Potentiality versus Opportunity

Bound by my fad for technology and following the latest developments from the house of world’s leading innovator Apple, I decided to pen down this blog post. Technology excites me and keeping a tab on the latest trends is something I’m fond of. Keeping its trend alive, Apple at its latest Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) announced a flurry of new products that it plans to offer this year, including new operating systems and updated Mac computers. It seems that Apple, one of the world leaders, has found inspiration again and is ready to take the game to the opposition. As for these wonderful pieces of innovation, I’m surely going to review one of them very soon.

iOS 7, the latest version of Apple’s flagship mobile operating system, is the biggest change to the platform since the iPhone was introduced five years ago. Featuring a radically overhauled interface, new Control Center, transparent animations and more, it's pretty impressive. With a greater synergy among hardware and software design, Apple’s iOS 7 features flat, simple design with a vast use of light and bright colors. The new design is evident in everything from sharper, flatter icons, slimmer fonts, a new slide-to-unlock function, and a new control panel that slides up from the bottom of the screen for frequently accessed settings.

Along with this, Apple also plans to introduce the new Mac Pro, which will include a new Intel Xeon processor and come standard with dual AMD workstation discrete graphics processors. It will also support 4K, ultra high-definition displays out of the box, and the system is only one eighth the volume of the earlier Mac Pro. A combination of all these features makes this machine certainly designed for an amazing speed.

I remember Steve Jobs mentioning in one of his interviews that we are living in the post-PC era. I think it has to be true. With the introduction of OS X Mavericks, Apple has proven that there is still much work that can be done to improve computing on the desktop and laptop. With more than 200 new features coming in the fall, OS X Mavericks brings Maps and iBooks to the Mac and introduces many other features.

This reminds me of an article I was reading a few days ago, when a thought crossed my mind, that compelled and redirected me to a different direction. We Indians are a smart race. Test us mentally and we can rise to the challenge. Little wonder that the world’s sharpest brains belong to the Indian lineage and undoubtedly it is a matter of great pride.

Though there is enough potential in our country, there seems to be a dearth of opportunities and resources. Just last month, I had tweeted about this 18-year-old girl, Eesha Khare, who invented a super-capacitor device that could potentially charge your cellphone in less than 20 seconds. Imagine how much time that will save! Being of Indian origin, I doubt if Eesha would have been rewarded in a similar manner if she were to be a resident of India.

Moreover, like I’d mentioned in my previous post, the education system in India must strive to focus on an overall holistic development of a child and an equal importance has to be given to his or her knowledge, hard work, perseverance and passion. The youth today has been abundantly exposed to numerous media channels and cultures that they are constantly on a lookout for ways to represent themselves in front of the world. Their sheer confidence and a steadfast attitude to make it big is something that needs a constant dose of encouragement and there shall be no looking back.  

Therefore, I believe that these young brains that possess immense talent should be given a platform to showcase their work and must be rewarded for their achievements. It’s them who will bring India to the forefront in the years to come and recognizing their gift will help us break new grounds like never before and reach new avenues.

Is it death of Morality or birth of a new Honest Generation?

From the tender years at school we’ve all been taught of morals and to be able to tell between right & wrong. But how many of us have been able to carry on the lessons that our parents and teachers have so painstakingly tried to instill in us.  Does the society we live in leave any room for the right things?

Many feel that morality has been reduced to just a mere concept in our nation today and we can’t blame them for thinking this. The instances we hear of corruption and bribery outweigh the number of stories we hear of justice & morality. One of the major issues that is plaguing the nation and making its future seem not-so-bright is corruption. It is the weed that is sucking out all the positive energy from the nation and is not only ruing the picture of the system in our eyes, but is also giving the nation a bad name internationally. 

Looking at the extent to which corruption exists in our nation is appalling. There seems to be no such activity that can take place without a bribe. Either giving or receiving, we often find ourselves stuck in situations where bribery is involved. From menial jobs to big multinational enterprises, the existence of bribe is rampant.

What seems like a gloomy picture and doesn’t give us much hope to look at a developing nation is also yielding a new spirit in the citizens. While there are individuals in our country who are hampering the growth, there is also a rising consciousness against this issue. Starting from the youth to the senior citizens, there are a growing number of citizens who are realizing the extent to which corruption has plagued the nation. This new army of citizens taking all measures possible- protests, petitions, judiciary and even social media- to try and oust the problem from the system and India.

To make sure that we put an end to corruption is by first making everyone aware of the extent of the harm it has created- something that is already happening. But the best way to oust this evil is to get started with our own selves. Starting from avoiding chalaans by “favoring” the traffic constable to getting our children admitted in institutions by giving “donations”, the practice of 1) checking ourselves and those around us and 2) reporting any wrong doing is a must.  

It is our nation, our future and hence it is up to us to make sure we can bring about the change. As the great Marcus Aurelius puts it, “Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one.”

They want action! They want results!

Outspoken, technology-dependent, easily influenced, materialistic – this is how the media and society at large usually describe the current generation of young adults in India. They might be right to some extent, but there’s an alternate side to this younger generation – they’re courageous and purposeful. And hungry for change!

Media’s portrayal of youth, more often than not, settles around the areas concerned with increasing violence and crimes across the country. But it at times fails to showcase the path that the youth is taking to bring about a change in the society.  

India’s population today stands at 1.25 billion with 54% in the 25 year age bracket; certainly everything is not as gloomy as it is made out to be.

Invigorating and inspiring times provide ample opportunities for individuals to use their inner strength to maximum potency. With the ‘I-can-do’ attitude of today’s youth, achieving dreams is no longer a distant goal for them. If one has to look at growth and development in our country, the credit has to go to the youth, for they have been fighting all odds to make it to the top. The young men and women have always taken a step forward in addressing challenges of national concern irrespective of the returns they may anticipate.

The world witnessed the aftermath of the gruesome gang-rape of physiotherapist in Delhi. Screaming at the top of their voices, battling the lathi charge, braving the water cannons, enough and more campaigns and protests were led by the fearless young who shook the nation and the people in power.

Also, looking at India’s many progressive industries namely IT, infrastructure, retail and real estate that are leading the world by example, youth definitely is the backbone of our future economy, global presence and political stability.

The youth of our country shall also be considered as being the agents of change. They set the catalyst effect which propels the governments of any time and location to tremble and set their focus back on the future of the country. They have been very responsible in situations that are critical and tough which require national level attention.

In a sense, I’m counting on the youth of today. I believe that their actions will have consequences. Their efforts will make a difference.

To quote American president Franklin D Roosevelt, “We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”