### The Sweet Rewards of Higher Aspirations: Lessons from Nature and Life

Beyond the Low-Hanging Fruit: Striving for Higher Goals

During my tenure in Bhopal, I had the privilege of staying in an official bungalow that boasted a large courtyard filled with fruit-bearing trees—mango, guava, and jackfruit. During guava season, I noticed an interesting phenomenon. The guavas within easy reach were not particularly sweet, while the birds seemed to enjoy the guavas perched high up on the branches. Curious, I had those higher guavas plucked and found them to be much sweeter than the lower ones. It struck me that the guavas at higher branches were getting more sun and air compared to the ones on the inner or lower branches.

This observation led me to a broader reflection on life and effort. While low-hanging fruit, representing minimal effort, can yield quick results and keep us motivated, the true rewards often lie higher up, requiring more effort and perseverance. This principle is not only evident in nature but also in various facets of life, including professional achievements, personal growth, and societal progress. Here, I illustrate this premise with examples from the Indian context.

 Education and Career Advancement

In India, education has long been seen as the gateway to better opportunities. For many, the initial goal is to secure a basic education, akin to plucking low-hanging fruit. However, the competitive landscape demands higher aspirations. Take the example of Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary Google. Pichai's journey from a modest upbringing in Chennai to the helm of one of the world's leading tech companies exemplifies the pursuit of higher branches. His determination to pursue engineering at IIT Kharagpur, followed by advanced studies at Stanford University and the Wharton School, required significant effort and perseverance but ultimately led to unparalleled success.

Entrepreneurship and Innovation

The Indian startup ecosystem offers another vivid example. While establishing a small business can provide immediate returns and satisfaction, the most impactful innovations often require venturing beyond the obvious. For instance, Flipkart, founded by Sachin and Binny Bansal, started as an online bookstore. The initial success was the low-hanging fruit, but their ambition to transform Flipkart into a comprehensive e-commerce platform akin to Amazon required navigating complex logistics, technology challenges, and fierce competition. Today, Flipkart is a leading e-commerce giant in India, thanks to their willingness to reach higher.

Social and Environmental Initiatives

In the realm of social and environmental progress, the story of Dr. Arunachalam Muruganantham is particularly inspiring. Known as the "Pad Man," he revolutionized menstrual hygiene in rural India by developing affordable sanitary pads. Initially, it would have been easier to accept the status quo or make minor improvements, akin to picking low-hanging fruit. Instead, Muruganantham aimed higher, conducting extensive research, developing a low-cost machine, and fighting societal taboos to empower women across India. His efforts have had a profound impact on health and gender equality.

Conclusion

The lessons from my courtyard in Bhopal underscore a universal truth: while low-hanging fruit offers immediate gratification, true fulfillment and significant achievements lie in reaching higher. Whether in education, career, entrepreneurship, or social change, the effort to aim higher and persevere yields sweeter rewards. In the Indian context, this principle is exemplified by individuals and initiatives that have transformed challenges into opportunities, pushing beyond the obvious to achieve greatness. As we navigate our own paths, let us be inspired to look beyond the immediate and strive for the higher branches, where the ripest and sweetest fruits await.

Education in crossshair

India produces 17 lacs graduate engineers every year for an economy of 5 trillion dollar or so whereas US with 45 trillion-dollar economy produces less than 2 lacs engineer. The surveys show that out of 17 lacs engineer hardly 5 lacs get job related with engineering. Basically graduation is the minimum criteria for getting a job.

During my student days in Delhi we knew that one becomes graduate to get a job as clerk, for chaprasi class 8 pass was enough, which later on became matriculation. The career option were offered in form of UPSC examination for Clerical, Assistant grade and IAS. Then of course there were engineering, architecture, medical study were other options. Those who were not getting job would go on studying till master, Phd level which would lead to teaching job in school and colleges. It was pretty cut out, private jobs meant sales person in stores or in construction sector. My father used to tell my friends who were not good in studies to learn typing and shorthand, as per him be it private or government these two skills are must for office job. Those days every locality had typing and shorthand learning schools.

Now becoming graduate engineer is not targeted to become practicing engineer but a step to something entirely different which has nothing to do with engineering.

So my premise is that the graduation is the basic requirement for getting job but the subject of graduation has hardly any relevance with the job. The graduation does the screening so that the recruiter need not sieve through infinite number of applicants. The postulation is that whatever taught is hardly has use in real world. While selecting the recruiter looks at the capabilities like team player, leadership quality, initiative, sincerity, positive thinking etc which one does not acquire through formal education but from family and the environment where he grows up. Even mental mathematics is not acquired through education it is more or less in born quality. Our stress is more on rote system; we keep on testing general knowledge which one rarely uses in work place. The work place requires one to be disciplined, obedient, sincere towards the routine job given and which one learns within a few days. After the penetration of internet, when one has Google in his smart phone then all those unknowns are only a tap away on the screen. Recently in UK it was found that students are not aware about various towns in UK, when asked they said knowing about those is of no use to them, if required they can always Google that out. So Google has made life easier for students and they don’t have to mug, a smart phone has replaced that traditional knowledge based education. It is common knowledge that computer geeks are not gold medalists, often they are school dropouts. The other plethora of profession look for talent in a particular discipline, its tunneled completely. I came across an innovator of windmill in Australia who has done law and not engineering. Our jobs are so much mundane that most of those can be replaced by Artificial Intelligence, algorithms are the driver, machine learning is the threat.

I personally have come across many individuals during my working life those who are less educated but have more common sense. Yes common sense is the main requirement in engineering industry which comes through keen observation and absorption, unfortunately this cannot be taught. It’s either you have or you don’t. That is why lightly it is said that common sense is the most uncommon among individuals.

I know I am painting a very disturbing picture about our education system but to me it is only acting as a first level of screening but in real terms not making job ready. Every organization take the fresher through their own system, purge out the things learnt and coach them as per the requirement of the organization.  

Come to think of it all knowing Google is the disrupter, it has entered our daily life. Now I hardly devote any time to newspaper because of Google updates me in my device continuously, thus I have more time for doing my paintings which is my latest fad. I don’t give ring to my relatives or friends to find out about something which I don’t know because my Google Home is sitting there with all my answers.

It is time that in schools Google becomes a part of curriculum and thus the size of school bags will come down. The artificial intelligence has to be factored in our day to day functions. Friends this is my view and I am sure most of you will not agree with me.
I have not included specialization like medical, lawyers and some high skill jobs.

Nondescript

Nondescript

I am no astronomer but when SR of my office volunteered to introduce me to the night sky of Kolkata I could not say no as I was thinking what is so special about the sky. I was wondering whether he would show me evolution of universe which is going on since eternity. Hydrogen and Helium together with Proton bumping in the nucleus creating new elements going down the periodic table after becoming heavier. I have read “A brief history of time “by Stephen Hawkins so all those myriad thoughts were racing through my mind.

SR as promised came to my flat in Golf Green with a nondescript gentleman in crumpled kurta and pajama. I did not bother much about that gentleman. SR was carrying a longish box. We all climbed up the stairs to the roof of our 11 storied flat.

SR opened the box and got busy in setting up a telescope with the help of the gentleman who to me at that time appeared as Professor Shanku of Satyajit Ray. I mean not physically as per Satyjit Ray’s sketch but in his simplistic behavior.

If I remember correctly the telescope was oriented towards norths as I was interested to see ring around Saturn.

SR and Prof Shanku ( i started calling him that mentally) adjusted a few knobs after having a deep discussion between themselves. Both looked through the scope and were satisfied.

‘sir you can see the Saturn with rings”.

“Do I take off my specs?”

“No, keep it !”

I bent down to the lower end of the scope and saw the spectacular rings around the planet through that, I was spell bound by that terrestrial sight.

“ The rings of Saturn are the most extensive planetary ring system of any planet in the Solar System. They consist of countless small particles, ranging from μm to m in size, that orbit about Saturn. The ring particles are made almost entirely of water ice, with a trace component of rocky material.”

Explained Professor Shanku and I was impressed by his knowledge.

Then both of them showed me Mars with two moons.

We were on the roof for more than one hour and they showed me Venus, Mercury , the milky way and finally a few constellations.

They had deliberately come after 8 PM so that all the planets are visible. We trooped back to our flat. My wife served them tea.

I did not know that more surprise was waiting for me. I had just returned from my UK trip and SR started asking me how was the trip.

I told them about my experience of England including the popular London tube.

Sipping tea professor Shanku started telling his experience of tube railway and informed that the tube of Moscow was better organized than that of London.

I was bowled out as I did not expect that non-descript gentleman to have travelled so wide. SR watched  bewildered look on my face and laughed.

“Sorry it is my mistake of not giving proper introduction of Dr.R, professor of Mathematics in JU and has vast knowledge of astronomy.”

I thought to myself that rightly I have placed him as professor Shanku as he was a man of science and gave respectful smile to him. He was feeling embarrassed by my reaction.

During that period  I had watched the Oscar winning movie “A beautiful mind” where Russel Crowe acted as Nobel winning mathematician Dr.John Nash ,who had done extensive work on Chaos theory. Dr.R informed me that he had met Dr.Nash in US and started explaining chaos theory and how psephologists use this for poll prediction. He gave a lecture which of course I could not understand fully.

I always wanted to meet a real intellectual and not a pseudo kind and was happy to come across Dr.R of JU and thanked Satyajit Ray for creating a carbon copy in his fictions. 

I wanted to share my experience of planetary system and Dr.R's knowledge of Chaos theory with others.

When i was posted in Bhopal i contacted SR and invited him along with Dr.R to BHEL to enlighten the  kids of six schools of BHEL,ladies club, officer's club and other employees.

Yes both of them came to BHEL,Bhopal with their that high powered telescope and shared their knowledge of planetary system , it was unique experience for those who attended these programmes.

In India people like Dr.R go unrecognized because in India the system of political patronage works. Watch those innumerable debates in channels and so called intellectuals occupying some important position in some institute which they never want to vacate and give way to younger generation.

I was invited by JU to participate in 100 years completion of their Electrical Engineering department after my retirement where one of the eminent Ex professors SD gave a presentation before my lecture. I often see him in TV connected with any technical discussion as expert but his presentations were straight lift from the articles appearing in the net, one has to simply Google it. He threw a question at me based on his latest knowledge acquired through web about use of permanent magnet in switch gears and incidentally i had read the same article so i shot back at him saying that his question was based on that article and the reply was also known to him. 

So much for Indian intellectuals the species which gained currency after private channels of TV came in.Now of course intellectuals have colors as per their political leanings so we often hear them called as Red,Green,Orange etc. For me that Dr.R still remains a true quintessential intellectual who does not sell his wares to get glamour and wealth, a nondescript to the core.