Generation gap

During his inaugural speech at the Partnership Summit in Agra, Commerce and Industries Minister Anand Sharma talked about the “technological explosion” that has empowered youth in India and around the globe. It hadn’t happened, he said, “during my generation”. Then, noting the presence of Vice-President Hamid Ansari, who would also be addressing the summit, he hesitated and added, “This benefit was not there during my and vice-president Hamid Ansari’s generation”. Ansari appeared surprised and amused, no doubt because some 16 years separate the two. That’s still within the traditional definition of a generation (30 years) but certainly an aeon away in terms of experience.