Women and work!

Hypocrisy and being critical could be just millimetres apart! People hate subsidies. They say it takes us toward the Stone Age. But many of them, at least from my generation, have forgotten that they could complete higher studies with the meagre salary that their parents used to earn in the eighties and early nineties. Many of those cheap educational programs came from subsidies. (Though, I can understand the millennial generation hating subsidies because they hardly have enjoyed them.) Second, people hate political and corporate leaders who talk about philanthro-capitalism. However, when Michael Porter lectures about creating shared value, i.e., simultaneously creating economic and socio-environmental values, the very same people applaud in the audience. (Though I can understand the millennial generation getting confused encountering this new form of capitalism.) Third, people look at Prof. Md. Yunus and Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam with awe and appreciation for their gener...

Have today’s PhD programs become avenues to write (any) article, instead of gaining (some) knowledge? Once, while sharing lunch with a PhD student, I discussed about the progress of his thesis. He said that he was more concerned with publishing articles to get selected by a premier B-school (on completing the PhD program). I asked whether a PhD program was meant for publishing articles? (That was under the premise that my professors had emphasized on gathering knowledge to write a decent dissertation than writing articles.) However, he argued that to join an ivey league university, he needed to publish. He said that his CV may not move to the shortlisting phase, if he didn't have publications. He also said that he wanted to study and gain as much knowledge as he could, but writing articles was an imperative for him to get a decent job. Then I said, "Well, I don't have any problems with your aspirations to join an ivey league university. In that case, please acce...