There is lot of fuss going around (by around, I mean social media), about the New Year this time then it was ever before. The obvious reason is the pandemic. So for a change, I have chosen to talk on something different today which won't be related to Lockdown/Covid 19.
This story belongs to those, like me, who were born in the decade of 80's or early 90's. They all will agree, that no generation is suffering today, more, than us. And most of the suffering is not our karma. It might intrigue you, how is that even possible or if any such thing can actually happen? Honestly, I would agree with you too. But, then, after closely going through all the happenings in the three decade plus life of mine. I can surely provide some instances as to why I came to this conclusion. Note: This isn't a typical write-up but just collection of thoughts.
I remember quiet vividly, only once I had watched my parents marriage video. Firstly, I was naive to understand anything in it. But what I still recollect is, watching video was not as easy as it is today. That was the era of Cassettes and Video Cassettes Recorder. And we did not have any VCR back then. We had to borrow the same from a friend of my Baba, in order to watch the videos. So, back then, a person having an urge to think of having VCR at their own place wouldn't be wrong. It is same like today if someone wishes to have a home theatre or 55'' or higher version of Smart TVs. But the fun part here was, by the time we could think of having or buying any such thing, it had already become outdated.
If I talk about sound system, when I was in 6th Standard (Yes, I always prefer using Standard over Grade), a boy in our class had bought tape recorder in school for some party. Either it was Childrens Day or the Christmas party. (Deja vu moment: The best part of the party was the work of placing all the benches one over the other on the corners of the room, to make space in between for everyone to dance. And I loved the task of doing it).
Coming back, it was almost same as the one we had at our home, but with one trick. As against mine, this boy's tape recorder speakers could be detached from the main system. Earlier back home, we weren't allowed to use our tape recorder on daily basis as it was kept in a locker. So when during the Sundays, when parents use to give permission to play the same I remember trying to detach the speakers from the system. Realisation dawned, that the system wasn't the same as of one the boy in my class had bought. But a childs mind won't accept the technicalities. So trials happened for some more days too.
By the time we went to Junior College a new terminology was becoming a household talk, Deck. This consisted of two big speakers which you would attach on the two corners of the room and the main system that use to play the cassttes and CDs as well. Yes, by now even cassettes were going in the history as the dawn of Compact Disk had come. So, as usual, now I had craving for this too. But it was hardly 2-3 years and then the MP3 songs era came in. So instead of listening on a Deck or some big sound systems, people started using the MP3 players.
Circa 2003, the time when I was going to give my SSC Board exams. Ours was the first batch who had used the Barcode Sticker and Holocraft stickers on the answer papers. I remember our classes had did a mock drill on how to stick the same on the answer papers.
Then come to year 2005. I enrolled myself in Degree college for the course Bachelors of Commerce (Accounting & Finance). This was a new baby back then and our batch was third one in the history of this course. So that meant, when we were in First Year there was no one who had received this degree from the Mumbai University. Even in my college, the Final Year batch had only 8 students. Basically, this course was under Self Financed category of the Mumbai University. Where First Year B.Com was charged at around Rs. 3,000/-, our FYBCAF was charged at Rs. 13,000. So ours was the last batch where I got admission in the First List inspite of having 69.50% in my 12th Standard. Today, if someone goes to seek admission in the course, you'll need minimum 90% =/<.
Now let's turn your clocks to 2016. I was due to give my Professional Examination - I (PE - I), the first level exam for Chartered Accountancy course conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. It was somewhere in September 2016, we were in our classes for the Accounts lecture by Professor Anand, in Sukh Sagor Institute. He was very boring, as he use to take way too much time to explain things. So as usual, on that monsoon day we were bracing ourselves for another impact, all of a sudden the professor came in with a beaming smile. The first thing he told us was to close our books and just sit back as he had some big news to give as well as explain the technicalities of it. I still remember, he was saying like, "I am very much jealous of you all". So for the first time, we all were actually interested to listen what Professor Anand had to tell us. That was the day he broke the news of launch of Common Profiency Test (CPT) which will be replacing the current PE - I. This test will be a Multiple Choice Question format exam as against the theoretical PE - I. And most importantly, our Articleship will begin immediately after clearing CPT. So that meant, if things went good, then from the start of 2017 I will be getting my first salary. So, here, I was part of the First CPT batch. Being there first experiment, maybe, the result of December 2016 was 69%. Which is way off the mark from their standards of 3-5%. Luckily, I was part of the successful 69% (First and Last success in a ICAI exam). With that, I got my job and first salary in February 2017.
Jumping few years back into 2012. Since there was no success in the above area, so I had to look for some other opportunity. (Another Deja vu: This reminded me, a bit off topic, I had missed an opportunity of enrolling myself in LLB course. As I had mentioned above, how the BCAF was a new course back then when I was enrolled in it. The differences when compared to other UG courses was in the timing of exams and results as well. B.Com exams use to happen in month of March every year with their results coming out by June. BCAF or BAF, how todays generation refers it to, use to have exams in May and the results use to come in August. So by the time our results were out, the LLB academic year may even start their year.)
Coming back, I registered for Masters in Commerce (M.Com) in 2012. And, if I am not wrong it was around the same year a new course pattern of M.Com was launched as well. For years it has always been M.Com Part 1 & Part 2. Now this was changed to a new Semester Pattern. I remember the chaos. During one of my exam of Part 1, we had received two question papers for the same subject. One was as per the Old syllabus or the Part 1 and another was as per the new syllabus or the Semester pattern. As we weren't aware, which paper had to be solved so we all waited for further instructions. The exam clock was already ticking. After around 10 minutes, the co-ordinators came and informed us that, you can give which ever paper you wish to. Yes, you read that correctly. So, yeah, I was part of this transformation as well. And we have the paper which was much easier.
Another course which I was part of for some time was Company Secretary (CS). A decade ago, when I registered in it was know as CS - Intermediate. But when I registered, it became CS - Executive. And in another year, it changed its entire structure and syllabus or subjects and also realigned their Groups as Modules. So here too, every year I use to look up for notifications if there is still any more change in the course.
This might sound hilarious, as even the companies policy did not spare us. It wasn't big, but it was a policy change that was applied to all the employees. Every MNC's have an option of Internal Job Posting, which allows one to apply in another department. This may be on the same level or a step above of your current designation. So I too had used the opportunity of making a shift in my department. Now, in my case it was going to be a same level transfer. But back then our company did have a policy of giving hike in your salary even for transfers on same designation. So when I was shortlisted, I was called by the HR to discuss the compensation. Surprisingly, the HR said the company is shifting the policy of making same level/designation transfers as not eligible for raise in the salary. I was a bit taken back by that news, but luckily for me a good news followed. HR confirmed that since the policy is still in draft stage so you will be the last person who may get benefit of the same. But they did try to scare me by saying, if you take this hike in salary now then there is a probability that you may receive a minimal hike after the year end performance reviews or in some cases might not receive any hike. So while I was listening to it, I was also processing the information. My output was like, future is uncertain. We don't know about it. So why give up this present opportunity. Hence, by accepting the hike for a transfer on a same level, I became the last person in the company to be the beneficiary of that old policy.
These were some of the incidences I could recollect which justifies my claim of being in the transformational generation. I am not considering the ones which had an impact on majority of the population like the Internet boom happening for the elites, to it becoming the household necessity; the mobile phone era; TVs becoming LCDs to LEDs and then the Smart TVs, the political shifts from One Party Government to Coalition and back to one party etc.
But I am sure what I have experienced uptil now isn't the end and that this will go on. There may come many more such instances where we are either going to be part of it's Sunrise or Sunset.
If you look the other way, isn't that quite adventurous? Yes, it does have its own boon and bane. Depends on your perspective or on which side you are standing, metamophically.
One thing is for sure, we may be the last thread who are holding the 20th century and 21st Century together. (In case you didn't notice just now, the transformation of 'th' to 'st'). In the times of T20s, we are still holding on to the values of TESTs. In the world of virtual materialistic fiction, we still believe in the old school personal touch. Yes, we will be called outdated by some now and many in the coming few years. To be honest, those comments do not effect me as on date, atleast. At the end of the day, if doing something in certain way or feeling about something in a particular manner is going to get smile on your face, peace in your heart and a sound sleep in the night. Then I DGAF about any other views. (Yeah, learnt that current generation short form today).
-SR
PS: May The Force Be With You.
