(Academic) Corridors of Power

Persons interested in behavioral studies must have come across Stanley Milgram’s experiments on “behavioral study of obedience” (1963). Refer this Spiritual Quotient by Mukul Sharma titled “Power of authority is in ourselves” (Economic Times dated 13 October 2006, Friday) for the experiment. (Please click on the image to enlarge)

Academic administrative functionaries wearing similar “white coats” (read designations) ought to take note of what their roles ought to be in the emerging knowledge economy.

The serious academic (in India) should be asking whether he/she belongs to the significant majority 2/3rd or the significant minority 1/3rd. Or maybe to the unspecified “minority within the minority 1/3rd” who would like to bring reason into the way things are currently being done.

Indian education sector has to move away from the unhealthy influence of such (academic) corridors of power. The National Knowledge Commission (NKC) of India has been making recommendations incessantly for drastic reforms in the education sector – almost down to the level of granting greater academic autonomy to the individual. The moot point to all Academic Functionaries: Are they interested in changing their old mindsets?

Building an Educational Institute is becoming the order of the day in Orissa (as in India). However, dedicated Institution builders are becoming a rare breed. Is it because of the existing models of Educational Governance that do not promote "out-of-box" thinking? Or, Is it due to our legacy that values blind obedience over constructive dissent? Do we really need these legacy systems where orders are to be obeyed without questioning the possible outcomes?

A Law on Hope

There should be a “Law on Hope” said Justice S.B.Sinha, Judge, Supreme Court of India, while delivering the 1st H.M.Seervai Memorial Lecture organized by the KIIT Law School on 20th September 2008.

A Law on Hope – seems to be quite an apt proposition for our times. We live in times when there is deception all around us – be it health, education, industry or plain governance. Raising expectations of people without doing enough to meet these expectations creates frustration and an environment of hopelessness.

Here is an excerpt from Dr K P Prabhakaran Nair’s article titled “The real India is getting poorer by the day”

(Quote)
When the World Bank says that four out of ten Indians live below the poverty line, one could quarrel with the methodology used, but, there is no disputing the cause — pathetic governance.

According to the September 30, 2007 status report of the Ministry of Programme Implementation, out of 897 projects, 276 suffered cost overruns with an anticipated cost of Rs. 1,42,227 crore, against the original estimate of Rs 95,913 crore, a colossal 48 per cent increase. This shows that for more than 30 per cent of the projects, the accountability factor is of a very low order
(Unquote)

It is time we moved away from extolling the practice of celebrating foundation stone laying ceremonies. It is important for India to ensure successful completion of projects.

Big Bang to Big Crunch - Going back to future

Note the following excerpt titled Big Crunch from http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/the_universe/Crunch.html (last updated prior to September 2000)

[Quote] If there is enough matter in the Universe eventually gravitational forces will stop its expansion. When this happens gravity will cause the universe to reverse its direction and begin to collapse under its own weight. This phase of the Universe's life is known as the Big Crunch.

Eventually all of the matter in the Universe will collapse into a super dense state and possibly even collapse into an unimaginably massive black hole. Some theorize that the Universe could collapse into the same state that it began as and then blow up in another Big Bang. In this way the Universe would last forever but would continually go through these phases of expansion and contraction, Big Bang and Big Crunch and so on...[Unquote]

As the world gears up for the biggest physics experiment tomorrow (10 September 2008) to re-create the Big Bang forces, I pause again (my last was on 26/10/2004) to reflect on Mother Earth’s journey and its bearings on groups and organizations created around us.

• [Our Past] "The Big Bang" gave birth to cohesive masses and solid groups.........
• [Our Present] Human aspirations are forcing groups to stretch and expand….(repulsive forces are also having similar effects)
• [Our Future] "The Big Crunch" will be shaping the future (as some theorize)……
• Human society, being a part of the Universe, is also on this theoretical path of going back to the future....
• It seems to have developed a need to disintegrate in order to fully integrate....
• There are umpteen examples in the socio-politico-economic environment around us that drive home this message time and again.
• We are all hapless entities under the diktats of some unseen "Universal strategic intent"

Nevertheless, Mother Earth’s journey from Big Bang to Big Crunch offers uncountable moments of joy and sorrow to earthlings.