A good story for all of us to follow in our careers and social life

Once upon a time a Washerman was bringing up two donkeys.

Let us say Donkey-A and Donkey-B.

Donkey-A felt it was very energetic and could do better than the other.  It always tried to pull the washerman's attraction over it by taking more load and walking fast in front of him.

Innocent Donkey-B is normal, so it will walk normal, irrespective of the washerman's presence.  After a period of time, Washerman started pressurising Donkey-B to be like Donkey-A.  But Donkey-B unable to walk fast, got continuous punishment from washerman.  It was crying and told personally to Donkey-A "Dear friend, only we two are here, why to compete with each other....we can carry equal load at normal speed ".

That made Donkey-A all the more energetic and next day it told to washerman that it can carry more load and even it can run fast also.

Obviously happier washerman looked at Donkey-B.., his BP raised and he started kicking Donkey-B. Next day with smile, Donkey-A carried more load and started running fast. But it was breathtaking for Donkey-B and it couldn't act that way....But the washerman was frustrated, so he harassed Donkey-B terribly, and finally it fell down hopelessly.

Then Donkey-A felt itself as a supremo and happily started carrying more load with great speed.  But now the Load of the Donkey-B is also being carried by Donkey-A., and still it has to run fast.   For some period it did, finally due to fatigue it got tired and started feeling the pain.  But washerman expected more from Donkey-A. It also tried best, but couldn't cope up with his owners demand. The Washerman got angry with Donkey-A also and started harassing to take more load... Donkey-A was crying for long time and then tried its best... But it couldn't meet the owner's satisfaction.  Finally the day came when due to frustration the washerman killed Donkey-A and went for searching some other Donkeys.

Its an endless story..........

But the moral of the Story in Corporate and social life is......,

"Think all colleagues are same and that everyone is capable.... Always Share the Load equally..... Don't ever act smart in front of your Boss and never try for getting over-credit...

It doesn't matter if you are 'A' or 'B'

For the Boss you shall be always DONKEY

RAGGING IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

It is June and many colleges and schools are opening up for the new
academic year. Could you please spare a moment and read about :

THE LITTLE GIRL WHO DARED TO WISH

Please send a message against ragging; you may save quite a few
lives as also deep mental injury for innocent children. Please


As Amy Hagadorn rounded the corner across the hall from her
classroom, she collided with a tall boy from the fifth grade running
in the opposite direction.

"Watch it, squirt," the boy yelled, as he dodged around the little
third grader. Then, with a smirk on his face, the boy took hold of
his right leg and mimicked the way Amy limped when she walked.

Amy closed her eyes for a moment.

Ignore him, she told herself as she headed for her classroom.

But at the end of the day, Amy was still thinking about the tall
boy's mean teasing. It wasn't as if he were the only one. It seemed
that ever since Amy started the third grade, someone teased her
every single day. Kids teased her about her speech or her limping.
Amy was tired of it. Sometimes, even in a classroom full of other
students, the teasing made her feel all alone.

Back home at the dinner table that evening Amy was quiet. Her mother
knew that things were not going well at school. That's why Patti
Hagadorn was happy to have some exciting news to share with her
daughter.

"There's a Christmas Wish Contest on the radio station," Amy's mom
announced. "Write a letter to Santa and you might win a prize. I
think someone at this table with blond curly hair should enter."

Amy giggled. The contest sounded like fun. She started thinking
about what she wanted most for Christmas.

A smile took hold of Amy when the idea first came to her. Out came
pencil and paper and Amy went to work on her letter. "Dear Santa
Claus," she began.

While Amy worked away at her best printing, the rest of the family
tried to guess what she might ask from Santa. Amy's sister, Jamie,
and Amy's mom both thought a 3-foot Barbie Doll would top Amy's wish
list. Amy's dad guessed a picture book. But Amy wasn't ready to
reveal her secret Christmas wish just then. Here is Amy's letter to
Santa, just as she wrote it that night:

Dear Santa Claus,

My name is Amy. I am 9 years old. I have a problem at school. Can
you help me, Santa? Kids laugh at me because of the way I walk and
run and talk. I have cerebral palsy. I just want one day where no
one laughs at me or makes fun of me.

Love, Amy

At radio station WJLT in Fort Wayne, Indiana, letters poured in for
the Christmas Wish Contest. The workers had fun reading about all
the different presents that boys and girls from across the city
wanted for Christmas.

When Amy's letter arrived at the radio station, manager Lee Tobin
read it carefully. He knew cerebral palsy was a muscle disorder that
might confuse the schoolmates of Amy who didn't understand her
disability. He thought it would be good for the people in Fort Wayne
to hear about this special third grader and her unusual wish. Mr.
Tobin called up the local newspaper.

The next day, a picture of Amy and her letter to Santa made the
front page of The News Sentinel. The story spread quickly. All
across the country, newspapers and radio and television stations
reported the story of the little girl in Fort Wayne, Indiana, who
asked for such a simple, yet remarkable, Christmas gift - just one
day without teasing.

Suddenly the postman was a regular at the Hagadorn house. Envelopes
of all sizes addressed to Amy arrived daily from children and adults
all across the nation. They came filled with holiday greetings and
words of encouragement.

During that unforgettable Christmas season, over two thousand people
from all over the world sent Amy letters of friendship and support.
Amy and her family read every single one. Some of the writers had
disabilities; some had been teased as children.

Each writer had a special message for Amy. Through the cards and
letters from strangers, Amy glimpsed a world full of people who
truly cared about each other. She realized that no amount or form of
teasing could ever make her feel lonely again.

Many people thanked Amy for being brave enough to speak up. Others
encouraged her to ignore teasing and to carry her head high. Lynn, a
sixth grader from Texas, sent this message:

"I would like to be your friend," she wrote, "and if you want to
visit me, we could have fun. No one would make fun of us, cause, if
they do, we will not even hear them."

Amy did get her wish of a special day without teasing at South Wayne
Elementary School . Additionally, everyone at school got an added
bonus. Teachers and students talked together about how bad teasing
can make others feel.

That year, the Fort Wayne mayor officially proclaimed December 21st
as Amy Jo Hagadorn Day throughout the city. The mayor explained that
by daring to make such a simple wish, Amy taught a universal lesson.

"Everyone," said the mayor, "wants and deserves to be treated with
respect, dignity and warmth."

THE TRUTH ABOUT FAILURE

Failure doesn't mean you are a failure...
it does mean you haven't succeeded yet

Failure doesn't mean you have accomplished nothing...
it does mean you have learned something

Failure doesn't mean you have been a fool...
it does mean you had a lot of faith

Failure doesn't mean you have been disgraced...
it does mean you were willing to try

Failure doesn't mean you don't have it...
it does mean you have to do something in a different way

Failure doesn't mean you are inferior...
it does mean you are not perfect

Failure doesn't mean you've wasted your life...
it does mean you've got a reason to start afresh

Failure doesn't mean you should give up...
it does mean you should try harder

Failure doesn't mean you'll never make it...
it does mean it will take a little longer.

 

Scholarship Available

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE TO FUND YOUR STUDIES ABROAD

 

Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship


Up to six research projects in the field of applied economics, preferably addressing macroeconomics, monetary policy, international economics, econometrics, banking finance or the labour market would be selected by the Banco de Espana .The research work shall be conducted on the premises of the Research, International Affairs or Financial Stability Departments of the Banco de Espana in Madrid. Projects should be completed within a maximum period of twelve months, commencing September 1, 2008. Selected candidates will receive compensation of a gross monthly amount ranging from Euros 4000 to Euros 6000. The Banco de España will also defray the return travel expenses of selected candidates and, where appropriate, those of their spouse and children, from their habitual place of residence to Madrid by the most direct route.


• Requirements:

Candidates must hold a doctorate, PhD or equivalent degree, have proven research experience in subjects related to one or more of the areas indicated above and have full command of spoken and written English.


• To apply:

Please refer to the "Empleo" section at www.bde.es to avail the form.


• S u b m i s s i o n :

June 30, 2008

Hubert H Humphrey Fellowship Programme


The Hubert H H u m p h re y Fe l l ow s h i p Program, brings a c co m p l i s h e d mid-level professionals from developing countries to the United States for ten months of nondegree graduate study and related practical professional experiences. The fellowships are awarded in various fields as specified on www.fulbright-india.org. The priority field for India for 2009 is agricultural development/agricultural economics.Visit www.humphreyfellowship.org for more details. The fellowship provides tuition and fees, a
   monthly maintenance allowance, accident and sickness program for
   exchanges per US Government
   guidelines, a modest allowance for
   books and supplies, round-trip
   international air travel to the host
   institution, domestic travel to the
   Washington, D C seminar, and
   allowances for professional activities such as field trips, professional visits, and conferences.
   

• Requirements:

Applications from
   all the listed fields are welcome. In case of 'Teaching of English as a Foreign Language,' applications are invited from curriculum specialists and teacher trainers who work in teacher training institutes, public or private organisations concerned with English language teaching and development. Candidates should preferably have a first class Master's or a professional degree of at least four years duration with a minimum of five years professional experience. Applicants for NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse) fellowships should have a doctoral degree in health, behavioural or social sciences (PhD or an equivalent), or a MD (Doctor of Medicine); have at least five years of substantial professional experience in the respective field, and be eligible for leave; preferably be 45 years of age or under; and give an undertaking to return to India on completion of the fellowship. Internet-based Test (iBT) TOEFL will be required. NIDA applicants should be mid-level research managers and policy makers in drug abuse prevention programs, health or social services industries, universities or medical facilities with proven track records in research. Professionals employed by social welfare, education or community-based organisations may also apply if they meet other eligibility criteria.


• To Apply:

Log on to www.fulbright-india.org through appropriate links for application procedures, guidelines and to download application material

Management and appraisal

Once PVNR (PV Narasimha Rao), L.K.Advani and Laloo Prasad Yadav were travelling in an autorickshaw. They met with an accident and all three of them died.

Yama Raja was waiting for this moment at the doorstep of death.

He asks PVNR and Advani to go to HEAVEN.

But, for Laloo, Yama had already decided that he should be sent to HELL.
Laloo is not at all happy with this decision.

He asks Yama as to why this discrimination is being made. All the three of them had served the public. Similarly, all took bribes, all misused public positions, etc.

Then why the differential treatment?

He felt that there should be a formal test or an objective evaluation before a decision is made; and should not be just based on opinion or pre-conceived notions.



Yama agrees to this and asks all the three of them to appear for an English test.

PVNR is asked to spell " INDIA " and he does it correctly.

Advani is asked to spell " ENGLAND " and he too passes.

It is Laloo's turn and he is asked to spell " CZECHOSLOVAKIA ".

Laloo protests that he doesn't know English.

He says this is not fair and that he was given a tough question and thus forced to fail with false intent.



Yama then agrees to conduct a written test in Hindi (to give another chance assuming that Laloo should at least feel that Hindi would provide an equal platform for all three).

PVNR is asked to write "KUTTA BOLA BHOW BHOW". He writes it easily and
passes.

Advani is asked to write "BILLY BOLI MYAUN MYAUN". He too passes.

Laloo is asked to write "BANDAR BOLA GURRRRRR.... ."
Tough one. He fails again.



Laloo is extremely unhappy.

Having been a student of history (which the other two weren't),he now requested for all the 3 to be subjected to a test in history

Yama says OK but this would be the last chance and that he would not take
any more tests.

PVNR is asked: "When did India get Independence ?". He replied "1947" and
passed.

Advani is asked "How many people died during the independence struggle?".

He gets nervous. Yama asked him to choose from 3 options: 100,000 or 200,000
or 300,000.
Advani catches it and says 200,000 and passes.

It's Laloo's turn now.
'
'
'
'
'
'
'
' '
Yama asks him to give the Name and Address of each of the 200,000 who died in the struggle.
Laloo accepts defeat and agrees to go to HELL.


Moral of the story: IF YOUR MANAGEMENT HAS DECIDED TO SCREW YOU, THERE IS NO ESCAPE.  

Waiting in the wings

THE CAT FEVER HAS BEGUN. SLATED FOR NOVEMBER, THE CAT IS NOW ON THE MIND OF EVERY MBA ASPIRANT. THE RIGHT APPROACH AND ATTITUDE TO THE EXAM CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE

 

 

   The month of June commences an uphill battle for a majority of the over two and a half lakh CAT aspirants, as they start their meticulous preparations for the fiercely competitive exam. With over five months left for the CAT, you have the potential to ensure you make a major difference to your chances of cracking the CAT this November. All you need are the right preparation strategies.
   Well, you needn’t worry about that anymore. Today’s article focuses on helping you create an outline for your CAT.

ISSUE NO 1: DO NOT GET INTIMIDATED BY THE CAT

Many CAT aspirants get intimidated by the exam and the competition they have to face.The result is that they never really believe they can crack it and it is one of the biggest reasons for failure in the CAT. The difference between a 70 percentile and a 99 percentile score is never more than six to eight questions. Hence, any student who has ever scored 70 percentile in the CAT could have reached a percentile of 97 to 99 by just approaching six to eight questions differently.
   Ask these students three crucial questions, and they will realise how much better they could have scored.

These questions are:

a) How many silly errors did you make in the exam? Let the number of such errors be ‘A’.
b) How many questions did you read in the exam for which you remembered the answers only after you left the hall? Let the number of such questions be ‘B’
c) How many questions did you not read in the exam, but knew the answer when you saw them after the paper? Let the number of such questions be ‘C’.
   Here, your score could have improved substantially, ie, by calculating A×4+ B×4+C×4. Note: This could have happened on the basis of your current knowledge.We have not even started to discuss knowledge increment here.
   It is common knowledge that the minimum value of A+B+C for students whose scores ranged between 70 to 90 percentile, would be in the range of 12 to 15 (in a 75 question paper). You could have had a minimum score improvement of 50+ marks — something that would have ensured a jump of 20 to 30 percentile.

Consider the evidence:

In the latest CAT, there were approximately 75,000 students who scored 70 percentile, while only some 2000 odd students scored 99 percentile. This means that the other 73,000 students lost out just because of a few questions.
   According to calculations, in the CAT 2007 paper, anyone who managed to score 80 percentile, merely had to avoid six errors to get the coveted call. Some 50,000 students scored over 80 percentile in CAT 2007, and had an opportunity to score better. In fact, any student who scored 90+ percentile would be just three questions away from an IIM call!
   The fact of the matter is that 25,000 students scored 90 percentile in the latest CAT. If you were to ask them about how far he/she was from acing the CAT, most of them would be under the impression that they would need at least one to two years of preparation. Worse, most students with a percentile of 70 to 80 would not even believe that they have the requisite intelligence to pass the CAT.

ISSUE NO 2: PREPARE ON A WIDE ANGLED FRAMEWORK

The CAT is full of surprises.This image has been created over 15 to 20 years of constantly changing patterns and question types.
   This image has emerged because students tend to work and prepare in a set way. They use the papers from the past two to three years as a reference, thinking it is representative of what the CAT is today, and base their preparations on it. This is one of the most common follies that CAT aspirants make. Ideally, an aspirant for CAT 2008 will discount what happened in CAT 2000 (for instance) knowing that the year 2000 was almost a decade ago and what happened in CAT then is most unlikely to happen again.
   Aspirants in CAT 2006 had to regret this line of thinking. ‘Facts, Inferences and Judgements’, a question type neglected by CAT aspirants and training institutes across India, made an appearance after a gap of - hold your breath - 14 years. Yes, the last time it had been seen in the CAT was in 1992.
   There have been numerous such cases and examples, but to get to the point - if you prepare for the CAT with a two to three year perspective, you would always be surprised.

Our advice:

1) Prepare for a 10 to 15 year perspective and the surprise element of the CAT will no longer exist.
2) Do not try to guess the number of questions, the types of questions, even the number of sections. Instead be prepared for any change in pattern, and during your preparations, focus on the development of your intelligence to crack the CAT.

ISSUE NO 3: OBJECTIVE SETTING FOR YOUR PREPARATIONS


Cut offs for IIM calls have been in the range of 100 to 110 out of 300 over the past two years. Aspirants make the error of aiming for a score of 110 marks only. If you prepare for 110 and slip up by just five questions, your score would dip to 75 to 80 percentile.
Instead, if you prepare for 150 to 160 marks (50+ in each section), even if you were to make about five to six errors, your score would just drop from 99.5 percentile+ to 99 percentile+.
As we will demonstrate in future articles in this series, scoring 50+ marks in any particular section of the CAT can be easily accomplished! So Keep watching this space.

Teaching Safety

MANY SCHOOLS ARE NOW IMPARTING LESSONS ON SELF-DEFENCE, ROAD AND FIRE SAFETY, AND PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE ONLINE. THE LATEST ADDITIONS
TO THE CONCEPT OF ALL ROUND DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILD

 

 

   Most educators agree that learning can only take place when children have a sense of belonging and safety. If they don't feel safe they won't be able to trust anybody, even themselves. And this will reflect not only on their academic performance, but on their overall well-being as well.
   Therefore, schools are now playing an active role in 'communicating' with their students and are conducting extensive workshops and counselling sessions to help them in every way, such as sensitising them on online safety. "Rhyme and rhythm always appeals, and thus songs and poems are of immense value for such learning processes," explains Asha Singh, a reader with the Department of Human Development and Childhood Studies, Lady Irwin College.
   She adds: "Children are very open to learning rules if there is logic. When one explains to them that a policeman lets people go turn-by-turn so that people don't crash into each other, they understand why people agree to follow a given system. As a result, not only do the children learn road safety, they understand the concept of turn taking, sharing and so on."
   Schools are also imparting lessons on self-defence. While Millennium School-Noida holds martial arts lessons, Gurukul Pre-School uses dramatisation and field trips to impart safety lessons. "We have classes on judo and karate and also conduct regular workshops on fire safety," informs Indu Vohra, incharge (primary), Hansraj School.

DUE LISTENING

According to psychological counsellor Sumitra Ramji, parents and teachers are often unable to handle sensitive situations, such as those with physical/sexual intonations. She elaborates: "Parents usually tag such incidents as a child's misinterpretation/imagination. This has a huge bearing on the child's self-esteem and sometimes makes them feel that the concerned adult does not care. As a result, the child refrains from sharing his/her concerns regarding safety or abuse. It is important thus, for parents and teachers to duly listen to any and every fear the child may communicate."

PERSONAL SPACE

"Early teaching about 'good' and 'bad' touch is very important, not only for girls but boys as well," says Ramji. Echoing similar sentiments, Priti Narain, founder-director, Gurukul Pre-School, adds: "We teach our students to stay away from strangers. They are taught to immediately inform their parents/teachers if anybody's pats, hugs or kisses makes them uncomfortable."
   Elaborates Singh: "As far as possible, physical touch should be confined to family members and people you know. Touch and play is fine, but if you feel uncomfortable tell your mother. Even older kids have to be told not to be alone in a room with strangers."
   On how children can be taught the concept of personal space, Singh advises, "Let children develop cues of expressions. If they feel the expression of the person is not appealing, they can surely run, scream and let trusted adults know." However, she cautions that it is just as necessary to ascertain that undue fear of people is not created in the process.
   Says Suneeta Jain, principal, Maxfort School, Pitampura: "We teach such concepts right from the nursery-level. Even when students go for swimming or sports, they need to be careful and thus, we teach them to seek ours or their parents' guidance on any such issues."

SPECIAL NEEDS

Children with special needs are, perhaps, most in need of lessons in fending for themselves. Rita Kaul, principal, Millenium School, Noida and also a special educator, explains: "Although we have special attendants for these students, it is important to teach them to take care of themselves. Therefore, we consciously train them in various life skills."
   Adds Singh: "Drama exercises have been very useful in communicating with children with special needs on 'good and 'bad' touch. By means of drama exercises we illustrate how each and every individual has their personal space and that only a select few people should be allowed to break that distance."

STRANGER DANGER

Students are also given lessons on how to avoid/behave with strangers when they are waiting for their school bus. Moreover, as a safety measure, most schools issue an identity card for parents that need to carry when they come to pick their child. Says Jain: "We hand over the child to the parents only when they have the requisite identity card issued by the school." Similarly, informs Narain: "Without the proper 'escort cards' parents/guardians/maids are not allowed to take the child home."

Physics Education REVISITED

Physics Education
REVISITED

 

 

THE last century can aptly be called the century of physics. Rightly so because all the nations which had made significant socio economic and industrial progress around that time had sound research and development capabilities in the sphere of physics. The discovery of electron, x-rays, radio-activity, structure of atom, the development of the special theory of relativity, general theory of relativity, quantum mechanics and spectroscopy are some of the breakthroughs in physics during the last century which have spurred modern day technological development. Post globalisation this has particularly impacted the IT, BT, pharmaceuticals, management and other manufacturing sectors.
   The onset of the first and second world wars resulted in a large exodus of eminent scientists from European countries to the United States of America. This incremented the scientific and technological prowess of the US ultimately making it a super power. If the US and many European countries have made such significant advancement in the fields of science and technology it is important to examine their education system, which has influenced this. More importantly it is important to compare it with the situation in India.

SCIENCE IN INDIA

In India, it would be highly informative to look into the status of science in general and physics in particular especially in the post-independence period. The scientific achievements of Jagadish Chandra Bose, C V Raman and a host of other eminent scientists had inspired many youngsters to take science as a career choice. Large numbers of scientific research institutes were established in the country under the auspices of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR,) Department of Science and Technology (DST), Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and many other organisations.
   Post independence India has seen a surge of educational institutions at various levels. However these institutions at large mirrored several discrepancies. While on one hand we had avant-garde institutions we also had schools and colleges where basic amenities and infrastructure was missing.The general tendency during these times was that qualified people more often than not pursued their career and academic ambitions abroad.The few who decided to return or stayed on in India contributed to the development of the science and technology in the country.

ENROLMENT DECLINE

It is an acknowledged fact that since 1980's the number of students opting for science courses in higher education is decreasing every year. This is attributed to the establishment of a large number of engineering, medical and dental colleges after 1980's in a few states under the self-financing scheme.

DEMOTIVATING FACTORS

The number of students opting for science subjects at class XI and XII is found to be small because the students at the secondary school level are discouraged from taking science as a career choice. They have the misconception that science subjects are difficult to understand and can be learnt only if students opt for private tuitions. This particularly intimidates students from low-income groups.

GLOBAL SCENARIO

The dominant perception of physics worldwide is that it is difficult, abstract, and requires high skills in mathematics. The challenge is an introductory course in physics which can convince students that physics is rewarding, fun, useful and is a worthwhile endeavor. Physics has to be taught integrating theory and practice in appropriate proportions.
   Some opportunities in the domain of physics which students need to be familiarised with:

MULTI DISCIPLINARY RESEARCH

The challenges that need the attention of our younger minds in the scientific research in general and physics in particular are quite enormous. In the present context, breakthrough in research is possible through inter-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary research.

PHYSICS AND BIOLOGY

With collaboration between physics and biotechnology, we can have studies ranging from medical imaging to irradiating tumours to understanding the mechanism of protein folding.

NEW MATERIALS

There is a need to develop quantum technologies with applications ranging from development of new materials to analysis of human genome.
   This depends on the ability to manipulate individual atoms and molecules, which are a branch of physics.

TECHNOLOGY USING PHYSICS

There are several uses of physics for national security and defense through cryptography, remote sensing, precision warfare, missile defense and development of new materials.

EXPLORING THE UNIVERSE

Physics helps in the development of new instruments through which stars, galaxies, dark matter and 'Big Bang' can be studied and these will revolutionise our understanding of universe, its origin and its destiny.

INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO FIND NEW PHYSICS

Several international efforts have been undertaken to explore the secrets of nature in a cooperative way. These have thrown open a large number of opportunities and challenges especially in pure physics. For instance the construction of Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, Geneva is truly an international exercise since the project involves scientists and funding from dozens of countries. There is a need for the Indian universities to train our youngsters to get prepared for participating in these cooperative projects.

STUDY OPTIONS

Some of the reputed institutions which offer specialised courses in science and physics education include the National Laboratories such as NPL Delhi, NCL Pune, BARC Mumbai, IGCAR Kalpakkam, ISRO Bangalore, NAL Bangalore, CFTRI Mysore and CSTRI Mysore.

NATIONAL EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE BASIC SCIENCE

The general trend in the poor enrolment to basic science has caught the serious attention of many educationists, several senior scientists in the country like C N R Rao, former President A P J Abdul Kalam, the members of planning commission and many others including statesmen like our prime minister Manmohan Singh. It is only with this purpose that the planning commission has allocated to higher education in the 11 ^th Plan period more than ten times the allocation that was made during the 10 ^th Plan period. The central government has envisaged many attractive programmes for encouraging our bright youngsters' enrolment to basic science.
)  

Career management tips for newly weds

The moment we hear of career management tips for newly weds, it is the female counterpart that first comes to our mind. It’s a known fact that we need a good career for financial security and a good married life for emotional and social security.Therefore career and marriage, both are equally important for a good life. Importance of none of the two can be ignored. In a marriage where you are committed to spend a whole lifetime with your partner, you need to understand each other well.This understanding will develop in a couple only if they spend quality time together, especially at the initial stages of their marriage. But at the same time,in today’s competitive world, your career also needs long hours of your day. In such a situation, the only option left with us is to manage things well.

Now the question is how to make a good balance between your career and the beginning of your lifelong venture i.e. marriage! Since both needs a pretty good amount of your time for a better tomorrow;this management is not that easy. The first thing that will help you is spending quality time with your spouse. It does not refer to a huge amount of your time but whatever time you are left with, that should be spent with your spouse in making a healthy base for your further life. You should be clear to your spouse about what future goals are there in your mind that takes most of your time at your workplace. You should share with your partner how your work will benefit them as a couple. This is important because one should know about the future benefits for which you compromise with your valuable present. The human psychology working here is that everyone likes the feeling of ‘BEING CARED’. So a newly wed couple should spend time in sharing and caring.

Another important thing is to cooperate your spouse in every walk of life. It is quite natural that expectations grow when you are close in a relationship. But remember not to be much demanding. In many cases an interfering family has been held responsible for worsening the relationship between a newly wed couple. As a spouse, you should give space to your partner’s career. Without this cooperation, only the either one will survive;career or marriage. And your spouse may lifelong nurture that he or she, specifically she, did not receive a word of comfort when she needed that most. Being empathetic will help you most. Otherwise,it will be too late when you understand where you lagged behind.
You should remember that many interruptions will come the way to your female counterpart’s career. Childbirth is one such inevitable break in a female’s career.
There are several points at which you may need your partner’s cooperation; like, in household, with work schedules etc.

Always remember that there may come many genuine causes that may put your career at the backseat after your marriage. Only your strong determination towards career will give you strength. You should not forget that it has taken long years to achieve a career of your choice, so it should not be a quick and foolish decision to give it up. With little bit of understanding and effort, you can make a nice balance between your career and your marriage.

 

GOI Grievance Forum

Government of India has an online Grievance forum at http://darpg-grievance.nic.in/

IT WORKS !!!

 

The govt. wants people to use this tool to highlight the problems they faced while dealing with Government officials or departments like Passport Office, Electricity board, BSNL/MTNL, Railways etc.

A citizen who is living in Faridabad and working at CSC. Couple of months back, the Faridabad Municipal Corporation laid new roads in his area and the residents were very happy about it. But 2 weeks later, BSNL dug up the newly laid roads to install new cables which annoyed all the residents, including this guy. But it was only this guy who used the above listed grievance forum to highlight his concern. And to his surprise, BSNL and Municipal Corporation of Faridabad were served a show because notice and the guy received a copy of the notice in one week. Government has asked the MCF and BSNL about the goof up as both the government departments were not in sync at all.

Can you imagine this is happening in INDIA? After complaining, you can even monitor the status of your grievance !

 

So let us use this grievance forum and inform, educate others who are not aware about this facility.  This way we can at least raise our concerns instead of just talking about the 'System' in India.

One of the best interviews!! !

Interviewer: Tell me about yourself.

Candidate: I am Rameshwar Kulkarni. I did my Tele Communication engineering from BabanRao Dhole-Patil Institute of Technology.

Interviewer: BabanRao Dhole-Patil Institute of Technology? I had never heard of this college before!

Candidate: Great! Even I had not heard of it before getting an admission into it. What happened is - due to cricket world cup I scored badly! in 12th.I was getting a paid seat in a good college. But my father said (I prefer to call him 'baap') - "I can not invest so much of money".(The baap actually said - "I will never waste so much of money on you"). So I had to join this college. Frankly speaking this name - BabanRao Dhole-Patil, can at the most be related to a Shetakari Mahavidyalaya.

Interviewer: ok, ok. It seems you have taken 6 years to complete your engineering.

Candidate: Actually I tried my best to finish it in 4 years. But you know, these cricket matches and football world cup, and tennis tournaments. It is difficult to concentrate. So I flunked in 2nd and 3rd year. So in all I took 4 + 2 = 7 years.

Interviewer: But 4+2 is 6..

Candidate: Oh, is it? You know I always had KT in maths. But I will try to keep this in mind. 4+2 is 6, good, thanks. These cricket matches really affect exams a lot. I think they should ban it.

Interviewer: Good to know that you want cricket matches to be banned.

Candidate: No, no... I am talking about Exams!!

Interviewer: Ok, What is your biggest achievement in life?

Candidate: Obviously, completing my Engineering. My mom never thought I would complete it. In fact, when i flunked in 3rd year, she was looking for a job for me in BEST (Bus corporation in Maharashtra) through some relative.

Interviewer: Do you have any plans of higher study?

Candidate: he he he.. Are you kidding? Completing 'lower' education itself was so much of pain!!

Interviewer: Let's talk about technical stuff. On which platforms have you worked?

Candidate: Well, I work at SEEPZ, so you can say Andheri is my current platform. Earlier I was at Vashi center. So Vashi was my platform then. As you can see I have experience of different platforms! (Vashi and Andheri are the places in Mumbai)

Interviewer: And which languages have you used?

Candidate: Marathi, Hindi, English. By the way, I can keep quiet in German, French, Russian and many other languages.

Interviewer: Why VC is better than VB?

Candidate: It is a common sense - C comes after B. So VC is a higher version than VB. I heard very soon they are coming up with a new language VD!

Interviewer: Do you know anything about Assembly Language?

Candidate: Well, I have not heard of it. But I guess, this is the language our ministers and MPs use in assembly.

Interviewer: What is your general project experience?

Candidate: My general experience about projects is - most of th! e times they are in pipeline!

Interviewer: Can you tell me about your current job?

Candidate: Sure, Currently I am working for Bata InfoTech ltd. Since joining BIL, I am on Bench. Before joining BIL, I used to think that Bench was another software like Windows.

Interviewer: Do you have any project management experience?

Candidate: No, but I gues! s it shouldn't be difficult. I know Word and Excel. I can talk a lot. I know how to dial for International phone call and use speaker facility. And very important - I know few words like - 'Showstoppers ' , 'hotfixes', 'SEI-CMM','quality' ,'versioncontrol ','deadlines' , 'Customer Satisfaction' etc. Also I can blame others for my mistakes!

Interviewer: What are your expectations from our company?

Candidate: Not much.
1. I should at least get 40,000 in hand.
2. I would like to work on a live EJB project. But it should not have deadlines. I personally feel that pressure affects natural talent.
3. I believe in flexi-timings.
4. Dress code is against basic freedom, so I would like to wear t-shirt and jeans.
5. We must have sat-sun off. I will suggest Wednesday off also, so as to avoid breakdown due to overwork.
6. I would like to go abroad 3 times a year on short term preferably 1-2 months) assignments. Personally I prefer US, Australia and Europe. But considering the fact that there is a world cup in West Indies in 2007, I don't mind going there in that period. As you can see I am modest and don't have many expectations. So can I assume my selection?

Interviewer: he he he ha ha ha. Thanks for your interest in our organization. In fact I was never entertained so much before. Welcome to OUR COMPANY .. :-))

 

Bill Gates' 11 Rules of Life...

Gates' Rules     Bill Gates recently gave a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school . He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.   Rule 1 : Life is not fair - get used to it! Rule 2 : The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3

: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4

: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5

: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6

: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7

: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8

: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9

: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10

: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11

: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

 

Learning to let go !!!!!!

Learning to let go

 

Life is filled with stress. Any disappointment or family dispute may generate stress or a mild degree of anxiety that results in muscle tension, body aches, insomnia and poor concentration. Routinely everyone has to endure worries and stress.

Changes in one’s life are mostly not threatening and they don’t affect the quality of life. Once stress starts it persists as the person is unable to get rid of it completely. Things can easily go wrong when people are under stress. Thus learning to relax will help them to deal with stress more confidently.

Mild degrees of stress may emerge in various situations of our daily life that may include a job interview, performing on stage or a critical test. These are only a few examples of the challenging situations when most people feel a little anxious which is considered normal if it does not result in any harm.

Stress generally responds well to both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment. The majority of people who receive treatment experience significant relief from their symptoms. But many people with stress disorders do not seek treatment because they do not recognize their symptoms as a sign of illness or they fear the reactions of co-workers, family members, or friends. Only a few people who are upset by stress learn to manage it through self-help while the majority of sufferers remain upset with the painful emotions.

People under stress are advised to relax. Most of them ask how they should relax. Relaxation is a state of doing absolutely nothing and being at ease and peace. Relaxation exercises are very simple and do not need expensive equipment or a special place. They may take time so people should not feel disheartened if they do not notice favourable changes.

When a person is relaxing, physical, mental and emotional changes take place. Physically body muscles let go of tension, breathing becomes more regular, blood pressure drops, and the heart beats more slowly. Other organs slow down their activity so a person feels at ease.

Mental relaxation results in the return of the ability to concentrate, decision making becomes easier and thinking becomes clearer. Emotionally one feels quieter, calmer and more confident, and able to take life as it comes without overreacting. After relaxation many people find that they can get things back into perspective and the difficulties which they had perceived as huge appear much smaller.

Simple relaxation

There is one rule in relaxation and that is to find the appropriate time and place. Find only a few minutes, preferably two or three times a day, when you can sit down in a comfortable chair where no one will disturb you. Settle your body into the chair, rest your head on the back of the chair, and put your arms and hands where they are comfortable. Place your feet, a little apart, on the floor.

Now tell your muscles to relax. Either start from the head and go downwards to the toes or upwards from the toes to the head. Concentrate on those areas of the body where you feel tension. Say loudly: “Relax, I am in control.” It is important to spend no longer than a few minutes to do this exercise, and when it is complete sit quietly for few moments and enjoy being still and at ease. Then you can get up and carry on with your routine work.

It is best if you choose particular times for this exercise. Do not worry if you do not achieve much at first, relaxation has to be learned slowly, only a small step at a time. Be gentle to yourself and never put extra burden on yourself that might result in stress. After this try to relax for a few minutes daily at various times, for instance, while having tea in the evening, or as you sit in the car, or are at the library or before going to bed.

Breathing exercise

Breathing is something that you tend to take very much for granted. From time to time concentrate on your breathing. Just feel it as air enters and leaves your body. Notice the gentle rhythm that comes easily and effortlessly with the action. Now try to slow your breath by taking three or four slow breaths in and out through your nose (or take the breath in from your nose and out from your mouth). Try to breathe in for the same amount of time as you breathe out. As you breathe out let go of the tension, particularly in your jaw, neck, shoulders and abdomen. This is calming and can be combined with walking.

Another exercise that you can do is to breathe in and out and then hold your breath for as long as you can. Notice the space between that breath and the next. Let no strain enter the body, just breathe in again when you feel the need. This will help you control and slow down your breathing for a couple of minutes, and this will also keep all your worries away from you.

Now close your eyes and spend a minute or two noticing your breath entering your body and then leaving it. As you breathe out tell yourself to let go. Do this a number of times, saying to yourself: “Relax, let go”, each time you breathe out. In the same way that you notice your breathing, also begin to notice your feelings and thoughts, but try not to become involved with them.

If you find your attention wandering to some other thing then firmly bring your concentration back to the exercise. Check that your body has not tightened up because of these intrusive thoughts. Never try to judge how well you are relaxing, just enjoy it. No effort is required from your side. If you let go, all your stresses, worries, anxieties and tension will leave your body and mind.

The beauty of the breathing exercise is that you can perform it anywhere, at any time and in any posture. Slowly and gradually as you get better in breathing exercises you will be able to extend them and start using your abdominal muscles to help you control your breathing. Practice this exercise when you feel relaxed and stress free, so that when you feel stressed, with the help of this exercise you will be able to restore peace and calmness almost automatically with minimal effort in only a few moments.

Deep muscle therapy

If you want to learn to relax more deeply then you will need some more time. You should try to practice these exercises twice or thrice a week, but even practising just once a week will also be beneficial. Ideally, you should spend at least 15 minutes with the aim to reach a point when your body feels as though it is hardly a part of you and your mind feels relaxed.

First make sure you are comfortable and that you are not going to be disturbed. The place chosen should be peaceful. Lie down or sit in a relaxing way. If you find background music helpful, play music at a low volume. Relax the muscles in each part of your body working from the head to your toes, or from your toes to your head, paying particular attention to the tense areas.

If you have been practising the simple relaxation exercise you will be able to do this quite naturally. If you feel any muscle to be extra tense then gently stretch them and let them move back into a comfortable position. This will help you to relax even more deeply. With continued practice you will be able to bring on a state of deep muscle relaxation at will.

It should be kept in mind that relaxation is an exercise that needs to be practiced regularly. No one is able to become an expert in relaxation overnight. If you can learn to use only the muscles and energy that is necessary to sit, or to walk, or in any other activity, the rest of your body can relax so that you can preserve more energy.

Breaking the circle

Now be relaxed and think carefully. Do you still find yourself sometimes going round in circles despite all your efforts to calm down and stay cheerful? If you feel everything requires much more effort to cope with. Maybe you are worrying about something or someone that uses up a lot of your energy that results in tiredness, disturbed sleep and decreased appetite.

If you can recognize that this is happening to you then you have made the first important step towards preventing this circle. Now all you need to do is to break the circle and replace it with a good relaxing one. Try the following:

1) First relax your body musculature, start from your shoulders and jaw.

2) Next take a few slow, even, quiet but deep breaths.

3) Feel that you are taking control of the situation, speak loudly, “I am going to control this situation easily and as quickly as possible.”

4) At this moment start feeling yourself become calm, this will result in your increased ability to cope with matters that make you tense.

5) After regaining confidence, you will find that you can do everything to make you more relaxed.

Imagination

For more deep relaxation you can use your powers of imagination that are a wonderful tool to help you to create feelings of well being. You are probably already pretty good at imagining the worst that can happen, now use the same ability positively to imagine the best possible scenario.

Start by imagining yourself in the most beautiful place where you feel completely calm and totally at ease, this may be your favourite spot, park, garden, zoo, restaurant or somewhere you have visited on your honeymoon or on your holiday.

Try to make the scene as complete as possible, so pay full attention to all the details of colours, shapes, sounds, smells and tastes. Maybe you are sitting near by some water, imagine dipping your hand in it and feeling how cool, hot or fresh it is. Maybe you are on a beach, and you can hear the waves and feel them gently lapping over your feet, and feel the sand between your toes. Maybe you are in a garden, and the smell and sight of flowers is overwhelming.

Work on imagination several times so that it becomes clearer and you become more familiar. Add more details as you get better at using your imagination. Learn to link the images with feelings of calm, comfort, happiness, strength, security, harmony and well being.

Gradually without any effort on your part, your body and mind will relax, and you will feel peace in yourself and with the surrounding environment. With practice the images will come more easily and quickly so that eventually you will be able to transport yourself to this wonderful place instantly and feel yourself relaxing immediately. You will then be able to recreate the feelings that you have in this special place at other times during your daily routine. When you find yourself becoming unnecessarily tense, worried, angry or frustrated you will be able to bring your special place to your thinking and the unhappy feelings will fade away. It really does work. So it is time to start your journey, and let go.

Indian Telcos go big bang on STD tariffs

 

Indian Telcos go big bang on STD tariffs

 

It started with reduction of STD tariff rates from Rs 2.65 to Rs 1.50 per minute and the war is just not getting over. You say it and it is available in the market, unlimited on net STD calling, unlimited on net local calling, Off net STD calling at 50 paisa, unlimited SMS, unlimited internet usage and much more than you can think of. Indian telecom market is relentless when it comes to declining tariffs and  it also sends a signal that their was enough scope for cutting tariffs and at the offer of Rs 2.65 per minute, they were making handsome margins or else they would not have reduced the tariff by 50% (at an average). We can say that the statement is partially correct, it is not that they were making huge money earlier rather it would be appropriate to say that they would be struggling on margins at the rate which is now being offered.

 

Let us discuss the whole war and chronology of tariff cuts right from the inception.

 

Airtel

Airtel, the largest private telecom operator in India took the lead and dropped tariffs by ~ 40 % (from Rs 2.65 - Rs 1.5) across the board for all the tariff plans. Interestingly, just after the move, management announced in the press conference that they would not feel the heat in terms of revenue and this would help them in acquiring more customers, thus compensating for the loss of revenue. Very true, Air tel has added ~ 2.5 million subscribers in May as per the latest numbers released by COAI. However, the impact on revenue is still unknown and will be made public only after the declaration of Q1 results.

 

Reliance

Soon after Airtel slashed the STD tariffs, Reliance Communications, the largest CDMA player announced unlimited on net (Reliance to Reliance) calling scheme for a fixed payment of Rs 496 per month. The plan is basically targeted towards customers who are making bulk STD calling to a fixed group of people. This plan offers unlimited STD usage to all Reliance phones and off net local and STD at 99 paisa and Rs 2.65 per minute respectively.

 

Idea and Vodafone

Next were Vodafone and Idea Cellular who dropped STD rates to Rs 1.30 per minute across the board. Needless to say that Vodafone was feeling the heat of Airtel and Reliance offer which forced it to further upgrade the offer to Re 1 at a fixed rental of 31 Rs.

 

BSNL

BSNL, which is always referred to as sleeping giant, as expected reacted a bit late but this time they came with a bang which is quite remarkable. Just two days back, BSNL went a step ahead to drop the rates to Rs. 1.20 across the board. They also have a topping for their rural customers who will enjoy the privilege of STD calling @ 80 paisa.  BSNL, being a PSU is always the last operator to join the war but this time they have made their presence felt.

 

TATA Indicom

Last but not the least comes Tata Indicom, which launched three separate schemes to counter all the offers explained above. The plans are kept very simple with no hidden charges and are referred to as 'no bakwaas plan or honest plan'. Plan 450 is the most attractive of all and offers unlimited Tata to Tata STD calling, off net STD calling at Re 1 and off net Local calling at 50 paisa. This plan counters the Reliance offer and is far aggressive than what Reliance is offering. While Reliance is charging 496 for the same plan, TATA is charging 450 and above all, off net calls are charged at 50 paisa and 1 Re for local and STD respectively where as Reliance is charging 99 paisa and Rs 2.65 respectively. The other two plans named as Plan 275 and Plan 150 offer all calling at 50 paisa and 90 paisa respectively. Plan 275 is a unique offering by TATA Indicom and no other operator is offering off net STD calls at 50 paisa. Furthermore, specialty of the plans is that calling across all legs are charged at the uniform rate and this leaves the customer with no confusion at all.

 

I think we had enough discussion and comparison on tariffs and products offered by different operators. Let us be a bit analytical and see it from the view of different stakeholders. Needless to say, customers are enjoying talking on phone like never before and as local and STD rates are being matched it does not makes a difference to them whether they are making a long distance call or a local call. So far as operators are concerned, the drop in tariff rates has got a downside for revenue and RPM. No doubt this will increase the usage by customer and MOU might go up but simultaneously ARPU is going to take small hit as the price elasticity is positive but less than one. Operators are already under huge pressure to maintain the ARPU as new additions which are basically from rural areas are low ARPU customers and are bringing down the average ARPU. In the wake of this, a reduction in STD tariff will further pull down the ARPU. The biggest challenge at this hour for the operators is to sustain the margin with the growing base and increasing capex due to network expansion. An EBIDTA margin ~ 40% looks really impressive but the big question is how long we can sustain it with tariffs dropping at rocket speed.

 

With dropping tariffs and increasing low ARPU base customer, maintaining margin is a big question which everyone is worried about. One thing which is pretty clear is that we can not bank on tariffs to sustain the margin as we can not expect tariffs to go up in future irrespective of the fact that India is offering lowest tariffs compared to the rest of the world. Secondly, we can not expect to acquire high ARPU as the crème da le (high end users) is already using one or other operator, though MNP (Mobile Number Portability) may change the rules of the game. As we can not play on tariffs and ARPU, we are left with the option of cost management. We are already aware that the cost per call is lowest in India and Mr. Sarin, Ceo Vodafone was so impressed with the cost management in India that he wanted his team abroad to take lessons from their Indian counterpart. But still there are few grey areas of concern which needs attention. In a report released two days back, it was mentioned by Mr. Prashant Singhal (India telecom leader, E & Y) that Indian telcos are losing ~ $1 billion on account of improper revenue assurance and it is expected to double in the next two years. So, we need to work on our back end and billing system which is very important from the perspective of telecom operators. Revenue assurance in telecom is a major activity and the SLA of the team is to ensure that the customer is being charged and billed properly for the usage made by him.

 

As tariffs are consistently dropping, operators are also exploring other avenues to maintain the margin. With the arrival of 3G in India in near future and new products like IPTV, mobile TV, Mobile banking, Mobile Videoconferencing which are either being offered or are in pipeline will definitely be a boost for margins. As of now, Value added Services (VAS) contributes ~ 10-12% of total revenue of the telcos and with the arrival of new technology and products and increased data usage by customers we can expect VAS revenue to constitute ~ 20 -25% of total revenue. As the margin on VAS is pretty high compared to Voice calling, it will definitely off set the loss on voice calling revenue owing to dropping tariffs.

 

As Indian telecom gains more maturity, we can expect revenue enhancement exercise in VAS area and better cost management which will prevent revenue leakage. Increasing competition and razor thin margins are calling for prompt action in these areas. This is indeed a testing time for operators when they can not increase the tariffs and they have to maintain the margins when the new customers acquired by them are giving low ARPU. It would be a good battle to witness.