Umpire

A genius with a degree in Electronics Engineering walks into an interview room. 

Panelist: Did you know anything about Mobile Phones?

Genius: Yes

Panelist: My phone shows the details of my contacts even when I don't insert a SIM card. Where are they stored?

Genius: Battery. 

Panelist: Are you sure?

Genius: Yes. That is why you need to charge it everyday. Lest the get erased.

When Pritam (name changed) secured 99.85 percentile in CAT, with more than 97 percentile across sections, he thought he cleared the first stage for getting into Indian Institute of Management. Alas, this wasn't to be the case.

Over the past few years, IIMs have tried to give importance to the 'profile' of candidates. They cited examples of ivy league schools. However, they seem to have some trouble with understanding the meaning of the word 'profile'.

Consider the case of Pritam, a hardworking student from a rural back ground with 89% in class X, 88% in Class XII, an All India Rank 416 in IIT-JEE, a CGPA of 8.9/10 in IIT-Madras and a couple of years of experience working for Google. Half the IIMs think that he isn't worthy of being interviewed - leave alone an admission. They didn't even bother to ask or let him mention that he is also an accomplished tennis player and published 3 novels. (I made up the last one. In any case, IIMs wouldn't know as they never asked).

It looks like his fate is sealed - almost. Because of his low scores in class X and XII, the IIMs have decided that he is unworthy of their attention. The only way for him to merit their attention is by being in the Top-20 of the nation. That is what IIM Bangalore mentions as the only way IN for him. 

On the other hand, I know of a student Lucky (name changed) a hard cramming student from one of the corporate schools. Somebody who doesn't even know that lunch can be shared. He crammed his way to glory in the state board exams, completed his engineering from a shoddy college - again cramming his way to a 86%. And, he gets all the calls. It doesn't matter that his scores in the internal and practical examinations were 100%, thanks to the generosity of his professors.

Agreed he still has to ace the interview. His failing at the interview doesn't give the chance to a 'discard' like Pritam to show his schools. Somebody 'less bad' will get the opportunity to study while Pritam proceeds to Harvard and creates the next McKinsey.

Well done IIMs. All the best Pritam.

When you play in the sub -continent, people pay to watch bowlers getting hit all over the park. It gives them the same 'kick' that they get when the watch Rajni haul throws villains into the Sun by bouncing them off the moon. 

When the new Power Play rules were framed, many a bowler rushed to retirement - Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Bishen Bedi and even Jim Laker. But, this world cup does seem to have changed the perception.

Now, we have bowlers competing to bowl during the batting power play, with little risk to career and free wickets on offer. Very soon Cricket South Africa will ensure that quota system is implemented even for sharing the five power play overs.

When in college, our gang went on a drive to a beach. Coming from the land-locked city, it sure was a great experience. One of our friends, wielding a "Camera Phone" that shot images at a princely 40Kb per picture went about taking pics. I have only 4 photos from that trip but I cherish every moment of it. Every time I see the pic (Which looks the best as a thumb nail), I take a trip down the memory line.

On a recent trip to a beach, I noticed a gang in their late teens. Everybody was waiting for the sun rise. When the sun did raise, not one looked at the Sun. Everybody was busy recording the moments together - except that everybody was busy with their cameras.