This is partly in response to Abhaya's blog post and, partly because I wanted, for a while, an excuse to push out this thing which was rotting in the drafts.

At the outset, I am less worried about the TWITCH (TechMahindra-Satyam,Wipro,Infosys,TCS,Coginzant,HCL) saying that a large number of engineers are "unemployable", than I am with reading about start-ups saying a similar thing. The business focus between the two groups is radically different to be worried about an apparently similar statements being aired.

I had earlier written about a similar theme. And, I believe that the Computer Science and Engineering curricula (or, the Information Technology one) does an adequate job doing what they are supposed to do - teaching first principles. The revisionist zeal driven by the somewhat astro-turfing nature of large stock-market bellweathers will do more harm than good when it comes to teaching students. The striking characteristic of being unemployable isn't a factor of the curricula. The fundamental issue that I have with the "education system" is that it is geared towards a single goal - to enable students to 'pass'. When you have that as a single point agenda, you'd pretty much dump everything by the wayside if it doesn't contribute explicitly to your agenda.

Unfortunately, I disagree with the notion that the Google Summer of Code (GSoC) is a "geek magnet". In what can be considered the strangest perversion of a programming community project, the GSoC in India is basically prepared for just like any other examination. If you don't believe me subscribe to the mailing lists of various colleges or, start talking with GSoC-er from India about this. In short, it isn't too different from a GATE and, the old agenda pops up - one needs to "pass". Which is why I also rule out ACM/IEEE and similar organizations doing 'camps' and so forth.

What is needed however is (and this is off a discussion between Susmit and Sayamindu), a way to create an opportunity that has low floor, high ceiling and wide walls. And, a need to be associated/embedded within a community of like minded folks. In order to hire employable scientists one has to also get down in the mud and get work done. How that happens is something which I've not managed to think through yet, but I am fairly certain that that's what is required.

In 2010 I did a small experiment. After putting money away to pay mortgages, rent and so forth I'm left with what I call the "disposable income". And, since I deliberately didn't spend as much as I end up doing on books (remember that I had the Kindle this year and, my purchases have been more sporadic - I generally prefer the books on the Kindle unless completely pushed towards getting a physical copy) I decided that I should figure out how much I can give and where. The list of recipients were short - FOSS projects I liked/used and, organizations which I think are doing some good work in the field they have selected. And, I used the interactions and conversations to gauge whether I'd be contributing again.

The end result of the year-long experiment is that I've finally narrowed down the list of agencies with whom I'm comfortable dealing and, who'd receive my contributions. A list, which I freely admit, is based on whether there was a "Thank You" note at the end of the first contribution. Such a note, properly structured, makes one happy and those warm fuzzies are a good incentive to try and contribute again. It feels awkward to see that not all organizations which request contributions/donations work on ensuring that everything is taken care of.

2010 helped 2011 get focus. That's the upside from the year.

Just returned from sitting through the Pune edition of Ruhaniyat. Last year, it was during a Ruhaniyat that the German Bakery blast happened. Runa was inside watching the performance while I ended up being outside waiting in the car and anticipating that the Pune Police would start shutting down roads and various gatherings. Anyway, that's not the story. A year just whizzed by.

Barring the artists from Egypt, who obviously weren't able to make it, it was a tightly conducted event with not much loose ends. The only thing, that I can say right now is that I've always held Abida's Jahan-e-Khusrau rendition of Chhap Tilak (that's the quickest link I found, need to work this out later) as the best from any living exponent I've heard. Sarfaraz Chisti did manage to convey in a very elaborate manner that Khusrau's verses can be seductive as well as vocally powerful when rendered by a group that's just too well put together.

• The number of folks who deliberately, wilfully and constantly flout the no audio/video recording rule at a concert is high and very annoyingly disturbing
• Free seating brings out the worst parts of manipulative nature of folks. Sweet-talking and cajoling people into shifting, dumping water bottles, fruit juice tetrapacks and what not to "reserve" seats
• Sound systems for open-air concerts require a different set of skills (one speaker bank was partly down for a while)
• Perhaps the organizers could take time to print out the selected compositions and, their meanings as opposed to having them read out. That should cut down on the mistakes in speaking out unfamiliar words.

To understand Yeh Saali Zindagi, one has to first do a quick read of Moebius Strip. Especially the part that this mathematical 'object' is non-orientable.

Without planning to argue for or, against the "romantic thriller" tag of the movie, the folks who, after the first 10 minutes think that this is going to start off where Is Raat Ki Subaah Nahin left off, you'd be in for a disappointment. Sure, it has the same (contrived ?) sense of compressed urgency, of characters who are dealing with machinations somewhat unpredictable and beyond their immediate scope of control, of families and, bonds of emotion, of somewhat rustic conversations. And, in a similar way, actors who play their parts, because they have played similar roles effectively and sometimes wonderfully in other movies and other stories. So, the story goes back and forth, tries to set the context and sometimes the content and mostly the reasons the characters are the way they are. And, yet, it actually fails to involve you in any form. It is as if you are on the sidelines, watching a competently directed drama unfold and all you have to do is laugh or, smirk at the appropriate times.

Irrfan Khan does his laid back, somewhat irrational character as only he can - fairly methodically and well. Saurabh Shukla has done these character roles so often that he could probably do it in his sleep and the audience won't figure out that he's doing it badly or, by rote. Arunoday Singh, in whatever screen time he gets, tries his best to insert an element of tension in his character and does it reasonably well - he probably needs roles written for him keeping his screen presence in mind. Aditi Rao Hydari is good. As are Sushant Singh and, Yashpal Sharma. Chitrangada Singh, I feel, is the muse of the director who hasn't yet been brave to admit that she isn't worth that amount of attention. An actor, who when doing a scene where she's supposed to have dozed off, has stiff finger and hand muscles instead of being slack, is an actor who is let a lot of rope by the director (watch for the scene where Irrfan Khan leaves her a note about taking care while he's off for a month). And, then watch her reactions, when she bashes the head of one of Kuldeep's gang (ie. Arunoday Singh's gang) and then realizes the aftermath. The camera does its best to hide what's bad in the scene.

The problem with movies of these genre (and, there have been plenty similar in Hollywood too) is that due to the day-in-the-life situation, it requires backstories and profiles. And, the movie makers do not take the trouble to release such notes and narratives via the media to the audience who are genuinely interested in them, For example, what was the backstory of Saurabh Shukla's character - how does he get connected to that level of power so that he literally has to run underground when Irrfan Khan's zany plans wreck havoc on his investment business.

It is a good movie. For a 0900 morning show at INOX, which does seem prepared to handle early morning shows. Especially since this time around the audience wasn't enough in numbers to be a bother.