Last June Children Book Trust announced a writing competition. The results were supposed to be announced in October but it took them till May to announce them. I saw it in the web today. My story has been awarded the first prize in the Get Ready for Magical Time.
Not bad!
I screeched of course with joy and our maid took fright. She thought something had happened to my father for he has not been feeling well. My mother took it in her stride. Her rationale was that I always screech so she is used to it.
Meantime, I am waiting from JBC for they said that they are processing our rebuttal letter.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Getting a paper published
Our paper was returned back from JBC with a comment:
The experimental work appears solid but incremental.
Therefore, it cannot be published.
Never mind that we showed a paradigm shift by our experiments, mapped the interaction region, used thermodynamics to show one path is preferred over the other! The reviewer is convinced that is just incremental.
I guess I had would not have been annoyed if the reviewer had pointed out the flaws or if the editor had said it was beyond the scope of the journal and suggested where we can submit the work. To dismiss the entire work as just a teeny bit incremental (which by the way is such a subjective term) is annoying least to say.
The only recourse I have is to submit the paper to another journal and write a rebuttal letter to the editor of JBC.
The experimental work appears solid but incremental.
Therefore, it cannot be published.
Never mind that we showed a paradigm shift by our experiments, mapped the interaction region, used thermodynamics to show one path is preferred over the other! The reviewer is convinced that is just incremental.
I guess I had would not have been annoyed if the reviewer had pointed out the flaws or if the editor had said it was beyond the scope of the journal and suggested where we can submit the work. To dismiss the entire work as just a teeny bit incremental (which by the way is such a subjective term) is annoying least to say.
The only recourse I have is to submit the paper to another journal and write a rebuttal letter to the editor of JBC.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
The superiority complex
I spent a tiring half hour trying to explain to a colleague why it is better to avoid confrontations. Alas, without success.
It is a syndrome with us in India. We always have to feel superior. My caste is better than yours. My religion is better than yours. My gender is better than yours. I am your employer therefore...I am senior to you by few seconds so you better... constantly we hammer this into the other person.
So my colleague wants to show that he is Da Boss. Go ahead. Show it. But do not expect the people working under you to have any respect for you or work properly for you.
The other faculty are amazed that my Lab attendant does actual work for me. I have been very lucky. He is amazing. Of course there are times when I get angry with him but since he ends up doing all the paper work, I usually forget to remain angry with him. He got promoted and was moved away from my lab but he still does all my paper work. He also ends up fighting on my behalf. On one memorable occasion, when the project cell was making my life miserable as usual and refusing to pay my air fare for a conference, he told the project cell section officer that as I had paid the fare out of my pocket, he better be ashamed of himself and reimburse me pronto. Needless to say the section officer called me up, apologized and reimbursed the entire amount pronto. And after that incident he has never harassed me and my bills do get paid sooner or later.
But I cannot explain this to others. Just treat the other person as a human being. Why can´t you?
The same phenomenon holds for interviews too. The committee sits grim faced, ready to show that the candidate walking into the room knows nothing and then proceeds to grill him/her on all that they have memorized. For heavenś sake, why can´t we simply talk to them, try to figure out their interests and ask them questions that they can answer?
Oh well, one cannot change the leopardś spot.
It is a syndrome with us in India. We always have to feel superior. My caste is better than yours. My religion is better than yours. My gender is better than yours. I am your employer therefore...I am senior to you by few seconds so you better... constantly we hammer this into the other person.
So my colleague wants to show that he is Da Boss. Go ahead. Show it. But do not expect the people working under you to have any respect for you or work properly for you.
The other faculty are amazed that my Lab attendant does actual work for me. I have been very lucky. He is amazing. Of course there are times when I get angry with him but since he ends up doing all the paper work, I usually forget to remain angry with him. He got promoted and was moved away from my lab but he still does all my paper work. He also ends up fighting on my behalf. On one memorable occasion, when the project cell was making my life miserable as usual and refusing to pay my air fare for a conference, he told the project cell section officer that as I had paid the fare out of my pocket, he better be ashamed of himself and reimburse me pronto. Needless to say the section officer called me up, apologized and reimbursed the entire amount pronto. And after that incident he has never harassed me and my bills do get paid sooner or later.
But I cannot explain this to others. Just treat the other person as a human being. Why can´t you?
The same phenomenon holds for interviews too. The committee sits grim faced, ready to show that the candidate walking into the room knows nothing and then proceeds to grill him/her on all that they have memorized. For heavenś sake, why can´t we simply talk to them, try to figure out their interests and ask them questions that they can answer?
Oh well, one cannot change the leopardś spot.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Gussie Fink-Nottle and I
When Mrs. Dahlia Travers wants someone to hand out the prizes at the Market Snodsbury Grammer school, she calls her nephew Bertie Wooster, who cleverly wriggles out of the assignment by roping in his friend Gussie Fink-Nottle. As Mrs. Travers says, they are not very choosy at the Market Snodsbury Grammer School and a newt lover is as good as any body else. Gussie Fink-Nottle horrified at the prospect of having to make a speech takes Bertieś advice and has a drink(s) to fortify himself for the ordeal.
Unfortunately, I could not do what Gussie Fink-Nottle did when NATURE NGO called me to be the Chief Guest at their annual function. More horror was waiting for me when I realized I would have to speak in Hindi. Now I can talk in Hindi. I can even curse in Hindi but I cannot make a speech in Hindi. All I could fortify myself was a glass of pepsi, which I should not drink but nothing stronger was available. I came out of the ordeal pretty okay but I am still shaken up. I cannot imagine anything worse than spouting advice in public. Yeesh! All I can do in such situations is to recall how I used to sit in the back as a school student giggling at the Chief guest, stifling a yawn and when I can get out. And the chief guest would drone on and on and on and on....ad infinitum.
On serious note: NATURE NGO is a venture of three sisters all of whom are blind. They are amazing. One of them is at Daulat Ram College. She commutes from Moti Bagh, where she and her husband live, to North Campus, from there to Raja Garden, and then back home every day. The other sister, Amita, is a teacher at Govt. School, Tagore Garden, and is the prime mover behind this venture. And finally, the younger sister who also participates. They have one brother who is also blind.
The NGO runs a formal school called Gyan Jyoti at Raghubir Nagar, a JJ colony near Raja Garden. They have classes from Class I to V and about 80 children are attending it. They have partial funding from Noon.ch, a Swiss funding agency and are searching for an organization who can fund the remaining budget.
The program was fun. But what was really nice to see was the way the children behaved with Amita and her sisters. That sensitivity is sorely lacking in our society.
Unfortunately, I could not do what Gussie Fink-Nottle did when NATURE NGO called me to be the Chief Guest at their annual function. More horror was waiting for me when I realized I would have to speak in Hindi. Now I can talk in Hindi. I can even curse in Hindi but I cannot make a speech in Hindi. All I could fortify myself was a glass of pepsi, which I should not drink but nothing stronger was available. I came out of the ordeal pretty okay but I am still shaken up. I cannot imagine anything worse than spouting advice in public. Yeesh! All I can do in such situations is to recall how I used to sit in the back as a school student giggling at the Chief guest, stifling a yawn and when I can get out. And the chief guest would drone on and on and on and on....ad infinitum.
On serious note: NATURE NGO is a venture of three sisters all of whom are blind. They are amazing. One of them is at Daulat Ram College. She commutes from Moti Bagh, where she and her husband live, to North Campus, from there to Raja Garden, and then back home every day. The other sister, Amita, is a teacher at Govt. School, Tagore Garden, and is the prime mover behind this venture. And finally, the younger sister who also participates. They have one brother who is also blind.
The NGO runs a formal school called Gyan Jyoti at Raghubir Nagar, a JJ colony near Raja Garden. They have classes from Class I to V and about 80 children are attending it. They have partial funding from Noon.ch, a Swiss funding agency and are searching for an organization who can fund the remaining budget.
The program was fun. But what was really nice to see was the way the children behaved with Amita and her sisters. That sensitivity is sorely lacking in our society.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Eureka
Then entire lot of molecular biologist use a gene called neomycin resistance gene for selection purposes. Any cell that contains neomycin resistance gene will become resistant neomycin and its ilk, including streptomycin. As a graduate student I showed that the gene product converts neomycin and its ilk into a small molecule that inhibits a specific class of ATP hydrolyzing enzymes.
No body believed us. Joel had no grant to work with because he was believed to be an heretic. I managed to get some grant by being devious and by being in India.
We then showed that when you put the neomycin resistance gene into a cell, the cell's genetic content changes. This was a powerful data but the proof was missing. I have finally have the proof that yes, the whole genetic/cellular make up of a mammalian cell changes.
What we are actually saying is that 30 years of work done in the field might be suspect. More importantly, the spate of papers that has come out on the protein that I work with is suspect.
I am sitting back and savoring the moment with a grin on my face.
No body believed us. Joel had no grant to work with because he was believed to be an heretic. I managed to get some grant by being devious and by being in India.
We then showed that when you put the neomycin resistance gene into a cell, the cell's genetic content changes. This was a powerful data but the proof was missing. I have finally have the proof that yes, the whole genetic/cellular make up of a mammalian cell changes.
What we are actually saying is that 30 years of work done in the field might be suspect. More importantly, the spate of papers that has come out on the protein that I work with is suspect.
I am sitting back and savoring the moment with a grin on my face.
Monday, January 25, 2010
The reservation/antireservation hungama
My colleague is being hounded out ever since he signed a petition asking for review of the reservation policy. As I said in the previous blog, UGC/MHRD in its wisdom has decreed that assistant professor, associate professor, and professor positions will be reserved. He insists that all he ever said was that if this decree was not legally binding can we have a discussion on it before implementing it. The pro-reservation brigade is baying for his blood because they perceive this as an anti-reservation stand. He is going hoarse telling people that he is not anti-reservation. He is aghast at the obdurateness of the pro-reservation brigade.
They are not even willing to listen, he complained.
Oh well. That is exactly what the anti-reservation/YFE said when the government instituted the reservation policy at undergraduate and postgraduate degree. Then every one, including the very same colleague, defended the policy. Now that he is at the receiving end, he wants a civilized debate on the issue.
I had a chat with him today. He finally agreed that 60 years of reservation has not changed the social equality position. If anything, people are more rigid than before on this issue. The lines have solidified instead of blurring. Everyone is clamoring for reservation. And as my colleague pointed out, when it comes to fighting for justice for the sweepers, not one stands up. So where is the equality or social justice?
Poor chap! He is quite disillusioned.
They are not even willing to listen, he complained.
Oh well. That is exactly what the anti-reservation/YFE said when the government instituted the reservation policy at undergraduate and postgraduate degree. Then every one, including the very same colleague, defended the policy. Now that he is at the receiving end, he wants a civilized debate on the issue.
I had a chat with him today. He finally agreed that 60 years of reservation has not changed the social equality position. If anything, people are more rigid than before on this issue. The lines have solidified instead of blurring. Everyone is clamoring for reservation. And as my colleague pointed out, when it comes to fighting for justice for the sweepers, not one stands up. So where is the equality or social justice?
Poor chap! He is quite disillusioned.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
M.Phil degree- The way of the Universities
M.Phil degree is something between M.Sc and Ph.D. There is compulsory course work followed by dissertation defense. In my University, we admit students under the guise of M.Phil/Ph.D and then based on their performance in the course work promote them to direct Ph.D. In the social sciences, a M.Phil is mandatory before doing Ph.D.
Today I received an email from a student in University of Kerala, Department of Biochemistry. He is doing M.Phil and has completed his course work. Now he is searching for a lab to do dissertation work for 6 months.
I am amused and flabbergasted. What is the Department of Biochemistry up to? They don't have faculty who are doing active research? If not, why offer a M.Phil degree? Is this how they offer Ph.D degrees too? Palm them off to some other University for experimentation work? More to the point, what is the UGC doing? How can they allow this to happen?
Of course, on the other hand, it is amusing to know that one can obtain M.Phil this way too.
Finally, what is the future of such a student?
Today I received an email from a student in University of Kerala, Department of Biochemistry. He is doing M.Phil and has completed his course work. Now he is searching for a lab to do dissertation work for 6 months.
I am amused and flabbergasted. What is the Department of Biochemistry up to? They don't have faculty who are doing active research? If not, why offer a M.Phil degree? Is this how they offer Ph.D degrees too? Palm them off to some other University for experimentation work? More to the point, what is the UGC doing? How can they allow this to happen?
Of course, on the other hand, it is amusing to know that one can obtain M.Phil this way too.
Finally, what is the future of such a student?
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