Im sure alot of u are as tired of the whole rat race process.... what am i to do... i read the newspaper inside out... try and gather all the information from my various sites being business standard, rediff and Mba preparatory site Testfunda.com..... today i was so exhausted that i called up alot of institutions mainly coaching classes to assist me on which college to choose after my CET GD PI rounds....
All these institutes had their counselors on the phone explaining what college could pick... but there is something id like to add...
While talking to one of these really depressing counselor i thought to myself maybe if I tried calling testfunda they would also give me some insight in the matter... I had taken their tests and studied from my friends testfunda notes and had found them to be nice and crisp....
so there i was calling testfunda.. someone answered there helpline no. and for a change my call wasnt transferred to ''THE CONCERNED PERSON''.... I must have sounded all tensed so the first thing that the lady on the call did was calmed me down.... she explained to me that though the scene was tough but there was still hope.... not only was i told what colleges i could get a call from but also i was told what all i could do just incase i dint make it.... it was a warm feeling which made me feel protected....
Im back to my warrior self.... ready to face the whole process again....
Ive already mailed testfunda a thank u note.... just wanted to tell all my readers....God really showed me light!!!
Showing posts with label Articles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Articles. Show all posts
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Friday, April 9, 2010
10 tips to ace your B-school interview
After the written exam, most management institutes invite you for the next stage of the testing procedure, which could comprise essay writing, group discussions and interviews. In fact, almost every institute uses interviews to assess the suitability of the candidate.
So what are the broad topics that you should prepare for in interviews?
There are some questions/ topics that you should be ready to address. These are:
Source: rediff.com
So what are the broad topics that you should prepare for in interviews?
There are some questions/ topics that you should be ready to address. These are:
- Your introduction
- Academics (especially for candidates who are currently in their final year or who have just recently completed their graduation)
- Work experience (for candidates who are currently working)
- Current affairs and business awareness related questions, to assess whether a candidate is aware of and can speak on broader issues of national or international importance
- General questions such as why you wish to do an MBA, your career plans, etc
- Your hobbies and interests
- Your strenghts and weaknesses
- In your introduction, try to ensure that you go beyond just repeating some mundane details about yourself. Try and make your introduction interesting by highlighting your unique qualities, interests, aims, etc.
- It is important to also highlight your achievements in your introduction, this could impress the evaluators and go a long way in ensuring your success.
- You could write down some points about yourself that you wish to cover in your introduction, this will ensure that you don't miss anything and may also aid in a smooth delivery on the day itself.
- When preparing to talk about academics, you will need to revise the fundamentals/ basics of the subjects you have studied during your graduation. Application-based questions could also be asked. For example, engineers with an electronics and communication background are often asked the differences between GSM and CDMA and which technology they think is better and why etc. Similarly, a candidate with an economics background may be tested on the relevance of Keynesian theories today, especially in the light of recent global economic developments.
- Quite often, candidates are asked about their favourite subjects and are asked questions on these. So think about which subjects you are ready to answer questions on!
- For candidates with work experience, the panel could ask you about the company in which you work and your role, as well as your firm's major competitors, the industry in which your company operates in, etc. Plus, be prepared for questions on recent developments in the industry -- such as large M&A deals, etc.
- Whatever your background, I strongly suggest that you read a newspaper every day. This will go a long way in helping you answer questions pertaining to GK and business awareness (besides helping you in the GD/ essay writing round as well (if any)).
- For questions on your career goals, strenghts and weaknesses, hobbies, etc ensure that you do some introspection and above all, be honest! Do not invent some hobby or strength just to impress the interviewer. Try and think about these questions -- remember that if you mention a particular strength, you may be asked to justify it by providing an example of when you actually demonstrated that particular strength.
- I suggest you read about the MBA course before the interview. If asked a question such as "Why MBA?", you could speak about the subjects that you are interested in or how the methodology used for teaching the course interests you -- the use of case studies, 'live projects' with companies, the summer placement experience, interactions with people working in the corporate sector through guest lectures, etc.
- Finally, it is a good strategy to practice for the actual interview by undergoing a couple of mock interviews and seeking feedback. You will find that practice helps you improve your responses and provides you indicators on which areas you need to prepare better.
Source: rediff.com
Disgruntled CAT candidates to move Delhi HC
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Saturday, April 3, 2010
IIMs blame NIIT for CAT fiasco
The NIIT, the Indian software giant which designed the infrastructural system of online CAT, is now being criticized by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) for the technical faults in Common Admission Test (CAT) 2009. However, the blame was initially put upon the U.S.-firm Prometric, which designed the module for the online CAT.
After studying the various details submitted by Prometric, the Chairmen revealed that the technical faults occurred due to the problems in the local area network (LAN) which was was under the NIIT's responsibility. Furthermore, IIMs had cleared Prometric to give it clean chit to carry on conducting the test. According to an official, if the directors agree with the suggestions of the admission chairmen, the CAT will be conducted by Prometric while the other regulating partner, NIIT, may not be looked for contract further.
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2009 was conducted in two stages. After the first stage, the problem was generated due to the virus attack, according to the presentation put by the firm to the IIMs. It was a major setback to the IIMs. As a result, the IIM directors will discuss in a meeting, which is scheduled in April 2010, the recommendations made by the admission chairmen. The major point of discussion will be to decide the final conductor of CAT exam this year.
Source: testfunda.com
After studying the various details submitted by Prometric, the Chairmen revealed that the technical faults occurred due to the problems in the local area network (LAN) which was was under the NIIT's responsibility. Furthermore, IIMs had cleared Prometric to give it clean chit to carry on conducting the test. According to an official, if the directors agree with the suggestions of the admission chairmen, the CAT will be conducted by Prometric while the other regulating partner, NIIT, may not be looked for contract further.
The Common Admission Test (CAT) 2009 was conducted in two stages. After the first stage, the problem was generated due to the virus attack, according to the presentation put by the firm to the IIMs. It was a major setback to the IIMs. As a result, the IIM directors will discuss in a meeting, which is scheduled in April 2010, the recommendations made by the admission chairmen. The major point of discussion will be to decide the final conductor of CAT exam this year.
Source: testfunda.com
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Retailers take on FMCG firms with private label push
Star Bazaar, the Tata group’s hypermarket in Thane on the outskirts of Mumbai, has several racks reserved for its private labels in noodles, breakfast cereals and other processed foods, just next to those from fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) majors. But, while the racks of big brands carry just price labels, Star Bazaar’s own products have big placards, saying these are 21 to 37 per cent cheaper than national brands.
Star has also launched 50-odd private labels from its franchisee partner, UK’s Tesco, in its stores, mostly in the health and beauty category. Kishore Biyani’s Future group, which has nearly 300 “private brands” in 65 categories, plans to launch 10-12 more product lines in the next year in areas such as personal care and toiletries, the stronghold of companies such as Hindustan Unilever and Procter & Gamble, among others.
Future has begun marketing its select private brands such as Cleanmate in floor-cleaners, Sach in toothbrush and Tasty Treat in processed foods to hotels and small retail chains, among others. It has advertised that buyers would get a margin of up to 55 per cent on the maximum retail price.
Big retailers such as Future, Tata’s Star Bazaar, Aditya Birla’s More and Spencer’s Retail are increasingly taking FMCG companies head on, with entry into newer categories, aggressive marketing and brand push in a bid to push margins and profits.
“Retailers are continuing to push their private labels, as these can fetch better margins for them. They are saying if you (suppliers) don’t give better margins, we will push the margins through our products,” says Anand Raghuraman, partner and director at Boston Consulting Group.
Private labels in food and groceries carry margins of 25-35 per cent, while that of national and regional brands give margins of 10 to 12 per cent. For most of the retailers, who are still many years away from break even, private labels can be a key factor in boosting profitability, retail consultants say.
In fact, Biyani’s Future Group withdrew products of global confectionery major Cadbury Schweppes, Pepsico’s Frito Lay potato chips and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) brands because the global FMCG majors were refusing to offer higher margins.
Vineet Kapila, chief executive of Spencer’s Retail, which gets around a quarter of its total revenues from private labels, says “We are funding the promotions of our brands. If national brands do not promote theirs, we cannot do anything about it.’’
Retailers have also adopted differential pricing in their products to be able to attractive to buyers. For example, half of Future’s private labels sell at 15 to 20 per cent less than national brands and the remaining half is sold at five to six per cent less. They save 15 to 20 per cent in distribution costs and three to four per cent on marketing, compared to FMCG companies
However, FMCG companies, whose share of revenues from modern trade is in single digits, say they are not perturbed by retailers’ ambitious plans. “I do not see this as a big thing. Not in personal products, at least. Yes, it is there in categories such as food. But, I do not see a major impact as a result of this,” says Godrej Group chairman Adi Godrej.
Avers Sunil Duggal, chief executive officer, Dabur India: “Organised retail, as such, comprises seven per cent of overall business for us. And, we are not seeing a private-label push in our categories. Private labels exist in categories where brand preference is not high,” he adds.
Though the world’s biggest retailers such as WalMart and Tesco derive half of their revenues from private labels, most Indian retailers are trying to have a share of 30-40 per cent in the next four-five years, from the five to 25 per cent at present.
Private label ambitions are taking retailers such as Future into newer areas like oral care, where 80 per cent of market share is controlled by Colgate Palmolive and Hindustan Unilever. “No new toothpaste brand has been able to establish itself in the last 20 years. I hope we will be able to break that jinx with our toothpaste brand, Sach,’’ says Biyani.
Some say private labels may be the potential answer to the challenges faced by Indian retailers such as lower fill rates (the proportion of orders that can be immediately met with stock in hand), fewer product launches by FMCG companies, margin issues and so on. The fill rate at modern retail outlets in India is 65-70 per cent, compared to the global 90-95 per cent.
“Private brands are insurance against lower fill rates in some categories. If your shelves are empty, the customer goes away,’’ says Devendra Chawla, the Future Group’s business head, private brands.
Praveen Kulkarni, general manager, Parle Products, admits the trend of private labels is growing. “In the next two-three years, the proliferation of private labels will be there. Categories that are not strong on branding are targets for private labels,’’ he adds.
“For manufacturers, the need is to focus more on brand building, build a strong price-value equation, focus on quality, etc. This is what will help them contain the onslaught of private labels,’’ he says.
Source: Business Standard
Star has also launched 50-odd private labels from its franchisee partner, UK’s Tesco, in its stores, mostly in the health and beauty category. Kishore Biyani’s Future group, which has nearly 300 “private brands” in 65 categories, plans to launch 10-12 more product lines in the next year in areas such as personal care and toiletries, the stronghold of companies such as Hindustan Unilever and Procter & Gamble, among others.
Future has begun marketing its select private brands such as Cleanmate in floor-cleaners, Sach in toothbrush and Tasty Treat in processed foods to hotels and small retail chains, among others. It has advertised that buyers would get a margin of up to 55 per cent on the maximum retail price.
Big retailers such as Future, Tata’s Star Bazaar, Aditya Birla’s More and Spencer’s Retail are increasingly taking FMCG companies head on, with entry into newer categories, aggressive marketing and brand push in a bid to push margins and profits.
“Retailers are continuing to push their private labels, as these can fetch better margins for them. They are saying if you (suppliers) don’t give better margins, we will push the margins through our products,” says Anand Raghuraman, partner and director at Boston Consulting Group.
Private labels in food and groceries carry margins of 25-35 per cent, while that of national and regional brands give margins of 10 to 12 per cent. For most of the retailers, who are still many years away from break even, private labels can be a key factor in boosting profitability, retail consultants say.
In fact, Biyani’s Future Group withdrew products of global confectionery major Cadbury Schweppes, Pepsico’s Frito Lay potato chips and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) brands because the global FMCG majors were refusing to offer higher margins.
Vineet Kapila, chief executive of Spencer’s Retail, which gets around a quarter of its total revenues from private labels, says “We are funding the promotions of our brands. If national brands do not promote theirs, we cannot do anything about it.’’
Retailers have also adopted differential pricing in their products to be able to attractive to buyers. For example, half of Future’s private labels sell at 15 to 20 per cent less than national brands and the remaining half is sold at five to six per cent less. They save 15 to 20 per cent in distribution costs and three to four per cent on marketing, compared to FMCG companies
However, FMCG companies, whose share of revenues from modern trade is in single digits, say they are not perturbed by retailers’ ambitious plans. “I do not see this as a big thing. Not in personal products, at least. Yes, it is there in categories such as food. But, I do not see a major impact as a result of this,” says Godrej Group chairman Adi Godrej.
Avers Sunil Duggal, chief executive officer, Dabur India: “Organised retail, as such, comprises seven per cent of overall business for us. And, we are not seeing a private-label push in our categories. Private labels exist in categories where brand preference is not high,” he adds.
Though the world’s biggest retailers such as WalMart and Tesco derive half of their revenues from private labels, most Indian retailers are trying to have a share of 30-40 per cent in the next four-five years, from the five to 25 per cent at present.
Private label ambitions are taking retailers such as Future into newer areas like oral care, where 80 per cent of market share is controlled by Colgate Palmolive and Hindustan Unilever. “No new toothpaste brand has been able to establish itself in the last 20 years. I hope we will be able to break that jinx with our toothpaste brand, Sach,’’ says Biyani.
Some say private labels may be the potential answer to the challenges faced by Indian retailers such as lower fill rates (the proportion of orders that can be immediately met with stock in hand), fewer product launches by FMCG companies, margin issues and so on. The fill rate at modern retail outlets in India is 65-70 per cent, compared to the global 90-95 per cent.
“Private brands are insurance against lower fill rates in some categories. If your shelves are empty, the customer goes away,’’ says Devendra Chawla, the Future Group’s business head, private brands.
Praveen Kulkarni, general manager, Parle Products, admits the trend of private labels is growing. “In the next two-three years, the proliferation of private labels will be there. Categories that are not strong on branding are targets for private labels,’’ he adds.
“For manufacturers, the need is to focus more on brand building, build a strong price-value equation, focus on quality, etc. This is what will help them contain the onslaught of private labels,’’ he says.
Source: Business Standard
Management lesson for every salaried person
A butcher watching over his shop is really surprised when he sees a dog coming inside the shop. He shoos him away. But later, the dog is back again.
So, he goes over to the dog and notices' it has a note in its mouth. He takes the note and it reads, "Can I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please."
The dog has money in its mouth, as well. The butcher looks inside and, low and behold, there is a $10 note there. So he takes the money and puts the sausages and lamb in a bag, placing it in the dog's mouth. The butcher is so impressed, and since it's about closing time, he decides to shut the shop and follow the dog. So off he goes.
The dog is walking down the street, when it comes to a level crossing the dog puts down the bag, jumps up and presses the button.
Then it waits patiently, bag in mouth, for the lights to turn. They do, and it walks across the road, with the butcher following him all the way.
The dog then comes to a bus stop, and starts looking at the timetable. The butcher is in awe as the dog stops a bus by pulling its left leg up and gets in it. The butcher follows the dog into the bus.
The dog then shows a ticket, which is tied to its belt to the bus conductor. The butcher is nearly fainting at this sight, so are the other passengers in the bus.
The dog then sits near the driver's seat looking outside waiting for the bus stop to come. As soon as the stop is in sight, the dog stands and wags its tail to inform the conductor.
Then, without waiting for the bus to stop completely, it jumps out of the bus and runs to a house very close to the stop. It opens the big iron gate and rushes inside towards the door.
As it approaches the wooden door, the dog suddenly changes its mind and heads towards the garden. It goes to the window, and beats its head against it several times, walks back, jumps off, and waits at the door.
The butcher watches as a big guy opens the door, and starts abusing the dog, kicking him and punching him, and swearing at him.
The butcher surprised with this, runs up, and stops the guy. "What in heaven's name are you doing? The dog is a genius. He could be on TV, for the life of me!" to which the guy responds: "You call this clever? This is the second time this week that this stupid dog's forgotten his key."
Moral of the story...
You may continue to exceed onlookers' expectations but shall always fall short of the bosses' expectations.
Source: testfunda.com
So, he goes over to the dog and notices' it has a note in its mouth. He takes the note and it reads, "Can I have 12 sausages and a leg of lamb, please."
The dog has money in its mouth, as well. The butcher looks inside and, low and behold, there is a $10 note there. So he takes the money and puts the sausages and lamb in a bag, placing it in the dog's mouth. The butcher is so impressed, and since it's about closing time, he decides to shut the shop and follow the dog. So off he goes.
The dog is walking down the street, when it comes to a level crossing the dog puts down the bag, jumps up and presses the button.
Then it waits patiently, bag in mouth, for the lights to turn. They do, and it walks across the road, with the butcher following him all the way.
The dog then comes to a bus stop, and starts looking at the timetable. The butcher is in awe as the dog stops a bus by pulling its left leg up and gets in it. The butcher follows the dog into the bus.
The dog then shows a ticket, which is tied to its belt to the bus conductor. The butcher is nearly fainting at this sight, so are the other passengers in the bus.
The dog then sits near the driver's seat looking outside waiting for the bus stop to come. As soon as the stop is in sight, the dog stands and wags its tail to inform the conductor.
Then, without waiting for the bus to stop completely, it jumps out of the bus and runs to a house very close to the stop. It opens the big iron gate and rushes inside towards the door.
As it approaches the wooden door, the dog suddenly changes its mind and heads towards the garden. It goes to the window, and beats its head against it several times, walks back, jumps off, and waits at the door.
The butcher watches as a big guy opens the door, and starts abusing the dog, kicking him and punching him, and swearing at him.
The butcher surprised with this, runs up, and stops the guy. "What in heaven's name are you doing? The dog is a genius. He could be on TV, for the life of me!" to which the guy responds: "You call this clever? This is the second time this week that this stupid dog's forgotten his key."
Moral of the story...
You may continue to exceed onlookers' expectations but shall always fall short of the bosses' expectations.
Source: testfunda.com
IIM-R to tie up with US-based business school
“The Kelley School is partnering with IIM Rohtak (IIM-R)and its dean has already visited the site. This would be a strategic partnership for student and faculty exchange, joint curriculum designing and research. It would be a partnership on the same lines as IIM Ahmedabad (IIM-A) has with Harvard University,” said Deepender Hooda, MP from Rohtak, and son of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Incidentally, Deepender himself graduated from Kelley.
IIM Lucknow (IIM-L), which is mentoring IIM-R, has confirmed that the first semester classes will begin from July and end in September.
“Kelley school’s dean visited Rohtak and talks are on. But all of this will happen once a full-time director and faculty are in place. However, on an immediate basis, we have to start with the programme and other short courses,” corroborated IIM-L Director Devi Singh.
In August last year, the government approved setting up four IIMs at Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Raipur (Chhattishargh) and Rohtak (Haryana) in 2009-10, which would become functional from the academic session 2010-11. The Post-Graduate Programme (PGP) in Management would be the flagship programme with an intake of 140 students though in the first year several executive programmes including those in the public policy domain focusing on civic and municipal services would be started. The projected Eleventh Plan outlay for each of the four IIMs to be established during 2009-10 is Rs 166 crore.
In the second phase, the rest of three IIMs are to be set up in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan in 2010-11. The intake of students would be 560 per year after the second phase.
Singh said the Kelley School had shown interest and a dialogue between the directors was on.
The construction of the 170-acre IIM-R campus is on, but for the time being, classes will be held in Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, according to a memorandum of understanding signed between the two institutes.
Source: Business Standard
From :testfunda.com
IIM Lucknow (IIM-L), which is mentoring IIM-R, has confirmed that the first semester classes will begin from July and end in September.
“Kelley school’s dean visited Rohtak and talks are on. But all of this will happen once a full-time director and faculty are in place. However, on an immediate basis, we have to start with the programme and other short courses,” corroborated IIM-L Director Devi Singh.
In August last year, the government approved setting up four IIMs at Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu), Ranchi (Jharkhand), Raipur (Chhattishargh) and Rohtak (Haryana) in 2009-10, which would become functional from the academic session 2010-11. The Post-Graduate Programme (PGP) in Management would be the flagship programme with an intake of 140 students though in the first year several executive programmes including those in the public policy domain focusing on civic and municipal services would be started. The projected Eleventh Plan outlay for each of the four IIMs to be established during 2009-10 is Rs 166 crore.
In the second phase, the rest of three IIMs are to be set up in Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan in 2010-11. The intake of students would be 560 per year after the second phase.
Singh said the Kelley School had shown interest and a dialogue between the directors was on.
The construction of the 170-acre IIM-R campus is on, but for the time being, classes will be held in Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, according to a memorandum of understanding signed between the two institutes.
Source: Business Standard
From :testfunda.com
CAT scores are correct: Prometric
AHMEDABAD: The only tool in the hands of some of the candidates of Common Admission Test (CAT) 2009, in the form of the RTI Act, has also become ineffective. The candidates who wanted to know the break up of their raw scores and were asked to knock the Prometric’s door by the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A) are now disappointed.
The reply they have received from Prometric says, “We have carefully reviewed your responses, rechecked your scores and have found them to be absolutely correct. You will be happy to note that they are exactly the same as reported to you on www.catiim.in. To safeguard certain information which is proprietary to Prometric and IIM and to ensure the integrity and security of CAT, it will not be possible for us to disclose the additional information that you are requesting for.”
A letter from CAT Candidate Care Support, Prometric Testing Private Limited, says, “You will understand that the purpose of the test is to assess a candidate’s aptitude and skill in a domain. Public disclosure of the questions, its contents, answer keys and specific scoring procedures for each candidate compromise validity and subsequent use of the questions.”
“I had asked a set of questions that have been unanswered till now. I have spoken to the concerned authorities at IIM-A and then approached Prometric, like I was asked. After close to eight days of waiting, I still stand at the same point from where I had started,” said one of the candidates who has received this reply. The other CAT 2009 candidates who had written to Prometric have received the same letter in answer.
Source: business Standard
The reply they have received from Prometric says, “We have carefully reviewed your responses, rechecked your scores and have found them to be absolutely correct. You will be happy to note that they are exactly the same as reported to you on www.catiim.in. To safeguard certain information which is proprietary to Prometric and IIM and to ensure the integrity and security of CAT, it will not be possible for us to disclose the additional information that you are requesting for.”
A letter from CAT Candidate Care Support, Prometric Testing Private Limited, says, “You will understand that the purpose of the test is to assess a candidate’s aptitude and skill in a domain. Public disclosure of the questions, its contents, answer keys and specific scoring procedures for each candidate compromise validity and subsequent use of the questions.”
“I had asked a set of questions that have been unanswered till now. I have spoken to the concerned authorities at IIM-A and then approached Prometric, like I was asked. After close to eight days of waiting, I still stand at the same point from where I had started,” said one of the candidates who has received this reply. The other CAT 2009 candidates who had written to Prometric have received the same letter in answer.
Source: business Standard
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
B-schools gear up to prevent faculty from switching loyalties
The likelihood of losing teaching staff members to foreign institutions has put Indian management schools on high alert.
Indian management schools are not leaving anything to chance when foreign universities eventually get permission to set up campuses in the country.
The Cabinet recently approved the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations, Maintenance of Quality and Prevention of Commercialisation) Bill, and Parliament, too, is expected to give its sanction to the Bill.
B-schools, on their part, are leafing through every known book for ideas to retain faculty members since they are reeling under a faculty crunch. The steps include offering research grants, planning more collaborations, and even offering higher remuneration packages.
The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow has, for instance, decided to demarcate funds worth several crores as research grants for its faculty. "I firmly believe that most academically-oriented people looking at a career in education are not only fascinated by money. If it was so, they could have easily moved to the corporate sector, where PhDs are keenly sought after. These are individuals who are willing to look at a smaller compensation package, so long their interest in research, and educating others are fulfiled.
“So if we get our act together and inculcate an atmosphere of innovation and research across campuses in India, I believe that in longer run, we will win hands down. Better facilities, more sops for research and ingraining a "research-orientation" in faculty are the steps to take this forward. In fact, we at IIM Lucknow have decided to demarcate funds to the tune of several crores to be offered as research grants for our faculty and fellowship programme participants. We also offer the highest stipend to our students of PhD Program,” says Devi Singh, director, IIM Lucknow.
Singh believes Indian universities may face dilution of their standards as teachers might get attracted to the large salaries offered by the foreign universities. But this will be reality in the short term. “After a year or two, it will be a question of availability of funds for research and development, focus on academia, curriculum, etc of the institutes in question.
Similarly, IIM Kozhikode has its own plans to compete with foreign universities. “We will improve our standards and globalise our curriculum. Foreign universities are welcome to bring healthy competition to the country. As far as faculty strength is concerned, we are already adequate in numbers,” says Debashish Chatterjee, director of IIM-K.
Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon is scouting for more collaborations for faculty exchange and has also restructured its research policy to encourage its faculty.
"MDI is already working on faculty exchange and has restructured its entire research policy which encourages faculty members to do high quality research and publications. We also take pride in our HR policies and service rules. Besides, MDI has done a number of tie-ups with top universities across the globe for student exchange, faculty exchange, collaborative researches, conferences and programmes and is looking at more such collaborations which would open a lot of opportunities for the faculty,” says B S Sahay, director, MDI, Gurgaon.
Sahay suggests the government should put strict parameters in place while selecting the foreign universities that choose to come to India. “In India, we have seen competition from foreign brands in different sectors like IT, automobile, telecom, FMCG, among others and the education sector too will be prepared to take up the challenge. We welcome the Government's decision to allow foreign universities to set their campuses in India. However strict parameters should be set for selecting the foreign educational institutes to ensure that only the best be allowed. This will encourage Indian educational institutes to gear up for enhancing the quality of delivery, quality of content and academic rigor so as to be at par with the best foreign institutions,” Sahay says.
While there are others who have already put their act together to ensure their faculty stays even if a foreign university comes up in the near future. “Since we were already aware of the bill pending for the past four years, and the developments and changes it would bring along in the education scenario, we have already developed our infrastructure and teaching methodology to match the standards. We have more than 20 senior faculties from American and European Universities teaching at our campus and are looking forward to having more of international faculty and students at our campus in times to come. We are already offering them packages and infrastructure at par with the international universities. We are also in talks with a number of universities for tie-ups for joint university programs,” says PK Gupta, chancellor, Sharda University
Singh is, however, hopeful the lure of higher salaries will not attract IIM Lucknow’s faculty to foreign universities. “Initial euphoria about great salaries and the charm to be associated with a recognised global name, may interest a few faculty members. But most of our faculty would be more than willing to forego the charms of the unknown for the atmosphere and facilities of IIM Lucknow. The focus at is not the number of courses you teach or the number of management development programmes you take or the hours you teach per day but on the holistic development of the faculty member where he is given ample scope to network with his peers, participate in and create seminars and programmes, undertake research activities, create case studies. So I am not really expecting any impact on us.”
Source: TestFunda.com
To read more Click Here
Indian management schools are not leaving anything to chance when foreign universities eventually get permission to set up campuses in the country.
The Cabinet recently approved the Foreign Educational Institutions (Regulation of Entry and Operations, Maintenance of Quality and Prevention of Commercialisation) Bill, and Parliament, too, is expected to give its sanction to the Bill.
B-schools, on their part, are leafing through every known book for ideas to retain faculty members since they are reeling under a faculty crunch. The steps include offering research grants, planning more collaborations, and even offering higher remuneration packages.
The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow has, for instance, decided to demarcate funds worth several crores as research grants for its faculty. "I firmly believe that most academically-oriented people looking at a career in education are not only fascinated by money. If it was so, they could have easily moved to the corporate sector, where PhDs are keenly sought after. These are individuals who are willing to look at a smaller compensation package, so long their interest in research, and educating others are fulfiled.
“So if we get our act together and inculcate an atmosphere of innovation and research across campuses in India, I believe that in longer run, we will win hands down. Better facilities, more sops for research and ingraining a "research-orientation" in faculty are the steps to take this forward. In fact, we at IIM Lucknow have decided to demarcate funds to the tune of several crores to be offered as research grants for our faculty and fellowship programme participants. We also offer the highest stipend to our students of PhD Program,” says Devi Singh, director, IIM Lucknow.
Singh believes Indian universities may face dilution of their standards as teachers might get attracted to the large salaries offered by the foreign universities. But this will be reality in the short term. “After a year or two, it will be a question of availability of funds for research and development, focus on academia, curriculum, etc of the institutes in question.
Similarly, IIM Kozhikode has its own plans to compete with foreign universities. “We will improve our standards and globalise our curriculum. Foreign universities are welcome to bring healthy competition to the country. As far as faculty strength is concerned, we are already adequate in numbers,” says Debashish Chatterjee, director of IIM-K.
Management Development Institute (MDI) Gurgaon is scouting for more collaborations for faculty exchange and has also restructured its research policy to encourage its faculty.
"MDI is already working on faculty exchange and has restructured its entire research policy which encourages faculty members to do high quality research and publications. We also take pride in our HR policies and service rules. Besides, MDI has done a number of tie-ups with top universities across the globe for student exchange, faculty exchange, collaborative researches, conferences and programmes and is looking at more such collaborations which would open a lot of opportunities for the faculty,” says B S Sahay, director, MDI, Gurgaon.
Sahay suggests the government should put strict parameters in place while selecting the foreign universities that choose to come to India. “In India, we have seen competition from foreign brands in different sectors like IT, automobile, telecom, FMCG, among others and the education sector too will be prepared to take up the challenge. We welcome the Government's decision to allow foreign universities to set their campuses in India. However strict parameters should be set for selecting the foreign educational institutes to ensure that only the best be allowed. This will encourage Indian educational institutes to gear up for enhancing the quality of delivery, quality of content and academic rigor so as to be at par with the best foreign institutions,” Sahay says.
While there are others who have already put their act together to ensure their faculty stays even if a foreign university comes up in the near future. “Since we were already aware of the bill pending for the past four years, and the developments and changes it would bring along in the education scenario, we have already developed our infrastructure and teaching methodology to match the standards. We have more than 20 senior faculties from American and European Universities teaching at our campus and are looking forward to having more of international faculty and students at our campus in times to come. We are already offering them packages and infrastructure at par with the international universities. We are also in talks with a number of universities for tie-ups for joint university programs,” says PK Gupta, chancellor, Sharda University
Singh is, however, hopeful the lure of higher salaries will not attract IIM Lucknow’s faculty to foreign universities. “Initial euphoria about great salaries and the charm to be associated with a recognised global name, may interest a few faculty members. But most of our faculty would be more than willing to forego the charms of the unknown for the atmosphere and facilities of IIM Lucknow. The focus at is not the number of courses you teach or the number of management development programmes you take or the hours you teach per day but on the holistic development of the faculty member where he is given ample scope to network with his peers, participate in and create seminars and programmes, undertake research activities, create case studies. So I am not really expecting any impact on us.”
Source: TestFunda.com
To read more Click Here
Sibal: India will have world's most educated people by 2030
Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Kapil Sibal has said that India will have the most educated people by 2030, thereby stressing on the use of technology to spread education to dispossessed areas of the country.
Sibal said the government is giving weightage to the use of information communication and technology (ICT) to increase access to education among people residing in rural and geographically disadvantageous places.
Technology is going to play a major role in the education sector in the 21st century, said Sibal, adding that the government has put in place an ICT mission.
He has asked states, civil society, parents and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to move in the right direction.
Sibal also proposed the idea of providing mobile phones to teachers to check the problem of absenteeism, saying that mobile phones will specify the exact place where the teacher is positioned at any given point of time.
Source: Rediff.com
Sibal said the government is giving weightage to the use of information communication and technology (ICT) to increase access to education among people residing in rural and geographically disadvantageous places.
Technology is going to play a major role in the education sector in the 21st century, said Sibal, adding that the government has put in place an ICT mission.
He has asked states, civil society, parents and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to move in the right direction.
Sibal also proposed the idea of providing mobile phones to teachers to check the problem of absenteeism, saying that mobile phones will specify the exact place where the teacher is positioned at any given point of time.
Source: Rediff.com
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Compete and survive
i really liked tis article and i thought mayb i should put it up for reads for all my frends!!!!
The opening up of Indian higher education to foreign competition by allowing foreign universities to start campuses in India has the potential to have the same impact as the post-1991 opening up had on the overall economy. A final assessment of the move has to await the enactment of the legislation and the shape it eventually takes. The best case scenario is global best practices coming in and forcing Indian higher education to reform in the face of competition. The worst case scenario is second-class institutions coming in and that too only in areas with good revenue potential, taking away some of the good teachers from leading national institutions and eventually having little impact on the overall scene in terms of quality or quantity (seats). Some of the leading institutions in the world have indicated that they are in no hurry to come, but this is just the beginning of a long process and the attractiveness of India as a market for higher education and catchment area for good students will only grow over time.The conflicting perception of what the government move portends is best highlighted by the views of two IIM Ahmedabad directors, the current incumbent sounding pessimistic and the former sounding optimistic on the assumption that the government will now do what needs doing and thereby set the ground for positive results. The pessimism stems from the feeling that the best national institutions will be locked in an unequal combat. They have neither the autonomy to do what needs doing nor the resources to retain the best teachers. In short, Indian institutions need a level playing field to effectively compete with foreign institutions. They must get it. There is a lot of hope in HRD Minister Kapil Sibal allowing extensive functional autonomy, but the issue is, ministers will come and go and an institutional mechanism needs to be put in place to ensure that the politician-bureaucrat nexus does not claw back what it has had to give up at one stage.
The issue of resources can be more difficult to resolve. To get good teachers, the best institutions which already have substantial vacancies, will have to pay better. As the government’s ability to keep footing a rising deficit is limited, higher fees should not lead to some of the brightest youngsters being unable to afford the best education. There are two solutions to this. One, raise fees but increase the scope of assistance and cheap educational loans so that the system becomes more or less means-blind. Two, improve the academic atmosphere, particularly for research, as that, as much as good pay, attracts the best teaching talent. This is squarely in the court of the institutions’ leadership. The IIM-A director also feels that having to live with quotas in intakes places Indian institutions at a disadvantage. Yes and no. The foreign institutions will be no different from domestic private unaided ones, which also do not have to abide by quotas. Besides, it can be argued that quotas do not automatically imply a handicap. The IITs and IIMs have to live down the criticism, made more often against the IIMs, that they produce the best because they take in the best, with little value addition by them. The best teachers are those who create the best out of the second best.
Source: testfunda.com
to read original click here
The opening up of Indian higher education to foreign competition by allowing foreign universities to start campuses in India has the potential to have the same impact as the post-1991 opening up had on the overall economy. A final assessment of the move has to await the enactment of the legislation and the shape it eventually takes. The best case scenario is global best practices coming in and forcing Indian higher education to reform in the face of competition. The worst case scenario is second-class institutions coming in and that too only in areas with good revenue potential, taking away some of the good teachers from leading national institutions and eventually having little impact on the overall scene in terms of quality or quantity (seats). Some of the leading institutions in the world have indicated that they are in no hurry to come, but this is just the beginning of a long process and the attractiveness of India as a market for higher education and catchment area for good students will only grow over time.The conflicting perception of what the government move portends is best highlighted by the views of two IIM Ahmedabad directors, the current incumbent sounding pessimistic and the former sounding optimistic on the assumption that the government will now do what needs doing and thereby set the ground for positive results. The pessimism stems from the feeling that the best national institutions will be locked in an unequal combat. They have neither the autonomy to do what needs doing nor the resources to retain the best teachers. In short, Indian institutions need a level playing field to effectively compete with foreign institutions. They must get it. There is a lot of hope in HRD Minister Kapil Sibal allowing extensive functional autonomy, but the issue is, ministers will come and go and an institutional mechanism needs to be put in place to ensure that the politician-bureaucrat nexus does not claw back what it has had to give up at one stage.
The issue of resources can be more difficult to resolve. To get good teachers, the best institutions which already have substantial vacancies, will have to pay better. As the government’s ability to keep footing a rising deficit is limited, higher fees should not lead to some of the brightest youngsters being unable to afford the best education. There are two solutions to this. One, raise fees but increase the scope of assistance and cheap educational loans so that the system becomes more or less means-blind. Two, improve the academic atmosphere, particularly for research, as that, as much as good pay, attracts the best teaching talent. This is squarely in the court of the institutions’ leadership. The IIM-A director also feels that having to live with quotas in intakes places Indian institutions at a disadvantage. Yes and no. The foreign institutions will be no different from domestic private unaided ones, which also do not have to abide by quotas. Besides, it can be argued that quotas do not automatically imply a handicap. The IITs and IIMs have to live down the criticism, made more often against the IIMs, that they produce the best because they take in the best, with little value addition by them. The best teachers are those who create the best out of the second best.
Source: testfunda.com
to read original click here
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
IIM-B final placements close in just five days
Providing a strong indication of a positive sentiment for the economy, the final placements season at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B) was closed in just five days — half the time the institute took to place students last year. The highlight of the process was that 90 students accepted offers in slot zero (generally the first day) — a 41 per cent increase over the previous year.
Slot zero is the most coveted slot given to recruiters, usually investment banks and consultancies. Over 120 companies came to IIM-B this year for a batch of 270 students. Like last year, banking and financial services companies were at the top of students’ preference, with 27 per cent choosing to work with them. Consulting was the second, with 22 per cent, followed by IT & Systems (20 per cent), marketing (12 per cent) and general management (9 per cent). The rest was accounted for by private equity, healthcare, energy and public-sector units.
IT companies were the surprise package this year. About 50 students accepted offers from these companies. This is understood to be nearly double the number of acceptances last year. Wipro, HCL, MindTree, IBM and Cognizant were among the prominent recruiters. Wipro is said to have made eight offers, while HCL made 5 offers. “After a lull in the sector last year, IT companies have come back with renewed hiring requirements. They have offered good salaries to students in roles like consulting and sales and marketing,” said Sapna Agarwal, head of career development services at IIM-B.
Consulting firm Deloitte made 10 offers, the highest in IIM-B, followed by McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group, who made nine offers each. Some other slot-zero recruiters this year were Bain & Co, Booz & Co, AT Kearney, Diamond Consulting, Alvarez & Marsal, Nomura and Temasek Holdings. P&G, ITC and American Express made six offers each. There were 15 new companies, including healthcare group Narayana Hrudayalaya, which offered senior level positions to six students, on the campus this year. The institute refused to comment on salaries, but it is learnt that there was an increase of 10-20 per cent in average salaries across sectors. Seventy-two students had received pre-placement offers from the companies they interned with.
Lateral placements, for which only students with over 22 months of work experience are eligible, saw a total of 66 offers, compared to 50 offers last year. There were 30 companies in the lateral placements this year.
Praveen, one of the members of the student placement committee, said nearly 10 companies that had not hired last year returned to the campus. The institute had a provision in place this year to refund fees of students who took up jobs with non-government organisations for three years, but officials said they were yet to get a confirmation on this from one or two students who were interested.
Source: business standard
Slot zero is the most coveted slot given to recruiters, usually investment banks and consultancies. Over 120 companies came to IIM-B this year for a batch of 270 students. Like last year, banking and financial services companies were at the top of students’ preference, with 27 per cent choosing to work with them. Consulting was the second, with 22 per cent, followed by IT & Systems (20 per cent), marketing (12 per cent) and general management (9 per cent). The rest was accounted for by private equity, healthcare, energy and public-sector units.
IT companies were the surprise package this year. About 50 students accepted offers from these companies. This is understood to be nearly double the number of acceptances last year. Wipro, HCL, MindTree, IBM and Cognizant were among the prominent recruiters. Wipro is said to have made eight offers, while HCL made 5 offers. “After a lull in the sector last year, IT companies have come back with renewed hiring requirements. They have offered good salaries to students in roles like consulting and sales and marketing,” said Sapna Agarwal, head of career development services at IIM-B.
Consulting firm Deloitte made 10 offers, the highest in IIM-B, followed by McKinsey and Boston Consulting Group, who made nine offers each. Some other slot-zero recruiters this year were Bain & Co, Booz & Co, AT Kearney, Diamond Consulting, Alvarez & Marsal, Nomura and Temasek Holdings. P&G, ITC and American Express made six offers each. There were 15 new companies, including healthcare group Narayana Hrudayalaya, which offered senior level positions to six students, on the campus this year. The institute refused to comment on salaries, but it is learnt that there was an increase of 10-20 per cent in average salaries across sectors. Seventy-two students had received pre-placement offers from the companies they interned with.
Lateral placements, for which only students with over 22 months of work experience are eligible, saw a total of 66 offers, compared to 50 offers last year. There were 30 companies in the lateral placements this year.
Praveen, one of the members of the student placement committee, said nearly 10 companies that had not hired last year returned to the campus. The institute had a provision in place this year to refund fees of students who took up jobs with non-government organisations for three years, but officials said they were yet to get a confirmation on this from one or two students who were interested.
Source: business standard
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
'We will establish our credibility if given another chance'
Prometric, the American firm that conducted the first computer based Common Admission Test (CAT) in December last year, has been in the line of fire for the way it conducted the entire test and the glitches that surrounded it. Soumitra Roy, managing director, Prometric Services, India, explained to Kirtika Suneja the teething problems that his company faced and says if given another chance, he would establish Prometric’s credibility besides restoring students’ confidence in CAT. Edited excerpts:
Students have been filing Right to Information (RTI) applications but don’t seem to be getting any answers…
Students don’t file RTIs on us but the IIMs can ask us to investigate or they can do it themselves. However, we have not been asked to investigate a single RTI till now by the IIMs. Also, all RTIs relate to scores and in the pursuit of transparency, we can’t give out the questions. We can do an investigation if someone asks for it.
You have admitted there were lapses all through the administration of CAT. How will you establish credibility?
If the students’ confidence is shaken, then we will educate them by putting relevant information on the CAT-IIM (Indian Institute of Management) website so that they get a good teat taking experience next time. This year, we had teething problems as it was for the first time, in 31 years that CAT went computer-based and away from the paper pencil format. But undoubtedly, there were lapses though we took preventive actions. Now, we do intend to be more interactive and if we get another chance-which most probably we will take all precautions and establish that confidence among students. We will consistently come out with educative activities and white papers.
But the IIMs plan to review their contract with you...
The seven IIM directors decided to give Prometric the five-year contract and it is a huge contract that doesn’t happen everyday. It is completely upto the directors to review it. Discussions are on with the IIMs but the review will happen once the admission process and convocations are over. The contract review process will look at the structure of CAT for next year and how it is to be conducted.
Does Prometric plan to review its contract with NIIT?
NIIT has been our partner for a decade and they have also learnt from this experience. In fact, it has been a learning for all of us. Site preparation and readiness was NIIT’s responsibility but glitches happen while dealing with 17,000 computers across 32 cities. We will review our contract with NIIT but what will come out of it, is still a premature thing. We will review our terms and arrangement with them. Moreover, there are many competent people in the country and choice of NIIT was unanimous at that point of time because they have on ground experience. We have a lot of confidence in them.
The number of CAT takers in 2009 was lower than that in 2008 because CAT was becoming a computer-based test (CBT) for the first time. Will this fiasco discourage students from taking CAT this year?
The number fell not because CAT was becoming computer-based (CBT) but because the placements did not do well in 2009. Many people though of sticking to their job and not testing because of the slowdown. CBT-CAT couldn't have deterred the candidates. In 2010, I don’t think the numbers will go down as the market is now stabilising.
Source: Business Standard
Students have been filing Right to Information (RTI) applications but don’t seem to be getting any answers…
Students don’t file RTIs on us but the IIMs can ask us to investigate or they can do it themselves. However, we have not been asked to investigate a single RTI till now by the IIMs. Also, all RTIs relate to scores and in the pursuit of transparency, we can’t give out the questions. We can do an investigation if someone asks for it.
You have admitted there were lapses all through the administration of CAT. How will you establish credibility?
If the students’ confidence is shaken, then we will educate them by putting relevant information on the CAT-IIM (Indian Institute of Management) website so that they get a good teat taking experience next time. This year, we had teething problems as it was for the first time, in 31 years that CAT went computer-based and away from the paper pencil format. But undoubtedly, there were lapses though we took preventive actions. Now, we do intend to be more interactive and if we get another chance-which most probably we will take all precautions and establish that confidence among students. We will consistently come out with educative activities and white papers.
But the IIMs plan to review their contract with you...
The seven IIM directors decided to give Prometric the five-year contract and it is a huge contract that doesn’t happen everyday. It is completely upto the directors to review it. Discussions are on with the IIMs but the review will happen once the admission process and convocations are over. The contract review process will look at the structure of CAT for next year and how it is to be conducted.
Does Prometric plan to review its contract with NIIT?
NIIT has been our partner for a decade and they have also learnt from this experience. In fact, it has been a learning for all of us. Site preparation and readiness was NIIT’s responsibility but glitches happen while dealing with 17,000 computers across 32 cities. We will review our contract with NIIT but what will come out of it, is still a premature thing. We will review our terms and arrangement with them. Moreover, there are many competent people in the country and choice of NIIT was unanimous at that point of time because they have on ground experience. We have a lot of confidence in them.
The number of CAT takers in 2009 was lower than that in 2008 because CAT was becoming a computer-based test (CBT) for the first time. Will this fiasco discourage students from taking CAT this year?
The number fell not because CAT was becoming computer-based (CBT) but because the placements did not do well in 2009. Many people though of sticking to their job and not testing because of the slowdown. CBT-CAT couldn't have deterred the candidates. In 2010, I don’t think the numbers will go down as the market is now stabilising.
Source: Business Standard
Living is important, not how many years we live
I read this article on Testfunda.com n its so philosophical... nice read...
I read this line a few days back, which made me lost in thoughts for quite some time.. So thought of penning down(rather typing down) what came to my mind.
I read this line a few days back, which made me lost in thoughts for quite some time.. So thought of penning down(rather typing down) what came to my mind.
Life- the one word which separates this planet from others of our galaxy(maybe)....which brings all of us into existence....when we are born, we don't just get a life, we get a chance to experience this wonderful world!...Life is a journey, but whatever the goal is , its the various ups and downs, joys and sorrows, ecstacy and pain, that makes it fulfilling. Its not the length or the distance of the journey, what matters is the pace at which we walk or run, how many times we pant for air and most importantly, who our companions are.
Its important to live life, take everyday as it comes and immerse oneself in it. If we think about whether we'll be there tomorrow or not, we are just failing the whole process. We should be intent on making the most of now. That's all we have in our hands.
On another note, don't we all hate getting old?...Then what's the point in living a hundred years and make our way into record books....In all probability, by then , we will be house to a bunch of diseases and our senile behaviour might turn out to be a major embarassment and disturbance to our loved ones. So whats the point!
There are other ways of becoming immortal if one wants to- doing something worthwhile in whatever span of life one has got!...Many names come to my mind who have left their footmark on this world in the short lives that they have got- Van Gogh, Anne Frank, Amelia Earhart,Kurt Cobain, Bhagat Singh and many others....all for the different contributions that they have made ..By this, I do not want to say that dying young is good, all i want to say is that whatever life we get , we got to make the most out of it.
As i write and you read this , your and my clock is ticking. So lets rock and roll!
Source: testfunda.com
Friday, March 12, 2010
The IPL is back..
Its that time of the year again.....Yes, the great cricketing circus is back....back to where it belongs. Indian Premier League- you can love it or hate it, but you just can't ignore it!
For all cicket lovers, it's honeymoon period .Talking of honeymoons, Indian men can even cancel the same for the sake of cricket!...Talk of love!..... With all the cricketing stars descending upon India these two months, it is commonplace to catch up with some of them at the nearby shopping plaza or hotel, if you happen to be in one of those blessed eight cities . (The bonus i get being in Kolkata is SRK!! ). After a tiring and boring day at work , IPL provides us with the perfect leisure option. Thanks to IPL, we get a welcome relief from those lachrymose "saas-bahu" serials in the prime time slots which the females of the house would invariably switch on. IPL is not just about cricket...It has something for everybody!
I found a flyer in my letter box the other day day about the pizza store giving special "IPL" discounts. Several other eateries ,restaurants and pubs have pitched in with such cool offers. Sounds delicious! ..Even the cineplex near my home is offering "matchday special-priced tickets" . If the cricket gets boring , watching a film there could be a good option, though the caramel popcorn might pinch hard on the pocket. Just a get-to-gether with friends and family on the pretext of watching a match might be a nice way to do some real socializing and get out of that “Facebook” mode for a change. Or for that matter, how about a date at the stadium??!!...But beware, cheerleaders can be a distraction if you are a guy and the girl might be well lost in the handsome thoughts of Shane Bond and Yuvraj Singh!.. On a more serious note, IPL ,along with the ongoing hockey world cup, will surely re-establish the fact that India is a safe and hospitable place ,and all those “worries” of the international cricketers and sportsmen can be put to rest ….By the way, tough luck for all those avid cricket lovers who are having their exams now, or should I say ‘best of luck’!
(P.S.- With no Mandira Bedi in the anchoring team this time, she will surely be missed!)
Source: testfunda.com
To read the entire article Click here
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Why men are never disappointed..
WHY MEN ARE NEVER DEPRESSED:
Men Are Just Happier People--
Your last name stays put.
The garage is all yours.
Wedding plans take care of themselves. Chocolate is just another snack.
You can never be pregnant.
Car mechanics tell you the truth.
The world is your urinal.
You never have to drive to another petrol station restroom because this one is just too icky..
You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
Same work, more pay.
Wrinkles add character.
People never stare at your chest when you're talking to them.
New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
One mood all the time.
Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds flat.
You know stuff about tanks and engines. A five-day vacation requires only one suitcase.
You can open all your own jars.
You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
Your underwear is £4.95 for a three-pack. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough. You never have strap problems in public.
You are unable to see wrinkles in your clothes.
Everything on your face stays its original colour.
The same hairstyle lasts for years, maybe decades.
You only have to shave your face and neck.
You can play with toys all your life.
One wallet and one pair of shoes -- one colour for all seasons.
You can wear shorts no matter how your legs look.
You can 'do' your nails with a pocket knife.
You have freedom of choice concerning growing a moustache.
You can do Christmas shopping for 25 relatives on December 24 in 25 minutes.
No wonder men are happier.
Source: testfunda.com
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The Women's Bill
High drama surrounded the passage of the historic Women's Reservation Bill with the process beginning with unprecedented unruly scenes in the Rajya Sabha and culminating with the suspension and forcible eviction of the disruptive members.
The histrionics witnessed in the House on Monday when the bill was moved for consideration continued on Tuesday with the opponents of the proposed legislation disrupting the proceedings.
However, acting tough, the government moved a motion for suspension of seven members -- four from Samajwadi Party, one each from Rashtriya Janata Dal and Lok Janashakti Party and an unattached member.
They defied the action and squatted on the floor of the House for over three hours after their suspension from the Rajya Sabha around noon.
As the Rajya Sabha re-convened at 3 pm after three adjournments and Chairman Hamid Ansari took up the bill for discussion, the suspended members began their protests by shouting slogans.
They were joined other RJD and SP members. When Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley rose to speak, the protests by the seven suspended members -- Veerpal Singh Yadav, Nand Kishore Yadav, Amir Alam Khan and Kamal Akhtar (all SP), Subhash Yadav (RJD), Sabir Ali (LJP), and Ejaz Ali (unattached) -- grew louder.
Repeated requests by Ansari went unheeded and the suspended members were joined by Rajniti Prasad and P C Gupta (both RJD) and Brij Bhushan Tiwari, Ram Gopal Yadav and Ram Narayan Sahu (all SP).
The landmark bill was debated and voted upon a day after it was moved for consideration but could not be taken up as some members created unprecedented pandemonium and even tried to attack the Chairman.
Cracking the whip, the government today moved a motion for suspension of seven such members -- four of SP, one each of RJD and LJP and one unattached.
The motion was immediately passed at around 2 pm, when the House met after two adjournments forced by vociferous opponents of the bill. High drama unfolded as the suspended members squatted on the floor of the House and had to be forcibly evicted after around three hours, which paved the way for debate and eventual passing of the bill.
Rest of the members of SP and RJD walked out of the House in protest against suspension of their colleagues.
At one point of time when the suspended members along with their party colleagues refused to budge and indicated that they would not allow discussion, the Chairman called for voting on the bill without any debate.
However, the move was vociferously resisted by Bharatiya Janata Party and Left parties, which had committed their support for the bill but insisted on discussion on the important Constitutional amendment.
This led to an unusual development as the chairman called for debate even after the voice vote was taken. Intervening in the debate, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed 'deep sorrow' over the 'abnormal' developments on Monday and conveyed his 'profound apology' to Ansari for the disrespect shown to the Chair by members in the House.
The Prime Minister described the bill as a 'giant step' towards the empowerment of women and rejected the allegations that the measure was anti-minority or anti-Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe.
Singh appreciated Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley and leaders of all other parties which supported the bill and said the 'near unanimity' between the government and the opposition reached on the bill was a 'living proof that the heart of the Indian democracy is sound and in right place.'
Referring to the concerns of members about minorities and OBCs, he said while minorities in general have not got an adequate share of the fruits of development, his government is committed to work sincerely for their uplift through several other measures.
BJP and Left parties unequivocally supported the bill describing it as 'the most progressive' but slammed the government for mishandling the process of 'historic' amendment to the Constitution.
"We are all discharging a historic responsibility in becoming instruments of enacting one of the most progressive legislations in recent Indian history. We are rewriting gender history," Jaitley said.
However, perturbed by unsavoury incidents in the House where seven RJD, SP and an unattached member were suspended and marshalled out, he said, "We also hang our head in shame on some of the most shameful incidents."
Extending 'unstinting and unambiguous' support to the bill, Brinda Karat of the Communist Party of India-Marxist rejected some of the objections raised by parties like RJD and SP. She said the measure would help empower women at all levels.
Source: rediff.com
To read the article click here
The histrionics witnessed in the House on Monday when the bill was moved for consideration continued on Tuesday with the opponents of the proposed legislation disrupting the proceedings.
However, acting tough, the government moved a motion for suspension of seven members -- four from Samajwadi Party, one each from Rashtriya Janata Dal and Lok Janashakti Party and an unattached member.
They defied the action and squatted on the floor of the House for over three hours after their suspension from the Rajya Sabha around noon.
As the Rajya Sabha re-convened at 3 pm after three adjournments and Chairman Hamid Ansari took up the bill for discussion, the suspended members began their protests by shouting slogans.
They were joined other RJD and SP members. When Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley rose to speak, the protests by the seven suspended members -- Veerpal Singh Yadav, Nand Kishore Yadav, Amir Alam Khan and Kamal Akhtar (all SP), Subhash Yadav (RJD), Sabir Ali (LJP), and Ejaz Ali (unattached) -- grew louder.
Repeated requests by Ansari went unheeded and the suspended members were joined by Rajniti Prasad and P C Gupta (both RJD) and Brij Bhushan Tiwari, Ram Gopal Yadav and Ram Narayan Sahu (all SP).
The landmark bill was debated and voted upon a day after it was moved for consideration but could not be taken up as some members created unprecedented pandemonium and even tried to attack the Chairman.
Cracking the whip, the government today moved a motion for suspension of seven such members -- four of SP, one each of RJD and LJP and one unattached.
The motion was immediately passed at around 2 pm, when the House met after two adjournments forced by vociferous opponents of the bill. High drama unfolded as the suspended members squatted on the floor of the House and had to be forcibly evicted after around three hours, which paved the way for debate and eventual passing of the bill.
Rest of the members of SP and RJD walked out of the House in protest against suspension of their colleagues.
At one point of time when the suspended members along with their party colleagues refused to budge and indicated that they would not allow discussion, the Chairman called for voting on the bill without any debate.
However, the move was vociferously resisted by Bharatiya Janata Party and Left parties, which had committed their support for the bill but insisted on discussion on the important Constitutional amendment.
This led to an unusual development as the chairman called for debate even after the voice vote was taken. Intervening in the debate, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh expressed 'deep sorrow' over the 'abnormal' developments on Monday and conveyed his 'profound apology' to Ansari for the disrespect shown to the Chair by members in the House.
The Prime Minister described the bill as a 'giant step' towards the empowerment of women and rejected the allegations that the measure was anti-minority or anti-Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe.
Singh appreciated Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley and leaders of all other parties which supported the bill and said the 'near unanimity' between the government and the opposition reached on the bill was a 'living proof that the heart of the Indian democracy is sound and in right place.'
Referring to the concerns of members about minorities and OBCs, he said while minorities in general have not got an adequate share of the fruits of development, his government is committed to work sincerely for their uplift through several other measures.
BJP and Left parties unequivocally supported the bill describing it as 'the most progressive' but slammed the government for mishandling the process of 'historic' amendment to the Constitution.
"We are all discharging a historic responsibility in becoming instruments of enacting one of the most progressive legislations in recent Indian history. We are rewriting gender history," Jaitley said.
However, perturbed by unsavoury incidents in the House where seven RJD, SP and an unattached member were suspended and marshalled out, he said, "We also hang our head in shame on some of the most shameful incidents."
Extending 'unstinting and unambiguous' support to the bill, Brinda Karat of the Communist Party of India-Marxist rejected some of the objections raised by parties like RJD and SP. She said the measure would help empower women at all levels.
Source: rediff.com
To read the article click here
Monday, March 8, 2010
A Step-by-Step Guide to Completing Homework (at the hostel)
A Step-by-Step Guide to Completing Homework (at the hostel)
1. Sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a well-lighted place with plenty of freshly sharpened pencils.
2. Read over the assignment carefully, to make certain you understand it.
3. Walk down to the vending machines and buy some coffee to help you concentrate.
4. Stop off at another floor, on the way back and visit with your friend from class. If your friend hasn't started the paper yet either, you can both walk to the nearby cafe and buy a hamburger to help you concentrate. If your friend shows you his paper, typed, double-spaced, and bound in one of those irritating see-through plastic folders, drop him.
5. When you get back to your room, sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a clean, well-lighted place with plenty of freshly sharpened pencils.
6. Read over the assignment again to make absolutely certain you understand it.
7. You know, you haven't written to that kid you met at camp since fourth grade. You'd better write that letter now and get it out of the way so you can concentrate.
8. Go look at your teeth in the bathroom mirror.
9. Listen to one side of your favourite tape and that's it-- I mean it! As soon as it's over you are going to start that paper.
10. Listen to the other side.
11. Rearrange all of your CDs into alphabetical order.
12. Phone your friend on the other floor and ask if he's started writing yet. Exchange derogatory remarks about your teacher, the course, the university, and the world at large.
13. Sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a clean, well-lighted place with plenty of freshly sharpened pencils.
14. Read over the assignment again; roll the words across your tongue; savour its special flavour.
15. Check the newspaper listings to make sure you aren't missing something truly worthwhile on TV. NOTE: When you have a paper due in less than 12 hours, anything on TV from 'Rahul Dulhaniyan Le Jayenge' to every Zee or Sony soap is truly worthwhile.
16. Phone your friend on the third floor to see if he was watching. Discuss the finer points of the plot.
17. Go look at your tongue in the bathroom mirror.
18. Look through your roommate's book of pictures from home. Ask who everyone is.
19. Sit down and do some serious thinking about your plans for the future.
20. Open your door and check to see if there are any mysterious, trench-coated strangers lurking in the hall.
21. Sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a clean, well-lighted place with plenty of freshly sharpened pencils.
22. Read over the assignment one more time, just for the heck of it.
23. Scoot your chair across the room to the window and watch the sunrise.
24. Lie face down on the floor and scream at the top of your lungs.
25. Leap up and write the paper.
26. Type the paper.
27. Complain to everyone that you didn't get any sleep because you had to write the paper.
Source: Testfunda.com
To read the entire Click Here
1. Sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a well-lighted place with plenty of freshly sharpened pencils.
2. Read over the assignment carefully, to make certain you understand it.
3. Walk down to the vending machines and buy some coffee to help you concentrate.
4. Stop off at another floor, on the way back and visit with your friend from class. If your friend hasn't started the paper yet either, you can both walk to the nearby cafe and buy a hamburger to help you concentrate. If your friend shows you his paper, typed, double-spaced, and bound in one of those irritating see-through plastic folders, drop him.
5. When you get back to your room, sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a clean, well-lighted place with plenty of freshly sharpened pencils.
6. Read over the assignment again to make absolutely certain you understand it.
7. You know, you haven't written to that kid you met at camp since fourth grade. You'd better write that letter now and get it out of the way so you can concentrate.
8. Go look at your teeth in the bathroom mirror.
9. Listen to one side of your favourite tape and that's it-- I mean it! As soon as it's over you are going to start that paper.
10. Listen to the other side.
11. Rearrange all of your CDs into alphabetical order.
12. Phone your friend on the other floor and ask if he's started writing yet. Exchange derogatory remarks about your teacher, the course, the university, and the world at large.
13. Sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a clean, well-lighted place with plenty of freshly sharpened pencils.
14. Read over the assignment again; roll the words across your tongue; savour its special flavour.
15. Check the newspaper listings to make sure you aren't missing something truly worthwhile on TV. NOTE: When you have a paper due in less than 12 hours, anything on TV from 'Rahul Dulhaniyan Le Jayenge' to every Zee or Sony soap is truly worthwhile.
16. Phone your friend on the third floor to see if he was watching. Discuss the finer points of the plot.
17. Go look at your tongue in the bathroom mirror.
18. Look through your roommate's book of pictures from home. Ask who everyone is.
19. Sit down and do some serious thinking about your plans for the future.
20. Open your door and check to see if there are any mysterious, trench-coated strangers lurking in the hall.
21. Sit in a straight, comfortable chair in a clean, well-lighted place with plenty of freshly sharpened pencils.
22. Read over the assignment one more time, just for the heck of it.
23. Scoot your chair across the room to the window and watch the sunrise.
24. Lie face down on the floor and scream at the top of your lungs.
25. Leap up and write the paper.
26. Type the paper.
27. Complain to everyone that you didn't get any sleep because you had to write the paper.
Source: Testfunda.com
To read the entire Click Here
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Adapting Global Brands To Succeed In India and China
I came across this article and think this a good one as it has facts involved which can help for the GD session...
Adapting Global Brands To Succeed In India and China
What should a company do when none of its customers understand the term office supplies? How does a coffee brewer sell its primary product to a nation where tea is the national drink? These are some of the questions multi-nationals face when trying to tap into the world’s two largest markets, India and China.
Adapting to local tastes is a part of any company’s strategy, but this tends to complicate global logistics. It can be done, but needs close management and can lead to growth and make money. Take Starbucks for example. Since homes in China tend to be small, Starbucks positioned its cafes as an attractive place to spend time between home and work, becoming a critical meeting place and social nexus. In addition, the company focuses very heavily on customer service in China and offers a variety of green tea-based beverages as well as food and other products. But it is not easy to convert consumers. Company employees note that customers come in, buy a cup of coffee, keep the cup and refill it with other brands of coffee through the day. To increase brand visibility and foster more loyalty, Starbucks has engaged in a number of marketing programs in the country, even remaining true to its U.S. image as an advocate of sustainable practices.
Experts say that in China, since the current generation is experiencing brands like Starbucks for the first time, they want to experiment, which makes generating loyalty really tough. It is ultimately what happens inside a retail location that will determine what brand a customer chooses. Also, a customer in these countries is more interested in what a product can do, not by the brand name alone. Also, lineage and heritage is important, so brand ambassadors have a strong role to play.
Tweaking a brand slightly to adapt it to different countries is something that office supply retailer Staples is very familiar with, according to Lukas Ruecker, the company’s vice president for emerging economies. Ruecker presented a case illustration demonstrating how the company branded itself in both China and India. Instead of trying to stick to the exact product offering they have in other markets, Staples has altered its mix to suit each culture. To market their offerings in China, the company uses catalogs, direct marketing, billboards and other outdoor ads. Staples also tapped into the growing desire for credit among Chinese consumers. A large part of the revenues also come from office furniture and furnishings.
In India, restrictions on FDI in the retail sector make it necessary for multinationals to partner with Indian firms for opening stores in the country. Staples tied up with the Future Group and its product mix leans heavily towards electronics and appliances like printers and computers. The concept of office supplies is alien to the Indian mindset and the name conveyed a meaning of a grocery store, which the company worked hard to overcome.
The picture is yet not clear on how much impact the big box retailers will have on a market largely dominated overwhelmingly by the small ‘mom-and-pop’ stores. Maturity may be as far away as ten to fifteen years, according to some experts.
Source: Testfunda.com
To read the article Click Here
Adapting Global Brands To Succeed In India and China
What should a company do when none of its customers understand the term office supplies? How does a coffee brewer sell its primary product to a nation where tea is the national drink? These are some of the questions multi-nationals face when trying to tap into the world’s two largest markets, India and China.
Adapting to local tastes is a part of any company’s strategy, but this tends to complicate global logistics. It can be done, but needs close management and can lead to growth and make money. Take Starbucks for example. Since homes in China tend to be small, Starbucks positioned its cafes as an attractive place to spend time between home and work, becoming a critical meeting place and social nexus. In addition, the company focuses very heavily on customer service in China and offers a variety of green tea-based beverages as well as food and other products. But it is not easy to convert consumers. Company employees note that customers come in, buy a cup of coffee, keep the cup and refill it with other brands of coffee through the day. To increase brand visibility and foster more loyalty, Starbucks has engaged in a number of marketing programs in the country, even remaining true to its U.S. image as an advocate of sustainable practices.
Experts say that in China, since the current generation is experiencing brands like Starbucks for the first time, they want to experiment, which makes generating loyalty really tough. It is ultimately what happens inside a retail location that will determine what brand a customer chooses. Also, a customer in these countries is more interested in what a product can do, not by the brand name alone. Also, lineage and heritage is important, so brand ambassadors have a strong role to play.
Tweaking a brand slightly to adapt it to different countries is something that office supply retailer Staples is very familiar with, according to Lukas Ruecker, the company’s vice president for emerging economies. Ruecker presented a case illustration demonstrating how the company branded itself in both China and India. Instead of trying to stick to the exact product offering they have in other markets, Staples has altered its mix to suit each culture. To market their offerings in China, the company uses catalogs, direct marketing, billboards and other outdoor ads. Staples also tapped into the growing desire for credit among Chinese consumers. A large part of the revenues also come from office furniture and furnishings.
In India, restrictions on FDI in the retail sector make it necessary for multinationals to partner with Indian firms for opening stores in the country. Staples tied up with the Future Group and its product mix leans heavily towards electronics and appliances like printers and computers. The concept of office supplies is alien to the Indian mindset and the name conveyed a meaning of a grocery store, which the company worked hard to overcome.
The picture is yet not clear on how much impact the big box retailers will have on a market largely dominated overwhelmingly by the small ‘mom-and-pop’ stores. Maturity may be as far away as ten to fifteen years, according to some experts.
Source: Testfunda.com
To read the article Click Here
Saturday, March 6, 2010
Still, no end to CAT trouble...
I found this article for students who have lost faith in the CAT exam conducted this year...
MUMBAI & AHMEDABAD: The trouble with the Common Admission Test (CAT) refuses to die down. Ever since CAT results were declared on February 28, and the IIMs shortlisted the aspirants, several candidates and CAT trainers are questioning the methodology by which the results were arrived at.
Click here to read further.
Source: Testfunda.com
MUMBAI & AHMEDABAD: The trouble with the Common Admission Test (CAT) refuses to die down. Ever since CAT results were declared on February 28, and the IIMs shortlisted the aspirants, several candidates and CAT trainers are questioning the methodology by which the results were arrived at.
Click here to read further.
Source: Testfunda.com
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