is outright piracy, oh slip of tongue ‘policing’. He better be warned the policing can always be undermined by “Chai-Pani”(bribe), where greasing the palms of the traffic policeman is far easier and cheaper than subjecting oneself to the penalties/tariffs. Since  his tariffs have been undone by the US Supreme Court, he had to find some other way to ‘Make America Great Again’ and what better way than to follow the age old pirates of the seas. It is Hormuz today, may be Malacca tomorrow, Panama in any case  has been more or less usurped by US in its true hegemonic ways. 

Shipping has traditionally been the major means of international trade since ages and keeping the seas safe for commercial maritime traffic even during times of conflict was a sine-qua-non. United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), 1982 clearly lays down “Freedom of navigation”, “Transit passage through international straits” and “Maritime jurisdiction rules” guaranteeing sea farers security and freedom to navigate. But real life Sparrow doesn’t like to believe in tying himself down to any tethers whatsoever. In the bargain, making some moolah, obviously isn’t a bad choice. He may soon earn himself the new moniker of Mr 20%, like Mr Zardari of Pakistan, who was known as Mr 10%  for demanding his cut of 10% on all govt contracts awarded, when he was the President there. 

Imagine the turmoil in international trade and commerce, with this energy crisis, global economy will be literally in the doldrums. As hopes of a resolution to this US-Iran  crisis are belied, so is it the ‘new normal’ then? China ignored the US diktats the last time around too, and is likely to do the same even now. India will avoid a direct confrontation with the US, as it still does not have the heft to challenge it. Will there be a worldwide  hue and cry, unlikely, economies of smaller countries will be in peril, if this state continues for long. Alternate sources of energy will have to be found to overcome this crisis. But the moot question then is, with UN as good as dead, are we witnessing the 20th century pre-Second World War geo-strategic scenario? It was League of Nations which succumbed then, it is the UN which is probably writing its own epitaph now. Law of the jungle prevails globally. Are we then really headed towards a declared World War III? Highly unlikely, as there are no clear cut allies and adversaries in this interconnected world of today.

Trump in his quest to follow the screen persona of Captain Jack Sparrow probably should recall, what Spiderman said, “With great power comes great responsibility”. It is high time, the global powers bury the hatchet and reign in this bull in the china shop. He is out to wreck everything as it stood prior to his second inning.

CITIZENSHIP CONUNDRUM

 “Your passport is just a travel document, not a proof of your citizenship,” so says the constitution apparently. Well, to be honest, this hullabaloo is being created by that minuscule section (about 7%) of the population which proudly flaunts a passport but normally avoid voting in the elections. They need not be worried as no one is going to deport them either. Notwithstanding what exactly is the proof that we as citizens must have? 

I am told birth certificate serves as a proof. Now that is very interesting, as when I tried to look for my birth certificate, I found it does not mention any name, just son/daughter born to name of the parent, so it was, for anyone born in the fifties and sixties in India. The same kind of certificate was issued for both my kids as well, who were born in the nineties. This birth certificate serves no purpose without the name, as it could be claimed by just about anyone. When my son was proceeding to France for his research fellowship, the University wanted his birth certificate, sure enough, it was rejected. Guess what, the good old Part II order of the birth of my son, published by my unit, did the trick. The document was immediately accepted and his case was cleared. Generally outside India, Armed Forces documentations are not only considered valid, but are given more credence. Now getting back to why were the names not endorsed on the certificates, generally  the birth/death is supposed to be reported promptly on occurrence. The ‘namkaran’ samsakar (ceremony) follows later, so naturally certificate bearing no names are issued, although I believe now names are endorsed in the certificate.

We Indians take pride in the number of cards that we can get hold of, and our venerated babus are always on the lookout to introduce newer ones to keep all of us engaged and amused. When Aadhaar was introduced, one thought this would be the universal document, a panacea of sorts, acceptable for all official documentation requirements. It could have evolved into one such singular card, but for the  prevalent corruption, where the sanctity  of the document has been severely compromised. So we have a PAN card for Income Tax, Passport for travel, Aadhaar for address and identity, voter ID for elections , driving licence and something called a Samgra ID here in MP, which is for the centralised database for welfare schemes. We in the Armed Forces have also been keeping up with the civilians, and match them card for card, so here goes, an ECHS card for healthcare, a Veteran’s Card as a proof of having served the nation, a Zila Sainik Board Card, DSOI Card, Gymkhana membership card, and the much sought after Canteen Card for purchase of groceries and liquor. Obviously submerged under these plethora of cards, we also need to ensure their safekeeping to prevent their misuse, so invariably we place them in secure vaults and forget where we place the keys or the pin. The better part of the day is spent looking for it, thus keeping ourselves busy day in and day out. Of course there are multitudes of Credit and Debit cards which find their way into the wallet, making it seem rather bulky and a lucrative target for pickpockets, who realise much to their chagrin that most of these are worthless plastic and no real cash whatsoever.

But the issue of citizenship is  a serious one and needs to be addressed on priority, without any prejudices and in a bipartisan manner. Unfortunately National Registry for Citizenship (NRC) is looked at suspiciously by the opposition as they are apprehensive that it will specifically target the Muslim community which is a major vote bank for them. Be rest assured even these parties have no love lost for minorities, it is just votes which concerns them. Frankly, we can’t even put ourselves in their shoes, as the apprehensions of the minorities are not misplaced. Having seen the state of governance in the country, where no department is corruption free, getting hold of any kind of document for a price is not a difficult task. We have just undergone the SIR process, and yes, it was a tedious one but we did manage to get our names included in the Voter’s List. You may like to read about the details of my experiences here (https://thesuyashsharma.com/to-sir-with-love-2/). 

The govt must start by reassuring all the residents irrespective of their religion or their claims to citizenship, that they will not be deported from the country. Thereafter follow a rigorous corruption free process (tall order!!), which could coincide with the ongoing census itself for completing the NRC. Once we have ascertained these details, those who have not been able to furnish the required documents, should be provided with temporary documents for the day to day routine requirements, with adequate time given for furnishing the details. There will be many thousands or may be lakhs, who may not be able to get anything as a proof. They must be provided with a work permit kind of a card. Once the threat of deportation is eliminated, we can hope that people will be more honest and forthcoming. Deportation is what scares them and honestly despite all the noises, how many have finally been deported so far? The numbers tell the story. So improve vigilance, provide that work permit to the immigrants to prevent illegal immigration, thus rooting out this vote bank politics. Ours is a growing economy, with no dearth of manpower but we will still need this human resource for all kinds of unskilled jobs as well, where they can be utilised gainfully. 

Last but not the least, we need not worry, as most of us can’t be deported anywhere else, as who will accept us, so in the worst case, we will be like the mythological character Trishanku, who was neither on the earth not in the heaven, but somewhere in between forever!

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A MESSY MESH

 

There is an electrical pole right in front of our dwelling in Indore. Nothing out of the ordinary the pole lodged there except that it has been adorned with all kinds of cables and wires and not just electrical cable it is supposed to be used for. I know, that is the case with most of these poles, it’s almost like a doggy syndrome, you know what I mean, when a dog notices a a pole, it immediately goes on to mark its territory there. Similarly give a pole to the cable wallah, CCTV guy, Internet broadband connectivity chap or just about anyone else who has a cable connection, they latch on to the pole immediately and then they go on to weave the most intricate web, which I bet even spiders can’t decipher or unentangle. Ever wondered, why Spiderman steers clear of India and sticks to the US of A, obviously the intricate webs that he has seen in the Chandni Chowk area gave him the shivers. Not only was he incapable of generating such a cable mangle but he suffered from nightmares that he had got entangled in one of these himself and unable to extricate. 

In sports, the expression Pole position is reserved for the one who is ahead in any race, well we are definitely in that coveted position as far as the mesh or should I say the ‘mess’ that we have so imaginatively created. With all these wires dangling at all possible angles, it is amazing that the  local cable wallah still manages to not only identify and isolate his own line and but manages to solve the problem too that too in a matter of minutes, putting even AI to shame, I bet. We studied certain laws by Kirchhoff on the current and voltage in a mesh, I am sure even in. his wildest imagination he could have conjured such a mess, where all his laws would have  given up.

Being a Signaller having spent my professional life entangled in cables and wireless, I must say that we in the army need to take a leaf out of the local cable wallah, as fault finding on a cable route was a herculean task even when we had just a handful of them. We set up an elaborate labelling system, even varying the shapes and sizes of these labels for ease of identification, and here they are, as though armed with some magical powers, they just hit the pole and do the course corrections. But then, in the bargain, other cables and wires do end up becoming casualties, as cable TV takes precedence over broadband internet fibres. After all the ‘Saas-bahu’ sagas being beamed on the TV ensures peace and tranquility at home, else the drama may be replayed in real life. 

In field areas we used bobbins ( small cylindrical objects made of bone china, for securing of cables  on a pole) on the ‘Pole Octagonal 16 feet Multi Air Line’ or ‘MAL poles’ in short, to keep our cables over ground, lest they be trampled by the movement of troops and vehicles, and disrupt the lines of communication. Then there were Permanent Line (PL) poles which even the erstwhile P&T department too used extensively, but the cables here were hard drawn copper or galvanised iron wires. But that was a different era when number of cables were limited, except in formation headquarters camps, where snakes of cables would emanate from the local exchange and fault control to the subscribers, who could be spread in anywhere between a couple of hundred square metres to a couple of  square kilometres. Here, an amateur  rookie lineman could end up creating a schemozzel. Imagine the precarious situation with cables crisscrossing  amidst all the frenetic activities including shelling from the enemy and the most vital line down, heads would roll literally and figuratively too. These lines were the vital arteries of operations being conducted as also the logistics associated with it, there was no scope for any down time here, as everyone’s life depended on it.

Be that as it may, this messy affair, apart from being an eyesore, is also a fire hazard and highly environment unfriendly as at times even small birds can get trapped or hurt by the wires. In developed countries cabling is underground, wonder when they are as it is digging up the place day in and day out, why can’t they simply do the same for electrical cables also, doing away with the poles altogether. They could even leave conduits for the cable, broadband or any other future such wired requirements, earning revenue for the services as well; but then that requires planning, vision and foresight, we unfortunately work only in hindsight.

CUPID IN OLIVE GREENS

 So a young smart aviator of the Indian Army proposed to his girlfriend where the helicopter, his flying machine was in the backdrop; well what is all this hullaballoo!! A bright young man in the prime of his youth is expressing his love to the beloved and actually declaring his intent and a sense of commitment, I think deserves to be commended  rather than ridiculed. In today’s day and age, when youngsters are commitment phobic, this officer seems to be a pathbreaker of sorts, firstly joining the army itself is a huge commitment and then this proposal for marriage. I think we need to give him a huge round of applause.

Now who are the spoilsports in this game of Cupid, I bet they are the old fogies, who themselves were betrothed courtesy their parents, left to themselves, they would not have even reached the proposal stage. I am sure most of the veterans would recall, in our days, there were no NDA/IMA Balls, when it was introduced for our course while in NDA, there were just a handful out of the 300 of us who could even muster up a dance partner, forget about a girlfriend. Then there are those, who go on endlessly about the helicopter being visible in the photograph, as a breach of security, the fact that he was in uniform and it was all over the social media, is in contravention to the existing orders on the subject. Well, to these wise souls, I must say, Have a heart, the photograph of the flying machine is available in the open source at umpteen number of places, so  relax, no national secrets have been compromised. The aspect about him being in uniform, does need a small rap on the knuckles, as the fact that he proposed is his personal matter but posing and posting it on the social media, well that can be avoided, as you never know, the creativity and imagination of the Gen Zee where will the next one lead to.

For the veterans, just a small word of advice, please stop taking yourselves too seriously, as no one else does. The current generation is well equipped to handle the challenges, as we once were and any interference was hardly welcomed. The fact that even these guys out of respect let us be, just like we did. Times have changed, environment is no longer the same, the troops are agniveers, mind you, thankfully we didn’t have to contend with this new species. I have hung my boots just three years ago, but the nature of warfare is being revolutionised at such a pace that even six months seem like history. We only gave presentations and wrote our thesis on RMA  (Revolution in Military Affairs) remember, they are living it.

Evolution is a continuous process friends, none of us can stop it and why should we, after all I bet these guys are as professionally competent or may be better than most of us were. Be rest assured they are as committed or may be more committed than we were. 

Finally I think, the photograph is actually excellent advertisement for ‘joining the armed forces’, may be we could just use it with their permission of course!

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WE DON'T NEED NO EDUCATION..

 Examinations are the bane of students the world over, even if a subject is interesting, the fact that one will be examined at the end of the course/semester is the biggest dampener.But imagine if your future life, profession, everything depends on this one exam, and if the exam  ends in a fiasco, which is not due to your fault, but of the agency conducting the exams, how would you feel? Well, that is exactly what has been meted out to the students in the last couple of years. Almost every exam, especially NEET, which ceased to be neat long ago,(https://thesuyashsharma.com/neet-not-so-neat-after-all/), 24 months to be precise, where it has almost become a norm to conduct a re-examination, mostly due to paper leak, or due to other considerations, such as evaluation, questions being wrong etc. The fact that by and large the students have not only maintained their calm and have taken the whole issue rather stoically speaks volumes about their patience and seriousness about pursuing their dreams. But the patience has its limits, as the govt agencies conducting these exams carry on bungling, it is about time that those responsible be brought to book themselves.

The pressures are huge, with about 24 lakh candidates registering for NEET, CUET and CBSE exams, for each. Obviously it is a herculean task, especially with unscrupulous elements out to look for procedural lapses to be exploited, to benefit the highest bidders. Unfortunately merely trying to address the conduct of exams per se is treating the systems rather than the disease. The disease here is in our education system itself, which has been rotting away over the last eight odd decades. Since schools and colleges prove grossly  inadequate to impart  quality education, it is left to coaching institutions to prepare the aspiring students for the competitive exams. These competitive exams are made out as ‘make or break’ for the poor hapless teens already under pressure from their parents, as cracking these exams appears to be the golden key to life’s treasures. ‘All is fair in love and war’ and this issue is a war without an iota of doubt. Naturally it implies, success at all costs, using means fair or foul. 

Education ceased to be holistic long ago, today it is just a means to obtain a degree, which provides the youth with an outside chance to crack the employment jigsaw puzzle. Everyone wants a white collar job, blue collar is considered menial, deep down it stems from the caste system itself. A skilled worker earns a lot more as compared to the unemployable  graduate, who will at best be a gig worker, as there are no jobs in the market.

Govt schools and colleges were pretty good until the eighties, as the oldies who passed through their portals acquitted themselves with distinction in their professional careers. My father’s generation is proof enough. But somewhere in the eighties the rot began to set in, as new schools/colleges were not being opened despite the exponential population rise. There was no fresh recruitment of teachers, contractual hiring was resorted to, with an aim to save the exchequer some funds. In the last couple of decades colleges, universities have mushroomed everywhere, with no checks and balances, these institutions produce grads, post grads by thousands, who do not have to attend any classes. The exams conducted are a sham, consequently, the freshly minted graduate armed with a degree has no knowledge of any of the subjects. A commerce grad who doesn’t know what a balance sheet is, or an IT engineer who can’t write a simple three lines code, as they have cleared the exams through leaked papers or through other means in the compromised system. This graduate is a very dangerous person, as he/she is unsuitable for any job as he has no knowledge but armed with his degree, he considers himself wronged and is naturally frustrated.

Is a course correction possible? Well, yes of course, treat education as a key area, as our civilisation depends on this crucial factor. The root cause is corruption, the agencies are corrupt, naturally every rule is given a go by. Bureaucracy, when found wanting like in the recent fiasco is punished by mere transfers, which I am afraid is no punishment. It may actually be a reward, since they may land up in a more lucrative department where there are better opportunities, with even  less accountability. So revert to govt run institutions, recruit permanent teachers, pay them better and do away with all these coaching institutions, incorporate them in the teaching curriculum itself. Conduct the exams, year round, with minimum three chances for improvement of scores. Create a special organisation for conduct of all professional exams, which should be headed by technocrats like Nilekeni and educationists with no interference by the bureaucracy. As the Air Force is being utilised for ferrying the papers, I dare say, employ the veterans from the armed forces for conduct of exams also. They won’t let you down.

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