“Should a leader be technical?” There are two differing opinions on this. Some say he or she should be technical while others say leaders do not need to be technical per se because their job has much lesser to do with technology than with leading people.

Discuss both the views and say what you feel of the former view?

A bigger police force is not going to make a given society any safer unless the people of the said society is civic conscious and responsible.

Discuss it.

Ethical ways to health

Get Ethical, Get Wealthy!

Chetan Nagaonkar: Cilicon India

Sometimes I wonder whether this word has become JAB (just another buzzword). I see many people using this word to win the deals, show off that they are the most ethical people in the world or to gain attention by using it often in their discussions. I don’t mean to point out that they all are absolutely unethical or that they mean to be unethical. Its just that they tend to be situational about it. Don’t agree? Answer the below questions –

A. You are in the office and need to make a phone call. Although you will most probably have a mobile phone; you’ll reach out to the desk phone (provided for office use) and then dial. Despite dialing by your own mobile may be more convenient; you get more tempted to use office phone. Why? Is it just habitual? Oh… c’mon don’t give me that look.

B. You have gotten a new job and let’s say that you are supposed to relocate. You call in several ‘Movers and Packers’ to get the best deal. One of them gives you the lowest rates and on the top asks if you require a bloated receipt to claim more from the new organization. What do you do?

C. You are asked to deliver a complex assignment. You realize that some new techniques are involved and you get a help from your colleague. He spends a good deal of time in completing the deliverable. You complete it ahead of/on time and look lot better in front of your management. They laud your efforts. How genuinely do you acknowledge that it would have been difficult (if not impossible) without the help of your colleague?

D. Occasionally, while returning the change either a waiter or teller from bank mistakenly gives you additional money. Do you return it or keep it with you assuring yourself that it was God’s turn of pleasing you that day?

E. In some countries, you can return the appliances/goods if you are not satisfied within 30 days; without having to justify the reason. You buy your favorite mobile/TV and then realize within a week that you could also have bought latest version of that appliance within your budget. Although you are NOT dissatisfied in real sense, won’t you return the appliance under the guise of being not satisfied with it?

We come across such scenarios many times in our lives and tend to intentionally ignore. Everybody deals it based on how they THINK is good for them. Most of the folks tend to convince themselves that they are not doing anything wrong or hurting anybody; and hence they take the path which is beneficial to them.

Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, in their international bestseller book ‘Freakonomics’ have brilliantly explained hidden side of everything. Their first chapter covers what is common between the school teachers and Sumo wrestlers and how they cheat. They have explored the beauty of incentives as well as dark side of it – cheating, and how cheating to lose is worse that cheating to win.

In March 2011, Sachin Tendulkar walked off even while 39000 people had gathered to watch his 100th ton and despite being given not out by Australian umpire Steve Davies. There have been many incredible Tendulkar hundreds and many dismissals before achieving the magic number of century, but this was indeed something out of the ordinary. Not too many players have walked off keeping their heads straight when the stakes have been this high.

You know what is CEH, right? Certified Ethical Hacker. Why is it necessary to specifically call it as ethical? Does that mean that Microsoft or Cisco certified professionals are not ethical? Well, these CEH folks are hired by organizations (and paid hefty sums) to explore the loopholes of their network security, if any, and fix them. They are not paid to hack other networks.

Does the need of attention, need of acceptance by greater set of people, greed make people behave ethically only depending on situations? I know that many organizations today make people take ethical training and tests as one of the mandatory activities after joining. I am not sure if most of them take it to just complete the joining formality or realize that they sign for accepting moral responsibility of being ethical at least towards the organization.

Well, some of the confused souls may have questions after reading the blog till here – “It all sounds good, Mr. Philosopher; how do I ensure that whatever I do is ethical? Is there a quick test where I can get a readymade answer if I am being ethical?” Interestingly, the answer is yes and its very simple (assuming that you love/respect your family or friends or have at least one or more dear ones ) – Whenever you are confused and are not sure if the task that you are doing is ethical or not, ask if you would do it when your family or friend is around. 

Would your family or friend be proud for being associated with you to know about it? Would you be able to sleep peacefully without having to feel guilty about it? Being ethical is not necessarily being nice. You may think that stealing some money and buying gifts for your near and dear ones may make them happy and you may consider it nice. But it is not ethical as you wouldn’t do it if they were around. Its situational. In short, ethics cannot be situational.

Not convinced with the above thoughts? How about using silly philosophy or transitive relation in Mathematics for a change? Here - You get to sleep sound without feeling guilty when you are ethical. Sound sleep is a sign of good health. And you know the proverb ‘Health is Wealth’, which ultimately means ethical people are wealthy people… well, wealthy in true sense. So, Get Ethical, Get Healthy!!

School chidren and reform measures: rich and poor

In many rich nations school children are a big force to reckon with in terms of carrying out social reform measures. This is not so in their poor counterparts where this force is much bigger.

·         Why is this disparity in identifying the force behind school children in poor nations?

·         You may suggest ways for poor nations to follow suit.

The school children of all nations are a huge force when it comes to realizing social reform measures. But, this potential is not harnessed in poor nations. Let me see the reasons for it, and show how these nations can toe the line of their rich counterparts.  

The most striking reason behind this dichotomy is that, in poor nations, parents attach too many sentiments with their children, and many parents are not prepared to find their children go out and serve the society in any way. For example, in rich nations, school students are expected to do voluntary work, community services and extension exercises periodically. All these are part of their studies.

Secondly, thinly populated nations may find such academic exercises rather feasible due the small student-teacher ratio. On the other hand, in poor nations, this ratio as well as their numbers is so huge that it, most of the time, is not easy for schools to realize this goal especially when most of the schools are manned and managed by private players.

Anyway, there are ways for poor nations to follow the footsteps of the rich. The best thing they can do is to make revolutionary changes in the curriculum of school children so as to incorporate measures that make school children participate in social refinement activities. Second thing is that they may go for more state-run schools that can very well engage children such activities. Finally, their parents may be made to realize that there are greater things their children can learn by doing socially relevant activities

In short, the difference in students’ participation found in rich and poor nations is quite natural. However, it is high time poor nations understood the drive behind school children. The suggestion aforesaid will be of some help I believe.

290 words

Ajaypeesdoc.28.10.13

Greater enrollment in children's museums in the rich

In some developed countries there is great rise in the number of enrollments in children’s museums.

·         Why is this spurt in number when children are otherwise well off in term of learning tools?

·         Do you think it is a good idea for poor nations to replicate children’s museums?

Children’s museums have always helped children to have great fun and lessons hand on. But the present rise in enrollments to such museums felt in rich rations has some reasons. This essay is going to see those possible reasons and check whether it is worthwhile for other nations to follow suit.

The primary reason must be the fall in children’s engagement with real time learning. For example, children of rich nations live amidst huge possibilities of learning indoors, and they might be running short of real learning by seeing. For example, children’s museums may be offering them great scope for seeing things in real forms and shapes.

Secondly, it may be said that the dwindling social life of such children might be a matter of concern. Let me make it clearer. When children are taken to such places, they get chances to be socially and physically active and it leaves a lot of scope for picking up life skills. Finally, parents themselves would have realized the need for being with children off and on.

I think it is good for poor nations to make a try on children’s museums.  The thing is, nuclear family order is keeping many children bookish, online and secluded. So children’s museums would give them a little room for unwinding. Secondly, in poor nations, parents are obsessed about their children’s future and when there are enough places for children to meet off the class, they would feel free and thereby identify and pursue their individual areas of strength. They need children’s museums.

In short, there is nothing new when it comes to children’s museums and learning. But what is significant is that people of the rich nations are increasingly feeling the need for such places and their reasons may vary though. Poor nations can very well make a try. It is worth it.  

290 words

Ajaypees.doc.

28.10.13

Greater policing and social safety

A bigger police force will be able to keep a given society safer.

·         Do you agree or disagree with this?

It takes much more than policing let it be bigger policing, to keep a society safer. Therefore, I find it really hard to endorse the view in question. Here I am going to record what makes me think so.  

By definition, a safer society is one in which people of all walks of life happen to experience a holistic feeling that they are safe in more ways than what is called ‘being free from crimes”. The police force as such is one of the parts of a safer society where there are countless other factors that go into the making of what we called “safer”. For example, a society may go unsafe when there is gender inequality, poor socio-economic status, corruption, unemployment, violence against the weak and this list may go on depending on the size and status of the society in question.  

In such a context, there are innumerable things a bigger police force cannot imagine of doing. Is it possible to assume that a stronger police will be able to pin down crimes on domestic violence unless they are reported? Will it be possible for a police force to mend the ways of children from disturbed families who constitute a sizeable number of crimes in any society? The answer is an emphatic ‘no’. Because, being safer is something more internalized and experienced than executed or implemented. What a police force can do is the latter, not the former.

My conclusion is that a bigger police force may be able to contribute a little to keep the crime records of a society under certain controls, but to keep a society ‘safer’ in the real sense of the term involves much greater things than just policing, of greater policing for that matter.  

290 words

Ajaypeesdoc. 28.10.13

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