Changu Mangu ki Jodi

This is the tale of two innocent little tots. Well, if you saw them together, their boisterous mannerisms and acts, u would surely need to redefine innocence….but that’s what children are inherently. After all if kids are not allowed to be kids….who are?

They discovered each other in one of the condominium homes in phase V, where they resided….and struck a chord from the beginning. The bond grew stronger, exponentially, by each passing day, prompting the parents to evaluate, if all was technically well…..afterall ‘dostana’ had just released and was a top of mind recall for us. The two started spending more and more time in the company of each other, sharing their toys, books, colors, accessories….cycling, racing, sporting, eating, drinking (beverages, of course, at this age) and an unending list of activities that engaged them vehemently together, as neighbors remarked furtively ‘Yeh fevicol ka mazboot jod hai, tootega nahin’…

The duo had become famous…err infamous in the complex, as the banter of the other children suggested they needed to be weary of them, who were ever ready to emulate their favorite superheroes, spiderman, superman etc. to battle any bullying brethren. Other children vied to be in the company of this ubiquitous duo, as they inspired all others to dance, sing, sprint, cheer and have loads of fun at the community park.

They were fastidious to bypass all sophisticated modes of communication from one home to another, as their shriek and yelling exchanges across the balconies, resounded in the entire complex. They were quick to break into fisticuffs with each other, and hug and embrace each other the very next minute….and what’s more, team up against parents to thwart their attempts to dictate disciplinarian norms. Their moms had vowed never to take them together to a mall, for some very embarrassing moments they have had to face, with the two kids unleashing their bundle of energy in the eateries, toy shops, corridors, play pen etc. also posing a big threat to some of the other parents, who in their garb of executing extremist parental control, were tightly clutching on to their offsprings so as not to expose them to ‘contraband’ behavior.

When one bought a gift for himself, he invariably bought another for his pal. They possessed identical T-shirts, caps, toys, sunglasses, accessories etc to an extent that they had this uncanny ability to time their visit to the loo at the same juncture….such was the camaraderie they shared!

But destiny wasn’t approving of this budding friendship, and the two playmates had to part, one relocating to Jaipur and the other staying back. They were brave to face the decision, and unanimously announced with a bold candor that they were all set to make new friends. But one can’t help, but notice, that the chirpiness has given way to solitude, the blank stare across the balcony enquiring, ‘mumma when will Aryan be back’. Children are very adaptable and adjustable, and mould themselves effortlessly into any novel situation…..but they do have a mind as well that is loaded with multifarious questions and not easily appeased with the answers….they do have a heart that has embedded in it’s deepest recesses, the wonderful memories of good times with a chuddy buddy. It is indeed tough on the two, the pain of disjunction is not one that they can handle with ease, as I notice the subtle dispay of overwhelming emotions at times. Let’s pray that the two are able to bond with other children and make new friends, and also find each other very soon as their paths cross again….changu mangu ki jodi salamat rahe….Amen!!

The B-School Dream

Why are an increasing number of graduates queuing up to be associated with a B-School- is a question haunting me these days. Even the global economic meltdown failed to dwindle the delusions of the aspiring manager. There is an exponential increase in the number of B-Schools, mushrooming in every by-lane of cities and small towns. The most prudent response or an unanimous perception being that enrolment in a B-School is passport to a ‘job’ minus a struggle in the corporate jungle. And it is this myth that is driving the average young student, to put their parental savings in jeopardy, to pick up huge bank loans and enroll themselves in any sundry B-School.

B-Schools of course, are making hay while the sun shines. All of them boast of a 100% placement, but how many would really be ready to share statistical data on the quality of placement, the average salary, and the level the student is hired in. Does the quality of placement ensure a good return on the investment that the student makes on his education? If a student is absorbed as an Insurance/ Sales Agent in an organization and not a Management Trainee, is that a justifiable placement on the part of the institute? Do students evaluate the curriculum, the faculty, the facilities and infrastructure, the quality of placement etc prior to making this move, in prospect of a so called ‘good job’? Are the B-Schools only inward focused, striving to place every student, or do they uphold a broader vision of nurturing ‘employability’. Are business schools reacting to the competitive markets for the students and pressure from the corporate world, to create an educational niche?

Organizations on the other hand are at the receiving end. They are facing a stupendous challenge in hiring the ‘right fit’ students for their various talent requirements. Majority of the students do not conform to the yardsticks of qualifiers, pre decided by the interview panel. There are a plethora of disqualifiers, the most potent of them being:
There is a potent issue with the Communication, especially in English, which is the official language across businesses globally
Students demonstrate a startling lack of etiquette and dress sense
An obvious fallout of this was a lack of confidence in their approach, during the interview process
As a result of this failing standard of their products each successive year, organizations are unable to fill their capacity of requirement from the B-Schools.

Future generations of business leaders will have to be equipped to address the issues of entrepreneurship and globalization. So in designing programs in future, schools have to provide increasing attention to the skills and the tools to bestow the relevant expertise, in the various disciplines to face the multitude of challenges. It is time to wake up to the dawn of a new beginning, to ensure that the Big B-School Dream, doesn’t remain confined to a fanciful dream only, but metamorphoses to an alluring and pristine Reality.