The 4th Wing of Defense

I know you are pondering - "Hey, there are only three wings of the armed forces, the Army, the Navy and the Air force. What is the fourth one?"

Well to answer your question let me first welcome you to the 21st century. An age where wars are not limited only to the physical domain but also to the virtual domain of cyberspace. I am not talking about something out of a science fiction movie. The threat that we face in cyberspace can be very well conceived by most us as we analyze our overwhelming dependence on Internet based applications and services and the notion of being "connected".

Threats to citizens on the Internet like being swindled out of some credit card balance by some foreign based cyber-hoodlum is commonly heard of by most of us but what we dont realize is the scale at which we as a nation can be crippled by armies of hackers and crackers residing in some foreign land. I know this sounds like a plot of a science fiction movie but consider the points mentioned below:

1. On April 8th the Wall Street Journal quoted “current and former national-security officials” who warned that “cyberspies” from China, Russia and elsewhere had broken into the systems that control America’s electrical grid and had installed software that could be used to disrupt it.
2. And on April 21st the Wall Street Journal said foreign hackers had penetrated computers containing data about the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
3. Estonia (a former member of the USSR) had suffered very much at the hand of 'unofficial' cyber criminal groups that created havoc in its Internet networks. These cyber criminals were suspected by many intelligence agencies as being sponsored by the Russian government who were allegedly not happy of the pro-west and pro-NATO stance that the Estonian government had taken.
4. Many government sites of the Republic of Georgia (another former member of the USSR) which fought a 5-day war with Russia last year were defaced and in many cases forced to shut down due to attacks believed to have originated in Russia.
5. Recent reports by the Indian news channel Times Now stated very clearly the threat to India of hacker armies in China which reportedly possessed the potential to cause serious damage to Indian Internet networks in times of war.

These are just some of the excerpts from many such instances of reports that have gone on to state the tenacity that such armies of hackers and crackers can cause to a country in times of war.

Such a threat is multiplied more so in the case of India which prides itself as an IT outsourcing giant and is an emerging superpower. Moreover, India does share tense relations with Beijing and Islamabad not to mention its other smaller neighbours.

In such a case is it not viable to establish a so called agency like America's NSA that can act as a 4th wing of defense on the frontier of cyberspace by securing Indian networks from foreign hackers and crackers.

Such an agency can also double as a monitor of traffic that flows in and out of India to sensitive places in addition to act as a censor to certain traffic that is considered inflammatory and anti-national. This was done in 1999 during the Kargil war when the website of the Pakistani newspaper Dawn was blocked by VSNL servers at the national level. That was OK considering it was 1999 and most of the traffic that came into and got out of the country was through VSNL (Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited) servers. But today represents a very different scenario as there are many points of entry and exit in India. So my argument of having a national agency to sort out problems like these seem more relevant.

Again, the establishment of such an agency requires checks and balances to be placed in order to control the purview of its authority and ensure the government's responsibility to its citizens' right to privacy. A detailed and better (but not necessarily complex) law needs to be in place for the policing of the online world by government agencies. The current Information Technology Act 2000 (the 2008 Amendment is not active as it is still to be published in the Official Gazette) is not cut out to meet the requirements of today's online world which is moving at an amazingly fast pace. In such a condition the power of enforcing censors by government agencies can prove to be too powerful a tool.

An even more problematic thing could be the power of the agency to police the cyber world by tracking activities of citizens. Inefficient legislation can lead to such a power being directly given to such an agency which would be equivalent to America's very hated PATRIOT Act which authorizes policing of citizens' activity in the online world.

Legislation and initiative are not the only problems that the Government of India faces. An acute shortage of manpower (due to poor educational facilities) is one of the major obstacles in the establishment of this 4th wing of defense. The government needs to tackle this issue of poor education by firstly providing the proper means of education, motivating the younger generation and persuade them to take up cyber defense as a serious career option just like service in the other wings of the armed forces.

Cyber defense is no longer a science fiction story. Its the need of the hour and an investment in maintenance of national security.

Mitul Choksi
29th April 2009
10:32 PM Indian Standard Time

Elections 2009

While I know that you must be letting off a deep sigh with the title of this topic thinking "Haven't I read or heard about this topic since this morning at least half a dozen times?", I would still like to put down my opinion and two cents (I mean paise) for what I think would most likely be the outcome of the 2009 Indian General Elections.

While most of us who haven't been living under a rock for the last 5 years know that this was shaping up to be one of the most complicated elections in world history. Dozens of parties, hundreds of politicians, crores of people and limitless confusion in the minds of voters all make a recipe for a coalition hotch-potch that might not be too tasty for the masses, especially in this kind of a tough economic atmosphere that has engulfed us courtesy of some speculating primarily western bankers.

Although this election is one which is a real tough one to predict the outcome of, it is safe to say that the following things are almost guaranteed.

1. There will be a coaltion government (obviously!) as no single party can even come close to expecting something like a singular majority.

2. The coaltion partners of whatever government that takes power at the centre will play an extremely crucial role in maintaining a stable and sane government. (did I use the word sane and coaltion partners in the same line? So stupid of me!)

3. If any of the national parties (read: Congress or the BJP) are part of the government then they will almost be held hostage by their allies, similarly as was the case in the Congress-Left coalition that took power in 2004.

Now lets get to the topic of individual party performance.

First, the ruling Congress. The Congress has no doubt put on a good show in the last 5 years with good governance and performed rather very well in its first major coaltion government. It has eluded all the doubts of naysayers who said that the Congress would not be able to let go of its bullying as in the socialist days of India. Congress has put on a good show in terms of the economy with an average rate of 9% GDP growth in the first 4 years of its rule. Even in the economic downturn of late 2008-09 it is predicting a 6% GDP growth rate in 2009 which though 2/3rd of what it accomplished in the first 4 years is no mean feat considering the current economic downturn and is very good performance in comparison to other developing countries like Russia and China.

Still, the Congress may have problems in obtaining the vote of right-wing minded Hindus who still feel that Congress is a Muslim appeasing party. The delay in hanging of the 2001 parliament attack convicted felon Afzal Guru since the last many years and the failure of the Congress government in protecting citizens in various states from Islamic terrorists and the Mumbai Massacre of November 2008 can severely dent the number of votes it obtains. I predict somewhere between 130 and 155 seats for the Congress.

The other big fish - the BJP looks to be in even murkier waters than its main national opponent, the Congress. Fresh on losses of Rajasthan (after the Gujjar fiasco of the government) and Delhi (strong showing of the work done by the Sheila Dikshit government) have loosened the BJP somewhat. Although to be fair, the BJP swept the legislative assemblies in both Madhya Pradesh and Chhatisgarh. The hold of the BJP in Karnataka is quite powerful and its iron grip on Gujarat makes one feel that BJP will sweep Gujarat in the general elections.

But BJP has a fair share of its problems too. Prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani is seen by many on the centre-left (Congress leaning) and left leaning (socialist and communist leaning) as a hardline Hindu leader who will always marginalize the minorities (read Muslims and Christians) at any cost. His perceived image in connection with the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition and the ensuing Ram Mandir saga does not help his image in the aforementioned circles. Another problem that the BJP needs to be wary of is the confusion in voters regarding the succession of L.K. Advani once he decides to pass the baton. Many people project Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to succeed him but there are many other senior leaders to block his path at the helm of the party like Rajnath Singh and Arun Jaitley.

Another major problem that may haunt the BJP is its perceived extremely right-wing school of thought in the secular (I should say pseudo-secular) media. Finally, BJP's poll campaign was (at least in my view) poorly designed as there was hardly any focus on the economy, very less advertising (when compared to the Congress) and verbal mud-slinging with the Gandhi family of the Congress. I see the BJP with around 100-110 seats this time round.

As for the other major regional parties somehow I feel the Left parties will suffer a major blow in West Bengal. The Left sufferred a big loss of reputation with the entire fiasco of the Tata Motors project in Singur. And its no big secret that their work in West Bengal is horrible to say the least as despite all the natural and human wealth that one can imagine of, West Bengal remains in a horrible state when compared even to states like Orissa.

The AIADMK will get a good result in Tamil Nadu as the ruling DMK government looks weak and has suffered loss of popular support with the comments of the state's CM on Lord Ram. Although the DMK may get a last minute surge of votes after the end of hostilities in Sri Lanka. Pretty much even in Tamil Nadu. The other parties will be limited to a minor fringe.

The other big thing to look out for would be Mayawati and her Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP). Although she swept the assembly polls last year in UP (the king maker state) and the odds favour her its very difficult to predict UP. Mayawati's rival, the Samajwadi Party led by Mulayam Singh Yadav has also been working round the clock to entice voters. The BJP holds a small fraction in UP whereas the Congress will most likely fall after the Muslim vote but be limited to a fringe nonetheless in the state just like in the assembly polls.

To sum it all up, the election looks pretty tough to call but I reckon that the Congress will somehow manage to come at the centre. Although in what type of arrangement and power sharing deal will they come at the centre cannot be imagined by me at this time. Perhaps they may tie-up with the Left once again or Mayawati. As is the case in Indian politics right from the pre-partition days.

GOD KNOWS what will happen!

Mitul Choksi
27th April 2009
11:53 PM Indian Standard Time

A Nirma Critique

Cuckoo…Cuckoo..Cuckoo….. !!!

That’s not the rooster in the village cuckooin’ on seeing the sunrise. That’s my cell phone’s alarm bell going on in the morning at 8 am to tell me, “Dude…. Wake up, its time to get ready for yet another day!!”

And yes, I wake up only to say the day’s first words “Oh crap!! Its 8:30!! How the hell will I manage to get ready for the academic prison that is my not so lovely college?” L

As I hurry up to get ready a thought comes to my head. A quote. “LIFE REVOLVES AROUND NIRMA”. Yes, I study in Nirma University right here in Ahmedabad, arguably the best city on Earth ! As I put on my T-shirt I think about how my life has been turned from a beautiful square park to an atom whose nucleus is Nirma University.
As I now put on my jeans (forgive me if the image is summoned up in your mind) I think “Man, I didn’t realise it for so long but whatever I do, whatever I think, its insanely surrounds my college.” I have no life.

Well the realization that I just described sums the feelings of most people studying in my university. We have no life.

Think about it. 5 to 6 days a week we follow this schedule.

-> Wake up!!
- > Get ready for the college bus (most people come via the university’s own transport service)
-> Reach the “Temple of Learning” and (surprise)… start learning for 7 excruciating hours before catching the one hour ride back home.

By the time most of us reach home we are so hopelessly tired we can concentrate on only two things --rest and food (the food available in the university campus is an issue that cannot be discussed here as it requires a separate discussion altogether!)

Sometimes I personally question myself “Is this worth it?” I mean what does Nirma offer except a brand name (something that has assumed great importance in this day and age) Arguers can argue that it provides us with discipline, good infrastructure and “good” teaching. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the highest I would rank Nirma’s discipline as 5, infrastructure as 7 (I’m being a little liberal here) and teaching as 4 (liberalism is shown here too).

The reasons for such low ratings is shown below:

Discipline - Every employee at the university claims that the university emphasizes on discipline for its students as well as the faculties. That is where they are creating a problems. I am not a faculty so I don’t know what their problems are but being a student I can point out the difficulties we face. Nirma says that they emphasize on discipline but in reality they are running an authoritarian regime under the guise of of an academic institution. They try to regulate most parts of our life by imposing trivial and at times questionable rules and regulations. An example that comes to mind when you think about such rules is the ban of cellular phones in the college. Outside readers may like to know that this rule has been imposed only on the students and not the employees of the university. One may argue that employees may need the phones for contacting their homes and families in some situations. One may also argue that the reason for banning the cellular phones for students is that it creates disturbances in class. Agreed. I say, the students that create disturbances in the class by using their cellular phones need to be disciplined and fined if found necessary. But the question I want to ask is “Why are teachers allowed to use cellular phones in class? Does it not create disturbances for students who are concentrating hard in the class and have developed a link to what the teacher is explaining?” I call this a hypocrisy on part of the university’s policy makers. Absolute hypocrisy. Whenever a student makes noise in the class then he is scolded like a 7th grade student. But nothing is done when the teacher makes stupid and irrelevant jokes in the class.

And why do we forget the issue of attendance. The holy grail in Nirma. Everyone wants to keep their attendance in classes at least 80%. “Why?”, you ask. I’ll tell you why. Because, if we go below that level we get asked to come to the college on a mentioned day at a time fixed by the management with our parent(s) or guardian. Reminds you of the school days, doesn’t it? This holds true for post-graduate and graduate students alike. Our parents get a lecture from some faculty as if they were some Toms, Dicks or Harrys. The degree of how ridiculous this must feel must be obvious to the reader by now. Not to mention how humiliating and infuriating this must feel to the student and his parents when they are dealt with in they are dealt with.

And that’s not the end of it. The student is given a “punishment” in which they are given some “practice work”. Nothing much, just a few question papers to be solved and submitted before the end of the practical examination. It’s a different story that the student may be given as much as 10 question papers to solve in a span of 2 days. So the student can forget about preparing for his practical exams.
I said earlier that they try to regulate as much a part of us as they can in the name of discipline. I would not be surprised if the university “disciplines” me for writing this blog entry!!

Infrastructure - Nirma University has a big and lush green campus that would rival with a small foreign university. The first impression that you would get when you enter the place for the first time is amazing. Guards standing in discipline at the front entrance. A wonderful lush green campus, clean roads, well constructed buildings. Well the quality of whats on the list next is a small order. I would tell you here that the infrastructure that these guys have got is better than the other colleges in the state. But, being better than some old and dusty government college is no big feat. It’s a small feat when you consider the billions of rupees pumped in by one of India’s biggest philanthropists. While I think that the facilities are pretty OK they do not match up to labs found in developed nations. Plus they do not give enough Internet access to students and when they give it they make us feel as if they are doing you a big favour when in fact they are simply doing their job.

Teaching - The core competency of any university is the teaching that they offer to their students. Instead Nirma’s benchmark of success is the pay packages that their students get. They emphasize on “good education” but the faculties in the university come nowhere near being called “good”. They don’t even come close to the “satisfactory” level. The computers department is one of the premier departments in the university but its teaching is by far the most horrible in the university from what I’ve heard from a lot of students and from my personal experience. The only good department from a purely academic point of view is the Mathematics and Humanities department.

I cannot comment on the quality of teaching of specific faculties as I do not want to be “disciplined” (read victimized)

As I think about it and ask “Who is to be blamed?” I say it should be the people who have developed a culture very strict discipline in the university. Some may think that I am anti-discipline but I am not. I strongly believe that discipline is the cornerstone of any organized effort that aims for a constructive purpose (like education). But, at the same time it should adopt an authoritarian attitude that earns the strong resentment of students. The university conducts regular “feedback sessions” with students but the students don’t voice their real agony to them. The reason being the fear of victimization at the hands of faculties and management. I guess this the kind of behaviour which earns them a bad name.
As a request to anyone and everyone who reads this blog. Please voice your opinions regarding this issue in Nirma University. Your feedback shall only make my resolve stronger to report such issues.

Mitul Choksi
Saturday, 31st March 2007
8:15 pm Indian Standard Time