Feeds Jan 2016

Intolerance

Pg. 12

Juvenile Justice

Is the world’s largest democracy an inescapable victim of its own bigotry? Read on to hear out take on ‘The Award Wapsi’

And the Game Begins...

Pg. 5

One more will be sleeping with the fishes tonight, as you walk into the dark night with the cold comfort of your gun in your pocket.

Pg. 30

When given a crime, is it justifiable in trying a minor as an adult? Or does it indicate a failure of the judiciary if the convicted loses his chance at redemption? Join the debate.

Chess Pieces in Real-life Pg. 28 Fight as a pawn on the sixty-four squares, as heroes spanning from the pulp of Marvel’s finest to the legends of Tolkien’s epics do battle.

PULLOUT POSTER INCLUDED IN CENTER PAGE

Pragyan had its tryst with history in pulling off the Business Summit. That’s not all that happened over the last month though.

NITT’s admin has taken the plunge to start a bold and humane venture. Find out all about it, and how you can make a difference..

Pg.2

Admits are rolling in, giving much joy to Masters’ applicants. For the ones still undecided about life after college, but with a distinct idea of pursuing a Masters’ degree, a helpful starter guide to loans awaits. Pg.38

Real-life heroes in the truest sense, sportspersons are often looked upon by their governments to represent the nation’s culture wherever they go. These ‘secondtier’ of diplomats sometimes have larger consequences on international ties than one may realize.

Pg. 39

Retrace the sandy dunes from whence our ancestors came from, and hear the story of a pair of siblings, as they stumble through the secrets of the desert.

Pg. 40

Our Patron Director

Dr.S.Sundarrajan

Dean (Students’ Welfare) Dr.A.Venkataswamy Reddy

Faculty Advisors

Dr.V.Sathyaraj Dr.V.Vinod Balakrishnan Content Developers: Kaushik, Shruthi S, Ashwin, R Vignesh, Sumukh, Abinesh, Sriram, Adityan, Srishyam, Nishit, Jeswin, Sandeep, Gautham M, Shreejaya, Aniruddh, Suriya.

Cover Story: Swathi, Ria. reative Writers: Snigdha, Swathi, Aravindmani, Ajay, C Nevedita, Diptisikha, Nived.

Illustrators: Ayush.

Designers: Shakthi Hari, Sri Harsha, Thilak, Arun Kumar, Abhinaya, Swarthika, Pranav, Abhijjith.

Editor

Abhinav Ramachandran

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Karthik Selva and Deepak Valagam ( ICE 2012) Printed at Safire Offset printers, Sivakasi. © Feeds NITT 2015. All rights reserved.

Abhinav Ramachandran

Editor

A recent article on The Economist featured a documentary by the Films Division of India, that interviewed 20-year olds who were born on the 15th of August 1947 titled “India at 20”, and asked their opinions and dreams for India. The author of the article set himself on a mission to find and interview these children of the midnight. He is left intrigued by one youth in particularT.N Subramaniam by the sheer depth of his observations and the polish in his expression of the same. To quote T.N Subramaniam from the video, “Well, it seems to me the fashion today to denigrate the country, and when two people meet, they get into a sort of competition about who can abuse the government better. I would say our achievement is that we have a hopeful tomorrow. Our failure is that our today is very precarious. If all the people in this country who didn’t fancy their prospects in it were allowed to quit, I think I’d stay. Because it’s something big.

It’s a huge experiment, and I would like to be a part of it.”

Fast forward to today, India is a still a nation that wields the attention of the world for the potential it possesses. It is one of the top two fastest growing economies in the world over the past decade and is expected to turn into the world’s youngest nation by 2021. The upshot being, the youth will comprise nearly 65% of its workforce in the future.

Millennials, as the youth is dubbed these days, are far more educated and their growing presence in the demographic profile has forced policies to align with their expectations. Companies like Infosys have thrown out the necessity of a formal dress code at work. They are highlyeducated, mobile and technology savvy, with a strong desire for freedom. It is expected that this generation will be the richest since the baby boomer generation.

And that means that we lobby for curfew extension for girls, better food quality at the mess, feel handicapped without Wi-Fi and create student organizations to fuel every passion and interest. NIT-Trichy currently has a portfolio of such a large number of student organizations that one falls into the minority in not being involved any of the same.

T.N Subramaniam as it turns out was a stereotypical baby-boomer Indian. He moved to the United States to build software that streamlined car loans.

So who is the average Indian millennial? For sake of convenience let’s call him Mill.

Mill is a graphic designer working in data analytics Mill is a photographer who works on the shop floor of a process plant.

Mill is a writer who wants to do an MBA. We are Mill.

The ‘Young Indians’ initiative organized a special interactive session for students with the Union Minister for Civil Aviation. Held in association with Pragyan, the event occurred at the Barn on the evening of January 8. Aside from talking to students, the minster also inaugurated the new DoMs block. Additionally, the college exchanged MoUs with industries and educational institutes, and formalized the adoption of three villages.

MoUs Signed by the College

In a step to promote inclusive development, NIT Trichy has signed MoUs with the Center for Land Warfare Studies (CLaWS), D’Gipro Systems Private Limited (DSPL), The National Research Centre for Banana and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) respectively.

CLaWS and D’Gipro, based in New Delhi, will offer short-term certified programmes dealing with defence acquisition and technology-utilization management. The second MoU involves the National Research Centre for Banana, Tiruchirapalli. The institute, which operates under the jurisdiction of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) will provide students with access to research and learning in fields such as manufacture of precision farming tools, bio sensory equipment as well as advancements in agriculture technology.

The TCS Academic Interface Programme, which was the final MoU to be exchanged, aims to extend support to students through workshops and internships. Additionally, interested teaching faculty can avail the benefits of the initiative’s faculty development program.

The aim of the MoUs, according to the Director, will be to provide holistic opportunities for students.

Workshops will be organized for those enrolled, with the opportunity to implement their knowledge in industrial projects.

When the formalities were completed, the minister, after a short address to the gathering, left the floor open for questions. Answering his call, students posed several questions to the Union Minister, ranging from the potential of the aviation industry in the future to the role of youth in aviation today

In an effort to improve the college’s participation in social initiatives, the administration has adopted three villages located in the vicinity of Trichy. As a result, the campus has become one of the first institutes outside of the IITs to be included in the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan scheme.

About Unnat Bharat Abhiyan Envisioning the nation’s development, a seed - the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan - was sown to transform and develop the rural sector of India.

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Launched by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in 2014, the scheme connects institutes such as IITs, NITs and other Government-run colleges with villages that can benefit from the knowledge and technology shared by these prestigious institutes.

Under the scheme, institutes and colleges take local villages under their wing, study their problems and work towards providing solutions to them.

The mission of Unnat Bharat Abhiyan is encapsulated as thus: ‘to upgrade the capabilities of both the public and private sectors in responding to the development needs of rural India’ .

NIT Trichy’s Three Villages

Located a little way off Tanjore Highway, the villages - Solagampatti, Kothampatty, Nodiyur - lie in the Kandharavkottai taluk of Pudhukottai district. In a recent visit to two of the villages, members of Pragyan undertook an in-depth study of their problems.

Assisting them in their efforts were workers from Kovai Farms, an establishment located near the villages.

Members of this organization were the ones responsible for the provision of tree saplings to the college at the adoption ceremony. That gesture, notably does not come under the Unnat Bharat Abhiyan, but rather could be seen as a show of goodwill from the villagers.

Over the course of their analysis, the Pragyan team keyed in on several shortcomings faced by the village. They report that the biggest problem faced by the villages appears to be an abject lack of drinking water.

Compounding the issue is the fact that the community is poorly accessed by roads. As a result, very few economic options are actually available to the residents of the village. Many of the villagers are forced into a makeshift lifestyle, commuting long distances on foot to work jobs in the city.

Unnat Bharat Abhiyan aims to encourage a symbiotic relationship between institutes of higher learning and underdeveloped rural regions. The three villages adopted represent true real-world systems. As such, any project providing solutions for the woes of the villagers, would have meaningful and visible impacts. Simultaneously, the village also reaps the benefits. It is expected that the PSR and LEAP Clubs take point over the activities involving the villages.

Meanwhile, regular students should see the scheme as an opportunity to have a positive influence on the lives of the impoverished. Students interested in taking part in the initiative may contact Hema M of PSR Ph - +91 9176610031.

The Youth Business Summit, organised by Pragyan, took place on January 23 at the Hilton Hotel, Chennai.

The summit involved four guest lectures, and a panel discussion. Each session was concluded with answering of questions put forth by the audience.

The event started with opening remarks from the organisers, followed by the Director giving the opening speech. Subsequently, the topic, ‘Leading India to its Tomorrow’, was expounded upon by the first speaker, Kumud Srinivasan (Chairperson, NIT Trichy). ‘Enhancing Productivity in Work’ was the topic of the second guest lecture, given by Rajesh Srinivas (Group Executive Vice President, YES Bank). He was followed by Amit of the Visteon Corporation on the topic ‘Driving Forward – the Automobile Revolution’.

Post-lunch was the panel discussion on “Make in India, but can India make it?”

The members of the panel included Anand Subramanian, Senior Director of Marketing Communications and Spokesperson, OLA Cabs, Dheeraj Sinha, three time recipient of the Atticus Awards, Zubin Sharma, founder and CEO, Project Potential and Ms. Savitha, representing Teach for India. Moderating the panel was Govindraj Ethiraj, founder of Ping Digital Broadcast.

The discussion touched on many topics including what innovation meant to the members and what Make in India should focus on. Capping the day was a guest lecture by Sudhakar Ram, CEO and MD of Mastek, who listed the Five Important Steps to a Successful Start-up. Pragyan, it can be said has demonstrated the professionalism and svelte necessary to bring the leaders of today and tomorrow under one roof.

- Shruthi S, Nishit, Abinesh

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HOW SHERLOCK SURVIVED THE REICHENBACH FALL?

January 1st: Most saw it as a new beginning, first day Let’s start from the beginning: The ‘IOU’ is a common of 2016. For all those ‘Sherlocked’ like me, it was the abbreviation to indicate a debt. Moriarty, out of pure premiere of the ‘Abominable Bride.’ obligation, presented to Sherlock the first hint that led him to the final solution. The apple was an orb to gravHowever, 3 seasons, 10 episodes and 900 minutes of ity: a teaser to the genius that lay ahead. His pondering worthy primetime television later, the curious re- halted at the much complicated concept of ‘Loop Quansearcher in me was displeased. The source of my dis- tum Gravity.’ content: The Reichenbach Fall. Sure there were many theories: Who can forget that fearless bungee jump off Now for the foam ball: Quantum foam is much comof St. Bart’s Hospital or that more than awaited pas- monly believed to be the most effective mechanism for sionate kiss with Molly Hooper. But were we satisfied? the opening of Einstein-Rosen bridges or “wormholes”.

Hell No. The negative mass principle allows the wormhole to remain open for long enough to facilitate successful Realizing I could not rely on Mark Gatiss or Steve travel. So as Sherlock reached the lower floors of St. Moffat anymore, I embarked to find my own expla- Bartholomew’s during his “fall”, he successfully opened nation. Armed with Google and equipped with a a space-time warp. Due to the concept of relativity, wild imagination here is my theory on how Sherlock there was a time difference however working in the Holmes survived the Reichenbach Fall. Like Sherlock opposite sense. 2 minutes on Earth corresponded to 18 says, “You know my methods, apply them!” hours of travel.

There are several clues scattered all throughout the episode. It all starts with the ‘IOU’ etched apple that Moriarty leaves at Sherlock’s place. A 30 second screen time of Sherlock pondering over a prop that had no consequence to the story didn’t make much sense.

This was the primary reason why Sherlock could not have taken his phone along. The travel of the electronic device would have resulted in a static recording equivalent to the period of travel thereby revealing the truth.

Thus as Sherlock fell on the ground the impact velocity would have been far too low to even cause minor injuSeveral scenes later, Sherlock is shown playing with ries. The only trick involved was to place the entry and what looks like a sponge ball repeatedly. This was in exit of the wormhole at the same position in real world reality a crude joke by the writers hinting at what is and light years apart in space-time. colloquially known as “Quantum Foam”. For my readers who haven’t read much by Carl Sagan, I noticed that John was pushed by the bicycle man after “Quantum foam is a concept in quantum mechanics the fall. If this would not have happened, he would conceptualized as the foundation of the fabric of the have witnessed a man fall from 18 ft onto hard concrete universe. It is an interpolation of the principle of neg- with no injuries. In the time that Watson was pushed, ative mass.”

Holmes managed to stage the scene with blood convincing every one of his death.

I also noticed that Sherlock throws his phone before jumping and this got me wondering.. Why would a Why this explanation hasn’t been proposed by anyone man about to end his life care about an electronic de- before? Well, like Sherlock always says, “You see. But vice. A careful examination of the sequence of events you do not observe!” that followed made everything clear.

Sherlock survived the Reichenbach Fall because he never fell. … He travelled!

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- Snigdha

(This is a true story) (The events depicted took place in a familiar location in the recent past) (At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed) (Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred)

T

he radiant moon shed its light on the clock tower as its hands showed 9 PM. As the humans of the settlement slowly shut their tired eyes for the day, 3 men surreptitiously slipped away from their base. Covered fully in pitch black outfits, the trio made their way to house 123. A dog whelped in a distant corner, startling the threesome in transit. Giving birth to a maniacal smile, the head codenamed ‘X’ thought it aptly suited their plan in motion.

As the trio maneuvered the array of houses, X took the time to reiterate their exit plan from house 123 for the hundredth time. He knew the risks of this clandestine operation. ‘Lives were at stake’ was, in his opinion, justifying the action in very trifling words. It was always bigger than that, according to the leader. A natural born killer he was, the game his milieu, his passion and commitment to his overseer his greatest asset.

Reaching the house, they took down their shoulder weapons and signaled to ten to launch their attack.

Taking out his razor sharp knife, X took to his fingers to start the countdown. Heavy breaths went down like the fingers in their leader’s hands. And bang, the door opened.

“Damn it, I forgot water! Water damn it!” the sniper scolded himself. 3 hours in the cold with no food, water was the least he wanted and thought he had. Waiting was in his sniping genes. A supposedly peaceful retirement phase of his life was twisted into an action-filled ‘old man gone crazy’ phase. Fed up with the everincreasing crime rate in his village, he believed taking matters into his own hands was his job. The night was hunting ground for the veteran, taking down the deadliest of the criminal network. Deep down, he liked his sudden metamorphosis into vigilantism.

A remote noise unsettled him from his patient purview. Turning his ACOG scope, he pointed his rifle towards the direction of the sound. Placing his eye, he slowly magnified the scope. A dimly-lit house appeared in his sight of vision. Some unrest, he believed, was the source of the sound. Suddenly, a splash of red appeared on the window of the house. Alarmed, he placed himself in shooting position. “First for the night! Come out…. easy… easy,” muttered the vigilante to himself. The butt of the rifle steady, his fingers wrapped around the trigger. His fast beating heart hoped to see the next criminal victim.

“Quick, let’s get the hell out of here”, X whispered, tugging his subordinate to leave as quick as possible.

Three steps behind his man, he looked back at the dead villager. As he turned back around, his face was splotched with blood. His trembling hands wiped away the red fluid, the subordinate’s.

“Everyone, open your eyes. The village wakes up to the death of Matthew and Pranav,” announced the moderator. The game of Mafia had reached a turning point.

- Nived

5

ELON MUSK All of us have gone through a fervent period in our lives.

We would inevitably have a fleeting sensation amidst our jam-packed diurnal activities taking place during which, we would vigorously jot down unrealistic, crazy ideas that occur to us. But sooner, rather than later, reality happens.

In 1995, a recent college graduate experienced such a lucid moment, analysing then, the areas most likely to produce ground-breaking work in the near future: the Internet, Artificial Intelligence, sustainable energy, space exploration, and reprogramming the human genome. He decided that he wanted to make an impact in all of them.

While such an undertaking may seem overly precocious for a fresh graduate, not to mention too varied for this single person, this guy had it all planned out.

His name was Musk, Elon Musk.

Popularly known as the ‘Real-Life Iron Man’ he is currently the CEO of Tesla Motors, SolarCity, and SpaceX. Much like his companies, most of his life choices were unconventionally radical. After attending Stanford for a mere 2 days for his PhD, Musk had an epiphany, and decided to quit and start Zip2. This whim of his led him to his initial claim to fame as a part of the “Paypal Mafia”, infamous for the disruption they caused. The rest, as they say, is history.

With great fame, comes greater criticism.

Musk, too, has had his share of both: Poor man’s worst nightmare?

Elon Musk has predicted that SpaceX tickets to Mars will cost $500,000 - something affordable only to the elite. Consequently, comparisons were drawn with the movie Elysium, wherein those who couldn’t afford this golden ticket were forced to lead a deplorable life on Earth.

The Musk Factor: First, the entire movie reference is riding on the assumption that the Mars situation will be Utopia.

We should realise that people are taking a gamble, going to Mars to start afresh. Also Musk is a radical visionary who is looking to make a transition into a whole new level of advancement. Such a change doesn’t come cheap. He is no saint nor does he have any responsibility towards the people (as SpaceX isn’t a government organisation).

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On Tesla: Tesla’s EV cars were accused, again, of catering to the rich alone – the latest Model X is priced at $69,900. People also worried about the distance that could be covered on a full charge. Further cause for anxiety was the long waiting hours it took for charging the car. That is if they ever found a charging point.

Also concerns have been raised regarding safety: any damage to the battery might result in the leakage of toxic chemicals, or even worse, fatal shocks. People are also in quandary about how ‘green’ an EV is, seeing that all the manufacturing, charging, and recharging require the burning of fossil fuels (not to mention their subsequent pollution).

Elon Musk’s original plan was to use profits generated by sale of these models to manufacture low-cost models in the future – the upcoming Model 3 is expected to cost $20,000 to $30,000 because of the advent of a “gigafactory” that manufactures the battery (primary reason for cost) at a production rate equal to the world’s current levels.

As for range and recharge he has already installed free “Supercharge stations” across many routes in America,which he wants to multiply and also make self sustaining by integrating it with solar energy.

As to how “green” their cars actually are, carbon footprints associated with manufacture of electric vehicles are significantly less than those of the least polluting gas-run vehicle. This level too is expected to go down with the aid of renewable energy.

The “Elon” Ranger?

If one digs deep enough, one can see that Elon Musk isn’t the “radical” that he was purported as - he now faces competition from many standalone companies, because as far as the EV industry is concerned, every major car company out there has one. Even on the space exploration front, ‘Virgin Galactic’ (owned by Richard Branson) and ‘Blue Origin’ (with Jeff Bezos as a major player) are offering similar services.

The Musk Factor: What sets our hero apart from all of them, what makes him confident enough to take them head-on, all at once, is his mindset towards every issue. He’s clinical, precise and transparent in his activities – SpaceX has all its missions and technology clearly explained on its website. He believes in non-patenting of inventions and is all for open software (he’s currently a member of the Open AI committee).

With such a man at the vanguard of revolution, we can predict with confidence, the future - written Feeds-style : The year was 2260 A.D. The cool voice of her AI greeted Sheen from the other side “Your Uber-E will be here for pickup in 5 minutes to take you to the airport.”

“Thanks a bunch, Hal”, she said briskly, picking up her tablet on the way out. On the street outside, a sleek, black Tesla rolls up to the curb. Sheen didn’t give the driverless vehicle a second glance after getting into the backseat.

Sheen hopped off at the airport hyperloop, from where she was transported to the launch-strip. She never tired of the exhilaration of travelling in the capsule through the transparent tubes. Twisting and winding through the scape, it was the closest she would get to the rollercoasters of the 21st century. Now at the boarding bay, she touched the biometric scanner at the door. Hal had already booked her ticket in advance using her biosignature.

Sheen settled into her seat by the window.

Her chrono flicked to life. Tapping the screen, she activated the audio implant.

“Nice work today. We’ll meet again tomorrow to finalize the report. Rough commute?”, asked her co-worker sympathetically.

They conversed for a few more minutes before saying their goodbyes.

Sheen stretched tiredly and yawned. It had just been another typical day. Her eyes searched around for a few minutes before finding what they were looking for The distant blue and green-hued orb that was her home.

Earth.

- Sriram, Srishyam, Nevedita

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R.I.P Indian Comics 84 Naraina Vihar New Delhi-110028 Namaste, Uncle Pai! It has been so long since I wrote to anybody. You see, Raaket gulped down the old typewriter’s space bar and it is oh, so tedious to find a key that fits these days. You did right to move on with those computer boxes.

The world is moving forward and this generation definitely enjoys a lot more. But you know, I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and this thing’s been nagging me. On my evening walk the other day, I came across some comic book called ’Mahabharata-18 days’ on a park bench. As much as the name, what intrigued me was the fact that it was illustrated comic-style. And, hey Bhagwaan! Lord Krishna never looked more chic my whole life! It got me thinking, so I went around and updated myself with the latest comics - oh my, who would’ve thought we’d come to this?

Do you remember the stories you grew up with, Anant? In our time, storytelling was about wit and humour. These days, it’s those firangi-superhero-inspired characters weaving into our ageold culture. These things are not even comics - they’re called “graphic novels”, apparently - and it is what our kids are consuming: distorted versions of mythologies that might as well have been a Bollywood script, with men built like pehelwans and damsels for ladyfolk. So much for creativity.

These new age ‘comics’ are but an excuse for fascinating graphics. Even the plots lack the innocence and lightness that used to have us break into crooked smiles at the turn of a page. I’d find less pictures in a child’s colouring book without looking for any and yet the target is a mature and sober readership, unlike the ‘young and old alike’ of our time. Haan, it is creative but that’s it! It’s like those stupid soaps that Bini watches: overacted and overdressed. (Seriously, who sleeps with make-up?)

Have you realised, contemporary Indian comics are basically desi versions of foreign publications? Haye Ram, we’ve even come as far as narrating depressing social issues in the name of comics!

And then, they call a comic ‘funny’ when the humor is either out of place or just plain stupid. I must remark: they’re fishing for ideas out there, Anant, and that is no excuse to produce unimpressive, silly storylines that most new characters are built up on. Aren’t Indian writers capable of much more?

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Alas, I have come to conclude that most writers are challenged, poor souls finding a place in the industry. Isn’t it true? (I can only imagine the drive for foreign content and ‘international’ names that has been created.)

All these writers, to fit in, must land up producing this mess of comics to earn their bread. Arre, why should we bear the brunt of their troubles? Talent ki koi jagah nahi hai, and if this is not a sad world, I don’t know what is. I haven’t even told you the worst part yet. That evening at the park, after having the ordeal with Krishna ji, I was about to put the thing back but, out of habit, I flipped over to check the price. ₹999 for that ridiculous thing!? No wonder the reader had been disgusted enough to leave it behind. These comics cost readers a fortune: it’s not something I would buy for a penny, read, and then get rid of. We don’t want to show off the glossy paper. We want to enjoy it in peace and then pass it around; that’s what comics are for.

Chacha ka dimag computer se bhi tez chalta hai, but this leaves me puzzled. Is there any hope? What do you think, being in the midst of the comic scene yourself?

Anyway, it delights me to see that Suppandi and Shambu are still favourites. Some things never change, huh? Bini still makes the best halwa, Raaket is lively as ever and your garden still produces the juiciest oranges!

Do send us some this season and give our love to Mrs. Pai and the kids. I’m earnestly looking forward to hearing from you.

With love, Chacha Chaudhary

- Shruthi S, Nishit

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Ping! A notification arrives in your Facebook

account stating that your “friend” has sent his message to TRAI saying that they should allow Free Basics in India. If you’re smart, you’ll choose to ignore it. If you’re smarter, you’ll realise that Facebook now has the incentive, power, and most importantly, money to invest in such ventures that monopolize the Internet Service Providing market. Take a moment and think back: Facebook was supposed to be a start-up!

How is it that a company started in just the previous decade get to a valuation that runs in not millions but hundreds of billions of dollars, have 4 subsidiaries also with huge valuations, all in such a short period of time? Moreover, at what point do such companies cross over the mysterious border that delineates start-ups branded as minnows and strongly established companies that we think rule the roost? In this two-part article, we’ll try and demystify when exactly a start-up can no longer be treated as one.

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To begin with, let’s take a brief look at how a traditional start-up operates. The term startup seems to have gained popularity with the shift of work culture towards the internet.

Hence, some of the well-known companies that donned the start-up label back then are some of the leading tech giants at the moment.

However, one must not mistake start-ups to be tech based alone; rather, anything that is created and led by few is a start-up.

Recent start-ups that have managed to grab the attention of the masses include Uber, Whatsapp, Paypal, and of course, the social networking giant, Facebook. They all started as an idea that built up into a major player that challenged the market norm. Hence, this eccentricity is something most start-ups bank on; the ability to make disruptive decisions, and change and adapt to the market’s needs, whilst still small.

What is it they do or have that traditional companies seem to lack? While it is true that they have been around only for a decade or so, they sustain their place at the forefront because of their innovativeness – hence, the reason why they’re widely regarded as “change agents”. They always experiment with their business models, make major, bold moves with much appreciated alacrity and are surprisingly willing to change their core tenets to adapt to changing needs in the market – all of which traditional companies have tremendous difficulty in doing which may translate to bankruptcy for them. Some other tell-tale signs to look out for are the fact that they have not gone public with an IPO (Initial Public Offering), relatively low number of employees, and probably a relaxed atmosphere at the workplace with stretchable work timings. A sort of a transitional point is when their company hierarchy has so many levels that the CEO doesn’t know what’s happening at the ground level; or when faced with competition they just buy the other company (as when Facebook bought WhatsApp).

A buzzword that has been trending in Silicon Valley over the past few years has to be ‘Unicorn Company’ (UC). Much like their mythical counterpart, these companies are extremely rare and are supposedly harbingers of good fortune.

Yet, what exactly constitutes a UC? Many do not agree upon the exact definition of a UC. Nevertheless, it is commonly agreed upon that a UC is a software company whose valuation exceeds a billion dollars. Several common traits can be observed in UCs. Due to how recently these companies have been founded, most UCs still exhibit the characteristics of a typical startup. They are largely based out of the California and their founders are usually graduates of elite engineering institutes. They mostly cater to burgeoning fields such as e-commerce and enterprise software. It was approximated by TechCrunch in 2013 that 1 out of every 1538 software companies founded (or about 0.07 percent) eventually turn out to be UCs. It’s fitting, then, that California was historically known for the gold rush in the 1850’s, and a UC seems to be the gold everyone’s after. So, is there a method to the madness of founding one of these?

An attempt is made to explain their success.

UCs are well known for visionary founders (think Elon Musk - trying to put the common man in space) with dreams that are truly disruptive. The clarity of objectives that the founder exhibits often cajoles VC’s into a primary round of funding.

Inspirational leadership leads to employees with rabid loyalty, who thrive under a work culture that is highly informal and exhibit zero latency in task execution.

Another trend worth noting in this respect is the fact that most UCs usually utilize algorithms that eliminate every bottleneck in their service delivery process. Facebook tries to utilize lesser data to deliver content that you might most likely want to read, while Netflix uses machine learning to develop content that might receive maximum viewership.

And finally, UCs are constantly experimenting with almost every aspect of their business.

Flipkart’s first big billion sale, while implemented poorly, was an experiment that turned out to be a major sales and publicity success. The secret, it seems, is risk - betting big and winning bigger.

Clearly, a UC has attributes of both the underdogs as well the big players. Perhaps studying them holds the key to understanding the ‘tipping point’ of companies, that point when they stop being ‘change agents’. Surely, the difference is not as subtle as it seems at first. Right? Maybe. In the next issue, we shall attempt to definitively underline the transition point between the phases.

- Vignesh, Abhinav, Sriram, Suriya, Arvindmani

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The main objective of “Award Wapsi” – if it can be called that – seemed to be to indirectly coerce an apology of sorts from the government. An apology that optimistically, would admit to failings in protecting rights of artists and free thinkers.

But it certainly painted a deplorable state of affairs when the literary community of a country abandons the pen in favour of the crudity of returning pastaccolades. ‘Intolerance’ certainly was the flavour of the month, the word on everyone’s lips as reputed artists and writers alike followed suit to imitate Nayantara Sahgal.

This was notably, the appointment of Gajendra Chauhan as the Chairman of the FTII. Students of the institution had panned the move, claiming that he was a politically-influenced choice. The ensuing stalemate simmered for months, but had existed as a separate issue altogether. Now it too was tossed into a box of ill-defined “injustices” that the writers said the government had failed to address.

For most of the incident, the fact that the Sahitya Akademi institution functioned as an autonomous body was overlooked. That many of the national awards and civilian honours had been bestowed by previous regimes, and that their relinquishment served more to criticize the Indian State rather than any government, was cautioned by only a few, such as Kamal Haasan.

All of this proceeded in the absence of any real demand or mandate from the literary community, while their statements – usually in the form of open letters - remained worded in frustratingly vague rhetoric. Consequently, a great deal of uncertainty obscured the plausible endgames of the movement.

However, this was where the lack of a solid front and a united mandate undid the movement. Noting the lack of an official statement from the returnees, the government responded with a series of indifferent and caustic dialogues. Administrative spokespersons hinted that the government was more interested in other “Wapsis” and considered the whole issue to be mere media fodder.

The unfortunate haste too with which the two months unfolded left several wondering if reason had been an accidental sacrifice at the altar of convenience.

It wasn’t helping either when filmmakers espousing the writers’ cause tacked on their own qualms to the movement.

When the Prime Minister did speak, he was humiliatingly casual. He described the events preceding “Award Wapsi” as ‘Sad and Unfortunate’, and stressed that the events at Dadri had occurred at a state not ruled by the BJP. In his eyes, this absolved his government of any blame in the farce.

13

Fair enough, one may point at the ruling party’s subsequent reverse in the Bihar Assembly elections as just comeuppance. But to cite that as a victory for the literary community would be self-defeatist.

Indeed, it would be anathema to a movement that is already dogged by suspicions of political motivation.

Nayantara Sahgal’s own proximity in the Nehru family tree only further these beliefs. Besides, the literary community of the country largely prides itself to being vehemently apolitical. Attributing a political result to the efforts of their cause would only discredit them.

But did we really expect much better? As Arundhathi Roy wrote in an Op-Ed to The Guardian after returning her National Award, it is we the enfranchised, who so enthusiastically granted the current government so landslide a victory in the Lok Sabha elections. No stranger to speaking out against the government herself, she points out that the voters were already quite aware of Narendra Modi’s alleged track record with Human Rights and Minorities.

Ironically, this indicates that more than intolerance, it may be excessive tolerance that has left the nation in such a conundrum. When poll time rolled around in 2014, it was “Ab Ki Baar, Modi Sarkar” on everyone’s mind. True, anti-incumbency took its fair toll on the Congress, especially with an alphabet soup of scams charged against them. However, the bottom line is that the public chose to ignore the weight of allegations for the promise of a better economy, of Gujarat writ large, and a reputation of intolerance towards corruption.

14

Regrettably, this sedate tolerance of the common man has allowed for the creation of a vicious cycle that has only bred more intolerance.

Moreover, with two Indian CEOs perched atop two of America’s biggest brands, the nation’s talented diaspora is starting to gain its due recognition. But the current situation will only embarrass them and draw contempt from nationals of more progressive countries. The ridicule has in fact, already begun.

President Obama, whose ancestors had once been slaves, stated aloofly in his visit to India that Gandhiji would have been ‘shocked’ by the status quo.

India however, isn’t the only country to be experiencing the discomfiting effects of such a paradigm shift in voter sentiment. The rise of farright conservatives such as Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, in the American Presidential race, as well as Marine Le Pen in France, is a worrying trend for Liberals worldwide. Especially in the backdrop of crises in the Middle East, the ease with which these individuals rode the wave of demagoguery to positions of political strength is frightening.

By succumbing to short-sighted impulses and panicked judgements fuelled by overreaction, the enfranchised risk letting their mistakes coming around to bite them. Perhaps a large dose of intolerance to some of that political fodder is exactly what we need.

- Shruthi S, Abinesh

O

urs is a university that hosts over 5000 students typically within the age group of 17-25. Buoyant with energy, we head to our passion almost as soon as we are relieved of academic work at 5 each day. Various technical clubs, associations and interest groups are littered around a campus where it is believed that everyone will find their passion and a good peer group to share it with. Inductions posters scream out at us each day and yet, the problem remains the same.

All our lives we are taught to learn - to take up a new skill - to practise a new sport - to hone and sharpen our minds. What happens to this drive in college? How many ‘new skills’ do we acquire in our college beyond the walls of academics?

And more importantly, does our college provide us with the necessary avenues for the same?

15

Our college boasts of a wide number of post-academic activities for students. Cultural teams and interest groups all take to their passion with great zeal - and yet, this leaves one question unanswered: what happens to the students who came here looking to learn?

Our institute stands among the top ten in our country with respect to academic output. We stand against the best colleges with respect to sports, dance, music, theatre, literary events and other cultural activities. Why then harp on the extracurricular activities in college?

For a student who has just entered NIT Trichy, the opportunity to learn as opposed to practise a skill is dismally low. Dance classes, music classes and even sports coaching which we would have taken for granted in our home towns seem quite scarce in our institute. A couple of students each year even try the nearly impossible - travelling to Trichy each week to take up these classes.

So what do we already have in our campus?

Over the last couple of years the orientation program conducted for the first years has seen a wide array of classes being held. Sports coaches from around the state come down to Trichy for a month-long program exclusively held for the freshers; yoga and martial arts classes for girls are other frequent appearances. It makes the first month of college a great time for students to pick up as many skills as possible, and figure out where their interests lie.

For the rest of the campus, the same opportunities are not provided. Inductions to clubs are held solely on skills already acquired by the students, and while some of these clubs help one develop that passion, a large number of aspirants are left out in the process of elite selection.

A club formed as recently as 2015, aimed entirely at bringing up new opportunities for students to delve in beyond academics. Two-month crash courses were held in music, art and dance. This gave students the much needed kick start to flourish thereon.

With respect to sports, our college does not host special coaches who might come and impart training.

In the past, teams have tried arranging for coaches to come down to campus. Without the backing of the administration, however, this is not a viable longterm solution.

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In NITT, none of the sports teams have coaches to train them whereas in institutes like IIT-K and IIT-KGP, full-time coaches guide the respective teams. Also, they have provisions to reside in campus or can choose to shuttle.

Most of the teams in our college can only complain to the Physical Director about outdated equipment, bad flooring or need of better maintenance but very little is done in this regard.

On the other hand, IITs have a body managed by the students under the guidance and active participation of the faculty and staff members,called the Students’ Gymkhana. At the apex of the Gymkhana is the President (professor), followed by a Vice-president (student) and a General Secretary, one for each of the 3 committees-tech,sports and social & cultural. Under these are sub-committees presided by Secretaries who are also incharge of holding regular meetings. In order to pass a budget, a proposal is made to the Gen-Sec of the Gymkhana.

Sports Centre is not functional on Sundays in our college and team captains are not allowed to possess keys of the indoor courts. This constricts both flexibility and practice hours. IITs allow their student captains and coordinators to take charge of courts and rooms by maintaining offices that keep a strong account of who has taken the keys and when.

Our college must bolster the idea of conducting workshops for dramatics or dance under theatre or dance experts. In IITs, clubs invite eminent figures who could mentor the team members both on and off semesters.

Our Student Activity Centre, very contrary to its name, is not very active when compared to IITs. Most of the rooms lack basic amenities or are not designed owing to the requirements of the particular club or troupe.

Team Feeds spoke to our Director, Dr. Srinivasan Sundarrajan, and invited his views on the dearth of avenues towards a wholesome learning process.

Many colleges today have sports coaches employed by the institution. This isn’t present in our college. Is there any reason?

“Coaches for sports can be arranged as per the need of students, we have employed coaches for Orientation programs in the past and the same can be extended through the year. The desire of students has to be expressed first. In most cases, students just express dissatisfaction amongst themselves and leave the matter be. Demands have to be raised from the students for administration to respond to”.

With regards to budget, will this be a problem?

“The budget is always allotted with respect to what the students need.”

What about cultural activities?

“Right now, we face a bigger problem with respect to cultural activities in campus. The buildings we have for the same are quite inadequate to the large number of clubs we host here. We are taking steps towards giving each club a good area to work on, and these classes can also find a place in campus then!”

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Being in a desolate area in Trichy, bringing quality teachers for extra-curriculum might not be an easy task. However, in the past we’ve seen our institute provide us with brilliant mentors for CAT, GMAT, GRE, German language, and GATE preparation.

Extending the same for the other facets of college life coaching may not be a distant dream anymore. It begins with the students representing their need for these amenities in college, and then forming the necessary teams for the same to be executed. With the acquisition of the old school building for use as another SAC, our non academic schedule in campus may just be altered drastically - taking another huge leap forward.

This cover story aimed at bringing to light one of the key aspects that our institute lacks.

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19

Je Suis La Victoire I am victory

Paris, an evil seductress of a city, was once my home, but I soon got over the façade it flaunted.

Our leader has spoken gravely of the city and its crimes against the Allah. I knew he was right, always right, for after all he was God’s Sword on Earth. I used to be just a timid lamb down in Brussels, but then, I discovered the true path and the wise ones through the power of the internet. Guided by Allah, we prayed and planned for many months. Abdelhamid Abaaoud made us go through every detail countless times, which would’ve made Allah proud. He told us stories of glorious victories, and strengthened our resolve in the rewards that await us. The day was finally upon us; we prayed solemnly and underwent absolution. We wore new, clean clothes and positioned ourselves. I hid patiently, behind the cover of music and men, observing the idiocy, worshipping of idols that promised no great future. “Eagles of deathmetal”…the irony was killing me. My train of thought was interrupted; thundering blasts resounded in the distance and a deadly calm came upon me, as chaos ensued. We were steadfast in our work; fearing no one, and offering the lives that we slayed to the Great One. Perhaps it was murder, cold blooded and brutal, but did that change anything? The deed was done and I felt my time approaching. I can now die knowing that I had done what was expected of me, thus securing my entry to serenity. I have repaid them at long last; no longer will they question my belief, no longer will they make a mockery of the truth that is Allah! The tyranny and destruction of their ways have finally caught up with them in a fitting end. I then jerked back to the reality around me, my brethren wounded and dead in this world, but living it up in the next. I had lived to fight another day; they may have taken away Abdelhamid and the others, but our message has been heard. And I shall head a legion, just like him, to spread the truth that is Islam. The unworthy have been warned, reminded of their subordinate positions in the hierarchy. Like the Crusades of yore, we shall take back our rightful inheritance!

- Jeswin

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S

ince we are engineers - and engineers like numbers

It’s barely been two years since these online giants established themselves in our college - and our life has transformed around it. Our trips to the city have drastically decreased thanks to the ever reliable source of everything. From textbooks to bean bags, these online markets offer us everything- making us forget (at least for the most part) that we are meant to survive on the outer moors of a second tier city.

Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, ebay and the list goes on.

Certainly a large variety for a casual shopper- one who merely checks the price of the wanted commodity across various sites before placing an order. As engineers, most of us are attracted innately to these wild graphs and pictorial representation of data. So why not indulge in a bit of statistics about the daily scenes outside Barn’s ATM? In this issue’s infograph, I have tried to bring out the various sales patterns and discounts offered by the online stores. Various features make a student prefer one over another - the ease of placing an order, the ease of getting the product we are looking for and most of all- the time of delivery. This, coupled with the cost of a product on the site play the largest role in cementing the position of various markets in college, as shown on the next side.

Except for Amazon and Flipkart, all the other online retailers use courier services for their packages. Flipkart relies on its own e-kart logistics for almost all the packages while Amazon fulfilled products are personally dropped to us by Amazon uniformed personals, making the process a lot less tedious.

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- Swathi

25

GOA OUTREACH!

On the 14th of February 2016, team Pragyan organized

a one of a kind outreach at Goa. This outreach aimed at bringing together youngsters from various cities to celebrate technology, in a rather unconventional way.

Team Pragyan believes that Goa is an ultimate location for an outreach, especially at this time of the year. And they were absolutely right. This event saw a turnout as never before, attracting more than 10000 participants overall.

This event had free registration for couples, as it was held on Valentine’s Day. This was much appreciated by all those who celebrated technology on this LOVEly day.

A new event called “Surf it up” was introduced, wherein the participants had to build a robot that could surf in the beach. Another notable event was “Water rockets”, which was building water rockets using a restricted set of materials found on the shore. Sanrachana, a flagship event of Pragyan was also conducted, but with a twist this time. Participants had to create real time boats which were immediately tested. “Sand Castles” was yet another new event that was targeted at Civil and Architecture students. It was judged based on design and stability.

Apart from the technical contests, the outreach had panel discussions as well as guest lectures. Team Crossfire organized a heated debate on how pollution has affected Indian beaches.

Lectures were held at the BITS Goa campus by eminent Professors of various fields. A technical quiz was also conducted in their campus. Lastly, an on the spot writing contest was held, and the theme was science fiction, which came as a surprise to many.

An informal event that turned many eyes was an outfit designing contest using just coconut shells and leaves.

Some excited participants decided to put on these costumes after the event. And they sure did get some attention.

The highlight of the entire day, however, was the infotainment program that happened in the evening.

Following the success of Sunburn performers over the past years at NITT, this outreach collaborated with Sunburn DJs and made a successful show on the sea shore. DJ Candice Redding said “It’s great to associate with NITTians once again. And this time, at Goa! NITT has truly become the favourite Sunburn Campus. ” The heads stated that this is a first of its kind program for Team Pragyan and this might continue as a tradition over the years. They are considering naming this event as a curtain raiser to Pragyan as opposed to the conventional outreaches that happen each year.

This event gained the attention of college students all over India and was a huge success. The number of NITTians visiting Goa increased considerably thanks to Pragyan. Be it triangles, squares or fractals, they always take it a step forward with each edition. Kudos to Team Pragyan.

Disclaimer: Don’t believe fake news. If someone says fake news isn’t fake, don’t believe him either.

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- Stealth Shiva

RG COMICS DORK NIGHT RISES @ 8.30

KIM JONG APPROVES

- Ayush

Gorb Defense* “So fundamentally, you simply wish to use the other guy like a pawn?” he says. Tony Stark looks at his old friend for a second before smiling, “Something like that.” Bruce Banner looks out the window of the SUV, getting increasingly anxious.

Bruce Banner tries his usual meditation, but it isn’t working today. Bruce Banner decides he doesn’t want to stay in the vehicle anymore lest it gets worse, and opens the door. But it isn’t Bruce Banner that emerges.

The Incredible Hulk steps onto a serene arena set in stone, joining the vanguard of a legion uniformly garbed in black but otherwise disorderly. From his side, Luna Lovegood glances at the green monster before continuing her story to Katniss Everdeen about the time a blibbering humdinger nibbled on her dream catcher. An exasperated Katniss tries focussing her attention on the opposing side to distract herself from the tale.

An equally formidable but more disciplined gathering, including Gandalf the White, Thalia Grace, Gregor Clegane and Boba Fett, stares back.

What troubles Katniss the most, however, are the tiny orange-skinned goblin-like creatures with combed green hair, not unlike newly pruned bushes. The solemn- looking creatures seem to be chanting something which didn’t quite reach her ears, yet managed to send shivers down her spine.

She looks back to Thalia, who has begun to charge forward, making the first move. This provokes the Hulk to race ahead with a feral cry, disregarding the orders being yelled out from behind, emanating from a young wizard with red hair, freckles and a hand-me-down black robe. “Oye,” he says to her, and she glares back at him, prompting him to gulp and politely ask her to advance. She returns her gaze to the opposite side, steeling herself for what is to come. She closes the distance between her and the strange creatures, moving within earshot and finally hearing their chant.

“Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-do I have a perfect puzzle for you Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-dee If you are wise, you’ll listen to me Who do you blame when you’re always in messes?

Dressing as nebulous as a goth dresses.

Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-da If you’re not chaotic, you will go far You will live in happiness too Like the Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-do”

“Oompa loompa doom-pa-dee-die,” Katniss says, as she strikes one down. As she nocks her next arrow, she looks around, measuring up the chaos. The annoying girl seems to be doing well on her own, which couldn’t be said about many others on her side. The Hulk was stuck in an impasse, roaring with frustration.

28

Luna makes it to the frontline, catching up with Katniss who realises her story wasn’t over, “…..but Daddy taught me a spell to ward off the little pests,” she says. She attempts to demonstrate her newly acquired skill with an air of professionalism, but invariably misfires, striking down an accidental target, which leaves a confused Hulk free to move forward. Katniss, distracted by the spectacle, is taken by surprise with a new chorus.

“Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-do I have another puzzle for you Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-dee If you are wise, you’ll listen to me What do you get when you neglect?

All the danger you won’t detect.

Now face the music, deal with the black swan Down with the Girl on Fire, down with the pawn.

No more havoc, no more gobbledygook Down with the Thing, down with the rook.

Don’t pay attention, and you invite ascension Look out Daffy Duck, or you’ll be thunderstruck Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-deen Long live Doom, long live the queen!

All the while to safety we bring, The proud Joffrey, long live the king!

Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-da Given heed, you will go far You will live in happiness too Like the Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-do”

A sound of metal clinkering on stone rings in the Iron Man’s ears as Victor Von Doom walks up to him and mocks, “It appears I have your suit’s powers in check.” Tony Stark chuckles as Luna steps in between them, and says, “Wanna bet?” while rebooting his suit.

A vexed Dr. Doom replies through gritted teeth, “It does not matter. We have a demigod, the Mountain and an army of Oompa Loompas.” An unhesitant Stark responds with confidence, “We have a Hulk.” As if on cue, the Hulk smashes his way to the far end of the arena to the dismay of the Doctor. Everyone turns to watch, with distinct reactions, the promotion of the green giant as he takes the final step, and

a Dark Knight rises.

- Arvindmani, Nevedita, Diptisikha

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ABOUT THE BILL

YOU BE THE JUDGE Juvenile Justice

1.Passed as a reaction to public outrage over the release of a juvenile, accused in the Nirbhaya rape case.

2.The age to be tried as an adult for heinous crimes will be decreased to 16 from 18.

3.Calls for the creation of Juvenile Justice Boards and Child Welfare Committees in every district, consisiting of social workers, magistrates, and child specialists, who decide the fate of the accused.

GOTHAM: Arjun (name changed), aged 17, was arrested on Thursday on the charge of sexual assault of an adult woman, Sahana (name changed). The incident took place in a deserted alleyway as Sahana, aged 22, was returning from work. The testimony of eyewitnesses and the victim herself provide a compelling case against the accused.

Surely, there is no doubt at all in this matter. He has been accused and arrested; the evidence is entirely against him. He is guilty of a vile and heinous crime, is he not? What he has done is inexcusable and amoral. He is a threat to society and the good nature of humanity.

Isn’t he?

The accused is slated for a hearing later this week in front of the Juvenile Justice Commission, consisting of sociologists and psychologists, who are to analyze the state of mind of the accused before and during the incident.

State of mind? That sounds ridiculous – this person cornered and assaulted a woman. Anyone who does that is undoubtedly unstable. What is to analyse?

A crime was committed. A victim’s dignity has been permanently damaged. The only problem is his age – he’s under 18 – but when did we decide that 18 was a less acceptable age to commit rape than, say, 17? Ought the punishment for a 17-year old be less than that for someone a year his senior?

Are we giving a rapist the chance to get away on a technicality?

The result of this hearing – whether the crime was heinous and with explicitly malicious intent – is to determine whether the accused will be tried as a minor or as an adult.

Rape is heinous, no doubt there. No adult could possibly dream of escaping the consequences of such an act.

So why is he any different? Does his crime, adult in its nature, not warrant an adult punishment?

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Investigations revealed that the accused hails from the slums of the northeastern suburbs and did not receive a secondary education. Known for being a red light district, the area is infamously known for violence, crime, and gang culture.

Rape is heinous, no doubt there. No adult could possibly dream of escaping the consequences of such an act. So does his crime, adult in its nature, not warrant an adult punishment?

The boy in question has been thrown into a vile world; far more horrific than most children his age could ever comprehend. Does the environment which he was in have a part to play in where he is now?

It is safe to assume that the circumstances forming his reality have had an impact on him and his decisions. In that scenario, putting a chronically underprivileged minor in the harsher, more brutal environment of prison is definitely morally dubious. Trying him as an adult would send him to jail. Moreover, it is statistically probable that a prison sentence would harden his emotional makeup to the extent that he will reoffend upon release.

Investigations revealed that the accused hails from the slums of the northeastern suburbs and did not receive a secondary education. Known for being a red light district, the area is infamously known for violence, crime, and gang culture.

Tried as an adult, the conviction would merit a life sentence, while conviction as a minor would warrant a sentence to an exclusive juvenile prison until the age of 21, after which another hearing would determine his fate.

That seems to be a problem – drawing the distinction between an adult crime and a childlike one. It’s a difficult side to pick. On the one hand, he is the perpetrator of a heinous crime that must warrant punishment. At the same time, the circumstances of his upbringing, to some extent, affect his decision-making capabilities.

It has been established via studies that most juveniles involved in these kinds of violent crimes hail from extremely adverse backgrounds and are hardly educated even up to the high school level. Is it right on our part, as a community, to first deny them the education and basic comfort that all humans deserve and subsequently penalise them for an action that may have sprung out of this handicap?

Surely the solution is to institute a system of reform and rehabilitation, to put offenders into a more supportive environment so as to help them develop a sound moral compass

In an exclusive interview with the attorney representing the victim, the lawyer said, “In the interest of Sahana and all other women who have been victimised, we are set on trying the accused as an adult and bringing him to justice.”

Rapists and murderers do not deserve the right to walk free, but is this really the justice we are seeking? Are we seeking to re-tailor the fabric of the justice system in a knee-jerk reaction to the hue and cry raised by the infamous juvenile offender in the Nirbhaya case?

You be the judge.

The funeral of the victim is scheduled for the Friday of this week.

- Sandeep, Gautham M, Kaushik, Ashwin

31

Tales that are terribly tiny. .

He clambered up the mansion’s walls. It had taken him great effort to bypass the security and to tame the three Alsatians prowling around the grounds. Stealthily, he clambered down the sole entry to the house. It was hot and dusty. He’d finally made it. Now, to work.

He then opened his bag of tools… and filled the stocking above the fireplace.

Eyes wide open, she focused on the speaker’s mouth with rapt attention. The lecturer’s lips were as beautiful as the words emanating from them were not.

The waves of sound crashed upon her, begging for comprehension. She refused them that honour, with reason that was, ironically, unsound.

No matter how much she longed for it, it would never happen.

Real life has no subtitles.

It was more than a fleeting look he gave her; it was a loving stare, a gaze of yearning, longing and desire.

She noticed him too, how could she not? She turned away quickly.

He presumed it was shyness, a show of coy from his darling.

A flush crept up her face, her heart pounded as she thought to herself, “Let him make the first move.”

Lust is no match for a restraining order.

“Eureka!” he cried, having achieved the single most massive accomplishment of all time - a quest that, for millennia, had eluded all of mankind.

Mankind, specifically.

Powered by - and he had stumbled on this through the sheer stupidity of intending a joke - an egg, his masterful machine would be the envy of all man.

His hands quivered feverishly as he tugged and squeezed. A little more pressure, and he’d be done.

He was just shy of the delightful result, that wonderful climactic moment when it would squirt out and spread all over his long implement.

Getting that last bit of toothpaste out is a tricky task.

Voila, the chick magnet.

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- Kaushik, Ashwin

Ode to Guilt He follows like the shadow, Black eyes that follow you.

Darkness and pain engulf, As you look back for the memories, you look back at yourself.

The days that haunt you, the pain of it all.

The days of turmoil, the heart wrenches and the toil.

The stares from the Happy, pity from the blessed.

Words that are knives, moments that are years.

He reminds of every sin, He talks of every sorrow.

The lights finally begin to dim, And you’re hoping for an end.

Yet, the darkness still descends, The horror still follows, Afterall, an end’s just a beginning, And you’re left, lone and standing.

It’s not death, it’s not completion, It’s not the cruel smile of cold affection.

It’s the face of the truth, the remorse has built.

And finally it dawns, the bludgeoning of guilt.

- Swathi

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the wild west wing O

n a dim, grim monsoon morning, Kanakasabapathy made his way into the hall, ready to legislate, to reform and to develop his nation.

As usual, the Leader of the Opposition would be missing.

She was usually out protesting, instigating protests, or more frequently, managing the disaster that was her son’s public image.

As Kanakasabapathy stepped in through the door, he darted to his left to escape the furious train of protesters steaming up and down the Parliament aisles. Their movement was systematic, akin to a steady stream of worker ants. It was choreographed to perfection, like birds in formation, for practise makes perfect and oh, haven’t they protested before!

Just before he got to his seat, Kanakasabapathy stopped off to ask a fellow MP, Taareshwar, what this day’s protest was about.

Taareshwar would brook no such nonsense. He was a representative of the people. He was a silent guardian. A watchful protector.

Cow excrement. Kanakasabapathy knew, for a fact, that Taareshwar was neither watchful nor silent. This, in his case, might actually be a positive, considering the things other MPs watched.

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Not silent in the least, Taareshwar ranted on. He claimed Kanakasabapathy was part of a conspiracy to defame him. He accused the opposition of bias and the ruling party of prejudice. The media was a corrupt cog in the well-oiled machine of Indian democracy, and such blatant, unfounded denunciation was unconstitutional and immoral. He demanded the immediate resignation of Kanakasabapathy, all members of his constituency, party, the Prime Minister, and every school PTA in the country.

Having so said, Taareshwar savagely knocked the glass of water off his table and joined the protest.

Question still unanswered, Kanakasabapathy proceeded to dodge the incessant torrent of protestors, now playing a game of catch with the microphone. The speaker would have been furious, had he not been a protestor himself.

Instead, he was supervising a musical chairs event in the back rows.

The deputy speaker, meanwhile, had the task of guarding the podium from a multitude of marauding monkeys, which had made a habit of purloining politicians’ parathas. He was armed with heavy-duty pepper spray, which he used on all the lunchboxes in sight. In a bid to spice up the protest, he was seasoning all the curd rice he could find.

Kanakasabapathy, devoted servant of the people, stayed through the working day. He found his lunch oddly spicy that day, and could find no unbroken water glasses to satiate his thirst. All about him, all through the day, placards and chairs were whizzing through the air in what would have been an unassailable obstacle course for a well-trained sparrow.

The only legislators who had voted against the passing of this bill were the ones who wanted their vacation in Parliament to last indefinitely. They had their daily dose of entertainment, exercise, and relished a laidback, easygoing lifestyle. An adjournment meant a return to their nagging wives and humdrum lives, a state of affairs they were certainly not looking forward to.

Astonishingly, there was a brief period in the day when the anarchy ceased. There was a relatively diplomatic, almost legislative debate among the members present.

The topic of discussion was a bill that concerned every single person in that large hall. After nearly an hour of deliberation had led to little headway, the issue was resolved amicably, and in a manner that benefited all.

As nobody volunteered to pay for the day’s snacks, the general consensus was to add on the amount to the nation’s debt.

Kanakasabapathy had abstained from the voting, seemingly owing to a non-committal opinion on the issue. In reality, however, he was focusing on the shape of the Speaker’s head – it seemed to him very much like a half-bitten pomegranate.

The working day drew to a close on an optimistic note.

A resolution had been proposed, and was accepted nearly unanimously. The motion to adjourn the House for the session had gone through in supreme style.

Presently, the pomegranate pronounced the proceedings at an end. The MPs filed out, hooting and screeching, ripping up their banners and strewing them about the hall. An atmosphere very closely resembling the last day of school permeated the hall as Kanakasabapathy rose from his seat. He left the Sabha, satisfied with yet another typical day of Indian democracy.

That was Day 81 in Parliament.

Just kidding, they function only 80 days a year.

- Kaushik, Ashwin, Nived

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Book recommendation: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy If you are looking for a quick read filled with incredible characters and hilarious scenarios this book is perfect.

Science fiction coupled with humour sure makes a great recipe for an unputdownable book.

Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect hitch a ride on a Vogon spaceship seconds before Earth’s demolition. Thrown out of the spaceship, the hitchhikers are picked up by Zaphod’s ship. The three of them along with Trillian, a human, and Marvin, a robot embark upon a journey of adventure.

Douglas Adams literally creates worlds that haven’t been explored with his elegant writing. The story line is quite intriguing with a refreshing style that is witty and entertaining. One cannot resist falling in love with some of the characters - especially Marvin, the sarcastic, depressed robot. Many lines in the book are simply brilliant. For instance, a line reads:

“For a moment, nothing happened. Then, after a second or so, nothing continued to happen.”

There are 42 reasons to read this book or reasons to read this book 42 times. However, do read this book once if you want to know the answer to the great question of Life, the Universe and Everything. So long, and thanks for all the fish!

Movie recommendation: Goodfellas 25 years ago, the legendary Martin Scorsese released a true masterpiece of the Crime genre, Goodfellas. The movie is based on Nicolas Pileggi’s book, Wiseguy. The storyline follows the rise of one particular Henry Hill, and his friends, through the ranks of the Lucchese crime family.

A first class cast, including Robert De Niro, continuing this legendary partnership with Scorsese and Joe Pesci, amaze you with their on-screen improvisations and innuendos. Ray Liotta, who plays Henry Hill, is mildly irritating, but you eventually get used to him. Pesci and De Niro steal the show, with Pesci stealing an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor as well, for his unique potrayal of the hilarious and hot headed Tommy DeVito (he’s a funny guy).

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The unique cocktail of crime, and Dark Comedy is what makes Goodfellas a legendary piece of filmmaking.

Scorsese, gave his cast license to improvise their scenes, and with class acts like De Niro and Pesci, this resulted in truly unforgettable moments of cinema. If you enjoyed The Wolf Of Wall Street, you’ll love Goodfellas. (Yes, it is an expletive extravaganza. Just the way we like it, don’t we?).

That unique way of looking at things, that characteristic combination of comedy and crime, that Scorsese Swagger. Classic.

TV show recommendation: Jessica Jones Jessica Jones, the second progeny of Marvel and Netflix, following Daredevil, had lot of expectations from the audience who were flabbergasted by the first show. Daredevil seemed to reach great depths in terms of screenplay, character development and story line, which sent the fans into a rightful frenzy. Jessica Jones not only matched all those expectations, it exceed them. However, this review is solely about Jessica Jones and its individuality.

Inspired from the 2001 comics “Alias” by Michael Bendis and artist Michael Gaydos, this show could well be the darkest Marvel show there is. Front and center is Jessica Jones, played by Krysten Ritter, a semi-retired superhero-turned-private eye, trying to find solace at the bottom of liquor bottles, and with rough intercourse.

Unable to forget her painful past due to which she was forced to give up her life as a costumed superhero, she barely manages to get through each day, with agonizing signs of PTSD, and recurring nightmares and hallucinations.

The story on the exterior seems clichéd, but with each episode, the plot line thickens and provides insight into each and every character, and how they relate to Jessica’s life. On one side, there’s Kilgrave (known in comics as The Purple Man), played by David Tennant who psychologically torments her with a near-perfect concoction of outrageously scary acting and witty lines, which successfully paralyses the viewers with fear.

The other side of coin is Trish Walker, played by Rachel Taylor, whose unwavering sense of justice and the need to take control of her life makes her join the fight against Kilgrave.

Jaw-dropping stunts, ravishing costumes, and stereotypical villains whose goal is to enslave the whole world and be the kings with their pretty little crowns, are usually what constitute most of the superhero flicks.

As much as this show fails in these aspects, it compensates with exquisite screenplay and casting, subtly addressing practical issues, and intense and perfectly timed swearing. Melissa Rosenberg, the executive producer and writer (also for ‘Dexter’) decided to let go of some of the usual superhero elements and delve into deeper concepts, with a careful depiction of gender roles, sexuality, violence, and consent. Her idea of superheroes and female-driven noir is not the only highlight, but the struggles for control and power, and what actually happens when someone takes that away from her is vividly portrayed through Jessica’s troubled past and how she survives with it. Foregrounding the social and emotional experiences of a woman in a male-dominated genre, and by extension, a male-dominated world, provides as a concrete base to this show.

A stylish narrative accompanied by progressive yet subtle character development, and a beautiful dynamic gives way to a striking series, certainly worthy of binging.

- Sumukh, Shreejaya, Adityan

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Student Loans A loan is something that every one of us will take, at some point in our lives. Loans are mainly classified based on the collateral given as security. Gold, property (mortgage), automobiles or items of value are some basic types of collateral accepted. However, one page is not sufficient to cover each and every aspect of all loans. So, with the slightly optimistic assumption that the reader understands the workings of a loan, (complex interest? Gah!) let’s look at one loan in particular.

The elephant in the room when talking about higher studies, is usually the cost of the Tuition. Generally, rule of thumb-wise, banks in India offer loans of upto INR 10 lakhs for Postgraduate studies within India, and upto 20 lakhs for studies abroad. However, based on your collateral and the repute of your programme, the amount sponsored by the bank can exceed those amounts. Other factors, such as the job climate in the country of study can affect the loan amount as well. Further, students can place loans on Fixed Deposits (FDs) or on cash available in their DematAccount.

Step 1: Documents: With the previous year witnessing a jump of 30% in Masters’ applications to the US alone, banks are becoming more stringent with documents provided at time of taking a loan. Important among these is the certificate (Conditional Acceptance Letter or I - 20 form) from the accepting university, a degree certificate/transcript from your UG college and identity proof such as a passport.

Step 2: Decide co-applicant: In India, an educational loan requires a working, earning co-applicant for the loan. This person can be your father, mother, legal guardian or sibling. The security for the loan will have to come from this person. Additionally, in case of a loan where the applicant goes abroad, this co-applicant will pay the installments of the loan in his stead.

Step 3: Deposit: Usually, when paying their share of the fees, banks deal with the universities directly. As a result, foreign universities often want to check the financial capability of their international students. The procedure for this is by way of an ‘international deposit’. Basically, a university asks the student to make a single, temporary deposit in an account controlled by them. The amount paid is decided by the college and is later allowed to be withdrawn. Alternatively, this amount can be paid as the first installment of tuition fee.

Step 4: Deferred Payment: The university - now satisfied with your financial credentials - sends an unconditional acceptance letter. This confirms your admittance in the selected programme, and must be submitted to the bank to finalize the loan.

Standard procedure with repayment of educational loans is that it starts around a year after completion of the course, or six months after getting a job. This is usually spread as monthly payments across a decade or so.

Banks do however, provide facilities to restructure the loan in accordance to the applicant’s monthly income, to expedite faster repayment. Also, female students are entitled to lower interest rates on their educational loans.

And finally, individuals carrying educational loans are eligible for tax relief under Section 80 (E) of the IT Act. So there you have it. A basic 4-Step process for a Student loan for your Masters’. Now about Visas……

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- Ashwin, Abinesh

SPORTS DIPLOMACY 110-110 This is a rather unusual scoreline for a basketball game. The reason was that overtime was not allowed in the kind of match being played.

This was the scoreline of a contest that was played three years ago, with an eclectic mix of players. Dennis Rodman, accompanied by the Harlem Globetrotters, made an undeniably bizarre trip to North Korea and played an exhibition game of basketball.

The match, though inconsequential to the sporting world, made a 0-0 breakthrough in another aspect – the visiting Americans became the first people from their country to meet the newly crowned “Supreme Sports diplomacy has been Leader” of North Korea. practiced before, and with very Considering the premier source of knowledge of this country stems good reason.

The apartheid regime in from the critically acclaimed masterpiece, “The Interview”, this South Africa prompted a nearly visit brought to light a brand new dimension to the dictatorship. universal boycott of the rift-stricken With citizens expressing contentment with their living country. conditions and the news being broken that Kim Jong-Un The 1974 Davis Cup – one of India’s few chanchas a baby daughter, this light first encounter with es of clinching the elusive trophy – was simply North Korea served as a stepping stone for handed over without a contest, after the Infurther relations. dians refused to travel to South Africa for the final.

2-1 In the last group stage match of the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Iran took on USA in the most politically charged game in World Cup history, owing to the strained relations between the two countries.

Iran pulled off a stunning victory, eliminating the Americans, prompting the Iranian spiritual leader to comment, “Tonight, again, the strong and arrogant opponent felt the bitter taste of defeat at [our] hands.”

The ensuing development of diplomatic relations between these two nations had been attributed to the part that the USA football team played. “We did more in 90 minutes than the politicians did in 20 years,” said US defender Jeff Agoos at the time.

Sports diplomacy functions as a ‘second tier’, or ‘track two’ diplomacy, that is, it’s not as serious as economic or military ties, although it may serve as a prelude to the strengthening of diplomatic relations, or as a precursor for the breaking down of ties between countries. In certain cases, citizens of opposing countries view the playing field as a battlefield. The most prominent example that comes to mind is, of course, the India-Pakistan cricket rivalry – a victory on the playground is seen as a victory on ground zero. Such super-charged matches have, in the past, led to some diplomatic meetings being held, though the outcomes were not too optimistic.

The point is that sports diplomacy, despite its flaws, can turn out to be of tremendous use in the coming years, maybe even with the athletes and sportspersons of tomorrow serving as diplomats for their home countries!

- Kaushik, Srishyam

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“Dei, why don’t you come here for a week? Long Christmas weekend, we’ll go on a trip or something”.

Ha! Has the sibling forgotten the rules of the house? A backpacking trip with just the two of us? And he expects the birth-giver to say yes?

Some background required; the sibling lives alone in New Delhi: India’s polluted, freezing capital. The writer lives in a fairly strict household in Chennai whose living conditions are around the Standard Ambient Temperature and Pressure.

A weeks’ worth of lobbying followed by the promise to carry suitcase loads of food supplies to the sibling finally culminated into a 6 day trip. “I’ve planned something amazing, just make sure you come”, were the sibling’s alluring words.

The due exchange of pleasantries at the airport was followed by the re-checking of my winter attire. 6 layers of thick woolen clothing made me look like Jon Snow with pneumonia, but I wasn’t taking any chances. The barrage of questions followed, “Where are we going?

I know we’re going a little rough so it’s ok if you only booked a 2 star hotel with comfortable bedding and complementary breakfast. Are we going to see snow?”

“You’ve never travelled before, have you?” “Of course I ha-” “As a tourist, yes. As a traveller? I doubt it”.

“So what’s the plan?”

“We leave all your luggage at home. We carry one backpack each. We do not make plans; we make it up as we go. No hotels; we spend our nights in cafes, dharamshalas, railway station waiting rooms. Have fun, which means mobiles phones should be switched off” “Dammmn. So where are we going?”

“Here’s the interesting part. We go to the bus stand.

Close your eyes and point in any direction. That’s the bus we’ll be taking.”

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This was exciting. For someone whose biggest experience at being a badass was to post a ‘hit lyk if I’m stupid’ status from his roommate’s laptop, this was really different.

We ended up sitting on a bus which was headed to Udaipur, a 14 hour bus journey. So we wrap ourselves like a paneer roll from IIM chaat and prepare ourselves for the journey.

After tasting some of the country’s best street food and travelling the long winding hilly roads of the Aravalli mountains, we reach Udaipur, the city of lakes.

What followed was what I would consider the best 4 days I’ve ever experienced in my short, boring life. The intention of the trip was to take as many opportunities to get out of my comfort zone as possible, and the options were limitless. Trying to single-handedly ride an 8 feet high camel, trekking 150 kilometers in the dry hilly mountains or eating and drinking local delicacies I’ve never set my eyes on before, every experience was new and eye-opening.

There’s something truly spiritual about travel; a feeling of freedom and peace which is difficult to articulate. For someone whose usual holiday involves planned visits to safe sightseeing spots in a family-friendly hill station, the experience of being able to do whatever one pleased was exhilarating. Visiting a 900 year old monastery, interacting with tourists from other countries or simply sitting in the lake pier watching the sunset was surreal.

The truest test of a relationship is when two people travel together. Travelling with the sibling did not turn out the way I expected; it made the fighting, punching and the Luis Suarez-esque biting memories of our childhood seem a distant, long-forgotten memory. I believe everyone should experience the wonder of travel, which in my experience has been the easiest and most exciting way of discovering oneself.

- Gautham M

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