Not Spa, Not Massage, but Shalya & Shalakya for Atmanirbhar AYUSH

 

The Indian Medical Association slammed the Centre’s move that amended rules to introduce formal surgical training for postgraduate students of Shalya (general) and Shalakya (ENT, Dental, Opthalmic etc) specializations, calling it a “retrograde step” and demanded that the move be withdrawn.

I decided to present my opinion on the matter by dividing it in two parts here.

For the first part, let us look at the present reach of the Modern Healthcare System in India. Over 50% of Rural India and over 30% of Urban India continues to have zero or limited access to modern health care medicine or infrastructure. As if that were not enough, the abysmal standards of several public healthcare facilities let alone the questionable quality of the healthcare providers deter the general populace from availing these facilities.

There major factors that plague the Modern Healthcare System in India are Privatization, Reservation and Corruption. Sadly, Healthcare in India is measured in economic terms and not in terms of its quality or reach. Healthcare is big business. From Private Medical Colleges to private hospitals and nursing homes to private investment in the pharma space, a social enterprise has turned to a money making machine.

From medical degrees available for a price, to pathetic standards of academic institutions for medical instruction, to poor quality of student admissions and pass-outs, to a completely unregulated healthcare sector that enables quacks and substandard medical practitioners to flourish; it is no surprise that people often look to alternate forms of therapy and medicine.

Alleged cases of money laundering, big pharma research, organ trading etc. in the name of medical tourism is another worry to contend with in India.

Logically therefore, Indian Medical Association needs all the help it can get in the field of medicine and Ayurveda is a proven ally.

Coming to the second part of my answer, Ayurveda is the oldest documented form of medical system in the world. Modern science and healthcare system borrows heavily from the Ayurvedic branch of knowledge and healing. From analgesics to organ transplants, several surgical processes documented in Ayurvedic texts are used in modern medical science.

India has always seen a healthy co-existence of several forms of medicine and therapy. Ayurveda, Unani Homeopathy, Biochemic, and Allopathic forms of medicine have all contributed their part in the health and well-being of Indians. Ayurveda is the only other branch of medical science that has such a specialized branch of invasive and surgical medical knowledge and procedure that can parallel modern medicine apart from being 100% Indian.

Whilst the western world recognizes and scrambles to learn the rich knowledge of Ayurveda, unnecessary political in-fighting and vested economic interests have spurred outrage against Ayurveda, in India. 4 out of the 5 forms of medicine mentioned above are or foreign origin but there is hardly any outcry against their efficacy. This selective outrage, at best, is reminiscent of the white supremacy syndrome that has plagued India and Indians in general for centuries. 

Ayurveda has not only stood the test of time but will continue to do so as long as free-will exists.

 

Pati or Patni or Woh (Depression or Death or Nepotism)

This post has two parts and is long.

Part 1

It has been a week since the demise of Sushant Singh Rajput (SSR) and social media is filled with the usual garbage that it always carries. Several years ago as the popular social media(SM) gradually began turning into the sewerage that it is today, I decided to cut my losses and fold. From time to time, I login to my SM accounts to see if anything has changed and every time I logoff knowing that things have gotten only worse. The half-understood, half-baked, copy pasted, illogical and vulgar language, thought and expression seems to have overtaken everything that was once good on social media.

Even LinkedIn seems to be joining the bandwagon. These days almost every other post belongs to some gaudily dressed woman creating irrelevant content and batting their false eyelashes (even botox lips) into their selfie cameras. And LinkedIn seems to have no moderation in place.

Over the last week though, the usual garbage from this channel has been overflowing into other media channels and this has irritated me to no end. The first couple of days almost 80% of news comprised of tweets and excerpts from SSR well-wishers and so-called friends. These people were apparently so moved by his demise that they could not even pen “Rest in Peace” in full for the departed soul. Honestly, I don’t want to know what any of them think or feel. The only thing that interests me is to know whether the death was a SUICIDE or MURDER. That is the only answer I seek.

Don’t get me wrong. Even though I can personally never understand or sympathize with anyone who even contemplates suicide, I have come to accept that to some it holds the promise of peace and solace. Death in any form is sad and warrants mourning. But I have seen very little of it during this last week for Sushant at least.

For most, it has become a mud-slinging, finger-pointing and getting their two-minutes-of fame opportunity. For the rest, it is all about, what’s-in-it-for-me? Everyone and I mean EVERY SINGLE ONE seems to have an opinion which is based purely on hearsay and not reason or logic. I will come to that in the second part of my post.

But, first things first - A couple of things about this death simply don’t add up.

First - There is no suicide note. A reminiscent tweet of one’s dead parent does not amount to having suicidal thoughts. He still had a list of 50 Things To-Do. He was selected for the 2024 space program and had bought a piece of land on the moon as well. Only someone who wished to live through a May Day situation would want to learn Morse Code. Why would he want to die before that?

Second – The death of Sushant’s ex-manager Disha Salian just six days ago was also made to look like suicide. Later, it was claimed as accidental death but the underlying thought was that she was suffering from depression. Sounded exactly like the actress Divya Bharti’s death. That she was hosting a party at her home and had been negotiating some important deals for Sushant earlier was conveniently forgotten. Not everyone turns into a manic depressive after an emotional breakup. Somehow, the word “DEPRESSION” is being made out to be the monster in all of this while the real villain roams free.

Third - Paying his house help in advance could either mean that Sushant was sorting out his finances for the future or was trying to get rid of someone to protect himself in some way from something sinister. Someone who owned a Maserati, had a very healthy bank balance and no liabilities at 34 would definitely not be afraid to pay back loans no matter how large.

Fourth – Dogs are one of the most alert and sensitive beings. Something about the dog’s behaviour in Sushant’s house does not seem right. Honestly, I haven’t figured this out yet.

But yes, I am extremely curious to know the real cause of Sushant’ death. Maybe even Disha’s.

Part 2

Now coming to the second part of my blog – The narrative around Sushant’s death has two parallel themes one of Depression and mental illness and the other of Nepotism in Bollywood.

In most cases, the people who have dredged up this issue again, seem to either have very limited vocabulary or haven’t found any other interesting word in the dictionary yet. To all these people, I will only say this, when you point one finger at another, there are at least three other fingers pointing back at you. So beware of who you employ or have around you before you blame others.

Let me try and explain how and where Nepotism really exists.

1.     In many homes even today, there is a favourite child who gets the best opportunities or goodies than the rest of the family. That is Nepotism.
2.     Even a poor hard working farmer will always handover all his land and property to his one and only lazy son but not to his hardworking neighbour. That is Nepotism.
3.     A successful businessman will always get the most talented professionals to work for the business, perhaps even promote them to board levels but will eventually handover its reigns to his not so talented children. That is Nepotism.
4.     Have you heard of any politician or village head handling over their seats of power to a true leader? The seat always goes to a close family member no-matter how unqualified or vindictive. That is Nepotism.
5.     Have you heard of railways or police or Group D government jobs given to the wife or son on the untimely demise of an active employee? That is Nepotism.
6.     Family jewels are always passed down from one generation to the other and not given to charity. That is Nepotism.
7.     When you feed your own child and the maid’s child, the former always ends up getting the best portions. That is Nepotism.
8.     Some academic institutes are more famous than others because the successful alumni consciously select, recruit and promote juniors from their alma matter. This ensures a good placement and reputation for the institute and a higher perceived market value of the students of the institute. The institute on the other hand has a “Management Quota” for the children of these alumni. That is Nepotism.
9.     Kings, zamindars, temple priests and even our very own caste system is nepotistic.

I can go on but I think you get the drift.

Nepotism exists in democratic, socialistic, autocratic, capitalistic and all other forms of governance. Nepotism always has and always will exist. To call one person or only a group of people Nepotists is absolute stupidity.

The media and film industry for all its faults has never made any claims of being a Great Place to Work. They are almost always in the public eye and more prone to scrutiny than any other industry. Yet, people choose to make a career in this industry. Nobody is forced to choose and make a living in this industry. You can always leave should you so desire. Some other industries are worse.

The media and film industry allows talent to come from colleges, modelling agencies, film and dance institutes, theater, television, radio, business, cricket, , politics, fitness centers and even those who are wholly disconnected from the world of media and film – such as self-styled god-men. No other industry offers such a wide berth to its talent. Yet, everyone is hounding the media and film industry for Nepotism.

It is ironic to see some self-declared “outsiders” who have actually made it big in film industry, blaspheme the same industry that has given them so much. To these ladies and gentlemen of the film industry, I want to give a small advice. Several sons and daughters of superstars could not make their mark despite several launches and good scripts. Not every Kapoor or Khan or Bachchan or Bhatt or Shetty is successful in cinema. Whereas, several talented actors from impoverished backgrounds have made their mark and have a huge fan base, albeit after a lot of struggle. The second list is way longer than the first and will continue to remain so.

The success or failure of a talent in Bollywood does not depend on some awards, few boot-licking journalists, missed scripts or nepotism. It depends entirely on the audience. Stop blaspheming the same industry that has given you so much fame, fortune and fan following. There are worse industries to be working in. You can check coal mining, smelter or power plants or even the health care industry if you like. Every profession has challenges of its own as well as its benefits. Focus on the positives.

Yes, there will be arm-twisters, groupies, henchmen, bullies and mean girls. And they will definitely get their just desserts. I am not talking of Karma but Time. Aging is a great leveler. It shows and is in-your-face-literally.! So relax. Unless you find it in yourself to be happy and at peace, don’t expect to find it outside.

Centered

The misunderstood and misrepresented concept of 'Good and Bad' or 'Right and Wrong' has been the basis of all depravity since the beginning of human consciousness. Perceptions and notions of 'Good and Bad' is unfortunately absolute for most people. All accounts of human history recount tales of dissatisfaction, fear, massacre and all things negative because of our limited understanding of the absolute truth.

In the words of Sir Bernard Shaw ' It is all Relative'. And so it should be for all of mankind. Creation and Destruction are the only two 'Absolutes'. Everything else in between is just 'Relative'. I would therefore, if given a choice, correct this mistaken notion of an 'Absolute' of anything to a 'Relative' one.

The Future Of AI And Automation In The Workforce

The rapidly changing technology landscape has necessitated the use for faster and more reliable forms of machines that support the human workforce. There is possibly a very rare population that has not heard or is not aware of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its impact in the near future. For a large part there is a lot of misconception, misunderstanding and skepticism around AI and its implications on the human race.

For skeptics, the mention of AI invokes images of gun totting, trigger happy robots or monstrous machines with the power to cause grave injury. This is based on their overarching reliance on sci-fi movies as well as their own limited understanding of AI.

 For the longest time AI has shaped our financial markets across the world. From calculating, the spot prices of crude, to game changing financial market predictions, to calculating the ticket or hotel prices for our next vacation, AI has been part and parcel of our lives since the beginning of this century.
 
The rapid advances in technology have brought AI into our palms literally. Imagine a life without your smartphone. ‘Avatar’, an AI technology that enables SIRI, is no monster. Can you imagine an iPhone without SIRI in it? Imagine the relief of the army families, when an AI drone flies into enemy territory under heavy fire instead of live men.

 Yes, an AI based defence system that is devoid of emotional and value based judgement, a moral compass and compassion, has all the trappings of the ultimate fascist force in history. A single rogue AI machine can perhaps create millions of others like it and simulate human bombing squads which operate on the same paradigm.

 Like any other technology, AI has had its fair share of successes, failures, judgements and controversies. For all of its success however, AI still remains a largely under represented technology due to lack of human understanding.

 AI is not here to take away our jobs but to make us faster and more capable than we already are. The immensely capable human mind can learn and adapt to emerging AI systems as long as we are willing. Automation only means that we drop redundancies and monotony to focus on more challenging assignments. AI is here to stay. Our options therefore, are clear and binary. You can love or hate AI but you can no longer ignore AI.

Why HR needs to market itself?

HR is an art and not a science. Pure science is based on the principles of hypothesis and predictability. Art on the other hand is based on the principles of probability and creativity.

While science can prove its hypothesis, art needs marketing to sell a thought. While every subject and process needs to go through a process of change and recycle continuously, HR as a profession is on a severe back foot in today's day and age due to its dated process designs. From learning and development theories and practices, to performance, succession and motivation processes, HR has repeatedly failed to show business value. Engagement as a function is yet to find its bearing. The only functions that have constantly bailed HR so far are employee relations, statutory compliance and communications. Drawing largely from the theories of psychology (which change quite frequently these days), HR has mostly been relegated to repeated transactional jobs.

Unfortunately HR has been reduced to the level of just hiring or payroll processing in most businesses since, business leaders fail to see the value of investing in other aspects of HR due to our repeated failure in justifying ROI. On LinkedIn for example, nobody even bothers to read through your entire profile before sending across their CVs or manpower solution capabilities. The two letters ''H'' & "R" in your job title is sufficient for almost everybody to assume that you are into recruitment. As if that is all that HR does.

The number of HR persons involved in transactional roles such as Recruitment and payroll in most organizations today is atleast five times that of those in transformational roles. These repetitive transactional jobs unless they are value based, are not just seasonal and but also simply supportive in nature. This leaves a mere one-fifth of the HR members to partner with businesses in upping their people readiness meters.

Despite this, HR leaders will go ahead and shoot themselves in their foot by stating ''HR to Employee'' ratios, without first explaining to business leaders the difference between transactional and transformational HR. The other worrying feature in HR of late is the over dependence on analytics. HR analytics to me seems like the most illogical investment of time and resource. HRM is all about managing behaviours, expressions, expectations and emotions. If an HR team is not qualitatively clued in to what employees are feeling and thinking about your organization and you need quantitative data to tell you so, then, such HR needs to be scraped from the organization. Numbers can at best give some clues to guide HR. But if numbers drive the HR function, a business should kiss goodbye to stability, culture and sustainability.

I once heard a funny anecdote about an analytics expert telling an HR manager why they needed a new hire. Because an existing employee did not come to work on a Monday (peak work day) and had been taking a few extra sick leaves over the past couple of months, it essentially translated to the existing employee looking to leave the organization. Interesting, I thought, given the fact that an ideal HR manager should have already known the reason why  the employee was looking to leave and where he/she had interviewed and much more than this if they knew their job.

HR unfortunately today does not have its ear to the ground. Mimicking the so called "Best Practices" of other organizations in your business is possibly the "Worst Practice" possible. "Best Practice" was surely a term coined by some HR team with great marketing skills. But even those organizations that are pioneers of "best practices" or have them all, continue to have employee attrition. Doesn't that ring a bell?
      
As the quantum of knowledge workers increase in an organization, HR has to enable self managed benefit structures instead of obsessing over confidentiality and secrecy. And let's face it, from appointment letters to compensation structures to L&OD modules you can Google them all. HR needs to be quick and agile today. HR needs to understand what the business needs and design practices suited for the organization. If your policies need to change, they must. If your old legacy systems needs to be trashed, they must. If pushing paper is taking too much time, HR must go digital. Stop bringing in consultants to tell you what others are doing better and hence, you should do it too!

Getting the business to agree to your point of view, is where your marketing and influencing skills come in handy. So here are some sure shot ways of influencing and championing for your team and your ideas. I always tell my team, that you can never expect to please or satisfy 100% of your audience. Target the majority and the rest will sort themselves out. Naysayers cannot stop your success. Be proud and confident of your work and ideas so that external ridicule does not demotivate you. Don't try to be a people-pleaser all the time. Time yourself right. Talk logic. Talk sense. State verifiable facts. Do your homework. Do not push your idea too hard. Give your audience time to absorb your new idea. They will surely come around when the time is right.

Hope these help.