Questions

       In my novice attempts to understand higher education choices during my PhD the last few years, I have always wondered what factors matter the most. Of course, there are models of the orthodox or the newer types. I have mostly relied on the orthodox ones that take a general pool of variables and then predict the probabilities. I am using " orthodox " to indicate the pool of models that are accepted but are old and honestly have less empirical relevance. The fact that these are old doesn't reduce their logical validity; it is just that they are too general to learn from and imply something without relying on stronger assumptions. These are mainly the discrete choice family models that have existed for decades. They give us statements like, " Having the per-capita income increased by X amount, the Pr(Choosing Enrollment in Higher Education) increases (or decreases in case of the circumstances) by Y%". They are more of confirmation (not useless research ...

नाव हूँ  मैं बस एक नाव हूँ। बिखरे आसमान में चुभता बादल हूँ, चिरता चिल्लाता बिजली बारिश में हूँ। बिखरे आसमान और पतझड़ में, खुद-खुद ही को पार लगाया हूँ। मैं बस एक नाव हूँ। ...... किनारे आते-जाते हैं, पर मैं कहाँ ठहर पाता हूँ। हर किनारे से बस गीला नोंक लिये आता हूँ। पानी में होकर भी कीचड़ से ढोये रहता हूँ, तो कलंकित हूँ नजरों में। फिर भी तैरते रहता हूँ, मैं बस एक नाव हूँ। ...... कर्म में है जो तैरना, मैं कहाँ किनारे पर ठहर पाता हूँ। किनारे की हर इंच से, जो पानी पीछे छोड़ आता हूँ। हर बूंद से है मेरा एक रिश्ता, पर साथ कहाँ निभा पाता हूँ। मैं बस एक नाव हूँ। ...... लोग कहते हैं, हवा से तो मेरा सम्बन्ध है। बोले जब हवा पाल से ही ख़फा है, हर झोंके से दूर धकेलता है। अब इस झगड़े में, मैं किनारे से दूर चला जाता हूँ। मैं बस एक नाव हूँ।

  The Perceived Layers of Choice: Destiny, Faith, and Randomness "Do you believe in destiny? If yes, how do you think your choices are characterized to be? Are your choices random or deterministic? As people say, destiny has designed and decided everything upfront and you just have to experience it. The concept of destiny and its influence on our choices has been a topic of fascination and debate throughout history. Some believe that destiny governs our lives, predetermined and designed in advance, while others see life as a series of random events. This blog post delves into the distinction between these two perspectives, exploring how choices are perceived and characterized in the context of destiny. Additionally, it examines the role of faith or information in shaping these choices and argues that the nature of destiny is intricately linked to our awareness of it. Destiny as Deterministic:  For those who believe in destiny, choices are perceived to be deterministic. This me...

When I began my PhD journey, my fascination with studying educational choices grew immensely. Much of this interest stemmed from my socio-economic background and a lingering question in my mind: What could I have achieved if I had access to better educational opportunities? Recently, I've delved into the nuances of educational choices across school, higher education, and particularly PhD levels. As a researcher, I find it crucial to employ methods that accurately interpret these choices using quantitative data, graphs, and equations. However, I often feel constrained by the limitations of these models and the lack of comprehensive educational data in India, especially at the individual level. This blog explores why educational choices in India often fall short and highlights the data points needed to improve our existing analytical methods. Not-so-Educational Choices in India The concept of "educational choices" is inherently subjective, shaped by human constructs and soc...

  Asymmetric Information & Deepika Padukone:" You can't have it all" Before starting this blog, lemme put a pretext that, this blog is for academic purpose and doesn't mean anything derogatory to the individuals, organizations or any other stake holders concerned thereby. This idea first popped up in my mind while having a not-so-academic discussion with two of my great friends, Alok and Akash. If you have watched and can't recall the dialogue of Deepika,  "Jitna bhi try karo Bunny, kuch na kuch toh chootega hi. Isliye yahin, isi pal ka mazza lete hain,"  from the 2013 Indian coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, which in English translates into a tautological phrase, "no matter how much you try, you will miss out on certain things, and you can't just have it all." This is primarily a philosophical idea and can be understood from several interesting dimensions of life and academics. The dimension that I wish...

C. R. Rao: The Living Legend In an exemplary  announcement, The International Prize in Statistics Foundation  has declared that Prof. C. R. Rao has been awarded the prestigious 2023 International Prize in Statistics. It is considered an equivalent to a Nobel in terms of the contribution and impact required to deserve it. This award recognizes outstanding achievement in the field of Statistics. The prize is awarded every two years by the International Prize in Statistics Foundation to a single individual or team for their contributions to the development and application of statistical methods.  About Prof. Rao:  Calyampudi Radhakrishna Rao, popularly known as C.R. Rao, is an Indo-American Mathematician and Statistician who has gained prominence with his significant contributions to the field of Statistics. He was born on September 10, 1920, in   Hadagali ,  Bellary ,  Madras Presidency  (now in  Karnataka ), India. Rao received his Bachelor's ...

  An amateur Nobel dream Nobel Prize © The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Source: http://www.nobelprize.org/ Not so long back yet over a quarter of a century before a dream, with no shape headed towards maturity. While dwindling amongst petals and thrones it ripped and visualised itself in Golden colours. Needless to mention, thrones on the way were relentlessly brutal, yet they taught not to settle for less, which the dreamer is grateful enough for. The lesson that has led all these hours of the journey is that of maintaining goal-oriented behaviour. Its rather presumptive from the caption, on which topic this blog elaborates, however, it can be mentioned as a disclaimer that, the usage of "amateur"  is meant to afford some relaxation from the criticism of over ambitiousness, that this topic and specifically me writing on this may invite.   For someone, who initially considered Arts and Humanities as rather boring disciplines, coming to fall for Economics and Ps...