Showing posts with label THE SUNDAY INDIAN. Show all posts
Showing posts with label THE SUNDAY INDIAN. Show all posts

Monday, January 14, 2013

The factors keep changing at different levels of education.

Prof. Parvin Sinclair (Director, NCERT) says if one aspires to be a school teacher, one needs to empathise with children
 
Q. What will be the teacher-development methods?
A. National Council Of Educational Research And Training (NCERT) has formed National Council For Teacher Education (NCTE). It is a regulatory body that has created a set of norms in accordance to which it regulates and advises. It has also developed a curriculum framework for teachers, which is slowly being put in place. We have developed a BEd programme and offer a two-year internship, which is well-monitored without being intrusive. We are also starting an online teacher training programme.

As there are many untrained teachers – recruited to fill vacant posts – in-service education training has been in focus. Every state government is trying to deal with the demand of in-service teacher training.

We also find there are different people with different calibre in different states. Hence, teacher eligibility test (TET) was brought in; central teacher eligibility test (CTET) is for the central level and state-level teacher eligibility test (STET). Surprisingly, most people failed it. But, hopefully something better will come out of the experiments that have been frequently done over the years.

Q. What is the difference between India and the top-performing nations in the education sector ?
A. There can be no comparison with any country that has a population 1/100th of of India, spread out differently and has huge monetary resources. We cannot simply implement their best practices because the economical, social and geographic conditions are different. Instead, we can only try to customise and adapt those practices according to our requirements.

National Human Resource Developement (NHRD) has formed a national advisory committee council that has groups looking into curriculum in context of the RTE Act and how to get them in place with the states. The prime minister has his own advisory council that has a constant focus on education. Along with the SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan), RMSA (Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan) is also being developed. Click here to read more...

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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Versatility, thy name is…

…Paresh Rawal. The actor extraordinaire, who pulls off comic capers with as much aplomb as the wiles of the scheming creep, is often the un-publicised draw in most films. Here in an exclusive conversation with Neha Sarin…

What made you take up acting as a career?
It’s true that Naseer bhai (Naseruddin Shah) inspired me to get into acting, otherwise I'd have stuck to theatre alone. It’s only when I saw Naseer bhai and Om Puri, I realised that this is the right kind of acting. One must jump into it and must do this kind of acting…then you feel justified. I don’t know what I would have been into, if not for acting.

After playing the villain in the 80s and 90s, you became increasingly associated with comedy. How did the transition come about?
When you do justice to a villain’s role, you get bombarded with those kinds of offers, that’s how this industry works. But to my shock and surprise, Ketan Mehta walked in and offered me “Sardar” after auditioning a lot of actors and then he chose me – he had the faith in me. Then “Sir”, followed by “Tamanna” and “Raja”, after which I was bombarded with roles of the heroine’s brother or the hero’s father. Some of them were intense and some were plain stupid, but in the end I was playing a positive kind of a guy. And then came "Hera Pheri". Post "Hera Pheri", I was bombarded with comic roles.

What makes your chemistry with Akshay Kumar so brilliant?
He is one actor who has come up so brilliantly and I respect him a lot for that. He made it without help from any godfather. He came up doing the kind of roles that pahalwans were doing, then slowly and steadily he made his mark. And it’s not easy to go from an action hero to becoming a dependable star, which in the industry means an all-rounder – the one who can do comedy, tragedy, romance…it’s an achievement.

How do you adapt yourself to such disparate roles, each with its unique quirks?
I didn’t know if I was versatile, but my theatre training did allow me to try my hand at different kinds of roles. And more importantly, I desired to do different kind of roles and I guess that made me do justice to each of them.

"Oye Lucky" was a fun film; was it fun on the sets too?
In my entire career, I worked with very good people or very talented people but the combination of talent and goodness is very rare to come by. So it was a lot of fun working in "Oye Lucky". I played three different characters in the film and that was a lot of fun too. Dibakar Banerjee is one of the brightest directors in the industry.

How was it working with Abhay Deol?
What an actor! He is a highly underrated actor; he grows on you. He is one actor who is not concerned with his looks or six packs etc. He is only concerned about his character. He is sure, you see, unlike any other hero who probably would not pick up such risky roles. It takes a lot of courage to do such roles. That is why, he is here to stay. Bahut lambi race ka ghoda hai…

How was your experience working with other veteran actors in "Maharathi"?
It’s a lovely thriller and its appeal lay in the strong storyline and the kind of actors that are part of this film… It was joy, joy and sheer joy all the way, working with the likes of Naseer bhai, Om Puri, Boman Irani… It’s a kind of a dream come true when you work with the finest actors that the industry has to offer – the people you love and respect, they who inspire you…therefore, the end product is good.....Continue

Saturday, January 10, 2009

…AND YET, YES WE CAN!

On the night of November 26, when terrorists stormed the Taj, in a room on one of the floors, there was one of India Inc’s bright young beacons lying on the floor, alive, but terrified, confused and unsure. Next to him on the floor lay others, some bleeding, others perhaps weeping… A wall away, they could hear the crack of assault rifles, the cries of victims as they crashed lifeless in corridors and rooms and the deafening sound of explosions. As the acrid smell of the carnage wafted in with the smoke, panic set in. How much longer before the terrorists enter our room? Will they kill us all? What do we do? Questions raged in every head, including the young CEO’s… “We did not know what to do? We tried barricading ourselves inside the room… but it was rather flimsy…” he said on TV, after he was rescued the next day. He thanked providence and his spiritual practice for carrying him through those harrowing hours, for there was little else to bank on.

That same evening, in another part of the hotel, seven South Africans were dining in one of the restaurants when they heard gun shots inside the hotel. When they realised that there were terrorists in the hotel, they spoke to the other diners and told them who they were – bodyguards in the country on an assignment, protecting international cricketers – and explained that they had the training to handle this situation. “People remained calm”, one of them told a news channel, as they moved more than a hundred people out of the restaurant. “…it had a large glass area which could have been dangerous…” They switched off the lights to retain the element of surprise and then the other guests were herded into a conference room which was then barricaded by the South Africans with relatively sturdy objects like refrigerators and heavy tables. The bodyguards had armed themselves with what they could – cleavers and knives and were considering various possibilities when they realised that the building was on fire. They knew they had to evacuate, checked to see if it was ‘all clear’, got word through to the security personnel that they shouldn’t shoot and finally through the fire exit, guided 120 hostages to safety (including an old woman who was carried in a chair, down 25 flights of stairs!) ....Continue

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Dog Squad !

Dogs vied with each other at proving their skills in Kerala Police academy Passing-Out Parade too. A robbery scene was enacted by trainers, following which German Shepherd Lisa traced the ‘robber’ by sniffing his handkerchief and the weapon he left behind, as Manikantan, her trainer watched. Salma was adjudged the best tracker dog, Annie the best sniffer dog and Lisa the best demonstrator at the Academy.

C Bhuvanachandran, Superintendent of Police at the Dog Training School, proudly recalled the feats of the newly trained dogs. Brownie, who took charge in Thiruvananthapuram had detected bombs from a suitcase at the airport. Salma had even exposed a jewellery theft in Kottayam and Stella traced the culprit in the sensational killing of Chavakkad schoolboy Nizamuddin. Tarzan, merely by sniffing a stone thrown by the criminal at the Sree Narayana statue at Kollam, had nosed him out of his lair for the police.

Yeomen services notwithstanding, training centres have their own woes to contend with. “Life expectancy of a dog is about 10 years. And 18 of the 24 dogs in Kerala dog squad are 8-year olds. They need replacement. Every district needs a minimum of three dogs and spare dogs. The academy will be able to supply the required number of dogs only by 2012,” explains Alexander Jacob.

Nonetheless, amidst the awe and excitement buzzing in the crowd of spectators at the first Passing Out Parade of the four-legged commandos in the Academy, it was evident that the war on terror has a dependable, though mortal, ally in man’s best friend too; the only concern being if the lives of our brave men have gotten so dispensable, what of the dogs?....Continue

Saturday, January 03, 2009

The new Line of Control

It is surprising, always from the benefit of hindsight, how much Indian investigators and the media now know about Mumbai’s bloody slaughter. The light and sound, the flurry or charges and counter charges by various responsible hands in the government, and the unseemly recriminations in the aftermath of one of the greatest security disasters in recent times, has added a new word to the lexicon – `actionable intelligence.’

What is actionable intelligence? Consider the following:

November 22, 2008: (two days before the attack): Shivraj Patil tells India’s police chiefs: "To control terrorism in the hinterland, we have to see that infiltration does not take place through the sea routes.’’

November 13, 2008: (a fortnight before the assaults) PM tells BIMSTEC summit, "Terrorism and threats from the sea continue to challenge the authority of the state."

March 11, 2008: A.K. Antony warns International Maritime Search and Rescue Conference of the "dangers of terror attacks from the sea in the region", admitting that the Coast Guard faces shortage of manpower and hardware.

September 18, 2008: RAW intercepted a phone conversation in which a LeT source says there is a plan to target a hotel at the Gateway of India through the sea route.

September 24, 2008: RAW identifies hotels which could be attacked: Taj, Marriott, the Land's End and Sea Rock.

If the ultimate aim of terrorists – apart from causing mayhem, murder and demoralisation– was to discredit the Indian security establishment, then it is a job well done. Waking up in the aftermath of an onslaught which has claimed over 200 lives (an understated figure?) and many hundreds maimed, the story of many gaps in the government action makes up for a picture which is not new .In line of fire is the Naval chief, Admiral Sureesh Mehta. Defence Minister, A.K.Anthony, pulled up the Navy Chief asking him how they missed the intelligence warning?....Continue

Friday, January 02, 2009

and to begin with, it was only a B-School fest!

Other popular events included Best Manager, Creative Writing, Ad-Guru, Flip Back and Treasure Hunt. The much-awaited evenings had an exciting line-up of rounds. Whilst the choreography teams set the stage on fire, the winner of the Solo Singing Competition walked away with a free trip to Switzerland. Mr and Ms Amaze won Rs 50,000 each. The Fashion Show highlighted the Amaze 2008 raison d’etre, with a slide-show illustrating global problems and suggested solutions. Adding lustre to the glitzy affair were Mukesh Tyagi (last seen on screen in “Fashion”), Shahnaz Husain (celebrated beautician), Muzaffar Ali (fashion designer), Salma Sultan (TV personality), Karishma Agarwal (MD, Galaxy Group of Hotels and lead dancer in Shiamak Davar’s troupe). Amaze 2008 thus delivered every bit of the fun that was promised, all the way to the grand finale.

On the evening of 14th November, DJ Suketu churned his latest chartbusters at Sun City Gardens and soon the jostling crowd succumbed to the dance beats. But the best was yet to come! Delhi witnessed its finest retro fiesta ever when Boney M featuring Marcia Barrett stepped on the stage and there followed 60 minutes of exhilarating music, as an audience of over 15,000 swung to the tunes of “Rasputin”, “Belfast”, “Rivers of Babylon” and yes... “Daddy Cool”.

At the end of the day, IIPM’s fest, Amaze, proved to be an apt forum to bring together youth from across the globe and advance synergy, peace and tolerance to the world – a mission well accomplished!....Continue

Monday, December 22, 2008

THE DESTINATION DOSSIER

Steering the course:
Many airlines like American Airlines, Qatar Airways, Air India ply from India to San Francisco…Just plan the trip and pick the airline!

The ‘season’ed traveller goes now:
If you enjoy cool weather then travel to SF during the winter as without freezing temperatures you still get an amazing winter feeling. If not, then visit during spring when a light sweater works just fine.

Cosy corners:
From low-budget hotels to five-star Hiltons, anything in your budget is available.

Savour Faire:
Indulge in some fine dining along the bay as well as the local clam chowder, the smell of which would attract you while walking down the Piers!

Get to work:
Although you can go for a guided tour of SF which would take you to all the must see places, instead, explore the city on your own. Just walk around and observe the landscape, the houses, the street shops and people, as that’s what the true experience is all about.

What’s the word?
English is the primary language, but Spanish words like Hola (hi/bye) and Gracias (thank you) always come handy.

Keepsake courtesies:
Key chains of the Golden Gate Bridge, sweatshirts, and postcards of San Francisco’s top destinations are the most famous keepsakes.....Continue

Thursday, December 18, 2008

His choice of Republicans for key posts shows his commitment

Appointment of such a high profile leader will also boost Obama’s plans to completely revamp the healthcare system of the country – an issue close to his heart. Of the other possible contenders, retired Marine General James Jones, the previous top operational commander of NATO, is leading for White House National Security Advisor post. Similarly, names of incumbent Defence Secretary Robert Gates and Chuck Hagel, a Republican senator from Nebraska, are doing the rounds for being Secretary of Defence. Appointments of these stalwarts will mean Obama is ready to give the Republicans responsibility to deal with National Security – their forte.

Obama’s rainbow coalition reflects Abraham Lincoln’s ‘Team of Rivals’ that so successfully managed to held America together during the civil war. Talking to TSI, Richard Carwardine, an expert on bipartisan polity at Oxford, said, “The appointments reflect that Obama's Lincoln connections go deeper than what people initially thought. Obama has clearly shown that he is not the one who is afraid of surrounding himself with able people, whether they are Republicans or Democrats – which was exactly Lincoln's temperament.”

Lincoln or not; it is clearly 'one-love ' for Obama.....Continue

Saturday, December 13, 2008

The army has become a punching bag

Certain other questions also remain unexplained. When TSI approached the Army to check on the possibility of RDX being procured from them, a senior Army officer categorically asserted that the “Army neither uses nor stores RDX. We use only plastic explosives and TNT. The RDX seized during a raid on terrorist hideout is always handed over to the local police.” As per army rules, it requires a chain of command to procure even plastic and TNT explosives from the army ordinance and involves at least four-five officers as witnesses and a lengthy documentation process. Some former officials say that that man in uniform is the easiest target in India. “The army has become a punching bag. Since it has no ways and means to give its side of the story, all reports are believed. In a 1.3 million-strong army, if one man is convicted, it never shows the general trend. Such cases in India are rare. In the case of Col Purohit, the investigation is still on” says Lt. Gen. Raj Kadyan, a former deputy chief of army. The Congress demand of setting up a multi-disciplinary Task Force to conduct a threadbare investigation of the Malegaon blasts could help. Importantly, such an investigation could possibly keep at bay prying busybees, such as a media hungry for headlines - never mind the damage it could cause - and politicians who do not look beyond their electoral noses. India, after all, is justifiably proud to be a developing country where the military prefers the barracks to civilian office. Most people are agreed that it would help it keep that way.....Continue

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

‘There is no scope for regional parties here’

Distribution of BJP tickets for the forthcoming assembly elections have sparked off protests all over Madhya Pradesh.
This is not new. It is true that the BJP is preparing to come back in the state for a second term. It is also clear that after the current term, more people are keen to contest on our party ticket. But not everybody can be given tickets. So some anger is understandable. But they will come around to it.
These public demonstrations – Sunder Lal Patwaincluding a semi-nude protest display at the party office – gives the BJP a very negative image.
The display is not right. They are getting emotional. But I do not agree that it sends out a negative signal to the voters or workers. (during the course of the interview, the phone rings and Patwa directs an irate party worker to forget about everything else and work for improving the image of BJP.)
There are allegations that the survey that was conducted to weigh chances of sitting MLAs, has not been taken into consideration…
No I won’t buy that. There are other means also by which we evaluate the people whom we give tickets to contest. Survey alone can not decide the fate of a candidate. Survey is just one of those ways. Different sources in the party at different levels have been taken into confidence before giving away these tickets. I find the process fair.

What are the achievements that BJP is planning to take to the masses?
Its Congress’ 50 years versus BJP’s five years. It is for the people to compare the work done by the respective governments. BJP’s tenure has been exceptional. People can see visible changes, as far as development is concerned. But we’ll have to understand that development is an unending process and it can not be completed in just five years. And for that we want another stint.....Continue

Thursday, December 04, 2008

Court ruffles muslim feathers

Council mooted to relook at Islam allowing polygamy
A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court observed that India needs a law to set up bodies at Central and regional levels to regulate, control and supervise Muslim marriages and divorces. While passing a verdict in a matrimonial case involving a Muslim couple, Justice Kurian Joseph and Justice Harun-Ul-Rashid said that an effective system should be launched to protect MuslimCouncil mooted to relook at Islam allowing polygamy women from "indiscreet marriages and divorces". The verdict came in the wake of a ruling given by the Family Court of Thrissur, which had granted divorce to a Muslim lady, Seleena, because her husband Saidali took a second wife. He had appealed that a Muslim man would find it impossible to marry more than one woman – permissible in his religion – if a divorce is granted on the basis of polygamy. The court said that a divorce cannot be granted on the basis of the husband's second marriage. However, if a woman refuses to live with another woman, she should recieve separate accommodation and alimony. While passing the verdict, the court also referred to the historical background of allowing polygamy in Islam: when orphans, widows, and dependants of prisoners of war found it tough to lead a decent life. Now, 1500 years later, some people still observe polygamy without questioning its basis. The court also held that though the Prophet had permitted up to four wives, Islam insisted on equal sharing of food, clothing and accommodation. Polygamy should not be practiced if these norms cannot be adhered to, the court added. Meanwhile, reactions to this landmark judgment have not been as enthusiastic as expected. Nisa, a Muslim Progressive Women’s Forum, welcomed the verdict while the secretary of Samastha Kerala Jama-Iyyathul Ulema said such things should be sorted within the society. MN Karasserry, a Muslim thinker, said that the Parliament should enact rules as per this verdict. But Sunni faction leader Kanthapuram AP Abubaker Musliyar disagreed with the court’. In the meantime, the Law Reforms Commission submitted its report to Kerala government, stating that polygamy is an exception among Muslims, but permissible only in socially exceptional circumstances and should be supervised by a conciliation council....Continue


Monday, December 01, 2008

Unlike India's bad experience, Taiwan hopes for better

Both sides were at ease to take no notice of the pungent disputes that lie at the nucleus of their divide for the sake of commerce, inking agreements on non-stop flights across the Taiwan Strait and straight shipping links that will considerably slash costs. Mr Chen and Mr Chiang, who stand for quasigovernmental departments in charge of cross-Strait interactions, settled on tripling the number of non-stop charter flights from 36 a week to 108, and to expand service to 16 more cities in China. They also approved to open up supplementary air and sea cargo courses, extend postal links and lend a hand on food hygiene issues.

“His trip is a significant step forward for the tempestuous cross-strait relationship. So far, wisdom has prevailed and the leadership in both capitals has seized the opportunity to build a more stable and mutually beneficial relationship. While progress has been made, future gains are not guaranteed and recent accomplishments can be reversed,” said Bonnie Glaser, senior associate at Centre for Strategic and International Studies, while speaking to TSI.

Military tensions between the two neighbours have soared since 1949 as the “Nationalists” led by Chiang Kai-shek, routed by Communists in the Chinese civil, escaped to Taiwan. Beijing has ever since maintained that Taiwan is a turncoat territory, to be brought under Chinese rule by martial force if necessary. ...Continue


Monday, September 22, 2008

A (c)ash rich proposition

GCIP acquisition gives sustainability but also substantially increases the risk profile for TCL

Tatas are on the rampage again! This time, it’s the less talked about Tata Chemicals Ltd. (TCL) that has created the buzz. The company announced a big ticket billion dollar mega acquisition of the US-based natural soda ash maker – General Chemicals Industrial Products (GCIP) on January 31. The acquisition (100% stake through a mix of debt & equity) will not only make TCL the 2nd largest soda ash maker in the world, but also help it command over 14% (over 5.5 million tonnes) of the world’s total soda ash capacity. However, it’s the choice of the target that deserves the real applause! Once the acquisition is complete, over 50% of TCL’s capacity would be through the natural route. This means both sustainability and natural hedge against the commodity cycle. “Since GCIP is using trona natural mineral, which can be converted into soda ash and is more cost effective (as production cost of natural soda ash is 40-45% cheaper than the cost of producing synthetic soda), it means increased profitability for TCL”, avers Rohit Nagraj, Sr. Research Analyst, Angel Broking. A Tata Chemicals spokesperson confirmed to B&E that “by 2009 and 2010, we will have more such overseas acquisitions as we believe Tata Chemicals has not yet utilised its full potential”.

The acquisition will not only enable the company to increase its capacity, but will also, in long term, give access to markets in North America, Latin America as well as Far East. Well, the sustainability is there to stay! (GCIP has natural soda ash mines expected to last for next 100 years). But then there are many who question the move on the backdrop of the US slowdown! “As many chemical manufacturers in the US are facing challenges, so will TCL,” says Paresh Nautiyal, analyst with Arihant Capital.

Moreover, TCL will undoubtedly face integration challenges with the unlisted US firm. Complicating matters further is the size and operating profile of GCIP (Moody). The transaction and the resulting financial & operating profile is still not amply clear. “Exchange rate is another challenge that stands in front of TCL”, Nagraj adds.

Well, the plan looks picturesque perfect. However, the road for TCL as well as the Tata group isn’t an expressway. Tata Group of late has raised lot of debts in financing its elephantine acquisitions and servicing, which might be a problem. There’s a maddening race at Tata Group companies to leverage in-organic growth. Tata Steel acquired Corus for $13.7 billion and another group company Tata Motors is also in talks with Ford to acquire Jaguar & Land Rover for $2 billion apart from many multi–million dollar acquisitions done by TCS, Tata Tea & other group companies in the recent past. And as most of these acquisitions have significantly increased its exposure to the American & European economies, sluggishness in there two markets could place Tata’s plans in jeopardy for quite some time to come.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

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Saturday, September 20, 2008

Does this mean you are not sure when Gujarat will be finally called a developed state?
The day a person says all work is done, that day the development of that state will stop. Development is an ongoing process. We must keep upgrading ourselves always.

Today, more and more politicians are making personal remarks. Even you have made fun of Sonia Gandhi? Why is this happening?

If I have passed single personal comment on Sonia Bhen, I request your magazine to criticise me as much as it wants.

Do you think that the national media is biased against you?

I do not like to criticise anyone or the media. Media has to decide now whether what it was doing was correct or not. I feel that the media is capable enough of doing its own introspection. It does not need my suggestions.

Some pundits and analysts are saying that while the Modi model may have worked in Gujarat, it will not work in any other state in India. First, Modi is not a model. Second, if they feel that providing electricity to 18,000 villages like we did in the state of Gujarat is not possible in any other state, I feel sorry for them.

What they mean is that there is too much caste-based politics in other Indian states.

One has to decide whether you want to work for the country or play politics. Once you decide that, it is possible to work in any part of the country. I believe every Indian believes in development. One should never blame the people.

There is a tendency in the BJP that whenever a politician becomes powerful, his/her relation with the party suffers a lot. No one has tried to keep me away from the party. I am also not going away from my party. I do not see a reason or any possibility of this.

Do you think that your aggressive Hindutva image will be accepted by the various NDA allies?

First of all, I do not waste my time or life on image building. I use my power, energy and time to build an image for Gujarat. I want my Gujarat to be the best.

How do you look at the prospects of NDA and UPA during the 2009 elections?

I got opportunity to travel around, and wherever I went, I felt that the country feels that there is a vacuum and desperately needs a Prime Minister. In the present atmosphere, one feels that India doesn’t have a Prime Minister. I feel people are desperately looking for a change. No one is ready to accept the UPA.

You use the slogan ‘Jai Gujarat’ more often than ‘Jai Bharat Maa’. I start my speech with ‘Jai Bharat Maa’. During the elections, ‘Jitega Gujarat’ was our party’s slogan that is why we used it more often. But my government’s motto, and we are repeating this since the last six years, is ‘Bharat key vikas key liye Gujarat ka vikas zaroori hai’.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

Top Articles on IIPM:-
'This is one of Big B's best performances'
IIPM to come up at Rajarhat
IIPM awards four Bengali novelists
IIPM makes business education truly global-Education-The Times of ...
The Hindu : Education Plus : Honour for IIPM
IIPM ranked No.1 B-School in India, Management News - By ...
IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
Moneycontrol >> News >> Press- News >> IIPM ranked No1 B-School in ...
IIPM ranked No. 1 B-school in India- Zee Business Survey ...
IIPM ranked No1 B-School in India :: Education, Careers ...
The Hindu Business Line : IIPM placements hit a high of over 2000 jobs
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India eNews - IIPM Ranked No1 B-School in India
IIPM Delhi - Indian Institute of Planning and Management New Delhi ...domain-b.com : IIPM ranked ahead of IIMs

Tuesday, September 02, 2008

The fort that lives...

... is dying. B&E visits Jaisalmer’s golden bastion and finds an epic and a relic.
In the chilling cold of Delhi, in the middle of a busy workday (watching others slog), the thought of a sunny Jaisalmer trip full of adventure and intriguing cultural revealing was rendering dreamy smirks on my face. The 22-hour long journey was tiresome on occasions when I watched the train halt at as many as 40 almost stranded stations and looked at a travel partner whose agenda seemed no less than setting a world record in sleeping the longest (as well as the loudest). But as soon as I stepped at the Jaisalmer station, energy gushed in. Looking at its low-ceiling construction with wonderfully designed pillars, I handed over myself to the royal city. As I turned around, the Punjabi Jat lad seemed to have done the same too, though in a manner typical to him, stretching out wide (and loud) at the very centre of the railway station, in full public view.

“The construction of the Jaisalmer Fort was started by the Rajput king, Maharawal Jaisal in 1156 A.D. atop the Meru mountain and the construction continued over generations,” said Chander Bhan, our man Friday for all things Jaisalmer. As we walked along, he continued, “It is the only fort in the world which has close to 5,000 persons living in it, along with 40 odd hotels and 15 restaurants.”

The magnificent fort is made in sandstone that fetches it a golden sheen. And, such is the beauty of the fort that it looks well maintained, even after 800 years of its construction. The high walled tawny fort of 99 bastions, shelters about 500 houses in the lanes that branch out further into other lanes full of houses. “People in the fort have been living for generations in eight mohallas (colonies) purely on the basis of a once rigid caste and class system. Some of the mohallas that have been popular since the olden days are those of the Brahmins, Sonars (goldsmith), Kshatriyas (soldiers), Hazuris (courtiers who were kings’ children from relationships outside marriage) and Mochis (cobblers),” the guide explained as if emitting out language from memorised contents in a viva voce.

While we walked through the lanes and bylanes, filled more with sellers than buyers, raving about the fort, its history and people who made it happen, we landed at 8th July, a restaurant chosen purely on the basis of its interesting name and little else.

It was a small rooftop joint where Rama Bhatia, a well spoken middle-aged lady took our order while our guide greeted her. Driven by habit and curiosity, we struck an informal rapport with Rama. She had been running the restaurant inside the fort with her husband (who named it after his birth date) for 10 years. Her husband, an old eloquent gentleman from the region who had seen the desert and the city evolve, joined us. Recollecting his memories, he started telling us how Jaisalmer, despite being Asia’s biggest district, wasn’t well known even in other parts of Rajasthan. It was only when the Indira Gandhi Canal was built in the year 1987 that a lot of changes took place. Tourism blossomed and the world’s only ‘living fort’ attracted thousands of people every year. He continued, “The population inside the fort has risen over the years and all are dependent on tourism either in entirety or in part.” With fear and anguish, he mentioned how due to water clogging and other sewage related problems, the ASI is insisting on the evacuation of the fort.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Presidents too wanna have fun!

Undeterred by moral & societal considerations, Sarkozy courts Carla
Nicholas Sarkozy, the playboy president has transformed the presidency. Instead of transforming the economic situation as expected, Unlike his predecessors, he has let the media write & speculate on his personal life.

His divorce with Cécilia, a former model, had grabbed the media attention as it was the first incident in modern French history that a serving president was divorcing his wife. Soon after the election, he was attacked by the opposition for spending holidays on French millionaire Vincent Bollore’s luxury yacht.The latest in the series is his relationship with former supermodel Carla Bruni.

Nero fiddled when Rome burnt, so goes a proverb. Sarkozy borrowed a private jet from Bollore and flew in to the banks of the Nile along with Bruni to celebrate Christmas, when the workers unions were busy devising new strategies to deal with the government. The opposition has a reason to worry. “When the president is the personal friend of men and women who own newspapers, TV stations, who he makes pay for his holidays, who can say for sure that there aren’t paybacks?” asks socialist MP Benoit Hamon. Sarkozy, however, remains unconcerned of the allegations. “Despite the obstacles, despite the difficulties, I will do what I said I would,” said the president in his New Year address. The labour unions have been given the January 15 deadline to reach a consensual agreement with the government.

If the unions fail to reach a deal, his government would legislate the proposals, says Sarkozy. Is it as easy as celebrating holidays with his girlfriend in the Egyptian valleys? If he fails to swing the public mood in favour of his reform project, he would, to his utter discomfort, know the answer to that one.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Will Middle-East conflicts end?

Solution lies in their interests, not only in peace conferences
Middle-East, though continues to geo-politically important, also has been instrumental in generating maximum complexities to the world affairs. Surprisingly, there has also been reluctance in global initiatives and participation, in resolving its conflicts. Though, Mr. Bush has finally succeeded to sponsor Annapolis peace conference in his last year of presidency and has also succeeded in leaving some positive implications. Instances of sympathy, empathy and donations from many donor countries and organisations in the Paris conference, held just after Annapolis conference, are some examples.

Israel had captured Gaza strip and West Bank during Arab-Israel war in 1967, occupied Golan Heights, then annexed it in 1981. Abbas’s inability to fight for peace and justice has kept the continent in pandemonium. Last few decades have witnessed failure of Israel’s, Palestine’s, even Arab’s call for peace. These remained theatrics, mere exercise of photo, handshakes sessions. Annapolis was also expected to be same. But it is drawing global attention and sympathy. Over 90 countries and international organisations have pledged $7.4 billion to save Palestine from bankruptcy in the Paris conference. However, the trend seems positive but long term resolutions remains cynical. The aid can only save the country from bankruptcy, but is not the solution for the moribund Palestine economy. The last decade of Bush’s Middle East journey is enough to witness America’s self-interest. Thus the solution is not in hand of the US alone, proactive participation by responsible world powers e.g. Russia, Germany, French and the UK is urgent and only option now. But will they realise full potential of their accountability?

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Monday, August 25, 2008

You game? Tis’ no child’s play

A bright new millennium lies in wait for Indian game developers. Biggies, watch out for the Indian wave
“Except Indians, almost everyone – right from a 10-year-old kid to people as old as my father goes into the video-gaming room of my hotel and enjoy big time,” says Abhinesh Sikka, a 26-year old software professional working with US-based Trilogy Software Inc. while explaining how gaming is still not very popular in India. Indeed, a typical talk from a GenNext individual who realises the force behind the global gaming industry, which as per PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is forecasted to grow at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 9.1%, escalating to $48.9 billion in 2011 from the current $37.5 billion (estimated for FY2007). So is Sikka right about Indians not loving video-games?

It was found that the rising influence of broadband, combined with gaming consoles & mobile gaming, was driving the phenomenon into Indian lands too, unlike what Sikka felt. No wonder Nasscom too forecasted that the Indian gaming market would touch $300 million by FY2009 at a CAGR of 78%!

And what makes India special? Well, in the face of a slowing growth in the American market (all set to touch $12.5 billion by 2011 at a modest CAGR of 6.7%; as per PwC) and with the growth predicted for India being much higher than the average for the Asia (touching $18.8 billion with a CAGR of 10%), the Indian market appears more lucrative for game developers who are optimistic about their fortunes in the sub-continent. While speaking exclusively to B&E, Atindriya Bose, Country Head – India, Sony Computer Entertainment claims, “Gaming has become an acceptable entertainment mode in Indian culture and there is a natural positive momentum amongst consumers towards gaming. Ever since the launch of PS3 in India, we have received a phenomenal response from the Indian market.”

With India already having made a mark on global tracks, by even outshining key destinations like Taiwan & South Korea, the potential is there for the taking. And despite the fact that we still can’t talk in order of billions of dollars, there are some Davids – like Dhruva Interactive, DQ Entertainment and many others – mushrooming in the hinterland too, vying to make a mark in the domestic gaming space.

However, there are challenges waiting for the aspirants as well. Rupee appreciation will pose as a major challenge as 75%-80% of total revenues for the Indian video game developers come from foreign markets as per ACNielsen. Besides it, rationalisation of prices and provision of India-centric contents also pose challenges as Atindriya professes, “Indianised content is something we have to focus on… We would like the consumers to be exposed to the true gaming environment.” Surely, for now, it’s game on in India too!

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative
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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Continental shades of subprime

The European banking industry has braved the subprime meltdown to a large extent but only till now...
For those who wrote off the possibility that the subprime monster’s binge won’t make for a continental cuisine will have to check the order once again. Interestingly, European banks, unlike their US counterparts, seem to have eluded themselves to a large extent from being brutally pulverised by the sub-prime mess and have kept the lid on their balance sheets; but then, times will be getting harder by the day.

“The financial inter-linkages have already resulted into significant spillover into the Euro area, particularly affecting money markets and banks’ balance sheets,” exclaims Silvia Pepino Giuliani, Senior European Economist, Executive Director, JPMorgan. Well, for the past few fiscals, European banks have raked in staggering profits, which has left them with tremendous cushion to sustain write-downs. But the headwinds are getting stronger for them now. Substantiating the fact, the ROE (Weighted average & annualised) of large banks reporting under International Financial Reporting Standards, rose from 18.2% (2006) to 20.4% (1st half 2007).

“Though major write-downs have come from US banks, one shouldn’t underestimate the spillover effects on European banks, which have a major investment banking component,” reveals Elena Guglielmin, Vice President, Credit Research Analyst, Financial Institutions, Credit Suisse. According to a recently (November 14, 2007) published report by ECB’s Banking Supervision Committee, there will be a significant drag on the profitability of European banks because of the subprime meltdown, as a large proportion of their profits stemmed from fee, commission & trading income, most of which might be non-recurrent. Moreover, tightening lending, coupled up with high funding costs, will also undermine profitability of European banks. It is expected that banks like UBS are exposed to further write-downs because of their exposure to CDS, which is considered to be extremely high. Same is the case with Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays Capital et al. So, don’t write off the write-downs yet as the subprime monster is just about to unleash itself further.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source :
IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
ZEE BUSINESS BEST B SCHOOL SURVEY
B-schooled in India, Placed Abroad (Print Version)
IIPM in Financial times (Print Version)
IIPM makes business education truly global (Print Version)
The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM)
IIPM Campus

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The Hindu : Education Plus : Honour for IIPM
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