IIPM PostGraduate (MBA) and UnderGraduate (BBA) Courses / Degree

Manipur cops rub scribes the wrong way

2011-10-25T11:54:00.000+05:30

"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.

The arrest of a respected editor on an allegedly trumped up charge sees journalists cease work

No newspaper was published in Manipur for six consecutive days as scribes protested against the arrest of A. Mobi, editor of Sanaleibak. Mobi, who is also the vice-president cum spokesperson of the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU), was arrested on the charge of being an activist of the proscribed Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), Tabungba Group.

Mobi, who is 55 years old, was picked up at around 9.30 am on December 29 by police commandos in civil dresses who came on a pedal rickshaw. The police claimed to have recovered “extorted” money amounting to Rs 50,000, two mobile handsets, a LML NV scooter bearing no registration number from Mobi's possession. Section 17 and 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act were slapped on him and the police filed a case under FIR No 575 (12) 10 IPS. He was remanded to police custody till January 5 and was produced in the court of the chief judicial magistrate, Imphal.

As news of the arrest spread, scribes gathered at Manipur Press Club and discussed the charges levelled against him. Standing firmly behind the editor, AMWJU labelled it as a frame-up. Setting the record straight, AMWJU said that Mobi was in his office room when police commandos arrived in a rickshaw under the guise of KCP members and arrested him.

Apart from being the vice-president of AMWJU, Mobi shouldered the additional responsibility of being its spokesperson to mitigate the various threats that the media in the state is routinely subjected to. With the state police unable to instil a sense of security amongst the media professionals and instances such as sending bombs to media offices, threats issued by armed groups or physical attacks on the offices of the newspaper on the rise, AMWJU turned to Mobi. As Mobi was the contact man of AMWJU, the banned KCP had contacted him some time back for a meeting between them and the Manipuri media outside the state. Since the matter was sensitive, it was kept a secret and not spelt out to all AMWJU members.

However, as AMWJU had no provision to bear the expenditure involved in the travel of journalists to meet the underground cadres, KCP agreed to foot the Rs 50,000 bill. They said the amount would be delivered to Mobi’s office at 9:30 am on December 29. Accordingly, Mobi waited for them at his office.

Mobi received a call in the morning that the sum of Rs 50, 000 meant for the travel expenditure of the media persons has been dispatched and that he may collect the same from two people in a pedal rickshaw parked outside his office.

However, when Mobi went out of his office to collect the money, the two people outside pulled out guns. He tried to fight them, he thought they were underground cadres. But the two identified themselves as police commandos. At that very moment, Mobi received a call from a KCP pointsman who called to enquire whether he had received the money. The police team forced him to say yes. When AMWJU representatives met him in police custody in the evening, Mobi told them that he had not even seen the amount which the police claimed to have seized from his possession. At the time of his arrest, he only had Rs 2000 in his pocket. That amount was seized along with two mobile phones and the keys of his scooter. AMWJU has refuted all charges levelled against Mobi as nothing but a blatant frame-up. The Rs 50,000 which the police claimed was seized from Mobi, was actually brought by the police commandos, AMWJU says.

To settle the matter, AMWJU representatives wanted to meet chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh in the evening of December 29. They were denied permission but nonetheless submitted a memorandum to the chief minister. It highlighted the fabricated charges levelled against Mobi and demanded his unconditional release. The same copy was also submitted to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, seeking his intervention in the matter. A memorandum went out to the Governor of Manipur Gurbachan Jagat too. A 10-member AMWJU team met with the chief minister on December 30. The CM said that the police had a different take on the matter and assured the delegation of needful action after consultation with the DGP and other top ranking police officers.

However, the words of assurance did not translate into real action. The journalists decided to strike to mark their protest. Rallies and sit-in demonstrations were part of the agitation that continued till January 4. No newspaper was published in the state of Manipur from December 31 to January 5. On January 5, Mobi was freed on bail at around 3.30 pm. Scribes resumed work from that very day.

Even though scribes resumed their duties, they decided on a media boycott of ministers and MLAs of Congress and CPI, partners in the SPF government, and all functions and events they were taking part in. Journalists also would not entertain press releases and statements of these two parties. Additionally, newspapers would not publish police statements including those highlighting their achievements till the demands of AMWJU was met by the government, said AMWJU president Khogendro Khomdram.

Mobi was granted bail in consideration of the fact that Sanaleibak daily might remain out of print if its editor continued to remain under police custody. It would amount to denial of information to the people. The health condition of Mobi was taken into account as well. Mobi was released with a surety bond of Rs 50,000 along with a directive that he should report to the investigative officer every Sunday.

After he was released, Mobi called his arrest a sign of danger for media persons. He said, while in police custody, he was forced to sign papers admitting to the charges levelled against him. Apart from this, he was subjected to harassment. No food was provided to him on his release day. He further added that scribes in the state were working under pressure from both the state government and the underground groups and that the police was doing nothing to protect the journalists. He also said that he would give up journalism if the charges were found to be true.

The Ethno Heritage Council (HERICOUN), the All Communities United Front, Manipur (ACUF), National Federation of Newspaper Employees and other civil society bodies strongly condemned the editor's arrest.

One of the oldest regional political parties, the Manipur People's Party (MPP), has also stood by the editor. Party chief Y.Mangi told TSI that the arrest was an attempt to blot the image of journalists working in the state. “Such conduct of the police has raised suspicion as to whether the state government is trying to gag the media,” he said.

Recalling the instances of underground elements being arrested along with arms from the quarters of ministers and MLAs some years back and the killing of SDO Dr Thingnam Kishan and Imphal Free Press' Rishikanta, Mangi demanded to know what steps the government has taken in these cases.

In the memorandum submitted to the Manipur Governor, AMWJU stated that the media was being targeted by the state police for its role in exposing the alleged fake encounter at BT Road on July 23, 2009, which is under CBI investigation. Several police officers were allegedly involved in the incident. So far four scribes have been gunned down by police and underground groups. There have been countless attempts on their lives, numerous arrests, many instances of harassment. Some journalists survive with bullet holes.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
Kapil Sibal’s voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill

IIPM: What is E-PAT?
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here
IIPM Mumbai Campus

Prakash Kaur, 60, began life as a foundling. Today she is mother to 60-odd abandoned girls in a unique shelter in Jalandhar, Punjab

2011-10-22T11:39:00.000+05:30

The woman behind the home is Prakash Kaur, who was herself left on the streets as a baby 60 years ago. Since 1993, she has dedicated her life to the noble but onerous mission of rescuing unwanted and unclaimed newborn girls and giving them a secure home and future.

Today, Unique Home for Girls has 60-odd residents who call Prakash Kaur mother. “They are my own children,” the lady says. “They are never made to feel like abandoned children.”

As we walk around the home, it is easy to see that her claim is quite well-founded. Even as her ‘family’ expands and her responsibilities grow, Prakash Kaur’s fount of maternal compassion shows no signs of drying up.

She has touched the lives of many who’ve been cruelly shunned by their own. Siya was only a few hours old when she was found in a drain, wrapped in a black polythene bag. Reva was a newborn when her parents decided to dump her near the highway off Kapurthala. Razia and Rabiya were just a few days old when they were discovered in the fields outside Jalandhar.

These girls have all found shelter in Unique Home, where they now enjoy the real family experience that their pitiless parents chose to deprive them of simply because of their gender. The girls who live here range from the age of four days to 19 years.

Unique Home is run by a trust named after Bhai Ghanayya Ji, a disciple of Guru Gobind Singh. The trust aims to raise these children as healthy individuals and arm them with all the social skills and educational qualifications that they need to face life on their own terms. The girls could not have found a better person than Prakash Kaur for the job of providing them with support and succour.

Most of Unique Home’s inmates arrive here as hapless, barely alive foundlings. So they have no recollections of how they are brought here. But those that have grown up in the life-affirming warmth of this home are proud that they belong here.

Under Prakash Kaur’s care and tutelage, these girls are all well adjusted individuals willing and able to take their rightful place in a society that still seems to harbour a strong aversion to children of their gender.

Prakash Kaur is acutely aware of the challenges that lie before her, but she has faith. “Yeh uparwaale ka kaam hai. Jab ussney yeh zimmedaari di hai to himmat bhi wohi dega. Jab aaj tak mujhe koi mushkil nahin aayee to aagey bhi nahin aayegi. Neki key kaam mein kabhi koi rukawat nahin aati,” she says. She is obviously getting on in years but she still retains the strength to make chapatis for all the inmates of the home three times a day and seven days a week.

The first thing that strikes one in Unique Home is a small hatched box near the entrance. It is called the “cradle”. Flip open the hatch and you see a shelf built into the wall. When a rescued child is placed on the shelf, it sets off an alarm that tells the staff that they have a new girl to take care of. When it comes to christening the new arrivals, names are drawn from all the religions of India. So at Unique Home, girls have Hindu, Muslim and Christian and Sikh names and faith has no restrictions.

Although we visited Unique Home without any prior notice, Prakash Kaur ensured that we were made to feel at home. Not surprising at all coming from a lady who has dedicated her life to dispelling a bit of the darkness that engulfs Punjab, indeed all of India. The girls brought to Unique Home grow up with a sense of belonging. This is the only home they know.

For a home that houses 60-odd girls, the place looks a bit too small. The rather cramped space has limited amenities for the girls, including three small rooms that serve as bedroom, dining area and playroom, in addition to a small kitchen and an office for visitors.

The room that is meant for infants has three big cradles. Each has four to five babies sleeping in them. Unique Home has now acquired a new site and expansion plans are in place.

But living space is the least of the home’s problems for the hearts here are big. This is like a huge family where the older girls take care of the younger ones. We are told by the founder that the girls go to good English medium schools like Saint Mary’s in Mussoorie. A few have since been married into suitable homes. But Prakash Kaur’s responsibility does not end there.

She continues to keep a watch over the girls even after they are married. She fights for their rights if the in-laws prove to be difficult. Take the case of former Unique Home inmate Alka. When her husband died prematurely, her in-laws grabbed all her property and threw her out of the house. Prakash Kaur intervened and fought tooth and nail. She eventually managed to secure for Alka her rightful share in the family property.

So far Prakash Kaur has organised the marriages of 17 of the Unique Home inmates. While a few of these girls graduated from college before they got married, the remaining tied the knot after passing out of high school. However, several of the older girls here have decided not to marry and instead dedicate themselves, like Prakash Kaur, to the service of Unique Home.

April 24 is a very special day at Unique Home. It is the day when the children here collectively celebrate their birthday. A huge 100-kg cake is cut and the day is marked by much merriment. That apart, once every year, during the summer holidays, the inmates of Unique Home go on a trip to Darjeeling.

On our visit to the home, we ate lunch with the children. The food was simple but delicious: rice, chapatis and aloo gobhi. Prakash Kaur made fresh chapatis for all the 60 children.

“We don’t want to give our kids up for adoption. People come to us but we refuse,” says Prakash Kaur. Although she did not give us any specific details, she told us that she knows of many cases in which adopted girls have been ill treated.

Prakash Kaur herself has no idea who her parents were. She was found abandoned and grew up in a Nari Niketan. She describes the work she does today as “the lord’s work”.

Asked if she ever faced any mistreatment in the Nari Niketan where she grew up, she smiles and says: “I will never allow my daughters to work as maids anywhere.”

The most essential part of this home is that the children are aware of the fact that their real parents have abandoned them because they are obsessed with boys. But this poisonous truth has only strengthened their resolve to prove themselves. Sheeba, who studies in a convent school in Mussoorie, wants to be a successful neurosurgeon.

“I want my real mother to know that the daughter she threw out of her life is well established. I want to be very famous. I want to prove to her that girls are not a burden,” she says. Sheeba has always stood first in her class with A-plus grades. She is determined to make it to a good medical college.

Lucy is 19 years old. She wants to be a professor of English. “I believe that education is the only way forward in this society which discriminates against girl children,” she says.

Punjab has one of India’s most skewed sex ratios. The percentage of women in the state’s population keeps dipping every year. A growing shortage of marriageable girls has forced men here to find partners in different cultures and states.

“When French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his wife Carla Bruni came to India, they prayed for a boy. I was shocked. I used to think that Westerners treat both genders equally. He could have asked for a girl. It would have sent out a message to the people of India. It’s rather sad,” says Prakash Kaur. The French first couple prayed for a son at the Fatehpur Sikri dargah of Sufi saint Salim Chishti.

Female foeticide is on the rise, especially among the educated class and in higher strata of society. It has assumed alarming proportions. According to NGOs working with issues related to women, every year, 10 lakh cases of female foeticide take place in the country with the help of gender determination tests. The death of young girls in India exceed those of young boys by over 300,000 each year and every 6th infant death is specifically due to gender discrimination.

According to Anjalee Shenoy of Sama Resource Centre for Women and Health, new techniques like PGD (pre-implant genetic diagnosis), a method that involves producing embryos through IVF, cannot just help you decide the gender of the child but the colour of skin and hair. And there is no effective law in place right now to stop this practice. “This falls under the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994, but it is going undetected,” says Shenoy.

But there is hope yet. If only Prakash Kaur’s selfless spirit would rub off on society at large.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
Kapil Sibal’s voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill
IIPM: What is E-PAT?

"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here
IIPM Mumbai Campus

Salman Taseer, the late Governor of Pakistan's Punjab

2011-10-19T11:34:00.001+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

On his Twitter page hours before his assassination, Salman Taseer, the late Governor of Pakistan's Punjab, wrote:

Mera azm itna bulund hai, Mujhe paraye sholon se dar nahin. Mujhe khauf atish e gul se hai, Yeh kahin chaman ko jala na dein//

An outspoken critic of Pakistan's blasphemy laws, most people with humanity and sanity in the country say, is often set upon by extremists and commoners in equal measure to settle personal scores. Salman Taseer infuriated the right-wingers after he called the laws “a slur on the constitution.”

The barefaced broad daylight shooting took place at the Kohsar Shopping Centre in Islamabad’s posh F6 Sector, minutes from where Taseer had a home in the capital city. The culprit, his bodyguard, emptied two full magazines of LMG from a very close range.

Qadri, the bodyguard, told investigators that he had planned the assassination after Taseer sided with Aasia Bibi, a Christian woman on death row for blasphemy, and spoke against the blasphemy laws. Recently, Taseer visited Aasia Bibi in prison in a campaign for her release. He wrote on his Twitter page just last Friday: “I was under huge pressure sure 2 cow down b4 rightist pressure on blasphemy. Refused. Even if I’m the last man standing.”

It will be a shame for Jinnah's Pakistan if he turns out to be really the last man standing.

Taseer, a liberal and magnetic politician, was one of the most moderate voices in the ruling PPP. A natty dresser with jet black hair, Taseer was a pleasant sight to see. He was a thorough up-to-date politician and was very active and prolific user of Twitter as a medium for his courageous views.

I still remember my meeting with Taseer at the Governor's house in Lahore just a year back, along with a few other Indian journalists. He was bang on time to meet us. Draped in a spotless white salwar-kameez and a black galaband, he smelt of 'Davidoff Cool Water' from a distance. With his prominent Indo-Nordic features and a clean-shaven face, he could have made any women-of-taste weak in her knees.

Journalists of '70s and '80s still remember how Taseer wooed Indian scribe Tavleen Singh while the former was touring India to promote his biography of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Their marriage didn't last long and left much bitterness, but journos still remember how he swept hard-nut Tavleen off her feet.

I remember his secretary, a dashing Pakistani beauty in the most modern but dignified of dresses, asking us to choose one journalist among us to represent us. The Hindu's Sandeep Dikshit was unanimously chosen to represent us. Dikshit, an extremely well-read and level-minded journalist, was also dressed to the occasion in his white kurta-pyjama. We wanted to put our best in front of our Pakistani host. While Dikshit took the glory, rest of us, me, NDTV's Umashankar Singh and Kashmir Times' Iftikhar Gilani, busied ourselves in admiring the décor of the Governor's house. The jury is still out if that décor included the devastatingly beautiful secretary or not.

But when he entered the hall all of us were spellbound by his personality. Sorry, Sandeep Dikshit, he beat you hands down in the appearance department.

After firm handshakes and bear-hugs we started talking. He had very liberal views on most issues and was a great supporter of the normalisation of relations with India. We cracked some jokes and my my, what an infectious laugh he had. Umashankar Singh wanted a one-on-one interview with him. He was in a tearing hurry, but agreed. While we fumbled with cables, lights and mikes, he waited patiently. In the entire meeting the only whiff of irritation that flashed on his face was when NewsX's Vishal Thapar kept addressing him as “Salman Basheer”. “It's Taseer,” he had hissed.

When he was about to leave he replaced his Gucci reading glasses with the Police Sunglasses. Taseer was a man of taste. I still remember mentioning our meeting to Talat Hussain, Pakistan's most famous TV journalist and anchor. The first question he asked jokingly was, “Did Taseer dazzle you with his sunglasses?” Taseer was a flamboyant man and people loved and hated him for this in equal measure.

Salman Taseer was the son of Muhammad Din Taseer, popularly known as MD Taseer, who was the first Ph.D degree holder in the subcontinent. He got his Ph.D in English Literature from Cambridge University. His thesis was a critical and analytical study of five hundred years of English literature. But what most people don't know is that MD Taseer, as a education inspector in Kashmir, was instrumental in the formation of Sheikh Abdullah's Muslim Conference. He assisted Abdullah in resisting the Dogra rule in the valley. But MD Taseer was also a first rank Urdu poet, a distinguished essayist and a respected English literature critic of his time. But he died with humble belongings.

Salman was a self-made businessman. He began his business career by successfully setting up two chartered accountancy consultancy firms KPMG, United Arab Emirates and Taseer Hadi Khalid and Co, Pakistan. Under him, his group grew remarkably. Taseer also owned the Daily Times newspaper, Business Plus TV channel, Pace shopping malls and the Hyatt hotel range in Pakistan.

But he was never a politically correct politician. He had a long history of struggle against Zia’s dictatorship. After pulling out of politics for years, he returned as the PPP’s voice of reason. He was an avid supporter of the Ahmadi community, which has been persecuted for long in Pakistan and India. His political enmity with the Sharif brothers in Punjab put him in an uncomfortable position as a Governor. But he never let anything affect him.

The Sharifs, on their part, used unfair and untenable ways to discredit him. More often than not, the Sharifs targetted his flamboyant personality, and his and his kin's munificent and reasonably sybaritic—read ‘un-Islamic’— modus vivendi. Photographs of his family enjoying in the privacy of their home were placed under media scrutiny. But Taseer had the old world grace not to get affected by such below-the-belt antics.

While it gives heart that liberal and moderate elements in Pakistan have so strongly reacted to this despicable act of cowardice, it's painful to see the right-wing celebrating his death. I can only remember this line from Punjabi.

Dushman mare te khushi na kariye, sajna vi mar jaana

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
Kapil Sibal’s voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill
IIPM: What is E-PAT?
"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here

Many districts in Tamil Nadu show a skewed sex ratio

2011-10-16T11:27:00.000+05:30

IIPM: What is E-PAT?

Tamil Nadu female foeticide: Male over female

Secondary sex ratio (also called sex ratio at birth) in Tamil Nadu is declining at an alarming pace, reveals recent data. While the standard sex ratio at birth should be 952 females per 1000 males, it is 939:1000 in some rural parts of Tamil Nadu.

While various socio-economic factors can be attributed to this decline in the secondary sex ratio, activists point out that advancement in technology has facilitated this decline. It is very easy now to determine the sex of the foetus through ultrasonography. The mushrooming scan centres in the state bear testimony to the fact that the business is flourishing. Jeeva, a member of the core committee of the Campaign Against Sex Selective Abortion (CASSA) points out while talking to TSI that there are 3560 pre-natal scan centres in Tamil Nadu, and though they all claim that they do not reveal the sex of the foetus to anybody, the declining sex ratio at birth tells another story.

“There are 1530 primary health centres (PHC) in Tamil Nadu run by the government. According to the data available in 2008, at 689 PHCs the sex ratio is below normal,” adds Jeeva. Besides, as many as 434 primary health centres recorded a shocking sex ratio at birth below 900 female children per 1000 males.

“Earlier it was female infanticide. The districts of Madurai, Theni, Salem and Dharmapuri were particularly notorious for this. But now with the advent of scan centres it has transformed into female foeticide. This practice is prevalent in other districts also. This inhuman trend is being noted in about a dozen districts in Tamil Nadu,” says Balasundari, state convenor, CASSA.

The preference for male children over female has resulted in skewed sex ratio. Although determination of sex before birth through pre-natal diagnostic techniques is illegal, not many diagnostic centres abide by the rules it seems. Nevertheless, there are monitoring authorities at various levels.

“I feel the government should be more assertive and strict when monitoring the scan centres,” says Kavitha Ganesh, editor of the magazine Penne nee, adding, “The menace of dowry in society is still haunting the female child. It affects her even when she is in the womb of her mother. On the other hand I see that more girl students are being sent to schools and colleges, which is a positive trend. More awareness should be created in the society about the opportunities created for girls.”

S.P. Sarguna Pandian, chairperson of the state women commission, stresses the need of the society to be aware of the value of a female child. “When we kill a female child, whether in the womb or outside, we kill a mother who can give birth to many boys. Those who run scan centres should take a pledge that they would never disclose the sex of the child,” she says while talking to TSI.

She also highlights the steps the state government is taking to discourage people from killing girls in the womb. “Now Tamil Nadu government gives more economic help to girls from their education to marriage. Besides, it has brought law to make female children to be the legal heir of the family,” informs Pandian.

The statistics show a healthy sex ratio among the educated sections. So probably the answer to the problem lies in education and awareness.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
Kapil Sibal’s voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill

"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here
IIPM Mumbai Campus

Former Andhra CM suddenly talks of farmer welfare

2011-10-16T10:29:00.000+05:30

IIPM: What is E-PAT?

Andhra pradesh politics: Naidu's changed tone

When Nara Chandrababu Naidu sat on an indefinite fast for the sake of forlorn farmers of the calamity-hit coastal Andhra, taking the public amnesia for granted, the farmers were happy to see a changed Naidu. The former CM's eight-day hunger strike is nonetheless a medical miracle as he is a severe diabetic.

“How could anyone believe that Naidu’s indefinite fast was meant for welfare of farmers,” housing minister Kanna Laxminarayana wondered while talking to The Sunday Indian, taking a dig on Naidu's allegedly anti-farmer policies. “Naidu’s much hyped Vision 2020 programme did not have any significant provision to rehabilitate the farmers,” says PCC Kisan cell chairman, Kodanda Reddy.

Naidu received flak from all quarters for neglecting farmers and labourers during his tenure. Farmers were asked not to produce more rice as the state had no place to stock it. They were encouraged to shift to commercial crops such as tobacco, cotton, chillies and castor seed. This forced shift led to more suicides as the ill-equipped small farmers were no match for the big players ruling the market. The commercial crops required huge investments which the small farmers could not make.

Naidu became more unpopular among the farmers and labourers when his government refused to sanction ex-gratia to the bereaved families arguing that it would induce farmers into a suicide spree. Owing to his lopsided views on agriculture, he paid heavy price during the 2004 general elections.

Now, Naidu, who paid little attention to agriculture and irrigation facilities and turned a deaf ear to the plight of farmers when they were struck by, is ironically projecting himself as a messiah of farmers. “I feel the criticism on our leader’s views about agriculture is biased and unilateral. Even if that criticism on his past actions was valid, will it take away his right to voice for the welfare of farmers now? Don’t you allow any revision and re-examining of thoughts and views?” Nannapaneni Raja Kumari, a Telugu Desam MLC told TSI when contacted.

According to the senior political analyst, B.C. Sekhar, Naidu is not a changed soul. “His consistent objective is to promote the commercial interests of the agribusiness companies, foreign financial institutes, international bankers and the IT hardware units. When there has been a drastic change in the world scenario and when agriculture has again come into the centre stage, Naidu has tuned himself accordingly,” says Sekhar. According to him, Naidu developed sudden affection for agriculture when World Development Report 2008 called for greater investment in agriculture in developing countries. Thus, Naidu consistently dances to obvious tunes, this time around it's in the name of farmers!

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
Kapil Sibal’s voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill

"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here
IIPM Mumbai Campus

MLAs' demand for pay and perks hike faces legal hurdles

2011-10-13T11:24:00.000+05:30

IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri

Orissa: legislators' salary

“Our salary is less than that of a class-IV employee of the state government,” said Pratap Sarangi, an independent member of Orissa Legislative Assembly, during a discussion on the hike of salary and allowances of the lawmakers. Sarangi was not a lone voice. Ruling Biju Janata Dal's Pradip Maharathy and Congress’s Santosh Singh Saluja also expressed similar views on the floor of the house. Cutting across the party lines, a majority of the legislators demanded a pay hike for themselves. An Orissa MLA at present takes home Rs 21,725 per month with the salary band at Rs 5,000.

Leader of BJP legislative party K.B. Singhdeo says, “Our counterparts in other states are getting much more than what we get. The amount given as constituency allowance, too, is very nominal. How could an MLA manage his public life with such a meagre amount?”
Subrat Tarai, a BJD MLA, expresses similar views. “Apart from their personal needs, a public representative has to meet public expectations too in day to day life. Poor people from our constituency frequently visit us for financial help for school admission fees of their children or treatment of any person or donations for social and religious functions. It is difficult for us to meet those demands with this pay,” he says.

A cabinet committee comprising of ministers for finance, law and parliamentary affairs was formed to look into the issue which has recommended to hike MLAs salary to Rs 90,000 per month. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had also given his nod to the recommendation, and had instructed the finance department to give final shape to the proposal, but a legal hurdle has come in its way. A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed by lawyer activist Nishikant Mishra in the Orissa High Court against the proposed salary hike. Making all the major parties a respondent, the petitioner has pleaded that the proposed hike is against public interest and will have cascading effects on the state's fragile economy.

Prasad Harichandan, chief whip of Congress legislative party, holds a different view. “Since the MLAs are lawmakers, they should not be given a free hand to increase their salary by passing a bill themselves. An independent commission consisting of non-political persons and intellectuals should be formed to review our demand. This, I think, will be a transparent process,” he suggests.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
Kapil Sibal’s voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill

IIPM: What is E-PAT?
"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here
IIPM Mumbai Campus

The evil of violence extends beyond determining who gets to enjoy power, it destroys a society

2011-10-10T16:15:00.000+05:30

IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS

The sporadic but widespread bloodshed in West Bengal today is causing genuine worries among commoners as most of the victims or casualties are youths, bubbling with energy and potential but nipped in the bud by a ruthlessly violent political machine. They are being killed in the villages and towns, on the top of the hills or in the middle of the jungles, inside colleges and immediate neighbourhoods. People play the role of onlookers as if the young people – killed or injured – do not belong to the society.

The malaise is deeper than the episodes where social conscience is in a semi-comatose state. The society is in grave jeopardy. The disease of inequality, corruption and misuse of power is ruling the roost. Both state and non-state actors have used violence like it will bring magic solution to all problems. The somewhat normal life and livelihood of people in the villages, whose lives have been caught up in this conflict, have been shattered.

The loss to the society has two dimensions that interpenetrate each other in terms of tragedy. Certainly, those who were killed for no fault of themselves cause a loss to the micro-society they lived in. But the damage is more penetrating for the youths that were not killed but related to the dead souls. The differential social impact on the extinguished and the combusting ones makes its unstable presence felt here. One pathos pierce another, along with avoidable escalation of mutual hatred that hampers the social texture of normal times. It’s not that just the academic milieu gets vitiated; the we-feeling among the youths is seriously fractured.

These acts of bloodsheds, in the guise of intra-party and inter-party rivalry or by any other name, are not natural as such violent episodes are aberrations in normal societal life. Lost are social assets in most of these deaths. Political parties are trying to cash in on these killings. The more the number of deaths, the more buoyant get their political and material benefits, albeit in the short term.

When those youths were alive, political leaders and the parties never knew them. After their deaths, political parties politicise the funerals of the victims, organise processions with dead bodies and make them martyrs in their political interests. Even if they do not openly preach and teach violence, they are not shy of reaping the profits of violence. In fact, all political parties have ‘blood on their hands’ today. They not only reap the harvest of deaths but instigate and pitch in their part. It is the political leaders who create malice among members of Gen-Next and make them kill one another.

They are engrossed in shameless ‘parliamentary cretinism’, seldom caring for the society of electorates or the well-being of the youths in general. These people did not matter so much when they were living than what their blood-stained bodies are worth. The society is at dangerous crossroads though the political class has already crossed it. The wounds are inflicted on the whole society and the entire society bleeds. And for that, we the elders, the parents, the common people – who are sometimes afraid to raise their voices in fear of state reprisal – want this to be stopped. We demand that all the political parties give patient hearings to what we have to say.

Use of violence as a means of grabbing power is not just true for West Bengal. It’s a global phenomenon. Violence is made into a culture. Now a large part of the world is looking back at the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, who never compromised with violence even at the cost of the country’s freedom. He once said, “I cannot teach you violence as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow your heads before any one, even at the cost of your life.”

Political consciousness today is a vague and misleading concept as the democratic polity is injured and social commitment is tragically scarce. Gopalkrishna Gandhi, the conscientious ex-Governor of West Bengal, stated very aptly: “Violence is crime’s signature. And that signature, in its many twists and loops, grows. And it often becomes oblique.” Violence is a hindrance to democratic life and normal social growth. It is time to disapprove of violence in every form. Violence is introduced by the state, we have learnt that from history and are witnessing the same in our daily lives. Anything that throttles the freedom of life – not just freedom of expression, association or the Press – is to be opposed. But that protest should have no room for violence but should be conducted in a benign and communicative way.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
Kapil Sibal’s voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill

IIPM: What is E-PAT?
"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.
'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here
IIPM Mumbai Campus

Karnataka heritage vs livelihood: Anxiety in Coffee Land

2011-08-29T13:54:00.000+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Will the Western ghats find a place in World Heritage list?

The Karnataka government and several environmentalists might have long been striving to get a World Heritage Site tag for some ecological hotspots in the Western Ghats, but the coffee planters and some local politicians are against the move. The tug-of war has been on since 2003 when the environmentalists urged the state government to approach the UNESCO to get the World Heritage Site tag for Pushpagiri, Talacauvery and Brahmagiri forests. Recently when a two-member UNESCO team visited Coorg for the final study of the proposed areas, the planters staged demonstrations in protest. The reason behind the resentment is said to be the notion that the heritage tag would eventually snatch their means of livelihood. The operational guidelines for the implementation of World Heritage Convention deem human use of some properties inappropriate. The local people, especially in the planters, fear that it could mean the snatching away of thousands of acres of coffee plantations from them.

The central government too in 2003 submitted a proposal to UNESCO requesting for the heritage tag for nine regions in Karnataka including 39 hotspots in the Western Ghats. The UNESCO subsequently constituted a team for studying the proposed areas that visited the areas several times and the recent one was the last round of the procedure. The previous visits did not face any protest as they were kept secret.

However, a section of people thinks that the World Heritage site tag would not harm the interests of the locals. K.M. Chinnappa, a retired forest ranger tells TSI, “The timber mafia is behind these protests as the heritage tag would force the government to protect the forest and it would affect their illegal timber business.” He added, “Rather, the World Heritage tag would help protect our rich ecology.”

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
Kapil Sibal's voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill
IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on For Salman Khurshid, it is a big challenge ahead; and I personally look forward to a revolutionary couple of years ahead!

IIPM Adds Another Feather to Its Cap: This Time Gets the Best Business School of Asia Award
Item Numbers Are The New Mantras of Bollywood

Noida CEO rules out hike in land compensation
IIPM, GURGAON
Rajita Chaudhuri on ‘The Magic of Number 3 in Marketing’
Noida Extn dreams breaks as court scraps new acquisition
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...

The govt. fails to provide reliable modes of transport

2011-08-26T10:52:00.000+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

West bengal transport : Waiting for more tragedies?

The boat capsize on Muriganga near Kakdwip a few weeks back that left about 83 people dead and about 70 missing, has once again brought forth the state government's failure to provide dependable means of transport in the Sundarban and the adjoining areas. The mechanised country boat was ferrying nearly 300 people from Hijli at East Medinipur to Kakdwip when it sank. Ministers and politicians, including Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Union Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, made a beeline to meet the bereaved families, but did not promise to nail the guilty of the crime of such magnitude. It is largely the state administration's negligence and apathy that led to this accident.

Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity (PBKMS), a non-partisan organisation of agricultural workers, has done a quick survey on transport facilities in 10 blocks of South 24 Parganas — Mathurapur I and II, Canning II, Gosaba, Mandirbazar, Kulpi, Kakdwip, Namkhana, Sagar, Pathar Pratima and Kultali. According to its report, (that was also sent to the Divisional Commissioner of the Presidency range, who is spearheading the enquiry commission), there is only 42 km. railway line and about 300 km. pucca road network for 4500 sq. km. of inhabited areas in Sundarban. The principal mode of travelling to the 37 islands is motorised country boats. Another option is small wooden boats called dinga. The state river transport exists only at Canning and Sagar. (See the table).

In the absence of permanent jetties at most of the stoppages and terminals, passengers are forced to wade through knee-deep water in the crocodile infested rivers to board the boats. The district administration has no system in place to monitor the licenses and transport safety norms for the boats. In the absence of strict norms, the boat owners almost always overload the boats, sometimes upto double the capacity of the boat.

Ditto for the buses. The state run buses ply only on long distance routes. Mijanur Rehman, the general secretary of the PBKMS, told TSI, “Overcrowding, carrying of passengers on the roof and overloading of goods are the common practises with bus operators. It makes travelling dangerous.” Most of the local buses are too old to run even on metalled roads. But they carry passengers on kachcha roads and are often overcrowded. No transport is usually available at night. Interestingly, even the police face shortage of boats, river-ambulances and mobile vans to guard the area or provide emergency services to the people. This has given a free hand to the criminals and the Bangladeshi smugglers and pirates.

A Kerala architect finds an admirer in Rahul Gandhi

2011-08-23T11:50:00.001+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Kerala Personality :From mud to cloud nine

Gopal Sankar, the internationally acclaimed architect, relaxing after a hard day's work could not believe his ears when the person at the other end of the telephone said that he was Rahul Gandhi. It took some time for the fact to sink in that it was nobody else other than the scion of the Gandhi family, Rahul Gandhi. And Sankar was more surprised when Rahul said that he wanted the architect’s help in designing a handicrafts centre— a Rajiv Gandhi Foundation project— for training women. That was music to Shankar’s ears, for his heart was always there where his creative urge could work in tandem with his philanthropic quest. This was two years ago. Today Rahul’s dream has flowered into an architectural beauty at Mushir Ganj in Amethi. Sankar is no run-of-the-mill architect, but more a poet creating marvels out of his pet medium, mud. His creations in mud have won him international accolades. Rahul Gandhi chanced upon these marvels during one of his whirlwind tours through the villages of Orissa. Struck by the sheer simplicity and the elegance of these constructions, Rahul decided that Amethi, his parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh, should also have some of these wonderful creations.

Sankar decided to do it in a different way. He incorporated hues of Kerala's traditional architecture in his creations for Amethi. The result is a simple yet beautiful cosy building that radiates an aura of 'good old days'. The building constructed with mud has for its roof traditional tiles commonly used in Kerala. A fascinating feature of this construction is its ability to shield the occupants from the vagaries of extreme climate. The houses made of mud are warm in winter and cooler in summer.

Sankar’s tryst with Amethi is not yet over. He will soon be back, for Rahul Gandhi has simply fell in love with his creations.

India expensive healthcare: The cost of life

2011-08-20T11:36:00.000+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Expensive healthcare will drive more people into poverty

Expensive healthcare is a common problem, be it a developed or a developing nation. And India is certainly not an exception. The National Health Policy formed in 1983 during Indira Gandhi’s regime had committed to make health services available to all by 2000. But a successful healthcare system remains a distant dream even in 2010. This not only shows how poor India is when it comes to implementing policies, but also proves that India lacks commitments towards such issues. Ironically, our nation's failure in healthcare is becoming a costly affair for India's poor.

The World Health Organisation in a recent report revealed that “over 100 million people worldwide are plunged into poverty every year by illness or expensive medical bills.” With poor public healthcare system in 33 low or middle income nations, individuals pay 50 per cent of their total healthcare expenditure from their own income. However, it is the worst in India where individuals pay 75 per cent of the health spending from their own pockets. The rise in expenditure is creating more problems for the poor. As per a Planning Commission paper, the rising healthcare expense is a major reason behind driving people into poverty. As per the latest available data, around 39 million people plunged into poverty due to out-of-pocket payments for the expensive health care in 2004-05. Moreover, 20-40 per cent of money is spent on expensive but unnecessary drugs, hospital-related inefficiency and poor use of skilled professionals’ time.

Solutions? There is enough scope to increase public expenditure. Budget outlay for health care in the Union Budget 2010-11 has increased to $4.82 billion. UPA-1 promised to increase the public health spending up to 3 per cent of the GDP under the Common Minimum Programme. It remained abysmally low with 0.9 per cent compared to America’s 15.3 per cent. Not much has been achieved on this front. WHO ranked India 171 out of 175 in terms of public health spending in 2007-08. Moreover, the annual per capita health spending is as low as Rs.320 which is nothing compared to $7,290 of US, followed by Canada with $3,895; France $3,601; UK $2,992; Japan $2,581. The insurance industry is growing in double digits at 20 per cent but the proportion of people insured is very low. Though private hospitals and drug patents are increasing, a stable and easily accessible healthcare system is impossible unless the public sector comes forward more boldly! Isn't it simple enough for the government to see?

The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.

2011-08-17T11:47:00.000+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Life: The great indian trivial pursuit

It may have killed the proverbial cat, but curiosity fuels the life of many a quizzer and trivia buff. Tareque Laskar explores the great democratisation of quizzing in India

In the climax of “Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of The Crystal Skull”, when Irina Spalko, the Soviet agent, finally grabs hold of the Crystal Skull with the help of Indiana Jones, she demands to ‘know everything’. As the crystal starts transferring knowledge into Irina, it becomes too much to take for Co. Spalko who spontaneously combusts.

Knowledge can be an overwhelming experience, but somehow even the most intellectually disinclined among us never stop pursuing it. Nowhere is it more evident than the simple act of quizzing – of coming up with an answer to a question, whether on a game show playing for millions or in an informal parlour game playing for pride. Answering a question is a strange kind of rush, experienced by seasoned quizzers and amateurs alike. And lately, it would seem that India is being swept by a quizzing revolution and the sport (yes, it is a mindsport) has gone mainstream in a big way. No longer is being a quiz master just a hobby; it is a career, no longer is quizzing the lone bastion of the nerds; it’s a game everyone can play.

But just how did this revolution happen? Giri Balasubramium, CEO of Greycaps, a quizzing company, and a popular quizmaster nationwide told TSI, “Quizzing has changed completely in the last two decades especially because the world we live in is a different one today. For starters, information is today available to all at the click of a mouse, hence quizzing has moved on from recall of facts to application of knowledge.” The old school quizzers may have played mostly for bragging rights, but now the medium, says Giri, is “an alternative platform for learning in schools and colleges and a high stakes event on TV.”

Most pre-liberalisation Indians perhaps remember quizzing from the days of a certain Siddhartha Basu hosting ‘Quiz Time’ on DD. And most post liberalisation ones would have had the ‘Bournvita Quiz Contest’ hosted by Derek O’Brien as a fixture on their Sunday viewing list. Arun Varma, an ex Google employee and an ardent quizzer who currently is trying to make quizzing more accessible to a larger audience through his venture ‘Brandgyan’ puts things into perspective, “Quizzing was unfortunately seen as a niche exclusive interest of a select intellectually elite during the times of 'Quiz Time' in the late eighties.” But things changed dramatically as the likes of O’Brien took on the mantle. Says Varma, “I personally credit Derek O Brien as a change maker who with his charismatic, youthful persona and creative content changed perceptions of quizzing. His shows like 'Bournvita Quiz Contest', played a humongous role in the gradual change. This change got reflected at the grass root level at colleges, B-Schools, corporates and quizzing moved out of the confines of quizzing clubs.”

The phenomenon of the everyday quizzer came to a head with the advent of “Kaun Banega Crorepati” the Indianized version of “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire” hosted by Amitabh Bachchan. In one fell swoop, a simple game of questions and answers revived the flagging fortunes of a megastar and a TV channel. And the mastermind behind it was a man who had hosted the Indian version of BBC’s iconic ‘Mastermind’, Siddartha Basu. When asked by TSI what led him to institutionalise a hobby through the landmark TV show, Basu explains (see full interview on page), “In mainstream education, I'd resisted the whole Q&A format as school textbooks for more than 20 years, because I couldn't countenance burdening kids with a whole lot of additional facts to get by rote, till we developed a set of imaginative general knowledge workbooks with Encyclopedia Britannica, which took over a year in the making.”

The imagination and the creativity in the formats and the media in which it is being delivered makes quizzing a powerful medium today. On one end of the spectrum are the shows that appeal to purists (like ‘Mastermind’) while on the other, there are formats of what Varma calls ‘junta quizzing’ (like KBC). This great democratisation of knowledge is a culmination of three big social shifts – the rising importance of education, the ubiquity of technology and the ease of access to information. Rahat Taslim, the first crorepati in the current season of KBC, would have remained an obscure name but her stupendous feat now becomes a beacon for those who seek redemption in life through knowledge.
Says Giri, “Fundamentally mankind draws a lot of satisfaction and experiences a feel good factor while being in a position where "you know something that the others don’t" - this coupled with the innate curiosity in a human to know more things beyond his life (from quizzing pros to gossip mongers) creates a fascinating setting to see 'who knows how much'. It automatically forms a great mind sport bringing knowledge, suspense and entertainment value together within a time frame.”

We all are here seeking answers, whether to the big questions like philosophers or to smaller ones. And perhaps every answer that we get to know or every question at a quiz we get to answer takes us symbolically closer to some kind of enlightenment. That path to enlightenment being lit by the spotlights of entertainment makes it an irresistible one. Perhaps that is why everyone sympathised and identified with Jamal’s journey in Danny Boyle’s “Slumdog Millionaire”. As Giri so aptly puts it, “The key change is quizzing has come a long way from what you ask to how you ask it.”

Policy birth control: Even in God's own land...

2011-08-14T12:46:00.000+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

...Birth control is imperative for sustainable development

Birth control measures and religious beliefs are often in contradiction as most of the religious scriptures edify against taking such measures. It is exemplified in the Vatican City’s repeated pronouncements against birth control, which are not followed by the majority of population even in the Christianity dominated countries! Way back in 1968, when Pope Paul VI denounced the use of all forms of contraceptives – as apparently being against the will of God – it caused wide spread protests and defiance from the Christians all over the world, especially from the West. But the rise of birth control policy measures in the 21st century cannot be undermined; as the population worldwide is bursting at the seam and is expected to touch 10.7 billion by 2050, from 6 billion today! It will probably result in an environmental disaster, apart from almost 5 billion more mouths to feed! According to a World Bank report, non usage of contraceptives has resulted in 51 million unplanned pregnancies every year in developing countries. The solution to the problem of birth control (in 35 countries, mostly in sub-Saharan Africa, according to World Bank report, the fertility rate is more than 5 children per mother) is an integrated approach where, apart from contraceptives, better education, knowledge, healthcare and nutrition are needed to stabilise the population growth. It will also reduce maternal mortality and newborn mortality. Abortion is another means of birth control – but it has been found out that 24 million of 42 million abortions that take place annually are dangerous operations resulting in 68,000 fatalities every year along with 5.3 million disabilities.
In spite of religious pressures, some countries set a fine example of birth control policy. In Indonesia, (despite being a Muslim dominated country) the population stabilisation program has been successful as the government and the religious leaders worked in tandem for national interest. The Ulama passed a resolution in October 1983 approving birth control; even interpreted that their religious scripture endorses it too because all of us have the right to be hale and hearty, able and religious. Iran is another example where family planning has been successful! After realising that the population was rising exponentially at 40 per cent per decade, the authorities of Iran initiated birth control measures like use of condoms, pills; and later, sterilisation as well. Indeed, it is one of the most successful nations in terms of population control in the world! The other success stories are Bangladesh, Turkey and Egypt. Although China too has been able to successfully curb high population growth but their one child policy and advocacy of delayed marriage are riddled with increased female infanticide!

Another example is Philippines, for instance, where – with a population growth of 2.4 per cent – populations is likely to double it in the next 30 years! But when the government brought in its birth control program, it infuriated the Church. All in all, the virtues of contraceptives are many; and most relevant in today’s circumstances. That is why perhaps Vatican has gone soft on it, as Pope Benedict XVI stated recently, that in certain circumstances the usage has got merit. Or perhaps, national interest has finally got priority over religious commitments!

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: Family is very precious to me

2011-08-11T10:24:00.001+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan speaks about her plans of taking time off, in a candid conversation with Subhash K Jha

What are your plans for the coming year?
I don’t think too far ahead. Every time I plan I end up not implementing it. When I did "Devdas" in 2002, I had promised myself I’d work in a more phased manner. I am still to live up to that promise. If you remember, when I married in the middle of my career, I took time off for my family. I had technically kept three months off. It turned out to be six months of no movies. Lately I’ve just been travelling and shooting. Now I’m taking time off from the end of November to be with my sister-in-law who is expecting a baby. We’re all very excited.

Why have you not signed any more films?
I’ve kept December off to be with the family. Not that I’ll be holidaying. I’ll be there with family and dealing with work other than shooting movies. Ours is a busy family. And we try to be there for every family event. When it’s Diwali and Karva Chauth, I don’t just arrive as a guest. So all in all it’s a very full schedule. Family is very precious to me. I embrace my work commitments and make space for my family. I’ve a super-hectic schedule and a super family. You had four releases in 2010.

All my four releases this year have been very challenging in terms of schedules and diversity. People say I played a huge hand in "Robot". When even Rajinikanth sir says that himself, what can I say? What could be more rewarding than a compliment like this from an icon like Rajni sir?

How do you explain the fact that in public you and Abhishek look like a couple that’s recently fallen in love even after so many years of togetherness?
It comes naturally to us. We’re very real as individuals. At the same time we make sure we maintain our decorum in public. There’s no formula for our togetherness.

Any regrets that your films with Abhishek, besides "Guru," have not worked? I’ve enjoyed every film that we’ve done together. Even "Raavan" we’ll cherish in times to come. "Sarkar Raj" too worked at the box-office. We don’t choose conventional subjects together. I guess there’s a whole lot of expectation riding on a film when we’re in it. We didn’t do films to broadcast our real relationship.

After the "Raavan" debacle do you feel vindicated when people say they like your performance in "Guzaarish"? I got the same kind of reactions for "Raavan" and "Guzaarish". The amount of SMSes I received was gratifying, especially since "Raavan" did not get the acceptance that the team had aspired to. Either people got "Raavan" or they did not. Mani Ratnam was very confused by the contradictory reactions. He isn’t the kind of artiste to get swayed by either criticism or praise. I’d always love to work with Mani. It’s such a pleasure working with creative masters like Mani Ratnam and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. You’d like your efforts with these filmmakers to work. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t change my relationship with them. Our relationship is not a business deal. There are no expectations of another film after the last. This in an industry where a relationship is always about the next film together.

Apparently Mani Ratnam wants you and Abhishek in all his films?
How sweet! What can I say? When an actor gets this kind of approval it’s like a teacher giving a report-card. I’ve such special people in my life. Nothing could be more rewarding.
Abhishek Bachchan flew into Mumbai just to see your film "Guzaarish".

I do this kind of a thing all the time for him.

What’s the truth about you asking Abhishek to not work with certain heroines?
It’s too ridiculous and lowdown to even react. We discuss the casting of his films and I often recommend his co-stars. Putting my name into articles makes for a sound Google alert.
Today you are in an enviable position in Hindi cinema. Where do you go from here?
I think what people are trying to tell me is I should stick to character-driven roles. Fortunately, the roles are still coming. What happens usually is that after a point actresses don’t have the conventional roles coming their way. That’s when they usually change to character-driven parts. In my case I’ve been doing character-driven parts from the time I did "Iruvar". I’ve taken risks from the start. Every year I’ve at least one character-driven role. God willing, that would remain the pattern throughout my career. Filmmakers are coming to me with the work that inspires me. Unfortunately, I can’t accept them all due to time constraints.

Your chemistry with Hrithik Roshan is incredible…

We’ve done three films in three very different genres. So we had the advantage of being innovative. In "Dhoom 2" you could say I was a decorative doll. But that’s what the film was about. Everyone was decorative in it. It was about outrageously flirting with the camera. When Hrithik and I came to "Jodhaa Akbar," it was important for us to remain true to history and yet make it accessible to today’s generation. Now there’s "Guzaarish" where we play a completely different couple. But tomorrow if we do a film where the script fails us, we’ll be criticised for doing so many films together. We’re both very committed passionate actors.

"Guzaarish" is your third film with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. But it was Hrithik’s first film with the director. How were the dynamics on the sets? Was I the outsider in "Action Replayy," just because Vipul Shah and Akshay Kumar have worked earlier? Don’t forget, "Guzaarish" was also my third film with Hrithik. Initially, I was the common link between them. Sanjay and I are both passionate about our work. We can also communicate through our silences. I don’t just work on my character. I try to be part of the entire filmmaking process. Hrithik appreciates that.

Allah Ke Bandey: Twisted fate

2011-08-08T17:22:00.001+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Sharp and rugged but loses direction eventually

With a title suggesting something on the lines of emancipation, things couldn’t be any different as it is but a brutal film. Based on the unforgiving slums of Mumbai, the film is a narrative journey of two twelve year old boys, who take to the slum-gangster life to financially support their ailing mother. They loot, shoot, get framed for murder and are sent to a juvenile home, which they discover is a training camp for crime.

There, they are subjected to heinous atrocities ranging from physical lambaste to sexual molestation; hence forcing them to form gangs, deal drugs and kill. Eleven years later, Vijay (Sharman Joshi) and Yakub (Faruk Kabir) are prepared to take on the ‘real’ world.

The movie is literally run by Faruk Kabir, who apart from delivering a convincing performance on screen, is also the writer and director. The second half of the film fails to compliment the grit of the first which had a “City of God” feel to it. Though the film did achieve its objective of ‘unglorifying’ crime, it is a tad confusing with respect to the plot, which tends to beat around the bush after toying with your expectations.

Decent on-screen performances are met with better off-screen performance, which makes the movie a welcome change.

Tap Indian middle class US tells its companies

2011-07-20T18:00:00.001+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Concerned over the escalating competition from India and China, a top US official has asked the American companies to "flex muscles" and tap the expanding middle class in these countries.

"It is critical we understand that the world has changed. Competition from countries like India and China is more intense," the undersecretary of commerce for international trade, Francisco Sanchez said at the National Association of Counties Annual Conference Location in Portland, Oregon.

Sanchez urged the American companies to take benefit of the emerging middle class in these countries.

"We know that there is an expanding global middle class that's expected to add over a billion new consumers over the next 15 years," he said.

"China alone has moved more people out of poverty in the last couple of decade than any civilisation in history.

"As people there, and in India and Brazil and countries across the world, realise prosperity that most Americans take for granted, they're going to want the conveniences that come with middle class life," Sanchez said.

"This past decade saw the slowest average annual job growth since World War II, and that is still true even if you stop measuring before the beginning of the recession in 2008," he said.

"It's easy to understand why. Over the last decade the US has experienced increased competition from other industrialised nations," Sanchez said.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri - The New Age Woman
IIPM BBA MBA B-School: Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize To Irom Chanu Sharmila
GIDF Club of IIPM Lucknow Organizes Blood Donation Camp
Award Conferred To Irom Chanu Sharmila By IIPM
IIPM Professor Arindam Chaudhuri's Achievements

Toyota launches small car Liva

2011-06-27T18:04:00.002+05:30

IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri - The New Age Woman

Japanese carmaker Toyota today launched the petrol variant of its much anticipated small car Liva in India, priced between Rs 3.99 lakh and Rs 5.99 lakh.

The auto major has also invested Rs 3,200 crore to set up its second manufacturing facility in Bangalore. "The company, which is present in India through a joint venture with the Kirloskar Group, has invested Rs 3,200 crore to set up its second manufacturing facility in Bangalore with an initial installed capacity of 70,000 units per annum.

"With Liva we will now be a complete manufacturer in India, offering a full range of products including the luxury SUV Prado... Liva is a very useful stylish and dynamic car," Toyota Kirloskar Motor Managing Director Hiroshi Nakagawa told reporters here.

The company had last year launched Etios, the sedan version of Liva in the country.

"We will increase the production of the second plant from 70,000 units to 1,20,000 units to shorten the waiting period for Etios and meet future demand of Liva," Nakagawa said

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Excom Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Profile
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
Arindam Chaudhuri on his third National Award and his unique business formula for films
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....

IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism
IIPM BBA MBA B-School: Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize To Irom Chanu Sharmila
Rajita Chaudhuri's tips to start a new trend in Market
IIPM Professor Arindam Chaudhuri's Achievements

Maoists use mortars in attack on police camp, 5 cops dead

2011-06-10T18:02:00.001+05:30

Pension age limit for BPL lowered to 60

Five policemen were shot dead at close range, as a newly opened police camp came under Maoist attack in the early hours of Thursday morning, 25 kms from the district headquarters.

While Maoist attacks are frequent in Bastar region, Thursday's attack stood out for two reasons: the location and the use of two inch mortars by the Maoists. South from the district headquarters, between two CRPF camps, the Narayanpur-Orchha road twists through a desolate hill range overlooking a valley called Jhara Ghati. Two kilometres ahead, near Dhaudai, 27 CRPF jawans were ambushed and killed last June. But on Thursday, the Maoists showed they had the upper edge, as they surrounded the camp, and opened fire, close to 6 am. "The firing came from three directions," said Narayanpur SP Mayank Srivastava.

But what stunned the police was that the Maoists fired two inch mortars which landed inside the camp but thankfully missed target, exploding without causing any damage. "These are mortars used by security forces. The Maoists perhaps looted them in a previous attack," Srivastava said.

In Thursday's attack, the Maoists snatched away an AK 47 and an SLR rifle from the dead policemen.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism
Pakistani Soldiers Killed in Border Fighting
IIPM announces Anna Hazare Fellowship
GIDF Club of IIPM Lucknow Organizes Blood Donation Camp
Mobile application for Nokia phones is launched by The Times of India

Watching porn video is not a crime
Why your wife or girlfriend seems "off sex" of late?
Domestic violence has been a silent relationship killer since time immemorial.
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
Baba Ramdev aide Balkrishan owns 99.9% of Aastha channel

Union minister devises safety plans for elephants

2011-06-08T17:49:00.000+05:30

Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh turned into the saviour of endangered elephants of India. Ramesh recently termed the slaughter of seven elephants at Moraghat, Jalpaiguri on September 22 similar to Bhopal Gas Tragedy. On his insistence the Ministry of Railways is actively considering to ban the movement of goods and non-stop express trains at night through the 168-km stretch between New Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar Junction. The elephants were mowed down one after another at Moraghat. With this, 150 elephants have been killed in India since 1987. The Railways has already instructed the drivers to control the speed while passing through the 88 elephant corridors in India. "As many as 27 elephants have been mowed down by the speeding trains since the conversion of tracks to broad gauge seven years ago in Bengal’s elephant corridors," said Ramesh. Interestingly, West Bengal's Forest Minister Anant Roy, who hails from the same district, could not find time to visit the spot before Ramesh did.

The state forest department has identified 44 spots between New Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar Junction as elephant and wild animals’ corridor, of which 20 are within forests and the rest are on the fringes. Based on this, the Railway has imposed speed restrictions along a 30-km stretch. Announcing his determination to set up a ‘National Elephant Conservation Authority’, Ramesh said, "The railways will have to take steps for doubling of the tracks between New Jalpaiguri and New Alipurduar. A number of trains can then be diverted."

To stop the recurrence of such incidents, state’s Forest Minister proposed to set up 10 control towers along the train route through the forests of Buxa, Jaldapara, Chapramari, Apalchand and Mahananda and other vulnerable forest areas apart from appointing 550 forest guards and putting in place fence and girders. Ramesh has sanctioned seven crore rupees for this purpose. Expressing his displeasure over the Railway’s decision to lay tracks through dense forests, he suggested upgrading an alternative track to the south of the forest and converting it to double-line as a long-term solution.

The recurring deaths of the elephants has prompted the International Union for Conservation of Nature to put elephants of India in its list of the endangered animals for 2009. Even as jumbos are losing the fight on possession of land and facing attrition, human beings are gloating about development taking credit for expanding road and rail links and setting up of industrial and mining projects. The National Task Force’s suggestions to save elephants are too short of what is needed. Even those are not being followed. It seems the government is interested in lip service only. However, environmentalists and wild-life activists find Ramesh’s activism up to the mark.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Run after passion and not money, says Arindam Chaudhuri
IIPM BBA MBA B-School: Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize To Irom Chanu Sharmila
Award Conferred To Irom Chanu Sharmila By IIPM
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
IIPM Lucknow – News article in Economic Times and Times of India

EU to hold crisis talks on E.coli outbreak in Germany

2011-06-07T18:08:00.001+05:30

European Union agriculture ministers will today hold emergency talks in Luxembourg on the bacteria crisis that has left 23 dead, as the source of the outbreak remained a mystery.
The European ministers will discuss aid for farmers who are unable to sell their vegetables due to growing consumer fears over the E. coli outbreak.

They will also review the bloc's food safety alert system to ensure that warnings have "scientific basis and proof" before becoming public, EU health commissioner John Dalli said. Mr Dalli said the alert system review was requested by Spain, where farmers were hit hard by inaccurate warnings that the outbreak might be linked to Spanish organic cucumbers.

Madrid has said it will demand full compensation from Germany for the losses which Spain's fruit and vegetables exporters association, FEPEX, estimated at 225 million euros (£200m) per week since the crisis began.

Germany meanwhile announced that initial tests on suspected organic sprouts had proved negative. The tests were carried out on a farm in the northern state of Lower Saxony after regional agriculture minister Gerd Lindermann said a link had been found to the main areas hit by the outbreak.Results available from 23 of the 40 samples of seeds, water, ventilation and work surfaces tested showed they were free of the bacteria responsible for 23 deaths and more than 2,000 people falling ill, the state's agriculture ministry said. "Investigations are continuing," the ministry said, adding that it did not expect "any short-term conclusions."

German Federal Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner said Berlin would maintain warnings against eating sprouts as well as tomatoes, lettuce and cucumbers, particularly in the north of the country, until the origin had been pinpointed.

But Andreas Hensel, head of the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, said that "it is possible we shall never be able to identify the source" of the contamination. Similar outbreaks in Japan between 1996 and 2003 infected more than 10,000 people and left 22 dead, according to the Japanese health ministry.

The current outbreak has hit at least 14 countries including the United States. Of the 23 victims, 22 died in Germany and one in Sweden - a woman who had visited Germany. In Germany, 1,601 patients have been diagnosed as infected and a further 630 with haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), a life-threatening condition involving kidney malfunction, the Robert Koch Institute said.

The rate of infection grew from no more than nine a day during the first 10 days in May, to finally reach a peak of 122 on May 23 and has since slowed, the institute said.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
ABN AMRO seeks India bank licence
IIPM announces Anna Hazare Fellowship
Japan PM Strongly Attacked, Lukewarmly Defended, Over Resignation Plans
Watching porn video is not a crime

Why your wife or girlfriend seems "off sex" of late?
A Healthcare Issue: Private hospitals' efficiency questioned
Katrina Kaif: A British Indian Actress Born on July 16, 1984
Domestic violence has been a silent relationship killer since time immemorial.
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management

Nowhere in the world has the advent of big retail helped the long-term cause of the farmer

2011-06-03T11:20:00.000+05:30

INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

It is being projected as a boon for the agricultural sector. In reality, it will be the beginning of the end for Indian farmers.

It has happened in the US. Ever since big retail – dominated by multi-brand retailers like Wal-Mart, Tesco and Carrefour – has entered the market, farmers have disappeared and poverty has increased. Today, not more than 7 lakh farmers remain on the farms in America.

In Europe, despite the dominance of big retail, every minute one farmer quits agriculture. According to a report, farmers’ income in France came down by 39 per cent in 2009, having already slumped by 20 per cent in 2008. In Scotland, low supermarket prices are being cited as the reason for the exodus of dairy farmers. It is therefore futile to expect the supermarkets rescuing farmers in India.

Despite the destruction of farming globally, the ministry for commerce and industry is gung-ho about allowing foreign direct investment in multi-brand retailing. “The agriculture sector needs well functioning markets to drive growth, employment and economic prosperity in rural areas,” says a discussion paper drafted by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

Since 2006, India has allowed a partial opening up of the retail sector. Have these retail units benefited Indian farmers and the consumers? The answer is no. The argument is that the supermarket chains will squeeze out the middlemen thereby providing higher prices to farmers and at the same time provide large investments for the development of post-harvest and cold chain infrastructure. All these claims are untrue, and big retail has not helped farmers anywhere in the world.

If the supermarkets were so efficient, I would like to know why the US is providing a massive subsidy for agriculture. After all, the world biggest retail giant Wal-mart is based in America and it should have helped American farmers become economically viable. But it did not happen. Till 1950 in America, a farmer used to receive about 70 per cent of every dollar spent on food. Today, it is no more than 3 to 4 per cent. And that is why the American farmers are being supported in the form of direct income support by the government.
A 2010 report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a group comprising the richest 30 countries in the world, states explicitly that farm subsidies rose by 22 per cent in 2009, up from 21 per cent in 2008. In just 2009, industrialised countries provided a subsidy of Rs 1,260 billion. And it is primarily for this reason that farm incomes are lucrative. Take the Netherlands: the average farm family income is 275 per cent of the average household income. This is because of farm subsidies, not supermarkets. We are therefore importing a failed model from America.

Regarding employment, big retail does not squeeze out middlemen from the food chain. Supermarkets claim that they remove middlemen and therefore are able to provide a higher price to farmers. In reality, what happens is the opposite. Supermarkets are themselves the big middlemen. They replace the small fish. Supermarkets replace the plethora of small middlemen. The arhtiya clad in a dhoti-kurta is replaced by a smartly dressed up middlemen. So while the farmer is pauperised, the profit of supermarkets multiply.

Based on biased studies by consultancy firms and some institutes, the government believes that supermarkets will create employment and therefore help in ameliorating poverty. This is a flawed assumption. Lessons need to be drawn from a 2004 study done by Stephen J Goetz and Hema Swaminathan of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, at Pennsylvania State University. The authors measured the impact of Wal-Mart’s retail boom on poverty in various American states. In this eye-opening study, entitled “Wal-Mart and Poverty”, the comprehensive study clearly brings out that those American states that had more Wal-Mart stores in 1987, had higher poverty rates by 1999 than the states where fewer stores were set up. “Equally important, the counties (districts) which built new Wal-Mart stores during the period 1987 to 1998 also had high poverty rates,” the report concludes.

At stake is the livelihood security of 120 lakh small shopkeepers, 4 crore hawkers and at least 20 crore (of the 60 crore) small farmers. What is needed is more public sector investment in setting up a chain of mandis across the country, especially in states like UP, Bihar, West Bengal and MP. Providing an assured market and procurement price is what Indian farmers need. This has to be supplemented by a network of foodgrain banks at panchayat level that assure local production and distribution.'

The views expressed by the author are personal

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

Raja spends his days in Tihar jail

2011-05-30T17:50:00.003+05:30

IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism

It has been over three months since former Telecom Minister Andimuthu Raja has been cooling his heels in the capital's Tihar Jail for his suspected involvement in the 2G spectrum scam. Now, in place of the sullenness and shock of his initial days are friendly chats with fellow inmates, morning walks and evening sessions of badminton, jail sources say. "Unlike many other high-profile accused stationed in Tihar, Raja seems to have adapted to jail life easily in a short period. Initially, in the first week, he was not talkative or interacting with other inmates, but now he seems to have become friendly with the other inmates in his ward," a jail official told IANS on condition of anonymity.

Most of his new-found friends are serving life sentences.

Jail sources said Raja, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on February 13 and was taken to the jail on February 17, has never thrown any tantrum at any point of time.

Raja, a prominent Dalit face in the DMK, became the Union Communications Minister in 2007. He is accused of cheating, criminal conspiracy and corruption in the selling of scarce second generation (2G) telecom airwaves to favoured companies at a fraction of their actual cost, causing huge losses to the exchequer. A total of 12 of the 14 people chargesheeted by the CBI in the 2G scam, including top bureaucrats and corporates, are lodged in Tihar. Raja is stationed at Jail Number One in Ward Number Nine.

"Raja usually takes a one-hour walk from 5 a.m. to 6 a.m. inside the ward premises. He has become friendly with the 14 other jail inmates in the ward. He has become so friendly that he had shared his home-cooked food with other inmates," the jail official said.

"For the first few days, the tiffin box that came from Raja's home was small and only for him. But after a few days, the box became bigger, with south Indian food like idli, vada, sambar for breakfast and sambar, rasam and curd rice for lunch. All this he shared with his newfound friends," the official said.
Raja has a separate cell of 15 feet by 10 feet for security purposes, and Ward Number Nine also houses two senior police officers.

The first is S.S. Rathi, former assistant commissioner of police convicted in the 1997 Connaught Place shootout case, and the other is R.K. Sharma, former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer jailed for killing journalist Shivani Bhatnagar.

"As of now there is no chance of Raja coming out of jail," a DMK MP told IANS not wishing to be identified, hinting that DMK chief M. Karunanidhi is instead pitching for the release of his 43-year-old daughter Kanimozhi, who too has been in Tihar since May 20 in connection with the case.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Arindam Chaudhuri on his third National Award and his unique business formula for films
GIDF Club of IIPM Lucknow Organizes Blood Donation Camp
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....

IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

Nitish Kumar uses the state's 100th birthday to showcase its rich cultural heritage and attract much-needed investments

2011-05-28T12:54:00.000+05:30

IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism

At 10 PM on March 24, the last day of the three-day Bihar Mahotsava, a vast crowd at Patna's historic Gandhi Maidan is in the throes of a unique homecoming – of the state entering its 100th year after being carved out of Bengal in 1912. The list of those who attended were varied, to say the least, from chief minister Nitish Kumar to Bill and Melinda Gates.

Those assembled for the celebrations include men, women and children, singing local folk songs and well represented by the state's predominant languages, Bhojpuri, Maithili and Maghahi.

By the sheerest of chances, the celebrations coincide with the Indian victory over Australia in the World Cup and the lines become blurred. Are the people rooting for India or the state's 100th anniversary? It is difficult to fathom.

The state's anniversary celebrations have come against the backdrop of Nitish Kumar's astounding electoral triumph two months ago and it is no surprise that the charismatic Bihar leader continues to hold fort. The single-most outstanding point of difference now is this: it was unthinkable for women and children to hang out so late in the evening outside their homes in a state riven not so long ago by political gangsterism.

Talking to a large cheering crowd, Nitish – after lighting 99 symbolic lamps - hit the right chord. "I need your help to take Bihar to the top. This can only happen with your assistance." To add to the pep, filmstar-turned-MP Shatrughan Sinha told the chief minister, "I congratulate you for organising such a grand show. I am sure no one can stop Bihar from reaching the top.'' The deafening roar that follows shows Nitish Kumar – at least for now – is on a good wicket.

In fact, the state for the three days between March 22 and 24 wore a look befitting a bride. The colour and pageantry of the state – once home to the most powerful Magadhan rulers – has acquired a logic of its own. What gripped the capital Patna and other prominent district headquarters in the state is nothing short of a cultural revolution.

After long being in the hands of philistines who had neither the taste, skill or aptitude to hone the state's rich culture, it is as if street theatre and plays have begun to stage a comeback of sorts.
The state, in part inspired by Nitish's `new deal' as well as decades of neglect and vote bank politics, is hopeful of seeing the light of a new day. A good example of this churning is the new slogan doing the rounds of schools in Bihar: "Hamen na chahiye biscuit or chocolate, hamen chahiye babuji pencil aur slate (we don't want biscuit and chocolates, sir we want pencils and state)," a far cry from the days when politicians deliberately muddied waters and virtually dismantled the state's educational structure of schools and universities to further their own nests, a fact best epitomised in the large-scale migration of Bihari students to other parts of the the country.

An interesting chapter in the Bihar anniversary celebrations was the appearance of President Pratibha Singh Patil who advised the state chief minister to concentrate on agriculture. Nitish Kumar, on his part, has been quick to respond to the suggestions made by the head of state.

A quiz centred on agriculture and the farming community became a top draw. As did the handloom exhibition organised by the state's industries department, where sizeable crowds, some for the first time, lapped up all that was put on display, clothes, fabrics and that abiding symbol of Bihari pride, Madhubani paintings.

Says visitor Kavita Kaur, "I am sure, the initiatives taken by the Nitish Kumar government is going to galvanise the state. Bihar needed this and it has taken some time coming.'' That was the prevailing sentiment among those who attended the three-day festivities in a state that has been racked by poverty and indifferent administration.

Another star attraction during the three-day festivities has been the commercial fair where litti-chokha, khaja from Supaul and roasted mutton do the rounds with aplomb. Despite the burning sun and kilos of sweat, no one has been willing to back out. To beat the thirst, some spiced sattu does the rounds and, frankly, no one was complaining about the weather.

The extra special fizz came at the cultural extravaganza where leading lights of the local theatre mingled freely with the masses. On display were large sized photographs of the state's well-known land marks; the Martyr's Chowk, Golghar, the world famous Bodhi temple at Gaya, a Shanti Stupa at Vaishali, a sufi shrine of Maner Sharif and others, a shining example of Bihar's inclusive and secular character.

Politically, the chief minister could not have chosen a better platform to promise sops that would help in stabalising his position. Nitish Kumar announced his party's health card scheme under which 3.4 crore children would be benefited. Under this scheme, girls up to the age of 18 and boys upto 14 will be issued cards, making an annual health check-up mandatory under the rules.

The occasion is graced by the likes of Bill Gates and wife Melinda, who while praising the steps taken by the state government on the health front, promise to become stakeholders in Bihar's agriculture through their Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. This is Bill Gates' second visit to the state in the last one year. That is more often than the world's richest man has cared to go to one place within a short time, at least in this country.

With shining new roads and a much-improved power situation to show for his efforts, Nitish Kumar has used this platform to promote his party's agenda. If investments do start coming into the state finally after years of being branded the least industrialised state and the scourge of India, then Bihar's 100th anniversary celebrations would really have been worth its while.

Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Arindam Chaudhuri: We need Hazare's leadership
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
GIDF Club of IIPM Lucknow Organizes Blood Donation Camp
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....

Dr Malay Chaudhuri, Founder Director IIPM, tells TSI why the IIPM Awards are in a league of their own
Bollywood's No.1 Mum Kajol: Step ahead MOM!
Katrina Kaif: A British Indian Actress Born on July 16, 1984
IIPM Professor Arindam Chaudhuri on 'OBAMA and OSAMA'

The superannuated dead!: Old age pension being released in the name of the dead

2011-05-25T10:18:00.000+05:30

IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps

In some African cultures there is a belief that dead men— reverentially called the village elders— visit them once every year. Now a village in Punjab has surpassed this belief. Here the dead visit the village every month to collect their old age pension! Or that is what the village headman (sarpanch or pradhan) of Subhana village of district Jalandhar gave people and authorities to understand. It was recently revealed that in Subhana the old age pension was being released in the name of 12 persons of the village who were long dead. The pension amount was ‘distributed’ by the village head himself. Besides, about 10 people were getting double pensions.

The whole game went on for five full years from 2003 to 2008 during the tenure of Jaspal Singh as the village head, and came to light only after the change of guard at the village panchayat. Investigations have revealed that it was not due to any error but the sarpanch was deliberately doing it to have a cut in the pension money. It was alleged that Jaspal pocketed the whole amount that was being released in the name of the dead people. Same was the case with the double pensions. One part went to the real beneficiary while the other went into the sarpanch's pocket.

The fraud came to light when the new sarpanch Harjinder Singh brought this matters to the notice of the higher authorities and got the pensions returned to the concerned department. Although some people had complained against the former sarpanch, but no action was taken against him. One Ashok Kumar had complained that the village people namely Amar Singh, Chaman Lal, Darshan Lal, Gurbachan Kaur, Gurnam Kaur, Kartar Chand, Nanti, Rajinder Kaur, Rali, Resham Kumar, Tara Chand and Sunita had expired. The date of the death and the pension numbers of all the people were also mentioned. Even the death certificates are available. The former sarpanch Jaspal Singh has said that the allegations against him were false. But as anyone can understand, Subhana is just a case that has come to light, there would be hundreds of other villages where the same fraud would have been going on.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...
IIPM Proves Its Mettle Once Again...
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
An array of unconventional career options

CRPF gets a new assault rifle: Israeli-made X-95 to make life easier for security forces

2011-05-22T10:13:00.000+05:30

IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans will soon be seen flaunting the ultra-modern X-95 Assault Rifles. The X-95 rifle, manufactured by Israel Weapon Industries Ltd, is being used in India for the first time. These rifles are presently used by NATO and 46 other nations. For the time being, India has bought 3500 of these rifles. The X-95 is considered to be a good weapon for the armed forces on special duties as it is equally useful in long range combat as well as in close encounters. This rifle can shoot accurately upto 1000 metres. Weighing mere three kilograms, the rifle is comparatively lighter and is good for night manoeuvrability apart from being precise. Experts are of the opinion that this weapon is better than AK-47 Assault Rifle.
Shortly, this weapon would be used by CRPF personnel active in Naxal affected areas and insurgency prone sectors in the North East. Apart from that, it will also be used by rapid action teams and special armed forces. With the induction of this weapon, CRPF can now be counted among the forces armed with ultra-modern weapons.

Last week, as many as 40 CRPF weapon instructors — or Master Trainers as they are called — drawn from various sectors were trained to handle this weapon at CRPF's Central Training College, Neemach, Madhya Pradesh. These instructors were trained by two weapon instructors who came from Israel Weapon Industry Ltd. The training secession was carried out under the
guidance of T Sekar, Principal of the training college, and Dinesh Uniyal, Commandant, CRPF. "These instructors would start training the CRPF jawans once their training is over. It will make them much more effective in operation areas," said Sekar.

As far as X-95 is concerned, it can be effectively used in open areas as well as in city specific close-quarter battles. T Sekar added, "In emergency situations we had been using AK-47 earlier, but X-95 is much advanced. This has been imported for the first time. It is very effective in counter insurgency and jungle warfare operations."

The weapon is not only light but handy too. As many as 30 magazines can be loaded at a time. It can be practically hidden underneath a jacket or a suit. The body is made of composite material and it possesses advanced mechanical system.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things

The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
When foreign shores beckon
An array of unconventional career options

THE EXPENDABLES

2011-05-19T11:11:00.000+05:30

INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

Sagar Shah is not a name you may be familiar with. He is a FIDE (World Chess Federation) master and aspires to be a Grandmaster (GM) soon, a hallowed title in the world of chess and a matter of prestige in India. Once he does become a GM and succeeds, there would be toasts raised to another Indian sporting hero celebrated by the common man and our administrators alike. But, in the meantime, Sagar trudges the arduous road to the top by himself, packing in a CA articleship and chess practice in his day and travelling to tournaments on his own finances. In India, of all places, the adage that success has many fathers but failure is an orphan rings true especially the way we treat our sporting heroes – as expendables.

After all the negative publicity around the Commonwealth Games, the spectacular opening ceremony and a bright start by the Indian contingent in the Games may have silenced critics for now, but our sporting ethos still remain weak in terms of real reverence and respect for the heroes who have essentially blazed their own trail to become the pillars on whom our sporting legacy as a nation rests. P T Usha, who was not sent an invitation for the opening ceremony for the Commonwealth Games said that she is hardly alone in this kind of a snub. Sushil Kumar came back triumphant from the World Wrestling Championship but his coach, Satpal Singh (1982 Asiad gold medalist and Dronacharya awardee), was asked to step aside at a photo session by M S Gill. Dhyan Chand died of liver cancer in a general ward at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, uncared for by the nation and Olympic medalist Keshav Yadav was snubbed by the then CM of Bombay, Morarji Desai when he asked for financial help to get to the Helsinki Olympics in 1952, where he won the medal.

Explains P T Usha to TSI, "If you compare India with other countries, at my time there was nothing at all. Now a lot of facilities have been developed in many cities. But the right approach is missing. At our time, people still won medals for India without any facilities. So, imagine, if good infrastructure and funds are given now, India would win so many medals. Also, after winning medals, how many of them are honoured enough and encouraged to keep performing? No one even realises where medal winners disappear. So this should be the responsibility of the country to give them such facilities that they perform well at every sport event and bring more medals." Usha’s mention of the ‘responsibility of the country’ should be a wake up call for us, who tend to be swept by the euphoria and hype every time the media breaks a story about a Sushil Kumar winning a gold at the World Wrestling Championships, but at the same time forget to connect the dots in the bigger picture when flooded by stories of how the CWG preparations went horribly wrong. Amazingly, after the opening ceremony, the tone seems to have changed again.
The Commonwealth Games are not only a platform to showcase our capabilities to host an event of this stature, but also a great chance for our athletes to showcase themselves. Karnam Malleswari, the Olympic medalist in weightlifting at the Sydney Olympics, tells TSI, "It’s a big honour that the Commonwealth Games are being organised in India. This way, so many people will get a chance to show their talent and also sports will be seen in a new light and sports culture will be encouraged. Now whatever infrastructure is built for CWG, after the event, our people will be able to use it and develop their sports talent." But it is the burning question that she poses next that merits attention, "Why is it that we have to wait for an Asian Games or CWG to build these facilities?" Indeed.

Part of the answer to that ‘Why’ lies in our reaction to sporting success. Rather than lay emphasis on the pride and honour of representing your country, sporting bodies are far too busy counting the monetary implications of the success. Or are busy fighting between themselves, like is the case in hockey. In the millstone of egos and politics, the dreams and aspirations of thousands get grinded who just wanted a shot at representing the country and earn it glory. Says Usha, "When I was practicing and participating in sports, my only focus was to win the race and bring medals to the country. I really didn’t bother about what the country would give me."

Meanwhile, Sagar still toils at making his endgame better as he scans ‘Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual’ (considered a classic on this topic) and becoming a GM soon. While his family implores him to get a job, his only hope is to be able to show them Vishy Anand’s bank balance. But he confesses that he wants to achieve all this because he loves the game so much. Perhaps he only aspires for what Usha says, "The biggest honour for me is that even after so many years of winning the medal, people still talk about me."

Wake up, India! Your next sporting hero need not be the one who receives the biggest hype or the most endorsements. It has to be someone who truly enjoys the game.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
Anna Hazare: My Prime Minister
Social Networking Sites have become advertising shops

The spot fixing menace: Gautam Bhimani distinguishes match fixing from spot fixing

2011-05-14T16:32:00.000+05:30

'SPOT' THE DIFFERENCE

There is no sadness like when a hero falls. There is no sound worse than a pedestal cracking. There is no anger more real than when faith is betrayed. Forget for a moment if you will a mourning nation, a bewildered world, a shamed game." Words penned down by Rohit Brijnath in India Today in April 2000 to mark a dark day for world sport.

Rewind to Kolkata. January 29, 1980. It is a typical misty winter morning as rival captains Asif Iqbal and Gundappa Vishwanath walk out to toss at the Eden Gardens. It is the sixth Test of the series and India lead two-nil. As per the norm, the home captain flips the silver disc and Asif Iqbal calls. The Pakistan Captain picks up the coin before Vishwanath can see it and congratulates him on winning the toss. India decide to bat first in the dead rubber. A couple of days later after India had scored 331 Pakistan oddly went on to declare their innings at 272/4, well short of India’s first innings effort. Asif Iqbal was at the crease unbeaten on 15.

On the face of it, this appeared to be the start of just another Test match. In years to come it will be assumed more significance than most ever imagined as one of the earliest instances of dubious activities that later came to be classified as "fixing". Incidentally, it was the last Test Asif Iqbal ever played.

During the course of the mid-nineties, from Colombo to Karachi, cricket was to witness one of its darkest eras with several alleged instances of match fixing that came to light in different parts of the world – spreading not just to regular cricket hot spots but to non-traditional venues such as the Middle East -- culminating in the confessions of the late former South African Captain Hansie Cronje in 2000, about which Brijnath was writing in the extract at the start of this piece.

Flash forward to 2010 and the latest fixing controversy, again involving Pakistan cricket. This time, fixing of a slightly different nature. Spot fixing. A term, the world had not quite come across and one many still have not quite been able to fathom.

Well, to put it simply, spot fixing is match fixing without necessarily affecting the outcome of a game. Having said all that, the distinction is not just about playing with the words and definitions. The entire background of spot fixing is very different to the elaborately spun webs that spawned match fixing in the 90s. For starters, the world needs to know that it is not normal practice to get odds on whether or not a bowler will overstep in the 5th ball of the 17th over. In fact, nobody bets on that. Rather it is primarily about the outcome of a game with a few individual performances and possibilities thrown in.

In the latest instance of "spot" fixing, it was all about one unsavoury individual trying to prove to a few other not so savoury individuals in his profession that he had a few buddies in the Pakistan team and that for a few bob, they could "enact" a few harmless outcomes at certain points in a match. A few no balls and several thousand pounds later the cat was out of the bag. The skipper and two of his key bowling lieutenants bore the brunt. Even after the three were back home, more allegations began to fly around that threatened to do irreparable damage to Pakistan cricket as if it is not in enough turmoil
already.

The threat of proper match fixing has been kept in check with various anti-corruption measures and strict rules about cell phones in dressing rooms and the like. But spot fixing is far harder to control and has provided a new kind of headache for administrators and policing officials alike. You can somehow prevent, dissuade or at least monitor the possibility of teams tanking games for monetary gain, but how do you watch out for every no ball, wide, four or six that may mysteriously crop up at a pre-arranged moment?

At the end of the day, be it match fixing or the new spot fixing (like the game itself moving to 20-20, even betting trends are becoming quicker affairs) fixation, the motive is exactly the same. Greed. The lure of a few extra bucks. Easy bucks in the case of spot fixing.

One obvious remedy is to legalise the entire process (of betting, not fixing!) but that does not appear to have many takers. Particularly among those who can’t distinguish between harmless betting (no different to a quick punt on horses, roulette or blackjack) and the complex and murky world of match fixing.

In my view, spot fixing is more harmless than match fixing, but still equally wrong. Some have been punished, but given its ease of execution, more radical measures are needed to tackle spot fixing before the game truly finds itself in a very
tight ‘spot’.

As former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf prepares to foray into politics

2011-05-07T11:23:00.000+05:30

albeit in a democratic way this time around, experts say it wouldn't be easy for the former dictator to return home

Amid much fanfare, former military dictator General (retired) Pervez Musharraf has launched a party and is adamant to return to Pakistan after a self-imposed exile. But returning home for Musharraf, it seems, is fraught with danger.

"There are several Muslim Leagues already working in Pakistan," eminent scholar and Pakistan’s top defence analyst Dr. Hasan Askari Rizvi told TSI. "A new one by Gen. Musharraf will have to prove its worth in the political domain. Only then one would say that it is better than others. At the moment it is just one of the groups," he explained.

However, political analysts are sceptical if Musharraf, who once vied to become Pakistan’s Kamal Ataturk, can come back home in very near future. "He is not expected to return to Pakistan soon because he might have to face court cases. But if he stays outside, his party will have little chance of gaining some ground," said Rizvi.

Musharraf must think twice before coming home. Firstly, Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif whose elected government was toppled by Musharraf in 1999, can move a petition in a court of law under Article 6 of the Constitution of Pakistan under which he can be tried for treason.

Nawaz Sharif was packed and sent to Saudi Arabia under a dubious agreement and he remained in exile for quite a long time and was only allowed to return home in 2007 when Musharraf’s popularity graph was ebbing and apparently there was also resentment in senior army officers.

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Benazir Bhutto was also allowed to return home under the infamous National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). The ordinance was drafted in such a way that cases pending against Benazir Bhutto, her husband Asif Ali Zardari and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif were withdrawn and a tacit agreement was made that would enable Musharraf to continue to be the president of Pakistan. Benazir's assassination though greatly changed the political equations in Pakistan.

Secondly, Musharraf can also be tried for the killing of Baloch leader and former governor of Balochistan, Nawab Akbar Bugti. A case is pending in Balochistan High Court in which Musharraf has been accused of murdering Bugti. Musharraf, it may be recalled, openly threatened Bugti that he could be killed.

The manner in which the elderly Nawab Bugti was killed in 2006 not only evoked sharp reaction in Balochistan but in the entire Pakistan. Even Bugti’s dead body was not handed over to his heirs for the last rites. Instead it was put in a wooden box that was locked. Since then there have been riots off and on in Balochistan and even in Lyari in Karachi where Baloch people are concentrated, especially on the occasions when his death anniversary is observed. Recently when Bugti’s death anniversary was observed, Quetta, the provincial headquarters of Balochistan, was paralysed and Baloch and Pushtoon people, otherwise far apart, unanimously observed a strike. Other parts of Balochistan also observed a strike. The alienation in Balochistan which has been under subjugation since 1948 when it was annexed, is total.

Similarly, there is resentment in the people of Pakistan the way Lal Masjid operation was handled. Musharraf is also resented the way he handled the "war on terror" since the military operation in the troubled Pushtoon Khuwa province, bordering Afghanistan and Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA) has resulted in significant collateral damage and hundreds of innocent people, including women and children, have been killed.

Musharraf had the gall to state in his book that Pakistani soldiers were paid $ 5,000 for killing a Taliban as if Pakistani Army was a band of mercenary fighters.

The Musharraf government has also been accused of fudging economic data year after year. While the so-called economic assistance continued to flow from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), their advice to withdraw subsidies was ignored during the nine year rule of Musharraf, purely in order to keep his popularity graph up. As a result, the democratic government of Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani is facing the music because the prices of essential commodities have skyrocketed all of a sudden. No wonder a seeting anger can be guaged not only among the working classes but even in middle classes since they are finding it increasingly difficult to make both ends meet.

Similarly, the way the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Chaudhry Mohammad Ifhtikhar, was summoned and mistreated by Musharraf not only slighted the lawyers and the judges, but also the common people of the country who still had faith in the judiciary and looked up to it as an independent institution.

The Kargil misadventure and handling of Agra Summit amply demonstrated the egotism of an army General. Instead of protecting the soldiers, the General made a strategy full of faults. As a result, there was large number of casualties.

But Musharraf had plus points too. He played a vital role in the empowerment of women, tried to liberalise Pakistan society and undo the colossal damage that has been done to the social fabric of Pakistan society by the fundamentalist Gen. Ziaul Haq. Substantial funds were allocated for higher education and music and arts were promoted. Similarly, development funds were allocated for the backward areas such as the desert area of Tharparkar and a comprehensive road network was made connecting the otherwise isolated desert economy to the urban economy.

"Musharraf’s era has a mixed track record. It did make progress in the economic domain but like any military regime, it faltered because of its desire to hold on to power," said Rizvi.

One very significant development during the Musharraf era was that youth from the Hindu and Sikh community were inducted in the armed forces of Pakistan. This never happened before.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board

Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

Traffic jams across the globe need innovative solutions

2011-05-03T16:09:00.001+05:30

IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps

When it comes to owning superlative terms, China seems to be on the forefront. It has always attempted to build the biggest, tallest, longest or mightiest records across categories. But the recent inclusion of having the worst traffic jam is surely the most unwanted entry in the record books. And the honour for this goes to the traffic jam that occurred recently on the Beijing-Zhangjiakou Highway, which would comfortably put any similar traffic congestion in history to shame.

In all fairness, traffic congestions are not confined to over populated countries like China or India but can be traced across the world. The problem is not just about infrastructural or traffic management failure, but goes beyond. A recent study by the Pew Research Center shows that more than 33 per cent of the US roadways are in “substandard condition” and are most of the time incapable of handling traffic. This traffic gridlock dents the economy and affects the productivity of the nation. Going by the rate at which vehicle ownership is increasing, the number of cars and light trucks worldwide is set to double over the next 20 years, which today is more than 900 million. And mind you, the concentration of vehicles is much intense in cities than in rural or sub-urban areas. A new report from the Texas Transportation Institute reveals that congestion cost the economy $87 billion and eats away 4 billion hours of time. Congestion in Los Angeles averages at 72 hours a year while a driver has to face 62 hours average congestion in Washington DC annually. Traffic congestion in Dhaka eats up Tk 19,555 crore a year and about 3.2 million business hours are lost every day, which is about one hour per working person. A World Bank study revealed that the health impacts and costs attributed to air pollution due to traffic congestion in the Philippines were estimated at US$392 million for 2001 while the World Health Organization reveals that in developing countries as many as 300 million people are dying due to vehicle emissions.

Increasing roads, flyover and expressways is not the only solution, studies show that traffic congestion is more because of driver’s behaviour while driving. A few experts have suggested the introduction of adaptive cruise control (ACC) that would automatically keep a car at a set distance from the one in front through combinations of navigators, satellites and radars. Furthering this thought, a study by Technische Universität Dresden, Germany found that a 1 per cent increase in the number of ACC-using vehicles would free up 0.3 per cent of road capacity.

Other policy measures that can be put to use are parking restrictions, road pricing (charging money to access roads), certificate of entitlement (exorbitant purchase prices for the licenses) scheme, congestion entry tax (as is there in London), road space rationing (restricting certain types of vehicles in certain areas), number plate restrictions (based on days of the week, as was used in Korea during Olympics, 1988) and many other discretely practiced methods can come as a rescue too. Of course, public transport is the general solution that exists too. Still, the time is not too far when we'll have gridlocks that last for days, if not weeks. That's the danger for now

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...
IIPM Proves Its Mettle Once Again...
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
Arindam Chaudhuri: Movie time for Kapil Sibal

KARNATAKA CONTROVERSY: Fight of the titans

2011-04-22T10:15:00.000+05:30

After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

Governor accuses V-C of undermining his authority

Relations between governor of Karnataka Hans Raj Bharadwaj and vice-chancellor of the University of Mysore V.G. Talawar has hit a new low. When Talawar went to receive the governor at the Government House in Mysore last week, Bharadwaj flared up. He said: 'I don't want you to welcome me. Are you above the chancellor? You don't even obey the state government's order. I thought you were a sensible person, but not so. You are even worse than a politician.'

Stumped by his gesture, Talawar offered an olive branch by tendering apology. But the governor, who is also chancellor of the university, didn't budge and continued his tirade against the V-C. He said: 'I will never come to the University of Mysore. I have been a parliamentarian for thirty years and I will tell the Prime Minister not to grant funds to the university.'

Earlier, relations between the two was cordial. But things deteriorated after a corruption charge against former vice-chancellor of the University of Mysore Dr. J. Shashidhar Prasad surfaced. The governor showed no interest in taking action against Prasad. However, Talawar wanted Prasad to be punished. This created tensions between them to such an extent that the governor of the state accused Talawar of undermining his authority.

Prasad has been facing allegations of rampant corruption and irregularities in the recruitment made during his tenure between 2003 and 2007. Following complaints, the government appointed an inquiry commission, headed by former High Court judge Rangavittalachar, to probe into the alleged violation of norms. In June 2010, the panel submitted its report. It held Prasad guilty of violating the roster and filling the vacancies reserved for SC/STs and backward communities with people from other castes, which is punishable offence. Following the indictment, the government directed the current V-C that is Talawar to initiate criminal proceedings against Prasad. But governor Bharadwaj came to Prasad's rescue. He dispatched a letter of disapproval saying that it would be illegal under the University Act to take action against the former V-C. After that no action was taken against Prasad.

Exasperated with the governor's intervention, Vishwavidyalaya Ulisi Horata Samiti (Struggle Committee to Save University), backed by various political parties and student organisations, launched an agitation on the campus. Thousands of protesting students laid siege to the Crawford Hall, administrative building of the University of Mysore demanding legal action against Prasad. Coming under pressure, V-C Talawar assured them of taking up the issue in the special Syndicate meeting. This irked governor Bharadwaj. He said: 'You (Talawar) are setting the students against me to insult me.'

This was not the end of the story. More people jumped in. Prasad's father, a well-known writer and the former vice-chancellor of the University of Mysore, De. Javaregauada, popularly known as DeJaGau, staged a-day-long fast protesting against any action against his son. Earlier, he had also said that there were no irregularities and corruption in the recruitment. But, later on he softened his stand as he too was criticised. 'Irregularities must have taken place, but my son is not the only one responsible for that,' he said. The power struggle between the governor and the V-C continues unabated.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Proves Its Mettle Once Again...
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
An array of unconventional career options
Ragging rights and wrongs
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India

PUNJAB POLITICS: A feast of promises

2011-04-18T10:03:00.000+05:30

After Irom Sharmila last year, Anna Hazare wins IIPM's 2011 Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize of Rs. 1cr. To be handed over on 9th May

The Badals are busy inaugurating development projects only

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and his son deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal are busy inaugurating development projects in Punjab. Besides, they are making promises to win the voters' confidence.

Political analysts say the Badals are doing all this with an eye on the coming Assembly elections in February 2012. Last week, chief minister Parkash Singh Badal laid the foundation stones of many development projects in Mohali district's tehsil Derabassi. On that day, he also laid down the foundation stone of a grain market, which will be constructed on 10 acres at the cost of Rs 4.32 crore. Also, he announced a Rs 121.50 crore project for Banur Assembly constituency. Addressing the gathering, he said that in the coming three years, Punjab will be able to sell electricity to other states.

He said: 'In the last three years of my term, the state has witnessed huge development.' The Badals also laid foundation stones of many development projects in the industrial hub of the state: Ludhiana and Anandpur Sahib city.

The CM assured the people that the government has facilitated Rs 350 crore for building infrastructure in schools and hospitals. 'We will complete all work before 2012," he commented.

Sukhbir Singh Badal is also taking a lot of interest in such projects. Recently, he laid the foundation stone of a six-lane road from Mohali to Chandigarh Airport. However, it's clear that though laying foundation stones might get the Badal duo brownie points and media publicity for the short-term, for a clear cut vote advantage in the Assembly Elections, they should focus more on what they have achieved till date for the state.

Now, the question is, what have they?

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
An array of unconventional career options
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India

ANTARDWAND: Rural shame

2011-04-13T11:13:00.000+05:30

Anna Hazare: My Prime Minister

TSI Five-O: Engrossing drama for intense viewing.

Consider this: A debutant director (Sushil Rajpal) and a slow-paced low-budget film set both literally and metaphorically in the unattended, crime-filled fields of rural Bihar. Not really a recipe for a blockbuster, but the National Award winning film is worth the applause.

The film, based on true events, starts with a young and unmarried couple in Delhi dealing with the shock and repercussions of an unexpected pregnancy. Raghuveer (Raj Singh Chaudhary), an aspiring civil-servant and a father-to-be, decides to travel to his hometown to break the news to his parents and convey to them the couple's decision to get married. His father (Vinay Pathak) however rejects the idea outright. Also, that very morning his father sarcastically discards another proposal from a persistent landlord (Akhilendra Mishra).

Things take an ugly turn when dejected Raghu, en route to Delhi after his father's shrewd disapproval, is kidnapped by the egoistic landlord. The landlord then gets his na've daughter (Swati Sen) forcefully married to an inebriated Raghu.

The second half deals with the emotional trauma the couple goes through. Raghu, practically imprisoned to the confines a bedroom, can't get his mind off his pregnant girlfriend; while his forced wife, desperate for attention, is subjected to a terrible dose of indifference by him.

The movie, through its intense scenes is hard-hitting. Cinematography and a sincere sketch of characters aside, what really stands out is the ruthlessness with which social issues like forced marriages and the disturbing extent of gender inequality are highlighted.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...
IIPM Proves Its Mettle Once Again...
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
An array of unconventional career options
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

AASHAYIEN: Hope less

2011-04-09T10:07:00.000+05:30

Anna Hazare: My Prime Minister

TSI Five-O: 'Anand' version 2.0 corrupted by the virus of lazy writing and ho hum acting

Nagesh Kukunoor has always been one to push the conventional boundaries in filmmaking in inimitably understated way, but looks like he's headed down the same street as Manoj Night Shyamalan. This is why, when you see 'Aashayien' with its formulaic plot and clich'd characters, there is a certain sense of void. It is almost as bad as the one Rahul (John Abraham) feels when he gets to know that he has lung cancer.

Armed with a windfall of 3 crore he just won in gambling just before receiving the news, Rahul lands up at a hospital for the terminally ill, a venue rife with clich's thanks to the lazy characterisation of the people in there. There's the ex-prostitute (Farida Jalal), the man estranged from his family (Girish Karnad) and the mandatory strict head Sister (Prateeksha Lonkar). There's also a spunky teenager, Padma (played quite well by Anaitha Nair) who happens to be the only bright spark among the dim gallery of stereotypes.

From the time the premise is set up, you can pretty much predict the film, but what's really unsettling is that you can almost predict it scene for scene. Consequently, the heart wrenching emotion it was supposed to inspire falls terribly flat. John Abraham is very average in the performance department and it reminds you how acting can make a big difference to a pedestrian script (think Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman in 'The Bucket List'). The problem with 'Aashayein' is that it decides to use off-the-shelf emotional manipulative writing to come off as a noble film. Maybe one day, a Kukunoor movie will make it to your bucket list, but that day for now will have to wait.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...
IIPM Proves Its Mettle Once Again...
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
An array of unconventional career options
Arindam Chaudhuri: Movie time for Kapil Sibal
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

Ad Guru Alyque Padamsee enthrals IIPM students in a session on Self Motivation

2011-04-05T10:25:00.001+05:30

IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board

IIPM is India's Global B-School. It is ranked No.1 in Placement Record, Quality of Faculty and Global Exposure. It is ranked No.2 in Student Development, Potential to Network and Infrastructure. It is ranked No.7 in Course Contents amongst all B-Schools in India.

Alyque Padamsee, the iconoclastic ad guru, author, stage and cinema actor was present here for an interactive session with students of IIPM New Delhi. During the session he reflected on his life, his works and his achievements, spanning a period of over five decades, while illustrating how the gen-next should use the power of self motivation in achieving their dreams, goals and vision.

Along the course of the very insightful thoughts being shared by him, he showcased his advertisements – the likes of Bajaj Scooters (Humara Bajaj), Surf (Lalita ji campaign), Liril, Cherry Blossom and other social initiative adverts like family planning, etc. and did an exquisite job of making them contemporary to the young audience. He went on to elaborate the challenging situations in which the adverts were created and the impact the campaigns had on the perceptions of the target audiences.

He encouraged the young audience to follow their dreams and to make their own ‘Karma’. At the end he also mentioned about his book 'A Double Life' and also provided students with his personally autographed edition.

Speaking about his audience, Mr Padamsee commented, “...a fantastic group of students, ...very interactive and attentive”. He gave attention on each and every student personally during the session which also laid down some fundamental principles about taking decisions related to their life, career and areas of interest.

The session came to an end with various queries raised by students covering areas in branding and advertising, the answers of which enlightened one and all. Also present for the occasion were Prof K K Srivastava, Head of Dept (Marketing and Economics), Prof Sham Sharma (Prof of Brand Management), Mr Abhimanyu Ghosh (CEO – Planman Marcom), Mrs. Arundhati Banerji (Dean – Administration), Mr. Jaydip D Gupta (Asst Dean – Academics) and Prof Pushp Lamba (Prof of Marketing).

As a parting statement Mr Padamsee wished all the students present in the conference hall all the best for their future careers and motivated them further to chase their dreams.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...
An array of unconventional career options
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
IIPM in sync with the best of the business world.....

IIPM Bangalore: Ooty 2 day trekking camp and GOP Session with Prof. Pucik and Prof. Kathryn

2011-03-29T14:43:00.002+05:30

IIPM Proves Its Mettle Once Again...

The students of IIPM Bangalore participated in a 2 day trekking camp organized by IIPM in association with India Hikes. There were 22 students who participated in this outbound team building activity. The students departed to Ooty on the 11th of February and were back on the 13th of February. They enjoyed the whole trip and learned a long of valuable inputs about teamwork from Mr. Arjun Majumdar , The director of India Hikes who had accompanied the students on the trek. There was a team building activity where the students were shown how to pitch tents, and then make teams and pitch the tent and see which team does it the fastest. The students were very happy about the overall experience and requested for more activities like this in the future

GOP Session with Prof. Pucik - IIPM Bangalore

The students of IIPM, Bangalore had a GOP session with Prof. Vladimir Pucik from IMD, Switzerland on the 11th of February, 2011. He addressed the students on how customer orientation works as a marketing strategy. He also spoke to them about how to put oneself in the customers’ shoes and to understand the customers’ wants and needs. He even spoke about how to kindle a new requirement or need in the customers.

The students found this session very helpful and informative as they gained knowledge on how to create needs and wants in the customers and how to cater to the needs and wants of the customers.

IIPM Bangalore - GOP by Prof. Kathryn

On the 26th of February Prof. Kathryn Harrigan from Columbia Business School had visited IIPM Bangalore and had a session with the students. Prof Kathryn spoke about the SYNERGY TRAP which basically spoke about the process of mergers and acquisitions. She is also on the board of directors of many companies and she narrated her experiences of how things work during these mergers and acquisitions. The students got to know how to calculate the worth of a company using the formula that Prof. Kathryn came up with. She also spoke about the valuation of a company, about how companies overpay during the process of acquisition, the areas where the deal can go wrong, how to make the make the most of the deal etc.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps
An array of unconventional career options
Ragging rights and wrongs
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things

As A drug Bust and a sex scandal rock the Telugu movie industry, many big names have been dragged into the cesspool

2011-03-22T14:00:00.003+05:30

IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...

First two actors are caught in a drug bust. Then a sex racket involving two actresses is unearthed. One embarrassment heaped on another ' the Telugu film industry is suddenly in the news for all the wrong reasons.

With many big names being dragged into the two raging scandals, people in the Hyderabad-based movie industry are scurrying for cover.

Big, bad Bollywood has never been a stranger to sleaze. Tainted money, prostitution rings, the casting couch and drug abuse have often cast a shadow on the Hindi film industry's reputation. But Telugu filmdom was hitherto relatively untouched by scandals of such proportions.

On August 19, a Hyderabad police task force, in a decoy operation, nabbed two character actors, Raghu Babu and Bharat, brothers of matinee idol Ravi Teja, red-handed when they were striking a deal with a Nigerian drug peddler, Chima Clement, alias Victor. The latter has been living in the city illegally.

The two actors and a businessman friend, D. Naresh, were booked under Section 28 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.

The renewed focus on drug trafficking in Hyderabad came after four African peddlers were arrested while selling drugs in posh areas of Hyderabad in a span of a month and a half.

The police seized Clement's mobile phone and laptop. The two devices, as city police commissioner A.K. Khan revealed, yielded the names of several celebrities from the world of movies, politics and business. These personalities are suspected to have been in touch with the drug peddler on a regular basis.

Close on the heels of the arrest of Raghu and Bharat, two Telugu film actresses, Jyothi and Saira Banu, were arrested for prostitution in a police raid on an apartment in Hyderabad. An Uzbek girl and six others were also taken into custody.

The actresses have denied that they are involved in a sex racket. They claim they were in the building to meet a filmmaker for a script narration.

These developments have set the cat among the pigeons. The party scene in Hyderabad, where drugs are known to be consumed freely and in large quantities, has abruptly gone quiet, especially after the west zone deputy commissioner of police Stephen Ravindra decided to unleash four crack anti-narcotics teams to keep an eye on city pubs frequented by Telugu movie personalities, sons and daughters of powerful politicians and industrialists and professionals engaged in the IT sector.

The electronic media went ballistic in the wake of the drug bust. Drawing inferences from Clement's mobile phone book, some channels went to the extent of naming Trisha Krishnan, south India's highest paid actress and the leading leading lady of the recent Akshay Kumar starrer, Khatta Meetha, as one of the drug peddler's clients. The channels also dragged the names of Tamil/Telugu actresses like Madhu Shalini and Kamna Jethmalani into the scandal.

Trisha has strongly denied her involvement in the drug racket and has already taken legal action against the TV channel that named her in connection with the scandal. The others, too, have dismissed the charges as baseless and have offered to face blood tests in order to prove their innocence. Stars in a tangle 'It is ridiculous to sling mud on a top actress like Trisha,' actor-turned-politician Dr Rajasekhar told TSI. 'Had she been a drug addict, she wouldn't have reigned over the Telugu industry the way she does.'

'An actress who is high on drugs can never do justice to her work,' argued Dr Rajasekhar, who is also a qualified physician. He accused the police of systematically targeting leading personalities in the Telugu film industry. He asked: 'Why aren't they revealing the names of VIPs from other fields?'

Disputing Dr Rajasekhar's comments, an intelligence officer of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) insisted that many superstars and entertainers snort coke as a means to achieving a state of heightened energy. 'The consumption of cocaine and marijuana in limited potency lends a glow to the face. That is why many silver screen heroes and heroines use drugs on a regular basis,' he told TSI on condition of anonymity.

Some psychiatrists say that drugs also help people in tinsel town tide over their fears and insecurities in the face of stressful situations. 'In some cases, consumption of drugs becomes a necessity for those that have monotonous lives and careers,' Hyderabad-based psychiatrist Dr Yerra Sudheer Babu told TSI. Stars in a tangle According to the NCB intelligence officer, a past-his-prime Telugu movie actor, who once had a squeaky-clean image, is now the biggest drug peddler in the industry. The police and NCB have concrete evidence that the jet-setting film industry crowd in Hyderabad are heavily into substance abuse.

The revelations of two Ugandan youths who were nabbed recently in Delhi had alerted the police about drug trafficking in Hyderabad. According to highly placed police sources, the size of the annual nefarious business merely on the sale of cocaine, brown sugar and other drugs crosses Rs 500 crore. It is said that peddlers share 40 per cent of the profits with some film personalities who serve as conduits.

The police were once under the impression that the drugs were smuggled in from neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan. But now it is confirmed with ample evidence that Africa is the main source of drugs. Since the drugs produced in Africa are far stronger in intensity but cost much less, Uganda, Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria and South Africa have become the latest drug hubs.

In 2004, when the sleuths of the department of revenue intelligence seized a whopping Rs 100-crore worth of narcotic drugs, called MDMA, in the form of tablets being produced and manufactured in a local factory in Jeedimetla industrial area in Hyderabad, the city first hit the headlines as a hub of the drug trade.

Six years later, in 2010, when a film producer was caught while smuggling drugs and two film actors were caught while buying them, the notoriety of Hyderabad has been reestablished. Since most of the victims of drug abuse are teenagers, the superintendent of the regional intelligence unit of NCB, Lakshmi Pathy, called upon parents to be vigilant about the dangers their wards face.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM in sync with the best of the business world.....
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things

Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU): Students' Unions can not be banned
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

A certain big-hitter in cricket is not Najafgarh's only claim to fame

2011-02-14T10:57:00.002+05:30

INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

Champion grappler Sushil Kumar also put it on the wrestling map of the world after bagging the bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The 2010 Commonwealth Games is his next target. Sushil Kumar, in conversation with Spriha Srivastava, discusses the challenges'

You have experienced the international wrestling scene first hand; where do you think India lacks in producing medal winners?

Very few people actually go ahead and dream of winning medals at the level of Olympics. It's beyond imagination for many. I won a medal in wrestling after about decades! People have started to think about medals and are competing in international level tournaments now. Recently at the Asian Wrestling Championship in Delhi, I broke a world record. Such accomplishments give me the confidence to play and win. And I'm sure this also gives others the confidence to represent India at the international level.

Do you see youngsters developing an interest in wrestling?

Oh yes, of course. Now I see so many parents encouraging their kids to participate in wrestling and follow the sport if they're passionate about it. Even kids of fifth standard come to the akhada to practice wrestling. This shows that there are a lot of kids who like this sport and are now being encouraged to pursue it.

Your dad was also a wrestler. What professional tips did he share with you?

My dad was a wrestler in our village and pursued the sport passionately. He used to practice regularly. My brother and guru, Padma Shri award winner Satpal ji, practiced hard too. It was after watching him that I became more interested in the sport. I would spend hours at the akhada trying to learn wrestling. I still live at the akhada. I visit home once in about 5-6 months. I simply love the atmosphere of the akhada, and practicing wrestling throughout the day.

How important is mental strength in wrestling? Do aggressive people fare better?

It's not that aggressive people have an advantage in wrestling. Many people think that way, but it's a wrong notion. Wrestling is all about techniques and has a lot of them. More than aggression, one has to be very clear on the techniques and very calm and smart to use them. If the opposition attacks you, then you can't show aggression but smartly use your techniques to overpower him. Mental stability and calmness is extremely important for this sport. There are situations where aggression is required, but then aggression alone does not work. Techniques are required to excel in this sport. Grappling the odds A player's diet is as important as the training. We have physiotherapists and dieticians who take care of us. I play for 66 kgs and so I have to keep my weight around that much. Diet plays an important role here.

According to you, who is the toughest contender in the upcoming Commonwealth Games?

Every competition requires a lot of focus to get the better of other contenders. But if you ask about the toughest ones, then I'd name Canada, England and Australia. These countries have strong and world class players.

Do you see any difference in the training of players of the countries you've mentioned as compared to your training regimen?

We have a Georgian coach right now, so I'd say that our training is of the same standard as that of other countries. The training schedule that we have is very similar to what others have. All that differs from player to player is the use of technique: how well a player can grasp the technique and how well can he use it to his advantage.

You won gold medals in the 2003, 2005 and 2007 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship, but not in the Olympics. Is competition tougher in Olympics?

I'd say that I don't lack a lot of qualities when it comes to comparing me with other good international players. One's mental state and those little errors that one might make on the day notwithstanding, a lot also depends on one's luck. For example, it was my fault too that I could not defend myself within 15 seconds and that's why I ended up winning a bronze medal (at the Beijing Olympics). A lot depends on how the day turns out for you ' if that day favours you, you win, otherwise not!

How much does failure affect you?

Oh, not at all. Winning and losing are a part of the game; one should focus on competing and winning. And if that doesn't happen, then one should not get depressed. Practice well for next time!

Do you think the sport of wrestling could do with some more promotion in India?

If this sport is promoted well, I'm sure we would win dozens of gold medals at the Olympics. It's unimaginable how much talent we have when it comes to wrestling. If we have more facilities, we would be the champions.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
When foreign shores beckon
An array of unconventional career options
A language that divides
Ragging rights and wrongs

Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU): Students' Unions can not be banned
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
Role of Media in the moulding of youth

The laissez-faire life!

2011-02-10T12:53:00.001+05:30

INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

Puducherry is one big time warp ' I realised it within half an hour of reaching. Even before one begins to admire the beauty of this coastal paradise, one senses the freshness in the aura of this spiritually healing haven. Known for its virgin beaches and French influence, exquisite cuisine and pocket friendly markets, Pondy, as it is fondly known, is an amalgamation of the richest heritage, culture, societal influences and spirituality. My choice for the weekend promised to be an enthralling journey already!

A wonderful drive from Bengaluru, Pondy is hardly six hours away from the Garden City. The drive is the stuff of urban legend with negligible traffic, and a highway perfectly laid out through some verdant vegetation. Trees line up the highway the entire course, making the journey all the more pleasant. Once in Pondy, the options for lodging are plenty. From a variety of up-market hotels to the renowned Ashram guest house, one could choose to take a breather anywhere.

My first stop after checking into Sea View guest house was at the cycle stand where I rented a bike for making this trip even more adventurous, memorable and eco-friendly. Most hotels here would hand out a map of the city to you for easy access to all major tourist spots. The first place I pedaled to was the famous Sri Aurobindo Ashram, the hub of spiritual idyll. Known to be the richest ashram, the place is thronged by foreigners and people from all walks of life and most diverse cultures as well. The beach wasn't crowded and not too far either. Witnessing the vastness of the Bay of Bengal in its full glory was a treat in itself. The sea breeze was welcoming as always, whispering sweets nothings to the evening and bringing a smile to most faces watching the sun kiss goodbye. I had to tear myself away from the divine scene before getting back to my sea-facing guest house to indulge in a healthy cup of organic tea and a slice of my favourite cheesecake at Le Caf'. The caf' is open 24x7 and is more often than not overflowing with customers. Watching the waves hit the rocks and drifting away, melting back into the ocean, was my ideal way of being one with nature.

The next morning I woke up early and joined the flock of early risers for a brisk walk at sunrise. After a sumptuous breakfast at Le Caf' again, I cycled to Puducherry Museum. The museum has one of the rarest collections of bronze and stone sculptures from the Pallava and Chola dynasties, and an interesting assortment of artifacts excavated from Arikamedu, including a collection of 200- year-old beads made from glass and precious stones, on display. Having showered attention on the exquisite museum's details, I was ready to unwind with a relaxing stroll at the Botanical Gardens situated south of New bus stand. The French greens greeted me with over 1500 different types of plants and beautiful topiaries all along the boulevard. Nature sure has its ways to revitalise you with its sheer peacefulness' and so it did in Pondy. My last stop was at the Chunnambar Backwaters, a short drive into the suburbs of the city, where the pristine beach and its crystal clear water felt like a privilege. As the waves washed over my feet, I felt my toes dig into the sand, seemingly in the melancholy of the last few hours at this paradise port. Next to the mighty sea, it is always easier to appreciate the larger scheme of things. The laissez-faire life!

DESTINATION DOSSIER

STEERING THE COURSE

Puduchery is a perfect hideaway for a weekend. It's easily approachable from major cities in the south. Although a small town, Pondy provides for all connectivity and directions required by the traveller.

COSY CORNERS

Accommodation is the easiest at Pondy, with luxurious options such as The Prominade and the Le Dupleix. It also provides for pocket friendly options such as the Sea View guest house, and the one at the Ashram.

THE 'SEASON'ED TRAVELLER GOES NOW

Hot and humid all year round, winter ' November to January ' is a good time to visit. 'SAVOUR' FAIRE

If one pedals around like a true enthusiast, you are bound to be hungry frequently. Savour the typical spicy South Indian vadai, rasam, rice and pickle. Also relish the exquisite taste of French delicacies, sinful cakes and thick shakes at the Le Caf'.

GET TO WORK

A visit to Pondy is incomplete without a speed boat ride at the Chunnambar Backwaters and the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. The religiously inclined can chose from the Manakula Vinayagar Kovil, Varadaraja Perumal Temple, Kanniga Parameswari Temple, Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Jamai Mosque, Kuthbha Mosque etc. Bharathi park is an option too.

WHAT'S THE WORD

One may feel more at home if you know your way around French and Tamil, although the locals are mostly cordial. Being one of the most literate towns, people are courteous and helpful.

KEEPSAKE COURTESIES

Host to one of the finest architecture and design, this culturally rich town offers ' surprise surprise ' some brilliant Madhubani Paintings at really affordable prices. Then grab some shell souvenirs to decorate that living room back home.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India

When foreign shores beckon
An array of unconventional career options
A language that divides
Ragging rights and wrongs

Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU): Students' Unions can not be banned
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
Role of Media in the moulding of youth

Homeopathy: Time-tested medication

2011-02-07T13:47:00.002+05:30

INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

The persistent attempts by lobbies to discredit homeopathy stem from a commercial motive

Dr A K Arun

Award-winning homeopathic practitioner

Lately, attacks on homeopathy by the allopathic lobbies have increased. Recently, in Britain, an organisation representing junior doctors demanded a ban on this medical science on the pretext that it is just another form of quackery. But this attack by the allopathic lobby on the effectiveness, scientific basis and healing capacity of homeopathy is not new. Five years ago, in August 2005, a British magazine, The Lancet, published a controversial essay titled 'The End of Homeopathy'. In this article, Dr Ising Shang and his aides concluded that homeopathy is nothing more than a mere placebo (sham medical intervention that produces a placebo effect). The report and the magazine were taken to task then. People maintain that the attack on homeopathy was prompted by a WHO decision to declare it the second most organised and practical medicine system. Clearly, the motive behind these persistent attacks seems purely commercial in nature.

It is the failure of allopathy to come up with remedies for newer disease that has prompted people to turn towards homeopathy and other alternative medicine systems. Surprisingly, in the early stages, the big names in the allopathic system adopted this as the base for their medical practice. But the tide turned against homeopathy because the allopathic lobbies were worried about people's adverse reaction to strong drugs that have severe side affects and have a lower reliability quotient. Dr Peter Fisher, a known name in the British medical fraternity and a practitioner at Royal London Hospital, terms this frustration of the allopathic lobbies as 'unnecessary'. He adds that the number of people who are turning to homeopathy is increasing in London itself. The British government spends 4 million pounds annually on homeopathic hospitals. In fact, the popularity of homeopathy is increasing in India and outside equally. Michael Brooks, an expert with British Scientific and Medical Statistics says that as many as 40% of French doctors rely on homeopathy. The corresponding figure in Germany and Britain stands at 20% and 37% respectively. Similarly, a survey done way back in 1999 in America suggests that as many as 6 million Americans were going through homeopathic treatment even without any insurance coverage. The figure crossed 10 million this year. The present golden era for the medical and pharmaceutical profession has become a den for profiteers. Growing by a robust 13% per year, the healthcare industry is among the most profitable industries in the world. Such is the lust for money that doctors have no qualms about fleecing a sick man. Even in developed countries such as the US, as many as 30 to 40% people have no access to modern healthcare. When President Obama brought the bill to cover these 30% people, the capitalists and the elite created a massive hue and cry. It appeared as if the rich there don't want the poor to survive. The attitude is similar to the opposition to homeopathy by the allopathic lobbies.

Now some facts. In 1854, London was hit by a cholera epidemic. While the death rate of people under allopathic treatment was as high as 53.2%, the corresponding figure for people under homeopathic treatment was merely 24.4 %. The story was much the same during the yellow fever epidemic of Hamburg in 1892, and the diphtheria epidemic in New York in 1962-64. Homeopathy had the major role to play in stopping the spread. The role of homeopathy in the worldwide influenza epidemic in 1918 is well documented too. For people who have been declared incurable and terminally ill by allopathic practitioners, homeopathy becomes the last hope. In several cases, homeopathy has also given them a reason, a hope, to live on and fight. In ailments such as skin disease, joint pains, cancer, tumour, pediatric and gynecological disorders, homeopathy has done wonders. Yet, the allopathic lobby that has an upper hand on the community medicine system does not allow homeopathy to become its part. They don't want people to look for an alternative even if they are not happy with allopathy.

It is pretty evident that the challenges facing the community health system is increasing by the day and the modern medicine system is unable to deal with it. Be it plague or SARS, malaria or TB, dysentery or flu, the allopathic system has made the problem complex. Malaria has turned more deadly. Medicines for TB have become ineffective. The viruses of several kinds of influenzas have developed immunity towards the medicine. In such circumstances, homeopathy is the only alternative. The role of homeopathy in the management of community health system is ignored. It has a whole range of medicines to counter all sorts of epidemics. Homeopathy has come up with a medicine called Beladona that is effective in countering Japanese encephalitis. The need of the hour is the proper implementation of the homeopathy system that gives a cheap and effective alternative cure to several diseases.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
When foreign shores beckon

An array of unconventional career options
A language that divides
Ragging rights and wrongs

Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU): Students' Unions can not be banned
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
Role of Media in the moulding of youth

IIPM: Manthan 'The Talk Show' on National Youth Day

2011-01-17T13:16:00.006+05:30

Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU): Students' Unions can not be banned

IIPM is an Institute of PostGraduate (MBA) & UnderGraduate (BBA) Courses / Degree. It was founded by renowned economic visionary Dr. M.K Chaudhuri in the year 1973. It is every student's dream to get admission in IIPM. IIPM has 18 branches through out India and Delhi campus is the International campus of the institute.

12th January, 1863 is the birth date of Shri. Swami Vivekanandji – a great philosopher and social reformer. In his memory the day is celebrated in India as “National Youth day”.
On this event, GIDF Club of IIPM Lucknow in collaboration with Prithvi Innovations organized a seminar for the students and others members from the corporate world. Event was celebrated by small talks on “Swami Vivekananda and youth” by Expert panel on Motivation, Leadership, Laws of Life, Inter-personal Relationships, Stress, Life-Balance. The panel comprised of Swami Muktinathandan (Secretary Ramkrishna Math, Dr. Pankaj Kumar (IIM Lucknow ) and other members of Ramkrishna Math..Event was organized in the auditorium of Ramkrishna Math and very enthusiastically participated by undergraduate and postgraduate students and staff members of IIPM Lucknow.

Mrs Anuradha Gupta (founder secretary Prithvi Innovations) conducted the programme and welcomed Dr. Pankaj Kumar, Mr. Amlan Ray (Dean IIPM Lucknow) on the dais. Then programme was officially inaugurated by en-lighting the lamp and introductory speech by Swami Muktinathanand Swami ji conveyed his message regarding importance of the theme for the young enthusiastic students and role of young members of the country in preservation of National Heritage. Following the introductory speech there was a play on the Life of Swami Vivekananda, in that they highlighted few important events from the life of Swami Vivekananda and explained the characteristics of a “young person” as per Swami Vivekanand.

To summarize, event lasted for almost one and half hour and was a grand success in the form of participation by the young audience for whom it was organized.

IIPM Students Take Part In Intra College Competition In Biyani College

An intra college competition was conducted in Biyani college from 22nd December to 24th December, 2010. And, it comprised of a quiz, debate, group discussion and dance competition .IIPM students participated for the same and won first prize in the dance competition as well as a second prize for the group discussion and quiz competition. Altogether it was an event full of learning as well as fun.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
A language that divides

Ragging rights and wrongs
Arindam Chaudhuri: Movie time for Kapil Sibal
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things

Bramheshwar Singh Mukhia

2011-01-09T10:40:00.002+05:30

IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board

When he was not arrested, Mukhia never fought election in his life. Leave alone MP or MLA, Mukhia never ever contested even in the local elections. But when he was arrested and taken to jail, he decided to give it a shot. He fought the election and lost. He never managed to bag the alias like MLA Saheb, MP Saheb or Netaji. But he was lovingly called 'Mukhia' by his supporters. Mukhia can variously mean local head and several things. He got this alias because he used to lead the dreaded Ranvir Sena, a notorious caste militia that was indulged in a bloody battle with Leftist ultras in Bihar. He was a cold-hearted mastermind who designed and executed some of the most gruesome massacres that the nation has witnessed. Lakshmanpur Bathe was particularly horrible where the total number of casualties touched the three-figure mark. However, Mukhia always alluded the police because of his simple way of living and penchant for camouflage. His house, a sort of pilgrimage for upper caste Bhumihars whose cause he claimed to have championed, is desolate these days. The same people who drew pride in calling themselves his relatives, now try to distance themselves from his name. His Ranvir Sena was seen by the upper castes as their reply to Leftist ultras and hence they opened their purse strings and heart strings for the 'cause'. His house in Khopira, his office at Katira in Ara and his undisclosed office in Patna used to bustle with people. Mukhia had managed to cultivate a sort of cult status for himself. All sorts of people used to claim the during his camouflaged visit, Mukhia talked to them or/and gave signals. Anyone who was in direct contact with him was almost worshiped. But these stories appear legend today. No one comes to meet him and his family these days. He has been abandoned. His son Indu Bhushan is bitter about this. He mumbles a few expletives and curses his fate.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Lucknow – News article in Economic Times and Times of India
Rajita Chaudhuri follow some off-beat trends like organizing make up sessions

IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps
Prof Rajita Chaudhuri: The New Age Woman

Electoral Violence

2011-01-06T09:38:00.002+05:30

Prof Rajita Chaudhuri follow some off-beat trends like organizing make up sessions

October-November happens to be the festive season in Bihar. And year 2005 witnessed double festivity. While people of Bihar were busy in celebrating Durga Puja, Diwali, Bhai Dooj, Chhatt and other minor festivals, the state administration, EC and the police were busy in organising the festival of democracy. K. J. Rao, adviser to the then Election Commissioner and Special Observer to Bihar Polls, was responsible for the free and fair election that took place after years. The election saw minimal violence because of his dedication, hard efforts and better electoral management. While the 15 years of Lalu-Rabri era came to end, Nitish Kumar came to power. People were surprised to see the environment in which the election was conducted.

It is because of the will of people like T.N. Seshan and K.J. Rao that electoral environment in the state has improved. However, even then, these musclemen were able to score in 2005 elections. But their decline started soon following the speedy trial through fast track courts. Once they were convicted, they became ineligible to contest the elections. Says Premchand Mishra, spokesperson, Bihar Congress Committee, 'Due to the meticulous planning by the EC, we have been able to bring down electoral violence in the state substantially. The electorates are ready to weed out strongmen once and for all. A glimpse of this resolve was witnessed in the last election.'

However, P K Thakur, ADG (Headquarters), joint spokesperson, Police Headquarters, insists that speedy trials have helped. 'By bringing the criminals to book, we have been able to send a positive signal to the common people. The sense of security has increased. It seems that we would be able to hold the next elections in a free, fair and fearless manner. The last Lok Sabha election has changed the perception. This has been achieved not only by heavy police deployment but also because common people have put their faith in the writ of the law,' he told TSI.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
Run after passion and not money, says Arindam Chaudhuri
Award Conferred To Irom Chanu Sharmila By IIPM
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
IIPM Lucknow – News article in Economic Times and Times of India

AUTUMN OF THE DONS: Anand Mohan

2011-01-03T13:33:00.003+05:30

IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board

The story of the meteoric rise of Anand Mohan can only come second to his meteoric fall. Almost two decades ago, he caught the imagination of a certain group of youth in the state like never before. In the post-Mandal days, the anger of the so-called upper caste youth saw its manifestation in the form of Mohan. In no time, the man boasted a popular support base that had the capability to change the course of politics in the state. A visibly jubilant Anand Mohan formed the Bihar Peoples' Party to give wings to his political aspirations. In the following election, he used a helicopter to campaign in the entire state, no mean feat for an independent and a political non grata. However, his youth brigade couldn't see better of the tried and tested political players and Anand's party returned a dismal performance. But such was his charisma that he and his glamorous wife became political hot properties. Although he was popular among upper castes in general, his popularity in his own Rajput community was unparalleled. In no time, he learnt the art of jumping parties and that became the cause of his political demise.

His moment of glory came in 1993 when in a by-election for Vaishali seat, his wife Lovely Anand trounced Kishori Sinha, wife of ex-CM Satyandra Narayan Singh from their stronghold. Political pundits were stunned. Nobody could explain the phenomenon. But that was the pinnacle of their rise. Whatever happened from then onwards only accelerated their decline. And it came real soon G. Krishnaiyah, the then DM of Gopalganj, was lynched by a mob in broad daylight. It was alleged that Mohan and his men were responsible and that Mohan egged the mob on. Other charges were already there but never pressed. Things changed with Nitish. Mohan was always on the run. Delhi, Jaipur, Dehradun and even Nepal became his regular hideouts. But money kept flowing. His wife had to run from Saharsa to Patna to Delhi every now and then. After his arrest, she added jail to her schedule too. They spend more time with lawyers than their supporters. Naturally, their political fortunes have suffered. His wife also takes care of their children who study at Welhams Boys and Welhams Girls in Dehradun. They have not visited their hometown for years now. Once a glamour doll, Lovely looks merely a shadow of her former self these days.

However, Anand's conviction in the DM lynch case has seen his mother Gita Devi joining the political fray. She is primarily active in her home district of Saharsa. His supporters, under the banner of 'Friends of Anand Mohan', raise voices every now and then. One of its key officials, Manoj Lal Das, still believes that his leader's struggle will not go to waste.

Lovely tries to avoid media. Talking to TSI, her frustration becomes too obvious. Manoj is bitter that many of Anand's friends have left him to suffer. His one-time trusted allies Rajiv Prasad Rudy and Prabhunath Singh have joined BJP and JD(U) respectively and have become parts of the mainstream. Many of his lackeys have shifted loyalties and have been aptly rewarded. It appears that in its quest for political rehabilitation, the Anand family is all alone. Anand has penned a few unreadable books inside the prison and a few of them have been formally launched too.

Christmas Celebrations At IIPM Pune.....

2010-12-31T13:54:00.002+05:30

IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board

IIPM (The Institute of PostGraduate (MBA) & UnderGraduate (BBA) Courses / Degree) was founded by renowned economic visionary Dr. M.K Chaudhuri in the year 1973. It is every student's dream to get admission in IIPM. IIPM has 18 branches through out India. Delhi campus is the International campus of the institute. IIPM is ranked No.1 in Placement Record,Quality of Faculty and Global Exposure. It is ranked No.2 in Student Development, Potential to Network and Infrastructure. It is ranked No.7 in Course Contents amongst all B-Schools in India.

Considering the ongoing festive mood, this day was dedicated to the spirit of Christmas and well-being. The students and staff members were dressed in the colors of ‘Red & White’, the whole campus was decorated with balloons and streamers (code scheme Red-White-Green), a Christmas tree was decorated and placed at the main entrance. On the student display boards, a new-year-resolution poster was put up where nominees went ahead and posted their new-year plans and thoughts. A fish-bowl was placed at the main entrance where all posted good thoughts and compliments to each other. These messages were later distributed by Santa Claus himself! YES, one of our students dressed up as Santa Claus and visited classes during breaks, distributing messages and candies to the students. We must say that he played the role very convincingly with the complete ‘HO-HO, HA-HA’ rhythm. The good-will messages were shared between faculties and students as well. This event was coordinated by the mentor-ship team and the students participated in it whole-heatedly, right from purchasing resources, planning activities, decoration and chart-making, etc. During the day, soft carols were played in the canteen. Overall, the mood was very chirpy and festive.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Lucknow – News article in Economic Times and Times of India
Rajita Chaudhuri follow some off-beat trends like organizing make up sessions
IIPM Prof Arindam Chaudhuri on Our Parliament and Parliamentarians' Work
Prof Rajita Chaudhuri: The New Age Woman

Opinion poll: Cong should thank BJP

2010-12-20T15:44:00.007+05:30

Prof Rajita Chaudhuri follow some off-beat trends like organizing make up sessions

India is far from shining under the UPA rule but the Opposition has proved worthless

Yashwant Deshmukh
Psephologist and promoter, CVOTER

You don't really need to go through the 'report card' presented by Dr Manmohan Singh to the 'people' of the country to judge UPA II's performance in its first year to know the state of the nation. While the Prime Minister may have lauded the performance of his government at least on the economic front and expressed 'cautious optimism' about the future, you have to be living on another planet to believe that all is hunky dory. In the past year, price rise and the threat of terror attacks have wreaked havoc on ordinary Indians. And these are just two of the major concerns which find resonance in urban and rural pockets alike. Even in the fields of health and education, not to mention infrastructure where the government lists its most notable achievements, there has been little progress on the ground.

While the report deals with several of the UPA's pet schemes, including NREGA, and lists the government's achievements and plans in human development, social inclusion, rural renewal, urban transformation, economic growth, environment, science and technology and disaster management etc., what is the state of the nation? And are Indians truly pleased with the government's performance? These are two questions that need closer scrutiny.

A survey done by CVOTER across 180 Lok Sabha segments in April-May sought answers from 8,721 respondents selected randomly. When asked to rate the government's performance on a scale of 0-10, the mean score that the Centre bagged was an honourable 6.58. UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi got rated only slightly lower at a mean score of 6.56 and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh bagged 6.39. These better-than-average scores may signal people's acknowledgement of the UPA government's performance.

However, if you compare these scores with those received by the Opposition, the picture becomes clearer. While Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj bags an average mean score of 5.13, NDA leader L.K. Advani comes across as the significant loser in the satisfaction index; he scores a below-average 4.73. Clearly, there is acute public dissatisfaction with the performance of the Opposition whose role is of paramount importance in any democracy. And even as the PM may be busy patting himself and his team on the back, it may be argued that the people's support for his government comes not so much from its performance but from a non-functioning Opposition. In short, there's no viable alternative in sight.

The nation's perception of its state and where it is headed couldn't be clearer. When asked what they thought of their living standards in the last one year, 53 per cent from the lower income group responded that it had either remained unchanged or deteriorated.

As many as 49 per cent in the middle income group reported the same while 41 per cent in the higher income group agreed with that'as compared to 56 per cent who thought that it had improved in the same segment. These findings clearly suggest that despite the UPA's poll plank of social inclusiveness and rural development, the poorest in the country have borne the brunt of rising prices and unemployment and underdevelopment. The rich, on the other hand, seem to have benefitted from the government's economic policies.

If Bharat was not shinning in the NDA regime, neither does it seem to be under the present government.

Rising prices, unemployment and terror attacks are the most important issues facing the nation today, reiterated by the findings of our survey, with 16, 18 and 14 per cent of people respectively zeroing in on these when asked to name the most significant problem in India today. These are emotive issues and significantly, 30 per cent of the people surveyed blamed the Central government squarely for the price rise.

But despite being blamed for the situation, why did Indian voters bring the Congress back to power? The numbers are once again illuminating. Apart from those who felt that elections are not won on issues but through money and muscle power (9 per cent), 24 per cent attributed the Congress' success to the Opposition, saying that it was caught up in internal wranglings and did not take up this issue adequately as also to the fact that they did not 'trust' the Opposition. Another 12 per cent said that the Congress' success was in hiding its failures, pointing to the public's disenchantment.

The opposition's inadequacy was brought home when more than one third (37 per cent) people said that the major opposition party, the BJP, had failed to perform its duty of bringing the voice of the people to Parliament.

It's obviously time for the Opposition to wake up from its fitful slumber and smell the coffee.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
Run after passion and not money, says Arindam Chaudhuri
Award Conferred To Irom Chanu Sharmila By IIPM
IIPM Prof Arindam Chaudhuri on Our Parliament and Parliamentarians' Work

ASSAM ACCIDENTS: Killer roads take a toll

2010-12-11T16:23:00.002+05:30

Prof Rajita Chaudhuri follow some off-beat trends like organizing make up sessions

Experts attribute road accidents to overspeeding

Some twenty-five passengers were injured when a bus collided with a truck on the NH 31 at Pathsala in Barpeta district on the night of May 16.

Nearly fifteen schoolchildren were injured when a school bus (AS 15-1616) fell into a ditch on May 22 at Burah in Darrang district.

Local dailies in Assam unfailingly reports about such road accidents. According to government statistics, during the past one decade road accident cases have doubled in the state. In 2000, some 2,429 road accident cases were reported. But the figure increased to 4,869 in 2009. Accidental deaths in 2009 were 1,991 as against 1,032 in 2000. In comparison to all India level, Assam shares 44 per cent of accidental deaths.

In Guwahati city, some 626 motor accident cases took place in 2007; 626 in 2007; 641 in 2008 and 508 in 2008. Among districts Sonitpur registered a maximum 363 accidental cases in 2009. Lower Assam's Dhubri district and Barak valley's Cachar district stood second and third with 346 and 306 accidental cases. Out of 4,686 accidents taking place in the state in 2008, as many as 2,683 accidents took place on national highways; 849 were on state highways and the remaining 1,151 on other roads of the state.

City Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Bibekananda Das told TSI that the traffic branch of city police is compiling last five years' data of road accidents to study them. Only after completion of the process, decision could be taken to prevent accidents, the newly appointed SP (traffic) said. Traffic experts attribute road accidents to overspeeding and even increasing cars on the roads. 'Untrained drivers, fake licence holders and absence of civic sense among people are also responsible for increasing number of accidents,' Violet Baruah, SP (CID) told TSI. The problem is further compounded when some drivers don't obey traffic rules, she said.

According to the rule, mobile phones should not be used during driving and seat belts should be fastened, but only a few people obey them. Drunk driving is also responsible for several road accidents in the state.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
Run after passion and not money, says Arindam Chaudhuri
IIPM BBA MBA B-School: Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize To Irom Chanu Sharmila
Arindam Chaudhuri – Everything is not in our hands
Planman Consulting: The sister concern of IIPM

Planman Consulting
Prof Rajita Chaudhuri on 'THEY ARE COMING TO GET YOU – NOT ALIENS SILLY'
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps

Event at IIPM Chandigarh and Chennai

2010-11-01T14:11:00.006+05:30

IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri: The New Age Woman

IIPM Chandigarh held a Seminar on outlook for global economy
A seminar on ‘Outlook for the global economy over the next year’ was orgainsed by IIPM Chandigarh at its campus on Sunday. The guest of honour for the seminar was Prof Clare Moonan, senior lecturer, International Business, Sheffield Business School, Sheffield Hallam University (UK).

The focus was on understanding the political and economic environment with a view to work with international arena. This discussion was taken a step higher by understanding the working of global economy over the next few years with some points like including recovery is proceeding at varying speeds, financial conditions have improved further but remain challenging, commodity prices are rebounding, inflation pressures will remain subdued in most economies, continued policy efforts are needed to sustain the recovery and prepare for exit.

One day blood donation camp at IIPM Chennai
It was extremely heart warming to see 55 people comprising of staff and students at IIPM Chennai come and put their best foot forward by donating blood for a worthy cause. IIPM Chennai’s Great Indian Dream Club in association with Lions Blood Bank and Research Foundation Egmore conducted a one day blood donation camp at IIPM. The events team at IIPM gave people the opportunity to give back to society, the same society where they live and thrive everyday. Sonal Chatterji from IIPM commented “Donating blood is such a striking experience that no words can define. You have to donate blood yourself to feel it. Anyone might require blood anytime including ourselves and our dear ones”. A student K.S Ahmed Faraz said “ It was a great feeling donating the blood for a good cause”.

Officials from the association shared that donating blood reduces the chances of Ischemic heart diseases as frequent donations reduce the accumulated and unwanted iron load from the body. Blood acts as a life saving medicine which works wonders in certain medical treatments. It was above all a touching experience and great satisfaction in saving lives with unselfish efforts.

From a humble beginning that Lions Blood Bank, Egmore made in 1984 and with the untiring and zealous approach of many philanthropists, today, it has made a remarkable progress and has carved a niche among the hospitals and the medical practitioners for supply of quality products. This project has invested about Rs 10,000,000 for its expansion program for production of blood components during the period 1998-1999. At Lions Blood Bank, each unit of blood passes through a rigorous screening process for Malaria, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Syphilis and HIV. One percent of all produced components are subjected to rigorous analysis by in-house and independent laboratories, in order to maintain the highest quality of blood products and ensure that the risk of infections being transmitted by transfusion is minimal.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Run after passion and not money, says Arindam Chaudhuri
IIPM BBA MBA B-School: Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize To Irom Chanu Sharmila
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website
Planman Consulting
Social Networking Sites have become advertising shops
IIPM makes business education truly global

The lost treasures campaign

2010-10-21T14:56:00.002+05:30

IIPM B-School Detail

ASI makes efforts to bring back artifacts held abroad

The Archaeological Survey of India has joined international network of various countries to give a fillip to effort to bring back precious Indian artifacts held abroad.

Many other countries such as Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Chilie, Cyprus and Bolivia are working together with India to reclaim their lost treasures. Also, they are getting support from the UNESCO. Each of these countries are trying to prepare a database of such artifacts. It's understood that once it is ready they will make a concerted effort through diplomatic and legal channels to reclaim their antiquities.

Of late, India has launched a campaign for the return of iconic Kohinoor and Sultanganj Buddha statue that were taken away during the British rule. But, chances of bringing these rare artifacts back are really dim as British Museum Act-1963 doesn't allow items acquired through authentic process to be removed, according to experts. In order to get these artifacts, India and other countries will have to mount pressure on the UK to change its antiquities law.

Even ASI officials are apprehensive about the move. They believe that their efforts may not yield positive results in particular cases. A senior ASI official told TSI on the condition of anonymity: "We have successfully brought back many lost and stolen artifacts in the past. But Kohinoor is a different case altogether. There are many complex issues involved in the process. We are studying the antiquity law of the UK and trying to collect the necessary facts." ASI chairman Gautam Sengupta has stressed on the need to be realistic on the chance of getting back these most-talked about treasures.

Earlier, the ASI had succeeded in bringing back many stolen artifacts such as Atru Tehsil of Rajasthan and a Buddha statue of Bodhgaya, Bihar. Indian-origin people lobbied in the UK for the return of these stolen items. Besides, the ASI also raised the issue with UK Ambassador and ultimately the artifacts were returned. Can the ASI repeat its success story again? It seems difficult with Kohinoor, say experts. They said the Britishers took it after the treaty of Lahore was signed following two wars with Sikhs. However, the ASI is trying to push the matter on case-to-case basis as the list of artifacts held abroad is too long to handle.

Vikas Kumar

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Prof. Rajita Chaudhuri's Website
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
IIPM Lucknow – News article in Economic Times and Times of India
Arindam Chaudhuri – Everything is not in our hands
Planman Consulting

IIPM makes business education truly global
domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs
Social Networking Sites have become advertising shops
IIPM ranked No 1 B-School in India
IIPM: Management Education India

eBay’s latest TVC may refresh the good ol’ memories of Doordarshan instantly

2010-09-21T14:39:00.000+05:30

but will it actually make an impact in the consumers’ minds to eventually hop on to internet’s buying and selling world is still an unanswered question.

Location: Humboldt County, 420 km north of San Francisco, California. Three cows, eight houses, and a post office. Add to it a population of less than 25. Founded in 1865 in the aftermath of the California Gold Rush, it boasts of three owners in the last 130 years. Still Clueless? Bridgeville, the tiniest of towns in North Western California may provide a little help, which seemed long past its glory days when in 2002, it shot at immortality as it became the first town ever to be listed on eBay. The world’s greatest auction and shopping website has again made heads turn with its ‘Super Deals, Super Safe’ campaign in India. But is this really a new beginning of ‘The eBay way’ in the country?

Narottam Puri and Komal GB Singh, the oldest anchors on the Indian television, reignited the nostalgia of Doordarshan’s talk show programs via the latest TVC of this online shopping giant. The names are well-known to almost every single Indian individual belonging to the 20+ age group as they ruled Doordarshan’s charts when simplicity and to the point talk ruled the roost and glamour and frivolity were almost non-existent. The TV commercial showcase a similar talk show called ‘The eBay way’ where callers ask questions related to various choices in their lives and the hosts direct them to the eBay website with the message of getting the best and the most secure deals. This move by eBay at one level, creates a unique identity in the minds of the target group so as to enhance the brand awareness and brand recall but fundamentally, this campaign is trying to achieve something far bigger (read: tougher). According to market reports, close to 50 million Indians go to the internet at least once a week. Out of these, at least 35 million visit the internet daily. And around 90% of those surf the net for some or the other sort of products, be it goods or services. But, as it

goes with the Indian psyche, word of mouth publicity still towers above all and most netizens still want to follow opinion leaders in their reliability sphere. Hence, still maximum purchases happen to be offline. And that’s the wall eBay is trying to crack with this campaign.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Award Conferred To Irom Chanu Sharmila By IIPM
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
IIPM Lucknow – News article in Economic Times and Times of India
IIPM: Planman Stars – Event management made easy

Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
IIPM Related Links
Social Networking Sites have become advertising shops

B School in India-IIPM - Nutrivita PRESENTS 100 MARKETING BRAINS THAT MOVE AND SHAKE INDIA

2010-08-26T23:35:00.002+05:30

Dr. Jurgen Gessler

President & CEO, Porsche Design Group (PDG)

The toughest part of my job is to explain the intangible value of our brand that has existed for so many decades. But to talk about one memorable marketing moment is a tough task. However, here is one – our 100th store globally, which also marked our entry in the Indian market. Through our public relation managers and our Indian partner, we designed a store, which highlighted our rich design. The form and function of the store was meant to change the way people used some of the most basic products in their daily life, be it the wrist watch or a typical toaster. It was typically a different experience.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

“We will change your outlook” – The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read…

The Sunday Indian:-

B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!

For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine’s B School Ranking Scam Exposed

Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor

Don’t trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education

IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years

TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. – For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here

Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Set to play catch-up...

2010-07-30T13:39:00.002+05:30

Europe’s biggest carmaker, Volkswagen, post the decline of US auto giants and in the midst of a restructuring of the European automobile industry has ambitions to become the world’s largest automaker. Their first move has come in one of the world’s largest auto markets India. The plan is to cash in on their 19.9% stake (worth $2.5 billion dollars) in Suzuki, Japan’s 3rd largest automaker. VW, which is China’s largest automaker and world’s second largest is hoping for both organic and in-organic growth in the Indian market. According to Vaishali Jajoo, auto analyst at Angel Trade, “In partnership with Suzuki, the VW Group can take a big step forward in the compact car segment, particularly in emerging markets. In turn, Suzuki can benefit from VW’s experience with efficient and environmentally-friendly drive train and vehicle technologies.”

Anchal Gupta

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
IIPM Related Links
IIPM ISBE Programmes
Management guru Arindam Chaudhuri’s latest blockbuster book, Discover The Diamond In You
IIPM fights meltdown, places 2300 students By Education Mail Bureau
Detail of all IIPM branches
Arindam Chaudhuri's Portfolio - he is at his candid best by Society Magazine

What’s in the name?

2010-06-22T14:50:00.005+05:30

IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years

Just months after ratan tata showcased the nano, rajiv Bajaj is ready with his prototype of the small car in alliance with Renault. However, the small car plans of the Bajaj-Renault JV haven’t really been able to match the pace of the former so far. In fact, the prototype that was showcased in 2008 carried a Bajaj logo, but during his last visit, Carlos Ghosn, CEO, Renault, said that there were some branding issues and Bajaj Auto may not get a place for its logo on the car. But then, one should not forget that Renault has not yet tasted success on the Indian turf. While its JV with M&M is riding through choppy waters (with the falling sales of Logan, its tie-up with Ashok Leyland too is on the rough lane. This makes it all the more imperative for the French automaker to get its small car strategy right in India. “Keeping in mind the size and potential of the Indian small car market, getting the small car right will be vital for both Bajaj and Renault,” explains auto expert Tutu Dhawan. Moreover, there will be millions of Tata Nano running on the road by the time the duo launches its product in 2013. So, before thinking of giving competition to Nano, Renault should re-consider putting Bajaj’s logo on the small car as despite being new to the four-wheeler industry, the small car may benefit from Bajaj’s existing brand equity in the country.

Pawan Chabra

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here

Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎
IIPM Related Links
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme
IIPM 2-year full time Programme (leading to the award of the MBA degree from IMI)
Exclusive In chat with Society Magazine - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

The top guns of Indian automotive industry are hurrying up to make a mark in the pre-owned car segment,

2010-06-02T16:43:00.002+05:30

but has the Indian consumer moved beyond conventional local second-hand car dealers? By Pawan Chabra

It was always there in the mind of Aryan Oberoi, 29, (working as an Area Sales Manager with a MNC bank) to buy a car for his beloved wife. But then that was before the slowdown blues hit the market. However, now that he genuinely feels that the economy is out of the woods, his plans are back on track again. But hey, not exactly how he thought earlier. After losing a sizable amount of money in the stock market and still waiting for this years increment, he is now considering options of buying a pre-owned vehicle instead of his original plan to buy a brand new A2 segment car (entry-level hatchback). Not to mention the long-waiting lists in this particular segment too has contributed to Oberoi’s change in decision.

However, deciding to buy a pre-owned car, now he is face to face with a new dilemma. As per him, “Buying a pre-owned car makes more sense for me at the moment. But I am still confused between the company certified pre-owned showrooms and the local car dealers.” But he is not the only one, there are many like Aryan who are facing the same dilemma of choosing between the certified and the local car dealers, showing that the neighborhood second-hand car dealers still play a vital role in Indian consumers’ minds. On the other hand, the big wigs of the Indian automotive industry are jumping in to the pre-owned cars arena with all guns blazing, behaving as if the Indian consumers are just waiting for them. With the two ends responding differently, has the Indian consumer started to move beyond the conventional local second hand car dealer, remains the biggest question to be asked?

The concept of certified pre-owned cars is not new to the country as Maruti’s True Value was launched as early as 2001. And without any doubt, the market leader of the Indian automotive industry, Maruti Suzuki, also holds the same position in the pre-owned segment. In fact, Maruti’s True Value has the largest network in the industry holding a mind-boggling 318 outlets in 186 cities. The other big names operating in the industry are M&M’s First Choice, Honda’s Auto Terrace, Toyota’s U Trust Toyota and GM’s Chevrolet OK, who are super active currently in their efforts to make pre-owned cars a significant contributor to the top-line of their company. Moreover, the tussle between BMW and Mercedes Benz is now all set to enter the pre-owned segment. BMW, which has no presence in the used car segment so far, will be launching its second hand car arm by next year in competition to Mercedes’ already existing pre-owned car arm.

However, of late, the point of attraction has been Hyundai Motors India Limited (HMIL). The company which launched Hyundai Advantage in 2006 with the aim to cater to the needs of the customers, with 6 dealers across 6 prominent locations in India is today accessible to around 69 operational dealers across 49 locations in India. Add to it the fact that the company now aims to take the number up to 108 dealers across 59 cities by the end of 2009 itself and then to 200 in another 12 months. “We want to aggressively focus on Hyundai Advantage, as it will not only help us retain our old customers through exchange and upgrade schemes, but will also make an interesting business proposition given the phenomenal market for used cars in India,” explains Arvind Saxena, Senior-VP – Marketing & Sales, HMIL. Saxena further added that there are around 1.3 lakh vehicles being sold in the organised pre-owned segment every year and the number is expected to grow by many folds going forward. But HMIL is not alone which is expecting a surge in demand in the pre-owned car market. GM India, which launched the Chevrolet OK programme in April this year, has already surpassed its targeted figure of 500 vehicles in the current calendar year by selling around 620 vehicles by the end of October. “We launched our pre-owned car business in April 2009 with five outlets. The company now has 22 outlets and by December 2009, we propose to have 30 Chevy OK outlets across the country. The Indian consumer is evolving with the time and the popularity of certified pre-owned car showrooms in the country is increasing very fast,” avers P. Balendran, VP-Sales, GM India.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here

Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎
IIPM Related Links
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
Exclusive In chat with Society Magazine - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

CAN YOU SELL IT FOR ME?

2010-05-25T15:19:00.002+05:30

It was just two years back when Hero Honda started engaging villagers to sell its two-wheelers, and that’s when the turnaround began for it

What happens when you engage someone from your target audience to sell your product to the rest of the group? A super sale! And that’s what exactly came about when the country’s largest two-wheeler maker, Hero Honda, decided to try out this novel idea and that too at a time when it had just started feeling the competition heat.

The company initiated its Har Gaon, Har Aangan campaign in December 2007 wherein it adopted a three-pronged strategy. First, the company referred to its Usage & Attitude study conducted by its in-house research agency and identified the potential customers in villages across the country. In the second stage, it charted out events (like festivals, marriages, harvests, et al) in the villages so that it can take advantage of the cash holding capacity of the villagers. And lastly, Hero Honda entered into numerous vehicle finance tie ups with NBFCs, cooperative banks and regional rural banks to supply enough cash to the consumers.

However, the most important decision which it took while implementing its rural strategy was that it trained around 500 rural sales executives to sell its bikes to the villagers. It even conducted meetings with village sarpanchs, headmasters and anganwadi workers in villages across the country to enhance its reach. They also visited the potential customers at their homes and invited them to drop in at the company’s dealerships, located a few kms away. In fact, the occurrence of these visits increased many fold during the times of festivals. As Anil Dua, Sr. VP (Marketing & Sales), Hero Honda avers, “The study captured every aspect of the potential customers’ lives. It tracked aspects like the level of awareness of brand Hero Honda, the current modes of transportation and their purchase behaviour, et al.” So, it’s no wonders that Hero Honda generated 45-50% of its total sales from semi-urban and rural areas in FY’ 09. Further, Har Gaon, Har Aangan campaign has not only helped the company to develop a new relationship with its rural consumers, but also gave it an opportunity to increase the two-wheelers penetration level in rural India, which still stands at just over 8%.

What’s more? Encouraged by the success of the campaign, Hero Honda is now all set to roll out its on-ground activation for rural consumers. Further, it has also doubled its touch-points in rural areas from 2,000 in 2006 to nearly 4,000 in 2009. So, now you know what it takes to sell your product in the hinterland!

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎
IIPM Related Links
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
Exclusive In chat with Society Magazine - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

What’s the magic word?

2010-04-28T17:12:00.003+05:30

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

“We can’t comment on the stock price as it largely depends on the volatility of the market,” says the Jet Airways’ spokesperson. Even Prakash Mirpuri, the spokesperson of Kingfisher Airlines refrains himself from commenting, quoting similar reasons. No doubt, after going through their worst financial phase, a sense of self doubt and susceptibility is ought to linger among these airlines.

But, with the economy finally showing some green shoots, it’s the increase in air traffic (which registered a 27% yoy growth in August 2009) over the last few months that perhaps seem responsible for the return of the investors’ confidence on these stocks. “The airline industry has been through the worst and the outlook is now more positive. Traffic is returning. And with the overall economic outlook strengthening we see an increase in the demand for air travel,” agrees Binit Somaia, Regional Director, Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA). But the real question is – what are airlines doing to win back their investors’ faith and what is it that has really encouraged investors to invest in their stocks?

Certainly, after being battered and bruised for almost two years by one of the worst turmoils in the sector which almost grounded many of them, the players have learnt their lessons. In fact, they are now working on more

financially feasible and sustainable strategies, not only for themselves but for their stakeholders as well. “These revival strategies adopted by the airlines would definitely give a boost to the confidence of the investors,” avers Hatim Broachwala, Aviation analyst, Khandwala Securities.

Further, the big daddies of the sector – the full service carriers (FSCs) like Air India, Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways – rightly understanding the demand supply mismatch, have not only curved their invariable fleets and destination expansion spree, but have also implemented capacity cut and route rationalisation strategies. Keeping in mind the cost conscious Indian audience and the success of the low cost carriers, FSCs have also adopted the low-fare-no-frills model in a big way to boost, both their toplines and bottomlines. Moreover, they have even adopted various cost cutting measures – from reducing the free in-flight services, issuance of pink slips to forming cost sharing alliances – to make their business more financially viable.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Don't trust the Indian Media!
IIPM exposes Career 360 and Mahesh Peri scam
IIPM - We will change your outlook : Career 360 and Mahesh Peri scam is exposed

Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎
IIPM Related Links
IIPM ISBE Programmes
Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
IIPM B School on Twitter
Exclusive In chat with Society Magazine - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

ONCE MORE, DESIRE MORE

2010-04-09T12:19:00.002+05:30

“When I joined the company, it was going through an aggressive growth phase and I realised that the brand needed to keep pace with that and reflect our aggression and internal targets,” reminisces Anisha Motwani, Executive VP-Marketing, Max New York Life (MNYL). In August 2008, MNYL revamped its brand identity and changed its positioning from ‘Your partner for life’ to ‘Karo zyaada ka iraada’ in its endeavour to keep pace with young India, aspiring to live and dream more. It was, however, not just about changing the baseline, as there was also a need to make the brand come across as an aggressive and vibrant brand. Besides, due to the slowdown, consumers had started exhibiting concerns over investment units going down and that grouse had to be reversed and even taken advantage of. But it all had to be done with optimism so that when the economy bounced back, the slogan would still be relevant. “Even in the worst of the downturn, India continues to be the most optimistic country. So we zeroed in on a more aspirational proposition…” says Motwani.

With this ‘zyaada’ positioning, MNYL is now hoping to be among India’s top five insurance companies. Given that their slogan delivers on the new credo of a young, demanding and unrepentant India (Karo zyaada...), MYNL’s ambitions are not completely misplaced!

Savreen Gadhoke

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Don't trust the Indian Media!
IIPM exposes Career 360 and Mahesh Peri scam
IIPM - We will change your outlook : Career 360 and Mahesh Peri scam is exposed

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎
IIPM Related Links
Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
IIPM B School on Twitter
Exclusive In chat with Society Magazine - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

... and the shakers

2010-03-25T12:44:00.002+05:30

Exclusive In chat with Society Magazine - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri

l In less than nine months of starting operations, TapRoot India, founded by Agnello Dias and Santosh Padhi, have added two more feathers in its cap – Fox History & Entertainment channel and National Geographic channel. It seems the Aggie-Paddy duo is gradually cornering media-based clients with The Times of India and Mumbai Mirror already in their kitty. TapRoot India also handles the account of Incredible India and Nirma l Percept/H, which was hitherto handling Toyota’s Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), Toyota Fortuner, will now handle the creative duties of the automotive major’s entire SUV and MUV (multi utility vehicle) portfolio, which includes Toyota Innova, Prado, et al. The account size is estimated to be Rs.25 crore.

l Going by the global shift of Unilever’s Vaseline account to Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), its Indian subsidiary has also shifted the coveted Vaseline’s account, which was handled by Lowe Lintas, to BBH India. BBH India will handle the entire Vaseline portfolio including Vaseline body lotion, Vaseline petroleum jelly and Vaseline Lip Care. The account size, however, could not be ascertained.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

The Sunday Indian :- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Don't trust the Indian Media!
IIPM exposes Career 360 and Mahesh Peri scam
IIPM - We will change your outlook : Career 360 and Mahesh Peri scam is exposed

IIPM Related Links
IIPM ISBE Programmes
Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
IIPM B School on Twitter
B-schools expect higher rate of campus placements this year

The challenges are mainly local

2010-03-04T16:57:00.003+05:30

IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme

Rajiv Venkat, Executive Director, Teracom – a leading tower company talks to 4Ps B&M about what is holding back the growth of the tower segment in India. Excerpts: 4Ps: How is the tower industry shaping?
RV: The business of setting up of telecom infrastructure in India has been on an upswing, especially in the last one year and has a lot of potential for positive growth in the future as well. There are two reasons for this unprecedented growth. Firstly, all the incumbent service providers are expanding their networks and secondly, there is a new generation of service providers which is coming in, particularly players like Aircel that are expanding on a pan India basis. In fact, telecom infrastructure players like Unitech Wireless, Swan, Loop, et al, plan to expand their business in the near future. Also, BSNL has embarked upon one of the biggest network expansion plans in India for 93 million lines, which will again generate huge demand for players like us.

4Ps: What about the challenges faced?
RV: For a turnkey infrastructure set up company and service provider like us, the challenges are mainly local. The cost of labour, the vendor, supplier base, the approvals for land, et al, are all regional and location based issues which are to be dealt with to grown on a pan India basis. Then, steel prices are also critical to our success as it forms an important part of our capital investment in setting up of infrastructure.

4Ps: What are the growth drivers in the long term?
RV: Technology is undoubtedly going to be the biggest growth driver. If you see, apart from the business of telecom tower projects implementation, the newer technologies that are coming up are going to be working on the same or similar infrastructure.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM ISBE Programmes
Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
IIPM B School on Twitter
1 lakh copies sold in less than 10 days of Arindam Chaudhuri’s “Discover The Diamond In you”

IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON
IIPM 2-year full time Programme (leading to the award of the MBA degree from IMI)
B-schools expect higher rate of campus placements this year
IIPM B School : King Khan, Bollywood Badshah and Quiz Wiz — that’s Shah Rukh Khan for you

It’s the race for valuation rather than value creation that leads to businesses being managed

2010-02-20T12:39:00.000+05:30

as MF portfolios rather than with an approach of organisation building

J. P. Singh
Management Consultant, JPS Consulting

As a child, I used to be a pretty good student of mathematics. I guess grilling on sums and tables, which is the norm of Indian school curriculum, contributed tremendously to it. Practice sessions, mental maths as they also used to be called, expected one to rattle off answers to a barrage of questions like 2X2=?, with lightning speed 4! Yes! You would be ridiculed in class if your answer happened to 3 or 5. But, during my management education I was exposed to something ‘illogical’. A ‘Holistic’ approach could actually make ‘Whole greater than the Sum of Parts’ according to Gestalt, I was told. Now what was this new mathematics? We were to unlearn some of the ‘exactness’ of mathematics and were told that when systems operate synergistically, a ‘resonance’ effect actually can lead to such a phenomena.

However, business, I realised, is not mathematics. It is philosophy, an approach, a mindset. Primarily, organisations exist only for two reasons. One, to create value for customers and two, to create return on investment for owners (in that order). In social organisations also these remain valid, but may be expressed as one, to create value for the beneficiaries and two, to create a ‘Surplus’ through efficiencies.

The world is one continuum of energy, represented by different frequencies manifesting as particles. The higher the frequency of a ‘wave particle’, higher is its mass as manifested in the ‘particle’. Business units also replicate such energy continuums and particle duality in a similar way. When they resonate with the same frequency they are one particle of existence. Different frequencies will have them vibrating as separate particles, obviously connected by a weak energy flow, which exits in the cosmos in any case, between diverse entities as well. What then is the purpose of ‘applying autocratic force’ to have them together?

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM ISBE Programmes
Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
IIPM B School on Twitter
Management guru Arindam Chaudhuri’s latest blockbuster book, Discover The Diamond In You

IIPM 2-year full time Programme (leading to the award of the MBA degree from IMI)
B-schools expect higher rate of campus placements this year
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
IIPM Best B School – EVENTS
IIPM conceptualized the grand final of Dare ‘10 — the most prestigious of international B-school student quizzes
IIPM B School : King Khan, Bollywood Badshah and Quiz Wiz — that’s Shah Rukh Khan for you
IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme

Most Trusted Brands

2010-02-11T17:39:00.000+05:30

• Crocin • Maruti Suzuki • Dettol • Tanishq • LIC

Ask ten people around you about the first car they have had in their household, and invariably nine will say Maruti. In the last one decade, however, people have moved on to other brands like Hyundai & Tata. But in difficult times, like the one we’re facing now-a-days, customers turn risk-averse and stick to trusted brands like Maruti. With a child around, you just cannot imagine not having a strip of Crocin or a bottle of Dettol in your house, because these two things are as precious as your child. LIC and Tanishq, in a similar fashion continue to influence the buying decisions of Indians with the trust they have instilled in their consumers. Who said trust-like Rome-was built in a day?

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!

Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
IIPM B School on Twitter
1 lakh copies sold in less than 10 days of Arindam Chaudhuri’s “Discover The Diamond In you”
IIPM 3-year full-time Integrated (MBA BBA) Programme
IIPM 2-year full time Programme (leading to the award of the MBA degree from IMI)
B-schools expect higher rate of campus placements this year
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
IIPM Best B School – EVENTS
IIPM conceptualized the grand final of Dare ‘10 — the most prestigious of international B-school student quizzes

Alarming signals!

2010-01-19T16:39:00.000+05:30

The worst sedentary lifestyle habit gets uglier... and it is playing the devil with your system!

“Television has proved that people will look at anything rather than each other,” said Ann Landers. This statement proves to be so true in the present day scenario in India. Family interaction and bonding has hit rock bottom. People sit with each other while watching TV claiming it is ‘family time,’ but who does the talking? The idiot box! Like in the comedy series Friends, protagonist Joey Tribbiani got alarmed at the fact that one of his acquaintances didn’t own a TV and asked, “What is all your furniture pointed at?” Same is the case with most of us and we do tend to raise an eyebrow when we find out that someone doesn’t own a television set. Mankind has often jumped the gun and has overdone things, ruining thus their very raison d’être. It’s a known fact that excess of everything is bad, and with respect to TV, adults as well as kids are these days glued to it 24x7. Sedentary lifestyle has always been proven to be harmful to a person and its side effects have been noted in the form of obesity, heart problems, blood pressure ailments, etc. According to a recent study in the US and Spain, researchers claim that out of all the sedentary habits that one can pick up, TV watching is the worst as it increases blood pressure in adults and also in kids! So, next time your kiddo jumps out of his/her chair while watching a nail-biting cliff-hanger match between India and Pakistan, watch out for his/her pulse rate too.

“Cases of high blood pressure have increased in the recent times due to obesity, excess salt intake in junk food and high stress levels. But as far as TV is concerned, even if kids are watching a cartoon, a high-speed car-chase, a fight or a match, which goes on to excite them, their hormones are pushed and the adrenalin rush increases the blood pressure irrespective of the age of the viewer. I understand that it increases the blood pressure, but whether it affects one’s health in the long run is uncertain. Becoming overweight has been an independent factor for hypertension,” opines Dr. Sandip Jain, Consultant, Pediatrician, Fortis. Maintaining a work-life balance is essential even for adults, and when children are involved, their energy needs to be diverted towards outdoor activities and sports. With innumerable play-station games, video games, easy access to the Internet and of course the television, it isn’t going to be an easy task, but it is absolutely necessary. The physical activity neutralises the effect of all the oily, greasy and calorie-packed food they eat. Comparatively leaner and healthier children should be made to focus their energies on other productive activities such as reading books, painting, sketching, or playing an instrument. Children are gullible and their minds need to be given the right direction from the beginning. There can be a lot of learning from TV as well, but only if one strikes the balance and tunes into something informative.

Not many, until now, would have given a thought to the impact of TV on one’s blood pressure. But now we know, a rise in TRPs might also lead to the rise of one’s blood pressure!

Ravi Inder Singh

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
Management guru Arindam Chaudhuri’s latest blockbuster book, Discover The Diamond In You
IIPM fights meltdown, places 2300 students By Education Mail Bureau
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better By Swati Sharma
Events at IIPM
Detail of all IIPM branches
IIPM set to beat economic slowdown
IIPM - Admission Procedure
IIPM, GURGAON