Interview with Prahadeesh

Welcome to the this Interview. We are with Prahadeesh, who has just started his own venture. A online Store for Coimbatore. Lets here it from him about his story.

Prahadeesh: I am Prahadeesh. Did my schooling in San Jose and graduation in Kumaraguru in IT.

Later joined CTS through campus placement,stayed for 6 months and then moved to Hawkins Cookers limited as a Sales Executive. Worked with Hawkins for a year. After which quit Hawkins and started an Online store for Coimbatore . Its Varthagan.com

Ramaguru: :) Nice and how is your new venture Varthagan going. First of all, it need lots of guts to take a step like this.Good thought :) 

Prahadeesh: Thanks :) We are facing a bit tough time right now in case of gaining visibility. Gaining customers is the first and foremost thing. It takes time to build customer confidence. Once we gain that things will be easy for us.

Ramaguru : May I know what made you to think about starting your own venture, when people of your age prefer to work in MNC?  You have been with CTS  and with Hawkins too. What was driving you to into entrepreneurship?

Prahadeesh: Well... the idea of starting something of my own started to creep in right from my school days. But when to start ? what kind of  business to start? remained a big question. During my final year at college I cleared CTS interview. And I very well know i wont stay in an MNC for long. Then at Hawkins I got a wide exposure in the retail market. I also saw people started moving to virtual stores to buy their products .

That was the moment I decided to start an online store which mainly focused on Home and Kitchen Appliances. I discussed it my mentor Mr.Somashekharan Nair , he gave a nod . Then after a finite research and with technical assistance from my friend Gokul Krishnaa for Varthagan was born.

Ramaguru : Great! Hope the experience you have gained through Hawkins would have helped you?

Some learning in Hawkins and some learning in Varthagan till now!

Prahadeesh: Of course. I really enjoyed the training period.The training period in Hawkins was awesome. I learn right from scratch how an organization operates . I learnt about finance, procurement , what are the process involved right from buying a raw material to a finished product , marketing , logistics , payment collections and more about how to deal with people . And in case of Varthagan we have just started to learn. It showed how difficult to implement things that we put on paper.

Ramaguru : Very true !Being your junior for almost 18 years, I know you quite well. Some words about your college life?

Prahadeesh : :) College life!! Like many, now i fell i should have done something better in college life. It gave me good relations which i can cherish for a lifetime. And when it comes to educational part like i have already said i should have done better. When i mean better its not on academics. Its mainly the other skills which will help you to survive when you are out in the world after college.Like communicative skills, knowing whats happening in thw world around you, what are the domains associated with your curriculum.

Ramaguru : Most of us feel the same, only when we move out of college.You have been secretary for your department association, also you were the Asst. School Pupil Leader and School Pupil Leader? So, with those leadership qualities,what kind of learning or what do you feel have helped you because of those?

Prahadeesh : Two Things. Two main things that i learnt with the help of those positions .

1. How to organize things

2. How to get along and deal with people

Ramaguru: only with second alone you can win :)

How did you feel when you were called to represent alumni during your annual day, sitting on the stage with Principal, Chief guest?? How did you feel?

Prahadeesh : That was a great day. Really a memorable one. Sitting along with our principal , i really felt blessed. I didn't feel that i was addressing the school as an alumni , I felt that i was still the student of San Jose and still i am and also we are :)

Ramaguru : I really felt really really happy and proud. Before one year I was a student and now I am sitting in a stage for annual day function.This was how I felt. Ya, Ofcourse, we are always a proud "San Joseians".

Prahadeesh : Absolutely:) 

Ramaguru : What you felt that you missed in college be it in curriculum or extra which would have helped you?

Prahadeesh :Like our Nair sir used to say arts subjects like Economics, Psychology, Politics. They will make us understand the world better and to live in a better way.

Ramaguru :I totally agree! Some of the people you admire or you follow (I know it, but still)?

Prahadeesh :One is My Dad and the other person you know very well,  our Nair sir :) 

Ramaguru : Dad is the first hero for every son and Nair Sir, as I knew it obvious one for us. Some of the qualities you liked or you want to copy from our mentor? 


Prahadeesh: In Simple, Determination,this is the main thing :)  and if u have this rest will flow in automatically.

Ramaguru : Anything you would like to tel to your juniors both KCT and San jose ??

Prahadeesh: Lovable, sadly i am in touch with only few of them . Hope all are fine.
And both the farewells in school and in college was awesome.

Ramaguru: I gave you three farewell more by any junior in the world!

Prahadeesh: :) In 10th, 12th and college

Ramaguru : On a Personal Note, I always have admired you, be it in school or college. I have always be in a position where you were before. The way you do things, the way you move up with friends, teacher, school and college is awesome. I still I remember your speech during your farewell in +2. You are such a wonderful orator, the commitment you show in what you do, is what we should learn from you. Also I feel you always kept your passion high and taken a road not taken. On behalf of myself, your juniors(San jose and KCT) wish you all success in your new venture and for future.
Last one, would you like to thank any special person other than your parents and Nair sir for what you are today?

Prahadeesh : Thanks :) Yes,Ofcourse My friends :)


See you all with Interview of an another interesting person!

Counseling needs Counseling!

Engineering!! :) Dream for many but still every year thousands of students get into engineering and
thousands of engineers pass out!

Anna univ Counseling being the only way to get into the colleges( though there are private universities and colleges,for many Anna is the only hope). Some cases all the ANNA's have failed.

It was shocking for me when i saw the Anna univ website content. For the welfare and to help students Anna univ website display the status of the Vacancy Positions on timely basis during
counseling.

I had one of my cousins counseling on Aug 1st and we planned to take Computer Science in Jansons under MBC quota, so I used to check the availability of the seats on regular basis prior to
counseling. The no of seats under MBC was 25. But when my cousin went inside the counseling hall on Aug 1st 10.30 batch, less than 20 seats were only available. I checked the same on Aug 1st evening, I found same 25 seats.

And this is the status now:

It was very shocking to see the seat availability is not updated. Since I know for this particular course in this college, now I doubt whether the seat availability for other courses in other colleges will be true or some data!

I am not sure where we are heading to!!

Young Activist Aparna Bhola

Young Activist Aparna Bhola: Sex Educator and Aspiring Gynecologist

The New York Times has an article about Aparna Bhola, a teenager in India who is taking the initiative to teach her friends and peers about sex education:

Aparna, the daughter of a sex worker, grew up in Kolkata. Her mother, Malti, was married when she was 9 and was beaten by her husband. When she ran away and returned to her hometown in the Sundarbans, her aunt took her to Kolkata under the pretense of sending her to school. There, Malti was sold into sex work for 10,000 rupees when she was 12 years old. "When she initially refused to be a prostitute, the brothel owner stuffed chili powder in her genitals to force her into submission", says Aparna.She noticed how her mother and other sex workers in India were often shut off from adequate health care due to stigma against their class and occupation. This inspired her to study gynaecology and pass her learnings on to others in her situation:

Growing up in red-light districts, Aparna says she was distressed by the way doctors routinely mistreated sex workers because of the stigma against their profession. Her mother, diagnosed with uterine cysts, was unable to get treatment for them because of the bias against sex workers. Aparna remembers a niece being refused treatment by a doctor who said he didn’t want to bother with such poor people. 

When sex workers like Aparna’s mother would become pregnant, the “doctors would treat them so badly,” Aparna recalls. “They would yell at them, and even slap them sometimes. They would say things like ‘You go and pick up anyone’s child and come to me with your stomach swollen. When you were doing it, you enjoyed yourself and now what happened?’ ” 

These encounters made Aparna want to become a gynecologist. Even when she was younger, she would share with her friends and peers whatever sexual health-related information she could find. 

“I want to work with gynecology to cater to sex workers because I know the issues they faced,” says Aparna, her face set in a determined expression. “If I became a doctor, I could give whatever information the mothers need when they are pregnant. There would be someone to talk to them nicely when they are in pain.”

Her approach is open and directly combats shame:

“There’s nothing to giggle or be shy about; there’s no shame in it. It’s important for us to learn about these things. Be totally bindaas (carefree) and ask me questions,” says Aparna Bhola, with a wide smile.

and this approach is well-received:

“We are all girls, so we should know about this because in the future we might be pregnant at some point,” said Haseena Sayyed, 16, who attended the sex education workshop. “Earlier, we used to think that when we get our periods, the blood that is there is dirty. But when you’re pregnant, that blood goes to your child, so it is so it is not dirty; it is useful"

         

         Aparna is member of a nongovernmental organization called Kranti, meaning “revolution,” which strives to give young women rescued from prostitution access to education and new opportunities. She was teaching the class as part of a partnership with an organization called Project Crayons, which runs a shelter for girls in Mumbai’s Malad neighborhood.“What all do we need for life?” she asks the group of 15 teenage girls. “Food, air, water, but also sex. It is a natural instinct and something that brings us happiness.”“What I really want is that girls become powerful and aren’t scared of anyone,” says Aparna. “They should think in their minds that ‘I will go ahead and progress and no one can hold me back.”

           She also represented Maharashtra state in the Youth Parliament, an advisory group to the state government, where participants recently discussed whether sex education should be introduced in Indian schools.“I used to think that my whole world is within the four walls of my room, of the house,” says Aparna. “Now I see that there is a big, big world beyond that where many things are possible for me.”

Courtesy: NYT

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வரமறுக்கிரதுன்று"
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"என் கண்ணுள் நீ இருக்கிறாயன்று "

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முடியாமல் முடியும்

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