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The School of Core Incompetence
It begins with the rats...
The Government regulator finds rats - two 'numbers' no less - living comfortably off the canteen at the privately owned Sundarambal Institute of Management, Coimbatore, forcing its crossword-obsessed director to create a committee led by the rather undistinguished professor Sambandham to 'address the lacuna'. Against an imminent visit by the authorities, a cat-and-rat game snowballs into a power tussle involving the faculty, bureaucrats, the Prime Minister's personal yoga guru and the great Dr. Rakshasan, an MP with a radar-roofed and gold-plated Maybach, who also owns the institute.
In this hilarious satire on the state of affairs in Indian management schools, R. Chandrasekar - best selling author of The Goat, the Sofa and Mr. Swami - takes a tongue in cheek look at business schools, where students are lured with the promise of six figure salaries and free laptops, while poking fun at Government interference and the political mismanagement of the education system. Dodgy degrees, honorary doctorates to boost egos and lazy professors with dubious qualifications - The School of Core Incompetence has them all.
The Government regulator finds rats - two 'numbers' no less - living comfortably off the canteen at the privately owned Sundarambal Institute of Management, Coimbatore, forcing its crossword-obsessed director to create a committee led by the rather undistinguished professor Sambandham to 'address the lacuna'. Against an imminent visit by the authorities, a cat-and-rat game snowballs into a power tussle involving the faculty, bureaucrats, the Prime Minister's personal yoga guru and the great Dr. Rakshasan, an MP with a radar-roofed and gold-plated Maybach, who also owns the institute.
In this hilarious satire on the state of affairs in Indian management schools, R. Chandrasekar - best selling author of The Goat, the Sofa and Mr. Swami - takes a tongue in cheek look at business schools, where students are lured with the promise of six figure salaries and free laptops, while poking fun at Government interference and the political mismanagement of the education system. Dodgy degrees, honorary doctorates to boost egos and lazy professors with dubious qualifications - The School of Core Incompetence has them all.
272 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
September 24, 2012
In a land where Profs are arrested for circulating cartoons, R. Chandrasekar may be the best thing since 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro'. He is a master observer of the power dynamics that run beneath the decision making process in any bureaucracy. He is too a master wordsmith who can capture "Indianisms" and put them into a brutally funny context in a seamless charming way. His entirely fictional characters are completely real, their paradigms are familiar to all of us and we know someone just like that one, and this one. If you enjoy the absurdity that lies at the heart of Indian bureaucracy, if you like to delve into life's ironies, if you like political humor as a genre, if you are a Woodhouse fan or if you just like those who step outside categories and write another kind of fiction, give this author a try. Even if you like none of the above, you may want to read this book because this author will show you a new dimension to Indian litterature that you may yet make your own.
September 9, 2012
A rib tickling book with spot on imagery and an easy, fun read. Highly recommended if you want to spend a rainy weekend laughing out loud. The story of a committee formed in the Sundarambal Institute of Management to catch a couple of rats seen in the college canteen is an absolute riot. From the first page where a student "essay" makes its appearance to its final denouement, the book runs through a series of hilarious situations which pretty much accurately lampoons our MBA factories. Populated by a cast of zany characters who trip over, misunderstand and clash with each other, the book makes you laugh out loud often enough that people start wondering what is going on! Congratulations, Mr. Chandrasekar!
November 6, 2012
Tongue in cheek look at scam that passes for management education in India. A light read that will keep you chuckling.
August 25, 2014
A rollicking laugh riot from the first word till the last, The School of Core Incompetence is a scathingly satirical look at the current state of management education in the country from the inside. Using the example of fictitious Sundarambal Institute of Management, Coimbatore, the author weaves a story around its faculty, management, politicians, their personal assistants and their cronies.
A must read for anybody who has ever walked the corridors of a management institute.
A must read for anybody who has ever walked the corridors of a management institute.
October 17, 2012
This novel is a hilarious look at start-up management institutions in India. The story focuses on characters in Coimbatore, in Tamil Nadu, and lampoons a number of various aspects of life inside and outside the university. Elements of corruption in the school, and in the government, are mined here for comic potential. A fabulous, delightful read!
August 8, 2013
Quite funny, amusing premise, mostly plausible.. a good read
February 14, 2014
Wodehousian!
And that's the highest praise I can bestow on any humorous work.
Rib-tickling funny, quirky characters, absurd incidents... and all, eerily real.
And that's the highest praise I can bestow on any humorous work.
Rib-tickling funny, quirky characters, absurd incidents... and all, eerily real.
August 8, 2017
hilarious
August 31, 2013
Not so long ago a fad was on the rise where every parent wanted to enroll their child and each student wanted to hold an MBA degree. There were few who wanted to add it to their prestigious Matrimonial CV.
As a result institutes became a money making machine and new colleges were opened overnight. To catch more students, institutes gave away freebies like laptops, WiFi and in some cases so called foreign educational trip. Ordinary teachers taught more ordinary students who were promised moon on their placements at the time of admission.
The School of Core Incompetence tries to tell the same story but it somehow gets tangled with red-tapism of our system. It shows three aspects from the point of view of teachers, owners and bureaucrats. But he missed out the most important view i.e of students.
The satire is good but we have heard and read a lot of stories based on our political system or lack of it. His humour on teachers was refreshing especially how they mix their personnel life with their professional.
My reason to read it were the reviews from a leading ecommerce site which claimed it to be a laugh riot. I would like to to differ from them. Beg, steel or borrow but easily give it a miss if you are planning to buy.
As a result institutes became a money making machine and new colleges were opened overnight. To catch more students, institutes gave away freebies like laptops, WiFi and in some cases so called foreign educational trip. Ordinary teachers taught more ordinary students who were promised moon on their placements at the time of admission.
The School of Core Incompetence tries to tell the same story but it somehow gets tangled with red-tapism of our system. It shows three aspects from the point of view of teachers, owners and bureaucrats. But he missed out the most important view i.e of students.
The satire is good but we have heard and read a lot of stories based on our political system or lack of it. His humour on teachers was refreshing especially how they mix their personnel life with their professional.
My reason to read it were the reviews from a leading ecommerce site which claimed it to be a laugh riot. I would like to to differ from them. Beg, steel or borrow but easily give it a miss if you are planning to buy.
May 22, 2014
2.5/5. Too much talk about caste really made me uncomfortable, as did his emphasis on south vs North Indians. I may have enjoyed the book more if those aspects weren't included - but then it would have been a different book. One great thing was even though the cast of characters had difficult names, they all had distinct behaviours so it wasn't confusing. I food myself really rooting for the director at the end of the story. Not a bad start to summer reading.
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September 10, 2012My book - I shouldn't be rating myself!
September 18, 2016
Fun set of characters and a very funny dramatization of a Business School. Brought a smile to my face.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews