Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Strike by professors of IIT and IIM

The Professors of IIT and IIM are planning a hunger strike in a few days to protest the fresh pay structure awarded to them in the pay commission. One grouse is that the teachers at these "premier institutes" are now to be paid at par with those of the other UGC supported institutes (actually the differential is being reduced). The consulting income that these professors make (in part because they are professors at these institutes instead of any run-of-the-mill university) is ofcourse not part of the debate.

The irony is that the IIM chaps think that they deserve more than even the IIT profs. Given that the debate is based on the grounds that these institutes are "premier" I thought it would be worthwhile to check the kind of academic work they do. IIMA's website is quite informative when it comes to the kind of programs they offer. However, click here - on the research and publications weblink - and you will be greeted by a blank page. The research page ofcourse claims that IIM A produces a third of all the management research done in India. I wonder if they mean that they are responsible for a third of nothing !

As Ram Tzu says (refer previous post)

You stand at the edge
Ready to throw yourself in.

What a shock to discover

There is nowhere to go
And no one to throw


Go figure

Monday, September 21, 2009

"No Way" by Ram Tzu

Landmark's book sale always throws up a few surprises. This time it was on a subject I would not normally go near - but I happened to pick up the book (mentioned in the title) and then could not put it down.

A quick internet search revealed that Ram Tzu was the pen-name of Wayne Liquorman - a teacher of Advaita. His writing is, however, deliciously irreligious and iconoclastic. At the risk of infringing some copyright, I quote

Ram Tzu hears it all the time...

You had a profound, revealing,
Deeply moving spiritual experience.
Now you're hooked.
Now you want more.
Now you're a seeker.

No junkie has ever
Been more dedicated
Or more continually disappointed
Or more miserable.

Once you might
Have been satisfied
With a new car
Or a loving mate

Now you will settle
For nothing less
Than union with God

Ram Tzu knows this...

You're fucked.


For those whose interest is piqued some more poems are available at here or here . Have fun

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