Doneology

Was the Supreme Court right to reprimand NCERT? Yes.

But where it went wrong — or exceeded — was when it penalised the faculty and the author who wrote about corruption in the judiciary.

What’s missing here is a simple reality: corruption exists in India [https://arunkw.medium.com/3-types-of-corruption-6e7f9eddc803]. We rank high on global corruption indices, yet there seems to be discomfort even allowing it to become part of academic discussion.

At the same time, NCERT also made a serious judgment error. If corruption in India is discussed in a textbook, it should logically appear in a broader context — corruption in politics, corruption in business, corruption in bureaucracy, and corruption in the judiciary.

Instead, the reference to corruption appeared only within the chapter discussing the judiciary. That selectivity made it look as if the judiciary was being singled out and attacked on purpose.

What also complicates the matter is the process itself. The controversial Class 8 book reportedly had more than 60 contributors involved in the development process.
Source: https://www.rediff.com/news/report/who-prepared-the-controversial-ncert-textbook/20260227.htm

Yet the controversial draft was not fully presented to the National Syllabus and Teaching-Learning Material Committee (NSTC). It was reportedly shared digitally with only a few members instead of undergoing a full committee review.
Source: https://bestcolleges.indiatoday.in/news-detail/ncert-syllabus-row-sc-directs-centre-to-set-up-expert-panel-to-review-curriculum-8384

The Supreme Court itself questioned how the approval process became “casual.”
Source: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/sc-imposes-life-ban-on-three-academics-for-corruption-chapter-seeks-action-on-posts/articleshow/129478790.cms

The Supreme Court has now barred the academics involved from future textbook work, effectively a lifetime debarment. This punishment appears very severe, and understandably courts should show a degree of leniency towards the academic fraternity, where debate, critique, and interpretation are part of the intellectual process.

Glad to have presented my research at the 9th International Research Conference [https://cimr.in/international-conference.html ] – Sustainable Futures: Leveraging Innovation in Business Practices and Social Enterprises hosted by Chetana's Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai held on 13–14 March 2026.

The conference brought together scholars and practitioners exploring how innovation in business practices and social enterprises can drive sustainable futures.

A great platform for learning, exchanging ideas, and engaging with the research community.

Minister is late by 5 min vs Cabinet is auto-delayed by 5 min.
This is Japan vs India.

Japanese culture
#1. The ownership (because of the delay) is taken by the minister.
#2. There is a sense of wrongdoing in the space.
#3. Irrespective of titles, authority, position, or age, it's absolutely OK to apologize.
#4. Integrity is reset and restored.
#5. It's human to err (that is understood); but they strive for integrity and excellence.
#6. They treat punctuality as ordinary, but that is what makes them extraordinary.

Indian culture
#1. Ownership is on none and taken by none; the blame is on circumstances. Those who are late carry an easy victim card.
#2. There is no sense of wrongdoing in the space. If anyone raises an eyebrow, dissuade the topic, get into whataboutery, and pessimistic small talk (“India में ऐसे ही होता है”), and build a friendly pool of flimsy relatedness.
#3. The higher you are on the ladder, the more impossible it is to say sorry. Just ask your higher-up: “When was the last time you said sorry publicly?” — Chances are it was a decade ago.
#4. Integrity is a personal power phenomenon. Why exercise personal power when authority power can easily be used to get the work done? Moreover, you can always do ज्ञान की बौछार in front of the yes-men.
#5. Your errors will be stacked and counted, and will come out during appraisal and during the hard talks. They will take a reductionist approach to weigh you out. This devalues and demoralizes you, because of which you start developing defense mechanisms to safeguard every step. — This is the beginning of jungle raj.
#6. Punctuality may be your default, but when others consistently fail to keep it, you have no choice but to do trivia—scroll through your phone, do small talk to kill time. With no punctuality, the sanctity of work and your image lose value. The irony is that we are the country where the concept of Muhurta was coined, yet we ourselves do not stick to it.

[Post inspired by source — https://www.gazetaexpress.com/en/was-5-minutes-late-due-to-a-traffic-accident--Japanese-minister-filmed-running--publicly-apologizes-for-being-late/]

Moot question:
Is it possible to carry Japanese culture and live in India?
Are you that person?

Stalking is becoming my top skill.

Let me explain.

As an introvert, it’s very hard for me to talk to people and follow up till the end. Moreover, I have this phantom assumption that when I ask something from people, they should reply to me or get back to me on the first go.

And when they don’t?

I start doing mental jugglery/acrobatics with
“Kya! Mujhe respond nahi kiya 😠” in my mind.
(I go on a little ego trip.)

Now let me give you some context.

I have taken research work into my hands. Doing desk work, literature review, etc. is pretty doable and manageable for me.

But asking people to fill a questionnaire?

That makes me pull my hair.

It’s bad.

How bad?

Equivalent to lifting Thor’s hammer.

I feel it takes a Herculean effort and the resilience of a stoic to keep going.

Here’s a recent example.

For my research, I needed 7 subject matter experts.

To get those 7, I had to stalk (I mean reach out to) 90 people on LinkedIn.

Yes. Ninety.

And I followed up with each of them four times.

I was also cautious about timing — mostly Friday afternoons or Saturdays.

Now comes the next stage.

For my pilot testing, I need responses from 60 faculty members from management and engineering.

Looking at my previous conversion ratio, I honestly don’t know how many people I will have to reach.

And when I start my final data collection, I will probably need to reach around 2,000 faculty members.

At this point, I genuinely don’t know how I will crack it.

One unexpected side effect though:

I never thought doing research would improve my sales skills.

Apparently, it does.

I know my case is not unique. Many researchers must be going through the same struggle.

So if you have tips, tricks, or hacks for improving response rates for research surveys, I would genuinely love to learn from you.

Also, even though I am a visiting faculty, I would really appreciate help connecting with faculty members from management and engineering institutes across India.

They are my most valuable respondents.

PS:

A small note of gratitude.

To everyone who fills out survey forms for researchers:

You make a difference to someone.

You make a difference to research.

And research eventually makes a difference to society.

My deepest respect to you for taking the time to help others.

Pillars of Democracy

When the pillars of democracy start arguing with each other… and the only common man left is blind, silent, and covering his ears.
Maybe the real collapse isn’t the structures; It’s the conversation. 🏛️

About HSX (Happening in Mumbai on 11th April 2026, Saturday)

An exclusive summit with a 360-degree coverage of the startup ecosystem - startups, incubators & government bodies, investors and corporates. HSX 2026 is the fifth edition of the summit, and is happening in Mumbai on April 11, 2026. It will have multiple tracks that will focus on the current needs of startups, MicroVCs, and incubators. The event will showcase startups from across the country, facilitate networking and provide pitching opportunities to selected startups.

One Day — A day full of Excitement, Learnings & celebration of the startup ecosystem.

5k+ Applications — HSX is bringing the Indian startup ecosystem under one roof.

1k+ Attendees — With over 1k+ attendees HSX is the perfect place for startup ecosystem lovers.

50+ Speakers — An unparalleled lineup of Entreprenuers have come to share their secrets.

30+ Startup Stalls — Selected Startups from across India will be showcasing their innovation.

5+ Workshops — Workshops by Industry Experts to help you know more about your interests.

https://www.headstart.in/hsx

India AI Impact Summit 2026 16th February to 20th February 2026

All five days of the summit will be streamed live on YouTube. You may watch and share the official link with your network: https://youtube.com/

Want to register - https://lnkd.in/g-QCFR5c
Master Agenda in Word - https://lnkd.in/g_pgFmhA
Master Agenda in Excel - https://lnkd.in/gE7hwTcp
Courtesy: Kiran Koppula

Found shiny gem on internet thought of sharing it with you.

The Trust Equation developed by David Maister, Charles Green, and Robert Galford beautifully captures what makes someone truly trustworthy.

The equation is simple, yet powerful:
Trust = (Credibility + Reliability + Intimacy) ÷ Self-Orientation

🔹 Credibility – Do you know what you’re talking about?
Your expertise, knowledge, and track record.
🔹 Reliability – Do you do what you say you will?
Consistency builds confidence over time.
🔹 Intimacy – Do people feel safe sharing with you?
Psychological safety and emotional connection matter more than we think.
🔻 Self-Orientation (the denominator) –
Are you focused on serving others, or on yourself?
The more self-focused you are, the lower the trust.

You can be dependable.
But if people sense that your primary agenda is self-promotion, recognition, or personal gain — trust drops.

Perhaps the real question isn’t “How competent am I?”
But “How much of this interaction is about me?”
Worth reflecting on.

Thank you everyone.
If I am not able to reply you personally.
I thank you from bottom of my heart for remembering me.
And wishing me.

Your 🎂 Birthday Wishes has made my day.

Here is a latest 70 pages report on GCC by NTT Data

[Worthy prompt question to ask]
How do GCCs differ from IT/ITeS/BPO/KPO?
Even though GCCs are categorized as IT sectors in MCA and Stock market, GCCs (Global Capability Centers) are captive centers owned by the parent company, not third‑party vendors like IT services or BPOs.
GCC are In‑house extension of HQ; focuses on core capabilities, IP, and long‑term value creation. End‑to‑end product ownership, R&D, platform building, AI strategy ex*****on, cybersecurity CoEs, ESG, etc.Focus on specialized talent, deep tech skills, product mindset, hybrid work, internal mobility, and long‑term careers within the same group. Whereas IT/ITeS/BPO has contracts, driven by SLAs, cost, and volume, pyramid structures, mass hiring, process‑oriented roles, relatively higher commoditization.

Here are choicest remarkable things to pick from this report
#1. Pivot from mass hiring to high‑calibre specialists, strong emphasis on structured upskilling (81% BFSI GCCs have structured programs), and hybrid work as standard.
#2. 52% of GCCs have adopted ESG policies; ~70% are actively seeking technology partnerships to implement ESG norms, making sustainability a competitive lever.

[Homework for you 😀]
What would be an interesting prompt to give on this report? Share in the comment
File: https://services.global.ntt/en-us/pdf-viewer/A55BAD4D-9CEB-4A81-BFBE-46D260307F74

[🦇 Bat-signal for help]

I have 3,000 PDFs and 3,000 images on my laptop. I want an AI to read them and rename the files into human-readable names (6–10 words long).

I want to do this using a free, agentic AI with a free LLM model. I’ve heard of Ollama, Manus, Claude Code, and Clawedbot, but I don’t want to pay.

The solution should be:
#1. Easy to set up
#2. Reliable
#3. Replicable
#4. Low learning curve

How can I do this?

Budgets are often discussed as announcements.
They’re better understood as flows.

This visual traces how a single rupee moves through the system, where it originates, how it is pooled, and the broad purposes it finally serves. Some of that rupee is pre-committed before choices are even made, some is transferred onward, and only a part is available for building new capacity.

Seen this way, the budget is less about individual line items and more about constraints, priorities, and trade-offs. What dominates the flow tells you as much as what appears at the margins.

Worth spending a minute with it explains more than a long speech ever could.