Passage 1

Yuvraj Singhs being dropped is neither unexpected nor unwelcome. Like a

moon he has waxed and waned throughout his career; periods of breathtaking
highs and exasperating lows. It is one such low that he has encountered now.
And yet, I believe, he has not merely been dropped, he has been challenged. It
could be good for him.From here Yuvraj could take either of two paths. He
could shut the door and blanket himself with self pity, he could surround
himself with those who will speak of injustice and subterfuge, he could get
angry and walk around with a snarl, or worse still, he could allow himself to
look and feel wounded. Neither of those are friends, not one of them will help
him stage a comeback. If anything, they could ensure that his compass points
south when the promised land lies to the north. Shallow, self-seeking friends are
a great scourge of Indian cricket and this is a good time for Yuvraj to assess
who is in his corner.Alternately he could look at recent events and believe this
is the best thing that could have happened to him. Yuvraj has, these last few
months, been overweight and sluggish. Maybe he has been mentally
overwhelmed, maybe there are too many things occupying his mind, maybe
cricket was not the most important thing in his life. That can happen. When you
do something every day, you can take it for granted, let your feet recede from
the extra step they need to take. His franchise was unhappy with him and his
ebullience had vanished. It is a situation that is crying out for dispassionate self-
assessment, for some solitude and introspection. The selectors have thrown him
a lifeline, not both ends of the rope as my friend Navjot Sidhu likes to put it.











Analysis


Yuvraj Singhs being dropped is neither unexpected nor unwelcome. Like a
moon he has waxed and waned throughout his career; periods of breathtaking
highs and exasperating lows. It is one such low that he has encountered now.
And yet, I believe, he has not merely been dropped, he has been challenged. It
could be good for him.From here Yuvraj could take either of two paths.
He could shut the door and blanket himself with self pity, he could surround
himself with those who will speak of injustice and subterfuge, he could get
angry and walk around with a snarl, or worse still, he could allow himself to
look and feel wounded. Neither of those are friends, not one of them will help
him stage a comeback. If anything, they could ensure that his compass points
south when the promised land lies to the north. Shallow, self-seeking friends are
a great scourge of Indian cricket and this is a good time for Yuvraj to assess
who is in his corner.Alternately he could look at recent events and
believe this is the best thing that could have happened to him. Yuvraj has, these
last few months, been overweight and sluggish. Maybe he has been mentally
overwhelmed, maybe there are too many things occupying his mind, maybe
cricket was not the most important thing in his life. That can happen. When you
do something every day, you can take it for granted, let your feet recede from
the extra step they need to take. His franchise was unhappy with him and his
ebullience had vanished. It is a situation that is crying out for dispassionate self-
assessment, for some solitude and introspection. The selectors have thrown him
a lifeline, not both ends of the rope as my friend Navjot Sidhu likes to put it.









Passage 2
There are many things that will need to be done, but here are a few pointed
suggestions. First, we have to facilitate the setting up of private universities and
collaborative efforts between Indian and foreign universities. Of course, these
universities even the top ones will come mainly to use their franchise and
make money. But that is ne. Life is not a zerosum game; there can be benets
for both sides. Second, we have to permit top researchers to hold joint
appointments, like doing one semester in India and one abroad. Israel has built
up a world-class university system despite paying low salaries since many of its
professors earn their annual income during the one semester they teach in the
US. Third, we have to reconcile that the system of star salaries whereby a few
star professors in every eld are allowed to command salaries which are several
folds above the average is inevitable. I do not recommend this with glee. If I
had the power to command a system for the whole world, I would recommend a
at salary structure.

Analysis
There are many things that will need to be done, but here are a few pointed
suggestions. First, we have to facilitate the setting up of private universities
and collaborative efforts between Indian and foreign universities. Of course,
these universities even the top ones will come mainly to use their
franchise and make money. But that is ne. Life is not a zerosum game; there
can be benets for both sides. Second, we have to permit top researchers
to hold joint appointments, like doing one semester in India and one abroad.
Israel has built up a world-class university system despite paying low salaries
since many of its professors earn their annual income during the one semester
they teach in the US. Third, we have to reconcile that the system of star
salaries whereby a few star professors in every eld are allowed to command
salaries which are several folds above the average is inevitable. I do not
recommend this with glee. If I had the power to command a system for the
whole world, I would recommend a at salary structure.



Passage 3

It is 1962, and you are the president of the United States. You have just learned
that the Soviet Union has dropped an atomic bomb on New York. You know
they will not attack again. In front of you is the phone to the Pentagon, the
proverbial button, with which you can retaliate by bombing Moscow.
You are about to press the button. The nations policy is to retaliate in kind
against a nuclear attack. The policy was designed to deter attackers; if you dont
follow through, the deterrent would have been a sham.On the other
hand, you are thinking, the damage has been done. Killing millions of
Russians will not bring millions of dead Americans back to life. The bomb will
add radioactive fallout to the atmosphere, harming your own citizens. And you
will go down in history as one of the worst mass murderers of all time.
Retaliation now would be sheer spite.