Chapter 6

Surya was happy that the Management School has been well accepted. He knew this is something that can be built upon.  But he was not so amused with the limelight that Shravan was getting. So he did not want to leave the reins completely to Shravan.

Surya was a shrewd strategist. He went about working on both the issues slowly and steadily.

One day he walked across to Dr Vishveshvarayya’s room

“It is heartening to see that our management school is now well recognised. I am sure this name will help us attract their interest in our other courses too” He said.

“Good that you brought about the subject. I was planning have a chat with you on this” Dr Vishvesvarayya replied.

“Some days ago Shravan had s come up to me with an idea which I thought was worth considering” He continued

Surya stiffened.

“The old man appears to be enamoured by this young upstart. Agree that the idea of Management School clicked. But it happened only because of the support I gave. That does not mean that it should become the launching pad for Shravan” Surya mused.

But he did not show any reaction on his face. He listened attentively.

“Shravan suggested that we should establish management schools at other locations.”

“OK that is an idea. But it will need enormous resources to set up campuses and at this point we do not have the funds for it” He replied

“That is the beauty of his idea. He suggests that we select few well running institutions and have a tie up with them. The Government anyway is not giving permission to set up many management colleges. They are slow to recognize any new idea anyway. So in the meantime we could have the satellite campuses at select few colleges. We can have strong selection criteria for choosing our partners. We can persuade government against permitting other colleges for some more time. In the meantime we can establish our national presence with no investment. On the other hand we can have some nice cash flow as royalty and security deposit” Chairman gave a quick summary of the idea Shravan had put forward.

Surya realised that it made sense. He also knew that he it has the potential to leapfrog Shraven to a more commanding position within NUPS and out in the industry. He wanted to reap the fruits of Shraven’s idea; but not give an opportunity to Shravan to build on in it further.

“That is a good idea. I think it is worth taking it forward” Surya observed.

Dr Vishveshvarayya felt relieved. He was not sure how Surya would react.

“Ok let us ask Shravan to go into implementation mode” Dr suggested.

“Oh I would like to see it in a different perspective” Surya interjected.

“Now what” Dr mused. “Surya will come with a new twist in anything”

“Sir, Shravan is overloaded and we cannot ask him to take this also” Surya said

“But he has presented me an excellent implementation plan”

“OK we can definitely look at it and we can even make use of it if it is good”

“Shraven will be upset and this may dampen his motivations”

“May be he will be. We need to explain to him. He cannot expect exclusivity in any project”

“But it was he who conceived it and demonstrated the feasibility in spite of opposition from most of us”

 “Just because a man fathered his baby we can’t expect him to be the one guiding him in his Ph D program”

“But in this case the father is qualified to be his Ph D guide”

“We can definitely appreciate that. But we have to be prudent. We can’t have the success of the whole program pivoted on one individual” Surya started to spin his argument.  Once he developed an idea and conceived a strategy he could spin his argument with such force, logic and persuasion, it would be difficult for anybody to stop him.

“We need to develop our team and we need to be sure that all aspects of the implementation is adequately covered. My thoughts are as follows. We will make Somesh responsible for this expansion project” Surya continued.

“But he is our legal and corporate affairs person” Dr V raised his concern

“Yes Somesh had joined the team as a legal and corporate affairs person. However he has a keen interest in the business of NUPS.  He is an avid reader. In the recent past he has been reading books and journals relating to the field of education, has attended seminars and has been thinking extensively about issues and challenges in this area. He frequently comes to me with interesting ideas and often has sensible advice. Plus as he has a strong legal background he will be able to negotiate and conclude strong contracts with each of the potential partners. You see we are going the partnership rout. Any partnership has potential to sour. Therefore it is imperative to ensure that we have a contract that will protect our interest in case of such eventuality.” Surya built his case strongly.

“Further I suggest that Rani is made responsible for the curriculum and study material for these partnerships. We cannot use the same format as we use here at the institute. We need to develop suitable material for the students as well as total on boarding kit for the partner entities.” Surya was making sure that the other two was with him when he cut Shravan to size. 

Dr. V realised Surya’s game plan. But he did not have arguments to match Surya’s logic and even more his powerful articulation. He did not want to veto Surya. He wanted to see the institute succeeding and matching his dream before he retired.

 “Ok I leave it to you” Dr V conceded.

“I knew you would appreciate my strategy” He bowed with utmost grace which was more an act than an expression of his respect to Dr V

Chapter 5

During this tenure at the ministry, Surya met Dr Vishvesvarayya who was an educationalist of international repute. He had brilliant ideas on how the education system in Indraprasta could be transformed. He had conceived an idea to set up a national university primarily focused on research in Science and Technology. It would have a number of affiliated colleges that would offer post graduation and doctoral programs. He was able to get the technical support from one of the reputed universities from US, the Stanford University. He was able to convince the government of the national importance of such a university to get all the clearances fast. This university was christened as the National University for Progressive Sciences (NUPS)

Surya Hari was result oriented. He knew that any idea was meaningful only if it was implemented properly. He put together crack team to manage the project of setting up NUPS. The senior members of the team were Rani, Somesh and Shravan.

Rani was in charge of Academic Affairs. She was a Ph D holder in Education from a top university in Indraprasta. She had about 15 years experience in the field of education. She had a charming demeanour and a heart of steel. She was also a very good administrator. With is single minded focus on her career, she did not marry for a long time. Subsequently, she was enamoured by Somjit who ran an NGO doing work among the tribal community. Soon she realised that she was not fit to be a family person and her marriage to Somjit ended up in a divorce. But she was only too happy to have the custody of her child and bring her up as a single mother.

Somesh was in charge of legal affairs. A highly qualified lawyer with an additional qualification in Corporate Secretarial functions Somesh took care of the corporate affairs and administration efficiently.

Shravan was a graduate in Engineering and a Post graduate in management. He hailed from lower middle class background. But he was brilliant student and managed to get admission to top engineering and subsequently to a top management school. After graduating he had joined the ministry of education and had the opportunity to work under Dr Vishvesvarayya. It was there that he was spotted for his brilliance and hard work. So he was picked up as a part of the start-up team for NUPS. He was responsible for the total infrastructure including information systems.

Within one year they had the university up and running against the apprehensions raised by many. These critics believed that a team with no prior experience in running any business venture before would not be nimble-footed enough to set up a university let alone run it. Surya Hari’s political connections helped him to get the licences fast. His crack team did a wonderful job of getting the project up and running in double quick time.

To begin with, they set up a college that offered Post Graduate and Ph D program in physics and chemistry. The labs were outstanding and the syllabus was of international standard. They were able to attract some very motivated and brilliant faculty members who took up variety of research projects. But the student enrolment was not as much as expected.

***

Dr Vishvesvarayya called for an internal brainstorming on how to increase the acceptance and popularity for the school among the public. Shravan was a person with a keen sense for business. So he was the first to volunteer his idea.

“Sir I believe we should have a strategy to build a brand name for NUPS and it should get associated to be a place that is most sought after” Shravan pointed out.

“Of Course that is why we are here” Rani quipped

“I think we should have a full-fledged advertising campaign about NUPS. We should also try to work with government to see if we can get our degree some premium compared to the regular universities.” Rani continued.

“May be we would approach the Ministry of Human Resources to declare that our Master’s program in Physics and Chemistry are equivalent to Master’s Program in Electronics and Chemical Engineering” Rani went onto elaborating her idea.

“Sir I have a different view” Shravan interjected. “We should offer some courses that have high demand in the market like Management. Though this is a little divergent from being focused on science and technology, this course will definitely complement the main programs.”

“I think it is complete dilution of our vision.” Rani almost burst out. She was miffed that this upstart Shravan with no experience in education sector should even open his mouth at a discussion like this. “And see what he comes up with. By suggesting this MBA he is diluting the spirit of NUPS. What does he think we are setting up?”

“Sir these two year program in management is a far cry from scientific institution we are setting up. The focus and attention will get completely diverted.” Rani was boiling.

“Sir Management is the art of making the science possible; possible to establish; possible to sustain and possible to survive. It will be a complement to the technical education. Many world renowned technical schools are introducing this in their offering. I believe that we should show leadership in this in our country. Once we get acceptance for this course and establish a name for ourselves naturally other courses will become attractive” Shravan was defending his idea.

“It is worth a try. Take it as a small project that Shravan can drive” Dr. Vishvesvarayya agreed.

Rani was boiling inside. “Dr Vishvesvarayya has a soft corner for this upstart. He let him try any of his nonsense ideas” She mused

She threw a sideways glance at Surya. He was quite. He sat there with a wooden face.  It was difficult to fathom what he thought about.

“Shravan seem to be the pet of the Chairman and he seems to get any of his fancy ideas approved by him. I need to develop a powerful ally. The option for me is Surya.”

All of them got up to leave the room. Surya was in front and he walked along the long corridor towards the cafeteria instead of walking into his cabin which was next to the cabin of Dr Vishvesvarayya.

In his mind he was thinking hard about the idea Shravan suggested. He knew Shravan was a bright fellow his ideas often made sense. But he was not sure how it merged with the NUPS vision.

His brain was churning. This was a new development and he wanted to weigh the pros and cons of this and develop a strategy that suited his purpose.

As usual when he had some thoughts the bugged and he felt that he was not in full control of the situation he walked to the executive cafeteria, picked up a hot cappuccino and stood near the French window looking far out into the horizon drinking his coffee.

Rani walked up to him. She also picked up coffee and joined Surya.

“Can I join you for a coffee” She asked giving him a placating smile

“Of course you are welcome” He replied though he was not looking for company.

“What do you think about Shravan’s idea?” She asked

“Oh! Rani is not happy about Shravan getting an upper hand” he thought.

“Old man seems to be impressed by it” he replied non-commit tingly.

“But you were quiet and did not say anything” Rani replied. She wanted to judge Surya’s views.

“I heard this for the first time. I have not thought through the issues. May be it is a good idea and would work. May be it would fall flat” He replied, again not committing anything

Rani was feeling frustrated

“But Surya isn’t it against the vision of NUPS we all cherish? We are a scientific institution. Not a run-of-the mill college.” She said. The agitation in her mind was showing in her face and her gesticulations.  Her sari slipped a bit from the shoulder. With the low cut blouse she was wearing the cleavage was visible. Surya could not help noticing it; especially since she was about four inches taller than him. It was a pleasant distraction. His eyes remained there for  a few moments.

Suddenly she was aware of the gaze. Her hand itched to pull the sari back to its place. Then she decided against it. It is not a bad idea if he finds it interesting.

He moved his gaze away and their eyes met for a fleeting second. He realised that she saw his look and she knew that he knew.

“Oh let us see how it develops. If it succeeds it is good for us.” He replied

“If it fails, then what” She asked

“If it fails, then it would be a bad experiment” He replied.

Suddenly the position was clear in his mind.

“If it fails it is a bad expiring by Shravan supported by the Chairman. If it succeeds, he has to ensure that Shravan does not get too much of a mileage” He thought

“Rani is also not amused with Shravan. Let it continue like that. Some completion, rather insecurity, won’t do any bad. Though a brilliant professional she appears insecure too. She can be under my wings” His scheming mind was working fast

“Come on Rani. Don’t fret. You go ahead with what you are doing. I am sure that you would do great. I am there to give you all support” He told her.

“Smart cookie” She thought “Is he also extending a hand? May be he is the one to be developed as an ally at whatever cost”

“Let me go back to my room. I have some urgent papers to clear” Rani walked back along the corridor. She knew the view from her back was quite appealing. She gave it a more deliberate sway. She was aware of his gaze and she wasn’t at all perturbed.

***

To be continued

Chapter - 4

Few days after this discussion he met Surya Hari at a party. Surya was one of his old friends. He was the head of National University for Progressive Sciences.

“Hi Bishu, Now that you are out of government what are you going to do” Surya Hari asked.

His close friends called also him Bishu and he did not mind that.

“I am trying to figure out what I should do, I am toying with many ideas. Not yet taken a final call” Bishma replied

“If you are doing anything with education, count me in” Surya Hari offered

***

Surya Hari was born to an aristocratic family based in Northern Indraprasta. His great grandfather was a large landowner in Ravighat. His father Rajnarayan was the first person from his town to travel abroad for studies. Rajnarayan graduated in English literature. After completing his studies he had come back to Ravighat and took over his family business. He continued his family tradition of being actively involved in the affairs of the society.

The King Sangamitra of Indraprasta invited him to join as his advisor on international affairs. That gave him enormous clout in the society.  It also helped him to amass significant wealth.

In the meantime a wind of change was blowing across Indraprasta. A movement was slowly rising demanding an end to monarchy and introduction of democracy. Sangamitra knew he had to change with the times. He believed that the change has to be managed and the transition should be smooth. So he decided to set up a special cell to deliberate and decide on this demand from the citizens. Rajnarayan was head of this special cell.

The movement for democracy started to build momentum. Rajinder Sharma a well educated activist for democracy was gradually getting mass following. The populace called him Chacha and  he was becoming increasingly popular. King Sangamitra was also happy with him. He invited Chacha to join the Sepcial cell.  Rajnarayan was no excited about this. He knew that with the popular support chacha enjoyed, he would become the natural choice to lead the people’s government. He realised that the wave is building and there will be no stoppage. “It is time to change track” he concluded.

“General, the democracy movement is gaining huge support and the managed transition being considered by Sangamitra will not work” He said to General Pasha from the Indraprasta National Guards who was also a member of the Special Cell.

“I was thinking the same thing. He is placing too much trust on Chacha and he alone cannot guide a nationwide movement. We should discuss with the King and announce a definite timetable for the transition to a select group who are capable and would be acceptable to the citizens. Not only that they should be able to match up with the stature of the leaders of the other countries whose support and cooperation we need.” Pasha replied.

“My dear General, I am not sure whether King Sangamitra will agree to this. But do you think will be able to make him see the voice of reason” Raj asked.

“With the popularity of Chacha, he will naturally become the Prime Minister and all the powerful positions will be taken over by his buddies. As we were part of the old regime, we will be nobody in the new regime” Raj continued.

“So what do you suggest” General asked

“We need to work out a plan General. I will support you to become the head of the country and not head of national guards” Raj said enticingly to Pasha.

“OK. Let us work on this” He replied.

He got back home early that day.

“Rajani, prepare for a trip to Switzerland. Pack up enough for a long stay” He told his wife

Both of them were sitting at the veranda of his palatial bungalow. He could see his Dobermans playing in the lawn.

“Why this trip to Switzerland now? ”

“I need to have a medical check up” He replied

“What happened to you” She asked.

“Nothing. But that should be the reason we tell everybody.”

“You seem to be cooking something. Tell me what you are up to.”

“Shall let you know. For the time being do the preparations as per this plan”

She knew that there was no point in asking him any further.

He along with his family took a trip to Switzerland, apparently for a medical emergency.

About a week after he was in Switzerland Chacha was assassinated. The country burst in to violence. Raj based out of Switzerland declared to be a supporter of the uprising.

“We cannot stand a monarchy that kill innocent people because they descent. Chacha was personification of the aspirations of the people of Indraprasta” He declared in an interview to CNN from the comforts of the hotel in Switzerland.

“What did you say today in the TV Raj” Rajani asked him when he was back at the hotel.

“You heard me. Didn’t you” was the terse reply.

“King Sangamitra will not be behind this dastardly act” Rajani declared.

“My dear, you don’t understand real politic. You watch how things turn out. We need to be smart to achieve something of value” He was gloating

“Sangamitra always treated you like his own brother” Rajani said.

“That was good then. Not now. I will help my brother to meet his maker soon without worldly worries” He replied with a wicked smile

“But that is mean” Rajani was shocked.

“Only the mean and lean survive in this world honey. You get ready for being elevated soon” He walked back to his study. 

General Pasha led a coup and the king was dethroned and beheaded. Rajnarayan returned to Indraprasta to take charge of the budding democracy. General Pasha was declared the President and Rajnrayan the Prime Minister.

In the meantime Surya Hari who was 10 years old was admitted to a private school in Switzerland. After successfully completing his high school, he moved over to London.

Fate had its own course. Within few months the flight carrying General Pasha and Rajnarayan crashed in one of their trips.

Surya continued his education abroad. He graduated from London School of Economics and went onto do a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard Business School. This international exposure from childhood from the best of schools in the world, gave him a powerful network of friends spread all round the world.

After his graduation he took up an assignment with the World Bank. He worked as the executive assistant to the Director in charge of Public Policy desk focusing on developing countries. This gave him excellent opportunity to develop a deep understanding of issues in public policy. He was smart enough to identify people who could be of relevance to him eventually and kept his links active with them. He was a charming public speaker. With his flowery articulation and his creative ideas he could mesmerize any audience.

Having spent few years in US he returned to Indraprasta. He decided to build on the foundation of his father’s political base and connections which could complement his US education and international experience.

After returning to India, for a few years he worked as the advisor to the Minister of Education which gave him an opportunity to personally experience and understand the ways of the government and its officers.

He was quite short in stature. When he was in school, his height (rather lack of it) was always an element of ridicule. Being short and weak, he could never retort physically. So he honed his manipulative skills to take his revenge. To top it, unfortunately he had the looks of an alien which also meant that he was never one of the popular among his school mates; especially among girls. This underlying insecurity formed a hidden scar in his heart. As he grew up, in spite of the success he achieved in the professional life, this insecurity coupled with his feudal past manifested in his almost paranoid compulsion to suppress any dissent. But he never let this insecurity show. He could always present his manipulative actions triggered by this insecurity with clever logic and flowery articulation. Rather the manipulative skills and gift of the gab became the foundation on which he built his success. This master-manipulative nature earned him a pet name Shakuni. He had learned quite a few lessons on manipulation from his father who had managed the transition from being the advisor to the king to the leader of democracy without paying any price.

****

To be continued