Only a few more minutes to go before 2009 becomes a thing of the past and 2010 arrives with its fresh challenges and resolutions. The ubiquitous merrymaking all round to usher in the new year has really gained momentum in recent times; places like Park Street in Calcutta get flooded with people, flocking together in restaurants and discos for one big hurrah, dancing and celebrating into the night to welcome the new year. Even as I write this, the sounds of crackers and enjoyment can be heard from afar; infectious as they are, they egg on even the most reluctant and reclusive person to indulge in some sort of festivity in his/her own beautiful way. I am not much of a party-goer; I watched '3 idiots' today with family, and had a nice dinner at home. For me, every passing year has its own value, for it makes me richer in terms of experience and maturity, and helps me evolve into a better person; 2009 was no exception. It was quite rewarding in its own way - many good moments to cherish; I was in good health and good spirits throughout the year, and my academic performances were satisfactory too. I aspire to continue with this in 2010, staying physically and mentally fit, and focused on the many important tasks that lie ahead. Personally, 2010 is as important a year as it could be. By the end of this year, I should have appeared in GRE, fully prepared for GATE to be held in Feb. 2011, completed 7 semesters of my BME course, and most importantly, managed a decent, well-paying job !
Here's wishing everybody a very happy and prosperous new year 2010 ! :)
The grand Copenhagen conference on climate change of 15000 delegates from 192 countries for two weeks is a sign of a rare sense of urgency and suggests an overwhelming consensus on the imminent dangers facing a steadily polluting world. The effects of climate change, as we all know, are universal - the tsunamis, cyclones, floods and droughts are all portents of things to come; investing in climate control is therefore very essential.
Global mandates and agreements have been in place for a long time now. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted in 1997 to arrest the rate of global warming by reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Another such mandate is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which recognizes that the largest share of global emissions have originated in the industrialized countries. According to these agreements, developed countries have an obligation to progressively reduce their emissions, as well as to contribute financial resources and transfer technology to the developed countries to compensate for the incremental costs of moderating their rising emissions.
These have, however, been met with scorn from many developed countries, like Australia, which refrained from signing the Protocol for a long time, or the US, which is yet to ratify it. Reality is that, since 1997, emissions in developed countries have, in fact, continued to increase, and commitments made by these nations have fallen woefully short of the required level. While there has been unanimous agreement on cutting emissions, the bone of contention is over who is to do how much and in return for what. Instead of implementing their commitments on the required scale, the developed countries are aiming to shift obligations to developing countries like China, India, Brazil, etc, whom they view as competitors in the global economy. Agreements like the Kyoto Protocol are under threat; developed countries are looking for a new pact to replace it.
At the conference, the US seem to have brokered a political deal with India and 3 other emerging economies over non-legally binding emission cuts, which has, however, been rejected by an overwhelming number of developing nations; the deal under which each country needs only to list its current pledges for emissions sparked a rebellion among vulnerable nations, like Vanuatu or Maldives. India, like most other emerging economies, has pledged to act, but not without adequate incentives(economic aid, etc); India has indicated that it is ready to discuss international scrutiny of its domestic actions to curb greenhouse emissions. Both India and China have been under pressure from the US and the European Union to allow monitoring review and verification (MRV) on all emission-curbing actions; India, though, has consistently asserted that it would open only foreign finance supported emission-curbing actions to international scrutiny. Other important issues like the Kyoto Protocol and long-term co-operation also need sorting out.
While agreeing to work with other nations to help create a fund to deal with climate change, the US has also indicated that unless China and India opened themselves to international monitoring of their emission curbing actions, no US financial deal would be possible. What emerged finally was the Copenhagen Accord - not a legally-binding document providing clear and time-bound targets for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The procedure that led to the Accord was initiated by President Obama of the US and China's Wen Jiabao, and was subsequently agreed upon by India, Brazil and South Africa. Several other industrialized and developing countries joined in, some grudgingly.
The poorest nations have objected to being left out of the critical negotiations; several of them, threatened by rise in sea-levels, want industrialized countries to take on deeper emissions reductions, while several European countries are unhappy that the US and China are not part of the Kyoto Protocol, and expressed their disappointment about the Accord openly.
Though the Copenhagen Conference has failed to arrive at a consensus, it may still be the starting point for future commitments. Results of international negotiations are not always obtained by the level of urgency; agreement has to be adopted by consensus, and not by majority, something China, for instance, has used to raise objection and stop the entire negotiation process on several occasions. Besides, world leaders are governed by their respective national mandates and related interests, which also acts as a vital gap in the capability of the system. President Obama has already received much credit for his role in the negotiation process; obviously, his may either be a genuine commitment to protecting the earth or an attempt to enlarge his own political image as a green leader. NGO's have blamed world leaders for failing in Copenhagen, while the common man is unsure, whether to celebrate the essential beginning of a new global agreement or express anguish over an unproductive conference. We hope to see a legally-binding agreement in Mexico next year.
The last two days have been couple of the most memorable days of my life so far. I had been selected for participation in the Short-Term Course on Mechanics over Micro and Nano scale (STCMMN) 2009, organized at the Bengal Engineering & Science University(BESU) Shibpur on Dec. 21 and 22, 2009. It was time well spent, in the enlightened company of a galaxy of reputed professors and eminent personalities in the field of science & technology from well-known institutes.
Some of my readers might be interested in knowing what the programme is all about. Well, the idea of STCMMN was conceived by Prof. Suman Chakraborty of IIT Kharagpur, who is also a member of the Indo-US forum for research excellence in fabrionics. This particular forum came into being in Kanpur a few years back to facilitate collaboration between India and the USA in the fabrication of new technologies in microfluidics. The Indo-US forum organises the STCMMN every year in India; the 2009 venue being BESU Shibpur.
The subject of microfluidics is a relatively modern one, but its popularity has seen a considerable amount of work been done already, with further extensive research being taken up by several research groups in different parts of the world. The consequences will be far-reaching, with the possibilities of fabricating new techniques and advances in biotechnology, nanotechnology, lab-on-a-chip systems, DNA hybridization, cancer treatment, intelligent drug administration, and many more!!!
Being an interdisciplinary subject, microfluidics encompasses various branches of science & technology - physics, chemistry, biology, fluid mechanics, chemical engineering, image processing, tribology, genetics, and what not ! Question naturally arises as to how much would an undergraduate student like myself be able to garner from lectures that presented topics quite advanced for his/her level. In the days leading up to the event, I was quite apprehensive regarding this. The success of the programme, therefore, would lie in the fact that while it could cater to the needs and queries of enthusiastic research scholars and faculty members, it could also present undergraduate students with an overview of the subject, underlying the basic principles and fundamentals, as also the scope and applications of the subject in modern science & technology at present and in the near future. The entire programme was thus carefully designed to kindle interest among budding researchers and get us acquainted with the subject.
While all the lectures were fascinating in their own ways, for me, personally, the high point was the one delivered by the keynote speaker, Dr. Howard Stone, a professor and researcher from Princeton University, USA. He interacted freely with students and teachers alike, and his presentation is certain to have generated a new wave of understanding and developing fresh techniques in microfluidics. The entire 2-day session was sprinkled with timely tea-breaks, while the sumptuous lunches and the conference dinner on 21st Dec. night were just awesome! A big thanks to the co-hosts, BESU Shibpur and IIT Kharagpur for all the warm hospitality; the event was a huge success, and the organizers deserve special praise.
On my part, I would definitely like to take part next time as well - hope IIT KGP or BESU hosts the event next time too, for, however selfish it may sound, it would certainly facilitate an easy journey !
December is a beautiful month. I like the winter season here; especially the afternoons when I can spend hours on end, planted on a chair on the roof, eating oranges in the pleasant sunshine, or the cosy nights, cuddled up in the warmth of the quilt. In our younger days, we used to exchange Christmas cards and share cakes back at school, things I fondly recall at times. Another thing I miss these days is wearing the blazer to school; how I used to dress up smart and handsome! I always abhor getting up early on winter mornings, and now that the exams are over, I can sleep for longer periods of time.
Exams always arouse a mixed bag of feelings in me. It's true there are extra efforts put in, reduced recreations, the tension of purpose, yet the feeling that I have the luxury of suspending all other jobs and worries apart from studying somehow manages to allay the butterflies in my tummy that exams usually tend to give rise to. When I was young, I used to faithfully abide by the restraints that used to be placed on my actions during exam-time- "not much TV, not many cartoons; finish your exams well, then you can do as you like...don't play for long;what if you get hurt? " !! Years later, I haven't changed much, except that I have learnt to focus better and my resolve has grown stronger.
Now idling away on a lazy afternoon in the post-exam holidays, this innate resolve tells me that my challenges are far from over. Having reached the business end of my graduation course, fresh tasks await, and it is their successful completion that will eventually shape my academic and professional career. Now is the time, not to drop anchor, but to continue sailing in the proper direction. The mind and body need rest though, and some nice relaxing time at home is the perfect way to prepare a plan of action.
Winter season in college life hasn't been short on fun so far. I have wonderful memories of two college winters behind me...four very beautiful months. The cricket matches with my fellowmates are a standout- having scored four consecutive ducks in my first year, I plan to score a few runs this season :)
The 5th match of the series had all the ingredients for a special contest. Australia had come back into the series at Mohali, and with the series poised perfectly at 2-2, were desperate to prove they were no pushovers, despite difficult conditions in India and the barrage of fitness problems in their squad. India, on the other hand, stung by the defeat in the last game, were looking to capitalize on depleted Aussie reserves and take a critical, if not decisive, lead in the 7-match series. On a personal note, there was the added interest of whether Sachin Tendulkar could complete 17,000 runs in ODI cricket. Besides, perfect batting conditions on a wicket more favorable to pace than spin ensured that the match wouldn’t be as drab as it had been in the 3rd match at Delhi. All these and much more made for a perfect script, as the two teams descended on Hyderabad to resolve their deadlock.
Australia batted first, and batted like they had never done in this whole series…an aggressive century partnership gave them the perfect platform to really launch into the Indian attack in the later overs. And launch they did! In style. 13 sixes in the innings and79 runs in the last 7 overs saw their total climb to a mammoth 350 in 50 overs, more than India have ever chased successfully in ODIs. It was exciting to watch the Aussie batsmen finally make a big statement. Shane Watson’s 93 set the tone; the way he batted in the afternoon, Watson however, wouldn't have known then he'd later be bowling the last over to save Australia.
If the first 50 overs were exciting, it was nothing close to the Indian run-chase. Everyone watching knew the daunting task ahead of the batsmen, yet was hoping for a special performance. And who better than Tendulkar himself? He started scratchily, as the series so far, has been for him, reached the milestone of 17000 runs and then shifted gears seamlessly. Sehwag got out for 38 in the 8th over, but by then, Tendulkar had settled in and was well on his way to playing another of his gems. He kept the pace up, playing a wide array of shots all-round the wicket, while taking no undue risks, but was left seeking support from the other end. A flurry of wickets- Gambhir, Yuvraj and Dhoni all went for single-digit scores – left Tendulkar an improbable task to achieve on his own.
While the chase seemed to be slipping away from India, Tendulkar had already played a masterpiece. He finally found an able partner in Raina, and together, the two of them set about the task of resurrecting India’s fortunes. Some brilliant stroke play and Tendulkar’s 45th ODI century in the process brought the required rate down acutely, and India’s chances started looking surer as the Australians started to fumble a little. Even without Powerplay, India brought it down to 52 of the last eight overs. Had it been any other team, though, they would have given up long ago, and would have just stood and admired Tendulkar's work. The dogged Aussies, though, had other ideas. With the scales tilted heavily against them, relentless, as they are always, they clawed back; Watson( their superman, it seems!!) took out Raina and Harbhajan in one over, and that again balanced the scales.
Tendulkar’s presence at the crease still gave India the greater chance, though. He and Ravindra Jadeja added 32 for seventh wicket, and with Powerplay going on it seemed a matter of Tendulkar's staying there till the end. On came Clint McKay, debutant from Victoria, to bowl the 48th over with just 19 required. Tendulkar went to clear short fine leg off a slower delivery, but found Hauritz. It was all over. Jadeja ran himself out senselessly, Nehra holed out to long-on, and Australia were let to get their foot in. For a while, with Praveen Kumar hitting a six over long-off, and then taking sensible singles, it seemed victory was still possible, when needing 5 runs from 3 balls, Praveen was run out in the final over, to hand Australia the victory by 3 runs.
For Sachin Tendulkar, it was heart-break yet again; he seemed to have done everything possible but didn't last the final lap. He won the man of the match award alright ( 175 runs from 141 balls), but that cannot be anything more than mere consolation, as Australia go ahead in the series.
I congratulate Australia; a team battered with injuries has hung on for a memorable win. While reading certain post-match reviews, I found a nice quote, which sort offits here. Sixty one years ago, at the end of a tour of England by Don Bradman's famous pack, John Arlott put it thus: "Australianism," wrote Arlott, "means single-minded determination to win - to win within the laws but, if necessary, to the last limit within them. It means where the 'impossible' is within the realm of what the human body can do, there are Australians who believe that they can do it - and who have succeeded often enough to make us wonder if anything is impossible to them. It means they have never lost a match - particularly a Test match - until the last run is scored or their last wicket down."
Today’s match, with all its twists and turns, seemed to echo just that !
Sunday's match between East Bengal and Mohun Bagan at the Salt Lake Stadium was to be a battle between two beleaguered teams, desperate for three points to bolster their dwindling fortunes in the I-league. In the end, though, there was more to it than just points and league table standings. The 5-3 scoreline in Mohun Bagan's favor itself created a record, as never before have so many goals been scored in a clash of the Maidan giants. Yet, the biggest talking point in the post-match frenzy was whether Bagan had finally exorcised the ghost of 1975!
The IFA Shield final on 30th sept., 1975 will forever be etched in the annals of Calcutta's football history and the minds of the countless fans of these two clubs. East Bengal had thrashed their rivals 5-0 that day, a scoreline that, for 34 years, has been the trump card for every EB supporter to win any argument on supremacy. But, all that has perhaps changed on Sunday. Bagan supporters now have a spring in their strides; they believe this victory has finally relieved them off the burden. Yet, East bengal fans think otherwise; even, past players from the two sides are divided in their opinions. Debate rages as to whether this latest win by Bagan could be compared to the one by East Bengal in 1975, which had turned out to be an entirely one-sided, humiliating affair. Mohun Bagan fans can hardly care less though !
Man of the match Nigerian Edeh Chidi scored 4 goals in the match, a record for the Calcutta derby, overwhelming, in the process, Bhaichung Bhutia's hat-trick for EB in the Federation Cup 0f 1997. Although, glaring errors in defense of both the teams is a cause for concern, yet the barrage of goals delighted the huge crowd on a day when football won, and the thrill of seeing goals being scored was the gift that every spectator got.
I didn't burst many crackers this Diwali... it was a quiet affair at home, mainly sweets, lights and some nice free-time. I enjoy gorging on delicacies and decorating the house, but always go low on the crackers part, considering I enjoy watching others, being a little apprehensive myself! October is always a grueling month in terms of workload, and while the oncoming exams had influenced me to plan for some serious study in the 3-day break from Kali pujo till Bhai phonta, the sounds and the festive ambience severely impeded my efforts to concentrate on studying! I ended up spending the three days and the preceding evening watching the recently released movie X-men origins:Wolverine and all the three previously released X-men films !! It was indeed a gala Diwali celebration...Wolverine and Magneto all the way !
I was aimlessly surfing the Net, a few days back, when I came across an article…the title caught my attention, and though fairly long, I proceeded to read it, for I had nothing else to do. It talked of a spark within, that excites us, and enumerated ways and means of keeping it alive and guarding against the various elements that often play a vital hand in dousing it. On finishing reading it, I found it quite enlightening indeed!
There are few days in human life when one is truly elated. For instance, our first day in college – what would the new place be like? How are the new teachers like? How are my new classmates going to be? – there’s so much to be curious and excited about! The article hailed this excitement, this curiosity as constituting the spark within us that makes us feel truly alive sometimes. It is very important to keep that spark shining – being happy most, if not all, of the time.
This spark is inherent in us; we are born with them. Little things, like a swing in the park or a story from his father, get a kid excited! Often, however, this spark fades with age, making us dull, aimless and bitter. This makes it important to have goals and nurture the spark, in an effort to strive, to improve and achieve our full potential.
We are mostly from middle-class families. To us, having material landmarks is a success in life and rightly so….in situations, where money constraints often force everyday choices and decisions, financial freedom are indeed a big achievement. However, that isn’t the purpose of life – striving for the next level is important, because this can make us feel alive and happy to get better from our current levels.
Ensuring balance in life is essential too – health, relationships and mental peace, all in good order establish harmony, without which success in life has no meaning. Reasonable goals, balance, sincerity and not taking life more seriously than actually needed go a long way in nurturing the spark. However, different factors must be guarded against.
Often, our efforts don’t fetch us the expected returns; things don’t go as planned, get stuck and we face failure. We must be careful then not to let disappointment and frustration creep in….we must learn to appreciate the fact that if challenges could always be overcome, then they would cease to be challenges anymore! Merit and hard work are not always linked to success in the short-term, but the long-term correlation is high. Such situations may sometimes be difficult to overcome, but those who do, come out stronger. It is then essential to have pleasurable distractions in life – friends, food and travel can help us overcome it all!
The Puja holidays had been curtailed this year onwards. And so, unlike previous years, our university classes are resuming right after Lakshmi Puja. This marks the beginning of a busy couple of months, what with all the class tests, viva-voce, extra classes, report-writing and, above all, the semester exams just round the corner. Time again, for work and work !!
I spent the festival holidays in a quaint way....very little study, more amounts of lazy leisure. I did write five lab. reports - one on metrology, four on metallography - and studied a chapter on fuel-air cycles, though...but, they took me two weeks !!
A new thing that i started was writing blogs. While these things didn't interest me initially, now that i have started, I find the exercise quite pleasant and nice to spend my leisure time with. My first blog was just out of the urge to write something...for me, I believe, it's a way to improve my my writing skills. Moreover, I hope to utilize this pursuit of writing blogs to relax, to spend my free-time creatively and fruitfully, and bring about a kind of personal fulfillment.
This year's ICC Champions Trophy, being held in South Africa, has been a good and interesting one. Unexpected results, some close games, and the elimination of some big names have generated curious interest, while sponsors and organizers have been left to ponder over the absence of India and South Africa in the knock-out stages of the tournament.
World no.1 Australia play New Zealand in the final, in an attempt to successfully defend the title they won in 2006, as well as to consolidate their position at the top of the ODI rankings.
The festivities have ended. And while the odd pandal might still have the idol waiting to be immersed, most now contain only the remaining vestiges of Durga Puja '09. In Bengal, the onset of autumn is associated with the Bengalis' biggest and most popular annual festival, Durga Puja, heralded by the transition from summer to winter, pleasant sunny days and the unmistakable whiff of shiuli, bokul and kaash flowers in the air. The arrival of the Pujas in Bengal is just so amazing...the rush of pre-Puja activity as well as the variuos changes in nature are tell-tale signs that the event is just days away !! The Puja in Calcutta is a spectacle. Everyone comes together and takes part in the festivities, putting aside their troubles. They are all out feeling happy and enjoying the same things. Pandal-hopping becomes a way of life for these five days. The glittering lights, music, drumbeats, sweets and dollops of exuberance and vigour all generate such a vibe that people do not mind the madding crowds, slow traffic or the few unexpected spells of rain ! I, generally, celebrate the pujas in my own quiet way. Not of the over-zealous type, I have never been the most exuberant pandal-hopper and prefer to spend quality time with family and friends in a relaxing sort of way. Like every year, I had an enjoyable time this year too! Our college group went out on a whole-night programme, on Sasthi night and Saptami morning, touring the pandals in North Calcutta and some in the South too...Ashtami was beautiful, with anjali and sondhi pujo. Th khichuri bhogs and the lunches at our parar pujo on Saptami, Ashtami and Navami were excellent as well. While Durga Puja is a celebration of the enduring aura of the Mother Goddess, it also marks a celebration of harmony, of creativity, of merry-making, togetherness and hope ! It gives us so many moments to enjoy and cherish, moments very beautiful... puspanjali on ashtami morning, sondhi pujo, women indulging in sindur khela on Bijoya Dashami, and finally the Bisorjon, to loud cries of "aschhe bochhor abar hobe !! "...
