WORLD's FASTEST BUS TRANSPORT

A day which is no special but some events and the memories make them really special and memorable.
So was the day today 16th May 2009. I had gone to the office (rare) for my summer training and was returning back. I had covered almost half way back and reached Dilshad Garden .It was pretty as usual nothing special till then.

As we crossed the delhi border and entered the UP(Uttar Pradesh) "the state of bureaucrats",I was expecting to get the TEMPO as usual but the day was special The BIGGEST DAY IN THE INDIAN DEMOCRACY - the results of Lok Sabha Elections were out and surprisingly we ( Me and Abhisheek) couldnt find tempo and finally had to opt for the bus.

And here starts our journey, Disdained with not getting the tempo to travel back , we finally decided to take the bus . luckily we got the seat in the bus also (though it was the last row which shakes your ass like anything and with roads of UP ,U know what to expect).The bus soon started filling up with the passenger and in the no time it was like - no space to breath even , stinking sweat dripping down everyone's body and to add on the person sitting beside me kept on adding flavor to the air with his FARTS as if in the whole world he had the responsibility to fart.

Still the bus was to start. After 15 min of struggle the bus finally started off. It was hardly 1 Km that we could have traveled and there was a traffic JAM which was almost difficult to get through. A bus waited almost for 30 min in that jam, stand still with double the capacity of people packed in it, all dying for breath.

Here comes the Conductor of the Bus into the scene. As he came back to collect the tickets, one of the frustrated in the Crowd fired him with the question "are bhaiya tenu bus is route se kahe ko le li?" ( Why did you took the bus from this route ) and that was the trigger the whole crowded started showering the questions and questions to him - some scolding , some abusing and some requesting. Conductor somehow giving the excuse - " savri ko kahin se bhi le jao inhe dikat hoti hai " ( someone at the front had forced him to take the bus by this route) he also said " savari ko hi savri karni thi - karlo aab savri "....

And then finally a breakthrough after half an hour we got some to turn back and get to the alternate route.But for that we were required back to reach to the Delhi border from where we started and the other side of the road was no different from traffic( Rightly said about Indian Democracy--- UPA or NDA the corruption and bureaucracy will persist)

As was the day of Election results and the Indian people at their best being argumentative was no exception in the bus . Even in this weather people made out the enthusiasm discussing the polls and results of the elections, criticising , prasining each other and its like a topping if you get the people supporting to different parties in front of each. So was the case here, and we had a fulto faltu discussion- BHASAD(as we say it in IMT-G). It was really nice to enjoy. hearing the perspectives and mentalities of the people about very small small issues.

But still after an hour has passed we had been just able to reach back to over starting point. Everyone cursing the driver and conductor for the path they had taken .
Finally after 1hr 15 min we were on track (the alternative path ) and the rest of the journey went criticizing the Conductor , driver ( for his rash driving) and the Summer Training.....

And it the clock had just ticked 10 when i entered my room. Then i realized that it was the journey of honor to be in the WORLD's FASTEST BUS TRANSPORT......

Management lessons from Battle of Plassey

Throughout history, wars have left an indelible mark on human psyche. Serious debates have been held on the morality of and the strategic necessity for war. And yet, like every dark cloud that has a silver lining, wars too at times leave a society wiser.

India is no stranger to wars. And there are many lessons to be learnt from each of those battles -- management lessons, to be precise. Here we present the fourth in a series of articles on management lessons drawn from Indian history. This one looks at the Battle of Plassey. Read on. . .

The Battle of Plassey (1757 AD)

Mir Jafar, alias Sayyid Mir Muhammed Jafar Ali Khan, is to India's history what Benedict Arnold is to that of the United States.

Mir Jafar came to Bengal as a traveller and took up a job in the army of Ali Vardi Khan, then Nawab of Murshidabad (near Kolkata). He fought many successful battles for the Nawab. This earned him a promotion and his career saw a meteoric rise under Khan.

Apart from showering many favours on Mir Jafar for his service to him, Nawab also married off his half-sister to him. This helped him gain an important position in the Nawab's court.

But Mir Jafar's thirst for power was not satiated by this 'meagre' progress. He had his eyes on the Nawab's throne. Ali Vardi's state had weakened considerably because of its constant conflict with the Marathas.

Mir Jafar wanted to make the most of this situation and conspired to murder and overthrow the Nawab. But unfortunately for him, the Nawab came to know about his plan and stripped Mir Jafar of all his powers.

Lesson 1: No management should let an incident of misconduct or treason pass. Unethical conduct by any person warrants eviction. A routine step like job rotation or transfer doesn't help. An immediate disciplinary action, on the other hand, sets a precedent for others. No organisation should tolerate any behaviour not aligned with its policies.

After having his wings clipped, Mir Jafar concentrated on rebuilding his career. He now worked hard to earn the confidence of the Nawab's grandson Siraj-ud-Daulah. His toil paid off. For, when Siraj ascended the throne of Bengal after Ali Vardi's death, he made Mir Jafar head of his army.

Lesson 2: Mir Jafar followed the much talked-about maxim of life: 'when one door is closed, look for another'. A setback should not stop one from pursuing one's dream. One should be open to explore all opportunities at hand and try to capitalise on them. Perseverance always pays.

The ancestral throne that Siraj sat on was a thorny one. He was constantly involved in warfare with the British. Initially, however, he overpowered them and even won Fort William in a battle against the British. The fort was christened Alinagar by him.

Soon after, the British were forced to sign a pact, the Treaty of Alinagar, with the Nawab.

In the meantime, Siraj had appointed one Mohanlal as his diwan, much to the chagrin of Mir Jafar. Being below Mohanlal in the hierarchy displeased him and this feeling of dissent fuelled his latent intent of overthrowing Siraj.

Now, Mir Jafar gradually embarked on a journey of deception and conspiracy. He joined hands with some other dissatisfied people in the Nawab's court and started strategising a ploy.

Lesson 3: Any leader should weigh the pros and cons thoroughly before deciding on any promotion or demotion. The question that arises in this context: was Mohanlal's promotion essential?

In case a promotion/demotion is decided upon, a leader should have a well thought-out strategy to deal with others aspiring for the same position.

A leader should have a clear idea if the management's step would hinder or improve team work. He should also know for sure if it is the right time to announce the promotion/demotion or if the same should be deferred.

Needless to mention here, the British wanted to have more sway over the Nawab's regime so that they could make the trade from Bengal more profitable.

They were also unhappy over the new Nawab's affinity towards their archrival, the French. The British, therefore, asked their representative Robert Clive to find out who could be their aide in their conflict against Siraj.

The British sent feelers to a disgruntled few in Siraj-ud-Daulah's court and tried to lure them with a promise of handsome rewards. It was also assured that whoever helped the British would be granted the title of Nawab. Mir Jafar fell for it.

On getting the hint of revolt brewing in his court, Siraj had Mir Jafar removed from the post of army head immediately and his place was offered to Mir Madan. Siraj, however, did not take any extreme step against Mir Jafar, fearing an uprising. Mir Jafar escaped severe punishment, yet again.

Lesson 4: In an organisation, a leader should be firm in the affairs of the state and should not tolerate any indiscipline even if the same is committed by a top ranking executive.

In an age of high attrition, a leader needs to ensure that his dependence on key resources is minimal. Even if one act of treason may be forgiven, a repeat act should never ever be tolerated upon and should be punished with expulsion.

The deposed army chief Mir Jafar now decided to join hands with the British. He sent message to Clive and had a clandestine meeting with him. He signed a pact to help the British in their war against Siraj in lieu of the throne of Bengal.

Thereafter, Nawab's army and the British troops assembled at Plassey for a test of their strengths. Siraj-ud-Daulah's army being huge had all the potential of defeating the British troops and a win seemed a foregone conclusion for the Nawab.

But, destiny had something else in store. Mir Madan was soon overpowered and killed by the British, which in turn deflated the morale of the Nawab's troops.

Nawab's soldiers put up a brave fight initially but a brief spell of rain and a lack of gun-handling skills soon dampened their spirits. They had no choice but to surrender to the the British.

Lesson 5: Lack of proper training was a major disadvantage for the Nawab's men. An organisation that plans to roll out a new tool or technology should test and pilot it properly prior to implementation.

During the initial hours of the battle, British troops performed better. Though the Nawab repeatedly asked Mir Jafar to launch an attack against the British, he not only refused to budge but after a while, along with his aides, moved over to the enemy's side.

As Mir Jafar and his aides controlled more than half of the Nawab's army, their revolt dished out an easy victory to the British.

Lesson 6: Mir Jafar should never have been allowed a position in the battlefield. While building a team, a manager should assign critical tasks to those who are skilled as well as trustworthy. Meetings are necessary to identify simmering issues if any.

Meetings help to ensure that people are aligned towards company goals and that they are not blindly following their managers.

If the Nawab had got the hint of dissent among his commanders, he could have built a rapport with them. That way, Mir Jafar would have never got a chance to make those commanders dance to his tune.

At the end of the Battle of Plassey, Siraj-ud Daulah was captured and executed. Mir Jafar was made the Nawab of Bengal. His long-cherished dream thus fructified. Not for long. Soon, he realised he was nothing but a puppet in the hands of the British.

Mir Jafar protested and tried to assert himself. As a result, the British removed him and made his son-in-law Mir Qasim the next Nawab. Mir Qasim did not bow to British demands either and the latter reinstalled Mir Jafar to the position of Nawab in no time. He retained his throne till death.

His treachery helped the British gain first major victory in the Indian soil. It assisted them get a foothold in a country they ruled for 190 years.

Lesson 7: In the long term, unethical actions always fail, their short-term gains notwithstanding. At times, people take wrong steps, lured by chances of quick benefits. Though they realise their follies in the end, very few have the courage to admit that.

Courtesy : rediff.com

LIC Jeevan Aastha Policy

Despite the turmoil in the financial markets, Life Insurance Corporation’s Jeevan Aastha policy is on course to break the record for premia collection by the scheme in a single month.

Now, what is happening in the markets is that investors trust is shaken given the huge turmoil in the global stock markets and frauds like Satyam coming to the fore. Investors who used to love risk in stock markets have witnessed their money value coming down significantly and hence they have become extra-extra cautious with their investments. They are now looking for less risk and assured returns and Jeevan Aastha Policy has made most of this which has been offered till January 22, 2009

Some of the Details regarding the Jeevan Aastha Policy are as follow

What actually is LIC Jeevan Aastha Policy?

It's a mix of investment and insurance (something which I never recommend). It promises assured guaranted returns and also give you life cover, which may depend upon your age, investment horizon and the investment value.

What is the rate of return that an investor will get in LIC Jeevan Aastha Policy?

According to the LIC brochure, one will get Rs 100 per Rs 1,000 maturity sum assured per year for a policy of 10 years and Rs 90 per Rs 1,000 maturity sum assured per year for a policy for five years. But hold on, dont do that calculation mistake. because this is where people make mistake of doing the simple calculation and assume that the rate of return is 9% for five-year plan and 10% for the 10-year plan. It is not that simple. Actually, what you get is a compounded annual growth rate or CAGR in return and that would mean your returns would not be that simple, easy and big.

Does the return on LIC Jeevan Aastha Policy vary as per the age?

Yes - Definitely. Because it is an Insurance Plan, therefore age plays an important role. Take this example as quoted in TOI. A 13-year-old investor (which is the minimum age at entry) who takes a minimum cover of Rs 1.5 lakh pays a premium investment of Rs 24,668 would get around 7.32%, whereas a 60-year-old (maximum age at entry) who pays Rs 29,145 as premium would get around 5.55%. Similarly, a 13-year-old would get around 6.78% and a 60-year-old would get around 4.69% from a five-year plan. So now you see, the best possible case from insurane point of view and age wise will get only 7.32% return per year, as compared to the simple interest calculated return of 10%. Instead many insurance agents are mis guiding investors by claiming that for 10 year, rate of return is 10% while for 5 years, it is 9%.

Is it really beneficial to invest in LIC Jeevan Aastha Policy?

That depends upon your income slab, age and your purpose. If you want insurance, buy a no-frill insurance policy -that would be dirt cheap for you and serve your purpose of insurance coverage.
If you want investments, then along with your age, think about your net investment returns what you will get. In the first glance lookign at the example mentioned above, it may not be that fruitful, but also notice that you may save 10%, 20% or 30% tax on your investment, so account for that as a return as well.
Then, though it is not allowed legally, some insurance agents may offer some cash back from their commission. LIC is leniently giving 2% to 3% commission to agents. So if you can strike a deal, then you may get some cash back, though it is legally not allowed.

Any alternative competitor products for LIC Jeevan Aastha Policy?

Yes, IDBI has come out with Bondsurance, but agents say that it is no better than LIC Jeevan Astha Policy

INDUSTRIAL POLICY – INDIA

What is industrial policy?

An industrial policy is any government regulation or law that encourages the ongoing operation of, or investment in, a particular industry. It is a comprehensive and cover all the procedures, policies, rules and regulations which control the industrial undertakings of the country. It includes fiscal and monetary policies, tariff policies and labor policy.

Major stepping stones in industrial policy on INDIA post independence

· Industrial policy resolution, 1948

· Industrial regulation and development act, 1951

· Industrial policy resolution, 1956

· Industrial policy resolution, 1977

· Industrial policy of 1980

· Industrial licensing policy

· Industrial policy of 1991

INDUSTRIAL POLICY RESOLUTION 1948

The first Industrial Policy Resolution, announced in 1948, broadly laid down the objectives of the Government’s policy in the industrial field and clarified industries and enterprises into four categories, namely:

· Those exclusively owned by the Government,

E.g. arms and ammunition, atomic energy, railways, etc.; and in emergencies, any industry vital for national defense.

· Key or basic industries,

E.g. coal, iron and steel, aircraft manufacture, ship building, telephone, telegraphs and communications equipment except radio receivers, mineral oils, etc.

The undertakings already existing in this group were promised facilities for efficient working and ‘reasonable’ expansion for a period of ten years, at the end of which, the State could exercise the option to nationalize them.

· The third category of 18 specified industries were to be subject to the Government’s control and regulation in consultation with the then provincial (now State) Governments.

· The rest of the industrial field was, more or less, left open to the private sector.

RATIONAL for RESTRICTIVE INDUSTRIAL POLICY OF 1948

India is probably one of the few countries in the world which used its import policy for the healthy development of local industries. Barring the first few years after Independence, the country was facing a shortage of foreign exchange, and because of this shortage, imports had to be restricted. Imports of consumer goods were, therefore, disallowed. A good number of restrictions were put on the import of industrial goods, and the effort of the Government was to encourage the production of these goods indigenously. Local industries were encouraged to have foreign collaborations and to import the technical know-how needed to produce what was being imported into the country.

Instilling faith in God

What a life that engineering was, so pure, so simple, so caring and with lots and lots of fun.But now it all seems hypothetical, seems as if i have seen a paradigm shift in people with whom i interact and work.

This comes out of my past 6 months of experience back in IMT Ghaziabad. Batch of 420 students , out of which 60 including me in the same discipline.

Many people, Many minds, Many perspectives; conflicts,relations, commitments,faith, deceit all coming into play all of a sudden.

But that whats the nature calls for ,"the day you becomes stagnent at the very next moment people starts breeding on you." Well said theory by Charles darwin, "Change and adaptibilty are the best ways the species survive over a long time".

Initially I thought how come people be so mean.But gradually as the time passed, I started learning from experiences and instances. It made me realized that "Its all professional world now".Every one in this 420 is competing with others.There is nothing like faith,trust and belief which you could find here whether it may be relationships,love, friendships or any other damn things. everything has a motive ,a reason to be looked upon. This is the reality. This is the world which i have to enter into coming out all the dreamworld.

Its all the place where you feel so lonely and scared not just because you have to compete with hell lot of people but the most important thing is that you can not trust anyone.

Only rescue to you is the Universal Power which some people call God.

I had been to temples many time before being to IMT, but never felt such a feel and urge of going back to the temple again.

It was some where in mid of septemeber, life was as usual busy and with lots of complexities. Though being atheist , wasn't intrested in going to temple but once i went there and sat there for a while to take break. All of sudden a sense of security, a feel as if someone has faith in me and someone is always with me , started comming to my mind. I found simplicity and calm atmosphere of temple as the best place which could give the peace of mind and relief of all the complexities of the world.

So its the Universal Power so called God came to my rescue of all the complexities of the life out here in this competitive and harsh world.

I still have the friends in IMT, who have faith and confidence in me. These are the people who are always to support me.

Hey!!! God its still competitve where Friends are at a upper edge over you.
So as I have said in starting, keep changing and evolving, applies to god also.

Hope u listening......

This experience instilled a faith in god, may be for my own benifits....But still friends rule much over God.

Now thing to be seen is that What God do to survive and compete with my friends.....

CS(Counter Strike) or Terrorism

Counter Strike
1999
First Map:
de_airstrip
Indian airlines plane hijacked and taken to kandhar. Terrorist demanded for release of 35 jailed terrorists for release of 154 hostages. Finally the deal was cracked for 3.
so the final score for this map was
CT(India)---0 and T(Terrorists)--- 3

2000
Second Map:
cs_militia
Militants killed 35 sikhs in Chattisinghpora, J&K.Militants were dressed in Indian army Uniforms.
CT(India)-0 and T(Terrorist)---35
Third Map:
cs_estate
A car bomb explosion near J&K assembly killing 38 people which was followed by armed assault. 3 terrorists were killed in all.
CT(India)--3 and T(Terrorist)---38


2001
Fourth Map:
cs_office
Attack on Indian Parliament----the sole and heart of world's biggest democracy.
All 5 terrorists were killed
Followed by.......

Massacre of family members of
Army personnel, Kaluchak, J&K.------- 20 killed

Akshardham Temple Attack, Gandhinagar------------29 killed

.

.

.

.

Twin blasts,Mumbai 2005-------46 killed
Three blasts ,New Delhi Oct. 2005 -------- 65 killed
Mumbai Suburban Trains Blasts 2006 -------135 killed



PATIENCE...............
NON VIOLENCE........................
RESILIENCE........................



Will all this pay ?????????

I really doubt now a days and so do most of the Indians think.No tangible measures from governemnt.After every attack government promises better and secured life but all in vain.Now common people having no other option are getting used to terrorism,they have lost the hope in system.It has become a usual routine of terror struck scenes on the news channels but what of the coming up generations.Instead of being bought up watching and listening fairy tales children now hear tales of terrorism eg. Mumbai train Blast, Taj hotel attack, Parliament attack.......This has created a great negative impact on their mind.It has instilled fear in their mind and made them uncap able to fight back this heinous terrorism.


Its the right to gear up our sleeves, if not for ourselves but for the coming up generations.lets not read them in their history books read the ruining of India as we read in our history books about Ghazani who attacked India for 17 times. Don't let this Country get ruined more.........
Its time to develop faith in our armed forces and support them in combating this terrorism.

ARE MONETARY MEASURES BY RBI EFFECTIVE IN OVERCOMING FINANCIAL MELTDOWN IN INDIA

Global meltdown which started globally post dissolving of Lehman brother had not leaved India even. Financial structure of the Indian economy had been shaken with a surprising event. NSE has gone down by 33% same is the case for BSE which is down by 38% post this incident. This continuous fall in Share markets shows a great fear and concern among the common man over the security of the money invested.

Does India should really be affected to such a great extent where everything in the financial market is downward sloping? No, speaking technically and logically India should not suffer to such an extent because India has always kept its restrictions on the foreign and monetary policies keeping the defaulters under the controllable limits.

Indian banks have never been exposed to high risk subprime loans as in the case of banks from other countries .So there is no reason Indian banks or government should panic about the situation. Its the psychological panic and phobia in the mind of people which has created this meltdown in Indian financial markets.

RBI has introduced various monetary policies(reducing repo rate, reverse repo rate etc.) on regular basis to keep check on the downward flow of the market but currently the situation is completely different , there is no flaw as such in Indian market as of in US markets. Monetary policies are just able to nullify such flaws in the market and thus have not been effective in curbing down the negative impact of crisis. Problem lies in the mind of people and this fear could be removed by reassuring the mass by introducing the effective steps under fiscal policy like strengthening global trading systaem and forestall any protectionist tendencies which surface during such crisis.