Another talk, really cool one on how kids can change the world…and its infectious by any standard.

Kiran Bir Sethi shows how her groundbreaking Riverside School in India teaches kids life’s most valuable lesson: “I can.” Watch her students take local issues into their own hands, lead other young people, even educate their parents.

Cool stuff again….

In the series that I had been following, today the mailbox had a newlwtter fron TED.com

Educating the poor is more than just a numbers game, says Shukla Bose. She tells the story of her groundbreaking Parikrma Humanity Foundation, which brings hope to India’s slums by looking past the daunting statistics and focusing on treating each child as an individual.

Really great stuff, we can possibly be doing this!!!

Senthilkumar Rajappan

PS: the English speaking children ( all the videos) would give us real scare of our achievement if we think we have any!?

A very classic and researched set of variables and three professors make this Top 200 CEOs a wonderful study.

This is the first global ranking of CEOs based on company performance during their time in office. Created by three INSEAD professors, the ranking is based on a global data set of some 2,000 CEOs of 48 nationalities and from companies in 33 countries.

I tried for Indians and there were two, Mukesh Ambani at 5 and K. Kamath of ICICI at 150.

The best thing is that it is spread over various categories and IT is also there. Please check the article here.

Senthilkumar Rajappan

Yesterday two news items in succession though a little time apart has caused irreparable damage to Indo Chinese relations… And they believe that it is a netizen who is responsible for all this. I am surprised how China thought it fit not to find the man responsible for this.

Here are the links: News 1, News 2

and a blog to that; A blog

In sharp contrast, the Hindu has run a news item titled A message of peace and tolerance

I should also admit I did not find the above stories in the Hindu.

Senthilkumar

Well not anymore, going by the news item in the TOI teachers have to be careful. Now what will teachers do?

The last year’s champions are out of the reckoning so too are the dashing young starlets who almost got more television time than the players, Shilpa Shetty and Priety Zinta. Well I can’t remember face of the most unpopular owner if I may call him from Deccan. They are a wonderful lot this year doing the best. Even Anil Kumble and his men seem to have got it right and Super Kings are on a song. Dare Devils hopefully should keep their hopes alive…

But the head line should have been Shah Rukh Khan drowns Shilpa’s Royals. It was not meant to be, at least Shilpa must have thought, the script horribly gone wrong that fateful day when Kolkatta Knight Riders decided to do an honourable exit in the process making Rajasthan Royals lose out on their march to Semi Finals.

Now for the other teams, Chennai Super Kings now seem to be the favorite after they got their act together and defended a low total. It was anybodys game but they played so well and Dhoni was there all over to see things happening. It was cool of him as always to work like that in that situation and get through unscathed yesterday.

Delhi Dare Devils really look upto the challenge and they have to fire from the top or else it could be the opponent who will have a field day. If the Sehwag factor along with Gambhir does not work then its easy for the opposition read Deccan Charges to go for the kill in the Semi Final.

Royal Challengers have also made a huge discovery with one Pandey making 118 not out, during their encounter with Deccan Chargers. He held the innings as if it was his last match and played some lofty shots into the crowd. At 19 and being the first IPL Indian centurion, his captain would want him to repeat the feat on Saturday against Chennai Super Kings.

It has been a great entertainment all through this season of IPL. Certainly making it the game of uncertainities, how else would you describe a loss when you require just 4 runs off the last over. It sometimes does defy logic and thats what the cricket as a game is all about.

We hope to have the same final seat on the edge encounter during the semis and the finals.

One thing I wanted to mention here, I was watching all that Charity show on TV for schools and et al…my only question was if the organisers would do it in India, India needs so much of these kind of charities.

Before I end, let me answer a doubt you would have had in your mind as to the picture I has chosen on Lalit Modi, the answer of course is he is the man of the match called IPL. He’s scored the DLF Maximum, lives Citi Moment of Success, and of course makes the most of now (Vodafone). Sorry if I missed any Sponsor… And well according to informed sources Sony has deputed one camera man exclusively to cover the Man – Modi. It is just a reflection of his popularity.

So the Saturday was filled with happiness, surprise, anguish, victory defeat and all the adjectives put together… Even Congress was not immune to surprise that it had got so many seats which was a great relief for everyone given that we thought we might have to see al those naked horse trading deals and MPs being escorted to safe havens…et al.

The way the people have voted is for two important issues, 1. governance and 2. for national parties. If we look at the results it is a clear sign of people effectively closing doors on third front and they have been told not to meddle with the way they have been holding the country to ransom.

That BJP took it gracefully is another nice thing about this election for all the studio wrangling they did, it was nice to see that they were resigned to the fact and accept defeat gracefully.

Now the star of the election Rahul Gandhi is all over the landscape. We can expect him to be the Prime Minister sooner than later. He has made it happen for Congress when he spoke highly of Chandrababu Naidu and Nitish Kumar he was making himself a statement for a long term.

Back to business as usual for the PM Mr. Manmohan Singh. Of course the expectations are going to be more than ever before. Never the less here’s wishing the new government all the very best.

R Senthilkumar

Well, in this part of our country, our state went to polls and I didn’t miss this once in a five year opportunity to exercise my democratic right and a considered duty. My neighbour brother had already voted by the time I started to the polling booth. He had the distinction of being the first voter at our booth, his background of course is rooted in Socialist agenda and they make it a point to do this very dutifully.

As I reached the polling booth being greeted by party men of various colored flags and enlightening me on the number of their candidate, the booth had lot of people waiting to cast their vote. I verified my voting slip and stood in a designated queue. Reading all those faces who think they are doing a great service to this country (including me!) by voting. There were all people, some you know we can call them Software Professionals by their looks, the jean clad, funky T shirts a few of them, then of course the local people pretty easy going.

Then I could see some first time voters their face beaming with a sense of satisfaction and an elan of achievement. They do deserve to wear that attitude for the simple reason that they had come and vote unlike some of us who do this thinking how does it matter if we vote or not.

As I kept looking around I saw a photographer, a pres corp waiting on the lines to see and capture a ‘moment’. He did not fail when a few minutes later a physically handicapped voter rode his bicycle to the front door of one of the booths. Luckily it didn’t have steps, it was one of their slanting stairs for them, I think somebody had thought of these people and worked in tandem to facilitate his franchise. How wonderful of them to think on those lines.

As the voter got down to floor and went in, the photographer caught his picture of the day waited eagerly for him to return. A two minutes later, he returned with a smile on his face with a sense of fulfillment of having voted on all fours and the flash started again some five shots and he was back to his special cycle. Some telling him, “Hey You are going to be on Paper tomorrow.”

The queue was moving up fast and I had almost reached the steps of the building when I saw another frail old man in his eighty being helped to climb the steps, as they both walked in, I was surprised he was wearing a saffron cloth that is symbolic of sanyas, and I was left wondering if he didn’t want to do away with sanyas as far as voting was concerned. It made me a happy citizen. After all my country men were the most patient ever, and I always have this notion, “Inspite of the politicians, the country is doing good.”

Few minutes later I enter the booth I give my voting slip to the second presiding officer, he calls out my number and name for the polling agents to take note of. On the other side we see some seven people seriously taking down the number which he had shouted atleast three times.

This time the electoral rolls are photo rolls so it is tough to cast a bogus vote unless with the connivance of the Presiding officers. I have heard stories from my friends when they had worked with a certain party they would see the Presiding officer at their home and make an offer for x number of votes and all the polling agents would be taken care of. I don’t know may be we cant put enough bogus votes like last time and may be one of the reason why the turnout was low is this.

Two people in the ‘crowd’ were known to me though our body language didn’t show that, it’s a risk you know to show yourself in front of them all put together. They will come to some conclusion you see.

I now sign a register and get my finger inked. Then move on the place to reset my EVM and then press the * button. The lady officer says ‘you proceed it will beep, don’t worry’. As I near the exit there is ‘beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep’ sound. I was reminded of my Physics class when they asked me this question, ‘why do they have these sounds for horn and indicators,’ basically they are disturbing and catch your attention and number two you have no choice but to listen – the pitch is so high in these sounds you see.

So with a sense of accomplishment, I come out as if I have won the election.

This is one kind of duty our citizen do every five years and as I kick start my bike I have but all forgotten why i have voted or would I be eagerly waiting for the result and would it really make a difference.

Would it make a difference, well may be for those in power and those in opposition, but for me!

Senthilkumar

Today, it was a wonderful feeling when I was live on air at 91.9 FM Gyanvani from GRD College Studios. The programme was between 5.15 pm and 6.15 pm.

Mr. Paulraj, the programme host made me really comfortable and we shared at length on how students can make headway in their making themselves confident and communicable.

Hopefully I shall host the podcast of the show asap.

Senthilkumar

That was a pleasant surprise when today morning I learnt that Sarath Babu, the CEO Of Food King, Chennai has decided to take a plunge into politics.

This is one great feeling to see someone who has shown the world to rise from the most downtrodden to the highest order and how by rejecting an offer from MNCs and making idlis. This is in itself is so very adventurous and I know for sure he can be great statesman if the people decide to make him an MP.

I think he should have taken a strategic decision given his success in his business today and most likely if he can win then there is a great hope for Indian politics. Why am so confident is here is a person who still lives at his thatched hutment and knows what is poverty and though he has so many people working for him he is so down to earth and humble.

I did miss a chance to listen to this wonderful and successful entrepreneur at Coimbatore owing to a speaking assignment at a different college at Erode.

I wish him whole heartedly and pray that he makes it to the Honourable MPs list. Then he would know how to feed millions as he is doing today with his Food King.

Senthilkumar