“If you failed yesterday, strive to win today. If you were defeated today, strive to win tomorrow.” – Dr. Daisaku Ikeda. These words are the force of my life which have kept me driving ever since I stepped out into this world to make an identity of my own. Life has always hurled challenges and I have always accepted and cherished the beauty that came along with it.
About Me:
Hi, I am Chirag Jain, an Electronics and Communication Engineer from VIT University, Vellore! Yeah, our campus is a bustling city in itself and the trains do go through the middle of the campus…. I am currently pursuing my MBA with specialisation in Finance from Indian Institute of Management, Indore. Jovial, versatile and a bag of poor jokes which somehow creates humour – this is what I am… A need to be a perfectionist and the ability to spread smiles around – this is what my life really revolves around.
Over the years, I have grown as an individual, a little more mature and responsible with every passing day. My graduation made me love science and hate derivations, and an MBA made me love reality and hate theories. A love for numbers and a creative mindset made me inch closer to my electives in Finance and Marketing. Apart from academics, my day is absorbed in reading books, writing down my thoughts as poems, and cooking food to satisfy my insatiable hunger…. I am a debater by heart and love discussing thoughts, ideas and everything a person can bring to the table. So, if you need to have a good snack, smile or laugh, debate and discuss, I am your go-to man.
MILESTONES!!!! Miles to go before I sleep…
“Never stop trying. Every attempt brings us closer to the ultimate goal.” – I have always been dedicated and true to myself. Every task was a challenge and an opportunity to learn. And in my milestones of success, my mother and my father have always held me hand firmly, a reassuring feeling of all the faith they have in me. And today, as I continue to prove my mettle, I live my parent's dreams and weave my own. And in this journey of past 5 years, my brother and my friend has been my closest confidant and my biggest support, who has always tried to help me reflect and emerge as a better person.
From my consistent academic performance to being a Class XII District Academic Topper, from entering the gates of VIT Vellore and emerging as the top 1.5% engineers from the same, and finally paving the way to IIM Indore and being in the top 10%, I have never rested my achievements. The urge to do more, win more and be more has always been burning free deep inside my heart. From providing the most economical solution to driver fatigue using Digital Image Processing as a final year project in Engineering, to being the national finalist of TCS CaseWiz and Red Cloud Consulting, I have always utilised the wide plethora of opportunities and tried providing solutions in a more creative and economic fashion. Other than this, my love for debating has won me laurels and experiences on a district as well as national level.
My values:
Being a follower of the philosophy of Nicherin Daishonin’s Buddhism, I have always tried to follow my mentor Dr. Daisaku Ikeda and become one of his own. His teachings have been the foundation of my values. Not only has the philosophy brought me closer to every success, it has been a driving force in my life. The value of Gratitude, Compassion and Self-Mastery have been my three founding pillars. “Winter always turns to Spring.” – and hence there is nothing which cannot be achieved.
Give us an instance when you failed miserably and how did you overcome that downfall?
“Failure is a stepping stone to success” - an old proverb which holds true even today. A team of three students had been working day in and day out to complete their final year project of engineering. An idea which had popped in my mind had suddenly become a realisable opportunity. There was scope to develop an economical and an affordable sleep detection system to be used in commercial vehicles. Everything had been working out smoothly. The algorithm was in place, the codes were working properly on the software and computer webcams were providing results in line with the objectives with stunning accuracy. It was time, when my team decided to test the same on hardware. We got the necessary components in place and were ready to test the same. And then it failed - there was no output. We tried everything possible but it appeared to have hit a dead-end. All efforts were turning out to be futile. I was shattered for it had become a dream to implement this model. I tried to get help from all sources. I read as much as I could on the previous trials people had conducted. I tried resetting the hardware and installing it all again in the hope to get an output. And then, I found one small article which could be the key to the problem. I read it through and realised that a few people had experienced the same problem. Then the search began. I searched platforms, online portals and discussion forums to find a solution, and there it was. It was all a problem of the camera. The microcontroller we were using was the latest technology and it required a higher resolution camera device which embedded faster processing. I along with my team modified the code, installed the new hardware and tested the prototype. This time it worked, better than we expected. It was a great moment for me and my team, for we were not only awarded the highest grade, but our teacher recommended us to improve it further and get a patent in the industry.
If you had a magic wand, what is the one problem in India that you would magically wish away? Explain why.
In a developing country like India, the vast population is marred with the ill effects of poverty, illiteracy, diseases, absence of basic amenities etc. If given a chance, a person would like to eradicate all these. But then, it’s always wrong to play with the ecosystem, be it biological, economic or social. Hence, I as an individual would like to create an opportunity in this ecosystem, an equal one for all. The basic fundamental which I would like to act upon Education. It’s not filling the coffers of citizens with money, it’s not giving them a life of immortality, it’s just giving them one equal chance to prove their mettle and this will make sure everything falls in place. Providing basic education to the vast youth population is the need of the hour, to help us identify the capable leaders of tomorrow. Not all fingers of the hand are equal, hence not everyone will be able to reap rich benefits of this opportunity, but surely it will boost the nation as a whole. India will stand firm amidst all nations, with all citizens having the basic foundations of education, with everyone able to read and write and above all make a living. It’s always said, when we educate a nation, the whole world grows. It improves standards of living, brings in new businesses and job opportunities within the country and abroad. At the same point in time, we as a nation need to focus on one thing, improving the quality of education at the grassroots level. There is no point of having a Right to Education Act when we can’t provide quality teachers and professionals. Hence it all forms a chain, more jobs for teachers, better-educated students, better jobs, more businesses, more money, a better and a happier life. Hence, given a magic wand, I would like to improve the education in India, schools for everyone and the best teachers to help them nurture.
India does not have 1 hospital bed per 1000 persons. It is much below WHO's average of 5. If you were the prime minister of the country, how would you solve this problem?
India is a vast country, with a huge population and abundant resources. Dealing with a sector like healthcare and that too basic facilities is a challenging task. With a limited number of hospitals and the rising costs of medicine, this sector attracts more attention. If I were the Prime Minister of India and needed to improve the medical facilities especially in terms of beds per person, I would take a plethora of steps to help improve the situation. Firstly, I would prefer to assess the barren land which is currently in no use. This would help me provide ample space to construct hospitals and Medicare centres and at the same time promote urbanisation. Transport connectivity would be improved to help access to nearby towns and villages. At the same time, these hospitals need to be multi-storey structures with hundreds of beds and necessary staff. Then I would prefer donating land for such hospitals rather than going ahead with statues, memorials or parks which are just a political gimmick. This would provide further land for use. Also, I would like to incorporate the idea of abandoned buses and railway coaches. These structures can be put to use to construct hospitals and certain can be makeshift too. These buses and coaches which have ample space and use less land can be installed in villages, small towns and peripheries. Also, villages and towns have abundant land on the outskirts which can be utilised. Another step that could be taken could be utilising the peripheries of highways and expressways. These provide a well-connected transport network and a lot of villages can access such hospitals which are constructed along with. An important point is to make sure that these structures are high-rise multi-storey facilities.
On a final note, I conclude with these words – “Hope,” Beethoven cried, “you forge the heart into steel.” Hope is confidence. Hope is determination. Hope is courage. And faith is the ultimate expression of hope. Belief fortifies the heart.”