A Corporate Slave

Where the mind is full of fear and the head hangs low
Where rewards and praises are the things that blow
Saying yes is the only way out
For you are a team and the team is stout
Working, analysing and reporting is all you are expected to do.
Smile during travel and wrong you are proved
The ironed shirt and trouser you wear
Squeezes your life and makes it unfair
Your peers have build up huge castles which have no rooms to breathe
Your other friends laugh and cheer at your amazing feat
Ahh.. I want some space and more of time
Away from the time logs and managers whine
One day i'll be left with a heavy pocket and weak heart
That day when I breathe the last..
Corporate life you'd bring that moment fast...

I am an engineer and not the one who got just a degree.

Of late, we have seen a huge demand for engineers which doesn't show any sign of a downfall, but this line has more meaning than it would seem otherwise. It means, our nation needs people to solve, organize and set right the growing technology and engineering systems. Hence it needs people who are capable of this and not just certified for this.

I have been having numerous pragmatic thoughts about the development of this nation. But everything we are doing right now doesnt seem directed towards our long term goal for development. I am making  use of this article to show the real scenarios in the engineering industry, which I am sure appeals to any discipline.

The current state of education seem poignant. We are just trying to meet the demand by pumping in engineers out of an entity called Engineering Colleges which now seem like a manufacturing unit and not a value adding organisation. Its madness, and as rightly said, Madness is just like gravity, all you need is a little push.

 Everyone talks about placements, pursuing higher education, working abroad etc. But if we ponder upon these points do we ever pay attention to quality? I bet no. Its a real sorry state in the industry as well. Indian OEMs do nothing but Cut-Copy-Paste. Is this what we are trained for? Forget about solving problems, engineers are even unable to draft mails, leave aside presenting their ideas in spoken English.

The elite engineers of this country whose education were funded by the government, leave the country to make some quick money. This brings some inflow of cash to the country, no doubt, but if we look at a macro picture and ask ourselves as to what do we want: Quick money or a strong foundation that would make our country self sufficient. Should we be relying so much on foreign innovations and technological developments? Aren't we capable enough to help ourselves in these matters? Its a matter of shame that its six decades to our independence and we donot have expertise in any engineering discipline.

We have become a part of a vicious game called the race for money. Can this race for money ever take us to level of countries like Japan and Germany who sprung back due to their engineering prowess. The saying," to cut a tree in 8 hours, we should spend 7 hours in sharpening the axe" is worth pondering upon. These countries took their time and now they are reaping the fruits of their hardwork.

Its high time now and we should pull up our socks. If the current trend continues we would face real atrocities in future in terms of engineering solutions. So Indians, dont just pursue engineering, Be Engineers.