Qutb-Minar to Red Fort to Akshardham temple

I had a lovely day today visiting places like Qutb-Minar, Red Fort and Akshardham temple. Best was Akshardham temple. I had an awesome feeling at Akshardham temple and can certainly not be expressed via words. Taking photos was prohibited at the temple and hence no photos of  that place. I would let pictures do the rest of talking:

22nd July - nephew's birthday

We had a great family party this past Sunday as Aanant, my nephew celebrated his first birthday. It was astonishing to see my maternal aunt joining the party. Archana didi travelled for five hours to join the party. I had a great day and a wonderful celebration along with good food. I will let photos do the rest of the talking.

The Elephant and the Sparrows - story from Panchatantra

Two Sparrows, husband and wife, built a nest on a Banyan tree. Soon the female Sparrow laid eggs in the nest. One afternoon, a wild Elephant came by, seeking shelter from the blazing sun. Overcome by the heat, the Elephant suddenly went out of control and snapped a big branch of the tree, crushing the Sparrows's eggs in the nest. The Sparrows managed to escape. But the female sparrow began to cry for her eggs.
      A Woodpecker, a close friend of Sparrows, heard her cry and was moved by her grief.
      "Why are you crying, my friend?" he asked. "Wise people do not grieve what is lost or what is dead or what is past. That's the difference between a learned person and an illiterate.
      "The wicked Elephant has destroyed my eggs," said the female Sparrow. "If you are my true friend then give me a suggestion to kill him. In my view, he who harms a person in trouble or he who ridicules a person in sorrow deserves to be punished. And he who punishes such a person goes to heaven."
       "What you say is right," said the Woodpecker. "Everyone tries to be friendly when you are prospering. However, one who comes to your aid when you are in need is a true friend. You'll see how resourceful I am. A Fly is my friend. With his help, we can kill the Elephant.
        Then , the female Sparrow and the Woodpecker went to meet the Fly.
        "This is my dearest friend," the Woodpecker said to the Fly. "We need your help. A wild Elephant squashed her eggs. You must somehow find a way to kill that Elephant."
       "A Frog is my friend," said the Fly. "Let's go to him and seek his help, also." 
        The female Sparrow, the Woodpecker and the Fly went to the Frog and narrated the story of the Sparrow's grief. "What is an Elephant before a united group like ours?" the frog remarked. "Do as I tell you. Fly, you go towards the Elephant when the sun is high in the sky and hum a sweet tune into his ears. When he starts enjoying your song and closes his eyes, the Woodpecker will scoop his eyes out. Now he will become blind. Since it would be very hot at that time of the day, he would feel thirsty and will look for water. In the meantime, I'll go to the quicksand and begin croaking there. Thinking that there is water, the Elephant will come there and sink into the quicksand and die.

       All the four played out their roles according to the Frog's plan and caused the death of the Elephant.

Is IT changing the Culture of India?

There was recently an article by Chetan Bhagat called ‘Nerds Vs Lerds’. He has introduced a new term in Indian dictionary called ‘Lerds’. The crux of the article was our political leaders need to gain some characteristics of nerds and become solution oriented. He has emphasized on being solution oriented rather than problem oriented. Nerds are solution oriented and that too within a fixed deadline in a perfect way.

Charity initiatives taken by IT organizations themselves or by IT professionals individually or in groups are really commendable. The idea is to pay forward to the society. Any development done on education front empowers the country in turn. The greatest aspect is, all these are done unconditionally and selflessly.

Passionate interest of Nandan Nilekani, Azim Premji (to name a few) towards the development of nation demonstrates that IT leaders are interested in bringing change to existing political system and model of governance. It’s astounding to see Bill Gates visiting remote places of India and trying to bring development with modern techniques. It’s amazing to see his positive attitude towards India and on its talents. Chetan Bhagat is another example who quit his luxurious earning job to make difference to the already existing system of India.

Empowering Women has gained lot of momentum in IT which in turn is impacting the existing culture of India. Men were considered to be the breadwinners of home while women, the home-makers, which were considered to be a lowly work. Now, women are not only the home-makers but also the co-breadwinners. Men have gracefully accepted this change, gradually, and those who have not yet, would soon accept. Women bring unique qualities on the business table. They not only bring their professional skills but also the unique traits from their personal skills necessary for a smooth and conclusive meeting. Women are now been considered for the top-most positions of organizations like CEO’s etc. This in turn is very motivational for other aspiring women. We already have examples of great women like Chanda Kochhar who are doing exceedingly well.

When women are empowered, the Culture is empowered because women have been known for retaining the culture of India. IT has brought a fresh and dynamic perspective to leadership called ‘Youth Leadership’. Leaders are chosen based not on their ages but based on their skills. This again is very motivational for young Indians who comprise the major population of India.

Globalization is another major aspect which is nurtured by IT organizations. Relationship moves from customer to partner to friends. With the massive advancement of social Medias it’s not even necessary to know a person to include in one’s circle of acquaintance. Facebook, twitter, Google+ are playing major role towards globalization. In today’s world being social is being directly related to being knowledgeable and hence one’s growth. When individuals grow, the country grows. Most of the professionals in IT world use these Medias as part of their day to day life.

Design thinking (an initiative by SAP as far as I know) has gained lot of momentum lately. This term has a very powerful meaning. It highlights people of different cultures create a powerful work-environment in contrast to its opposite. It encourages people of different age groups, sex to work together. In a broader sense it says Embracing Inclusion and Driving Innovation. What a wonderful idea! We are gradually becoming one united Universe and not just one united Nation!