An abrupt end to the 3rd stint...

30 years of my life has seen 3 stints in academia. The first one lasted 16 years , the second 2 and the third lasted one. The years have seen me understanding some of the best academic institutions in India. It has also helped me to understand how things work in the best institutions of the world. I thought Corporate world was a rat race, a place of inflated egos. How mistaken was I. During coursework phase, it is a rat race to get top grades, a signalling mechanism for ability. Later it is a rat race to publish papers in top journals.In the process education and understanding becomes a casualty. Except for the 2 years I learnt my Physics under KS Balaji (The coolest guy who could ever teach Physics in India), I don't think I can ever claim to have enjoyed the learning process in a classroom. Education , except for being a signalling mechanism, is in practice, one of the most useless pursuits mankind could have ever undertaken. What I learnt about economics from my colleague, MS Shankar ,an ex serviceman with a passion for economics pursuing a PhD in HR!!, I hadn't learnt after going through hours of coursework.In one sense it is nice to be back to the Corporate world. I can pursue my academic interests without being fettered by grades and simply enjoy the process of learning.