Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Book of Morals for the Modern Brahmin with Ancient Values

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Books, Wives & Wealth:
Gone once they’re lent;
Recovered if by stealth:
Torn, Worn & Spent;
O’ Raadhaa Raadhey Shyam!

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Learned living’s best,
Honest business’s wealth,
Govt Service’s worst,
Wealth by stealth’s Death;
O’ Raadhaa Raadhey Shyam!

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Pauper father, Rover mother,
Ravishing wife like Helen of Troy,
Idiot son roaming hither & thither:
All are Foes & Killers of Joy;
O’ Raadhaa Raadhey Shyam!

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Greed knows no mate or date
Lust heeds no fear or shame
Fast knows no taste or plate
Lore heeds no sleep or grime;
O’ Raadhaa Raadhey Shyam!

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Works like a Slave, tricks like a Knave,
Looks like a Crore, mates like a Whore,
Feels like a Mom, cozy & warm,
Sharp as a Knife, the Ideal Wife!
O’ Raadhaa Raadhey Shyam!

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Age, wage & leaky roof,
Cures, views & sacred rites,
Virtue, vice & clumsy goof:
Hide from public’s prying eyes;
O’ Raadhaa Raadhey Shyam!

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Thursday, September 24, 2009

'Hungry' for some autonomy

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Mcuh has been written on the implied 'ethical, moral and intellectual' rectitude of IIT teachers going on hunger strike. The fact is that there is a dichotomy of attitude. There has been a boom in the number of IITs and the student strength in each. When I joined as an IIT faculty in 1965 the Lecture Class had a typical strength of 40. In 2005 when I retired it rose to 350! For quality of attainments, they are compared inequitably with Harvard, Yale and MIT. But student strength, quotas, fee structure, pay structure etc are decided elsewhere. If the elder 5 IITs were completely left to themselves, they would become self-sufficient and more in no time. But in a country like ours it should not be done, because IITs do serve a social purpose. But a limited autonomy in pay structure and academic policies is perhaps not too much to ask for.

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