Category Archives: Misc

10 Years of Interstellar

By | November 15, 2024

Every now and then, when I find myself in front of the TV with some time to spare and don’t really know what to watch, I watch bits of Interstellar.  It’s been 10 years since the film’s release , but the grandeur, the dazzle, and the profound sense of awe that I felt when I first saw the… Read More »

On Being Consistent

By | April 28, 2024

I recently came across an interesting quote on Twitter: “The best performers are not consistently great, but they’re great at being consistent.” (Brad Stulberg) It got me thinking and I have realised that any meaningful, life-defining endeavour comprises of the following traits: These small actions, taken in isolation, do not amount to much. But over time, what they… Read More »

Coaching for the Civil Services Exam: Is It Necessary?

By | April 13, 2024

This is a perennial question I get asked the most. And it’s understandable too. Many aspirants who begin their Civils preparation are clueless about this exam’s demands and most cannot simply afford to go to Delhi and take coaching. There are a lot of doubts and misconceptions regarding whether to take coaching for Civils Services. So let me… Read More »

Small Wins

By | October 29, 2023

Is the job of an IAS officer impactful? Can an officer bring about change for the better? When we think of transformative change, we often envision a rapid and dramatic impact during an officer’s  tenure. We all aspire to make a significant, positive difference in our domain, but it’s essential to recognise that immediate results are not the… Read More »

Silicon, Steel, and Stagnation

By | June 27, 2023

The AI revolution is here. Generative AI products across audio, video, image, and text are being developed at an astonishing pace. The current AI revolution marks an important milestone in humanity’s unrelenting march in the digital realm. First came the Internet, then the smartphone, and now AI. I am convinced that developing an Artificial General Intelligence that has… Read More »

The Joy of Two Pedals

By | May 7, 2023

Today, I rode a bicycle. The moment I got on it, I remembered that the last time I rode one was almost 18 years ago. It had been a long time. In my school days, I used to own a Hercules AXN. During the time, it was the latest and the most expensive one around. My bicycle was… Read More »

The Greater Good

By | March 24, 2022

During my stint at Google, I was really impressed by how much of the company’s  decision making had been data driven. From the founder’s vision to an employee’s OKRs (Objectives and Key Results), metrics are used to assess performance,  measure progress and help every employee make objective decisions.  On the other end, working for the Government made me… Read More »

Defining Success as Less

By | March 11, 2022

Back in 2020, I maintained a 100-day workout streak. Each day I would find time to ensure that I don’t break the chain. My fitness improved and I felt great.  Then life happened, had other responsibilities to take care of and as a result, I took a long break from exercising. Consequently, I put on weight, felt lazy… Read More »

Lessons of 2021

By | December 11, 2021

December might be just another month on the calendar, but perhaps this is the only time we take a pause from our hurried lives and reflect on the year gone by. This contemplation gives us a chance to relive the happy moments, feel proud about our accomplishments, regret the opportunities not taken and, of course, plan for the… Read More »

Gentle Giants

By | July 25, 2021

Of late, I have been spending a lot of time observing trees. It doesn’t matter whether I walk, run, or drive on the road, my eyes inevitably follow the trail of trees on the side, making me marvel at the height, shape and the majesty of every big tree I see. Being part of Telangana ku Haritha Haram… Read More »