Winner's Curse

Like most of people of similar age and background like me, I am also not a bit supportive of the caste based reservations being provided and recently even increased to Other Backward Castes by the Great Mr. Arjun Singh. The implication of increased reservations in IITs and IIMs is going to really dilute the brand image as well the performance of the institute. In a pretty decent and educated cabinet lot of Dr. Manmohan Singh, Arjun Singh is like a scar who does not know anything beyond caste politics. Anyways, this is not the stuff I am talking about because it could lead to long, hot and endless discussions.

What I am talking about today is looking at the reservations strategy and its perceived benefits from a different angle. It’s from the perspective of those category students who have got admission in IITs and IIMs and who are treated as ‘benefitted’ from the system.

Are they really benefitted? Or do they suffer from the "Winner’s Curse"?

The official data from various IITs and IIMs on the academic performance of these students over their stay supports the latter. The majority of students in the lowest 15-20 % of students ranked according to their academic performance in both of the prestigious institutes are from the category students in every year. As an example, in IIM Calcutta, students of CGPA less than 4.5/9 are told to repeat their first year and failing to improve their performance in the second year might lead to their expulsion without the degree. Atleast three out of four students in this list is from the reserved category. It not only leads to those students’s loss of precious two years and a huge amount of money but also reduces their confidence to a large extent. Similar examples could also be taken from other IITs and IIMs too on request.

The selection which was thought to be a boon for those students and was supposed to create equality increased the rift in reality. The biggest reason for this situation is that the academics in IITs and IIMs are quite hectic and are maintained at international standards. The reservations are only to provide an easy way of entrance to the category students and did not apply to their studies inside the institutes. The result is those students getting flunked and not been able to cope up with the system. I have seen those students totally depressed and clueless on not being able to perform like other classmates despite trying hard.

My point is that reservations, in actual, are creating more plight for reserved category students instead of providing any sort of platform for equality. The solution is to limit the downsizing of talent for those students and allowing only those students which can cope up with such academic pressure. Other students should be given a chance in next level of institutes so that it could be really useful for them.

The Race for being powerless

Yesterday while surfing through net, I came across an interview of Infosys founder Mr. Narayanmurti in which he talked about his latest released book, his favorite politician and party and also about his ambitions. I was quite surprised to see that his book is just a collection of 36 of his previous speeches given at some point of time. I had an odd feeling that how that book could be of much relevance in the present scenario which is quite different than the context of those speeches.
Secondly, he talked about writing over the solutions to 10 basic problems in India... corruption, communalism, Indo-Pak issue and all. He also reiterated his previous ambition of entering into politics which has now subsided down. However, he hinted his wish of becoming President of India in the near future which raised quite a few doubts in my mind. First APJ Abdul Kalam and now Mr. Narayanmurti, why the hell people having such immense caliber and intelligence want to fight for the post of President. In the Indian context, the post of President is designed to be the shadow of the Central Cabinet and is totally powerless and worthless. Not only all the important decisions regarding internal matters but also in all the major International meets, Prime Minister only enjoys all the responsibility of representing India. It makes the President post a total waste of 5 important years for such brains. They could be used in the other fields of strategic planning and scientific research.
If these people sincerely wants to help India in its planning and decision making, they should enter into the politics at local level or national level. But the irony is that nobody wants to clean the mud, but enjoy the fruits.
I seriously urge Mr. Narayanmurti, that if he and other entrepreneurs and educated lot joins Indian politics, we could still see light at end of the tunnel. Otherwise, if not us, then our next generation could face such PM's which can only think of banning computers and setting up his/her statues as way of India's development.
~ Till last we hope..thats our strength