IS Kahaani mein twist

Do you find our Engineering syllabus obsolete? Irrelevant? Boring? Think again. Presenting: (Drum roll please) the NITKian’s insight into Corporate India: Information Systems. And who better to learn it from that someone whose only idea of corporate experience is its 45 word definition.

For the uninitiated, Information Systems is the arrangement of people, data, processes, interfaces, networks and technology that interact to support the day-to-day operations of business (data processing) as well as support the problem solving and decision making needs of management (information services).

Religiously understand (read mug) this, two to three times a day… and placements are a cakewalk.

Sadly, this grandmotherly advice missed me. The IS class meant free attendance and the chance to catch up with my nth reading of P. G. Wodehouse’s A Damsel in Distress.

The funda was simple: If people in class could sample ringtones, take new pics and even study for surprise tests, why not Wodehouse? It was just my luck that she (the IS lady, as she is more mildly called) caught me and grabbed the book.

IS had become my latest casualty. And the look on her face said it all. For someone who has mastered the skill of looking perennially confused, this was unmistakably different. This was a Glare.

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Even as she marches me to the staff room, I tried to strike a quick deal. Hand over the book, and I will give a Seminar in class. Outsourcing, MIS, Quality Standards, you name it - its Seminared. What’s more, it’s a wild memory game: she would save the arduous task of taking Ashwagandha tablets and some dough too. No luck!

She must have taken the Wodehouse classic for some sleazy porno erotica... at least that’s my guess after 4 renditions of

"You reading Damselaaa...
He reading Damselaaa...
They reading Damselaaa...
Hmmm...
(Staff members join in Chorus)"

…and yet her side smirk suggested that behind that pink facade was a hungry soul eager to ditch her sorry definitions for raw unabridged erotica. Plum would have turned in his grave!!!!

The next day, I was back with a friend in L-109. He was desperately trying to get back a confiscated assignment. The singing was back too, only this time about assignments.

After one heck of begging, Ms. IS turns deal-maker a la grisham. Here's the deal... give me the names of the (hold your breath) noisemakers and you get the sheets back. And you bud, in the back, no Damselaa for some time, I'm not done.

Ahem. Cough. Cough. Did I hear not done? I pop the big Q to her and our worst fears have come true. She was deep into the book. Move over Whitten. Move over Senn. She confesses, even following with a vivid description of Lady Maud trying to meet George at down-by-Platt’s! The Ashwagandha still works.

Someone get me back the book! Pri, are you listening?

Long live IS. Long live Ashwagandha!