Investing in contacts - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Investing in contacts

Hindustan Times | ByJaydeep Ghosh, New Delhi
Feb 02, 2010 01:25 AM IST

These days parents give priority to the profile of the students in the school. Lately, the goss is on primary admissions and worried parents making rounds of politicians, industrialists and of course, touts.

When you and I went to school, our parents considered two things before selecting an institute — the academic performance of students and its status. But things have changed. These days mummy-papa give priority to the profile of the students in the school. The primary school admissions are under process and believe me you, it’s a stressful time for baby-boomers in the city. Lately, wherever I have been, the goss is on primary admissions and worried parents making rounds of politicians, industrialists and of course, touts.

HT Image
HT Image

And it’s only a handful of schools everyone’s gunning for — the elite, as well as the not so elite. Dolly Puniani wants her kid to go to Sanskriti not just because it’s a reputed school, but also because her brat, Sunny would be in the league of the top bureaucrats’ kids. Dolly’s interests are rather ambitious. “Sunny’s papa is a civil contractor. If my Sunny is in the same class as a top government official’s son, kitna faida hoga!” Didn’t get it? Well, Dolly is thinking big that she would be friends with the bureaucrats’ wives, so that the bureaucrats can help Sunny’s papa with some government contracts. Can you beat that? Wish my folks had such foresight!

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Delhi is the jugaad Capital and has now become so relevant that people now want to become more jugaad savvy. Take the case of under-grad admissions. Here it’s a trend among the schmoozers to send their sons and daughters to Boston or Singapore. If I enlist the teenagers studying in Boston, it’s a virtual list of who’s who — Lohia, Ruia, Punj, Ambani, Tahiliani, and so on. These rich kids make their parents proud if they are friends with a certain big shot’s son. I was utterly dismayed to discover how a 16-year-old son of an industrialist got his dad a billion-dollar contract in Libya because the son is buddy-buddy with Gaddafi’s son!

Even teenyboppers’ love affairs are tinged in jugaad savoir-faire. Such is life dearies. And why not? When some Doscos can be big hits because they were classmates of a late Prime Minister.

Oscars 2024: From Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Get more updates from Bollywood, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On