The lost concept of India in Indian Premier League

Lets Rename the teams of IPL 2009:
Delhi Daredevils will be Oval Daredevils, Deccan Chargers will be Lords Chargers, Mumbai Indians will be Manchester English, Rajasthan Royals will be Queens Royal, Chennai Super kings will be Liverpool Super kings, Kings XI Punjab will be Queens XI Ireland.

Lets revise the rules of IPL:
1.The teams can play at most four players of the respective mother states of India.
2.The audience from India should have a valid passport and visa.

IPL 2 has lost the very concept of India in it when BCCI president announced today afternoon that IPL 2 will be held overseas. All thanks to Home Minister and State Governments. Lets analyze how this enitre drama unfolded.

I had sensed IPL 2 will not going to be easy for Lalit Modi with Vasundhra Raje losing elections to congress in Rajasthan. Then the upcoming goverment started bringing allegations against him. To add on to situation Modi lost Rajasthan Cricket Association elections. Media reports suggestted that Modi was very close to Raje, it was well noticed live in Set Max when Modi had unconditional access to Raje. Even in the case of terrorist attacks in Jaipur during IPL 1, Raje ensured that the tournament players are safe and the show went on uninterrupdly. Does Modi paying heavily for being close to Raje? Because if we see the states who reverted back their decisions are states where Congress is in power. The may not have taken the matter seriously as they donot care or is it very premature to arrive at such a conclusion???

Even if we consider there is no poltics involved in the whole process. Lets look at a different angle. The honorable Home Minister is worried about security, where was this concern prior to Mumbai attack? Had the earlier minister of the office had taken his job with such sencierity, I hope the mega event would have been in India. The terrorists who have attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team have succeded in their motive to harm Indian economy.

If we look the other side of the coin, we can realize the strain the government is facing. The South African security company that is hired to design the security architecture for IPL 2 presented a model that required para millitary forces which the centre cannot compromise on. The government cannot afford to carry the stain of another terrorist attack.

The entire senario went into a deadlock. Firstly, IPL management couldnot able to predict that the security condition in subcontinent will detoriate to such an extent in comming year. and cricketers would be targeted. Secondly, the failure of talks between elements of the system that included all IPL management, Home ministry and state governments. Lastly the lack of poltical motive and support to carry on the event. In the whole senario the suffers are again the innocent people who love cricket to an extent of considering it as their religion. The terrorist have won again.

Why do we spread terror......

Lost in woods, I wonder
Why we all spread terror,
Is it that, we are in horror
Or is it that, we just love to murder.

Rome coined the term "terror"
with loads of error
Wiki acknowledges its confusion
when it says there is no definition,
So lost in woods, I wonder
Why we commit this error.

We kill in name of religion,
Others kill us in name of restoration
Both are forms of same terror
now which is far from being over
So lost in woods, I wonder
Why we all love to murder.

Blood of innocence, Is it what we strive for,
Destruction of peace,Is it what we live for,
Is it that we have lost faith
Or has forgotten the value of a breath
So lost in woods, I still wonder
Why we all spread terror.

A single Factor of yours .....

A single sketch of yours inspired so much artistry
that the entire flurry of manipulative artists
unitedly failed to evoke in my life.

A single smile of yours triggered so much magic
that the entire conglomerate of magicians
unitedly failed to evoke in my life.

A single stare of yours evolved so much concentration
that the entire string of mediators
unitedly failed to evoke in my life.

A single belief of yours spawned so much harmony
that the entire ocean of baseless religions
unitedly failed to evoke in my life.

A single sound of yours fomented so much melody
that the entire arena of talented musicians
unitedly failed to evoke in my life.

A single nod of yours incited so much assurance
that the entire river of promises
unitedly failed to evoke in my life.

A single heartbeat of yours inflamed so much love
that the entire meadow of countless wealth and belongings
unitedly failed to evoke in my life.

For me,
You are the answers to all the riddles of my life,
You are the one who heals all pains of my life,

But a single factor of yours that will kill me
is your love , which is my life.

How festivals in NIT have changed over last four years.....

Being a part of this Institute for last four years, I have observed the transition in the way we celebrate our various festivals. All thanks to Ram who has suggested me to write on this topic.

Confluence 2k6: Under the able leadership of Mr Rajvalvah the event was a great success. We had participants from all over Orissa and in house too. It was covered by national TV and was later broadcasted.

Spring fest 2k6: The show was average. The management tried its best to organize events and it was only the Jal band from whom we had so many expectations, betrayed us. However the event was crowded and everything was planned.

Confluence 2k7: The anamoly in the system had started this year. I feel that the managemnet that was elected didnot realized their responsibility. They didnot realized that the confluence2k6 had set the standards very high and they have to carry it ahead, instead due to lack of co ordination with other institutes in Orissa the public turn over dried.

Spring fest 2k7: The spring fest of 2006 introduced very new concepts of Gudguddi and many more events. we had Khailash Kher as our celebrity. With new ideas and energy it was a low budget hit.

Confluence 2k8: Come confluence 2k8, in the mid of economic boom and Microsoft streching its helping hands. The management was good too. But there were some basic mistakes commited by both students and management that set up the fire. Also with so much of money involved the system had grown much complicated to be handled by team of students who were facing both internal and external pressure. In midst of all there was a job fair by Microsoft and rest was all chaos. To add on to the chaos was the comming up of E cell and time and again trying to change the system.

Spring fest 2k8: Spring 2k8 with Satya leading from front tried almost single handledly to manage the events, he got little support from his team to fulfill the high dreams. However they worked well to bring on Kunal Ganjewala with a heafty sum and the show was a super duper Hit. The event were interresting but standards were ok. It was a high budget and main event driven season.

Confluence 2k9: A failure in short. The major contributer to this failure is the failed policy of director to lift the student elections for different posts and to add on to it the recession. A low budget and poor show. With mini techfest earlier this year, the public had hoped for better performance. The team was not to be blamed. There were indivisuals who were capable of delivering but was not given the power and they infact did that to best of their ability.

Spring fest 2k9: The show is on, but the energy is low and also the dates fall in summer. We do hope something is there in package, lets hope for the best.

Lets try to look into the causes of this down trending:

1) The first to be blamed is Supreme court of India, which made ragging illegal. I do agree ragging is not good, but the way the law was implemented bared the senior junior intraction. We do agree that first two to three months were tough as a fresher, but then the seniors are your best friends and good guides after that. The present senario is just confused and full of carelessness. One cannot expect a fresher to understand the culture of the Institute without seniors guidance.

2) The system has moved and has developed into such a fragmantic one that everyone has forgoten the entire goal of an Institute. By the system, I mean both students and faculties. With Institute trying to interfere into personal life of students with hostel suffling policy,  strict attendance norms, lifting up the elections and many more has led to this situation. And also with students over days growing selfish, motivated by lot of other factors, fragmanted among themselves has also let us down. We need to understand that we cannot change a system drastically, we have to be a part of system and try to evolve it through stages.

The Institute should feel the urgency to address these problems and come up with sustainable solutions. These festivals are integral part of a student's life. If the problem is not addressed now, then I fear the extinction of smile and happiness from NIT Rourkela. 

Can Gandhi principles be promoted in Auction house.....

Gandhi Items vs Gandhi Ideals

Do we remember what Gandhiji advocated? If we feel that bringing back his glasses, shoes will impress bapu's principles, then we are caught in a wrong foot. Gandhi always advocated that he want to live in heart of every Indian, not in museum. Many of us feel that we do not anymore harbor Gandhian ideologies, however we should not forget the manner in which we retaliated after Mumbai attacks. We must appreciate the way UPA took up the case and tried to show up the spat between Pakistan civil goverment, Pakistan Army and pakistan millitants. Gandhi never advocated submission, nor valued materialistic beauties.

So Mr. Otis, we Indians are not fools. We will not give you that huge amount in the recession time. We have Bapu in our mind and soul. You want to keep glasses and make money out of it, do it and when you spend out those money do come to India, we will give you another set of Gandhi items to auction. This is what Gandhiji has taught us. But Mr. Otis how will you auction these ideals?? So stop testing our ideals.......... and enjoy Bapu's blessings, which he has endownded on your poor soul.

Grim Day for Cricket.....

Sri-Lankan Cricketers Air-Lifted from Gaddafi Stadium

courtesy:TOI

In an unprecedented terrorist event, it is 03/03 in Lahore and this time at the recieving end is cricket and the gentlmen of peace. The attack was not intented only on Sri-Lankan cricketers, the attack was on the sport that binds the Indian Subcontinent emotionally and economically. Cricket appears in jeopardy in subcontinent after today.

Lets try to analyze the situation.

The Sri lankan team was given Prime Ministral security, Do Gilani/Zardari move around in ordinary vechicles? Or the Prime Ministral security force is incapable of arresting even one terrorist, when there were around 12 who tried this? Why the route to the ground not sanatized? How could terrorist had the idea about which bus the Sri-Lankan Cricketers were? Was the security blueprint compromised? Why the evidences as shown on TV was mishandled by Lahore police, was that out of hurry or was an attempt to wipe up evidences?

What about assurances been given by Pakistan leaders including Imran Khan, who had suggested that terrorist would not go forward to attack the cricket as they may loose their popularity in Pakistan. Did he failed in his theory? With Hameed Gul pointing towards Indian involvement, he has forgoten that the world donot care about statements from UNO certified terrorists.

If the terrorist were so well armed then why the attackers didnot blow up the entire convoy, when they had enough opportunity? Was this an attempt by Pakistan to divert the attention and gain sympathy from world that they too are victims of terrorism? If Pakistan is fighting terror then why did they enter into an agreement with Taliban in SWAT Valley?

Now analyze direct fallout of this incident. The Pakistan Cricket which was earlier in jeopardy may become a history, with no cricket being played on Pakistan soil. 2011 world cup may move away from Pakistan, and rest of sub continent has to take on under high security. The direct people to people contact in sub continent may come to a halt.

What ever it may be, whatever may be the motive, the attack on cricket today is the worst ever attack on sports after 1972 attack on Isreal players.

There has been enough of apologies and denails. What we can only hope two things right now ,is that Pakistan should realize that time is running out and Sri-Lankan cricketers should be ready for IPL 2009.

A Comparision of ISO 9001 with Capability Maturity Model(CMM) for software

The Capability Maturity Model for Software, developed by the Software Engineering Institute, and the ISO 9000 series of standards, developed by the International Standards Organization, share a common concern with quality and process management. The purpose of this blog is to contrast the CMM and ISO 9001, showing their differences and simillarities.

Capability Maturity Model for Software:

The CMM for  software, describes the principles and practices underlying software process maturity and is intended to help software organization improve the maturity of their software processes in terms of an evolutionary path from ad hoc, chaotic processes to mature. The CMM is organized into five maturity levels. A maturity level is a well defined evolutionary plateau toward achiving a mature software process.

Five Maturity Levels:

1)Initial: The software process is characterized as ad hoc, and even chaotic. Few processes are defined and success depends on indivisual effort and heroics.

2)Repeatable: Basic project management processes are established to track cost, schedule and functionality. The necessary process discipline is in place to repeat earlier successes on project with similar applications. The key process areas are Requirement Management, Software Project planning,Software project Tracking and Oversight, Software Subcontract Management, Software Quality Assurance,Software configuaration Management.

3)Defined: The software process for both management and engineering activities is documented, standardized and integrated into a standard software process for the organization. All projects use an approved, tailored version of the organization's standard software process for developing and maintaining software. The key process areas include Organization process focus, organization process Defination,Training programme, Integrated software management, software product engineering, Intergroup Co-ordination, Peer Reviews.

4)Managed: Detailed measures of the software process and product quality are collected. Both the software process and products are qualitatively understood and controlled. The key process areas include Quality Process Management(QP) Software Quality Management(QM)

5)Optimizing: Continuous process improvement is enabled by quantative feedback from process and from piloting innovative ideas and technologies. The key process areas include Defect Prevention, Technology change management, Process change management.

The ISO 9000 Series of Standards for Quality Management Systems

The ISO 9000 series of standards is a set of documents dealing with quality systems that can be used for external quality assuarnce purposes. They specify quality system requirements for use where a contract between two parties requires the demonstration of a suppliers's capability to design and supply a product.

The quality concepts addressed by these standards are:

1) An organization should achieve and sustain the quality of the product or service produced so as to meet continually the purchaser's stated or implied needs.

2)An organization should provide confidence to its own management that the intended quality is being achieved and sustained.

3)An organization should provide confidence to the purchaser that the intended quality is being, or will be, achieved in the delivered product or service provided. When contractually required, this provision of confidence may involove agreed demonstration requirement.

Mapping ISO 9001 to the CMM

1)Management Responsibility:Both ISO 9001 and CMM requires that the quality policy bedefined, documented, understood, implemented and maintained.

2)Quality System: ISO 9001 requires that a documented quality system, including procedures nad instructions be established. CMM also advocates same through its key process areas.

3)Contract Review:The CMM also explicitly addressed the acquisition of software through subcontracting by the software organization, as  described in software subcontract management. Contracts may be with an external customer or with a subcontractor, although that description is not made in ISO 9001.  

Clearly there are many strong correlations between ISO 9001 and the CMM, although some issues in ISO 9001 are not covered in the CMM, and vice versa.

The clauses in ISO 9001 with no strong relationship to the CMM key process areas, and which are not well addressed in the CMM, are purchaser-supplier product and handling, storing, packaging and delivery.

The biggest difference, however, between these two documents is the emphasis of CMM on continuosus process improvement. ISO 9001 addresses the minimum criteria for an acceptable quality system.

The biggest similarity is that for both the CMM and ISo 9001, the bottom line is "SAY WHAT YOU DO; DO WHAT YOU SAY"