CHARNI ROAD'S STUDY CORNER

This article appeared originally in Mumbai Mirror, of the Times Of India group.

A STUDY IN STUDYING



For the aimless, the driven, the over-worked, the lazy, the disturbed and the peaceful, this study corner is a sacred spot of sanity, finds Rishi Majumder



6:32 pm. A boy in a cheap printed shirt and faded trousers paces frantically, memorizing economic principles. Another, in T-shirt and shorts, is motivated by such momentum to recite history dates aloud in ascending tones. Till a middle aged office goer grappling with legal principles from his evening law diploma course shushes him. This makes a 20 something pretty-ish girl studying her homeopathic medicine syllabus laugh. Who in turn starts being glanced at by a bunch of eager junior college lads otherwise solving their Mathematics home-work. Blocking their view (rather unconcernedly) is a freshly muscled kid wearing an army print cap over his long hair, flashy T-shirt and frayed jeans – who sms-es, looks hesitatingly at a newly bought text book, sighs, and sms-es again. Then: the boy paces more calmly; the other mutters his dates under his breath, the office-goer reads, the girl concentrates; the junior college members go back to arguing algebra solutions (oggling's only for breaks); and the cool kid, well, opens his book. The diverse student community at the 24 hour 50 seat study corner in S K Patil Park, Charni Road manufactures and maintains it's own rules.



7:12 pm. "The place was built many years ago with the park, but it was done up with a translucent plastic canopy, painted properly, tiled and hedged with a marble top only two years ago by MLAs from the BJP and Shiv Sena from the Khazdaar fund," informs above 50 security guard cum cleaner cum gardener Janki Jadav, who lives at the Park. Complementing the canopy's numerous fans is the gentle breeze coming in from over the lush lawn and trees flanking the area. The breeze blows a bespectacled 21 year old Amol Patil back as he looks up irritated from a Balance Sheet problem. "I work as a clerk in a trading firm while continuing with Second Year B. Comb., but I've been studying here since class five," he answer. Amol's house in Bhuleshwar is too crowded for studying. During exams he inhabits this place all night. "Even people who have a room to themselves come here or live far-off come here. But for a poor student this is a necessity!"



7:30 pm. The tube lights have been turned on. As if on cue the army capped boy wonder starts reading his commerce textbook with escalating urgency: "I'm studying for my K.T. exam." He identifies himself as 19 year old Ketan Balsara. And how often does he come here? He mulls before smiling awkwardly, "Rarely." "I could study at home, but there's no drive. The environment forces me to concentrate." The junior college group trudging back from a canteen, have different reasons: "We like the fact that we have a place where we can study as a team, yet remain motivated," say 16 year olds Sumit Chaurasia and Vrijesh Gupta. It also inspires an appetite: "The Uphaar Griha in the park itself, serves tea and meals for as little as Rs 6 till eight in the evening!"



8:00 pm. "We don't let people sit idle or read a magazine," security-man Jadav had warned. Two sitters have flouted this rule however. While one works out a crossword, the other after leafing through a Marathi daily's page 3, stares vacantly with his head propped up on the slab of wood attached to each chair for writing. Questioning glances cause them to exit and sit on the benches surrounding the study corner (but not in it!). An old gentleman saunters in from the park to sit smiling amidst the open-on-all-sides learning spot for two minutes before walking out. "The park closes at eight. I come in after that everyday to just sit amongst them for two minutes. It gives me peace and focus," sighs 59 year old Jayant Phadke, on his way out. "It's more silent than the park even – minimum traffic noise, and…" he points to a board on the central pillar holding up the canopy that reads: Please Keep Silence. "They get angry if my phone rings," he laughs and puts his fingers to his lips. "They go Shhhhh!"



9:16 pm. 25 year old Ajay Pande heads for a drinbk from the cooler. "I still have another two hours to go. The thing is I live in Vikhroli and she (he points to the girl sitting opposite him) in Malad. If we go home to study, the train journey exhausts us so much, there's little energy left," he explains agitatedly. Reason for such turmoil: their Ayurvedic College exams are around the corner. "There's another study centre near Churchgate too, but it's too small," Bhavika Parmar (the girl with him) begins. "Also the garden and breeze here ensures we never have to take a break to go for a walk or anything. Your mind is always fresh!" Pande butts in. "And even though there are very few girls here, I've never faced any discomfort being a girl," she persists. "And also, why no bathroom? The one here shuts at 10. That's a big problem for those who have to study all night," Pandey ends this spurt by slamming a fist into his palm. Maybe he should try political science instead…


12:30 pm. The learner population has become leaner and Jadav's around for his nightly check: "You know, during final exams this place is so packed, even the parks are filled with students." And most of those who've studied from here are back "at Saraswati Puja. Chota Bara Sab Log Aate Hain!" As if in response, serviceman Hitesh Jain offers, "I've passed my CA inter from here." Now he only sits in the garden to reminisce: "That's why I'm sitting on the benches outside the canopy." Another middle-ager sits inside however: "I'm doing my law now," explains 38 year old stock broker Prateek Pali. "I can't get back to studying at home or at work. I thought the atmosphere here might inspire." Rajesh Soni, a younger equities dealer, who's studying his MBA in correspondence agrees, just as the clock strikes one. One shouldn't disturb beyond…

ROUND THE CLOCK READER

This article appeared originally in Mumbai Mirror, of the Times Of India group.

COMPETITION SUCCESS REVIEWED...



This rare round-the-clock library propels many a student in their quest to clear a competitive exam - with it's books and brotherhoods, finds Rishi Majumder



"The first battlefield is the AIIMS entrance exam in November. Then two other competitive exams for medical post-graduation in the first and last week of January," mutters Dr. Varun Darade, the nervousness making him edgy even as he speaks. "Only three percent of doctors can do their post-graduation on an average," Dr, Sanjeev Chaudhary explains Darade's worry. "For me it's the National Defence Academy. Exams are next April but I have to prepare!" pipes up 17 year old Prateek Sawant. "I got into an engineering college. Next it's the CAT. Four years of hardwork – then, enjoy!" is Tushar Telang's take on the 17 hour days he puts in, like so many others, at the Indian Library, Thane. These quotes have been taken from between 12 pm at night and 6:30 am in the morning at what the Limca Book Of Records acknowledges as the first library in India to remain open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The students at this learning centre, however, are themselves a study in dealing with middle class 's most malignant malady: competitiveness.

"I myself studied in very adverse circumstances. I started this library in 1999, because I wanted to give something back to the society in a pro-active way, not just through donations," comments the library's director - Sanjeev Malhotra. The library salutes utilitarianism with very basic wood, plastic and metal furniture – the only adornment is a quote from Bal Gangadhar Tilak on education. It's stock however, comprises academic material on nearly every subject under the sun – from Fashion and Astrology to Medicine and Management. "Considering I provide a 12 hour a day canteen, conference rooms, net-access, and the latest books on every subject, the Rs 1,800 fee charged can hardly pay for the library's upkeep," laughs Malhotra who calls the library a "social initiative funded by my business". "When this library was started four years ago, there weren't as many books," Darade remembers. "But when a student gives an application for a desired book, on any topic, it's here within a week!" In addition Malhotra organizes Seminars for counseling on career prospects. "Youth is the time to slog. Education will redeem you. Slog now and at 40 to 45 years you can relax," answers Malhotra on being asked whether such over-drive might not be a bit of an over-kill.

And the crowd burning the mid-night bulb filaments nod resolutely in agreement. "We're a group of 25 medicos preparing for our postgraduate entrance exams… and here is where we met," remembers Dr. Gurneet Singh Sawhney. This group-study is necessary not merely for concentration: "Doubts come up in every paragraph. If they're not cleared, then they distract!" Engineering student Virendra Shinde explains that "In a competitive exam, how you study is most important – having a team means you can devise the best methods." And just when one wonders whether such ardent discussions wouldn't disturb others, aged night guard Aziz Khan marches in sternly, and the group in question files out to one of the 'conference rooms' with 20 odd chairs – made specifically for discussion purposes. While Sawhney says he will attribute "25 percent of my career success to this library", Shinde claims the library with its atmosphere inspired him "to get my grades up from 50 to 62 percent!"

While most of the students in the library aim for conventional entrance exams pertaining to a UPSC, Engineering, Medicine or MBA, some like Harsh Thakkar digress. "Medicine is about giving life to a body… but Pharmacy gives life to a medicine," he elucidates about a course which that was relatively unknown when he joined up four years ago, but has many a taker today. His t-shirt matches his attitude to read: 'Beckam, Superman, Robin Williams and me'. But even Thakkar, who'd like to study Pharmacy further, is making it a point to attempt the CAT. As is Vibhas Sen, an IT student a student who's being on crutches hasn't dwindled his determination to study at the library daily for "the environment and material it provides." "At the end your career choices are shaped by what your peers and immediate family think is best," remarks Sen. "Sometimes when an examination doesn't work out you think 'Maybe I'm meant for a different, albeit less conventional career,' but that's always the second option. You don't really have time to introspect." At 6:30 am, just as the last student exits… the first one strides in! "Many years before I joined this library, I'd given an entrance exam with my 'best friends'." says CA and LLB student Sachin Verma bitterly, "They'd said there was no negative marking for wrong answers. They'd lied intentionally. When I confronted them on failing that exam, they told me they had to do it 'for competition's sake'."