vinay shankar

लोका: समस्त: सुखिनो भवन्तु | Following the religion of humanity. Hope to see some compassion for each other. Trying to be stoic.

[Anupam Sharma, IFS @AnupamSharmaIFS]

From what I observed during my college days, the only three caste systems that actually run campus life in IITs are ...

Degree: BTech > MTech (मटका) > PhD

Branch: CS/MC > EE/EC/Mech > Civil/IP/Chem > Biotech/Textile/Others

​CGPA: नहली > अट्ठी / सत्ती > छग्गी / पंजी > फक्का

[Arjun Jain | Fast Code AI @Arjunjain]

It is 2001. I arrive at my JEE Mains centre in a Home Minister's car. "Lal batti" flashing. An armed guard riding along, if I remember right. My classmate Kuber's father was the home minister of Madhya Pradesh. I have stayed the night at their Bhopal bungalow, and his mother cooked dinner for me herself.

That is the kind of school Daly College is. My friends' fathers run states. I am the kid whose aunt paid the school fees.

The car waits outside through the whole exam. But the paper does not care who drops you off.

Inside the hall, I already know it has gone badly. I can attempt only a few questions.

I had bet two years on that exam - quit hockey, quit the quizzes and debates, studied while all my friends played. I placed the bet myself, and I lost it. The backup plan was a year in Kota. My father did not have the money for Kota.

So: RV College, Bangalore. Cauvery Block, 1st Floor. Nothing about my situation said "researcher." No brand name, no coaching, no one watching.

I pulled IEEE Transactions off the library shelf anyway, because the desire was mine and I stopped waiting for someone to authorize it.

A year in, I gave the JEE one more shot from my hostel room. Second attempt: 3363. Petrochemical at IIT-BHU. An IIT seat, at last - and I turned it down. I already had one paid-for year of computer science, and just three years left before I could start earning. Starting over meant four more years of fees, in a branch I did not want.

Fourteen years later, IIT Bombay calls. Not with a rank. With an offer to teach.

In 2016 I walk into CS763, Computer Vision, as the professor. Every student in that room cleared the exam I could not. It never once comes up. The exam's authority, it turns out, expires.

I teach there four years. Graduate 2 PhD students. One of them, Rishabh, is a professor today at Max Planck - the institute where I did my own PhD. The credit is his. At most I held a door open. But the symmetry stuns me: my student teaches where I trained, and I taught where I could not study.

So if an exam has just told you who you are - if you are stuck, and you know you are capable - hear me: it is not the end. The exam decided where I started. It had no authority over where I ended. Neither does yours. Do not wait for permission. Work like the desire is already authorized, because it is. It will work out - not on their schedule. On yours.

So tell me in the comments: the exam that said no to you, and the person you became anyway. Someone sitting tonight where I sat needs to read your comment more than my post.

𝗚𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀.

[Smriti Z Irani @smritiirani]

Not just moms... ♥️

Credits: IG/only_ronnie

[vinay shankar @vinashak_]

@JioCare Yes. Disconnect right away.

[vinay shankar @vinashak_]

@JioCare @reliancejio @TRAI @JioCare @reliancejio

[vinay shankar @vinashak_]

@JioCare @reliancejio Over a month of poor service and complete negligence. I've sent 5+ emails, raised support requests on X, and made several calls requesting JioFiber disconnection. No response, no action. Kindly disconnect my connection immediately.

[vinay shankar @vinashak_]

@JioCare @reliancejio Can someone from the escalation team or a competent authority please take ownership of this issue and process the disconnection? This has gone on for far too long, and the lack of accountability is extremely disappointing.

[vinay shankar @vinashak_]

@sarviind परसाई जी की "बस की यात्रा" याद आ गयी, आपका कटाक्ष पढ़कर | बहुत खूब |

[Vinodsrinivasan @vinodsrinivasan]

The chairman of India’s largest private bank just resigned citing “ethical differences.”

He named no person. No incident. No practice.

But if you read carefully, he already told you everything.

A thread.

[vinay shankar @vinashak_]

@saurabhtop @TheLallantop All the best sir! Started regularly watching Hindi News with advent of Lallantop only.

[Gabbar @GabbbarSingh]

🚨 New Column:

Had a lot of fun penning this: "What matters most at an Indian wedding" My latest for Hindustan Times. Read, Share views :)

[Parminder Singh @parrysingh]

There’s no better proof that life is unfair than the second bhatoora. Think about it - both bhatooras start off as equals. The second could easily have been the first. But fate intervenes.

By the time you’re done with the first, three things happen:
1. You’re already full.
2. 300 calories of guilt are whispering in your ear.
3. The second one has gone limp.

You still eat it, but half-heartedly. No oohs, no aahs - just quiet resignation.

The second bhatoora did nothing wrong. It simply suffered from bad timing - and fades away unappreciated.

So next time someone preaches about karma or fairness, ask them - what about the second bhatoora?

[Gabbar @GabbbarSingh]

I spent 13 years in Bihar in the 90s and faced ZERO crime. Guess why.

My latest for Hindustan Times. Read, Share views :)

[vinay shankar @vinashak_]

@GabbbarSingh Mine was Troy and subsequently 300 next day. Was blown away by the action and scale.

[vinay shankar @vinashak_]

The flip 🙃 since the last 6 months

[Gagan🇮🇳 @1no_aalsi_]

How fast time changes 😹

[vinay shankar @vinashak_]

@ameerhussain @grok @grok , if you can read emotions, pick me. If not, pick me anyway. 🤔🧠

[vinay shankar @vinashak_]

@dealslistings @grok I asked ChatGPT how to win this, and it said “Appeal to @grok ’s logic and charm.” So here I am 😇📡.