IIM Calcutta

the ideological clash

2006-09-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

An interesting read on the changing face vs the traditional face of the CPIM...compare wrt to the performance of the two democratically elected communist chief ministers......

From the rediff website
http://in.rediff.com/money/2006/sep/19spec.htm

One party, one ideology, but two diametrically opposed action plans.

The path taken by reformist West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and conservative Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan has landed the Communist Party of India (Marxist) into a heated ideological debate.

At the heart of the debate is the crucial question: who is taking the right decisions as chief minister -- Bhattacharjee or Achuthanandan?

When the CPI-M leaders steadfastly oppose foreign direct investments in sectors such as telecom, insurance, banking and retail, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh calls up Bhattacharjee to tone down the Left's objections.

And Opposition leaders in Kerala always blame and ridicule Achuthanandan, asking him to look to the east -- to West Bengal -- and see how Bhattacharjee has become one of India's most reformist chief ministers.

CPI-M leaders admit the styles of the two chief ministers are entirely different and that both the states are governed according to the social milieu. "There is no clash of ideology. I think both West Bengal and Kerala chief ministers are working for the development of their states. But their mode of action may be different," says CPI-M politburo member S Ramachandran Pillai.

But how differently do Bhattacharjee and Achuthanandan rule West Bengal and Kerala, respectively?

Here is a ready reckoner on the contrasting styles of governance and the stand taken by chief ministers Bhattacharjee and Achuthanandan on key issues:

Foreign direct investment

Bhattacharjee: "Ours is an open policy. We want private capital," is his oft-repeated policy statement. "We need foreign direct investment, although that does not mean we will allow Americans to sell vegetables here," the West Bengal chief minister recently said, opposing the Manmohan Singh government's plans to allow FDI in retail.

Maybe FDI in retail is the only sector that Bhattacharjee has opposed without regard to foreign investment to his state. Bhattacharjee's cabinet ministers and other state government officials have visited several countries, including the United States and China, inviting FDI into the state in core sectors such as industry, infrastructure, IT and food-processing.

Achuthanandan: Unlike Bhattacharjee, Achuthanandan does not see much benefit in FDI inflows into his state. In fact, last month he sent a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar asking him to abandon the Union government's plans to allow FDI in agriculture and plantations.

Moreover, Achuthanandan has been steadfastly supporting the Left trade unions in opposing foreign investment into most sectors. The result: Compared to other Indian states, Kerala lags behind pathetically in attracting FDI into the state.

Ban on Coca-Cola and Pepsi

Bhattacharjee: He is against banning Coke and Pepsi, in the wake of recent studies that allegedly found high levels of pesticides in colas. "The central government should take a stand and make it clear whether the products are safe or not. State governments should not impose the ban independently," Bhattacharjee said after seven states partially or fully banned the sale of Coke and Pepsi last month.

The West Bengal chief minister added: "I don't drink either, but we are not going to ban it."

Achuthanandan: He was the first chief minister in India to impose a total ban on the sale and manufacture of Pepsi and Coke in Kerala last month. In fact, in the last few years, Achuthanandan had led the anti-Coke campaign for shutting down the Coca-Cola plant at Plachimada in Kerala's Palakkad district. "We will not allow MNCs to produce colas that are injurious to people's health," Achuthanandan said.

Smart City

Achuthanandan: The Dubai Internet City wanted to set up a Smart City -- an exclusive global IT park -- on a 100-acre plot of land by investing nearly Rs 300 crore (Rs 3 billion) in Kochi in Kerala. But the man who has opposed it most is Achuthanandan.

He dubbed DIC as 'a real estate company' and re-examined the agreement that his predecessor former Congress chief minister Oommen Chandy had entered into with the Dubai government.

"There are clauses that go against Kerala's interests. So we do not want the Smart City," Achuthanandan said soon after becoming Kerala's chief minister. Now, he wants the DIC to enter into a new agreement with the Left government.

Bhattacharjee: Kerala's loss may be West Bengal's gain. Soon after news broke that the Left-led Kerala government was not interested in setting up the Smart City, Bhattacharjee sent a high-level official team, led by the West Bengal chief secretary to Dubai. West Bengal offered 400 acres of land on the outskirts of Kolkata to DIC to set up the Smart City without the difficult conditionalities that the Kerala government had proposed. The Dubai Internet City is now evaluating Bhattacharjee's proposal.

BPOs working on Independence Day

Achuthanandan: The Kerala government shut down the offices of the business process outsourcing companies that are operating in the state on Independence Day (August 15). A number of BPOs operating at Technopark in Trivandrum and at Infopark in Kochi had asked a section of employees to work on August 15 as BPOs -- mainly working on foreign projects -- need 24-hours work schedules.

Achuthanandan, however, ordered the Labour Department to issue an official order to ensure that all the BPOs are shut under the Kerala Industrial Establishments and National Holidays Act on the Independence Day.

Bhattacharjee: The West Bengal government allowed all the BPO companies to work normally on Independence Day. In fact, Bhattacharjee defended the decision saying: "Asking BPO companies to shut down will be like shutting down a power plant on a holiday."

Infrastructure

Bhattacharjee: The West Bengal government is taking all possible steps to ensure that the state has the best infrastructure. Last year, it roped in Indonesian infrastructure company, the Salim Group, to set up investment projects: a 'health city,' a 'knowledge city,' a special economic zone, and an express highway in the state.

Bhattacharjee is also actively wooing foreign investment from the US, Italy, Russia, China, Singapore and Indonesia for IT and infrastructure development across West Bengal.

"Our position is very clear. We want private investment in West Bengal," the chief minister recently remarked.

Achuthanandan: The Achuthanandan government has not taken any steps in the last three months to attract foreign investment in infrastructure development of Kerala. In fact, Achuthanandan, while in Opposition, was in the forefront, opposing the Rs 7,000 crore (Rs 70 billion) Express Highway plan that the Congress government had announced.

Due to opposition from the Left, the Congress regime had then shelved the project. Now the very expression 'Express Highway' is anathema to Achuthanandan.

However, Kerala's industries minister says that the government is taking the rights steps for infrastructure development in the state. "We are setting up a new, public-private infrastructure development company for building roads, bridges and even airports in Kerala. Yes, foreign investment is welcome," Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem told rediff.com.

Strikes

Bhattacharjee: When the Manmohan Singh government hiked the prices of petroleum products two months ago, the Left-led trade unions called for a general strike across the country. Prime Minister Singh then called up Bhattacharjee asking him to help tone down the Left's opposition to the price hike. Soon, the chief minister declared that he was against a general strike on the petrol price issue although demonstrations could take place, as in any democracy.

Once West Bengal used to be hit by frequent labour strikes. But these days, thanks to Bhattacharjee, the state rarely witnesses any strikes.

Achuthanandan: Kerala is best known for industrial strikes and Achuthanandan has not done much to erase the image. In fact, Kerala was the only state that was fully paralysed during the Left-led national strike against petrol price hike two months ago.

A trade union leader himself, Achuthanandan argues that citizens have the democratic right to protest against all the anti-people policies of the government.

Managed Anarchy

2006-08-05T02:55:00.000-07:00

What do u do if u gets tons n tons of free time after graduating from IIMC?

Well, u either sit at home, lounge around and revel in your inner thoughts (like the majority of us) or do somethin more useful, which our dear friend Ramanan aka Krosstok has done...

He has created a comic strip on his experiences in IIMC and in general about the MBA tribe.

Check it out!

http://ma.blogdns.net/anarchy/

Calcutta to Bangalore

2006-07-18T00:40:00.000-07:00

It is in my opinion a journey that most of us shall not forget till the very end of our times, if that is, there is anything such as "our" time, which of course depends on how we fare in our time! However, there are some of us who willfully attempt to forget this transition as we tread further, in some way knowingly not looking back at the memory lane, for when it is time to assume another role in campus, being on the other side of the ominous table, we plead innocent to any sensetivity towards the souls who have spent hours sitting across us forming different answers to the same, cyclical and perpetually repeating questions that were once asked to us.

It is not within my scope at this date to discuss the merits of such voluntary and intermittent amnesia, but I hope I do not become a case-in-point one day. However, on the other side, the more inextractable piece of our existence, the layer of thought that we passed through in the two years at Joka, continues to make a consistent impact on our chosen way of life and I hope would lead us to serve the marquee our predecessors have created.

As of the present, I have proceeded to find the key differences in my lifestyle in a post-event scenario after moving to Bangalore. I still dont like to get up early, and am facilitated by my organization letting me come in just when the second lecture would start at Jokaland. In a way, the precision of the match I have found here compared with the last two years in terms of routine, though not comparable with clockwork, comes dangerously close to Bangalore traffic signals. Yes, they do have signals in Bangalore, in case you missed them!

Even as I miss the 85% water coverage, Ulsoor lake is just about making up the damage. That coupled with the will-rain-any-moment climatic structuring of my new home is holding me up against the lack of any work or play. So the primary and most heartening loss is of my closest and dear friends whom I now see through minute symbols on a virtual interface and hear through diaphragms and digital speakers.

I hope others have had better luck in making this leap from "our" world to "theirs" and also that they shall make it "our" time from "theirs". This post goes out to everyone of my batchmates living out something new, and remembering that which may never be forgotten. Hope we stay Jokaiites for all our times...

~DragonFire

Malli- the mohammed who went to and conquered the mountains

2006-07-12T10:09:00.000-07:00

Prankie had asked me to put up a blog entry on Malli when he had conquered Mt everest. Silly me: was caught up right in the middle of the internship, however I tried to justify the inability to post an entry by saying that I was waiting for much bigger news from Malli. That "news" has finally arrived.

Malli has finally created a world record of conquering 7 summits (apparently it is a part of mountaineering terminology that defines 7 mountains in just two words) in the shortest span to date.

I admire him for two aspects and his physical strength is not one of those. The characteristics that I admire would be those that I probably lack in. And the first in those is his ability to pursue his dream without letting sponsorships and its nuances forming a roadblock. Personally, I might let go of a dream, if I had difficulty getting sponsorships. But Malli has persisted with his dreams and he has won. It really is "hats off" to him for his devotion to his goals.

The second characteristic is his ability to find alternatives when ever diplomacy comes across him. I heard "tales" of how he hitched a ride in a cargo plane and of deportation from an alien nation. Amazing indeed! The methodical way of thinking outside the regular norms, ability to comprehend the situation and act in the best (optimum) way, are some rarely-found traits in human beings today. I had to struggle to develop those skills to the amateur level at which they exist in me. Malli seems to have mastered those skills by now.

Mountains are no longer hurdles for this young man ...Malli, the coming days should be enjoyed to the most. It is not everyday that an IIMC-ian sets a world record (oh unless you are Malli, of course) . Truly, it is with a lot of joy that I say that at this moment "IIMC is proud of it being a part of you"

Vijay Lancy's Article in the Economic Times

2006-03-29T23:05:00.000-08:00

Goodbye IIMC.... you made me what I am...

2006-03-16T19:08:00.000-08:00

Well, its that time of my life again, when you move out of one stage and you move into another. For all practical purposes my life in IIMC and most probably as a student, it over. I remember the first time I walked into (drove into, rather) this campus. The absolute letdown of the Calcutta “city” was completely erased from my mind the moment I saw this awesome campus loom in front of my eyes.

The two years here have been eventful to say the least. Norris, my senior used to tell me that the campus grows on you. I couldn’t understand what he said and why he spent hours near the jetty. I came to IIMC to learn management; I guess I have learnt much more than that.

What all has IIMC taught me? Hmmm. Good question. It has definitely taught me to go “value adding” activities like bullshit a class of 250 students non stop for 40 mins (they call it case based discussions) or to chill out till the nth hour and sit and cram something hours (and sometimes even minutes) before the exam (sack & crack, the IIMC way !)

In the social life front (which forms a majority of my life here), I have learnt to live with people from different regions, countries and backgrounds. IIMC has taught me the advantage of team work – be in a tyre raid during the world war and u know what I am talking about. It has given me the strength to dream big and work hard to achieve it. Intaglio 2005-06 was our dream, and we made it into the most successful business school meet in India. Its also about unity. Coming from a background of students indulging in campus politics and looking for an excuse to get at each other, this institute surprised me on its capability to rally all its students together for a cause. Each and every student who has passed through the revered hallways of this institute loves and respects this place. There is no section based, region based or hostel based division and that makes it such a healthy environment for growth.

Most importantly, I think IIMC has taught me a new way of life. Its this unique mix wherein you are taught all about the cold, professional world of management on one side, and you learn to appreciate the beauty of nature and like to sit beside the lake and watch the sun set on the other side. Its about leading teams with purpose and working with deadly efficiency on one side and laying back and sleeping or just roaming around campus on the other.

All in all, I think IIMC has taught me to take the best of both worlds. It has empowered me with a strong heart and a confident spirit. It has given me friendships that I will treasure for the years to come. As I say goodbye to this great institute which has made me what I am.. all I can say is.. IIMC tujhe Salaam…

promoting PGP

2006-02-13T19:28:00.000-08:00

Well, i just read that another famed b-school has used the leo burnett agency to promote the gospel about an executive MBA program. My humble thought that was we should also get a burnett on board...How abt THE "Mark Burnett"??

Here are a few suggestions that he would give..
1) create "survivor:pgp"... where you are dumped from a running bus into joka campus with only the shirt you wear!!!
The rules are simple, after one year of gruelling academics, if you find your name on the roll of honor , you get the coveted distinction of being called "survivor". But you are not alone, there would be at least 200 other contenders. The only communication with the outside world would be through(not email, not a mobile phone, not even posted snail mail) telepathy. Why? of course you do not have money with you to get a cab! Oh yeah, there is always the lake where you would have the bikini clad survivor contestant trying to seduce another one and "put lake" him.

2) The "apprentice: Jokaland"... Trump would fly in in his learjet, land somewhere somehow (the lakes are good for landing too). and you would have 80 of the most experienced MBA aspirants on earth doing projects for him. George and Carolyn would not be able to make it to India and so Burnett would suggest that Trump select suitable ones from the Student council (Creating a mini-episode in itself).
Projects for the apprentices would include:
a) Ensuring that company ppts meet all the WWRs

b) Contract with IBM to install biometric measures for that attendance thingy

c) Conduct the XL meet without the F word.

The last round would of course be held in the auditorium. The prize for the winner would be a PPI from ITC (since they understood that a sonar bangla dinner might cost more to ITC).

3) IIM County Chopper - These extremely challenging projects (agreed that it's not a burnett original) would culminate when you deliver a management framework that looks sexy and can growl like a real chopper! The tools (library, dc++, ipmsg) would be provided on campus, but there would always be the toughest prof on campus (paul snr) to intimidate the contestant.

4) The simple PGP life: Two of the trendiest PGP ladies would be sent out to the backward areas of calcutta to learn about the indian social structure. and yes, they would sleep on the floor, milk the cow, cook chapathis the traditional way, and earn their living by washing plates. The finale is when they get a rendezvous with lionel richie and get to stay in the Bengal Hilton (?) for a day.

That is all i could muster in the 5 minutes to class deadline before rushing out of the hostel room.

~Want Mark Burnett and his skimpily clad contestants on campus

Hats off to an indomitable spirit!!!

2006-02-01T09:49:00.000-08:00

This was a blog i had written in my blog a couple of weeks back.. thought it was more appropriate on the IIMC blog!

Malli Mastan Babu has done it again! He has started on his conquest of the seven highest peaks in the world by climbing Mt. Vinson in Antartica.

The News Article

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/msid-1379989,curpg-1.cms

When I read this news, with the placement fever in the background I just realized how big a decision he had made in his life and how he had actually made “following a dream” into a reality.

What am I talking about?

Rewind 2 years, Mr. Malli was a student at IIM Calcutta. He had his graduation from IIT Kharagpur and in all probability would have been placed in a great firm with an amazing salary.

He had set up the adventure club in campus. While others would sit in their rooms or go out drinking during the evening, he used to swim in the lakes in campus. While others used to long to go back home and get cozy on ur fav couch, he longed to go to Himalayas. He used to arrange treks for other students and alumni.

In the month of Jan, 2004 Malli did the unthinkable for any IIM student, leave any IIM student; any student in this part of the world. He opted out of the placement process to start a career in mountaineering.

Ok… (takes deep breath)… I gotta repeat that. He decided not to sit for placements in IIM Calcutta because he wanted to climb mountains! The very thought of such a concept sends chills down my spine. I know how much career focused people here are. I know the peer pressure that gets into you once you get into an IIM. Such a decision from anyone would be insane to say the least!

But IIMC being what IIMC is.. approves and cultivates diversity. You think I’m crapping? Well the guy was awarded the “Dr. B.C. Roy award for best outstanding contribution to campus life” during the convocation. A large portion of his funds for traveling and climbing these mountains have been contributed by Alumni at IIMC. He has also started a professional adventure company for arranging treks for corporates. The Alumni have also helped him out a lot for this.

Malli is a cult figure in IIMC. He started the adventure club, which is one of the most active clubs in campus; but more importantly he rekindled a trend amongst the students to find their passion. I’ve met him in campus many times – he is just like one of us, mild mannered, fun loving IIMCian. However unlike many of us he had the clarity to know what he wanted in life and the guts to stick to that goal and follow it up.

Hats off to you Malli!!! Hope you conquer the next 6 peaks too… Keep the IIMC flag flying high!

You can visit Malli’s website here

Carpediem's happening....

2006-01-14T08:01:00.000-08:00

Well, I dont know about last year but this year its rocking!! With the junta coming from Kolkata and other places, campus is looking quite lively. And why not? Junta being in an enthu mood and waiting for a cul fest with the time having arrived...

Yesterday we had the Professional Drams Play 'Kharashein' and to simply put it, it was awesome! The inaugural lamp was lighted by the Director of the play, Prof. Asim Pal (am not very sure of this) and our Cul Secy Konda. And true to the style of Konda, he said something on the mike, came and sat on his seat waiting for somebody to announce. A minute of silence and nothing happens. Then he realises that there is none and people are into splits! The director of the play comes next on the mike and seeing the mood informs the audience that the play might not be the right kind for now because its themed on the communal violence that ensued during partition. The play starts and what followed was an absolutely marvellous sensitive play.

Today we had the Dance Competition with Bhawanipur coming first followed by Xaviers, then Armageddon Rock Competition and the much awaited Fashion Show....Ah, what a day. Hope we had this kind of cultural mileu more often. I can see a lots of CAM on this from people here :)

funny blog

2006-01-02T07:43:00.000-08:00

Been trying to follow the rashmi bansal (+ gaurav sabnis) vs IIPM blog-to-the-death debate...

incidently came across this blog "http://iipm-iipm-iipm-iipm-iipm-iipm.blogspot.com/"

gosh....how much more iipm's can you add in this url....routers around the world would get confused...Imagine mentioning about this blog to a buddy over the phone..."man, you should visit the blog..the url is http://iipm-iipm-iipm-iipm-iipm-iipm-................"

getting senti

2005-12-02T14:19:00.000-08:00

oh well.. nobody gets senti in public these days. well, since the elections and placements are now over, i'm hoping people have cooled down or sobered up. i had such a wholesome day today, that i thought i'd talk about what a great city this is, and i promise you that this is not a diary entry of sorts. i never believed in that anyway, but that's a whole other discussion. i submitted three assignments today. that's the boring part, and not many people enjoy talking about that kind of thing, but for me, it's like a little miracle. so i'll say it again just to remind myself ;) i submitted three assignments today. and then i also practised two songs with my great fellow musicians. you guys rock. i know i'm really hard on you all sometimes, but it's only because somewhere deep inside, i believe that the only way you're going to get someone to do something right, is to make them feel repeatedly uncomfortable about doing it wrong. oh well, we all make mistakes. i'm digressing. i also had a chance to watch a great band from Delhi called 'them clones' perform at someplace else. i had heard a lot about them, back in the days of undergrad culfests, where so many creative folk actually found time to do nothing and sing songs under trees. they happened to play two of my really-close-to-the-heart type songs. one was 'alive' by pearl jam and the other was 'pride(in the name of love)' by u2. something happened after that, and things got a little too chaotic. the songs were also slowly shifting frequencies down the spectrum, from the esoteric-political-angst-condensing-to-beauty type songs to the not-so-intense-rebellious-world-domination type songs. hmm, looks like i've found a little loophole in my argument. okay, the best part was the cab ride back to joka, home of the great big white birds on the trees (are they really a siberian migrant species, or was that just a rumour that turned into a very intelligent practical joke for the masses ?). songs on the radio after midnight are actually some of the best broadcasted material ever. i wonder why. so here i am in my room, using my brain all day, and trying to unwind on this keyboard and screen combination lock of communication. how wide is the world, and how many spiders actually live in the web? who cares. okay, i'm really drained out of sensible things to talk about. just chill

Never trust the system!!

2005-11-28T19:37:00.000-08:00

In a land where the gun weilds more power than a pen, students, who are pushed into the throes of a mafia-ruled community, must understand that negotiation skills and business ethics taught in school do not take into consideration situations when your life is endangered. Text books teach that what is ideal and it can probably used in "laboratory conditions"

Moreover most of our folks live a protected life at home, protected life in school and (as far as I can see) the iim students rarely interact with the "local" life around. So trust and belief in the system comes naturally to each one of us. We trust our school, the people in it, the employer that comes in for recruitment, the job and the people around us. The moment any force interrupts it, we believe that if we act in accordance with the system, we will be protected by it.

We just witnessed that it is not so! The system does not always come to our help, and especially when we need it the most. I am not going to suggest being unethical or being unfair on the job. Evaluate what consequences each of our activities can have, assume the worst and see if the system would stand by you, in case of the worst. I think that now a fair assumption is that the system will not do that and we are on our own!

With condolences to the family of S Manjunath - a man who believed in the system.

Encouraging every IIMC-ian to sign the petition ....

Nihil Ultra

2005-11-08T03:48:00.000-08:00

Dear Abbey,

As you step into the world of work, you are bringing to it the freshness of ideas and the power to change things. And yet, there is the danger that all too soon you will forget why you came to a place like MIJ. No, you were not here to understand the Corporate Sector or the intricate theories of management. You came here to understand yourself and your strengths. To believe how easy it is for you to make a difference. That is the pirpose of higher education. To instil in you a belief that you can make the world a better place.
Whenever you feel unhappy about something around you, remember, you have the capability within to improve it. So whether you choose to change it or choose to walk away and just complain - you have made a choice. As a professional manager, you will have opportunities to make things happen. You have had the education that will tell you what to do and how to do it. But it is only your heart that will tell you why you ought to.
There are no limits to which we can grow as human beings. Every moning we get up and make a choice about how much we will do to make a difference. Every day we choose how much we will touch the loves of less fortunate. Too many people give up the opportunity because they do not believe they can change things. I do hope this education has given you the belief within.
Never underestimate your ability to make a difference.
Nihil Ultra - Nothing is Beyond

Truly,

Ed Hathaway

From the book: Mediocre But Arrogant
Courtesy: The Wolverine

Delhi : when the dialogue among communities must fight the terror

2005-11-06T10:23:00.000-08:00

02-11-2005

The following article takes its roots from a deep misunderstanding. The bomb blasts which hurt Delhi last Saturday might have killed anyone of us if we were at the wrong place in the wrong moment.
First, as a human being, I felt highly concerned by the sadness of these terrible acts. Moreover, as a Muslim European citizen, I was intimately hurt by these so called Islamist acts made in the name of Islam all over the world.
Having been shocked by many newspaper articles that I have read and which may create hatred and fear between Indian communities, I wanted to write these modest words, and hope that you, Indian students, will contribute in the building of peace in your country and all over the world.

November rhymes with the end of the month of Ramadan (Roza). The Moslems of the whole world fasted in the search for the balance and the peace of mind. At the same time, the Hindou community was preparing itself for Diwali, the festival of light, which enlightened many Indian cities. As Ramadan signifies the renewal and cleaning of himself, Diwali celebrates the renewal of life.

This month was the opportunity to bring together two religious communities in India in the celebration of their respective religious festivals. But something happened, which might dangerously impact the respect and love between Indian communities.

The terrible bomb blasts that hurt Delhi on the 29^th October shocked everybody. Innocent people were killed, giving way to tears and sadness. With a strong and audible voice, we must express our absolute condemnation. But it is not sufficient. We must do exactly the opposite of what these terrorists want.
Because they want a struggle between Indian communities, we must commit ourselves to building peace together...
Because they want to replace happiness by fears, we must fight to destruct suspicion and distrust....
Because they want the people to turn the rich diversity of India into a war of differences, identifying themselves against the others, we, the new coming generation, have to focus on the contrary.

Samuel Huntington and his clash of civilization theory may be a reality if we dont act quickly and consciously. The lack of knowledge of the other (and of self), the acceptance of caricatures and final judgements could lead to this clash. Therefore, it falls to us to commit ourselves to building the society we want., a society which would take its force from the diversity of its population.

Terrorist attacks, all over the world, point usually the Muslim community. If it is true that some people claiming themselves Muslimsmay do these odious crimes, the Muslim community, first, and all the religious and non religious communities, have to fight against caricatures.
Muslims have to explain the real meaning of Islam : peace. They have to explain that the sweetness and the tolerance were the roots of the Prophet Mohammed, offering humanity to all people and participating in society for good in partnership with all human beings who, in conscience, reject a world without conscience

Peace, respect and love are the messages of all the spiritualities. Together, we must struggle against terror and violence, but also for peace, for democracy, for freedom and from justice.

Living together in free and pluralistic societies is difficult. India, as many countries around the world, has to face it. But the Indian democracy quality will depend on the strategy adopted. Struggle those atrocities through repression is not a viable solution. Prevention, education and a non discriminatory implementation of security measures are the real solutions.

It is in that context that we, Indian and foreign students together, wanted to stress the importance of dialogue and mutual understanding, responding together to those who want to install terror and violence all over the world, as to those who try to exploit these acts to propagate racisms, xenophobia, hindouphobia, islamophobia, judeophobia, christianophobia or any kind of stigmatisation or exclusion.

At this difficult moment, we want to convey our deep and sincere condolences to all the victims families.

Badreddine Serrokh,
STEP Student IIMC

Goechala vs The Adventure Club

2005-11-05T12:06:00.008-08:00

Welcome to Sikkim
Originally uploaded by Melodic Hallucination.

Welcome to Sikkim

“ I have scaled the mountain; Thy myriads of corporeal worlds that travel in the eternal sea of space! I have beholden that all the stars in heaven would not fill the hollow of Thy Hand; yea, that Thy breath moveth the universe! The glory of Thy works hath inspired me with madness to come to Thy Mighty Home!” – Tae, Ch.I, Oahspe, Book of Knowledge

Howrah – New Jalpaigudi – Jorethang – Yuksom 6th Oct, 2005

We took five cabs from campus, with about four people in each, a large group of twenty one, and left Joka and bought a malfunctioning spider man mask, in a burst of festive spirit, on our way to the Sealdah station. At the station, we waited with our rucksacks, the guitar and each other, hungry and surrounded by hunger, pulling time with the intention of hurrying into the train. A mad beggar ate my biscuits and rolled on the floor like he was in great pain. Sad. We entered the train, and after an uneventful night of cards, food and little sleep, we woke up at NJP with our luggage, transported it to three large jeeps after huge negotiations and headed to Yuksom, earlier capital of the state of Sikkim. We stopped for lunch, after being mesmerized by the views of the Himalayan foothills and plains, the first time for some of us, at a busy town called Jorethang. We ate rotis, rice, dal, vegetables and papad at the marwari bhojanalya. The post-lunch jeep ride was much less nauseating compared to the morning drive, and as a result was a lot more lazy, until of course we reached the border of West Bengal and Sikkim, at Melli, and after a short stop for minor bureaucratic procedures and a short collection of maps and similar paper goodies, we headed on to Yuksom. We reached a few hours after sunset and occupied rooms at hotel yangrigang. We went out for a walk at night and reached the coronation palace, apparently Yuksom was the capital of Sikkim long before Gangtok, and so the place was quite a royal experience with a huge verandah and a very posh dining room and reception. We also tried to find the monastery, but the path was completely unlit and we had no idea where we were going. So we went back to the hotel for a dinner of rotis, potato and dal. I found an old copy of Aleister Crowley’s ‘Moonchild’, and a couple of French exchange students from IIM Lucknow, but unfortunately they couldn’t join us the next day when we left for a higher climb. In any case, there were quite a few discussions on local folklore and we knew not.

Dinner at Yuksom
Originally uploaded by Melodic Hallucination.

The Bridge before Bakhim
Originally uploaded by Melodic Hallucination.

Yuksom – Bakhim – Tsokha 7th Oct, 2005

We left the hotel at Yuksom early in the morning after a reasonably heavy breakfast of two muffins, tea and biscuits. We even found some mango cornflakes that I had never seen before, and tasted really sweet, like an artificial mango drink or other synthetic fruit-like liquids. The climb to Bakhim was very difficult, and our route involved crossing four bridges. We encountered at the second bridge, four yaks crossing a stream, throwing me and my red backpack off balance, balancing on slippery water stones. The first yak noticed me in fear, and almost charged while entering the lake, and suddenly walked off in a different direction. The next one danced with his cowbell while continuing past me. All this while, I was perched on a rock dodging yaks and turbulent flows, but soon I was free again, with the Himalayas, trees all around me, and butterflies on my side constantly fluttering in no particular direction. So, many hours and discussions later, we stopped after the third bridge across a huge river, and soon the bridge that held our trembling feet oscillated in the wind and rain, and on the other end, we stopped for maggi and discovered on our feet, leeches, growing and sucking continuously for an explosive bloody end. We climbed onward, after a long break, towards Bakhim, where there were no people but a large spooky tourist lodge and a family nearby. We proceeded onward towards Tsokha which they said was less than an hour away, uphill. It seemed like a lot more, what with all the steep climb and muddy, marshy path of crazy danger, constantly lurking with whispers in the trees, stroking my ears with their cries for help, pulling me back to earth, as I climb on and on. And so I reach Tsokha with four others, and unload for the evening. We met travelers from across the globe, but one of them puked at our dinner table, just before our meal, and we, too cold to react. We were eventually fast asleep.

Tsokha Terrace
Originally uploaded by Melodic Hallucination.

The Path to Dzongri
Originally uploaded by Melodic Hallucination.

Tsokha – Pedang – Dzongri 8th Oct, 2005

We left the tourist lodge after much confusion and headed towards Dzongri at 3950m, perhaps the highest I have ever been. The initial climb was very steep and strenuous and the Himalaya always proves itself, separating the week from the strong. As we climbed on, we discovered more rain, fewer trees, more marshes, yaks and horses (pronounced yucks and yucks respectively). Soon, we were in the drying lands of a deserted vegetation. The trees grew thinner but more colourful, some were even red or green with hues we couldn’t recognise ourselves. One had a peculiar face, it was completely red with green eyes and a mouth, its bark perhaps meaner, but I couldn’t recognise it myself. Who it was… probably just somebody’s practical joke. We climbed on, and the rocks and mud grew more formidable. Soon, I was surrounded by yaks and horses again, but I continued to climb toward the little birds, and eagles above. We were supposed to stop for lunch at a little cabin in Pedang, but it was raining like crazy and there was certainly no space or food for twenty four, so while the others waited for food or the lunching rain to end, many of us climbed on toward the Dzongri peak, meeting place of man and god, and what was supposed to be another short one hour trek turned out to be a lot more, weakening, strenuous and power sapping and after the beautiful climb, and a few descends and more climbs, we stumbled on this particularly snaky winding road that sent us toward Dzongri, and unlike yesterday, we reached in time a lot before the sunset, and at the end of it, we were comfortably seated, with more maggi and a warm mat below for protection. The trek today was far easier than yesterday, so we stepped out again in the evening for a stroll to the viewpoint nearby, and the fifteen minute trek at this height turned out to be more of a disaster than a blessing, as it was seriously cold and we didn’t have too much of a view with all the clouds and rocks blocking the way, so we went back to the hut for a long sleep after a good dinner of rotis, rice, dal and vegetables. Dzongri is very cold.

Dzongri Sunset
Originally uploaded by Melodic Hallucination.

Dzongri Sunrise
Originally uploaded by Melodic Hallucination.

Dzongri – Kokchurong 9th Oct, 2005

My attachment to the highest place I’ve ever been in doesn’t seem to wane with the cold or my aching head. We wake up and walk towards a nearby point where we view the sunrise floating like lava over the snowy peaks, Khanchendzonga, Kabru and a few others. The wind is incredibly chill and the dynamic views kept us rooted to the spot, but eventually we returned to the hut for an absolutely amazing breakfast of poori, channa and onion curry with mashed potatoes but it was too much for the climb ahead of us, more of a descend really, to this quiet riverside cabin at Kokchurong, where we were welcomed with the same sweet chocolate like tea, that I have never had before and great soup. I even tried to bathe in the river, but ended up almost dead cold, and screamed an expletive, as the chill surged up my spine that must have really rocked the lonely mountains. I apologize. We discovered a little fireplace behind the massive log cabin where I tried drying some old, smelly clothes that got wet from the rain yesterday. Apparently, it is improper to start a fire or generate one after sunset, and we found it exceedingly hard to do so. After several unsuccessful attempts, we gave up and went in for dinner, probably the best I have ever eaten, with those protein enriched meat substitute balls, whatever they’re made of, potato, onion and egg curry with rotis and rice. The peaks we saw at sunrise, apart from the Khanchendzonga, were Kabru which was a barrier between Goechala and Sandakphu, from where we had earlier witnessed a similar majestic sunrise. The dark valley of Kokchurong with a lone aluminium roofed cabin surrounded by red and green moss covered hairy trees was quite breathtaking and sometimes surreal. After dinner, for a change, we had a three stage concert. The first, by the fireplace outside the cabin where few understood the words, but felt the music in a much deeper way. The next with confused friends who felt the words escaping the candlelight, and lastly, with the whole gang talking to spiders escaping waning candlelit choruses of cold.

Kokchurong (Alt. 3500m)
Originally uploaded by Melodic Hallucination.

Sunrise by the River
Originally uploaded by Melodic Hallucination.

Kokchurong – Thangseng – Lamoni – Sungmoteng Lake 10th Oct, 2005

The last leg of our journey, where we carried a few essentials like one set of dry clothes, a sleeping bag and shoes and warm clothes, we started a little after a sun rising hidden behind peaks that create our valley, Kokchurong. We climbed to Thangseng, a huge plain surrounded by a gigantic dark rock on one side, and snow covered peaks on the other side, and a large cabin in the middle for rest, perhaps colder than a closed valley, but with more stars to enjoy the night sky, and who wouldn’t need a fire at this altitude. We climbed on to Lamoni where we pitched our tents by the noisy river that grew out of a higher lake. After raising the tents, which occurred to me as upside down ships, we strolled to the nearby Sungmoteng lake that was surrounded by flowers of all hues, particularly indigo and red with a sparkle of yellow. After circling the lake once, and encountering a blackness in a cave within a cave, we crossed again, the stream that flowed into the lake, and this time, it was far too dangerous but our lives were safe and minutes later, we crawled back to a most amazing lunch of soup and rotis with aloo. Most of the afternoon was spent laughing in jest and digestion, while the late evening comprised of a discussion on learning from last year’s experiences at Goechala, which were inspiring, scary and productive. The dreams that follow hold us sleeping or carry us upward. Our discussions carried on to our guide’s experiences with far more intense expeditions such as the one to the Everest base camp and Khanchendzonga. Adventures not just with life and death, but the government, sponsorship and other ponderous issues. We were given hot water and tea before bed, again the same chocolate flavored drink that may have kept us colder and awake. In the long run, sweet temptation, and taste buds in contemplation.

Sungmoteng Lake
Originally uploaded by Melodic Hallucination.

Goechala Peak
Originally uploaded by Melodic Hallucination.

Lamoni – Goechala – Kokchurong 11th Oct, 2005

The most memorable day of my life yet. We were woken up at about two in the morning, and were supposed to reach the Goechala viewpoint at sunrise. The trek in absolute darkness, windy and chilly, after mildly nauseating flakes of corn and milk, was a real astronaut like experience with about fifteen of us following each other single file, with torches, under a clear starlit sky and crossing over rocks and branches in the streams spinning by Sungmoteng lake, which is a whole different experience in absolute darkness. After crossing the lake, and very dangerous deceptive iced rocky paths, we headed into the Himalayan desert sands. I heard the cries of wolves, and saw the strangest birds appear, but that kept me occupied as I quietly crept on, hungry, tired and very weak from the already complicated climb. So the last stretch was not only long and difficult, like a beach jog that is equally exhausting, it was also very dangerous and I almost collapsed while climbing the last rock wall thing, where the smaller pebbles were constantly sliding under my feet and carrying me off back downhill. I also lost my water bottle one time, when it landed on a rock, rolled off into a valley and wedged itself between two bigger pebbles, eventually transforming from an aluminum flask to a dented tin cylinder. But soon after, I followed it, quietly sliding down and holding on to crevices and rocks for dear life. I even had a near death experience as I went on the pass between the mountains with a valley on one side, puddles of snow and slippery spherical boulders, while on the other side; I had to again slip down a very unstable mud and stone territory to return to the path left behind. Finally, with a little help from my friends, I made it up to Goechala. I was weak, breathless and colder than a numb skull. But I was here. My lips were purplish yellow and the skin on my scalp screamed for warmth and this peak towering in front of me and sun rays bathing it in its morning glory. There was nothing here in me but the silence echoing outside. And the still lake in the valley, another mind numbing matter of liquid grace.

Goechala Valley
Originally uploaded by Melodic Hallucination.

11th Oct, 2005

End of Series

“the blossoms this standing tree bears cause that world to be light, making it light for the man-beings dwelling there”
– Iroquoian Cosmology of the Onondaga Tribe

Wishing all Jokaites a Happy Diwali

2005-10-30T22:51:00.000-08:00

Well the best celebrated festival of Jokaland is here. So here is a small effort from my side
http://www.geocities.com/nipun_kul/diwali.html

IIMC-XL meet day 1

2005-10-02T13:24:00.000-07:00

The Prezi's message: "Its that time of the year again when emotions will run high in every IIMCian. When your belly will be on fire to beat the XLers square".

Well, finally the much awaited day arrived. We, the juniors, came to know from our seniors that this is one another time (other being WW) when people have max enjoyment. The rivalry, the fights, the booing, the hooting, the sledging...all these that are "not expected" from a Manager all are seen in action.

Hey where is your decency. What about giving respect to others?
Cut the crap dude. The only thing we know of is winning. And we do that in style. Never mind a few setbacks we have suffered. Sometimes a tiger needs to go hungry for a day to realise what hunger means and it helps to come back with much better tactics and a sharp mind.

Coming back to the XL welcome, BB and IP became active in the last 2 days with people coming out with plans and strategies as to making the next 3-4 days one of the best times of our lives. We were told of the famed female species of XL. Sometimes, I feel that every institute should have a policy of equal rights (read seats) to men and women. Well, the wait was getting more and more difficult to tolerate. We were just waiting for the XLites to land in the jokaland.

IP became hyperactive with the info about the arrival of XLites pouring in. IP was something like CNN with continuous updates and slogans. Junta gathered in quite good numbers at the OH entrance to give a taste of the Jokaites' decibels to the poor souls coming in thinking they would rock the show. The tired and ragged XLites arrived and I suppose as has been the tradition came walking from the insti gate towards OH. The frightened but united herd of deers came in with puffed chests and started straining their vocal chords at the turn of Tata Hall. The tigers just kept patience with their eyes fixated on the pack. Poor souls managed to strain their throats and kept shouting. We were standing face to face with them. Thats when the tigers roared. And believe me, the voice could have been heard till NH. We had only heard but now were seeing THE thing. The enthu, the adrenaline, the shouts....It was simply amazing! Now I realise why this event is one of the most memorable one in the life of a Jokaite!

The author later asked an XLite: "So how was the welcome?"
XLite: "Huh. Do I need to say anything? We were simply outnumbered! Was the whole campus out here?"
The author: "Luckily for u, it was not. There was probably some 60% turnout".
(My numbers is just an estimate. So dont go on this. Anyways, this reflects why I screwed up big time in Stats!!)

Well, the fun has just begun. Miles to go before we sleep.

~IIMC Rockz
~You Labour, We Manage

interesting session : bill gates and warren buffett in Univ Nebraska (Buffett's alma mater)

2005-10-01T06:12:00.000-07:00

Warren Buffett, Bill Gates talk bridge, business and family to students.....

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates told business students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln not to expect him to take over his friend Warren Buffett's investment company just because he joined Berkshire Hathaway's board last year.

A student put Gates on the spot with that question Friday during a forum that drew a crowd of about 1,800. About 100 students, nominated by faculty, got to share the stage and question the two men.

Buffett, the Omaha-based investment wizard, perked up at the question about the future of his company.

"I'm going to take notes on this," Buffett said.

Gates said just being on the board is an honor and he is still learning about Berkshire's unique structure.

advertising
"It won't be me," Gates said of who would take over for Buffett, 75. "Berkshire's got a lot of great people who understand their system."

Business ethics was the general topic for the forum, but Gates and Buffett fielded questions for nearly two hours on a variety of serious and silly issues including their definition of success, the future of video games and who plays bridge better.

Buffett and Gates mixed advice with humor.

A video established the afternoon's lighthearted tone by depicting Buffett suing Gates in "Judge Judy's" small claims court over a $2 bet on an online bridge game.

In the video, Judge Judy tired of Gates' defense and told him, "Mr. Gates, you've got to visit shutup.com."

Buffett bragged that, "I was cleaning his clock as usual" when asked how the bridge game was going and accused Gates of unplugging his computer to avoid losing.

So Judy ruled for Buffett: "Mr. Gates, pay the man two bucks," she said. "Maybe he'll invest it and make something of himself."

By most accounts, both men already have done that. Gates again beat Buffett for the top spot on Forbes Magazine's list of the 400 wealthiest Americans this year with his $51 billion. Buffett was listed with $40 billion. They have been friends since 1991.

Buffett teased Gates about his wealth and the Forbes list several times, especially when Gates noted that his Berkshire board member pay doesn't cover the flight to Omaha.

"We pay our directors $900 a year," Buffett said. "I'd like to pay him more, but he's already so far ahead of me on the Forbes list."

And Buffett made sure to point out early that Gates dropped out of college, which prompted Gates to remove his crimson Harvard sweat shirt. Buffett wore a long-sleeved, red Nebraska polo shirt.

Both Buffett and Gates encouraged students not to measure success in monetary terms.

"You have lived a successful life if the people you hope love you do," Buffett said.

In addition to the main forum, Buffett met with a classroom full of students in the master's in business administration program, and Gates talked to about 100 students in the J.D. Edwards Honors Program in Computer Science and Management.

The MBA students asked Buffett about practical matters, such as how he chooses which businesses to buy, and more political matters, such as whether ethical regulations Congress implemented in the last few years were needed and effective.

Buffett said Berkshire Hathaway has become so well-known that many people approach him about selling their business to him. So Buffett just evaluates the company and the seller to judge how well it would fit his criteria for acquiring companies, which he has included in his annual letter for years.

On the political side, Buffett said corporate America deserved "to be a whipping boy to some extent" because of the anything-goes culture that prevailed in the 1990s, and he doesn't resent the regulations.

"I would say publicity and attention has done more than those regulations," he said.

Students who attended the main forum said they were struck most by the two billionaires' sense of humor and how much they said they value family.

"I thought Warren Buffett was pretty funny," said Austin Weaver of Malcolm, Neb.

Where the sun never rises...

2005-09-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

In my days at IIM Calcutta, I have learnt many things we say about ourselves that pass on from each batch of students to the next. One such proud remark, which has its roots in what some nobody said in the court of a queen of a small island east of the Atlantic. Yes, you guessed it right--IIMC, where the sun never sets!

Now this may seem disturbing to most proponents of the theories of one Copernicus, but as we all know, the fellow is dead for four hundred years, maybe even he doubts his theories by now. For all we know, the sun and earth may both be revolving around each other, changing times and durations of days, months and seasons. And so it may happen that one day, these unlikely bedfellows strike a balance of angular velocities so precise, that the sun may actually never set. But, in this deep, metaphorical perpetuality of daylight, I pause, brooding whether the solar cycle has anything to do with our lifestyles at Joka anyway?

To be honest, I have never seen the sun rise in Joka as well as I have seen it set. Because after all, that is when my day begins, with the hassles of attending classes done and despatched, it is time to do some real work as the blue sky gives away to a faraway indigo, then to a vermillion, and finally creeps up our weighed down shoulders in deep black, each inch of darkness covering us, slowly, steadily, eventually. In this cover of insecure hideousness, all of us set out for our tasks, be it assignments, movies, cases, parties, projects, addas, exams, outings or any other cocktail of these, each one of us trying to find O. Henry's so called magic proportion, wherein the intoxication of the concoction would be strong enough to keep us running and gunning for the next day.

By the time we are finished, we are finished. And then, a few moments before the sun would make its attempt to come out of the lake towards the east, by some law of nature which a later Copirnicus may discover someday, the propensity to drop dead asleep grabs controls and overpowers any will that we may have left to see the sun rising. Some survive this battle, and see what may only be described as glorious especially in misty January mornings--the others die fighting.

So does the sun really never set? I'll say yes, since every time I wake up, I am up for a new challenge. Or maybe I agree simply because I have no evidence that the sun rose in the first place! Whichever way it may be, its still beautiful here at JokaLand...

~DragonFire

SPICMACAY concert: An evening with Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia

2005-09-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

Hi

I saw somebody here mentioning about the evening and therefore, putting up some photos of the event and people who made it happen. Though, it is good to be a part of the team that organized the event, we also do realise that it should not be a one-off event and efforts are being put in to ensure that SPICMACAY IIM Calcutta Sub Chapter stays alive.

Posted originally at http://misty-n-misti.blogspot.com/2005/09/spicmacay-concert.html

This tuesday, Sep 17th, 2005, we have organized a SPICMACAY concert in our campus. We hosted Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia as a part of Virasat 2005.

The performance which started exactly at 6 in the evening, lasted for an hour and enthralled the capacity crowd at the MCHV Auditorium. Panditji fondly remembered the last time he performed at the campus in the Library Auditorium and had the crowds in splits with his humor. All in all, the event ended smoothly and was worth all our efforts.

Ameya, Hariharan and Chetan along with myself and dozen other PGP1s were the organizing team and it was real fun doing all the planning. The event was very small scale; but the level of planning that went into it was amazing. Particularly worth mentioning was Ameya who planned it down to the minutest of details. Konda would be a better person to give you an account of that :)

The team

Hariharan, Myself and Ameya

All the four of us

The Event

Snapshots from the performance

The press coverage (pre-event).

The Telegraph

The post event press coverage is yet to be released.

Chalooz, shall update this post once the press coverage comes out... till then.. signing off...

~pandu

Equally relevant to us?

2005-09-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

Nine suggestions to improve Wharton's curriculum
By Ari M. Chester, WG '06

Has the caliber of Wharton's academic deteriorated? If so, is this problem unique to Wharton? Note the following excerpt from a recent Atlantic Monthly (March 2005) expose on higher education:

"It was hard work to get into Harvard, and then it was hard work competing for offices and honors and extracurriculars with thousands of brilliant and driven young people; hard work keeping our heads in the swirling social world; hard work fighting for... investment banking jobs... But the academics-the academics were another story."

Replace Harvard with Wharton. Sound familiar? Nevertheless, from discussions with MBA students from our peer schools, I am convinced the Wharton is not only rated the top business school, but also has an academic program which is unparalleled-as we will continue to be, if the administration addresses the following issues:

Core qualitative classes: One weakness has been classes like Leadership. Whether or not leadership can be taught, we could at least have meaningful readings. More than management theories, we should be reading books about leaders or by leaders. Perhaps Wharton could consult with the wealth of academic expertise in Penn's other graduate programs in structuring a curriculum that better reflects a more qualitative, or liberal arts, sensibility. We should be reading books like Siddhartha, by Herman Hesse, the novel of self-discovery about the Buddha. Short, easy to read, and classic, this book would allow for sincerely meaningful introspection, as well as imparting multicultural "global management" insights.

Integrating disciplines: Our classes are not well integrated, and we lack a general case-based class that teaches us how to broadly approach managerial problems. Typically the "answer" to a case is obvious, in the sense that we know which frameworks to apply (i.e., LTVC=marketing, Porter=strategy). The joint marketing and statistics project was an attempt to integrate classes in the core, but insufficient. We should have an interdisciplinary seminar class in the core, in Q4 of the first year or Q1 of the second year, where cases are given to which could be applied frameworks from all our classes.

Teamwork: Wharton prides itself for spearheading the learning team model. Working well with a team, undoubtedly a vital competency in today's business environment, oftentimes comes at the expense of individual learning. My learning team realized from the onset that an efficient team dynamic usually entailed separation of labor. Thus, the ex-consultant did the PowerPoints, the international students did the math, and I did the writing. Our learning team received the highest scores for the least amount of work, but our successful team dynamic sometimes came at the expense of individual learning. In structuring Wharton's curriculum, the faculty and administration must carefully weigh the balance-and sometimes conflict-between team dynamics and individual learning.

Participation and Preparation: Student preparation for class could be encouraged by a combination of cold calling, quizzes, and greater emphasis on class participation as a component of the grade. Cold calling is relatively atypical in core classes, yet ironically students appreciate the classes in which it occurs. Frequent, short quizzes are another way to keep students to task. Finally, class participation must have more weight. It should not be possible to sit through an entire semester, speak only once or twice (if even), and still pass.

Concert Rules: As the year ends, I find myself appreciative of concert rules. It is obnoxious, disruptive, and highly disrespectful when a student saunters in 20 minutes late with a cup of coffee. Why have the concert rules become little more than a memory of last semester? Because there are no substantial punitive consequences beyond "see me after class." Absenteeism is another endemic problem in some classes. Here is the solution: There should be a mandated QC, perhaps even NC, if students have more than one or two unexcused absences per semester. And teachers should take attendance every class-at the beginning of class.

Exams: We shouldn't still be taking written blue-book exams. Since 1994, students at HBS and Stanford have been taking written exams on personal computers (this was before laptops were mainstream). Sitting down to take a two-hour hand-written exam in a blue book is a joke. I'd almost rather QC a class than hurt my wrists and waste two hours scribbling illegible dribble that somehow will count for half of my grade.

Our exams are also too easy. In qualitative classes, they should require the unique application of frameworks (like in Marketing or Strategy) rather than mindless regurgitation of facts (like in Managing People at Work and BPUB). Also, exams in quantitative classes should not replicate those posted on webcafé from previous years. Students can avoid attending class and avoid doing coursework, yet study exams from previous years-and still pass!

Grade Disclosure: The faculty will soon vote on a proposal to add a second tier of honors encompassing the top 25% of the class, which undermines the student-initiated grade nondisclosure policy. If your resume doesn't list "top 25%" honors, recruiters know there's a likelihood that you are in the bottom half of the class. Grade disclosure is not the answer to Wharton's problems. It is a simplistic solution to problems that are more extensive. Arguably grade disclosure would further degrade academics. It would discourage students from taking more challenging electives, and it would attenuate our collaborative spirit.

Extracurricular activities: Conventional wisdom suggests that we face a tripartite-Matrix of which Wharton students must choose two at most: recruiting, social, and academics. In managing our priorities, sometimes we neglect academics. One suggestion is to increase capacity in the leadership ventures, which are opportunities for in-depth involvement during our breaks. Decreased costs, as well as scholarships, will further encourage participation.

Hunstman Hall: The devil is in the details. Most Wharton students, commuting from Center City, are hard-pressed to find study space at Hunstman. Our study lounge has insufficient capacity to accommodate even a fraction of demand. One half-hearted solution has been opening up vacant classroom space, yet an empty classroom is not well suited for individual study. In future years, major capital renovations will be needed.

In conclusion, the problem is not always the student. Despite concerns about regressive academic trends, my MBA education has lived up to my expectations-and socially, my MBA experience has exceeded my expectations. It is time for the faculty and administration to catch up with the students.

a better way to combat poverty?

2005-09-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

"If well done, these conditional cash-transfer schemes, as they are called, have several advantages over traditional social spending. Unlike public pensions or social insurance (which mainly benefit the better-off) or indiscriminate subsidies, they target the poor. The aim is both to help them and to break the cycle of poverty by giving their children a better chance to escape it. The money is normally paid to women (who spend it better than men). Payments—the equivalent of $50-70 a month—are high enough to make a difference but low enough not to distort labour markets by removing the incentive to work. The fiscal cost is fairly modest."

Comments are invited. The complete article is available here

i see an eye. am in i, i am sea

2005-09-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

differentia

STATISTICS

if you believe in probablity, you are a fatalist. your life is therefore out of your control as there are more variables than you can ever imagine, comprehend or know. it is therefore inevitable that you will arrive at the question popularly known as why. why? as you struggle to find an answer, your infallible mind dwells on the past. as you disenchantedly mangle the past and project it onto the future, you begin to develop illusions of grace. you continuously seek these illusions like fishes in the sea, birds in the rain, trees in the forest or dewdrops in the moonlight. whichever you please, whichever you desire, or whichever is a fraction of your mind's eye. soon you find yourself living. in a human dream. a dream that is soon destroyed by your beliefs. statistically inconsistent in the first place.
the faster you absorb, the slower your life becomes. you continuously wrap yourself in the most secure encapsulations of your rich experience. some of you play, paint or scream. the rest of you just drink along with the next person in the room. dissatisfaction creeps, some way, your head sleeps. you imagine forgetting. and a nightmare begins. you realise that you are not like the fishes, birds or trees. you are in fact, a cave in the mountains, a shadow under a street light, or a reflection in a dewdrop. the world that surrounds you was your choice. don't break it, question it or paint it grey. accept it. that's your only choice. statistically proven. otherwise, you'd be dead. or are you ?

words on a screen are flies. swat them and hit glass. another fly made of sand. bury your feet and spend the sand. its just a piece of paper. a shred of invisible light.

dependence decays a dream

2005-09-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

fret for your cold trial
if the morning doesn't

make sense anymore

its an unreasonable world
and insensitivity charades

on and on, a dirty smile

to sense a whole new driver
a meaning without a cause

your boredom will approach

quieter than a hailstorm
if it helps ease your woe

nostalgia

2005-08-27T17:17:00.000-07:00

no mo aces

(...yet another glimpse of freedom, the end of education...)

nostalgia

whatever went up
and disappeared
is gone at last

there won't be
another vow
another cause to confirm

for a long time now..

i have my space again
and jerks feel freer
awfully spaced again
with lesser sacked trial

The "wilson" effect

2005-08-27T09:39:00.000-07:00

Factually a person cannot survive for long without interaction with other people. And that, precisely, is why I run out of my room every 15 minutes, especially while studying. I just need to ensure that the "world outside the door" is still as it was, when I left it earlier.

Exam time and my sidey goes into his room and I never see him for days. ( I hope he is having at least one meal a day). Surprisingly his study strategy works for him, then why am I afraid of studying for hours at an end?

I am paranoid!! about what.? I call it the "Crusoe effect" or more lately the "wilson" effect. When you lock yourself in your room with the books ( and just books) for days, you tend to perceive the book as another human creature.. (aka the "wilson" effect from "castaway"). You start to love your books, hate some books, fight with some and sleep with some (no pun intended). My paranoia stems from the possibility that the book might take up a mind of its own. If we get into a strife, the book assumes a different form altogether, jumbles up its own words (or pages), and eventually the poor student in me absorbs the randomized words in the "revenge of the books".

Who suffers? Me, obviously. I am paranoid!!... having thought of the "wilson" effect, I tend to open text books on special occasions only, avoid a long contact with the books, ensuring that the book remains a book, and as far as possible, retain contact with the "world outside the door".

*** also posted on the following blogs: Onam, and westhills_fads

me, myself and entertainment management

2005-08-21T08:14:00.000-07:00

In a recent seminar, I was told- " flip thru the pages of the times, find out which topics you are attracted to, if your eyes zoom to catch the latest stock trends, then you are a financial guy and should be an investment banker. If you are passionate in reading news about IT firms, then presto, you should go the IT consulting route".

Succumbing to the pressures from the outside world, I decided to try out the "page-flipping" experiment to find out what I liked in the daily paper. My eyes always fluttered when I opened the Sunday Times and saw the scantily clad damsels in the Movie page. Ok, I get the picture....Maybe I should be affliated with entertainment management.

Entertainment (which differs from event management) and media management appears to be a forelone course amidst a Financials and Consulting focused curriculum. And I am left wondering how long will it take for it to make a itself a marquee course at the IIMs ?

In perspective, is Entertainment management "in vogue" enough to be offered as a career path in the big schools? I decided to look up at the various US schools that offered such options. . Well, the numbers are'nt that good either in the US of A. Smack in the heart of "Hollywood" , the UCLA Anderson school of business has an "Entertainment and Media management " institute. I asked an acquaintance at UCLA .... "oh , it really is spectacular, we have specific courses on entertainment laws, movies, advertising strategy , yeah and last year we went down to Cannes, This year we have special invites to the academy awards " and the list goes on.... Sounds wonderful.

Now what would I do with a specialization in Entertainment management in India? Here are thoughts about a few options.

Manage a few "bollywood" star careers?
Manage strategy in an Advertising firm?
Program management at any of the thousand odd production houses in the country?

But again, how quickly can I ascend to the top. There is the talk of the casting couch going around in entertainment...advantage the fairer sex ( no offense intended, but that is how the general perception is).
At the top, there is always the entrepreneur who invested his money into the organization and the rung is full at least two levels below him. There are always veterans vying for that occasional vacant position. Sigh..... The corporate ladder seems to be non-existant.

The canvas creation that I painted with moments of glee, while turning the pages of the Sunday Times seems to be amateurish in retrospect. Is entertainment management really big in India?
Does it have the broad scope and the career growth opportunity that many other sectors offer a B-school grad? Would that be enough to mandate the emergence of an elective in media management in the B-schools?

These are the questions that I will ponder on over the next couple of years. Meanwhile let me try out my career-oriented "page flipping" experiment on the "Filmfare" which I bought yesterday.

2005-08-21T00:08:00.000-07:00

2005-08-20T23:27:00.000-07:00

On how to study at IIMC…

(Especially for those who are not naturally inclined to muggai!)

Well, the Term IV ends soon, and so it’s that time when most of us think about studies for a change. And you have to make a start somewhere. So, even if the world is racing ahead at the speed matched only by the erstwhile ‘street hawk’, where everyone else by your sides blurs into streaky lines beyond recognition, I decided to take the slow and steady lane, much like Narain’s teammate this year—he got better results after all!

On an august afternoon, when the Joka sun was playing around with rather thick and foamy clouds, a bunch of friends went out with a single aim—to study the Indian Legal System. Truly, the intricacies of this subject we were unaware of, but as it turned out:

So here we were, a motley crowd trying to make head and tail out of a mischievously misprinted set of ILS notes, wherein each new sentence promised to be longer than the last, as well as a bit more rudimentary. So sale of goods by A to X and non payment by X to A led to a certain C getting aggrieved, due to the singular fact that he was the neighbor of X on a certain keypad, actions by members and directors in the articles of association would blind(bind) the company, and partners could be used (sued) for act of the company!

But soon our pursuits shifted. Nature in its full vividness was more than merely inviting for us to resist. Not that we did not try… we shifted positions, directions, books and what not:

Scene 1: Take 1

Scene 1: Take 2

Scene 1: Take ∞

So we gave up. And fell into the trap of what beauty is, what defines our beloved Joka! Let me tell you, it was better than any legal system there ever could be:

Scene 2: Let this take forever!

Maybe beyond forever…

And so, the evening gave way to the dusky lights of the west, and the legal system stood just as complicated before our gleaming eyes as it had three hours ago. But then it was all worth it, every single bit of it.

See you some more, some day.

Thinking

2005-08-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

Well, this is one thing which I severely lack. Our mind keeps thinking something or the other. Its always in the "Run" mode. Even when we sleep our thought process is working albeit slowly. This activity goes on while we are walking, eating, watching a movie, playing, bathing and even when I am writing this blog.

When I started by saying I severely lack this, I didn't mean to say that all the above does not happen. Its just that I sometimes think (shit, there it goes again) if I should think what I am thinking. Are my thoughts productive? I think about studies, movies, girls, food, life, sports and much much more. But where are my thoughts headed to. Many times I decide to do something but its way-laid quite soon. Do I have the will or the perseverance to do something. I dont know. I have to think on those lines.

They say that great people are not thinkers but doers. Aah, how did they do something which they have not thought on. Probably they mean to say that they dont waste too much time in just thinking but actually doing it. True, they set milestones on their journey and audit every mile of their travel towards the goal if they are on the correct milestone and correct themselves.

Well, the art of thinking is something which if mastered can give outstanding results. And most of the times, my thinking goes in a random direction with no idea where it is heading to. This article proves this theory of mine!

flight of chaos

2005-08-20T02:01:00.000-07:00

there is a rival inside us all that we constantly try to understand. when that doesn't work, we seek the temporary.

escape and fade back
recognition and retribution
fame and shame, a sillier game
power and control, and there is no such thing
time and money, enough is enough

creation is constantly challenging what we know. talk the obvious, hit your keyboard, and challenge me without your emotions.
~anonymous

punishment and retributions

2005-08-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

why do we believe that retributions and punishments alone can set right what was wrong. can't we just keep aside the entire episodes and move forward ignoring their baggage. isnt the path shown by truth and reconciliation mission in SA better than that of our 'moderate' judicial enquiries or of right wing retribution politics of modi and mugabe!

putting in place practices to prevent recurrance is what is more important in my view than punishing the guilty of what was long past. and we, as a society (not just the government) fail totally on this count while stressing whole heartedly on the punishment part of it.

also, cant some writers just stop desist from writing to death about everytime a small event happens related to 47/75/84/92/godhra. each of those articles desensitizes unaffected folks like me on one hand and ignites the latent hatred lying within people on both sides of divide related, even if remotely, to the particular incident

hi everybody...

2005-08-12T20:35:00.000-07:00

Good to see blog coming up within 10 mins of conceptualization... :) .. Now, all it needs is some action. :)

~and yeah, SISD sucks :)

A space for us all...

2005-08-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

A space where we can talk about, praise, criticise or generally discuss ad infinitum issues close to us and our institute.