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To become a student, empty your cup
A few years ago, my Indian Police Service training boss, Shri Atul Karwal, told me the story of his commando training with India's elite National Security Guards (aka black cat commandos). When he, along with another batchmate of his, reported for...
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How to win in an unfair life
It was an unequal race -- not fair. During my 6th grade, our sports teacher announced an impromptu bike race to celebrate the end of the annual...
Prioritizing & delegating in high-stress situations
Years ago, when I was heading Trivandrum City Police, a horse in our mounted police unit got seriously ill and was in severe pain. Since it was...
Clarity is only in hindsight
My good friend and first boss in the IPS, Vinod Thomas, was a cop on a particular Friday. The next Monday he was a private equity investor. He...
Finding meaning beyond material success
The clock is ticking. Once out of college, you have to be ‘30 under 30.’ God forbid, if you miss it, ‘40 under 40’ is your absolute last chance. If...
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Are we stealing our children’s joy?
I recently heard that 17 kids got 100 percentile in IITJEE Mains. I wasn’t sure if we should celebrate or feel sad. Here is why. About half of these toppers (8 out of 17) came from the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh (now AP and Telangana). What is so...
Prioritizing health and well-being
Day 1 of IPS training. When the whistle went off at around 5 am, we ran down the stairs of the IPS Mess for the morning PT, terrified of being even 5 seconds late. Over the next 10 months, the grueling physical training made us fit and taut like...
Responsibility is the price of freedom
After my father dropped me off at the IIT Kanpur hostel, for the next 4 years, my parents did not even once ask about my grades. Nor did they bother about my career plans, until one day I told them that I would be joining the IPS. And when I quit...
Stop wasting your life being busy
Early in my tenure at McKinsey, I once committed a terrifying blunder. In those days, every BlackBerry notification would make us stop all work and check our email. Superfast email response was fast becoming a religion. But one day, due to some...