MBA / NBA ('Namesake' Business Administration)

"What is your name?"
"Me Parthasarathy"
"So you have done your MBA in HR."
"Yes"
"Please tell something about you."
and then followed a conversation that ended up strengthening my fear that a 'Namesake degree holdres' in our country is growing in number.

I really pity those youngsters who are swayed by the mob and end up fooling themselves by getting some degrees for name sake. My conversation with this guy really left me worried on the way degrees have been given so loosely. An MBA graduate who cannot speak English. A Hindi graduate who cannot speak Hindi. An engineering student who cannot engineer on his own! These are just a few. Look around the number is enormous.

I was referring to the article in ToI the other day on lack of employability skills in Indian graduates. The statistics clearly says that a huge problem is awaiting Indian graduates who would be left behind due to lack of these employability skills.

I believe the problem again boils down to lack of inspiring teachers who can model, aspire, dream, think, motivate and really inspire students to think beyond and explore the innumerable possibilities, opportunities and follow their dream.

A university rank holder and a gold medalist (Don't ask me how many students did the course along with me.. :p) I had all the time in the world during my college time, still, looking back, I feel I could have learnt much more if at all I was awakened to the 'awe'  of learning, pushed to think beyond, challenged to explore...
I feel I wasted my time and just got some degree for name sake. I too was one of the 'namesake' degree holders.

And I didn't want to continue being like that. I applied in many colleges and seeing the course material and quality of questions and assessment I feared I would again land up getting a NSD(Namesake degree) and dropped out of my masters several times.

I was eagerly waiting to see my first semester results in MBA education management from a reputed distance education college. I know how much time I had spent preparing for the exams - Hardly 2 hours for each paper! The results were out and I couldn't believe myself. I passed the semester with 56% marks!

Now, I could have continued my studies and could have easily got a degree and proudly say that I am an MBA graduate. But my conscience wouldn't let me do that. I didn't want to  be a NSD. I didn't want to learn some random stuff which were mostly recall type and score marks and get job!

 And what use is the mark if I don't know where I lost the rest of the marks! Of what use is the mark going to be if I do not know what strengths in me got me the 56% score! And what use is it for the company that is going to employ me by seeing my marks! What insights is this so called MBA degree going to throw open to them about me!

I would rather wait for the day when the universities in the country would offer a more constructive and higher order curriculum than wasting my money in acquiring a NSD and following the mob.

I was really feeling proud for those boys out there who made the smallest satellite and set it in the orbit. Youngsters must draw inspiration from them and learn to learn.

Hats off to those young boys who made the country and their family proud. Sure, they are not the NSD holder's who would be a burden to the country and for themselves.

LET THE CHILD BLOSSOM