Business & Economy Magazine IIPM News Edition

A cultural watershed

2011-10-31T11:51:00.000+05:30

Khasi culture faces imminent threat of being overrun by gross modernism, but a valiant attempt by a few committed persons to create an annual Indigenous Festival is noteworthy

Cherrapunjee: the name is enough to conjure up images of constant rain. Constant. And this has become a cliché, with anyone hardly mentioning that Sohra (its original name) is also the land of the corollary of rains: the rainbows. Fantastic, huge rainbows straddle across the East Khasi Hills and the spectacular floodplains of Bangladesh. That is a part of Cherrapunjee too.

This December as always, it rained in Sohra, but it also rained culture in a tiny hamlet called Laimusiang, 52 kilometres from capital Shillong. And how. On a massive, ultra-modern stage, six boys and six girls glided in, the boys with fishing angles and the girls with nets. They were the ordinary village folk, who usually go out fishing in autumn when there is little rain and the harvest is ripening.

The boys went through the motions, and in the background the Phawar is ‘sung’, or narrated, giving out the story of fishing. At a point in the dance, the girls offer tambul and khwai (betel leaves and areca nuts). This combination has a deep significance in Khasi folklore and is the first offering made to guests as a symbol of love. In the background sang some boys and girls.

To the urbane me, there at first seemed too little movement: the boys and girls were practically standing at their positions, lifting their right and left feet alternatively, just so, above the ground and taking tiny rounds. The first round seemed boring, but then the ethereal beauty of this quiet dance emerged as one watched and became a sensation in the mind, a feeling of something, well let me use the cliché, so cute that I knew the image wouldn’t be forgotten in a hurry.
This was the ‘small fishes’ dance. Of course, I understood nothing of the words, but that is the beauty of simplicity: you need not understand when the musicians and dancers can well create that sensation without it. It almost felt like being under a rainbow! Then came the drum beats, followed by the gambler’s dance (!) and a majestic 15 minute improvised dance across the vast flat ground surrounded by mound shaped hills so typical of East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya.

This was at the first Cherrapunjee Indigenous Festival.

The programme started with Sen Khasi Sohra delivering a welcome song which, typically, was “a million thanks” to Sen Khasi, the God of Khasis who, though they have aeons ago converted to Christianity, have remained faithful to their original religion.

The Si’yem, or the ‘king’ of principalities still has command over social issues, and the Si’yem of Sohra was the guest of honour at the festival. The Si’yemship, like Sen Khasi, is an enduring social system that lends much colour to the Khasis’ culture. And in his presence, dances like the Shad Tynrai, Shad Kyntei Khalaimiaw Shad Suk Mynsiem, Shad Kynjoh Khaskain and other Shads, or dances rolled out one after another. The most lilting was the Shad Tynrai or the small fish dance, and the gamblers’ dance and Phawar was by far the most dramatic and somewhat volatile.

The beating of the drums came on, with a quaint old lady using a bamboo pole to work up a rhythm, followed on a small drum and local clarinet by two musicians. Then came the Bum, or the big drum. The old man played with such vigour that he seemed possessed. In fact, no one had ever seen so much of Khasi dance and music in one place at one time. And the sweeping dance performed by hundreds of girls of St Johns Sohra against the backdrop of mound-headed hills and the ashen sky, juggling old Khasi songs on the pride of Khasi’ism (if we may coin the term), took our breath away.

It was a magical dance, unbelievable in its simplicity of movements but also startling in the complexity of the choreography. One has seen such massive canvasses in Bollywood films, but the dancers at Cherrapunjee Indigenous Festival did not have the luxury of a ‘cut’ and ‘take two’, ‘take three’ and so forth. It was live and there was no scope for mistakes, for the dancers were so numerous in the comparatively small space that one mistake would have found them tumbling over each other.

“We have tried to mix a bit of modernity in this dance,” said Dr PW Khongjee, the MLA of Sohra, “but the original theme is the same.” The Cherrapunjee Indigenous Festival is the creation of Dr Khongjee. Locals told me that he had that sheer passion for preserving Khasi culture, and so he and his ‘three-star general’ EM Blah, worked their days and nights for the past six months to set this festival up. Of course, the on-ground efforts were echoed by suitable government aid. But even then, creating a world event in a hamlet that had never seen more than a few cars on its dirt-track roads is nothing short of a miracle.

Khongjee, surprisingly modest about his achievement, reminds, “Khasi culture has its roots here, and the mild-mannered Sohra people’s hospitable nature is famous. But we are fast losing out to pop culture. If something is not done, then our culture will become a victim of gross modernism,” Khongjee said.

As one travelled back on the last night of the four-day gala, driving through a scarily fogged-out mountain road, one felt compelled to make plans for another trip back here, and more importantly, do something to spread the word around.

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

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

Disasteracy: Democracy's role in disaster!

2011-10-28T12:48:00.002+05:30

Disaster Economic System

Sample this: January 2010, Haiti: A 7.0 magnitude earthquake killed more than 200,000 people. February 2010, Chile: an 8.8 magnitude quake killed only 500 people. Surprisingly, an earthquake in 2001 in India killed around 20,000 people while a similar one in Pakistan killed more than 80,000.

The above mentioned trivia not only echoes the devastating capacity of a natural disaster but also brings forth an interesting fact about how natural disasters of similar magnitude have different impacts at different locations! Yes, population densities of affected regions do play a major role in varying death counts but an in-depth scrutiny of the whole issue reveals some other paradoxical correlations too. A study of the trends of such natural disasters (across times and geographies) shows that political and economi

c systems of a nation play a very important role when it comes to determining the extent of the death toll caused by disasters. In both the abovementioned cases (Haiti vs. Chile and India vs. Pakistan), the nations that saw less casualties were strangely the democratic ones. Taking the discussion further, in 1970, a 7.9 magnitude earthquake in Peru took lives of more than 60,000 people and a stronger quake in 2001 in the same nation killed only 150 people. Again, in 2001, Peru was a democratic nation, which it was not during 1970 – Peru had re-established democracy in 1975.

It is observed that leaders in a democracy do everything possible to protect their people from natural disasters. It has also been observed that leaders actually win elections if their human rehabilitation efforts after disasters are effective. Democratic leaders dependent on votes do leave no stones unturned to save their skin and benefit out of disasters to win elections or to stay in power. Does this mean that non-democratic nations do not take care of their citizens in moments of disaster? Strangely, the answer is yes – and unfortunately, non-democratic nations are also the last ones that receive global aid when faced with massive natural disaster. From African nations to east European former countries that have witnessed even man made disasters like genocide, human life has a much lower value in non-democratic nations than democratic ones. Bush’s ratings collapsed to 41 per cent in October 2005 and a worse 38 per cent in November 2005 after hurricane Katrina. This was one of the reasons why Republicans lost elections in 2006 and 2008. As per a New York Times article, “Institutionalized autocracies tend to outperform non-institutionalized or corrupt autocracies as well as young democracies when it comes to preventing earthquake deaths.” Similarly, a study conducted by Geotimes in 2007 concluded that “the World Bank’s Democracy Index is a strong predictor of a natural disaster’s humanitarian impact than either the size of the event or the population density in the area of the disaster.” Out of all global disaster deaths from early 60s to early 2000s, 80 per cent were credited to nations having low democracy indices.

A disaster only shows its true colour when its devastating effects become difficult to manage. It is undoubtedly impossible for human beings to prevent them from happening. But a noble initiative in order to limit their immediate impact is the call for the day. Even Amartya Sen received his Nobel Prize for proving that there has never been a famine in a country with a truly free press. He also stated that when potential victims of famine are able to publicise their plight, governments will be forced to respond. Thus, disaster is the final call for a sinking government to play the right cards. And democracy the call to fight disaster.

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

Vegetable price effect on politics

2011-10-25T11:44:00.001+05:30

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

Onion's teary tales
Price of onions rise to Rs.70 per kg…

The ever rising price of onions and other vegetables since the last few weeks is adversely affecting our economy and is also a matter of grave concern for the ruling government at the central level!

A figure released by Ministry of Commerce and Industry reveals that wholesale price index for food climbed 2.3 per cent in the first week of December, and inflation ascended y-o-y from 9.46 per cent last December to 12.43 per cent this year. Interestingly, a decent monsoon this year could not provide the silver lining, as untimely rainfall in Maharashtra and Gujarat (major producers of onions) destroyed the crops to a large extent. Hoarding of crops by the big traders also contributed to
this trouble.

Onions and a few other vegetables make up the staple diet for India’s poor and just above poverty line citizens (a massive 700 million plus segment that survives on less than $2 a day) – they exercise huge political clout, being the biggest demographic segment. The staple food prices are more important to them than economic growth! To influence this segment, political parties are always on the lookout and forever ready to hold demonstrations across the country. The Left has been particularly vocal against the UPA (more so because of impending state assembly election in West Bengal) and has frequently protested against the rising prices. BJP too is not leaving any quarters untouched in its vicious attack against the UPA regime.

To neutralise this onslaught, the UPA government is resorting to desperate measures. The exports of onion has been banned, and for those who have already been issued ‘no objection certificates’, the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) has been instructed to augment the minimum price of export from $525 per ton to $1,200 per ton. In Delhi, NAFED and National Consumer Cooperative Federation (NCCF) has regulated the price of onions between Rs.35 to Rs.40 per kg, hitherto hovering at Rs.70 to Rs.80 per kg.

The minimum wage for unskilled workers is Rs 100 a day – the same goes for their rural counterparts under NREGA – and these are the people who are struggling to make both ends meet. A radical and structural solution is the order of the day… and not a quick fix one… The incumbent government might otherwise have to pay a heavy political price. If the government is imagining that consumers will simply choose other cheaper vegetables and forget onion consumption, they have two issues. One, other vegetable prices are also rising. Two, onions are election critical.

India, with 40 lakh tonnes of onion consumption, is the second largest producer after China. And this costly vegetable is the hotbed for political battles, which is almost a decadal phenomenon. Janata Party in the early eighties lost the Lok Sabha election to Indira Gandhi’s Congress (I) because of expensive onions in northern India. Sushma Swaraj in 1998 lost the Chief Minister’s chair of Delhi because of spiralling prices of onions that rose by 600 per cent! For the current government, the suggestion is simple – forget corruption, get the onion first.

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

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

Gulliver’s travails: Seemingly cool idea to modernize an epic misfires due to scrappy writing

2011-10-22T10:42:00.000+05:30

IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri

Of all the people you might imagine as Jonathan Swift’s intrepid voyager, Lemuel Gulliver, Jack Black would probably be the unlikeliest candidate. Which is why his casting in this 21st Century update of the classic tale is quite the twist.

Alas, the rest of the film is mostly predictable and in your face product placements and a constant torrent of self-referential jokes (for the studio – 20th Century Fox). “Gulliver’s Travels” is converted into a dyed in the wool Jack Black comedy, with our man Black playing a good for nothing slacker who listens to rock music and dreams of making it big as a writer. There are obvious shades of Dewey Finn, a character Black played in “School of Rock”. In order to impress the travel editor Darcy Silverman (Amanda Peet), who he has a crush on, Gulliver writes a plagiarised article and lands his first assignment – investigating the Bermuda Triangle, or more accurately, hunting down a man who happens to know about it. In the Caribbean, he gets lost in a storm and lands up on the shores of the land of Liliput, inhabited by little people who treat Gulliver as a giant beast who’s come from another land. The rest of the story is fairly well known among children and adults alike – Gulliver saves Liliput from the nearby evil kingdom and befriends the royal family but a General in the Liliputian army conspires to have him banished off the land.

With the rewriting for a modern time, the funny situations with the Liliputians had a lot of potential but beyond a few sparks (like the scene on the Foosball table), there are hardly any laugh worthy moments. For a majority of the audience the story would appear predictable, given their knowledge of the source material before hand. And that is where the studio wastes the opportunity of having Jack Black play the lead character. Gulliver with a dash of Jack Black’s classic comic style would have been loveable but the portrayal here is a little too safe to be irreverently enjoyable.

Modernising a classic tale is one thing, but limiting your imagination only to the visual setting is a criminal waste. The miniature Times Square that Gulliver creates in Liliput is quite a fun idea; one wishes the rest of the movie were more so. The edge and bite of Swift’s satire and wit that populated the original work sadly receive neither an upgrade nor a mention.

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

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

Spreading cheer in the New Year!

2011-10-19T10:07:00.000+05:30

Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM

You’ve seen the remarkable strength of the Deols, now judge their comic timing as Dharmendra, Sunny and Bobby attempt to start the year with a rip-roaring comedy. Bobby Deol speaks to Anu Gulmohar about their film “Yamla Pagla Deewana,” his reverence for his father, the power of Sunny Deol, and lots more…

Bobby Deol’s very first film “Barsaat” released in 1995, which made him the heartthrob of teenagers. The fan following only strengthened in the latter 90s as he ‘soldiered’ on delivering hit upon hit. As I lay my eyes on him at the newly opened Jynxxx club in New Delhi, I am reminded of his hit club number from “Gupt” and the crush I had on him in my teenage years. And I can't help but notice that 15 years post his debut, this Jat boy is still quite a looker. “You cannot be a favourite of teenagers always,” he comments to me in the middle of this interview. He goes on to reason, “Teenage is a very fickle age, one day they like something, the next they like something else. The flavours keep changing. Every new boy who comes into the
industry becomes a teenage sensation and then it changes, but that’s not what’s important. What’s important is eventually how long you’ve been here and how much people still want to see you.” He declares all this pragmatically, confident that people are indeed waiting for his next film, “Yamla Pagla Deewana,” which stars him alongside his father Dharmendra and elder brother Sunny Deol. It is a special film for the family, not only because it marks the second film starring all three Deols, but because it is being released in the 50th year of Dharmendra’s career in
cinema.

It is only by co-incidence that this remarkable achievement is being commemorated with a film in which his son Bobby mimics one of the most memorable scenes of his career –the water tank scene from “Sholay”. “I don’t think I can better his performance, and when I was doing the scene I wasn’t thinking of bettering it either, because I can’t,” states Bobby rather humbly. “The character I play, Gajodhar, is a fan of “Sholay” and Dharmendra, and he looks up to this actor and thinks that ‘I can be like that…if I do that will I get the girl?’ So, Gajodhar stands on the tank trying to be Dharmendra, thinking it will happen. But then his brother shakes him and says hello, times have changed and you can’t climb tanks and get what you want. I was definitely nervous because it was something my dad had done, but it was fun also; to have a moment like that was something special.” There are other times that Bobby has imitated his father off-screen. “My gestures are like my dad because when I was a kid I was like any child who looks up to his father. I used to always watch him and I picked up his habits.”
Where this film is a tribute to Dharmendra, Bobby’s immense respect for his father keeps recurring during our chat, even when talking about all the fun they had shooting in Punjab. “We haven’t gone together to Punjab since so long, and we were all there together for 45 days, shooting right next to my mum’s village; so we got really great food from there! My dad is an amazing actor, his comic sense is superb. So, when you’re working with him, you improve too, and you start enjoying it even more,” smiles Bobby.
“People think that it’s easy for an actor’s son, but there are so many actors’ sons who have not made it. Definitely, there is a very big hype around your launch because people want to see Dharmendra or any big actor’s son, but then after that it’s your own work that speaks for you,” claims Bobby. But the going hasn’t been going so good for Bobby in the last few years, and many of his films have been rather disappointing. “Every day is a new day. Things may be going right for you one moment and the next they’re not, but these things keep happening,” states the star.

From sending a chill down our spine with his thrillers to now trying to tickle our funny bone, Bobby seems keen on testing new ground every time. “For me, I would love to do every genre…I have not done many comedies and it’s very difficult to make people laugh.” Action is after all the forte of the Deols, Sunny in particular. But Bobby assures that there will be action in “Yamla Pagla Deewana” too. “There are action scenes obviously, as there is Sunny Deol. But the action is something everybody will enjoy, because people will find it funny, yet the power of Sunny Deol will come across.”
Film magazines by the dozen are able to cash in on the interest people have about knowing more about celebrities and their families. So, why shouldn’t the celebrities themselves profit from our banal and rather invasive curiosity? “The USP of this film is the chemistry we share on-screen too, and that is what people enjoyed when they saw the promos,” remarks Bobby casually. Get ready to see a lot more of this chemistry between the father and sons, and for some crazy fun with the Deols in 2011!

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

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

Ordinarily, desktops would have gone full circle in India and still experienced stellar growth;

2011-10-16T10:04:00.001+05:30

however, laptops, and now netbooks and tablets threaten to put the desktop run to a grinding halt, and soon. By neha saraiya

The Indian PC market is now experiencing a strange phenomenon where growth in desktop sales is being cut midway by a striking rise in sales of notebooks. When you look at the 3Q 2010 PC Industry Tracker by IDC, the overall Indian PC market sales reached 27.9 lakh units during the July-September 2010 quarter recording a 27% growth on year-on-year basis. While desktop sales accounted for nearly 60% of total PC sales (16.7 lakh units) – representing a 15% increase yoy – the sales of notebook computers grew by 52% yoy and crossed the 11.1 lakh units mark. Over a period of time, the notebook market in the country has registered a growth of 148%, 108%, 81% and 85% for years 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 respectively; while desktops, on the other hand, have witnessed a downward curve with a fall of 19%, 12%, 7% and 5.4% respectively.
It is quite clear that notebooks are going strong with every quarter. But that was not the phenomenon in the late part of the last century, when desktops came at a price of Rs 5 lakh and were just restricted to corporate offices only. At that time, the desktop market kept growing at a moderate speed of around 35% on an annual basis. But what’s interesting to note is the fact that it almost took 17 years for laptops to reach the one million mark in terms of sales. Apple, on the other hand, sold a record-breaking 300,000 iPads on launch day itself.

Commenting on the changing scenario, S. Rajendran, CMO, Acer India says, “If you look at the penetration levels currently, the notebook market is growing at a fast speed. As of now, we also just have 30% of the notebook share in our portfolio but a crossover between the notebook and the desktop would surely happen in next three years time.” The company’s global shipments of PC products climbed by 43% over last year with 10.8 million units sold during the first quarter. Banking on this, the company is planning to flood the market with its entire family of Internet devices including smart phones, tablets, and 3D-enabled notebooks. Besides this, it is also basking on the server market and plans to garner revenue share of 4% from it by the end of this year.
One major reason why mobility devices (particularly notebooks) have picked up so instantly is primarily because of the strategy adopted by the companies. Hardware majors adopted the route of bulk manufacturing in unison by using low-margin processors and operating systems in order to bag a larger market share. This wave intensified at the time of recession when everyone was looking far more intent to cut into the competition. This offensive tactic adopted by the companies (primarily by Acer and Lenovo) lead to the outburst of a slew of portable products including the notebooks, netbooks and tablets.

Another factor that has led to the slow momentum of the desktops is the steep fall in its Average Selling Price (ASP) that has bucked the trend of the fall of 14% in 2009, 4.3% in 2008 and 1.3% in 2007 followed by an expected downward surge of 5% in 2010 and 6% in 2011. Even though the notebook segment is not so high on profits, the volumes are growing exorbitantly.

Yet another stimulus has been the interesting trend with respect to the increased consumer adoption of netbooks and tablets, which show that even the notebook market is up for grabs and not immune to changing trends. Though the market for netbooks in India is still at a nascent stage and the awareness level is limited, it is expanding with the pace of tablet products entering in the market. As worldwide market trends indicate, there will be an escalation in the demand for tablet PCs in the coming months. Sample this – the worldwide smartphone market is expected to escalate by 36% to reach 247 million units in 2010 from 182 million in 2009. The demand is expected to be driven by portability, connectivity, and compelling applications and services that are distinct from those found on PCs. As per Forrester, by beginning of 2012, tablets will outsell netbooks; by 2014, more consumers will use tablets rather than netbooks. By 2015, tablets are expected to constitute 23% of PC unit sales. Like the notebooks majors, even Asus is upbeat about launching its Tablet PC and the Eee Pad by early next year. Alex Huang, Country Manager for System business at ASUS India, avers, “We are very enthusiastic about the feedback and support gathered at their debut in Computex 2010. Hence we have a lot of hopes on this new genre of mobile computing device. Besides we plan to spend as much as Rs 50 million in India by 2012 to ensure that our products and brand find sufficient recognition among the masses in India.”
However, a section of industry experts also feel that the tablets getting big time in to the mobility segment would not be able to bring the kind of disruption which the cell phones had bought to the landlines. As Ramprasad, GM - Channel Sales, Fujitsu India echoes, “Currently the desktop forms 50-60% of the PC space, but it is growing at a slow speed. But at the same time my projection for the growth of tablets is flat largely because of its second fiddle utilities.” However, netbooks are in a much better position to disrupt the market in India at least. They crossed the one lakh mark in the second quarter of 2009-10 for the first time. Interestingly, they are driven primarily by households in India, which goes heavily in their favour. As far as tablets are concerned, they are still largely enterprise driven, and there is a concern that IT departments may not be too keen on their rapid deployment till they become a lot cheaper.

For the desktop market to keep growing, the players need to focus on capitalising on the opportunity of growing their desktop consumption in smaller towns and cities, which are now experiencing a wave of computerization. As per an IDC report, by 2013, small form factors like the All-in-one PC have the potential to make up for nearly 38% of the overall desktop market. But the fact is that pushing netbooks may become that much more easier for players owing to their low prices and ability to run basic applications that most first time users need. On the other hand, segments of the population, like the hardcore computer game addicts, may be one of the few groups to keep buying desktops that offer greater processing power for memory-intensive applications. So, there is a little hope. The desktop may not die out altogether but keep its presence in certain niches of the market. Otherwise, by virtue of the way the players are moving the market and the way customers are preferring the mobility aspect with declining prices, desktops seem well headed the landline way.

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

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

Karunanidhi is too seasoned a politician to be swayed by circumstances,

2011-10-13T11:01:00.000+05:30

but by snubbing the PM during the latter's Chennai visit the DMK supremo revealed that he isn't averse to rocking the UPA's boat

As the new year dawned upon Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), it had many things to ponder. In normal circumstances, January 3 should have been a day of showing off its camaraderie with the Congress. As the 58-acre Eco Park in the Adyar estuary of Chennai had failed to get clearance from the Union environment ministry, the inaugural function scheduled to be attended by the Prime Minister was cancelled by the Tamil Nadu government. A far cry from the days when DMK got the nod for its Kalaingar TV channel in 24 hours.

When Dr Manmohan Singh arrived in Chennai on January 2 for the Indian Science Congress, the Tamil Nadu chief minister made no effort to conceal his displeasure with the Centre. Breaking the customary protocol, he sent his son and deputy chief minister MK Stalin to receive the PM at the airport. Later that night, he also skipped the scheduled meet with the PM and went to a book launch function instead.

Karunanidhi went on to amuse the crowd by narrating a story of an ancient Tamil king who comforted a sleeping poet by waving a large hand-held vensamaram (fan). “This is the land where kings gave high respect to poets. That's why I came here instead of going to see the PM,” he told the gathering in a luxury hotel located near the airport.

After the function, Karunanidhi drove to the new secretariat building, keeping everybody guessing. Knowing his father had given the PM a miss, Stalin and K Anbazhagan, TN finance minister, rushed to meet Karunanidhi. It is their pressure and some senior Congress leaders' intervention that finally led to the Karunanidhi meeting the PM at 8.30 the next morning.

Informed DMK sources told TSI that the already strained ties with the Congress in the aftermath of the spectrum scam was further stretched due to the delay in approval to the Eco Park. A senior DMK leader listed out a few of the party's concerns vis-a-vis the Congress. One, in the spectrum issue, it was promised that everything would be normal once Raja tendered his resignation. But the Congress went back on its word.

Moreover, Congress leaders like EVKS Elangovan are openly critical of the DMK government. Appeals to the Congress central leadership to rein in the former Union minister have fallen on deaf ears. It is whispered that a DMK-Congress alliance in the coming assembly polls would be disastrous.

What has made matters worse is that Rahul Gandhi, on his numerous visits to TN, has given the impression that he supports the anti-DMK sentiments within the local Congress unit.

It is now widely accepted that the DMK's image has been severely dented by the spectrum scandal. The selectively leaked Niira Radia tapes have only added fuel to the disaffection. A large chunk of the media controlled by the DMK clan was quiet when the scandal erupted. But other media houses and the opposition took advantage of the issue and unleashed a blitzkrieg of sorts. Thanks to Raja, Jaya TV (of AIADMK), which was at the bottom of the TRP charts, grew in popularity as it led the attack on Raja and his party. The CBI raids made matters worse.

Kanimozhi, Rajya Sabha MP, escaped being raided by CBI. But the fact that the investigating agency came to the premises of Tamil Maiyam, an NGO close to her, showed that she had escaped only by a whisker.

Having lost the moral high ground, the DMK boss decided to throw his weight behind Raja. It is reported that Stalin and MK Alagiri, Karunanidhi's other son, favoured expelling Raja from the party but the DMK chief decided against it. Alagiri resigned from his party post and the Union Cabinet in protest.

The party, on its part, has launched a statewide campaign (aptly dubbed by the media as the 'Save Raja Campaign') supporting the former telecom minister. The campaigners took pains to explain that a CAG report is only speculation on the loss and it is not incontrovertible proof of a scandal.

A possible DMK-Congress split will affect the equations at the Centre. DMK's strength of 18 members may well be compensated by AIADMK, JD(S), and SP. But the price that the Congress has to pay for it will be heavy. The Congress top brass is yet to take a final decision, sources say. Can they put the survival of the government at the Centre at stake for a few seats more in a state Assembly poll? A tough call that.

In an election year (the TN assembly polls are scheduled for May this year), a scandal as huge as the one involving spectrum allocation is enough to sink any party. Ironically, thanks to the scheme of distribution of free colour televisions, many in Tamil Nadu actually know about the scope and nature of the spectrum scam. Yet DMK leaders are confident of electoral success as they have done enough in terms of doling out freebies to the poor, right from rice at one rupee a kilo to the recent free housing scheme.

A DMK leader told TSI that in the coming elections his party would draw strength from the support of the beneficiaries of successful government schemes rather than from an alliance with the Congress.

When Dr Manmohan Singh was about to leave Chennai, he assured the waiting media that Congress ties with DMK remain strong. Are we supposed to then read between the lines and beyond the spoken word? That's what politics is we guess...

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

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

Hoga Koi Aisa Bhi Ki Ghalib Ko Na Jaane...

2011-10-10T11:59:00.001+05:30

IIPM: What is E-PAT?

On the 213th Birth Anniversary of Mirza Ghalib, Gulzar and some others attempt to resurrect the legacy of the greatest icon of Urdu poetry

A theory pegs John F Kennedy to be the reincarnation of Abraham Lincoln. We dare say there might have been a similar soul-surrender in the direction of Gulzar after Ghalib’s lifetime. Considering the creative genius and aesthetic purity of either, it sounds quite probable. Besides, watching Gulzar eulogise the master of Urdu poetry on his 213th birth anniversary at the poet’s haveli in Gali Qasim Jaan in Ballimaran, Old Delhi, could make it sound further convincing.

On December 26, 2010, a bust of Mirza Ghalib was unveiled by the Chief Minister of Delhi, Sheila Dixit, at the Ballimaran haveli, which has now been renovated and partially transformed into a museum. It was the least the long derelict landmark – where Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan, better known as Ghalib, spent his last years – could ask for. The legacy of Mirza Ghalib, arguably the greatest Urdu poet of all times after Mir Taqi Mir, is nearly forgotten except by a few. Gulzar, who made an entire television-series on the legend, narrated how Mirza Ghalib is an important element of Indian history and culture on the occasion. Every year on the eve of Ghalib’s birthday, Gulzar is joined by his friends, and fans of Ghalib, for a candle march from Townhall to Gali Qasim Jaan. Ghalib’s poetry has been translated by several scholars; his writings remain a collector’s delight. And yet attempts to restore his glory and re-introduce new generation to his works have been found to be dragging along.

Of the stalwart, Gulzar reminisced, “His poems, his lifestyle and his thought process were an inspiration. In an era when people laid emphasis on religion, Mirza Ghalib talked about humanity. Even though Ghalib was saddened by the loss of his seven children, there was never a dull moment in his company. He was known for his sense of humour and presence of mind. His quick witted one liners were not mere remarks or statements, but had literary depth in them. There is no doubt that Ghalib was an egotist. But he was aware of his potential and standing as a poet, hence he possessed a huge ego.”

Ghalib was quite a rebel as far as his thoughts were concerned, and hence was a little too scathing of his contemporaries. He was appointed tutor to Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar after the death of Zafar's ustad, Sheikh Ibrahim Zauq, in 1854. In addition to being poet-tutor, he was appointed the royal historian of the Mughal court. Although Ghalib never worked for money, his kith and kin were kind enough to take care of his frugal needs. Once jailed for gambling, Ghalib is believed to have reveled in the experience of being behind bars! The unveiled bust of Ghalib, commissioned by Gulzar and sculpted by the skilled Bhagawan Rampure of Sholapur, will hope to highlight the legacy of the master, lest we find Ghalib’s lines ringing true all over again.

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

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

Justice under a cloud

2011-10-07T11:49:00.001+05:30

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

The pressure on former SC Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan to step down as NHRC chairman mounts as allegations of unaccounted wealth against his kin become more insistent

The cloud hovering over National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman and former Chief Justice of India (CJI) KG Balakrishnan has just got a bit darker. First it was his alleged covert attempt to influence a high court judge in Tamil Nadu in a bail hearing involving a father and son duo accused in a marks scandal in Puducherry. And now, members of his family are under fire for having amassed wealth beyond their known sources of income during his tenure as CJI.

The NHRC chief’s son-in-law and lawyer PV Sreenijan, who is also a politician, another son-in-law MJ Benny and brother KG Bhaskaran, senior government pleader, are facing charges of financial misconduct.

Bhaskaran was subsequently summoned by the Kerala advocate-general CP Sudhakara Prasad to explain his position. A move is reportedly afoot for his dismissal as a government counsel.

Following the allegation that Balakrishnan had sought to intervene in favour of two accused persons believed to be close to former telecom minister A Raja, Justice VR Krishna Iyer told the media that the ex-CJI should immediately quit his NHRC post. Advocates Prashant Bhushan and Fali S Nariman supported the top law expert in this regard.

All the eminent personalities who have demanded Balakrishnan’s resignation have referred to the alleged disproportionate assets of the NHRC chief’s daughter Soni and her husband, Sreenijan, both lawyers. This VIP son-in-law was a Congress candidate during the last Kerala Assembly elections in 2006. He was until recently the state vice president of the Indian Youth Congress.

During the recently concluded Kerala Youth Congress organisational elections, PCC chief Ramesh Chennithala's faction alleged that Sreenijan had spent hundreds of thousands of rupees for ensuring the victory of the faction supported by powerful leader Oommen Chandy. Chandy's blue-eyed boy Vishnunath, MLA, was elected state Youth Congress chief.

It is alleged that the lawyer couple has accumulated properties worth crores of rupees during the last two years. In 2006, in his declaration to the Election Commission, Sreenijan had revealed that his wealth was to the tune of only Rs 25,000. Today he is worth several crores of rupees. He isn’t regarded as a force to reckon with in his professional field. The wealth amassed by him has, therefore, taken the people of Kerala by surprise.

Now, it has come to light that another son-in-law of Balakrishnan’s, MJ Benny, bought properties worth Rs 80 lakh in Tamil Nadu during the NHRC chief’s tenure as CJI. Naturally, public opinion is steadily turning against Balakrishnan, the first Keralite and Dalit to make it to the posts of CJI and NHRC chairman.

Kerala chief minister VS Achuthanandan, in a surprise move, has instructed home minister (in charge of vigilance) Kodiyeri Balakrishnan to order a probe into the disproportionate assets scandal. Defence minister AK Antony, too, has gone on record to say that the facts of the case should be exposed. He added that if there is evidence against his kin, stringent action should be taken.

The Oommen Chandy faction of the Congress in Kerala has demanded an inquiry into the allegations against Sreenijan. But the fact that has particularly raised eyebrows in the state is the conspicuous silence from the CPI (M) leaders who normally miss no opportunity to swing into action in such situations.

Left leaders here are excessively aggressive in their criticism of sitting judges and their verdicts and do not mind risking contempt proceedings. But when the Sreenijan scandal came to light, they chose to remain tightlipped. If at all the state secretary of DYFI, the youth front of the CPI (M), and a state committee member issued statements to the press on the matter, the party's mouthpiece Deshabhimani blacked them out.

The grapevine has it that Justice Balakrishnan had helped CPI (M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan in the Supreme Court. The story goes like this: when the Kerala governor gave permission to prosecute Vijayan in the SNC-Lavalin case and it came up before the Supreme Court, the then Registrar had recommended expediting the proceedings so as to help Vijayan’s cause. The Registrar had taken the step allegedly at the behest of Justice Balakrishnan.

Even though Union law minister Veerappa Moily has give a clean chit to Balakrishnan, the number of vocal critics is increasing by the day. VM Sudheeran, considered to be the 'Mr Clean' of Kerala politics, has come out with a suggestion that inquiries should be conducted about the wealth of even retired judges of both high courts and the Supreme Court.

Former NHRC member Sudarshan Agarwal and eminent lawyer Rajiv Dhavan have also sought Balakrishnan's resignation. Even the Scheduled Caste-Scheduled Tribe Aikya Vedi has made the same demand.

The latest salvo has been fired by Justice VR Krishna Iyer. He has advised Balakrishnan to face an inquiry and come clean on the entire issue. Iyer alleged that an emissary, a judge, had recently approached him on behalf of the former CJI and requested him not to write to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to seek action against Balakrishnan.

Pressure is clearly mounting on Justice Balakrishnan. It is not simply an individual who in the dock. It is the nation's highest seat of justice and the last resort of the common man that is under a shadow. Unless those involved in the mess clear their names, people will lose faith in the judicial system for good.

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

A village of pristine distinction

2011-10-04T17:46:00.000+05:30

IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri

A tiny village in Meghalaya, Mawlynnong, is now Asia's cleanest village! TSI's Dulal Misra visits the village to find out what worked in this clean oasis, which is also home to a 150-year-old living root bridge. photos by: Ranjan Basu

As an emerging economy, India has the image of being one of the principal pollutants on earth. But, a tiny nondescript village in Meghalaya, about 90 km from Shillong, has scripted a different story, turning this image turtle. Mawlynnong, straddled between the mounts of the East Khasi Hills district, has earned the unique recognition of being the cleanest village of Asia, following a Discover India magazine announcement in 2003.

It does not feel like a part of this country, the roads are dry but dustless. Every single tree leaf on the road is swept aside. The headman tells TSI: “We, the people of this village, do not litter or discard garbage in the open, but dump it in a pit where it is converted into organic fertiliser. This is used to increase the yield of vegetables.” Dominic Sangma, a villager, points at the extensive use of dustbins. The customary village body looks after the cleanliness of the village and every household donates a bamboo dustbin. The villagers of Mawlynnong have banned the use of plastic bags. Local college student Runila says, “We used plastic bags earlier too. But the Khasi Students’ Union and local village committee took an initiative to ban plastic in our area. Instead of plastic, we use earthen pots and paper bags. The village committee slaps a fine on whoever violates this rule.”

A group of people clean the village roads with brooms every three hours. A 60-year-old woman, part of the cleaning force, greets TSI: “God has sent us to earth to make it beautiful. We believe that through this, we worship God.” A point to be noted is the 100 per cent literacy rate of the area when juxtaposed against the not-so-satisfactory performance of Meghalaya in the same field.

Mawlynnong is a smoke-free zone. As per the guidelines of the Cigarette and Other Tobacco Products Act, 2003, all places in the village come under the purview of the same. The Voluntary Health Association of Meghalaya keeps a strict vigil to restrict smoking. Students of St Edmunds College visit this village regularly to create awareness on conservation of ecology among villagers as well as visitors. Mawlynnong comprises 82 households. Every child birth in the village witnesses the parents planting a tree for the well being of the baby. They do not only plant the tree but also nurture it to growth.

A tourist from Kolkata, Shyamal Ghose, says, “I have visited several places in India. But I have never seen a village so clean and systematically maintained. People are honest and hard working. They respect tourists and make sure that visitors face no problems during their stay here.” Foreign tourists also find their way to this picturesque village. A small hospitality industry has sprung up around the eco-friendly image of the place. Completely eco-friendly lodging is provided by villagers. The ‘tree houses’ consists of two or three bed rooms and everything from the construction to furniture is wooden.

Mawlynnong is also home to a unique bridge made of living tree roots. Fifteen-year-old Fullmoon Khongjra counted the ticket counterfoils… 44 of them. At Rs 5 per ticket, the collection came to Rs 220 for that day. The day before, 47 tickets were sold to visitors to the amazing site of the living roots bridge that spans a 40-feet gorge which is just about a feet under water in the winters, but becomes a furious, 14-feet torrent during the rains, which lashes this wet desert near Cherrapunjee for the better part of six months. The six-feet wide bridge has been created out of the roots of two rubber plants by men of the two villages separated by the gorge. That must have been about 150 years ago.

The narrow and cobbled stone pathway becomes moss-laden, slippery and dangerous in the monsoon. But on the cloudy December afternoon that team TSI visited it, it was dry and firm.

It's like being tree-walkers, walking over roots, something humans have not done for past few million years ever since we transformed from apes.

“During the rains, the river runs as high as the bottom of this bridge, so it becomes impossible for the people of the two villages to cross over. So may be some 150 years ago, the wise old men of the two villages decided to biologically merge the roots of two rubber trees so that the whole thing became a bridge,” says Lumlana, a local Christian priest. He says that earlier, people from the villages tried to tie up boats and make a boat-bridge across the river. “But that failed, for the torrent was so furious that it took everything away. That is why the ancients hit upon this idea,” he adds.

Apparently, the elders decided to train the roots of the two trees with bamboo and bring them across. Then they tied them up using grafting techniques and over the next 30 or 40 years, the intertwined roots became a bridge. The amazing thing is that the roots are still living, vibrant, for if they were to die, they would crack up and the bridge would crumble.

The surrounding area is a primary forest, untouched for the past thousand years, inhabited by local people who are aware of how a forest must be lived in, used and yet not damaged.

Can India ever hope to replicate this in all our villages?...

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

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

Break Ke Baad: Buzz kill

2011-08-29T11:15:00.000+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Fresh on the surface, stale inside

Having cast Deepika Padukone, a bit of a new age heroine and Imran Khan, the fresh faced underdog in the Bollywood face of the future race, Danish Aslam did manage to pull off an unconventional lead pair. If only his story in “Break Ke Baad” was not this conventional. “Break Ke Baad” is a dyed in the wool romantic comedy but the romance is quite intolerable and the comedy is sparse. And the been there, seen that feeling is all over, what with a bunch of half cooked romcoms having hit the screen this year. Aaliya (Padukone) is the ambitious girlfriend and Abhay (Khan) the loyal childhood sweetheart. And there’s the usual gripe about space and distance as Aaliya takes off to Australia to follow her dream of becoming an actress only to find Abhay come tumbling after.

The supporting cast and characters, like Abhay’s aunt played by Lilette Dubey and Aaliya’s mom played by Sharmila Tagore are interesting but never rises beyond the impact of a line or two. And while lovely Australian locales and some peppy tunes from Vishal-Shekhar try to uplift the visual appeal and make things look ‘cool’ they can’t mask the lack of substance. You could ignore all that and go by the earnest effort of Imran Khan and call this a one time breezy watch. But a few minutes beyond the innovatively crafted opening credits sequence and it becomes a drag. You’d only be humming Queen’s “I want to break free” by then.

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

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

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

Red: Rollicking, Extremely Delightful

2011-08-26T11:09:00.000+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Too many cooks don't always spoil the broth

The formula for this one was simple - assemble a mammoth cast, something productive will self-generate and the movie will draw viewers in flocks. And that is exactly why Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman, John Malkovich, Helen Mirren, Karl Urban, Mary-Louise Parker and Brian Cox were all roped in!

Loosely inspired by a comic series of the same name, RED (Retired, Extremely Dangerous) is a strange love-action-comedy-thriller. Frank Moses (Willis) is a lonely retired CIA Agent, living a quite retired life until the vehement peace in his life is scattered. He realises that someone is attempting to kill him, his phone-friend and former fellow CIA operatives who served with him in Guatemala. One would have to wonder just how many more times Bruce Willis would play the retired bald-old-man who can shoot-a-gun.

Marvin (Malkovich), a paranoid schizophrenic played to perfection, is painfully funny. The script is not worthy of such an elaborate cast but the performance
of the seasoned actors give it a neck.

The concoction of talent may prove disastrous more often than not, as made evident by a certain ‘Valentine’s Day’ this year. But a definite green light for RED.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
Kapil Sibal's voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill

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

Noida CEO rules out hike in land compensation
IIPM, GURGAON
Rajita Chaudhuri on ‘The Magic of Number 3 in Marketing’

Is the Indian realty space now getting too hot to handle?

2011-08-23T11:04:00.000+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

2010 has seen a huge rebound for real estate in urban centres, particularly Mumbai, but also raised fears of overheating. We went to the developers and found out their original point of view. By mona mehta

Six years ago, when a resident of suburban Vile Parle in Mumbai bought a 1BHK flat for Rs three million, he wouldn’t have realised that the price of the same property would appreciate by three times. The same property now fetches an amount of Rs 11 million, and is poised to rise even further. This is one short-term windfalls that home buyers in the city are enjoying currently. Property prices have appreciated by 30-60% in Mumbai in this year itself.

Amidst the scenario, in calendar year 2010, real estate developers feel that it is time for flat buyers, even from the middle end of the market, to tap the opportunity of buying a second home; be it on rent basis, and later sell their first home to invest in their second home on ownership basis. Commercial space is on a similar rebound. DLF, for instance, has witnessed growth in leasing commercial spaces in Delhi/NCR from 0.9 million sq. ft. in 2009 to three million sq. ft. in 2010.
Navin Raheja, MD, Raheja Developers, told us, “During this calendar year, many projects were launched and were sold at a much better pace than last year. We hope real estate would come on the fast track within 6-8 months.” Currently, the Rs six trillion Indian real estate sector gets 80% contribution from the housing finance sector, which means that banks are willing to lend for good projects. Even if a flat buyer from the middle-end of the market may refrain from buying a 1 BHK flat worth over Rs 10 million on ownership basis, the attitude changes when the perspective is introduced of financing EMIs by giving out the newly purchased flats on rent.
For instance, talking to us, an accountant, who stays in Thane in Central Mumbai and has recently booked two flats in a project, told, “This is because I feel that since my new home is closer to my office, I can save commuting time, and that when the prices appreciate in the short-term, I would sell one flat and purchase another flat on ownership basis.” According to a senior official from Mumbai-based Satellite Group, “Due to steep price appreciation, a flat buyer can recover triple the amount they would have invested in buying a flat in the short-term.”

This is exactly the kind of warning sign doomsday prophets look for to predict a property bubble. Joy Sanyal, Head – Development Initiatives, Jones Lang LaSalle India comments on the Mumbai scenario, “The market for residential property in Mumbai started showing signs of stability since the third quarter, most visibly in South/Central Mumbai, where investors had begun to outnumber actual end-users by then. But the deeper suburbs (Borivali and beyond) and far suburbs like Thane and Navi Mumbai continued to be dominated by end users.” More madness is anticipated now that the Navi Mumbai airport has the approval of the environment ministry.

Now the RBI has most certainly taken notice of the kind of upsurge being seen. Earlier this month, the central bank took a string of measures. It raised risk weightage to 125% for houses priced above Rs 7.5 million, capped loan to value ratio to a maximum of 80% and hiked standard asset provisioning to 2% for home loans with teaser rates. RBI Governor Dr D. Subbarao had said in the Q2 policy review, “Although income levels of households and earnings of corporates in India have continued to rise, a sharp rise in asset prices in such a short time causes concern.” That concern has been exacerbated just recently when CBI unearthed a shocking bribery scam, where developers were bribing officials to get loans for their expansion projects, for which they took undue advantage of the easy liquidity and the surge in property prices. Clearly, the fundamentals for the sector are getting a bit loose here.

However, realty players aren’t exactly of that view. Raheja opines that demand in the market is already outstripping the supply – especially for housing and commercial office spaces – because of which the upward trend in prices will continue. And due to the upswing, realty developers can now easily raise money from banks and avoid reducing property prices to boost volumes. For example, as media reports suggest, Mumbai-based Oberoi Realty’s Exquisite residential project at Goregaon has sold over about 7 lakh sq ft in 2010 and that's despite increasing its prices thrice this year.
There are listed debt-ridden real estate developers such as DLF, among others, who will be able to repay 60% of their debt by FY ‘12, feel analysts. Param Desai, real estate analyst of Angel Broking told us, “Looking at the scenario, I don’t think developers will be planning to hike their property prices. Instead, certain developers who are currently selling properties at 10-15% discounted rates are benefiting in sales transactions.” Mumbai and NCR have already seen a steep price appreciation this year and could sober down. But Bangalore and Chennai are expected to experience a hike of 20-25% in the short term.

In the midst of this is the ‘affordable’ housing market, which is the last mile, and is not getting the thrust it deserves. Some mainstream realtors still feel that it is not an easy territory to enter into. DLF Group Executive Director Rajeev Talwar comments to us, “One of the main concerns remains the price of land.” DLF’s own consolidated net profit took a hit for the quarter ending September 2010 by 5% to Rs 4.18 billion, despite an increase in revenues by 39% to Rs 25.1 billion. Evidently, the ‘affordable’ segment is more suitable for players who are accustomed to the factory model and can set up residential projects in quick succession. Reports suggest that realtors were keener on the phenomenon when recession struck, but quickly changed gears once revival began towards luxury housing and the top 20%. Besides curbing an asset bubble in the urban centres, the government has to spur demand in this sector, with a nearly 25 million housing shortfall as on date. That kind of market will take quite a while to even start looking like a bubble.

Abida Parveen needs no introduction.

2011-08-20T14:55:00.001+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Abida Parveen of the surreal voice, the one that renders the poetry of Khusro, Bulle Shah, Waris Shah and Sultan Bahu into a divine communion, is to Sufi music what romance is to youth. In an exclusive interview with Vimalendu Kumar Singh, Abida Parveen reflects over the worldly majlis, music and Maula..

You have touched the pinnacle of your career. How difficult has this journey been?
I have achieved whatever I have thanks to Maula; I owe it to the blessings of my elders and saints. We only make an effort, to make an untrained voice sound sweet is the work of God. With rigorous practice, and if you have the right training and God's blessings with you, nothing is impossible.

How did you choose this profession, considering it was taboo for female Muslims to sing...
My initiation into music was done by my father Ghulam Haidar saab. He used to run a music school at Larkana in Sindh. He was equally adept at classical music and Sufiana kalam. Although I was not a part of his school technically, my training started when I was all of three years old. In fact, music was all around me in my house. When I was 12, my father sent me to Ustad Salamat Ali Khan in Lahore for further training in music. I learned all the nuances of music under him.

Tell us about Ustad ji. How was it learning from him?
Ustad (Salamat Ali Khan) ji polished me and showed me the path. I have not seen another singer like him when it comes to layakari and range. I consider myself fortunate that I trained under him.

Why did you opt for Sufi music and not pure classical?
Actually the place I belong to, Sindh, has a different aura – that of Sufiana. Such is the popularity of Sufism there that every man is somehow addicted to it. My father loved Sufi music, and that infected me too. You can see him in my music and my temperament.

What is it about Sufiana music that sets it apart from other genres?
The greatest virtue of Sufiana is Ruhaniyat. Its relation with spirituality is very deep. It is the thirst to attract the attention of God; to be close to Him. Songs are all good, but the music for Allah and saints has a different feel. It puts you on a different, higher level. None can remain untouched by it.

But there are other genres too that are dedicated to God...

I don't claim that the only way to Allah is Sufiana. There are the bhajan, kirtan and the Drupad styles as well. All of them have their distinct feel and all of them take you to God.

Sufi songs, as you said, connect one to God. What have your experiences been like?
The path takes you to God. Whenever I sing, I consider it the first and last Majlis (forum). So I take that opportunity to seek blessing from saints and God. And they deliver.

The world likes to hear you sing. Whom do you listen to?
I hear all old and new singers. And I try to learn from them. I hear Bade Ghulam Ali Khan with concentration. I also love Ustad Aamir Khan of Indore gharana. Among females, I love Kishori Amonkar and Begum Parveen Sultana. Amjad Ali Khan is one of my favourites. I have hundreds of CDs of these singers. I hear them in solitude and keep crying. It enriches the heart. Their voice is the voice of God. I am also inspired by Salim Gilani. I have never heard another exponent of ghazal like him.

Can anybody really learn Sufiana or does it come from within?
Ruhaniyat and yearning cannot be bought. And a heart that does not yearn is not a heart at all. The one who has not experienced yearning cannot understand what the heart expresses in words. That is the real inspiration; real addiction.

You are among the few singers whose popularity transcends the border. How does it feel when you sing in India?
Music cannot be bound by language or border. For me, Pakistan and India are like blood brothers. India is like my second home and that's why I keep visiting here. People give me immense love in both the countries.

A fan of yours in London once said that if Abida ji lends her voice to a shopping list, even that will sound spiritual. People in the West don't understand Urdu, Punjabi or Sindhi, and yet you have a tremendous fan following…

Sufism is the connection between two hearts. To understand the emotion and to connect with God, one requires no language. In the US, Britain and Scandinavia, people give me a lot of love. They wait for me for hours. They become part of the
performance.

Your trademark style of long kurtas and the Sindhi Ajrak is unique too. Is it an attempt at branding?
You call it branding, but it has become my identity for years. The Ajrak that you see on my shoulders comes straight from the Dargah of Hazrat Shah Abdul Latif. It is not merely a show-off. I live this life.

Why have you stayed away from Hindi films even though Sufiana is a rage here too?
Artists from Nusrat Fateh Ali to Rahat Fateh Ali and now Amanat Ali have lent their voices...

I have submersed myself in Sufi music and my aim is to popularise it. I'll stick to serving Sufiana genre for the time being.

Shariyat considers music to be haraam. Did you ever face any protest?
Shariyat does not consider it haraam. Why would Shariyat do that? The voice that we hear came first. Shariyat came later. The 12 sur were not made by men. It came before Shariyat. Music is a gift of Allah. These 12 sur consist of all the voices of the world. It is omnipresent. Whatever the language, the sur remains the same. It is the message from God. When we recite the Quran, even that is music. Don’t we love the Azaan when we hear a good voice?

India and Pakistan are always at loggerheads. As a cultural ambassador, what do you feel about it?
Where is the tension? If it is there, I cannot see it. I would not have been sitting here talking to you. That’s all politics and artists have nothing to do with it. The only wall is a visa.

These days many misunderstand Islam to be synonymous with terrorism. What has gone wrong?
Terrorism is not new. Islam is not to be blamed. Islam is a gift from Allah that runs in harmony with the world and humanity. The problems are man-made. One needs to keep the thought process pure. We will have to increase the purview of education and culture. There is no better tool to tackle it with than love.

No state in India has as many Kisan Credit Card holders as Orissa. Yet the farm sector in the state is in the doldrums

2011-08-17T10:53:00.000+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

The Numbers don't add up

In a land of many ironies, here is another one. Orissa's farmers top the list of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) beneficiaries but the agricultural scenario in the state continues to be dismal.

Asked about his farm productivity and income, Gopinath Mallick, a farmer of Aul area in Kendrapara district who owns two acres of land, says: “I cannot buy quality seeds and fertilisers nor can I adopt modern technologies. From my land I earn just about enough to take care of the needs of my family.”

Hasn't Gopinath heard of KCC? “No,” he replies. “Last year, I did try very hard to get a loan from the cooperative society but I failed. They wanted to be bribed. I had no money.” He is among countless Orissa farmers who could do with some organised financial support but do not know where to look for it.

Given the number of KCCs that have been distributed in Orissa, securing an agriculture loan should have been a cakewalk for Gopinath. If it isn't, it is simply because farmers in the coastal belt of the state have no clue that they are entitled to this credit facility. Over the years, the government, both in Bhubaneswar and Delhi, has announced various schemes for farmers. But these programmes have remained on paper even as official records show that everything is on course.

Though Orissa has got the distinction of bringing the largest number of farmers under the cooperative ambit, the reality on the ground tells a different story. A private survey confirms that lakhs of farmers in the state do not know what KCC is. “Even those who have cards are unable to draw the benefits due to lack of awareness,” says R.N. Rath, AGM of Orissa State Cooperative Bank.

Orissa's is primarily an agrarian economy. Farming accounts for nearly 30 per cent of the Net State Domestic Product (NSDP), with 73 per cent of the work force engaged in this sector. Cropped area in the state is about 87.46 lakh hectares out of which 18.79 lakh hectares are irrigated. Therefore, climatic conditions and soil play a vital role in the state’s agricultural productivity. Though there was a breakthrough in agriculture in Punjab, Haryana and western Uttar Pradesh during the mid-1960s owing to the use of new seeds, fertilisers and water technology, the onset of the Green Revolution was delayed by about two decades in the case of Orissa.

The increase in yield rate in Orissa was marginal compared to the agriculturally advanced states. Agriculture has stagnated here over the the last two to three decades. The growth rate has hovered around one per cent during this time span. While the average value of yield was only Rs 5979 per hectare in Orissa it was Rs 15,626 in Kerala, Rs 14,073 in Tamil Nadu, Rs 13,597 in Punjab and Rs 7388 in the rest of India. In Orissa, the compound annual percentage growth rate of yield was only 1.3 whereas the all-India figure was 2.3 in 2009. Moreover, the yield rate of foodgrains in Orissa is only 1080 kg/ha, whereas the all-India figure is 1620 kg/ha.

Says Bimal Pandia, a well-known agricultural activist: “The reasons for low agricultural productivity in Orissa are varied. It is a combined effect of climatological, institutional, technological and infrastructural factors. The often cited reasons are inequality in land ownership and operation, small size of land holdings, land fragmentation, high incidence of concealed tenancy, inadequate irrigation facilities, ineffective extension services, bottlenecks in input supply, warehousing and marketing, frequent occurrence of natural calamities like droughts, floods, cyclones and the like.”

Pandia emphasises the role that constricted agricultural credit has played in slowing down growth in farm output in Orissa. "In recent years, due to fiscal compression public investment in agriculture sector has decelerated. But non-availability of financial support in form of loans to farmers, which they could use to increase productivity from agriculture, is a major reason of low productivity,” he explains.
A progress report of the KCC scheme reveals this failure in the agricultural sector. Orissa also lags behind other states in average loan disbursement. According to Reserve Bank of India sources, while the average loan amount drawn by a KCC holder in Orissa is merely Rs 26,600, the average loan taken per KCC holder in Gujarat stood at Rs 14.6 lakh.

Sanjeev Patro, a senior journalist working in the agricultural sector, says, “The average landholding size in Orissa is around 1.3 hectare against 2.33 hectare in Gujarat. As productivity is directly proportional to the increased input use in the field, higher use of inputs necessitates more loan amount per KCC holder. A recent Nabard study has clearly documented that crop yield per hectare has been higher for farmers holding KCC as they have access to adequate and timely inputs for their crops.”

That brings us back to the fact that Orissa has the highest number of farmers in the country under the KCC scheme. RBI data confirms that over 5 lakh farmers in the state have been registered for KCC, while this figure is around 3 lakh in Gujarat. But the irony is that here credit size far outweighs the benefits.

Rath agrees: “Absence of sealing and small land holdings are a major stumbling block in the way of smooth running of the farm credit system in Orissa. We have more than 2714 credit cooperative societies in the state and of the total of 52,88,00 farmers, 37,80,687 have already availed of credit facility. However, as 90 per cent of these farmers are small and medium land-holders, the credit amount is bound to be relatively low.”

Though the government seems to be happy with the state of affairs and the nodal agencies responsible for disbursement of agricultural loans claim credit for executing pro-farmer programmes with huge success, our farmers are still waiting to be informed about KCC. “The farmers of the state still don't have adequate knowledge about KCC and its use,” he asserts. He should know.

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

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

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

Doctor, heal thyself!

2011-08-14T11:48:00.000+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

In collusion with pharma biggies, doctors in government hospitals across Madhya Pradesh are conducting dubious drug trials on unsuspecting patients, thus endangering lives and the reputation of a noble profession

For the last few years, drug trials have been carried out in some hospitals of Madhya Pradesh in a hush hush manner. This is apparently being done by multinational companies hand in glove with some doctors. Patients are neither informed, nor is their consent taken. The matter has been brought to light of late, and the government has started looking into the issue seriously now.

If you are going to a Madhya Pradesh hospital for treatment of a serious disease and are made to sign a consent form in English, beware. It is quite possible that you unknowingly become the guinea pig for a vaccine trial. In the last five years, thousands of patients in Madhya Pradesh have faced this fate.

Sharad Geete’s wife Sheela Geete died on August 8, 2010. She was suffering from Alzheimers. Her husband had brought her to Indore’s MGM Medical College’s neurology department. After his wife passed away, Sharad came to know through local media reports that the doctor in question was deep into drug trials. He then collected material which indicated that Eisai Pharma’s Donepezil Immediate Release and Donepezil Sustained Release were being tried on her. Geete subsequently complained to the state’s health minister Mahendra Hardia.

Similarly, Ajay Nayak of Indore complained that in the name of ordinary vaccination, one doctor at Chacha Nehru Hospital conducted a vaccine trial on his newborn. He was made to sign a consent form in English which he did in good faith. When he took the infant home, the newborn fell sick and developed white marks all over his body. In yet another case in Jabalpur, cancer patient Rammani Upadhya died of another drug trial as well.

Despite these deaths, information received on the calling attention motion of Congress MLAs Pratap Singh and Pratap Grewal and Independent MLA Paras Saklecha reveals that there are no such trials taking place in the state nor have there been any deaths related to drug or vaccine trials.

This goes against the fact that many doctors independently confirm that such trials are one – in fact, one particular doctor is even reported to have conducted 30 drug and vaccine trials on 1,700 patients (yet, the doctor in question did not disclose the names of any patient). Dr Anand Rai of MP’s Resident Doctor’s Association says, “This [not disclosing of patients’ names] has been done deliberately so that it cannot be found out what the condition of the patient is post trial.”

In the monsoon session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly when this matter became public, a committee was formed under the principal secretary of the Assembly. After two meetings, the committee recommended that new drug trials should not be conducted but those being conducted should not be stopped. Hence the drug and vaccine trial business continues to flourish in the state.

In the winter session of the Assembly, Paras Saklecha questioned the trials of the HPV vaccine. The response was that trials were conducted on 39 people at the Chacha Nehru Hospital, Indore. It is surprising that the trial for a drug, HPV Vaccine V 503, which is to be used on women with cervical cancer, is being done by a child specialist and not by a gynaecologist. According to Dr Anand Rai, “Many doctors in MP are taking money from pharma companies to conduct drug trials. Almost all the doctors present in the local ethical committees are involved in the trials. How can it then be imagined that they are taking the right decision? This is the reason why the cervical cancer vaccine was tried by a child specialist on females between the ages of 15 and 26 when patients above the age of 12 should not even have come under the purview of treatment.”
Drug trials are happening for diseases which are not even found in the state, whereas there is no concern about the diseases the state is battling with. Cervical cancer, for instance, is more common in American and European women. In those countries, strict laws govern drug trials. This is why multinationals prefer to conduct drug trials in India. The trial for V 503 vaccine is a result of this.

Even in the past, trials for cervical cancer vaccines have triggered controversy in the country. Pharma major Merck’s Gardasil vaccine was tried in Andhra Pradesh’s Khammam area and Gujarat's Vadodara on girls aged 10-14. Two girls died in Vadodara and four in Khammam as a result of the trial. That had caused health workers across the country to unite against the propriety use, negative effects and costs of the vaccine, forcing the government to end all such trials. Merck then graduated to trials of V-503.

In summary, the fact is that the two big multinationals, Merck and Glaxo, are in a race to find a cure for cervical cancer. So, trials in Indore are on in full swing. The control mechanism is not well defined and the government needs to set up definite rules as soon as possible.

State minister for health Dr Mahendra Hardia says, “A separate committee has been formed in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly to look into the matter. Its directives shall be followed. An investigation by the state human rights commission is also being considered. There is also consultation about drafting a drug trial law in the state. Drug trials are necessary for the availability of common drugs. But no new drug trials will be conducted in the state.”

Saklecha says, “There must be a health research policy in the state. Patients who are going to hospitals for treatment are being tricked into drug and vaccine trials. The V503 trial has terrible side effects. It uses sodium borate which is a chemical used to kill rats. The polis argon eti used in it is a detergent which can cause cancer. It also contains aluminium salts which cause heart diseases.”

While the government might be right in holding that drug trials are necessary, conducting such tests on unknowing patients is not only unethical but also absolutely uncalled for.

With 4,000 divorce applications filed in the last 10 months

2011-08-11T10:44:00.000+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

India's IT hub of Bangalore is also fast becoming the nation's divorce hub. N K Suprabha tries to fathom the reasons...

Bangalore-based IT professional Sunil tied the knot with Ramya in 2008 on a high note. Chennai-based Ramya, too, is in the same profession and the two quite liked each other when they met. Barely a year down the line, the two felt that they had had enough and decided to part ways.

Subsequently, Sunil got a divorce notice from Ramya and accepted it. “My wife was not ready to compromise on any of the issues that cropped up between us. Instead, she used to call her parents and they would meddle in everything. In the short span of one year, her parents travelled all the way to Bangalore several times to ask for explanation for petty fights between us. Their interference only worsened the situation. At last my wife went off to her parents’ house and sent a divorce notice to me from there,” says Sunil.

Sunil's is not a one-off instance. During the last 10 months, more than 4,000 divorce applications have been filed in Bangalore. The number of divorce applications has been on the rise for the last few years. India's IT hub is in fact on the verge of earning the sobriquet of India's divorce hub. In 2004, a total of 2,229 divorce cases were filed. The number went up the next year when 2,493 applications were filed. In 2006, the figure was 2,888 and in 2007, it was 3,025. In 2008 and 2009, a total of 3,357 and 3,500 cases were filed respectively. The year 2010 has not yet ended and the number of divorce applications has already crossed the 4,000 mark. Interestingly, most of these applications (about 70 per cent as per the records) have been filed by IT, BT and BPO professionals and about 60 per cent of them were filed with mutual consent.
People see a direct link between the pulls and pressures of professional life as well the financial security that it brings with it and the rising number of divorce cases in urban India.

Riding high on their newly found financial independence, socially empowered and financially secure women today want to live on their own terms and want to be treated as equals. This sometimes leads to ego clashes between the partners and, combined with a few other issues, often culminates into divorce. Hemalatha Mahishi, an eminent legal representative from Bangalore, says, “The increasing number of cases of divorce reflect a changing lifestyle. Women have adopted a new style of living and their thoughts have changed. We can't say the same for men.” Elaborating further, she adds, “Men want their spouses to be respectful and obedient but you can’t expect so from any self-respecting 21st century girl. So, problems crop up.” The facts that girls are getting support from their families in going ahead with their decision to part ways and that remarriage is not difficult further boost their morale.

The divorced women have the same opinion about their husbands. “I did not want to fight with my husband on petty issues. Yes, I am financially independent and want equal respect from my husband. Instead, he wants me to be submissive and respectful every time. He had problems with my parents visiting me and them helping me in making decisions. He used to get angry if I lent financial help to my parents. He was not at all ready to acknowledge my opinion on any issue and had insecurity regarding my high salary which always led to fight between us,” says Suman, a BPO employee who recently sent a divorce notice to her husband.

However, men who have gone through the ordeal of a failed marriage, have got different tales to tell. “My wife is a software professional earning Rs 50,000 per month. She recently sent me a notice for divorce, barely six months after marriage. I can see no reason behind her step and I am trying to persuade her to reconsider but she is adamant. Even her parents are backing her decision,” says Ramesh , a manager in a leading software firm. “If a girl decides to divorce her husband, she can easily get over it. The good old law is on women's side. But now the law needs to be changed as wives are no longer as vulnerable as they used to be. Instead men are suffering,” Ramesh adds.

There are other reasons too for breaking relationships. The social stigma over the word ‘divorcee’ has almost vanished from urban societies. Today people are accepting girls with the divorced tag and new concepts such as 'single mom' and 'live-in relationship' are gaining grounds. The present generation, largely brought up in nuclear families, has shed much of the sacredness attached with family values. Western values are fast replacing the traditional Indian ones and consumerism is playing its part in eroding social ethos. Well-known psychiatrist Dr Ashok Pai tells TSI, “Feminine identity, emotional security, sexual equality and the desire to grow individually from within make many women prefer to remain single and look out for better options at an opportune time. Disturbed family set-up, inadequate parentage model and disharmony with peer groups are factors for women preferring to remain single. More than insecurity and inferiority, it is a combination of de-personalisation and de-individualisation which gives rise to egoistic traits.”
Still, there are women who prefer the family's integrity over their career or aspirations. Shreeza, a journalist, resigned from her job in a mainstream newspaper and joined a smaller magazine because her husband did not like her coming home late every night. Shreeza found her marital relationship more important than her professional life and quit her job. But perhaps not many women today would like to go Shreeza's way.

Divorces are the reality of today

2011-08-08T16:39:00.003+05:30

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Dr Ashok Pai, a well-known psychiatrist from Shimoga

Divorce cases are increasingly being noticed among BPO, IT and BT employees. What could be the possible reasons?
Divorces are the reality of today. There are multiple factors. In fact, earlier there were instances of emotional divorce in the traditional culture-bound family set ups. With globalisation, women's empowerment, growth of structured female identity, the emotional divorce has taken a legal format because of affordability and self-ascertainment.

Do you see any link between the increased exposure of these sectors to the west and rising number of divorces?
Yes. With consumerism expanding its tentacles and by working as effective tools of hidden persuaders, we are catching up fast with the west. More than insecurity and inferiority, it is a combination of de-personalisation and de-individualisation which gives rise to egoistic traits.
To what extent does a woman's financial independence cause her decision to separate?
Economic security makes a woman feel independent, secure and decisive in her role play. It is this identification and insight which makes her decision making more relevant in tune with the immediate reality.

Do you think the increased possibility of remarriage of divorced women also contributes to this?
There is liberalisation in the mental and physical perspective of the individual psyche which greatly contribute to live-in relationships and pre-marital sex. Extra-marital affairs and homosexual relations are almost getting social and legal acceptability. Remarriage of divorced or widowed women has become a socially accepted reality.

In metropolises like Mumbai and Bangalore, many women prefer to remain single. What is the thought behind such mindset?
As I said earlier, increased consciousness about feminine identity, emotional and financial security, sexual equality and the desire to grow individually urge women to remain single rather than tying themselves up in marriage.

Do the prevalent feminist theories contribute to the disintegration of family?
Partly yes and partly no. We cannot make a generalised statement about this as there are several other factors too in the picture.

Don’t you think the institution of Indian family is itself at stake here?
Not necessarily. There is no clear cut definition for family as an institution. It's dependence and interdependency of more than one individual that comes within the purview of a family.

What about people who kill their spouses?
That is an instance of deviant behavioural pattern that can be termed psychopathic disorder or personality disorder.

Climate change and an advancing shoreline have devoured several villages in Orissa’s Kendrapara district.

2011-07-01T10:43:00.000+05:30

The hamlets that have survived are counting their days

Whenever a radio announcer spouts meteorological terms like “low pressure” or “deep depression”, a strange fear assails 700 families of Satabhaya. For the last few decades, these villagers have been living under the shadow of dread in their undersized huts. As bad weather sends the sea into a fury, huge tides cross the shoreline and threaten to wipe away their dwellings in the flash of an eye. “This area is perhaps the worst sufferer of global warming and climate change in Orissa,” says noted environmentalist Ranjan Panda.

Life is really pitiable in Satabhaya though it is just 150 km from the state capital of Bhubaneswar. Cut off from the mainland, people living in here are deprived of standard facilities available in any village of Naveen Patnaik’s Orissa. Satabhaya has no pucca house, no television set, no telephone, no fan and the list of nos goes on. Even basic minimum facilities like safe drinking water, electricity and primary health care facilities are as good as non-existent. The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) has also been unable to make its presence felt here.

Getting to Satabhaya is really difficult. One has to cross Baunshgadi river, a tributary of Mahanadi, on a country boat. The ghat is at least eight km away from the village. If you don’t manage a lift from a biker or cyclist, the walk can be energy sapping. “Everyday more than 300 people cross the river to gather their daily needs in my boat. Since my service is not available after sunset, villagers prefer to stay in nearby Okilpal or Gupti. As crocodiles are seen frequently in the river, it’s considered dangerous to cross by any other means,” says boatman Karunakar Behera.

When told that we are journalists, Suka Dei, a housewife aged around 45 years, a co-passenger, spontaneously tells us, “Sambadik babu, please write strongly about our misery. The government is doing nothing to resolve our long-standing problems.”

The hapless people of Satabhaya, a cluster of villages in Kendrapara district, located a hundred meters off the Bay of Bengal coast, are silent witnesses to nature’s wrath. When the weather is inclement, they spend sleepless nights. “The situation wasn’t so terrifying earlier. The sea was at a distance of two km from our village. We had to walk for 20 to 25 minutes to reach the shore. The sea water has gradually inched in, submerging our homes and agricultural lands. We were forced to shift to this comparatively safer place, adjacent to our village. The place where you are standing is not our original village; we were forced to shift here after the super cyclone of 1999,” reveals Bishnu Charan Sahani of Kanpur hamlet of Satabhaya Panchayat.

“The sea advanced at least 10 feet into Kanpur two years back,” says Sudarshan Rout, a social activist working for relocation of villages to a safer area. “It has wiped out the primary school and one of the tube-wells that provided drinking water to the villagers.”

Satabhaya Panchayat, which once covered seven villages, now represents only two. The remaining five villages have vanished, swamped by the sea. The people of Satabhaya and Kanpur are counting their days.

In the early 1980s, the first villages to vanish into the sea were Govindpur, Mohanpur and Kuanriora. Kharikula and Sarpada villages were submerged in the mid 1990s. Haramani Biswal, a housewife aged 75 years, recalls, “Panchubarahi temple, shrine of our community goddess, was at the centre of the village and surrounded by houses but now it stands alone on the shore.”

This ancient shrine, built some 1,200 years ago, was two km from the sea in 2000. By 2006, the distance shrank to 200 metres. And in 2008, the tidal waves hit the temple. The situation is worsening with every monsoon.

According to people’s perception, every year sea is grabbing around 50 meters of land in this region. But it has been noticed that sea water is marching towards the shoreline more rapidly after 1999. The sea has advanced almost 1.5 km since then. Revenue records of the area confirm that in the last 50 years, the size of this area has dwindled to almost half. As per the land settlement done in the year 2000, Satabhaya region spanned 155 sq km, while this figure was 320 sq km in the previous settlement.

Then why are the people of Satabhaya still here? Why haven’t they shifted? Susmita Das, sarpanch of the area, replies: “How could they have shifted? As many as 249 families of our panchayat are below the poverty line. They do not have sufficient resources to relocate. Direct your question at the administration. In the last 20 years, the state government has promised thrice to rehabilitate the Satabhaya families, but nothing has been done.

” In 1992, the state government prepared a master plan to rehabilitate people in the Sunei-Rupei area at an expense of Rs 1 crore. After Rs 14 lakh had already been spent in digging ponds and constructing roads within the Bhitar Kanika National Park, environmental concerns stalled work on the plan.

Twelve years later, in 2004, chief minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation for the construction of Biju Nagar, a township named after his father for Satabhaya villagers at Magarkanda.

This plan also ran aground. As a last resort, the state government has now decided to shift all the 700 families of Satabhaya Panchayat to Bagapatia near Gupti Panchayat. Its implementation, it seems, is quite some time away.

The Kendrapara district collector insists that “the process for rehabilitation has already started and will be complete as soon as possible”.

But the sarpanch and people of Satabhaya have a different story to tell. “The government has demarcated 132 acres of land in the proposed area but land acquisition hasn’t got underway yet. We don’t know what fate awaits us,” says the sarpanch. She could well be echoing the sentiments of many other villages around the country that are similarly on the brink of catastrophe.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism
Pakistani Soldiers Killed in Border Fighting
ABN AMRO seeks India bank licence
IIPM announces Anna Hazare Fellowship
GIDF Club of IIPM Lucknow Organizes Blood Donation Camp

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

Abhishek Kumar finds the MCD's Ayurveda department appointing pharmacists who hold unrecognised degrees

2011-06-28T11:38:00.000+05:30

IIPM Lucknow – News article in Economic Times and Times of India

Invalid degrees, Real jobs

There are 120 pharmacists appointed by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) in its Ayurveda Department. It is surprising how all of them have their degrees from the same university and that too from the same college. The college they have appeared from had its affiliation cancelled by the Allahabad High Court in 1967. However, the college still awards the degrees of Vaidya Visharad and Ayurveda Ratan. And it seems these degrees are good enough for the holders to land even government jobs.

It is not that the top MCD officers do not know about this. But they are unwilling to take any action. According to the information obtained by TSI with the help of RTI, it becomes evident that some of these officers have made these appointments of pharmacists in collusion with touts. When TSI tried to elicit responses from Dr A. J. Kurien, additional commissioner (ADC), Health, MCD; Dr Vasu, additional director hospital administration (ADHA); Madhu Jain, DHA Hospital; and deputy DHA Dr Sunanda Nishal, none of them replied. In fact, one of the officers added in good measure that journalists should learn to ignore such 'minor' discrepancies or else unemployment will increase in this country. What he meant, we guess, is that his employment will be at risk if scribes started shedding light inside every black hole.

It is pretty evident that when fake degrees were accepted, it would had been done in lieu of cash benefits or those in kind. What these officers completely disregard is that these untrained pharmacists administer medicines to patients in dispensaries every day and hence their lack of subject knowledge can prove fatal. But these officers are least bothered.

When we tried to meet and talk to deputy DHA Dr Sunanda Nishal, she point blank refused to meet us. We were told that she is easily accessible and she had initially promised to meet us. However, when she came to know the real purpose of our meeting, she feigned prior engagements and refused to meet. But we kept on pestering her for a few more days. In the end, she decided to meet us but refused to answer any question on the issue. She would not even answer as non-controversial questions such as how many Ayurvedic dispensaries were functioning in Delhi. Dr Nishal said that she was new to the post and had little idea. She added that we would have to meet senior officials if we needed any information on the department.

We tried to seek responses at the MCD office at Chandni Chowk Town Hall but every officer we questioned kept us referring to some other officer. The buck kept on passing. One officer, under the condition of anonymity, told us that everyone sitting here at the Town Hall knew that the appointments have been made ignoring the fundamental requirements laid out for that post but none of the present officers could intervene as all the officers, during whose tenure these appointments were made, have long retired.

The university that doles out these degree is called Hindi Sahitya Sammelan and is based in Allahabad. This has been functioning since the pre-Independence days and has been running two courses by the name of Vaidya Visharad and Ayurveda Ratan. It has given out franchises at a few places in Delhi and Haryana.

However, during the 1970s, some of the officials from Uttar Pradesh Health Ministry filed a case against this institution and pleaded the court to withdraw its affiliation on the pretext of unavailability of proper educational infrastructure required to give out these degrees. The court ordered that the degrees of Vaidya Visharad and Ayurveda Ratan given by this institution will only be valid till 1967.

The judgment was forced from the same day. It should be mentioned here that the then Registrar of Medical Council of India based in Uttar Pradesh was dismissed from his job because his degree was awarded after 1967 from the same institution. It was also evident in the reply given by the UP government against an RTI. It said that there has been no appointments of compounders and pharmacists on the basis of a degree awarded by the institution after 1967. Now the question arises that if the degree awarded by an institution based in UP is not valid in the state itself, how come MCD grants jobs based on the same degree.

The funniest part is that apparently one of the sources based in this institution actually told MCD that many of the degrees were fake and have been doled out by franchisees in lieu of Rs 500, completely ignoring the directive of the court. However, the MCD officials refused to listen. The appointments were made and MCD never checked these degrees for their authenticity. The photocopies of these degrees are with TSI and have been obtained under RTI. These degrees have been attested by the MCD officials. Clearly, money has changed hands.

We had asked for photocopies of the degrees of all the 120 employees but were given only 86. Out of these 86, barring two, all are from the same institution. It is impossible that this would have escaped the notice of the MCD officials during the selection process.

It is not surprising that Ayurveda hospitals and dispensaries run by MCD find very few takers. There are two hospitals in Delhi, one in Haiderpur and other in Ballimaran. They have 100 and 40 beds respectively. There are 118 dispensaries, two diabetes centres at Rajouri Garden and Aryapura, eight Panchakarma Hospital with facilities of Oil Massage, Steam Massage, Shirodhara and what not. There are 165 vaidyas working. The vaidyas take home anything between Rs 50,000 and 1,00,000 as salaries. The pharmacists have salaries between Rs 30,000 and 40,000. The budget runs into crores of rupees but have you ever visited one? Extremely unlikely.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
IIPM BBA MBA B-School: Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize To Irom Chanu Sharmila

GIDF Club of IIPM Lucknow Organizes Blood Donation Camp
Award Conferred To Irom Chanu Sharmila By IIPM
IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting

Gujarat has rolled up its sleeves to make primary teachers work harder for their money.

2011-06-25T10:33:00.000+05:30

A new teachers' performance tracking system is being put in place that makes it mandatory for teachers to have a pan card

The Gujarat government's Gunotsav project, introduced about half a decade back, has been successful in ebbing the drop out rate of primary school students in the state to a great extent. In 2001, the drop out rate in Gujarat stood at 42 per cent, that slid down to eight per cent at the lower primary level in 2008, according to a study done by Union ministry for human resources development.

Gunotsav, which literally means festival of qualities, was introduced in 2003 and was aimed at improving the overall quality of primary education in the state. Last year the festival focussed on improving the health of school-going children. After the conclusion of the Gunotsav last year, the state education minister Ramanlal Vohra had claimed, “Our hard work of seven years has brought down the drop out rate to eight per cent.” To set an example, chief minister Narendra Modi himself went to primary schools and took classes.

“Even after spending Rs. 1800 crore on primary education every year, the efficiency of government-run schools was not satisfactory. Though the schools have got all the basic infrastructural facilities, it was observed that the teachers were lacking in commitment. Then the Gujarat government introduced Gunotsav which is now acting as a third party inspector,” said a top official of education department on condition of anonymity. This year the festival is focussing on the teachers.

This year, the three-day-long festival, which will be flagged off on December 9 and will be held across the 32,939 government-run schools of the state, would focus on improving the quality of teaching. For this purpose, the education department is collecting all the relevant details of about two lakh government teachers, including their PAN card numbers. The PAN numbers, according to sources, would be used as the unique identification numbers of the teachers. These numbers will help the government identify every teacher individually. Besides, the teachers' individual account and career details will also be kept for this purpose. “The teachers have been instructed to submit their details by the end of November. Those who do not have a PAN card have been asked to approach the IT department and get one immediately,” said a source.

Till now, during this education festival government officials approached 18,000 villages of Gujarat and analysed every aspect of education in the purview of students. But this time around the analysis will cover the whole education system and all the employees including the teachers. Apart from state cabinet ministers, more than 3,000 IAS and IPS officers including secretaries from various ministries, district collectors and police superintendents will inspect the December 9-11 Gunotsav. Each officer or minister would visit at least three schools in a day and would overview the overall education scenario. They will ask questions to students and teachers, take stock of the situation in every school under the set parameters and submit their reports. After that, the schools will be given grades and the good performers would be distinguished for government incentives. To judge the performance of schools, the education department has set up about 29 parameters.

Eight years ago, Gujarat was ranked 16th in the country in rural education. But as per a study conducted by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industries (Assocham) in 2009, the state jumped to the fourth position in the field of primary education. According to the report, about 85 per cent of the 36,000 schools across 18,000 villages of the state have basic facilities like water, sanitation and pucca buildings.

Last year, it was suggested during Gunotsav to retire non-performing teachers at 50 or 55 years of age. The government mulled to amend the law for this purpose. The news unnerved the teaching community.

The government believes that a capable teacher can make a whole lot of difference to the education system. At the end of the last year’s Gunotsav, the education department held qualifying examinations for teachers of Ahmedabad municipal schools. It was proposed to encourage successful teachers with rewards and, at the same time, organise special orientation course for the ones who failed. The recent order is aimed at collecting information about the teachers and organise it in a systematic way. This would, according to the officials, go a long way in assessing the performance of the teachers.

Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Arindam Chaudhuri on his third National Award and his unique business formula for films
Arindam Chaudhuri: We need Hazare's leadership
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management

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

The effervescent and raring-to-go head of Soda's panchayat, Chhavi Rajawat, is set to get some fizz into Soda

2011-06-22T10:27:00.000+05:30

IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism

Better than the soaps!

Social work is in her blood, she says. Her grandfather served as sarpanch (head of the village) in his native village Soda for 15 years, and even used his own money to bring in roads, electricity and schools to his community. Some twenty years ago, he retired, the government ruled that only a woman candidate could contest elections from Soda, and the only person the villagers would have was Chhavi Rajawat.

“The decision to elect me was of the villagers, not mine, for they were the ones who pushed me into it,” said Chhavi. Recently felicitated with the Young Indian Leader award by Network18, this 30-year-old head of Soda, who is also a LSR graduate and an MBA, was naturally pleased with the honour. “When you’re doing something different and you know that it’s not going to be easy, you need support and motivation. This award comes as a motivation for me,” she beamed.

Elected sarpanch of Soda in February this year, Chhavi has had her hands full. “So far, it’s been good. There are a lot of projects that we want to do. One is to bring them potable water because water in that area, apart from being contaminated, is also extremely saline. When I got the water profiling done, where they took samples from all parts of the village, the report showed that the water was unsafe, even for irrigation. So, our main aim was to dig a few fresh water reservoirs, where our largest reservoir would be a little short of 100 acres, and the cost for that is Rs 2.5 crore. I have only been able to raise Rs 20 lakhs so far. Personally, I am not satisfied with my expectations but the villagers are more than happy, because nobody’s ever done even this much. We also worked on sanitation; we’ve brought toilets to people’s houses. Afforestation is the other issue. We got some 400 plus trees from the forest department.”

The lady, who once worked in the corporate sector in sales for a few years, is still pitching to possible clients; only, her cause has changed. “Raising funds has been the biggest challenge for me,” says Chhavi. “Initially, I thought that there would be some schemes that would help me out, but that didn’t come through. Then I thought that the corporate sector would help as part of their CSR activities, but that was a disappointment because none of the companies that I approached, came forward to help. Their excuse was, "your village is nowhere near our plant." Friends and family and one-off donations have helped her keep Soda’s boat afloat.

With a cosmopolitan lady like Chhavi heading the village, one could imagine an entire generation of women in this little village near Jaipur inspired and liberated. “In our Panchayat, there are 12 of us, including me, of which only four are men. Rest are all women,” she states proudly. While it isn’t her behind the arrangement, she certainly has ensured that all the ladies attend the Panchayat and freely speak their mind. “The difference is apparent. There are also more girls going to school. I’m sure it (her leadership) will have some effect,” said Chhavi. “I feel that there is such a huge need for educated people to come in and help improve the rural areas,” she adds.

Chhavi hopes that other educated people like her will take time off from their office cubicles and family businesses and try and help ‘Bharat’ catch up with India. For a last word, Chhavi says, “In five years, I wish to see my village self-sufficient and happier.” Godspeed Chhavi.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Pakistani Soldiers Killed in Border Fighting
ABN AMRO seeks India bank licence
IIPM announces Anna Hazare Fellowship
Japan PM Strongly Attacked, Lukewarmly Defended, Over Resignation Plans

GIDF Club of IIPM Lucknow Organizes Blood Donation Camp
Mobile application for Nokia phones is launched by The Times of India
Watching porn video is not a crime
Why your wife or girlfriend seems "off sex" of late?
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management

Earlier this month Several innocent people lost their lives when Bodo militants struck in Assam after a long hiatus.

2011-06-19T10:21:00.001+05:30

As both sides refuse to budge from their positions, common citizens face the heat

The anti-talks faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) caused ripples of terror in the state by killing 23 innocent people in separate incidents of violence on November 8. The militant outfit unabashedly claimed responsibility for the violence the very next day. And three more persons were gunned down by militants on Tuesday, taking the death toll to 22. NDFB spokesperson B Sadbangso told a local TV news channel that the recent violence was in response to an encounter in Sonitpur district where an “innocent Bodo tribal civilian” Mahesh Basumatary was killed. “We took revenge of his death,” he said. A Hindi-speaking person and another belonging to a minority community were shot dead by the militants at Ultapani in Kokrajhar district on the Indo-Bhutan border, while a cycle mechanic Paran Mondal was shot down at his residence in Domgaon village bordering Chirang district. The militant organisation had in the beginning of the month intimated to the press through an email that they would kill 20 Indians in retaliation for the killing of a member of their outfit.

The first incident took place at Sijucha where the Bodo militants targeted a bus travelling from Sonitpur to Sijucha in Arunachal Pradesh. According to sources, a militant signalled to stop the bus at a deserted spot by posing as a passenger. Once it stopped, armed militants, who were hiding in the jungle on both sides of the road, stormed the bus. They separated male passengers from women and children. Then they made all the male passengers stand in a row and opened fire on them. Eight persons died on the spot. The second incident occurred at Belsiri of Dhekiajuli area in which at least five people lost their lives. One after another, nine gory incidents of killing and violence rocked the state. Normal life in Assam suddenly came under the shadow of terror and people were shocked.

NDFB was formed in 1986 at Udalguri area of the Kokrajhar district under the leadership of Ranjan Daimary and the main objective of the organisation was to create a separate sovereign Bodoland for the Bodo people of Assam.

Meanwhile, the Union home minister P. Chidambaram, during his recent visit to the state, talked of intensifying the army operations against the insurgents. Chidambaram felt that Ranjan Daimary, who is currently in judicial custody after his arrest from Dhaka, was not interested in peace talks. “The demands of the Bodo people have been met substantially by the creation of Bodoland Territorial Council. It is a role model for self-governance and the BTC administration is doing well and the area under its jurisdiction is now developing. But NDFB has some more demands which are not acceptable under the Constitution of India.’’ The home minister referred to the BTC that was established according to the Memorandum of Settlement of February 10, 2003 between the Governmnet of India and the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT). The BTC has 12 electorate members each looking after a specific area of control called somisthi. The area under the BTC jurisdiction is called the Bodo Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD).

The director-general of Assam police Sankar Barua termed the recent attack as unfortunate. “It is unfortunate and the Assam police will start a massive operation against NDFB on the Assam-Arunachal border with the help of Arunachal police,” he said. The DGP, however, refrained from disclosing any details about the operation.

On the other hand, a national convention of the Bodo people is being organised at Kokrajhar to unite various Bodo organisations and to bring them on to one platform. More than 5000 delegates from various Bodo organisations are likely to participate in this convention which is scheduled to be held on November 18 and 19. Interestingly, at a time when NDFB chairman Ranjan Daimary has declared his support for the Bodo national convention, his cadres are found to be involved in violence. The president of Bodo People's Progressive Front (BPPF) Rabiram Narzary said, “The killing of innocent people is a heinous crime. The people who have lost their lives in these incidents were not enemies...they were the common, hardworking people of our state. One wonders why the Assam government did not take necessary steps although the militants had warned of a terror strike a week before.”

The spokesperson of the Hagrama Mahilary-led BPF Prabin Bodo said while talking to TSI, “We condemn such barbaric activities. The people who are involved in these killings should understand that in this day of globalisation no one can live alone. The 1:20 formula - that if one Bodo activist is killed at the hands of the Indian Army, then they would kill 20 Indians - is not acceptable at all. Ranjan Daimary should keep his cadre under control.” He also said that an army operation was not a permanent solution to the insurgency problem. Instead, the government should go in for political dialogue with insurgent groups. Mahilary and most of his colleagues had once been active as another militant outfit known as Bodo Liberation Tigers or BLT. In December 2003, they laid down arms and formed a political party called Bodoland People's Front (BPF). But they have remained unrelenting and aggressive about their demands.

Criticising the present Congress-led government, the former chief minister of Assam and the leader of the Opposition Prafulla Mahanta said, “It seems that some militant groups are running a parallel government in Assam. Even after receiving the warning from NDFB, how come the government failed to protect innocent civilians?” In reply to the Opposition's criticism, chief minister Tarun Gogoi has said that the state would not compromise with the terrorists and that the government would continue its operations against the outfit. “We are not going to be cowed down by terror. The army, police and paramilitary forces have already launched massive operations in NDFB strongholds. The government will tackle militancy strongly,” said Gogoi.

Meanwhile, the NDFB has again threatened that if the army operation continues against them, they will also continue such brutal killings. They have also warned the people of Assam not to help the Indian Army and if they did so they would face dire consequences.

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

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

With a robust economy and a stable political environment to sustain it, Brazil is all set to play a bigger role in global affairs, says Saurabh Kumar

2011-06-16T11:05:00.000+05:30

In the 70s and till the better half of the 80s, there used to be an utterly unfunny joke in America that was said ad nauseum whenever somebody talked about the “prospects” of Brazil as a nation. It was said that “Brazil is a country of the future and will remain so forever”. It was well into the second half of the 90s that Americans stopped laughing on that joke.At the turn of the decade, even the reminiscences of that joke are gone. Brazil's future, it seems, has finally arrived. In fact, one of the most epochal issues that the US seems to be currently dealing with is the rise of Brazil and its manifestations in the world in general and in Latin America in particular. There is a basis for that.

Firstly, the economy. Nearly all the economic tidings coming out of Brazil in the recent past have been positive, and Brazil’s international status has colossally leaped as a result. The biggest economy in Latin America and now the world’s 8th largest, Brazil’s egress as a middle-income BRIC economy, with robust growth rates propelled by the worldwide commodities spike, have placed Brazil as a global actor. Annual growth is proposed at close to 8.5 per cent for the better part of the next decade. Economic steadiness has been well-kept by consecutive administrations and continues to be a high precedence. Inflation is controlled and dirigible, and liabilities are investment grade. In fact, Brazil is probably the only developing nation that has been successful in containing the inflation below five per cent in spite of the robust growth. Direct, fiscally-accountable steps are being taken to cut down poverty and the income disparity. Banco Itaú, Embraer, Petrobras, Vale, and a number of other firms are internationally rivalrous.

“We can render inclusive growth as in all likelihood no other economy can, given the magnitude and the level of inequality,” said Marcelo Neri, economist at the Center for Social Policies at the Getúlio Vargas Foundation, while talking to TSI. “Brazil is treading what people like to call a middle path. We are respecting the prescripts of the market and, simultaneously, we are doing very forward-looking social policy."

This waterfall of good economic tidings has had crucial worldwide entailment. Possibly the most apparent has been Brazil’s wallop in international trade discourses, where the nation's hold has now proven equal to its reach. Brazil can no more be taken for granted, it is now an international voice on trade. In fact, its endeavours to hammer a fresh, non-parasitic centre of gravity have fundamentally altered negotiation kinetics going onward. Alongside other concerned players, Brazil now has an essential and in fact historic possibility to overture the international and hemispheric trade and investment agenda in a mode that is in accordance with its attempts to be realised as an accountable international actor.

Brazil is not very vocal in international energy discourses, but it’s coming up real big and is willing to stay here forever. Already the economies are sucking up cane molasses based ethanol as fast as the factories in Amazon can make it. Having said that, it’s Brazil’s late finds of offshore reserves of oil and gas that are truly seizing the world’s attention. With these finds, Brazil has the potentiality to become the nation with the 8th largest oil reserves, surpassing Russia. That indeed is a game changer. Once this reaches to production stage, Brasilia will have an even robust and positive role in hemispheric and global affairs.

So what are the areas where Brazil can make its presence felt? To start with, it can play a momentous role in appreciating the cause of international nuclear non-proliferation, especially with reference to tussle between Iran and the west. Brazil is one of the few countries which have voluntarily relinquished the development of nuclear weapons. Yet it keeps a progressive nuclear platform for peaceful intents. The Lula regime has also called on statesmen from the West Asia for summit discourses on a developing commerce, investment and energy programme between the two regions. And that has started bearing fruits.

After China, Brazil has turned out to be the second most favoured address for foreign investment. It indeed shows that worldwide businesses are surefooted in Brazil. Like China, the nation has altered beyond realisation over the past two decades and political stability is one of the primary factors behind this good show. Also, it is because of the stable government that Brazil has been able to bring in a lot of restructuring on the economic side. It is at present a creditor to the IMF with a brand-new, brawny currency. And to boot, its trade surplus, mostly held in US Treasury notes, now makes it the fourth-largest creditor of the United States.

“The potency of the Brazilian economic system was illustrated during the fiscal crisis, when it experienced only two contractions before crisply rebounding. Brazil is no more high beta on the international system. It has domestic services that stabilise things rather than merely trusting on commodities and the global economy,” says noted economist Michael Konstantinov who keeps an eye on Latin American economies, while talking to TSI.

Surely all this could not have been possible without visionary leaders. Two popular presidents have collectively carried out four terms since coming back to stable, civilian regime. It has enhanced its soft power too. The nation is beaming to be hosting the 2014 Soccer World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics.

But it is important that it keeps the momentum going. Brasilia woke up to a new president last week who brings in an assurance of four more years of the policies of incumbant President Luiz InÁcio Lula da Silva after electorates picked his annointed heir Dilma Rousseff, 62, a former Marxist guerrilla turned civil servant, to become its first female president. Rousseff, who similar to Lula is fashionably called by one name “Dilma,” took 56 per cent in run-off poll, easily vanquishing her centrist rival Jose Serra, who got close to 44 per cent. Experts believe that this triumph was due in large part to Rousseff's deep association with Lula and her assurance that she will uphold most of the same policies that sparked Brazil's rise in the global economy and made Lula's eight years in power a huge success.

The victory was due in large part to Rousseff's close ties to the incumbent and the pair's promise that she will continue many of the same policies that catalysed Brazil's rise in the world economy and made Lula's eight years in Brasilia a massive success story. Most importantly, he made living better for Brazil's underprivileged and his reformist policies helped fold the yawning gap between the haves and have-nots.

Lula's legacy is acknowledged by friends and adversaries alike. Not only did he keep it stable at both political and economic fronts, he was also instrumental in giving Brazil a larger and dignified role in global politics. Lula discarded Brazil's traditional argumentation of non-intervention and got positively involved in conflicts in Haiti, Honduras and yes, Iran. The way he stole the show at Tehran with his Turkish counterpart rattled the west massively. It would be interesting to see if the president-elect will be successful in carrying forward his polices or not.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
GIDF Club of IIPM Lucknow Organizes Blood Donation Camp
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...

IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps
Ragging rights and wrongs
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things

The Most corrupt state

2011-06-13T10:01:00.000+05:30

Held brazenly to ransom by the Bellary mining lords, Karnataka outstrips Maharashtra by far

The question is a no-brainer. There’s no competition. Take a bow, Karnataka. You win hands down. From being considered one of the more secular, sensitive states in south India to being `hailed’ as the most corrupt state in the entire country is no mean achievement. The present rulers of Karnataka have striven tirelessly to achieve this goal and made it a reality in a short span of just two-and-a-half years.

Chief minister B. S. Yeddyurappa and the Bellary mining lords led by tourism minister Janardana Reddy are the agents of this inglorious change. They have, of course, been assisted by BJP, which is hell bent on retaining power south of the Vindhyas even if it means taking the help of unscrupulous politicians.

This script drawn by Yeddyurappa and the Reddy gang has all the masala ingredients that have become part and parcel of `modern’ Karnataka’s democracy. Today, caste is as important as cash in winning elections; brute muscle power as essential as shameless blackmail to hold on power; homas, havans do not suffice so even black magic is indulged in to ward off the `evil eye’ of critics and the opposition; temples and religious institutions are pandered to in the name of `service’ to the people. Amid all this, the rulers’ attitude has been `to hell and beyond with the voters’. The result: an embarrassment of riches as far as scams go.

The first inkling of what lay in store for Karnataka was apparent when the Reddys gave a new twist to the `Aaya Ram gayaa Ram’ tradition. It was even given the honourable title of `Operation Lotus’. Cocking a snook at the anti-defection bill and mocking the ideals of democracy, they set about purchasing legislators from other parties. Later, every trick in the book was used to get these `people’s representatives’ to resign, contest on a BJP ticket, and therefore strengthen the `seat’ of Yeddyurappa’s power.

Corridors of power and newspaper columns had then whispered some well-known facts. Everyone spoke of `crores of rupees’ having been spent on `Operation Lotus’, that the mining lords of Bellary had `invested their ill-gotten wealth’ in this mutilation of democracy, and that by doing so they had the chief minister by the short and curlies. However, after a while, Yeddyurappa started chocking under the stranglehold of the Reddys. At one point last year he decided to `show them their place’. He announced a compulsory tax on trucks carrying iron ore mined by the Bellary lords and their minions. Yeddyurappa also transferred IAS and IPS officers of Reddys’ choice who had been posted in the districts coming under their `feudal influence’.

But the Reddys’ political DNA was made of different stuff. They cobbled together some 40-odd dissatisfied BJP legislators, hijacked them to a fancy resort in Hyderabad, even managed to get the weather-beaten BJP veterans in Delhi to concede to their demands and extracted their pound of flesh from Yeddyurappa. A chastened chief minister helplessly shed tears in public. The vice-like grip that the Reddys have on Yeddyurappa and consequently on the state has led to astonishingly unbelievable events. A whopping 3.5 million tonnes of illegal iron ore confiscated by the Lokayukta vanished into thin air quicker than one could say Houdini. (Estimated cost of the ore: an astounding 50,000,000 dollars. You figure it out in rupees!) Thousands of acres of fertile farm lands in Bellary district have been demarcated for an airport which - other than the several aircraft-owning mining lords - no one has any use for. The state government has signed an MoU with Bramhani Industries for a steel plant coming up in Bellary. It wi
ll take away thousands of acres of land from poor farmers. Incidentally Bramhani Industries is owned by the wife of Janardana Reddy.

Did someone say `Adarsh Housing scam, prime land, Rs 800 crores worth of property, no clearances, etc, etc?’ No competition folks. In Karnataka, we have seen the very borders of the state changed for the convenience of the mining barons. We have seen a corrupt minister’s councillor son caught red-handed by the Lokayukta and yet the chief minister gives his colleague a clean chit. We have seen democratically elected people’s representatives being bought as casually as you would buy a bar of soap. We have seen the ideals of democracy mangled beyond recognition.

To this mixture of blatant opportunism add a dose of the BJP’s ideals of Hindutva. The end result is saffronisation of education, demolition of churches, thrashing of women, attacks on Muslims, muzzling of the press, killings and arrests of farmers, sidelining off the already downtrodden dalits and much else. If there are still any naysayers from Maharashtra, I ask them one pertinent question: Can your petty Adarsh scam hold to ransom your entire state? Our mighty Reddys can! Easily, the winner is the humiliated, shattered, plundered state of Karnataka. Jai Karnataka

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri on Internet Hooliganism
ABN AMRO seeks India bank licence
IIPM announces Anna Hazare Fellowship
GIDF Club of IIPM Lucknow Organizes Blood Donation Camp
Mobile application for Nokia phones is launched by The Times of India

Watching porn video is not a crime
Why your wife or girlfriend seems "off sex" of late?
A Healthcare Issue: Private hospitals' efficiency questioned
Katrina Kaif: A British Indian Actress Born on July 16, 1984
Domestic violence has been a silent relationship killer since time immemorial.
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management

Sex addiction 'an alibi or an ailment? Ravi Inder Singh hopes to prevent any more SUV crashes into fire hydrants'

2011-06-09T11:13:00.007+05:30

Sex education

That thing you do

They say it’s not the number of years you live; it’s the life in those years which matters. Wilt Chamberlain, for one, seemed to know well how to pack it in! For this basketball hall-of-famer confessed, in his autobiography, “A View from Above”, to have had sex with approximately 20,000 women! A mathematical calculation indicates that if Wilt had sex with all those women in his lifetime, he must have slept with a different girl every alternate day for about fourteen years on the trot! What’s more, he never felt the need to visit a sex therapist for his heightened libido. Contrast that with the wrecked marriage of Tiger Woods, attributed to his alleged misdemeanours with about a dozen women, following which he checked into a sex rehab.

Sex works like a drug, some might suffer with it and some without. A Brit nymphomaniac (who claimed to have slept with over thousand men) once commented “it’s like dry skin; you know you shouldn’t scratch it, but once you do, it just feels so good.” But like all good things, excess is unwise.

Satyric appetites are known to be indulged by some to the point of addiction. With the Internet making all levels of sex education possible – easily accessible porn, subscription to adult magazines – and burgeoning strip joints, escort services, and massage parlours, in addition to good old prostitution, the three letter word is top recall in these times. For the rich and the famous, the pickings are even easier. Tiger Woods was only the latest in the list of celeb sexaholics that include Charlie Sheen, Jesse James, David Duchovny, Paris Hilton, Billy Bob Thornton et al. Interestingly, Billy Bob Thornton actually ended up sleeping with his sex therapist. So there.

Given the ubiquitous lethal mix of fame, money and sex (Tiger confessed: “I thought I was entitled”), one wonders if this intense drive to have sex indeed amounts to something similar to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), or is it a façade for cheating? On the comparison to OCD, Dr Satya Prakash, Psychiatrist and Director, Mindcare Clinic, says, “OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) is a personality disorder whilst the so-called sexual ‘addictions’ or ‘compulsions’ are not. There isn't enough evidence to even refer to them as actual clinical entities. While obsessive-compulsive mechanisms may be relevant in some cases, certain states of depression or anxiety, or dissociative experiences can also be the cause. Overall, scientific studies indicate that out-of-control sexual behavior results from a variety of mechanisms.” One of such out-of-control case was experienced by Ayesha (name changed) who recalls, “Sid once hit his own head against the bed in anger, when I refused to have sex with him. But once he got more violent, I was too scared and didn’t feel like tormenting him further, so I had to give in. On another occasion, he slapped me, when I told him that making out in the car was not a good idea, but again he got his way and we were almost caught by the cops. His regular visits abroad (every month) and his urge to have sex or masturbate four to five times a day was not only driving me crazy, but his parents too. They were aware of the problem and he was taken for various therapy sessions to many psychiatrists. The irony is that he knows he’s wrong sometimes, but his urge is so strong that it completely clouds his decision making ability.”

In the case of public figures, sleeping with multiple partners turns into cause célèbre for sex addiction, but in ordinary lives, sans the limelight, carnal obsession is tough to explain, especially to one’s significant other. “I had a couple for a client once who were married for 10 long years; a love marriage on that. The wife then got to know that her husband made pornographic films and uploaded their own sex clips on the Internet. In another instance there was this man with a fetish for props like vegetables and other stuff for the act,” says Nisha Khanna, Relationship Expert, at UTV Bindass in Emotional Atyachaar 2. So, is there need for rehabs for sex addicts in India, like there are in the West? Dr Satya Prakash says, “No. It is not an absolute requirement. A good counselor can help unlearn these behaviours along with some support from a close member such as a spouse or friend.” Nisha Khanna also agrees, “We try and counsel our clients and refocus their energy they have, rather than the one thing they miss the most.”

That men and women have different outlook on sex is now a hackneyed truth. Women do enjoy sex (even Stephen Fry knows that!), but more often than not, one woman’s means to emotional consummation is another man’s physiological prescription. Fear of social ignominy, and moral delusions may cause many to give indulgence a pathological veneer, but to those who find their routine disrupted by unbridled impulses, help is not far, with understanding friends, resourceful parents and experienced counselors. You might want to take that first step.

Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Arindam Chaudhuri on his third National Award and his unique business formula for films
Arindam Chaudhuri: We need Hazare's leadership
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management

Professor Arindam Chaudhuri - A Man For The Society....
Dr Malay Chaudhuri, Founder Director IIPM, tells TSI why the IIPM Awards are in a league of their own
Bollywood's No.1 Mum Kajol: Step ahead MOM!
Katrina Kaif: A British Indian Actress Born on July 16, 1984
IIPM Professor Arindam Chaudhuri on 'OBAMA and OSAMA'
Whoever said man is an animal wasn't too far off the mark

The art of diplomacy: What India can learn from the US on the diplomatic ground

2011-05-26T11:00:00.001+05:30

IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board

Italian diplomat Daniele Vare once said, “Diplomacy is the art of letting the other party have things your way.” It is applicable between nations as much as at the individual level. On the diplomatic ground, US has been quite successful both in terms of handling world affairs as well as controlling or convincing China, Iran or Afghanistan. But India, despite being an economic giant and military power, has been struggling all the way.

India’s relation with the US has always been balanced, however, totally based on interests. For example, only when India became a nuclear power that the US started giving India strategic importance and initiated diplomatic dialogues – a similar case with Korea, Iran, Pakistan and so one. However, a glimpse of US diplomacy can be seen from the incidences surrounding the announcements of Obama’s upcoming state visit to India. Since the US presidential election, Obama’s win was perceived to be a concern for India. From his anti-outsourcing remarks to anti-immigration and protectionist economic policies, everything invited enough criticism. Even his anti-India remarks often angered many. But India became an utmost priority for the Obama administration after the Indian PM visited the US. And also because of his diplomatic failure with China, Iran and Afghanistan. As Obama announced his visit to India in June, 2010, the US Government started coming up with news and reports in praise of India and its leaders. The Appeal of Conscience Foundation, an interfaith coalition awarded Indian PM, Manmohan Singh the 2010 World Statesman Award. Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State praised "Dr Singh" for his leadership on this occasion and urged to help US in its diplomatic role in Asia. The next move certainly was more interesting. A US Government report ranked India as the third most influential power after US and China and fourth influential bloc only after US and China and Europe. It did not end there. Robert Blake, the Assistant Secretary of the State for South and Central Asia mentioned, “A new poll conducted by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, shows that Americans have an increasingly favourable view of India, and Americans increasingly favour a free trade agreement with India,” at the 27th Annual Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Lecture in California. Well timed; well said!

While US has started praising India and some of its leaders that matter to it, the nation has also been tactfully pushing its agendas including the finalisation of the defence deal worth $11 billion. Still there is no reason to distrust the US. Henry Kissinger once said, “Diplomacy: the art of restraining power!” The US understands it very well; does India?'

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...
IIPM in sync with the best of the business world.....
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps
An array of unconventional career options
Ragging rights and wrongs

Despite a series of peace efforts, including removal of security bunkers from Srinagar, the wounds continue to fester in Kashmir Valley

2011-05-23T10:38:00.000+05:30

IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board

Shooting in the dark

The government has started the process of removing 16 security bunkers from different areas of Srinagar. The move is part of an eight-point peace package proposed by Union home minister P. Chidambaram to defuse the civil unrest in the Valley.

Apart from this initiative, the Centre has also decided to appoint a group of interlocutors to hold a dialogue with different shades of opinion to improve the ground situation in the troubled Valley.

On October 5, CRPF began removing bankers from parts of the city. “We've removed seven bunkers today. The rest will be gone within two days,” Prabhakar Tripathi, CRPF spokesman, told TSI.

The first bunker was removed from Magarmal Bagh near Lal Chowk. This bunker was built in 1990. The city has 200 security bunkers.

Kashmir's chief Muslim cleric and chairman of the moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, has described the move as “a welcome step” but has urged the government to start the process of demilitarisation in all populated areas of the Valley.

“If it is a first step in de-scaling the number of bunkers and security forces in the Valley then we appreciate the move,” Mirwaiz told TSI. “We want complete withdrawal of troops from all populated areas,” he added.

Educational institutions in Kashmir were opened in the Valley on September 27 after a gap of over three months. The reopening of schools was part of the Centre's s peace initiative. But frequent shutdowns and curfews have continued to be the biggest obstacles in the smooth functioning of educational institutions.

Since the parliamentary delegation returned to Delhi on September 22 after a two-day trip to J&K, the people of the Valley have enjoyed only six days of normalcy (till October 5).

The state government is also considering revoking the Public Safety Act (PSA) against political activists, lawyers and stone-pelters arrested during the last four months of turmoil. According to law and parliamentary affairs minister Ali Muhammad Sagar, the revocation of PSA is under serious consideration and could be announced pretty soon.

“The government has taken the issue of revocation of PSA quite seriously. We will release all the detainees who have been arrested under PSA during the ongoing unrest but a final decision is yet to be taken,” Sagar told TSI.

The revocation of PSA may eventually pave the way for the release of many senior separatist leaders like Shabir Shah and Nayeem Khan and many senior lawyers. Among the arrested lawyers is the High Court Bar Association president Mian Abdul Qayoom.

Apart from a large number of important political leaders, activists and lawyers, at least 52 youths, including 31 students, have been detained in the past four months.

Despite all the confidence-building steps that have been taken in recent weeks, the situation on the steets of Srinagar continues to be rather delicate. Kashmir’s Board of School Education has announced the schedule for the Class 10 examinations to be held from the last week of this month. But Suheem Wani, a 16-year-old boy who lives in downtown Srinagar, is least bothered about the upcoming exams. Along with his friends from the neighbourhood, he is instead spoiling for a clash with the security forces. These boys, armed with stones, are frequently embroiled in violent street protests.
The irate demonstrations and stone-pelting have become a regular feature in the Valley for the last four months. An incident of human rights violation sparks such protests followed by fierce reprials by the police and security forces, often resulting in death and injuries.

Usually, young stone-pelters assemble near a police or CRPF picket or bunker and then suddenly shower stones, bricks and rocks on the men in uniform. Since June 11, 110 civilians, mostly teenagers, have been killed and more than 3,000, again mostly youngsters, wounded by the police and CRPF.

Many of these boys make no bones about their leanings and are proud of what they are doing. “You can call me a stone-pelter. Actually I am a soldier of Kashmir's resistance movement armed with stones and rocks,” says Suheem, who belongs to a lower-middle class family. He and his friends never forget to carry long handkerchiefs and scarfs to cover their faces.

Suheem’s mother, Fatima Banu, like all other mothers of such boys in the neighbourhood, is worried stiff about the safety of her son. She also frets about his education. “He doesn’t understand that he is flirting with grave danger. He is also ruining his future. I sometimes have terrifying thoughts about him. I am always worried about his security and want to keep him away from such things but he never listens to me," says Fatima.

Suheem was born in 1994, after insurgency began in Kashmir. His locality in Srinagar had become a breeding ground for militants. Ever since he can remember, he has always seen uniformed men with automatic rifles and bullet-proof vests at virtually every street corner of his area. Since his childhood, Suheem has seen frequent protests by Kashmiri people against human rights violations and arrests of youth by the police.

Analysts believe that since these Kashmiri boys have grown up seeing conflict and fearing the uniform, they express their anger and hate by resorting to violent protests on the streets. But not all stone-pelters are in their teens. Many of them are 30-plus educated men grappling with unemployment and frustration.

Interestingly, boys like Suheem are tech-savvy Internet users who update their Facebook and YouTube accounts on a daily basis to draw attention to their “resistance movement.” They also upload photos and video clips to show the high-handedness of the security forces.

Since the hardliner separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has exhorted people to use facebook as a tool to express their “aspirations”, the trend has gained momentum in the Valley and is being called “cyber intifada (uprising)” by analysts.
Allegations by some mainstream politicians that the violent street protestors are being funded by Pakistan and terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba have angered youngsters like Suheem. He says, “This is a myth. We don't do this for money. We are freedom fighters.”

The Grand Mufti of J&K Maulana Bashir-ud-Din and Moulana Showkat Shah, head of Jamiat-e-Ahle Hadees, have declared stone pelting as “un-Islamic act.” These men have argued that “Islam is all about tolerance and discipline and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) has taught us to refrain from violence.” But the youngsters have paid little heed to such appeals by Islamic scholars.

Until the recent past, stone-pelting was limited to a couple of areas of Srinagar city and to Baramullah and Sopore towns. But now it rampant in almost all major towns and sensitive areas of the Valley.

The situation is worsening steadily. On Octuber 3, in south Kashmir’s Shopian area, four civilians, including two women, were wounded when security forces opened fire on protesters agitating against the arrest of a local youth.

It is not only violence that harms Kashmiris but frequent curfews by authorities and constant hartals by separatists have also shattered the people here. Experts say that the prevailing situation has deeply traumatised Kashmiri society.

“Fear, distrust and sadness have psychologically traumatised our whole society to a great extent,” Dr Mushtaq Margoob, a psychiatrist at Srinagar’s Government Medical College, told TSI. According to Margoob’s estimate, “19% Kashmiris suffer from severe depression while 16% have post-traumatic stress disorder.”

“The psychological trauma linked to the current unrest in the Valley has been enormous. People are suffering from the tremendous stress and tension due to ongoing cycle of violence,” the psychiatrist added.
Many people had expected the recent visit of a 40- member all-party parliamentary delegation headed by home minister P. Chidambaram to provide salve to the wounds of the Valley. But it seems that neither the visit nor the home minister's announcement of an eight-point peace package has turned things around.

On Saturday, on the occasion of International Non-Violence Day and the 141st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, people in Kashmir Valley enjoyed the first hartal and curfew-free day since Eid (September 11). But the very next day life across the Valley was paralysed due to curfew and restrictions.

Due to the continuous turmoil and unrest Kashmir is also collapsing economically. Every common Kashmiri has taken a hard hit. Noted economist and Kashmir University professor Nisar Ali told TSI that the state exchequer has lost Rs 8000 crore during in a little over three months.

“There are 21 public sector establishments, 50,000 small-scale enterprises and around four lakh other commercial establishments in the Valley which have been closed in the course of this unrest. This has accounted for a loss of Rs 8000 crore till now,” the professor said, throwing light on the worsening situation in the Valley.
The state government has been repeatedly imposing many kinds of restrictions to suppress the angry people. Even the media has been banned. Newspapers had not been allowed to hit the stands for 25 days during the past four months. Several times, the police seized copies of newspapers from the printing press.

All the local television news channels have been banned. Journalists are being given curfew passes by the district magistrate. But more often than not the security forces and police personnel refuse to honour these passes. SMS services have been completely banned for four months.

Despite all these severe “measures”, normalcy still seems a far cry in the Valley. Analysts say that “oppression, curfews and restrictions cannot be the answer to the grievances of the people. It can only make things more difficult.”
“The government must bridge the gap between the state and the masses. To do that, Kashmiris have to be given a sense of security and honour. Just announcing an ex-gratia relief to the families of those killed and releasing some youths cannot restore normalcy,” said noted social activist Zarief Ahmad Zarief . '

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

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

The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
An array of unconventional career options
Ragging rights and wrongs
INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

Latin attraction for Punjab farmers

2011-05-19T10:40:00.000+05:30

Farmers of the state have helped India gain self-sufficiency in food production. Jatinder Kaur seeks to find out if they can replicate the success abroad

Taking a leaf out of the book of farmers from Punjab who have made it big in South and Central American countries, the Punjab government is now exploring opportunities to lease land in Brazil, Argentina and Mexico, grow crops there and ship it home for domestic consumption. Sources in the state government say that thousands of hectares of barren land is available in these countries which can be used for agricultural purposes. Even the weather in these countries is apparently conducive to cultivation of pulses, soya etc, the sources claim.

A delegation under the leadership of Union minister of agriculture Sharad Pawar recently visited these countries. Punjab’s deputy chief minister and other officials of the agriculture department were also a part of this delegation. Balwinder Sidhu, director of state agriculture department, said, ''The state government wants to facilitate leasing or buying of land in Central and South American countries… We want to work out the modalities to enable farmers from the state to start cultivation in these countries.”

Deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal is enthusiastic about the prospects. After coming back from the visit, he spoke to journalists about the plans: ''In Central and South America, hundreds of acres of land lies barren. Sufficient water is available for irrigating the fields. I have asked the agriculture department to prepare a report on this proposal as soon as possible. The populations in these countries are very low. There are many opportunities for farmers to make good profit from cash crops.” It should be noted that the policy for buying land in these countries is very flexible. Anybody who wants to cultivate can buy land without any hassle.

Simarpal Singh is a living example. The man from Amritsar district in Punjab moved to Argentina with his family about five years back. He is managing a 30,000-hectare farm of groundnut, soya and corn for a Singapore-based company. He is called the ‘Peanut King’ of Argentina.

Sukhbir Badal says, ''India imports a huge quantity of vegetable oil, soya etc. If we can provide an opportunity to farmers to cultivate land in these countries, we can use the production for meeting domestic demand.” He adds that the Centre should provide credit facilities to farmers who want to do farming abroad on the lines of industry. Badal says that the government should encourage farmers to invest money in farming abroad. ''To fulfil the growing need of food grain in the country, we have to think seriously about the opportunities of farming abroad,'' he thinks.

Dr H.S. Randhawa, retired professor of Punjab Agriculture University, Ludhiana, said, ''It is good that the government is thinking about providing opportunities to farmers for cultivating lands across the seas. But at the same time it is important that the government first ensures the health of the farm sector of the state which is on the verge of a collapse. All farmers of Punjab can not go abroad to farm. So, it is important to take care of their needs on a priority basis. The government should think about a new model for agriculture because the Green Revolution is not working any longer. The farming sector should be handled more professionally. It is in dire need of a thorough overhaul. Without this, the agriculture sector can not survive.”

On the other hand, Master Madan Lal, vice-president of Kheti Virasat Mission, an NGO working for organic farming in the state, says, ''First, we have turned the land of Punjab toxic by rampant use of fertilisers and pesticides in the name of Green Revolution. And now we are going to do the same thing in Central and South American countries. In reality, this is a capitalist game and all states are becoming puppet regimes controlled by these capitalist companies. If the government really wants to do something for farmers, it should pay more attention to the demands of the farmers. Why is the government not taking any serious step to help those farmers who are under debt?”

The concept of farming abroad is not new. The Confederation of Potato Farmers has coordinated with the Ethiopian government to take 50,000 hectares on lease. President of the body, Sukhjit Singh Bhatti, said, ''We have planned to take 50,000 hectares on lease in Ethopia for farming. We are going to Ethiopia in the second week of October for finalising the deal with the government. The Ethiopian government has offered to make agricultural exports tax free. The lease rate of the land will be Rs 400 per hectare per annum. For first five years, farmers would not need to pay anything. This land is suitable for cultivation of pulses and corn.”

The farmers of the state have shown their mettle in making the country self-sufficient in food production. Now only time will tell whether they will be able to replicate this success abroad.

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

Do Dooni Chaar: An uncommon film about the common man

2011-05-14T11:54:00.000+05:30

Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India

Duggal ki paathshaala

The hopes, aspirations, troubles and problems of the common man has for long been associated with RK Laxman’s old, dhoti-clad The Common Man.

After watching "Do Dooni Chaar", Rishi Kapoor could well replace the image in your mind when the subject of middle-class pathos rises. Indian cinema in the 70s and 80s often depicted the lives of the average Indians, but with the major bulk of the films of the last 20 years focussing on gorgeous locales and glamorous stars, it’s a bit startling to see the lead actress in this film in almost clownish sweaters and ill-fitting nighties. But then, this is a film that doesn’t tread the beaten path. The star cast too doesn’t include any commercial heavyweights, but instead has seasoned actors Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Kapoor, a duo reuniting on-screen after 30 long years. The film addresses issues that cause much agony and frustration to the Indian middle-class, yet it does so in a light, breezy manner that does not make it too serious and arty to lose its appeal for the average Indian. One can hardly guess that this is Habib Faisal’s first outing as a director of a Hindi feature film.

"Do Dooni Chaar" begins with an excited Duggal family arguing over how an Income Tax refund of Rs 7200 will be spent. The mother (Neetu Kapoor) wants to buy a refrigerator, her teenage daughter Payal (Aditi Vasudev) wants an iPod while the son Sandeep (Archit Krishna) demands a Dish TV connection. A school teacher, Santosh Duggal (Rishi Kapoor) earns just enough to send his children to good school and sustain a modest living – this after working in a coaching centre as well. While the parents attempt at living cheerfully with what they make, the children cringe at their near poverty. Things only get tougher when Santosh’s sister invites them to her sister-in-law’s wedding and insists that in order to keep up appearances they must come in a car. How they go about borrowing a car to eventually owning one is the simple premise of this film. Within this plot are incidents that will warm people’s hearts, provide unusual and compassionate solutions to parenting problems, demonstrate how ‘honesty is always the best policy’ is not just an old cliché unpractical for these times, show the pitiful state of our country’s teachers, and also comment on how consumerism has begun to dictate the terms of our happiness.

Santosh Duggal is a lovable character, and as Rishi pulls a long face or cajoles his son to make the right decisions in his life, you cannot help but adore him. One could’ve never imagined Neetu would make a comeback in such a deglamourised role, but her honest and effortless portrayal of Mrs Duggal is likely to leave a stronger impression in people’s mind than a more run-of-the-mill role would have managed to achieve. Debutants Aditi and Archit deliver strong and believable performances, Archit more so than Aditi.

The greatest triumph of the film is giving the common man the centerstage he so thoroughly deserves. There is a certain joie di vivre that shines through in this entertaining yet touching tale. People will leave the film with a smile on their lips and thoughts to ruminate about long after.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES
Anna Hazare: My Prime Minister
Social Networking Sites have become advertising shops

Back in the seventies, the pairing of Rishi Kapoor and Neetu kapoor meant spunky romance and sprightly humour

2011-05-10T10:50:00.001+05:30

'Do Dooni Chaar', according to Shubho shekhar BhattaCharjee, CEO and Creative Director, Planman Motion Pictures, promises to be that and much more.

What do you feel is the USP of "Do Dooni Chaar"?

In the last few days I’ve been scanning newspapers and magazines; if you look at "Do Dooni Chaar", there’s a distinct flavour about it. The posters of upcoming movies come across as typical Hindi films. On the other hand, our movie has a family feel to it. I think we’re offering a very unique proposition at this time, considering it’s Navratras and celebration time with families is around the corner. Also it’s a Rishi-Neetu comeback after 30 years which is why we stand out.

How difficult was it to convince Rishi and Neetu for this film?

It wasn’t difficult to convince Rishi. Habib Faisal and I were sitting together and deciding the cast and the first name we thought of was Rishi Kapoor. We went together to him for the narration. After that, he asked, "What do you want me to play in the film?" and we told him it was the lead role. He loved the script. He asked if we had a producer and we were all ready for it.

It was difficult to get Neetu ma’am involved. Many other filmmakers have been waiting to re-launch Neetu ma’am and their positioning has been on the glamorous side. For this, she had to be completely de-glamorised and she wouldn’t agree. So, at one point we approached Juhi Chawla.

But she had issues. So we went back and asked Neetu ma’am to hear the narration just once. She loved it and said, "This has to be my comeback film!" She actually coloured her hair black, wore ill-fitting salwar kurtas and absolutely ill-fitting nighties, something not expected of Neetu Kapoor.

What made you believe Habib Faisal, a debutant director, would make a good film?

Habib is a very dear friend of mine. Whenever we met, I would talk about making a film together. He was writing for other producers but he wished to be a director. We talked about many ideas; discarded many. He’s a trained professional. He’s from Jamia and has been involved in film courses in New York. So I was very sure about his technical competence and was more convinced that he is a great storyteller.

Films from Planman Motion Pictures have won several awards. Do you see "Do Dooni Chaar" adding to your tally?

Yes, we have won a lot of awards, mostly National Awards. We definitely don’t make films with that explicit purpose. This was a very noble story that we wanted to tell and if we win, I’d be very happy.

Critical acclaim or box office revenue – what do you want more for "Do Dooni Chaar"?

For me, it’s not an either-or situation. Why can’t it be both? Yes, we have made films which have been for niche audiences, like "The Last Lear", but this film is for the masses. It’s for the middle class family. The entire country would be able to identify with that.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Arindam Chaudhuri: Movie time for Kapil Sibal
IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...
IIPM Proves Its Mettle Once Again...
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps
Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU): Students' Unions can not be banned

Director Habib Faisal speaks on the making of 'Do Dooni Chaar'

2011-05-06T10:43:00.001+05:30

how his personal experiences helped mould the script and how the common man is being wronged as he doggedly pursues the 'Do Dooni Chaar' way.

From television to cinema, how has the transition been?

Both are very entertaining mediums. The economics of television is such that your risks are much lesser. I strongly believe that television is able to tackle many more issues. I did my Masters in Cinema and then instead of getting into direction or writing, I chose to become a news cameraman for NDTV. I did that for five years and I covered the Kargil War, floods and poverty. I moved on to doing television fiction and then through friends, accidents happened and I got into writing films.

"Do Dooni Chaar" is set in the ethos of the modern, liberated and aspirational India. What drove you to conceive this story?

It all started when a small segment car was launched. Newspapers and television channels were full of stories about the middle class people being euphoric that a car was within their reach. It got me wondering why a car was so important. I read and researched and found out that when people prioritise their desires they put a car as the first thing that they want to buy, which is not a necessity such as shelter or education. I hail from a similar background and still remember the kind of excitement we had gone through when we had bought our first car, which was a second-hand car. So I got this thought in my head about a family and its journey from scooter to car, and I thought it would make for an interesting story. My dad was also a teacher and I have grown up with the same kind of complexes that the two kids in the film have, like why is my dad a teacher and earn a meagre salary despite being an educated man? Often we would run into his ex-students who would be doing well in their careers and driving cars while my dad would still only own a scooter. Such personal experiences found their way into the story. I had two intentions when making this film, one was to portray middle-class aspirations and how the common man doggedly sticks to doing things the right way, which is the "Do Dooni Chaar" way as against the "Do Aur Do Paanch" way followed by the rich, powerful and corrupt. The second reason was to highlight the position of the teachers in the society and show that it is a thankless job. The salary for a teacher who teaches the senior grades is around Rs 1.98 lakh. You can imagine how much the primary teachers would be making.

Was it intimidating to work with seasoned actors like Rishi and Neetu?

Only the first meeting was intimidating. I was star-struck like anyone else would be. I have grown-up watching their movies. But the moment a star says, "Oh you have scripted a great script!" you feel confident about your work. Once they had said yes to the film, we were like partners bringing the script alive.

How was the experience working with Planman Motion Pictures?

It takes a lot of guts to make a picture on the premise of a person’s journey from owning a scooter to a car. Most people want projects where there is a possibility of naach-gaana, glamour, sensuality, some chases… For a premise such as this and a script which is obsessively trying to be true to the fabric of the story, it was very gutsy of Shubho and Arindam Chaudhuri to stand by this film.

Trading the future of 700 million

2011-05-03T15:31:00.001+05:30

TSI analyses why the government must take urgent steps to ban futures trading in the food items to save both farmers and consumers

A close look at Karamveer's face and one can't avoid but notice the contoured lines on his forehead - signs of early aging. The sugarcane farmer is a resident of Rasoolpur village in Hapur District of Uttar Pradesh where his ancestors have lived for more than a century. Nine years back, he used to sell sugarcane at the famed Hapur Mandi at Rs 95 for each quintal. The sugar, extracted in a series of mills in western UP, via hundreds of middlemen, was eventually sold in the market at Rs 12 per kg. An year ago, he sold all his produce to a middleman for Rs 165 per quintal. Sugar Prices were hovering around the Rs 40 a kg mark then. He had to bear a cost of Rs 6 per quintal for transportation.

The produce from thousands of acres of sugarcane land in western Uttar Pradesh lands up in sugar mills via middlemen who sell it on a cash payment basis to rich mill owners. Last season, one quintal fetched a middleman Rs 250-300 on the day of the delivery itself. For Karamveer, an agonising post-delivery wait of two to three months has become a part of his quotidian existence. In the off season, he produces Arhar. Karamveer found out last year to his dismay that the lentil he sold at Rs 2,700 per quintal to a local middleman was costing an end consumer a whopping Rs 8,100. Karamveer is not your run of the mill small-time farmer. He belongs to the upper echelon of farmers in his community with large volume sales. “Smaller farmers have to wait for six months for payment. The middleman comes and says that he'll make payment soon. He then disappears, sighting reasons like going to other areas for collecting payments from traders and mill owners. I deserved Rs 350 per quintal for my sugarcane. What I received was peanuts,'' sighs Karamveer on the sidelines of a farmers' organisation meeting in Delhi recently.

Under the Forward Contract Regulation Act of 1952, futures trading in all essential food commodities like wheat, rice and pulses was banned in India. The ban was slowly lifted on some commodities but in 2003, the then NDA government lifted ban on all food commodities including wheat and rice. And since 2006, the worst ever sustained food price inflation in Indian history has continued unabated. Massive speculation by big and small trading firms on fixed quantities of food grains results in a 2-3 time price surge in general. Traders and middlemen at multiple levels hoard hundreds of tonnes of food grains and sell them when the prices reach the zenith. This results in the end consumer buying the commodity at a price which is at least 4 times than what the poor farmer gets for his produce.

And the tragedy doesn't encompass a few crops. Rajinder, another farmer in the gathering, resembles a quintessential old timer from the B. R. Chopra classic Naya Daur. But this is not 1957. Another one of the comparatively bigger farmers in his region, he musters the guts to bare it all. He bought 4 quintal pea seeds at Rs 22,000 per quintal last year. He put in another Rs 1 lakh in sowing, growing and harvesting the peas. Then, the middleman told him that due to massive produce outstripping demand, he can't offer more than Rs 1,500 per quintal. Rajinder, in urgent need of money, had to sell his entire produce of 60 quintals. His loss? A shocking Rs 1 lakh, more than half of his entire cost. “We don't get to know what is happening in the mandi every hour. We can't afford to have a man placed there all the time. That's what the middlemen are for. They always say the demand is low and there's ample produce and we have to sell at the price they are offering. Then we get to know that the produce was sold at 3 times to a big trader,” says a visibly agitated Rajinder.

Dr Krishna Bir Chaudhary, president, Bhartiya Krishak Samaj, explains this clandestine system of thuggery. “There are at least three levels of middlemen between the farmers and the consumer. Cabbage fetched Rs 0.75 to 1.00 per kg ex-farm last year in Himachal Pradesh; the same cabbage was sold by local traders to Delhi-based wholesalers at a 20-25 per cent margin. The Delhi based-wholesaler sold the same cabbage to retailers again at a 20-25 per cent margin depending on demand and supply. The retailer then marked up the same cabbage by as much as 50-100 per cent and at times even 300 per cent which the consumer eventually paid. Much speculation takes place in food grains because they have a longer shelf life and can be stored for a long period under scientific warehousing conditions. This is where speculators can make a killing. That is why futures trading involves not “food” but food grains”, explains Dr Chaudhary.

The concept that futures trading results in price discovery and risk management for the farmer has proven to be a farce in India till date as the farmer does not have information or the resources to actually go in for trading on exchanges. The farmer never realises the correct price of his produce simply because the trading often happens after the farmer has sold the produce to traders. A lack of information system for poor farmers results in him not getting to know what the actual price in the futures market is.

The litany of such ordeals isn't concentrated in a region but is spread across the length and breadth of the country. Bijender Singh, a farmer from Kithwari village in Palval district of Haryana, cultivated green moong last season. He sold 100 quintal of his produce in June 2010 at Rs 4,200 per quintal. Within two to three days, he came to know that the price of moong in the wholesale mandi was hovering at Rs 8,000 per quintal. “I also know of numerous farmers in my community who sold Arhar at Rs 3,000 per quintal when the market price of the same was at Rs 80 per kg I.e Rs 8,000 per quintal,” says a distraught Bijender.

Strangely, the government seems to be echoing the sentiments of the corporations and traders. Although a ban on futures trading of certain essential commodities like wheat, rice and some pulses was put in place in January 2007, the same on wheat was lifted in May 2009. And the lobbysists are leaving no stone unturned to withdraw the ban completely. The UPA government had set up a five-member expert committtee in 2008 under Planning Commission member Abhijit Sen to prepare a report on the exact correlation between futures trading and food price rise. “The committee itself comprised commodity trading experts and people who support top agri trading companies. The composition of the committee itself was flawed and the outcome of the report supported futures trading except Abhijit Sen himself who gave a dissenting note,” says Devinder Sharma, noted agriculture expert and author. Interestingly, no committee or study till date has even been put in place to find out the involvement of a number of farmers in futures trading and the rise in real farming incomes after the ban was lifted in 2003.
In 1943, when one of the worst famines in Indian history claimed more than 3 million lives, many attributed it to the massive export of rice to the British military in West Asia and Africa during World War II and stoppages in rice exports from Burma into India.

But Nobel Laureate Professor Amartya Sen showed the flaws of this supposition. He highlighted how rumours of rice shortage, started mainly by future trading speculators, spread like wildfires which led to massive hoarding by traders, making rice the hottest futures trading commodity. The impoverished lacked the buying capacity and a calamity ensued. In sharp contrast to that was the drought of 1965-67. First, the ban on futures trading was in place since 1952 and secondly, the system of minimum support price (MSP) and food procurement by the state was already in place.

But, with the trading ban lifted in 2003 and not many commodities included, the MSP system is showing sure shot signs of crumbling. “The government gives the farmer Rs 1,100 for a quintal of wheat when the production cost per quintal is currently about Rs 1,600. The traders and middlemen cheat not just farmers but also the consumers. Post heavy speculation in the market, the value of the same quintal reaches Rs 1,800-1,900 and the end consumer buys wheat at that price. The same thing is happening in case of all essential food commodities,” says an angry Dinesh Kulkarni, all India organising secretary, Bhartiya Kisan Sangh, one of India's largest farmer organisations.

The recent case of the Supreme Court stepping in to order release of 50,000 tonnes of food grain to hungry BPL families is testimony to the collusion of politicians, bureaucrats, traders and speculators. The nexus is busy in siphoning of grains for speculation on the exchanges or the grain ends up rotting. As per an estimate, the total amount of rotting food grains in government warehouses in India is enough to feed the population of France for a month.

One way to control the massive gains made by speculators is to put a tax on commodity transactions. Recent global data shows that many countries have imposed taxes on all commodity futures transactions in their exchanges which has brought down trading volumes to some extent and has given the governments extra revenue to spend on social programmes.

In India, a proposal was mooted by the previous UPA government but never got off the the ground. “In P. Chidambaram's last Budget as finance minister in 2008-09, the government proposed a Commodity Transaction Tax (CTT) of 0.017 per cent on all commodity futures transations.

After the proposal, the notification was never issued for an entire year. Then, when Pranab Mukherjee became the finance minister, the enire proposal was swept aside,” reveals Sharma.

Even in the United States of America, where the largest commodity exchanges run and the maximum amount of trading is done, the government paid more than $300 billion worth of subsidies to farmers during 1998-2008. Most of it was in the form of direct income support. In India, during the same period, 2,00,000 farmers committed suicide. The European Union countries paid $70 billion in subsidies to its farmers last year, a huge chunk of which was direct income support. The contrast tells the whole tale.

“The Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in May 2008 banned futures trading in soy oil, potatoes, rubber and chickpea for four months. It also banned futures trading in rice and wheat in March 2007 to contain sky rocketing prices of essential commodities, particularly of staple food grains. Yet the government insisted that futures trading would continue. Either the government does not know how markets are manipulated or the government itself is creating the market for speculators,” says Dr Chaudhary.

While oppression of the farming community at the hands of individual landowners (zamindars) was a highlight of pre-Independence rural India, the abolition of the Zamindari system, supposedly to end all miseries of the peasants, paved the way for institutionalised plundering of farmers’ produce through tools like futures trading.

A recent policy paper by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) concludes that “the worldwide rise in food prices two years ago might have been amplified by speculators in organised futures markets. However, limiting or banning speculative trading might do more harm than good”. The question as to why the world’s apex body on food and agriculture cannot answer the exact causes of the global food price rise with some certainty raises serious doubts on the credibility and objectivity of the important paper.

There’s no denying the fact that the basic rationale behind trading of futures contracts of food commodities as is promulgated globally (read by commodity trading companies) is to let the farmer realise the correct price for its produce and is able to do a sort of hedging against price risks.

But, with only 2 per cent of all futures contracts resulting in the actual delivery of the commodity, the amount and magnitude of speculation rises manifold. The illiterate farmer living in ill-connected villages can only hope that he may have a chance to know the exact demand and supply situation existing in the mandi on time, he may have a chance to know and understand the dynamics of the commodity exchange market, he may get to trade on the market through a representative and he may be able to realise some profit from its produce. The long procession of ‘may’s only makes a mockery of the idealised economics behind futures trading that only exists in research papers and policy reviews. The reality on the ground is something very different.

The only solution lies in an effective ban on futures trading on all essential food commodities in India through a legislation or law till the country becomes consistently self-sufficient in food commodities for many years.
The information dissemination infrastructure in our rural areas also needs to be strengthened to let farmers participate in trading to get the right price for their produce.

The best short-term solution to a farmer's woes is to entitle him to a cost plus benefit price (at least 20 per cent of production cost) for his produce. For the same thing to be implemented, it is important to have a system devised to estimate the correct price of the produce and the actual costs incurred by the farmer.

But with big corporations and traders running the show from Delhi and other cities, the farming community is quickly running out of democratic options. “Large scale protests are bound to erupt if something is not done soon,” Rajinder warns.
“If this continues, a second Naxalite movement is imminent in India. And this will not be in some faraway hinterland but will surround Delhi from all sides,” sums up Karamveer, vowing to rise up against the institutionalised tyranny farmers like him are living under. The farmers' murky future might soon evolve into a long dark hour for the government if New Delhi decides to do nothing.

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

Frugality in the city of dreams!

2011-04-03T10:46:00.000+05:30

IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...

There is tremendous buzz about CRZ redevelopment and the long-pending SRD in Mumbai. But can these initiatives hope to clear those elusive execution hurdles?

With a bird's eye view from the middle of the Arabian Sea, one can easily view some newly constructed tall buildings adorning the Mumbai skyline ' a spectacular and grand view, any which way. But when you come closer to the coastline, say, between Versova and Cuffe Parade, there are around 2,500 old dilapidated buildings falling under the coastal regulatory zones (CRZs) awaiting increase in floor space index (FSI) as part of the redevelopment process. Understandably, residents here seems to have got a sigh of relief as the state government's recent decision to involve the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) in housing projects in the CRZ areas is expected to yield one lakh affordable homes in the city.

The move has come in the wake of Centre agreeing to allow private participation in the redevelopment of dilapidated buildings and large slum pockets falling under the CRZ. Following that, state environment minister Suresh Shetty recently met Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and broadly agreed to allow private participation to the extent of 49% and MHADA to have 51% stake.

Around 38% of the city is governed by stringent CRZ rules that have blocked redevelopment of around 5,000 dilapidated buildings and slums in areas such as Colaba, Girgaum, Mahim and stretches in Borivali. Hemant Shah, head, Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) told TSI, 'The state government is trying to increase the FSI from the existing 2.5 to 3 for the redevelopment of old dilapidated buildings. Due to our involvement in various slum redevelopment projects between Versova to Cuffe Parade in Mumbai, we will be able to redevelop several dilapidated buildings and slum pockets falling under the CRZ.' Ackruti City is one instance of a builder in the affordable housing space. As there are affordable housing projects with lesser margins, the company will be using cost efficient techniques. Hemant Shah, Chairman, Ackruti City told TSI, 'Though the projects are under affordable housing, the customers are still looking at premium amenities such as club house, gym, kids play area, good entrance lobbies et al.' Frugality in the city of dreams! use of the vicinity to the sea. Smaller rivers like Meethi and areas covered by salt land make matters complicated when it comes to developing CRZs. But if there is a road between land and sea, the impact of CRZ comes down. According to Pranay Vakil, Chairman, Knight Frank India, 'As for redevelopment of CRZ, work is being done on exploiting the Eastern waterfront in Mumbai between JJ School of Architecture and the Columbia University. The idea is to improve the infrastructure and connectivity of the island city with the that of mainland.'

Interestingly, CRZ redevelopment buzz comes at a time when sales of apartments in Mumbai has dropped by 35% to 50% over the past four months, as investors from financially rich communities have formed a cartel and are pushing up prices. Builders are no less. Certain Mumbai and Pune-based builders believe only in developing super luxurious apartments, instead of offering affordable housing. In fact, such builders should focus on passing on the zero land cost benefit to flat buyers, which they are not doing. Gautam Chatterjee, VP & CEO, MHADA states, 'Currently, private developers haven't approached us for associating with us for redeveloping dilapidated buildings & slums under CRZ.'

Around 100 long-pending SRA schemes have failed to get implemented in Mumbai due to various bottlenecks. Ramesh Prabhu, President of Mumbai-based Affordable Housing Welfare Organisation of India (AHWOI) critically argues, 'One should not expect CRZ projects to come up before five years. So, what is the use and where is the affordability factor if the evolving demands for redevelopment in CRZs by its residents are not currently met?'

Amidst the scenario, in order to give strong competition to MHADA's new affordable housing CRZ schemes with the state government, AHWOI is taking the lead to initiate Co-operative Housing Movement with the aim of housing for all. According to Prabhu, the movement will initially begin in areas like Vasai and will then roll out pan-Mumbai. The company will charge only 20% service tax from flat buyers as opposed to 100% from most well-known builders.' Competitors Ackruti City, Acme Housing and MayFair Housing are also actively involved in launching affordable housing projects in extended suburbs of Mumbai.

As for Slum Rehabilitation Development (SRD), real estate developers like Acme Housing and Hiranandani Constructions, who are actively involved, are not considering plans to start any new SRDs in the near future. The cited reasons include disinterest shown by Supreme Court to increase eligibility of slum dwellers beyond 1995 for rehabilitation and lack of focus in SRDs that leads to delays in completion. Adds Shah, 'This (SC order) is the main reason why builders have to focus on constructing slum rehabilitation (SR) project in phases. In order to approve any one particular slum rehabilitation project, slum dwellers has a major 70% consent and the SR project cannot be completed in one go.'

However, the demand push is driving some realtors to take the plunge. Acme Housing has started construction of one SRA project each in Andheri East, Goregaon and Kandivali in Mumbai and invested `750 million. Pravin Doshi, MD, Acme Housing told TSI. 'Mafias who belong to slum dwellers associated with certain government officials have already demanded heavy bribe to the tune of `10 to 30 million to pass the project. So we feel we will be able to offer apartments to them only in the next 3-5 years and not before that.' In order to overcome these main challenges, SRA claims to be holding talks with the government to meet their evolving demands.

For the people residing in CRZs, the ministry's initiative is laudable, but the complications are too daunting. Until they get sorted out, the prospect of affordable housing in this area would well remain a distant dream.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Proves Its Mettle Once Again...
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
Ragging rights and wrongs
Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU): Students' Unions can not be banned
The hunt for hostel and paying guest (PG) accommodation for students
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India

Valley of despair: We want an Islamic state

2011-03-30T10:17:00.000+05:30

IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...

Sixty five protestors killed, more than 3,000 agitators and 2,500 security personnel injured, general strike and curfew for more than two months, businesses and shops shut, banks closed, hotels empty. This might not seem unusual in a state where more than 1 lakh people have been killed since 1989. Nothing is abnormal in an abnormal state. But what is indeed unusual is the longstanding ostrich-like attitude of New Delhi, no matter which party is in power. There is a problem in Kashmir and this needs to be acknowledged first. Only then can one start working at a resolution. And the solution, it is obvious, is not in managing the situation by sending in more and more security forces. Even the Centre has admitted that there is little militancy in the Valley except in the Baramulla and Kupwara sectors which border Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. But there are roughly 7,00,000 armed security forces personnel in the Valley. And still, places in the Valley erupt every now and then in the name of the Quit J&K Movement. We visit the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) where the injured are rushed in by groups of youths every now and then. The usual quiet of the hospital corridor is suddenly broken with cries for independence like Hume kya chahiye... azadi/Bharat ka gundagardi nehi chalega.

Dr Reyaz Ahmed tells us, 'This is a tertiary care referral hospital and we have already treated over 400 cases of bullet injuries. Most patients were hit in the head or upper torso.' We meet 20-year-old Sumera Dabloo who went to rescue her father hit by a bullet. She was herself hit in the chest by two bullets. We come across a 24-year-old Tariq Ahmed on life support. He has a bullet in his arm and has received severe head injuries. His uncle, Mohammad Amin, says, 'The local hospital in Tral was ransacked by CRPF men. Tariq was helping the injured when he was shot at and beaten up.'

The roads of downtown Srinagar are deserted with security forces in every nook and corner, the Valley resembles a beautiful prison. The generation of Kashmiri youths who are pelting stones is an abnormal one. They are mostly born after 1989, they have seen militants and forces all around, guns blazing, blasts ripping off bodies. Their reaction to situations is abnormal. 'When the police starts firing, people generally run away. In Kashmir, they come closer,' says a top state police official, himself a Kashmiri Muslim, on the condition of anonymity. We will call him X for future reference.

Prabhakar Tripathy, commanding officer, 117 Battalion CRPF and PRO, CRPF (Kashmir), confirms, 'They have no fear. They try to snatch our guns. Very often, there is no choice but to open fire.' Valley of despair We ask both X and Tripathy that why do stones need to be answered by live ammunition. X says, 'It is not that simple and innocuous. These people pelt stones to kill you. It is not easy being a policeman on these streets.' Tripathy points to the thousands of rounds of rubber bullets and tear gas shells fired. 'If you compare the situation, you will see the forces have acted with great restraint,' he adds.

But clearly people in the Valley are not impressed with this restraint. Let's hear from Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the foremost leader of the separatist movement and chairman of the Hurriyat (G): 'People are resisting the Indian military occupation of J&K. There is no legitimacy or justification for the same. Since 1952, we have had more than 130 rounds of talks and there have been no headway. For talks to be fruitful, New Delhi should accept that J&K is a disputed territory. It has to withdraw forces, withdraw Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), Public Safety Act (PSA) and release the detainees.'

Mirwaiz Omer Farooq, chairman of Hurriyat (M), says, 'This is a spontaneous outburst of public anger brought about by decades of alienation. These youths, who are pelting stones, have been raised and brought up in conflict. After militancy erupted in 1989, people started looking at Pakistan to further the cause of freedom. That phase is also gone now. But now, they have a clear direction that they have to win their freedom themselves and they are ready to die for the same. India has to realise that it is Kashmiri nationalism at work here. New Delhi has to come out of denial. The government does not allow any demonstration and sit-ins. It has created this pressure cooker situation and hence this violent outburst.' Valley of despair Mirwaiz concedes that the pro-freedom parties have not been able to deliver in concrete terms. 'We have held dialogues with New Delhi in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 and 2009, we went with ideas and proposals but Delhi did not act on a single issue. People today construe dialogue as a sellout, as a ploy to buy some time. One has to understand that there can't be any lasting solution to the Kashmir problem within the Constitution of India or that of Pakistan.'

However, neither Tripathy nor X thinks that this stone pelting is a spontaneous form of outburst. Tripathy points at Intelligence intercepts from across the border complaining of no deaths for two days while reiterating that money was not a constraint. X even points out that an Opposition leader was seen unloading sacks of stones in a downtown Srinagar locality. He adds, 'One of our man in civvies followed a particular suspect who was going from one area to another on his bike to instigate youths to start pelting stones. As soon as the youths started pelting stones, he would push off. There is major money involved here.'

Conspiracy theories are galore here. Kashmir is a playground of Intelligence agencies from India, Pakistan and beyond. The 'threat note' for Sikhs has clearly unnerved the community. Jagmohan Singh Raina, chairman of the All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee, Kashmir, says, 'We are 80,000 people spread over 136 villages and towns in 8 districts. Barring 1947, when 33,000 Sikhs were killed by raiders, there has never been any problem till 2000 when in Chattisinghpora village in Anantnag district, as many as 35 Sikhs were gunned down by unidentified men wearing Indian Army uniforms. President Clinton was visiting India at that time.' Five people were then gunned down by Indian military personnel claiming them to be foreign militants responsible for the Sikh massacre. But the Justice Pandian Commission found out that the five were innocent locals and five Army officers were found guilty. Naturally, Sikhs are apprehensive as another US President is scheduled to arrive in the country. Valley of despair Kashmir seems a quagmire where New Delhi, Islamabad, separatists, militants, the state government, Opposition, security forces, Intelligence agencies, Indian and Kashmiri media - all have had their negative roles to play.

Prof. Bashir Ahmad Dabla of the Sociology department of Kashmir University points out the manner in which Sheikh Abdullah, the then Prime Minister of Kashmir, was put behind the bars in 1953 and how in the 1957 elections, 56 out of 57 constituencies were declared without holding elections. He continues, 'The 1987 elections presented the Indian government with a golden opportunity. The radical Islamic and separatist elements decided to contest the elections under the banner of the Muslim United Front. This should have been welcomed as a positive development as separatist acceptance of Indian democracy. Mohammad Yousuf Shah contested the Lal Chowk seat and was even announced as the winning candidate.

However, a minute later, Ghulam Mohiuddin Shah of the National Conference (NC) was declared the winner. The elections were massively rigged by NC with help from New Delhi. Yousuf was arrested for agitating against the unfair elections and was imprisoned for two years. Upon his release in 1989, Yousuf founded Hizbul Mujahideen and today is better known as the militant group's chief Sayeed Salahudeen. I am afraid that the current use of force on young boys, many of them school-going kids, might just ensure that the cycle of violence and counter-violence continues unabated.'

Ever since 5,00,000 people assembled on the streets of Srinagar during the Shree Amarnath Shrine Board land row, the state and the Centre have been paranoid about even allowing peaceful protests and gatherings. They are worried if the crowd takes control of the All India Radio or Doordarshan stations. Both look like fortresses or top secret nuclear installations rather than media establishments. Valley of despair The separatists, on the other hand, are all but united. While Geelani and Mirwaiz don't see eye to eye, Yasin Malik pursues his ideas. The Lone brothers have also drifted apart with Sajjad Lone, current chairman of People's Conference, trying his luck at the Lok Sabha elections from Baramulla. He however lost to the NC candidate. Aasiyeh Andrabi of Dukhtarn-i-millat advocates merger with Pakistan and a Talibani style of Islamic governance. There are roughly two dozen groups, all have different ideas. Firaq Ahmad, a shikara rower on the Dal, is scared even at the thought of azadi. 'Kashmir will witness a civil war even worse than the one experienced by Afghanistan if India were to withdraw.'

For Islamabad, Kashmir is the point of revenge for the secession of Bangladesh. Apart from supporting militant armed struggle through training, providing logistics, arms and extending moral and diplomatic support, Pakistan has carefully changed the demographics of the part of Kashmir under its control. Today, Pakistani Muslims, mainly from Punjab province, outnumber Kashmiris in PoK. In spite of the rhetoric, Islamabad is wary of a permanent solution to the part of Kashmir under Indian rule as it would put pressure on itself to act. People in the valley are fully aware of this.

There is hardly any doubt that an overwhelming majority in the Valley view both NC and PDP as stooges of New Delhi. There is a general perception that the state government is a rubber stamp for the Centre with not even the power to rein in the CRPF, let alone take big steps. Mehbooba Mufti of PDP attributes it all to NC's misgovernance, Omar Abdullah's inexperience and his disconnect with the grassroots. But the truth is that PDP was sharing power when the state had erupted over the Amarnath land row.

Another limitation to India's approach has been New Delhi's insistence to view the situation through the prism of Intelligence and security. A section of the Indian media has also been caught in the brouhaha of nationalism as espoused by New Delhi, hawkish enough to push Kashmiri media to the other extreme.

Wasim Lone, 35, is a former militant with the al-Umar Mujahideen headed by Mustaq Ahmed Zargar of the Kandahar hijack fame. Wasim is today the trusted lieutenant of separatist leader Shabir Shah. "We were young and the Indian rule was oppressive. I am afraid that the youth of today might also be forced to take to guns and make the same mistake as we did. Azadi is our dream. We must work towards it," says Wasim.

Musaib Farooq is a 19-year-old student and Tariq Wani, 33 years old, is without a job. They live in downtown and pelt security forces with stones. The fact that most stone pelters are unemployed, uneducated does not take away the fact that there are genuine grievances. New Delhi needs to look at demilitarisation of civilian areas, withdrawal of draconian acts, stop violation of human rights by forces. Most people in the Valley, barring a few handful, are aware that Pakistan is not in a position to take care of Kashmir. 'They can't even take care of themselves. They are out in the world with a begging bowl,' is the common refrain. Going with Pakistan is no longer an option here. But still, much before this latest round of trouble erupted, on January 31, 12-year-old Wamiq Farooq, the best boy of his class, died after getting hit by a tear gas shell in his head. Instances like this don't strengthen people's faith in New Delhi. It is a fact that people in the valley are angry and frustrated with India's procrastination on crucial issues. The Centre needs to make concrete concessions and needs to come down from its high horse. Unless that happens, stones will be hurled and bullets will fly. Valley of despair Aasiyeh Andrabi

'We want an Islamic state'

What is your assessment of the current situation in the Valley?

The people of J&K, specially the Muslims, have long been denied the right of self-determination by India. So since June, the people have waged the Quit J&K movement. This is a mass uprising in which the young and the old, women and children, all are taking part. Of course, India is applying brute force to quell this uprising. They are even using pellet guns which are used to target animals. Israel uses the same against Palestinian protestors.

What about Hindus who are majority in Jammu, Buddhists who are the majority in Ladakh, the Sikhs and even the Shia Muslims?

We are least concerned with non-Muslim decisions. Muslims are the majority and their decision is going to be the final one.

Suppose you get azadi. What next? Geelani wants something, Mirwaiz wants something else, Yasin Malik wants something entirely different. Where do you see your demands fitting in here?

I can't talk about Geelani or anyone else for that matter. I want accession with Pakistan. For now, our one-point agenda is freedom from India.

You are widely recognised as the most radical Islamist hardline voice of the Valley. What kind of Kashmir do you want to create?

Islam is Islam. There is only one true Islam. Inshallah, the Shariat, law of Islam, will become the law of the land too. I don't want Islamic law just for Kashmir but for the entire world. People will be more secure under Islamic law.

Will there be any place for music, cinema, art, literature in the Islamic state you wish to create?

In Quran, it is written that music is even more harmful than wine. People lose their senses when they listen to western and film music. They represent the culture of non-humans. Hollywood and Bollywood are globally responsible for criminalisation of society and other evils. So we will not allow that. There will be no place for nude and obscene painting. Literature is fine but if it criticises Islam, we won't allow it.

Do you want to follow any Islamic state as an example?

There is no ideal Islamic state. Looking at foreign policy, I will give 75 % to Iran.

You have been a supporter of armed struggle in Kashmir. But these militants have killed many innocent people in Kashmir and in the rest of India.

Today, the world knows about Kashmir because of the Mujahideen's actions. I don't believe they have killed any innocent Kashmiris. They may have killed informers of the Indian security forces. They have done the right thing.

What about the attacks in Mumbai?

The Mumbai attacks were the handiworks of Indian Intelligence and CIA.

Suppose you get the Indian part of Kashmir and the Pakistani part. How will you get the part under Chinese control?

First let's get freedom from India. We will think about China then. Valley of despair Children of conflict

Mohammad Humza Khan was one year old when his father Mohammad Kasim Khan, a Hizbul Mujahideen militant, was gunned down by security forces. Three of his maternal uncles, also with Hizbul, were also killed. Humza is 11 today and studies in a prominent private school in Srinagar. The boy from Ganderbal wants to be a doctor. Mohammad Ashraf Khan was five years old when militants barged into his Rajouri home one night. His father, Mohammad Shafiq Khan, a carpenter, and uncle Bashir Ahmad, a policeman, fell to their bullets. Ashraf is 13 now, goes to a private school in Srinagar and wants to be a doctor as well.

Both stay at the orphanage run by the J&K Ehteem Foundation in a quiet corner of the Jawaharnagar area of Srinagar. More than 50 people orphaned in the violence stay here. Humza has a faint memory of his father, there is just an old worn-out photograph of him. 'I am proud of my father and my uncles. I know they were in the right path, in the path of God and did not kill any innocent person,' he says.

Ashraf wishes militancy had not erupted in Kashmir. 'My father and uncle would have been alive had Kashmir not have been caught in this spiral of violence. I hate the Mujahideen and sometimes have the urge to kill them,' he says.

Humza, too, hates his father's killers, the Indian security forces. In effect, they hate what the other's fallen kin stood for. But they are inseparable. They are the best of friends. Some things have no explanation. Less so in Kashmir.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM in sync with the best of the business world.....
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

Adoor Gopalakrishnan: Indian cinema will have a lot less to qualify itself

2011-03-26T10:07:00.000+05:30

IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...

'Indian cinema will have a lot less to qualify itself. At the recently concluded Imaging Asia: The Netpac Festival, where his 1993 film 'Vidheyan' (The Servile) was screened, the avant-garde auteur, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, shared his experiences and learning with other filmmakers. The Padma Vibhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke award winner also took some time off to share with Anu Gulmohar his opinion on cinema, his films, and his method of creating masterpieces with every single take...

What, according to you, is the purpose of cinema?
The purpose of cinema is the same as any other art form. It serves the same purpose as music, theatre, painting, literature etc. All of them entertain the audience. The difference is, when we talk about music, we do not mean cheap music and likewise, theatre and painting do not refer to bad theatre and bad painting. We mean their best examples. Unfortunately, any reference to cinema is automatically taken to mean the commercial one. Cinema being one art form that subsists on the patronage of the audience at large for its very survival, keeps making concessions to common audience tastes. That is why its purpose is in question.

The best of cinema should entertain an audience deeply, not superficially.

Do you look at a filmmaker as an entertainer, teacher, reformer or as an artist?
The filmmaker, ideally, should be an artist: one who is a professional and one who has a high degree of artistic integrity. The film that can be termed a work of art will naturally offer the viewer a rich experience of life and teach him inter alia many a lesson in very many spheres of human enterprise.

Eleven films in 40 years: how do you explain that? What do you do between making two films?
I take a long time to make a film because it takes long before I settle on a subject. And then the process of preparation (developing the plot, writing a script) and finally the execution, takes its own time. When I am not making a film, I am thinking about it or some times I'm planning one. I see myself as a professional filmmaker and I practice no other profession. I, of course, read a lot in between films and also write occasionally about cinema. I have already published three books and the fourth is underway.

You are a regular on the international festival circuit. How well or not well is world cinema doing?
Even after a century, cinema is not showing any sign of fatigue. It is a great medium, which keeps discovering itself with the growth of technology and human development. There are some countries which have kept up high standards through decades like France, Italy, Russia, Japan etc. Recent years have witnessed the entry of China, Taiwan, Hongkong, Iran, South Korea etc.

While hobnobbing with the film fraternity from around the world, we assume conversations often veer to Bollywood. What do you have to say about it to those interested?
Bollywood is a negative, derogatory term. The serious filmmakers of Mumbai should reestablish and regain the past glory of Hindi cinema of the fifties. They were Indian and also Hindi films. A lot of audiences abroad naively think that Bollywood is Indian cinema. In our conversations we are compelled to remind them that there are Indian cinemas outside Bombay.

Is there no 'masala' film you ever liked?
You are already qualifying film with 'masala'. How can you appreciate something once its very essence is encroached upon?

Are you looking to explore a subject outside of or not related to Kerala?
I normally prefer to work within the milieu of Kerala because I feel comfortable and in full command of things when I deal with a Keralan subject. I am, of course, not averse to doing a film outside Kerala. It would mean more homework for me.

Adoor Gopalakrishnan school of cinema is a world away from the escapist entertainment offered by the Hindi/Malayalam film industries. Can the two ever meet?

I want to keep my audience face to face with reality. And those who have cared have relished it. The primary function of any art is to make you aware of the reality not negating or 'escaping' it. There isn't much of a chance for me to be making compromise with what I don't believe in.

All stars look forward to a call from you, never mind the extreme image makeover. Is there any kind of orientation you give them before the team gets to work?
I love and respect my artistes and they return it too. That is the only secret. My artistes are always aware that I make every effort to take the best out of them. There are several rehearsals and it is not unusual to go for many re-takes.

Does it bother you that though most Indians would know about you, very few non-Malayalees would've seen your films?
There will be more opportunities for non-Malayalees to see my films as DVDs of more films are brought out with sub-titles. Also, there needs to develop an alternative distribution for quality films in the country, starting with small cinemas in the big cities. I am looking forward to one or more imaginative and enterprising film lovers to do it, not the government (Look at Doordarshan, it is so happy and contented now after having stopped the screening of the Panorama films!)

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM in sync with the best of the business world.....
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
An array of unconventional career options
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India

Sona Jain's first film 'For Real'

2011-03-22T12:58:00.002+05:30

IIPM Marches Ahead in B-School Rankings...

For a first time filmmaker, Sona Jain is fairly intrepid. A writer and director who believes in the power of the story, her first film 'For Real', which is a story about a six-year-old girl who thinks that her mother is an alien, is set to hit Indian screens on 17th September. Ahead of the release, she talks to Tareque Laskar about the challenges of independent film making and the evolution of audience taste in India.

'For Real' has a very intriguing premise set in the backdrop of a family drama. How would you classify the film?
'For Real' is a story of a family living in New Delhi and it's seen through the eyes of a six-year-old child. The film is a depiction of the workings of a child's mind whose heart is very innocent. When she sees anything which doesn't make sense to her, her interpretation of it to the outsiders is completely odd. Such as the fact that she thinks the mother is an alien. So if you see the mother is an unhappy person, her first instinct is to say this is not my mother this is someone else, which may be in the adult world a wrong interpretation. So that is what the child picks up. So it is a drama and it is being through the eyes of a child and it really is an opportunity for all of us to not only see how kids look at us but alternatively also for 90 minutes of your life get an opportunity to once again be a child and you know go back at looking at the world through the eyes that you probably used 30 years ago.

This film has been in the making for a while but now has been received very well in the festival circuit. What has kept the film from being released in India?
The release date hasn't been delayed at all. The film was finished only in November last year and it was a strategic decision to take it for a whirlwind tour of the international film festival circuit, and it's been a strategy that's paid off for us. By doing that we have won five international awards till date and insha-Allah more would be forthcoming before the year is out. And we have had the opportunity to showcase the film before leading film makers like Mira Nair, Vishal Bhardwaj and Sudhir Mishra. Mira (Nair) has seen the film, I didn't know Mira. She surprised everyone by showing up at the screening at a film festival in New York and she said it was a Sunday afternoon, and she wanted to watch a film so she showed up. And you know as soon as the film finished, she was on her seat and she talked about it for 10 minutes. You know it's not like that these people are associated with the film or they are known to me, but it's just been incredible'the kind of response and support we have received because of the story telling of the film itself.

For an independent film maker who wants to make something which is off the beaten track when it comes to films in India, what are the typical challenges that you have faced and what has your experience been like?
See, I wrote this film in 2001 and Sarita Chaudhary was the first person I showed it to. Zakir Hussain was the second, and they both came on board. But it still took me about four years to put enough money together to shoot this film. A lot of instances went into it, when I think in retrospect. I was very young, I was a student. I had graduated from NYU in 2005. A young Indian girl in New York trying to raise money was quite a challenge. The funny thing 'For Real' is that in the West they call it an Indian Film and back home they call it an English Film. But everyone loves it. So as an artist you just want to tell the story that you want to and if you don't want to be bogged down by these kinds of criteria then it makes for a greater struggle. But my reward is that my product - my film - touches so many people across continents. As I've seen from the film festival that the struggle is totally worthwhile.

If I were to do it again, 'For Real' would always be my first film. As you made the movie, what have you observed in terms of the evolution of the film scene in India?
You know in the 1980s a very interesting phenomenon happened in America. The American studios had cracked the formula which they called commercial / mainstream. And then what happened was that quality films started coming. They were smaller films which told really intimate stories and these films were stealing away a large pie of the box office. So all the studios wondered who these little guys were who came and took away their box office. And not only that, they were winning all the awards also, because they were actually that good. So you know this movement which was spearheaded by film makers like Steven Sorderbergh and his 'Sex, Lies and Videotape' that led to the creation of studios like Miramax which Disney bought and then Fox started Fox Searchlight. All the studios started their speciality divisions, which were smaller budget, high concept films and I see the same movement happening in India, which is really good. Whether it's an 'Udaan' or a 'Peepli Live' or 'For Real', just the fact that not only these films are being made but they are being backed by big players like Aamir Khan, UTV and PVR. It shows that somewhere these people have started realising that the terms 'commercial' and 'mainstream' are changing.

Where do you see this trend going in terms of fragmentation of the audience? How to make a film viable which otherwise might not be a commercial mainstream subject as such but something that needs to be told in terms of a story?
I don't think it's about audience segregation, I think especially more than any other audience in the world, our Indians love cinema. And if you give them good cinema they will love to watch it. The imagination has been limited by the film makers and the producers themselves.

I recently showed my film in Ahmedabad. Initially we were in two minds whether to open the film there or not. This was at a film festival and it so happened that the film festival was at a PVR. It was a packed house; there were local people from the city and the audience response was just flabbergasting. Not only that, you have the audience now coming on to forums like Facebook and writing reviews of your film. The nuances of storytelling that the audience picked up was amazing. It is not that the same audience will not enjoy a 'Dabaang' or a 'We Are Family' ' of course, they will. But they will equally love an 'Udaan' or a 'For Real'. The audience taste had always existed but we never fed it. One of the all time greatest movies in India is 'Mother India'. If the film were produced today, would you call it mainstream or parallel cinema? Not at all. It is about storytelling and storytelling is when somebody goes and watches a piece of cinema, they see a reflection of their own emotions.

Your film doesn't boast of any big stars but deals with a sensitive and nuanced subject. Was it a conscious decision to avoid casting any famous names?
There is only one star on my set and that is my story. And I was blessed that everyone ' the cast and the crew ' were there to tell the story. At every award I accept the award on behalf of my cast and crew because I believe we all made this film together like a family. I am not making the film for a star; my star was the script so I wanted to cast the person who would show your character the best and give you the best performance. The kids casting was the biggest challenge, especially the little girl ' she was the make-or-break for the movie. I knew I was casting someone too young. We had over a 100 kids auditioned and I took a decision after 20 odd auditions that I did not want a child with any prior acting experience because for someone so young, they get trained into bad acting habits. I thought I'd rather take someone who is untainted and train them to act like real children on the film sets. And both my kids have won awards at international film festivals.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Proves Its Mettle Once Again...
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
Indian universities and higher education institutes seem to be caught in a time warp teaching things

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

WEST BENGAL CORRUPTION: Potato conundrum

2011-02-14T12:32:00.001+05:30

INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

The Left is in the lurch after another scam surfaces
Potato scam in West Bengal has been busted after the arrest of Yakub Ali, manager of the Chanditala agricultural cooperative society, on July 24. The scam surfaced only after CPI-backed farmers' organisation, Paschimbanga Krishak Sabha, complained to the Minister in Charge of Agricultural Marketing, Mortaza Hussaain, on July 8 of irregularities in purchase of potato.

According to some senior CPI leaders, some three state-owned marketing units ' BENFED, CONFED and West Bengal Essential Commodities Supply Corporation Ltd, were involved in the scam. Due to massive production this year, the actual rate for potato procurement came down heavily, leaving the growers in distress. To address the burning issue, the state government announced a rate of Rs 175 per sack (of 40 kgs) plus Rs 25 as other expenses as procurement price. Besides, the government ordered bulk potato procurement through these organisations.

Member of the district secretariat of CPI, Hooghly, Ajit Mukherjee said: 'We noticed that the procurement started only after the second week of March and ended by March 31. The ECSL issued order to selected Thana Marketing Societies on March 29, 2010 for procurement of huge quantity of potatoes and all was over by March 31. Procurement of tonnes of potatoes in just two or three days is impossible.' President of the Paschimbanga Krishak Sabha, Probodh Panda (CPI MP) said corrupt leaders and marketing agencies worked together to loot money in the name of procuring potatoes.

Ajit said: 'To conceal misdeeds, CPM leaders prepared fictitious master role of farmers. In fact things were procured from the cold-store owners. This way middlemen and traders benefitted.' President of the Potato Traders Association Swapan Samanta said: 'Strict action should be taken against CPM leaders who benefitted from this scam. Otherwise we will launch a state-wide protest soon.'

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
When foreign shores beckon
An array of unconventional career options
A language that divides
Ragging rights and wrongs

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

ORISSA TORTURE: Wilted childhood

2011-02-11T10:29:00.001+05:30

INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

Some 2 lakh children continue to work as labourers
When police rescued Saraswati Pradhan, an eleven-year-old tribal girl, from Prem Nagar area of Berhampur, a southern Orissa town, she was in a bad shape. She was unable to see properly as both her eyes were swollen. It looked that somebody had beaten her up mercilessly. This was confirmed by a police report.

According to the report, a family residing in the town had brought her from Gresingia village of G.Udaygiri police station area in Kandhamal district to employ her as a domestic help. Her ordeal started five days ago. Her employers and their relatives tortured her after she failed to do domestic work assigned to her. She was allegedly locked up in a room without food for five days, a police source said.

Besides, she was ruthlessly beaten up and branded with hot iron rod. Such incidents of torture are unfailingly reported by the media. This incident too hogged limelight and most of the newspapers ran it on July 16. The dust had yet to settle down when another incident of torture surfaced from Kishan Nagar of Cuttack district. This time a seven-year-old girl was at her employers' mercy. She too was branded with hot iron rod and beaten up. In both these cases, the police arrested the culprits and jailed them. Despite stringent laws, children continue to be tortured and forced to work as domestic servant. Some 21,5222 children in Orissa are forced to work as labourers. It is not only child labourers who are tortured, even schoolchildren are at the receiving end. Recently, a teacher mercilessly thrashed a Class I student in Khantapada area in Balasore district.

Teacher Sandhyarani Panda punished Laxmidhar Majhi, a six-year-old student of Bistupur Upper Primary School, for ignoring her order of not blowing whistle during school hours. The government has failed to curb such incidents. 'More than 200 cases of atrocities against children have been reported in Orissa in 2009. The state government does nothing to save our children from being abused,' said Mahendra Parida, convener of Forum Against Child Exploitation, a NGO working for rescue of children.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Best Colleges for Vocational Courses in India
When foreign shores beckon
An array of unconventional career options
A language that divides
Ragging rights and wrongs

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

TAMIL NADU MURDER: Crime of passion soars

2011-02-07T13:18:00.003+05:30

INDIA'S BEST COLLEGES, INSTITUTES and UNIVERSITIES

Spurned by lover, a woman kills his six-year-old son
When the media reported about the brutal killing of a six-year-old child by his father's girlfriend Poovarasi many in the sate were shocked. Sex has become the cause of many murders in Tamil Nadu.

Such cases have become common in Chennai and other parts of the state. It was September 2009 when for the first time such a case surfaced. Chennai was rattled by the murder of a music teacher. Initially nobody had expected that the unfolding of the woman's past would have a sexual angle to the case.

That was not only a one-off incident. Three more murders surfaced soon in that year only. And all of them had their root in passion. In one such incident, a nine-year-old girl was burned by an auto-driver. It was understood that the driver took this extreme step because he realised that the child was coming in way of his intimate encounter with the girl's mother.

In 2010 things drastically changed as more such cases came to the fore. Illicit relationship was the main reason behind five murders in Chennai and its suburbs. In the case of Poovarasi things were somewhat different. Police sources said that Poovarasi strangulated Aditya to death with a small rope to take revenge against his father Jayakumar, with whom she had been having an affair for the past few months.

Both of them developed intimate relationship at their workplace. During their close relationship, Poovarasi allegedly became pregnant twice. But she aborted the child on Jayakumar's insistence.

But after sometime Poovarasi insisted Jayakumar to marry her. When Jayakumar ' a father of two children ' refused to oblige her, she was furious. It was then that she thought of revenge and homed in on his young child. On the fateful day, she visited Jayakumar's house and took his son with his consent to a church. But she didn't return on that day.

The next day, far from Chennai in Nagappatinam bus stand a suspicious suitcase was found. When the cops opened it they found a dead body of a child. On further investigation it was found to be that of Aditya. Poovarasi succeeded in her devil design, but failed to take the cops for a ride. Now, she languishes in Puzhal prison in Chennai. Dr. Siva Nambi, a Chennai-based psychiatrist, said: 'It looks that this is the case of rejection. The woman was unable to control herself and thus committed a heinous crime. She had even gone to a church to seek forgiveness.'

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
When foreign shores beckon
An array of unconventional career options
A language that divides
Ragging rights and wrongs

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

CAMPUS SPEAK: Freedom of expression

2011-01-09T09:25:00.003+05:30

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

Tune into the campus lingua franca'
We didn't even notice when sneakers became 'skids' and common people turned into 'mango people' (credit to 'Love Aaj Kal'); barbeque meals are identified as 'Barbie' (no relation to the anorexic toy) and loafers referred not to the roadside Romeos but a type of shoes. Supplementing the rise of SMS and Internet language, the growing popularity of such terms, churned out by generation Z at the speed of thought, is ensuring the lexicographers have never a dull moment. Language has now a new dimension ' the campus lingo!

Campus-ers march to a beat of their own drum; an outsider would be clueless as to what the crowd was up to. And so, for the benefit of all you facchas ('freshers'; see?), here is an update on the trendy campus vernacular and college hotspots.

'Plant you now and dig you later' sounds Greek to me, but makes complete sense to my younger sister, fresh into college. 'It simply means I will catch you later,' she explains with little patience. ''Going Dutch' is pass', T2M2 (Tu Tera Main Mera) is what is bandied around in the campus caf',' informs Tavleen Kaur from Hansraj College, North Campus, Delhi.

While chopsticks would remind most of us of an authentic Chinese restaurant, it is used to describe a pair of inseparables at Jesus and Mary College, New Delhi, 'We use B-iaaaaatch, a Californianized pronunciation of the word b**** pretty often,' says Shreya Arora, a veteran of the college.

Within the hallowed portals of St Stephen's in the capital, 'ShakeSoc' is not an advanced war cry further to pulling up your socks. Instead, it is common reference to the prestigious Shakespeare Society. 'At Hindu College, the first place any fresher visits is the Virgin Tree ' no, not an indecent proposition as it may sound. The Virgin Tree is the most sought after place at our college; it has witnessed many freshman marriages and farewell parties. This tree is the nerve centre of our college,' says Kashima Arora, a proud insider. 'At IIT Delhi, the students who choose electrical engineering are called 'batti' (bulb); credits are referred to as 'kodi' (a term used for money in ancient times),' adds Payal Madan.

Before you say 'Oh, okay?' know that in the campus, anybody replying with the conventional 'OK' has chances of standing out like a unicorn. With new substitutes like 'K', 'Okaaay', 'Okies', 'All righty', 'Okie dokie', OK is a thing of the past and is not even missed, get it dude? And 'dude' is regardless of the gender. 'What's up', a conversation conundrum unto itself, has already been superseded by 'wassup', 'sup' or 'wad up', usually responded to with a 'nothing much'! 'Such lingo is strongly influenced by the local language,' adds Karan Chilana, a student of Narsee Monjee Institute in Mumbai. When asked about his favourite one, he picked up 'cut to cut' (to talk to the point) from the lot. 'All is well!' is another recent addition. Knowledge and use of such chic phrases is strongly recommended once you are a part of this league, else be prepared to be christened a BHK (Beeta Hua Kal)'

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
Award Conferred To Irom Chanu Sharmila By IIPM
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps

Arindam Chaudhuri GIDF Planman Consulting Business & Economy 4Ps Business & Marketing The Sunday Indian The Human Factor The Daily Indian Kkoooljobs.com Amaze, New Delhi IIPM Old Brochure IIPM 4Ps Quiz Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's Alternative Budget For IIPM Students

RAAVAN: RAAV-YAWN

2011-01-06T10:22:00.002+05:30

IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board

TSI Five-O: A visual delight but a tepid take on a timeless tale

Mani Ratnam's new endeavour reaching out to the masses in two variants is a stale tale. A carefully amalgamated version of an intense jungle story coupled with run of the mill 'excuses' to base a two-hour-long movie on India's most famous mythological story is what 'Raavan' is all about. Of course, it has been spectacularly picturised, to the extent that the picturesque insights to the God's own country might even enamour the National Geographic Channel. With all scenes wet, wild and essentially green, one feels one with nature but not the plot of the movie.

The dull first half where one pans in and out of one narrative and then the other will put you right off. And the irritation will only amplify as you listen to the horrendous chik-chik-chik-chik and the annoying bak-bak-bak-bak of Beera (Abhishek Bachchan), who tries hard to pull off intense expressions but disappoints to the core. Beera goes overboard with his wild side, especially when he rubs his head time and again with his tongue hanging out. Ragini (Aishwarya Rai Bachchan) is introduced with a scene that has her shrieking; a not often seen trait of hers. She too shouts a lot in the due course of the film. But with her mesmerising eyes and decent acting, Ash just about manages to scrape through.

In Ratnam's adaptation of Ramayana, Raavan tugs on a huge baggage of expectations and collapses too soon. Beera is the so-called Robin Hood of his village and he is no less than a barbarian when it comes to justice for his people or the ones he loves. Already a criminal according the books of law, Beera does well in giving the cops a run for their money while in hiding. He is wronged by the police when his sister is raped by the cops. In order to get back, Beera kidnaps the Superintendent of Police, Dev's (Vikram; the South star looks dashing in his Ray Ban shades) wife Ragini. The chase begins when Sanjivni (Govinda), the forest guard (or the Hanuman in this saga), assists Dev in the hunt. How Ragini sees the innate goodness of Beera and is forced to question her own loyalties and how the clash of the titans leads to a blood bath is no big surprise really. Just like in Ramayana, even in this, the 'Sita' (Ragini) is asked to give agni pariksha and go in for a polygraph test to prove her fidelity. Yes, the adaptation is almost that literal, and that's where the problem lies.

The climax is not too glamorous, some of the scenes far outstay their welcome and all the actors punch below their weight and the result is a boring concoction that only livens up in the last quarter of an hour or so. Ratnam may have tried to dish out a fresh take on an old story, but his screenplay does little to highlight Mani, the master of the nuanced and many layered tale. 'Raavan' is mostly unidirectional traffic set amongst some stunning artwork and cinematography.

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

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

Higher Education: Quality over quantity

2011-01-03T13:16:00.004+05:30

IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board

Closing down worthless colleges and encouraging better ones is the way forward for India

Dr. PV Indiresan
Leading educationist & former Director, IIT Madras

Many people do know that India has over 20,000 colleges in arts and sciences but it also has over 16,000 dental colleges. A proposal from the Dental Council of India to halt further expansion of dental colleges was turned down by the government on the plea that all colleges are started according to norms and that there is need for more dentists. Unfortunately, there is no reliable study of how good these colleges are.

According to Mr Narayana Murthy, mentor of Infosys, barely 20 per cent of engineering graduates are employable. There are others who have said that among arts graduates, the figure is barely 10 per cent. Whatever the correct figure may be, we have to admit that most colleges are substandard and that most of the money spent on higher education is a waste. This over-expansion is a consequence of comparing ourselves with countries like the US where enrolment ratios are far higher. After WW II, sociologists developed a theory that higher education is not a privilege but a right. As a result, admissions to universities became largely unrestricted. We have university graduates working as peons or bus conductors. Except for a few colleges of excellence, the quality of learning has deteriorated.

Higher education has expanded but India's status in higher education quality is dismal. In the 2009 Times Higher Education-Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University rankings, no Indian university features among the first 100. But universities in East Asia have been included in the first hundred. Hong Kong has three, ranked at 24, 35 and 46; Singapore two at 30 and 73; South Korea one at 47 and China has two at 49 and 52. There is no Indian university in the rankings from 100 to 200 either. It is only when one moves on to the next 100 that we find the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur at 237; IIT Madras at 284 and the University of Delhi at 291.

For over 10 years now, the Department of Science and Technology has been promoting postgraduate courses in engineering by offering sums in excess of Rs 2 crore per course ' on condition that industry too contributes an equal amount. Virtually all colleges that applied for assistance came from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. With great difficulty, the department has been able to persuade a few other states to join. Evidently, professional (and industrial) interest in higher education exists virtually only in the southern states. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council figures are not entirely reliable because institutions like the IITs and the AIIMS do not opt for accreditation. In fact, less than ten per cent of the colleges have come forward to be assessed. The accompanying table gives the list of states with A grades (3 points and above) and at least one A+ grades (3.45 and above) for the last three years. Earlier assessments under the old rules are not included. Five states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab have done well. That indicates the best colleges are in the Deccan area.

India Today provides another list of top colleges in various disciplines. Its list is selective and not voluntary. Hence it includes reputed institutions like the IITs, AIIMS, Vellore Medical College and the like. However, it does not include all outstanding colleges. Hence, strictly speaking, we do not have a truly reliable list of quality institutions in the country. The government has been active in trying to improve college education. It has put forth four proposals. First, it has inducted a National Council of Higher Education and Research (NCHER) to replace the UGC, AICTE and the like. It is not clear how NCHER can function when the UGC and the AICTE did not. Second, the government wants compulsory accreditation. Frankly, the current accreditation systems do not enjoy a high reputation.

Third, the government wants admission to all colleges (including arts) by a central admission test. The US does have in SAT a nationwide entrance test. However, the SAT scores are used for shortlisting only and not for deciding admissions the way the IITs do. Fourth, the government wants public-private Partnership but no capitation fees.

Instead of these, I suggest that there could be admission tests but they should only be for shortlisting. Also, let colleges improve through competition and not by the dictat of an NCHER or a central accreditation agency. Then, let the number of students admitted be related to (not equal to) the number that gained acceptable employment or admission to advanced graduate courses. Then, many colleges in India will have to close down. Closing worthless colleges and not mindlessly expanding their number is the right solution for our country.

NEW DELHI ARTIFACTS: The lost treasures campaign

2010-12-20T15:40:00.002+05:30

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

ASI makes efforts to bring back artifacts held abroad

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

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

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

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

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri's Snaps
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
Run after passion and not money, says Arindam Chaudhuri
IIPM BBA MBA B-School: Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize To Irom Chanu Sharmila
IIPM Lucknow – News article in Economic Times and Times of India
IIPM Prof Arindam Chaudhuri on Our Parliament and Parliamentarians' Work

KERALA CUSTODIAL DEATH: Cops in the dock

2010-12-11T16:19:00.003+05:30

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

Father says police killed his son, but cops rubbish charge

The image of Kerala police took a beating after reports surfaced of the death of Sampath, 26, in police custody on March 29. He was the main accused in the sensational Puthoor Sheela murder case. She was killed on March 22, 2010, in the day light at her house in Palakkad and her mother Karthiyayani (70) was also brutally attacked.

The police claimed that Sampath developed chest pain and was taken to Palakkad District Hospital where he was declared dead. However, people are not willing to believe the police story. They accused the cops of killing him. The cops rubbished the charge. However, the High Court has asked the police to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigatoin (CBI).

Based on a petition filed by Sampath's brother and father, the court doubts the police version. Besides, Justice V Ramkumar feels that the cops are hiding the role played by then Superintendent of Police P. Vijaya Sakhare in this case. The Crime Branch of police had taken over the Sheela murder case days after the incident.

Justice Ramkumar expressed shock at lock ups being converted into killing chambers. He said he could not believe that 14 officers accused in the Sampath case are absconding and could not be arrested. He ordered the immediate handing of the related documents to the CBI Kochi Unit superintendent.

The counsel of Sampath's family members alleged that since Sheela was the sister of a top IAS official in Tourism Department, a high-level interference resulted in the custodial death.

The court pointed out that according to post-mortem report there were 63 injuries on Sampath's body. It is alleged that reports showed that electric shock was applied on the victim during interrogation. After this incident the credibility of the state police force, which is supposed to be the protector of people's life and properties, is at stake.

But Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan lost no time in stating that the judge has taken a biased view of the case while handing over the case to the CBI. Kerala Home Ministry boasts of police reforms and of late many police stations have been converted into Janamaithri (people friendly) police stations.

But with such cases coming to the fore, people will stop trusting the police force, according to activists. They said the police still used third-degree methods to divulge information from alleged culprits. Several custodial deaths during the Left Democratic Front (LDF) have tarnished the image of the police in the state.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board
Run after passion and not money, says Arindam Chaudhuri
IIPM BBA MBA B-School: Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize To Irom Chanu Sharmila
Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM Dean) – ‘Every human being is a diamond’
Planman Consulting: The sister concern of IIPM

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

Which colour do you 'need'

2010-11-22T16:32:00.004+05:30

IIPM BBA MBA Institute: Student Notice Board

Ever wondered why the colour of money is usually green and workplaces are often painted blue and yellow? And why black is not a colour for an auspicious occasion while red is the choice of colour for most brides? Aakriti Bhardwaj sets out to find if interpreting colours correctly will indeed lead us to the pot of gold that lies at the end of the rainbow.
AAKRITI BHARDWAJ

While driving back from work one day, I heard an RJ on a radio channel dishing out advice to people for various problems through the usage of colours. A caller rang in and said, “I’m in love with this girl, who is my boss. She is going to London in 10 days and I need to tell her that I love her and I don’t want her to go.” The on-air colour therapist cum RJ Rochie Rana advised him to use red, pink and purple in his office. The week after, I tuned in again to find out about the fate of Mr Romeo. He apparently had walked up to his girl and proposed. “I think even I love you,” was the reply the lucky man received! But how could mere colours make someone fall for a person? Desperate to figure out how colours can fix our problems, I fixed an appointment with Rochie Rana, a colour therapist, pranic healer and an ex-radio jockey.

“There are two ways to look at colour therapy,” said Rochie, my shepherd for the day, lounging on a chair in a café sporting a black attire and sipping on a yellow drink. “One is colour therapy that originated along with ayurveda. In India, the principle was really simple, they understood colours affect people. Brides always wore red, that was colour therapy because they understood that red is the colour of sexual desire. It is the colour of bonding sexually, as in ancient India there were arranged marriages, so it helped women to feel more comfortable. They wore henna on their hands, as yellow is the colour which stopped them from feeling tired and helped cool their nerves as they worked in the kitchen and in the field. This is the Indian version, which started with ayurveda and it became really big while colour therapy was left behind. Then came Pythagoras (the man behind the Pythagoras theorem), who understood that every colour has a wavelength and every wavelength of every colour was constantly hitting your mind and giving you certain messages, and it had an effect on your mind, body and soul. Green was a natural master healer. Colour therapy is very old but Pythagoras actually is the man who gave colours their vibrational modalities, and therefore made it very scientific.”

Colour therapy is often criticised, for the placebo effect alone may help heal some patients. “You can verify it” Rochie said with a defensive look that stemmed from her love for her art... sorry science! “It’s empirical. Pythagoras said there are vibrational modalities. It is certified by doctors across the world. There are psychological institutes that dwell upon colour therapy. The University of Massachusetts always stands by the effect of colours on marketing and sales. For instance, no restaurant will have insufficient red or orange because those are the colours that make you want to eat. We don’t work on placebo effect. Which colour do you 'need' Colours have an effect even on those people who don’t believe in them. What I do is purely scientific. It is no voodoo, it is science. Colour therapy is not restricted to emotional and physical pain, I have cured people of migraine, hepatitis and by combining it with pranic healing, I’ve brought back people from the last stage of cancer!”

On a table in front of me, she then laid eight cards, each of a different colour. I was to pick one card at a time, whichever I was attracted to, and then flip it over and continue the drill with the rest of the cards. Each card had a number written on the other side, which became Rochie’s reference number. This process was to be done twice.

So I flipped each card one by one. Orange attracted me the most, green, blue and pink followed, next was the very bright yellow, and brown, black and grey were the last in my list. The second time the sequence was slightly altered. My therapist then did some math while I finally decided to look at the menu.

“You are a very emotional person and right now you are sort of emotionally distressed...” she’d begun. And as she continued, I was dumbstruck by the accuracy in her judgement of my current situation. I felt as if I had been shown a mirror, and it had reflected thoughts, which had perhaps been buried deep within me, things I never had the courage to face. She told me that I wanted to break away from personal or professional ties as they were making me unhappy. If I continued pushing myself, she warned that it could become a much larger problem. I asked her for solutions and she gave me three simple things to do for 14 days. On the eighth day itself, I could feel the difference. Today, I am more sorted and I have my priorities right. No wonder when we are sad, browns and greys seem to hold the maximum appeal and in happier times we invariably end up picking reds, purples and pinks. Try wearing a bright colour when feeling gloomy, it might surprise you by bringing that smile back! Which colour do you 'need' Colour Quotient
by Rochie Rana

For relationships:
Keep pink, purple and red close to yourself. It’s a myth that red makes you aggressive. A 100% exposure to red would make you aggressive. But red is for a very active, healthy and romantic relationship. Purple is for a very soulful relationship, I usually suggest it for couples who’ve been married really long and have lived out their sexual inclinations and are now trying to connect at a higher level.

To soothe or calm oneself:
Go for a lot of indigo and a little bit of blue. Always use only a hint of the colours; if you use a 100% blue, you are likely to feel depressed. Colours have contraindications as well. Too much of one colour can result in trouble.

Health:
Stay in the pink with green. Hospitals across the world use the colour green. It is considered as nature’s master healer. For example, if your blood pressure is low and your friend’s blood pressure is high, and if you are both exposed to green for seven minutes or more, both of your blood pressures will become normal!

For studies:
Yellow. This is the colour that increases concentration by 80%. So, if you are writing on a legal pad, chances of you remembering what you have written are 80% higher. But don’t overdo yellow, like wearing yellow, seeing yellow and writing on yellow, unless you want diarrhoea!

Physical pain:
Treat pain with green. Put some oil in a green glass bottle or cover a glass bottle with a green cellophane paper and keep it out in the sun for seven hours. This solarised oil can be used wherever there is pain for 14 days. Green is the only colour that doesn’t have side-effects. You can use as much of it as you want. You could also drink solarised water twice a day.

Prosperity and wealth:
Green, orange and purple. Technically, the colour of prosperity is green because the colour of money is green. Purple is a very good colour to bring in money as well and so is orange.

Workplace:
Yellow and orange at workplaces is good. Yellow is particularly good for people in creative jobs because it makes you think faster and think out of the box. Orange helps one push the envelope. It keeps you energised.

Combating negative thought:
If someone’s feeling negative, jealous, envious or angry, happy colours like white and purple should be used. A lot of people who have a lot of negative energy are not attracted to these colours as it repels them.

Business meetings:
If you are wearing black you are not going to get intimidated in a meeting. You would look dignified, feel confident, secure and be more assertive.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
Run after passion and not money, says Arindam Chaudhuri
IIPM BBA MBA B-School: Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize To Irom Chanu Sharmila
IIPM Prof Rajita Chaudhuri: The New Age Woman

IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm - Planman Consulting
Planman Consulting: The sister concern of IIPM
Planman Consulting
Social Networking Sites have become advertising shops

A promise not kept

2010-10-21T14:45:00.003+05:30

IIPM B-School Detail

Six years gone & STF men who killed Veerappan get nothing

When the elusive forest brigand Veerappan was shot dead by the joint Special Task Forces (STFs) of both Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on October 18, 2004, the then government had promised to reward the cops involved in this operation.

Dharam Singh, who was the Chief Minister of Karnataka at that time, had announced various incentives, including cash rewards and promotions to all the 754 Karnataka STF personnel involved in the operation. Also, he had promised to gift residential plots to brave officers at their respective district headquarters.

Now, almost six years after that incident it looks that the operation has been forgotten. The STF has been renamed Anti-Naxal Squad (ANS) and redeployed in the dense jungles of Western Ghatts. Different governments came and went, but nobody made an effort to fulfil the promise despite repeated reminders and pleas by potential beneficiaries.

Upset with the attitude of the government, some personnel resorted to legal battle. B.Venkappa Rai and D.R.Jayaswamy of Mysore, N. Jagannathan, B.K. Bhaskar and Ningappa of Bangalore filed a case in the court against the state government. Finally, the court ordered the state to sanction the plots to the petitioners. But the government didn't act. And when it continued to ignore the court order, the petitioners filed Contempt of Court petition against the state government. This time, the government acted and sanctioned residential plots to all the above petitioners. But the government can get into trouble if the rest of the personnel also approach the court. In such a situation, the government might find it difficult to provide the plots to all of them.

Therefore, it immediately swung into action and issued an order on May 17, 2010, (HD92 POP 2010). It stated that instead of giving plots to the personnel the government would give them money that is cost of the plots (Rs 510 per square-foot). Some officials said Rs 20 crore is going to be allotted for this purpose. They said the government reneged on its early promise because there is shortage of plots in urban centres across the state.

According to the promise, the personnel holding post of inspector and lower level were supposed to get 30/40 plots and those above the inspector level 60/40 plots. Some activists said the recent offer was nothing but an eyewash, for none could get a plot with the price the government has fixed as the land value has risen in the urban centres, particularly in metropolises like Bangalore. The government is trying to wash its hand off the whole issue.

Moreover, even if one goes by the price per-square-foot fixed by the government, the total amount needed is around Rs 46 crore. But, as per the order, only Rs 20 crore is going to be allocated. Is it another eyewash?

Kumar Buradikatti

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

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

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

IS POP FINALLY DYING OUT

2010-09-21T14:34:00.002+05:30

Non-film music albums, which were in vogue a few years back, have now suddenly taken a backseat. But then, who is to be blamed for this downward trend?

When was the last time you watched a music video (a pop music video) on MTV or on any other music channel for that matter? Better, when was the last time you bought a CD that had non-film Hindi music? Over the last two years, the genre of non-film music (or pop as some popularly call it) has been gaining in obscurity.

But sample this, and you hit the paradoxical digit wall: In 2009, there were as many as 30 pop albums (in Hindi) released. While music production company Tips released two pop albums, Sony and Saregama came out with three each during this period. Universal Music, however, had a comparatively better count of 16 non-film releases. Yet, the overall annual figure of pop albums is much less than what it used to be in the early years of this decade. Four years back, non-film music used to have 22-25% share of the music industry in terms of value.

Unfortunately, industry estimates suggest that this share has fallen by a good 50% as of now. Rajeeta Hemwani, VP – Content and A&R, Universal Music says, “Over the last two years, labels have completely shied away from non-film music due to the changing dynamics of the industry. Though the music industry on the whole has been on a slow track, but non-film music has taken a bigger hit than film music.”

This is completely opposite of how music labels operate in the West, with a mammoth share of 90% and above of the approximately $12 billion industry being accounted by non-film music sales (33% being digital downloads; and WalMart and Apple being the top two retailers). As per the FICCI-KPMG Media and Entertainment Industry report 2009, the size of the Indian music industry has fallen by about 12% to Rs.7.3 billion in 2008 as compared to Rs.8.3 billion in 2005. One of the primary reasons for this de-growth has been the erosion of sales of physical formats, a trend which is expected to continue in the future as well. Physical formats such as audio cassettes and compact discs, which accounted for about 87% of industry revenue in India in 2005 currently account for just 60%. What further adds to the woes of non-film music is its lackluster performance on digital front too. While film albums like Delhi6 and Singh is Kinng have easily made a few lakhs through the digital medium, collecting even a few thousands through the medium has been a tough battle for non-film music albums.

But it’s just not the falling proceeds of the music industry which is to blame for this extinction. Over the last three years, pop music has been strongly ignored by television channels and radio stations, which in turn has discouraged music labels to invest their money in pop albums. As Universal’s Hemwani points out, “Today, even the best of the pop videos with best artist gets played once or twice in a day on a music channel like MTV. We can’t expect 7-8 rotations per day of a pop video on music channels today.

If we don’t get a good air-play how can we expect these albums to get popular or even noticed for that matter.” The point raised by Hemwani is actually a result of changing business strategy of leading music channels like MTV and Channel V. Reality being the latest fad among the youth, music channels are now embracing more reality content in their programming mix at the cost of music.

Today a channel like MTV has only 20% share of music in its programming mix. Not just that, MTV has also dropped the phrase ‘Music Television’ from its logo in October 2009. Ashish Patil, GM – MTV India & Senior VP – Creative & Content says, “Dropping the ‘MUSIC TELEVISION’ tag from the logo is a big symbolic statement and finally closes the loop on the repositioning exercise MTV kicked off two years back. We were born of music, inspired by music, driven by music – but not limited by music… MTV is beyond music, beyond television.” Similarly, Channel V has just 60% of music content today. This is a significant fall compared to an 80% share that music use to have just two years ago in its programming mix.

Today music channels have less on-air time for music content and even lesser time for pop music simply because film music has a wider appeal than pop. Radio stations too don’t give significant air-play to non-film music. Thus, the non-film music content has to rely mostly on paid promotions (both on TV and radio) to get noticed. This in turn takes the marketing cost of these albums higher. That’s the reason why private albums of big singers like Mohit Chauhan (Fitoor) and Kailash Kher (Yatra), released in 2009, aren’t as popular as their previous albums. However, the good news is that the non film music has been climbing up through live events, thanks to a number music bands surfacing in the country. “Over the last two years non-film music has made significant money through events which is a good sign for the category,” says a media analyst. Industry experts too feel that this is in fact the area that will drive the growth of the non-film music category in future. Even as per the FICCI-KPMG report, “The public performance segment, with revenue of Rs.173 million in 2008, is expected to reach Rs.378 million by 2013.”

Industry experts are hopeful that with some support from TV channels and radio stations in the form of having a particular slot, non-film music could grow in future. Moreover, with new radio and TV channels getting on the block, the domination of mass music (in Indian context, films) will pave the way for niche content. Even if one or two pop music radio and TV channels go on-air, it can give the non-film music category the much needed boost.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

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

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

IIPM Press Release - Nutrivita PRESENTS 100 MARKETING BRAINS THAT MOVE AND SHAKE INDIA

2010-08-26T23:07:00.000+05:30

Summet Nair

MD, Fashion Foundation of India

My best marketing moment was when we formed the Fashion Design Council of India and started the country’s first fashion week event. I had just come back from overseas and had no knowledge about how to start the country’s first fashion show. But then, many designers who were my friends came together and we got a sponsor – Lakme. Of course, compared to today’s fashion week, we didn’t do much of marketing then, but Lakme India Fashion Week was established as a fashion week in the global market. That was indeed some achievement.

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.

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

The Sunday Indian:-

B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!

For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine’s B School Ranking Scam Exposed

Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor

Don’t trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education

IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years

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

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

IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy

Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎

Can you take the heat?

2010-07-30T12:55:00.002+05:30

With a mission to foray into the energy drink market of India, cola major Coca-Cola India recently unveiled its energy drink brand Burn in India. The initiative was to connect with the trendsetting, socially active and adventurous young adults. But the connectivity might not be easy with the existence of the big daddy Red Bull. Ricardo Fort (RF), VP-Marketing, Coca-Cola India reveals his Burn game plan to 4Ps B&M and talks about Coca Cola’s future momentum in India.

4Ps B&M: What was the thought behind Burn?
RF: The characteristics of Burn are potency and energy and it’s explained by the tagline ‘Can you take the heat?’ We needed this brand to complete our product portfolio. We are the largest beverage company in the market and our portfolio is also very very wide, so we thought we should have a brand in this segment.

4Ps B&M: You are now spearheading the marketing operations of Coca Cola in India. What will be the focus areas in 2010?
RF: Innovation has always been the hallmark of Coca-Cola’s business strategy in India. And such innovations would be implemented in our marketing program also. Like with Burn, we launched Burn cars as a 360 degree integrated marketing communication involving on-ground consumer activations including experiential sampling and community marketing initiatives.

4Ps B&M: SBurn is one of your most successful offerings globally. How do you view the energy drink market in India?
RF: Internationally, Burn is one of the most successful energy drink’s from the Coca-Cola stable and globally the energy drink market is growing at 50%, specially in countries like Russia, Ukraine, France, Italy and UK. In India, it’s growing at more than 75% and its launch in India is a testament of the evolution of the ready to drink packaged beverage industry in the country. We know we have a good market for Burn.

4Ps B&M: But then why did you keep the distribution channel so limited, specially when the rival (Red Bull) is so ubiquitous?
RF: We have kept the availability of Burn very limited, it would be available only in night clubs of selected metros as our target customers are young adults. It would be made available in select premium channels and outlets in cities like Mumbai, Delhi NCR and Bangalore. We are constantly evaluating and exploring the opportunities to expand and diversify our beverage portfolio and all our initial launches would be available in selected places.

4Ps B&M: So are you following the strategy of testing waters before the pan-India launch?
RF: We are experiencing a major transformation in the way people react to brands and you need to have an innovative marketing strategy. To support a brand, first of all it should be established in its target audience and then plans should be made for a pan India launch. So for our future brand launches too, we would be first testing the market and then launch it on a pan India basis.

4Ps B&M: Coca Cola India has been growing at an astonishing 37% per annum. What are your plans to support the growing demand?
RF: We are constantly increasing capacity to support the growing demand. Almost all our products are category leaders in India. So to support the growing demand, not only the company but also the bottlers are trying to increase the capacity. Our brands like Thums up, Sprite, Limca have been leading the market and we would be enhancing the market share of these brands.

Angshuman Paul

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

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

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

Kyamovie, Kyamatch, Kyazoonga

2010-06-21T17:15:00.001+05:30

Neetu Bhatia, Co-founder, Kyazoonga.com talks about her vision to make Kyazoonga.com a one-stop shop for ticketing solutions...

4Ps B&M: Online ticketing for sporting events is a novel concept in India. How did the idea click for you?
NB: It all began in the summer of 2006. When my brother and I wanted to go for a movie, we realised that there was not a single place where we could check out show timings and whether tickets were available or sold out. We checked with movie theaters to find out if their technical systems could be integrated with a single platform, and before we knew it, we were tying up with all cinema theater chains in the country. We began ticketing cricket once we received the first round of funding. We started with movies first as it is a year round phenomena whereas cricket is seasonal and it is only when team India is playing at home ground that one can see some frenzy. November 2007 was when we first sold online tickets for the India-Pakistan finals in Jaipur.

4Ps B&M: So do movie tickets net in more moolah or are cricketing events more lucrative?
NB: It depends on what we are selling – whether it is sports ticket that we are selling, is it cricket or some other sport. It depends upon the marketability and selling ability of a particular event. Our business model depends a lot upon the demographics and the city where the event is taking place. For instance, Mumbai has a very different buying culture than Delhi. While a customer pays because of the convenience he’s getting; the client pays because of the platform that we provide to sell his offering. So the business model varies for clients, events and situations.

4Ps B&M: What about competition from other ticketing portals like Bookmyshow.com? How do you convince customers to book with you instead?
NB: We’ve seen many competitors come and go in this market. There are very few companies around the world that are able to offer good centralised ticketing platform and can simplify complex problems. We’re not just selling tickets through our online channel, but also through retail stores where people can pay cash and buy tickets. And this is where we’ve differentiated ourselves from our competitors as in retail outlets, the customer does not has to worry about not having a debit or credit card like in the case of online transactions. Currently, we’ve 250 retail outlets and with the kind of strategic partnerships we are looking, we should be over 1,000 by the end of this year.

4Ps B&M: How has been the ticketing response to the recently concluded Hero Honda Cup?
NB: The response has been nothing less than phenomenal. We witnessed one of the largest stadiums in the country, in Mumbai, completely sold out, though it’s unfortunate that the rain wiped out the match. For the Mohali match, we were only selling high value tickets and we’ve seen encouraging response there too.

4Ps B&M: You had the online ticketing rights for IPL 2. Are you bidding for the 2010 Common Wealth Games?
NB: We’re the only sports ticketing company in the country. Everything and anything related to sports is always on our radar and Common Wealth Games are no exception. Our objective is to satisfy all needs of the Indian customer pertaining to sports and entertainment. We’ve recently tied up with a leading amusement park of the country and are also adding adventure sports like sailing in our portfolio. The idea is not just to provide convenient tickets but also to offer value added content to the customer so that we become a one-stop shop for them.

Surbhi Chawla

For more articles, Click on IIPM Article.

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

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

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

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