Planman Media: PowerBrands Rising Stars 2012-13 book launch in Dubai

IIPM Review MBA 2012

Taking emerging Indian brands beyond national shores, ‘PowerBrands Rising Stars 2012-13’ gears up for its superlative launch at the PowerBrands International event in Dubai later this month.

An initiative by Planman Media, the event will be a celebration of achievement and success comprising of the PowerBrands Rising Stars 2012-13 book launch, brand appreciation awards, PowerBrands Leadership awards and PowerBrands Hall of Fame ceremony.

Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri, Editor-in-Chief Planman Media and Honorary Director IIPM Think Tank said, “The last decade or so witnessed India growing phenomenally stronger in the global arena. It climbed the growth chart in every facet of industry, and the Indian branding industry has been a healthy part of it. These are the brands that share their inspiring stories of growth, innovation and success in a complex market. These remarkably gripping brands represent the changing face of contemporary India”.

The Hall of Fame ceremony seeks to honor and celebrate the success of the living legends across industries in India and UAE. Understanding the nerves of the market, these leaders have established their inextinguishable presence on a pan-India level, a feat easier said than done. His Highness Sheikh Nahayan bin Mubarak Al Nahayan - Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, UAE, who is also a member of the Royal Family of Abu Dhabi will grace the occasion as the esteemed Chief Guest. His Excellency Sanjay Verma - Consul General of India to Dubai will be the Special Guest of Honor.

Attendees will include people like Paras Shahdadpuri , Chairman – Nikai Group of Companies; Dr. Ram Buxani, President – ITL Cosmos; Vasu Shroff, Founder Chairman – Regal Group of Companies; Dr. Rana Kapoor, Founder Managing Director and CEO – Yes Bank; D. Shivakumar, Senior Vice President (Sales) India, Middle East and Africa Region – Nokia, Designer Manish Malhotra, Yogesh Mehta, Managing Director - Petrochem Middle East, Tej Raj Lohia, MD - Eagle Hunter Solutions Ltd., Vandana Luthra, Founder - VLCC amongst many others. Actors Arjun Kapoor & Ranveer Singh along with many others will be present too. Backed by rich experience, few of these renowned personalities will share their views on the Indian and UAE markets.

Deepak Kaistha, Chief Executive Officer – PowerBrands further added, “While brands play such an important role in the economy, there have been very few initiatives that have looked at Indian brands with a holistic perspective. Our PowerBrand Rising Stars 2012 recognises brands on the rise, that have etched a strong early impression, and encourages them to ‘elevate’ and capture the imagination of a resurgent India. Be sure that it'll be a proud embellishment in the world of branding!”

PowerBrands Rising Stars 2012-2013 is a revolutionary tale of success stories of the brands, who will be empowering our today for tomorrow. This coffee-table endeavour will act as a strategic tool to reinforce the supremacy, legacy, sustainability and credibility of the chosen few Indian brands. It is a salutation to the grit and determination of these emerging brands for having created a dominating space for themselves in the Indian marketing industry.

Some of the brands illustrated in the book, include Asian Tiles, Modicare, Cocoberry, Mad Over Donuts, Astral, EasyCabs, Neesa Basmati Rice and Sanjay Ghodawat Group, to name a few. PowerBrands Rising Stars 2012-13 promises to provide an elated experience to the brands as well as the readers by aiming to reach the next level of brand showcase and opulence.

Read also:  IIPM Reviews, IIPM Review Ranking/Rankings Across India, IIPM Faculty's Review on Thoughts and Courage, IIPM: The B-School with a Human Face and Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012 - IIPM ranks 1st 

IIPM Review MBA 2012 - Delhi Bangalore Jaipur Lucknow Admissions

IIPM admissions 2012 for MBA program at any of the IIPM campuses are ongoing. The most preferred of all the campuses is IIPM Delhi. Bangalore, Jaipur, Lucknow & Noida are some of the other campuses that are popular. Each year a number of students take admission into various branches of the Indian Institute of Planning & Management Delhi (IIPM Delhi).

IIPM's Review on MBA Fee Structure

The IIPM fee structure mentioned below is for the 2012 admissions to MBA programs. The fee structure mentioned here is subject to change.

IIPM offer for different kinds of MBA programs. Each of these programs has different highlight offerings and accordingly different fee structure.

They offer two type of courses for MBA:

1. PGP International Courses:

A. IIPM PGP COURSE (with Resident ship):- 

This is a two year full time course. You get triple specialization option. Marketing is compulsory for all the students, then you choose between HR and Finance. After that you have 8 super specialization, out of which you choose one. Student will be studying 72 papers.

We take you abroad for your study tour either to USA/UK/Europe for 2 to 3 weeks.

Degree- IMI, Belgium

Diploma- IIPM

Certificate- Advance global management.

Total fee- 13.25 lac

B. IIPM PGP COURSE (with INTERNATIONAL EXPOSURE):-

This is a two year full time course. You get dual specialization option. Marketing is compulsory for all the students, then you choose between HR and Finance. We take you abroad for your study tour to European Countries.

Degree- IMI, BELGIUM

Diploma- IIPM

Certificate- European Management Certificate

Total fee- 12.15 lacs

C. IIPM PGP (Regular GOTA):-

This is a single specialization course.

There is study tour to Dubai/ Brussels.

Degree from IMI Belgium

Diploma- IIPM

Total fee- 11.45 lacs

2. National U.G.C. Recognized course:

A. ISBE (a) (MINI GOTA):-

This is a single specialization course.

There is a study tour to Malaysia .

Degree- IMI, Belgium

Diploma- IIPM

Certificate- Malaysian University

Course Fee- 8.55 Lacs

B. ISBE (b):-

This is a single specialization course. You can choose between marketing/HR/Finance/Marcom/IT.

Degree- Gulbarga University

Diploma – ISBE

Course fees- 5.5 Lacs

This is precisely the IIPM fee structure currently. It includes a personal laptop for each student and guaranteed foreign trip/s. For all those who are looking for IIPM 2012 admissions should rush as the admission process will close soon.

For those who are keen on IIPM 2012 admissions or wish to know more about the programs offered, can fill up the IIPM form and one of the IIPM Counselors will get in touch with the interested candidates.

Read also:  IIPM Reviews, IIPM Review Ranking/Rankings Across India, IIPM Faculty's Review on Thoughts and Courage, IIPM: The B-School with a Human Face and Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012 - IIPM ranks 1st

IIPM’s social initiatives are ahead of any B-School

The latest B-School rankings to hit the stands, DNA Best B-Schools of India, have once again proved IIPM's growing stature as a top ten B-School in India. IIPM was ranked No.6 overall. However, what is worth special mention are its International Exposure, CSR, Placement and Industry interface rankings where IIPM got ranked 1, 1, 10 and 6. While over the last decade IIPM’s climb up the ladder in factors like Global Exposure, Placements and Industry Interface has been well known, it is the CSR ranking that has brought to light this institution's human face. "None of the rankings ever focused on this very important parameter in the past, so it never got highlighted but IIPM has always been a front-runner when it comes to CSR," said Prof Arindam Chaudhuri, the Hony. Dean of IIPM Think Tank completely delighted with IIPM’s latest achievement.

The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) was instituted with a focus on social commitment. The objectives of IIPM have always included a huge focus on National Economic Planning in order to reorient the growth in favor of the marginalised sections of India. IIPM’s social initiatives are ahead of any B-School even globally as it has sought to dispel the myopic notion that management is only about enriching the bottomlines of companies. Not only does IIPM amalgamate social commitments through its course curriculum, it also goes beyond the classroom to work at the grassroots level, particularly in the areas of education, health and employment generation.

As a part of the course, all IIPM students compulsorily have to spend two weeks working for society in various slums/villages of India. In order to give shape to this vision, IIPM started Manav Seva Kendras way back in 1994 and floated a fully dedicated CSR arm by the name of the Great Indian Dream Foundation (GIDF) in 2002.

GIDF today focuses on myriad developmental agendas, viz., education, health, gender reforms, environment, slum development, child care, skill development and many more. Through their ‘Rural Artisan Training Programme' which started in January 2011, more than 7,500 rural artisans across seven States would be empowered through counseling sessions on various areas of art and craft and skill upgradation workshops by the end of 2014.

Along with this, e-Shiksha, another initiative by GIDF, was designed to make computer education reach the hinterland. This programme is aimed at providing computer education at the doorstep of rural dwellers through vehicles specially equipped with laptops and power back-up. Going by the success of the programme, organisations like GAIL (India) and UNICEF have extended their help to the foundation. In the last five years, more than 2,700 students have been trained in computers and around 6,700 girls have got Life Skills-based Education through e-Shiksha programme. The CSR head from GAIL (India), Prodosh Bhardwaj, who is facilitating GIDF’s e-Shiksha project in Vijaypur, Madhya Pradesh, says, “e-Shiksha, an initiative towards the development of rural GenX, is bringing radical changes in the overall behaviour of underprivileged youth.”

Furthering their initiatives, GIDF through Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) prepares local youth with skill training programmes and provides them with employment opportunities. The programme was initiated in April 2010 and shored up later in association with the Union Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India, and further aims at educating 7,200 more candidates in various vocational courses across four major States of the country -- Assam,Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan -- by mid-2013.

“I am thankful to GIDF for giving me training and helping me get a job. I am really grateful to GIDF for changing my life. After getting a job I feel confident. I really owe GIDF,” says Ram Singh Daroga of Choudhary Petrol Pump, Jaipur, Rajasthan, whose life was put back on track by GIDF. Sohan Lal Khatik of Manish Textiles, who attended SGSY sessions, also thanks GIDF and says, “By providing training and getting me employment, GIDF has done a lot for me. Now I don’t have to borrow money from anyone. I can earn and I am capable enough to bear the expenses of my family. Me and my family are thankful to GIDF.”

Dr. Subramanyam Das, Admin Manager (Fortis Health Care), where GIDF-trained employees are working, says, “Aurobindo Chaudhuri Memorial Great Indian Dream Foundation provides skill-based training to the rural BPL youth which is a very good initiative. The employees coming from GIDF are working in our hospital as General Duty Incharge. They are very punctual and honest towards their duty. I am sincerely grateful for their hard work and the effort they have put in to provide resources in a short span of time. All the candidates are sincere, punctual and very hard-working. Our organisation is very much satisfied with the working of all the resources.”

Similarly Mr. Anirudh Singh, HR, Reliance Retail Limited,states, “Reliance Retail Limited (RRL) has grown into an organisation that has made rapid progress towards building an entire value chain starting from the farmers to the end consumers. The manpower coming from ACM-GIDF is above satisfactory level and is meeting our requirements. Their performance is impactful. We look forward to their support towards fulfilling our manpower needs in future as well.” Striving towards achieving their vision of a disease-free IIPM’s rural development programmes are also simultaneously carried out from IIPM's Manav Seva Kendras in various villages of India. The programme runs many rural schools as well as many rural medical camps. It runs ambulances for village India, puts newspaper boards at strategic points in villages to spread socio-economic awareness among villagers, organises rural entrepreneurship programmes, works for upliftment of women in rural areas, organises relief camps during national calamities among a plethora of committed social activities under the personal and passionate guidance of Dr. M. K. Chaudhuri, the Director of IIPM.

Best B-School Survey 2012: IIPM once again ranks 1st in Global Exposure and Intellectual Impact

IIPM continuously ranks 1st four time in Global Exposure and three time in Intellectual Impact by Zee Business Best B-School Survey. Last three year IIPM ranked 5th in over all ranking. But now IIPM stands one step ahead and it ranks 4th ahead 5 IIM B-school.


Zeebiz Bureau

The Best Business School Survey by ZEE BUSINESS is the 1st ever Business School Survey on Indian Television and is now into its 4th year.

Conducted in association with a leading International research firm, ZEE BUSINESS Survey of the Best B Schools 2012 is a ready reckoner for both aspiring B Schools students and recruiters.

This year, a new list of emerging business schools has also been introduced– a list that has been called as ‘Next 10 B-Schools to Watch Out For’ who has built their equity over the last few years and has the potential to break into the elite group of the top 25 best business schools in coming times.

The overall ranking is based on the following parameters:

-Industry Interface
-Course content
-Faculty: In-House & Visiting
-International Internships
-Student Exchange Programme
-Global Faculty (International Faculties teaching full-time/part-time)
-Placements (National/Global)
-Intellectual Impact (Publications, research, mass outreach etc.)
-Infrastructure
-Selection/Admission Process

Overall Ranking

1 IIM - Bangalore
2 IIM - Ahmedabad
3 IIM - Calcutta
4 IIPM
5 Faculty of management studies FMS - Delhi
6 IIM - Lucknow
7 Xavier labor research institute (XLRI),Jamshedpur
8 Indian School of business (ISB,) Hyderabad
9 Institute of management technology ,(IMT) Ghaziabad
10 IIM - Kozhikode
11 Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi
12 SP Jain institute of management and research(SPJIMR), Mumbai
13 Jamnalal Bajaj institute of management studies, Mumbai (JBIMS)
14 IIM - Indore
15 IIM - Shillong
16 MDI Gurgaon
17 IIM - Rohtak
18 Narsee Monjee (NMIMS), Mumbai
19 KJ Somaiya institute of management studies and research , Mumbai
20 IIFT - Delhi
21 ICFAI - Hyderabad
22 Symbiosis institute of business management (SIBM), Pune
23 Amity Business School - Noida
24 Prin. L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Mumbai
25 BIMTECH

Next 10 B-Schools to Watch Out For (In Alphabetical Order)

-Accurate Institute of Management & Technology

-Alliance Business Academy, Bangalore

-Asia Pacific Institute of Management, Delhi

-BITS Pilani, Jaipur

-DY Patil Institute of Management Studies and Research

-Galgotias Business School (GBS)

-IIFT - Kolkata

-IMT - Nagpur

-Indian School of Business and Economy

-New Delhi Institute of Management


Ranking on Parameter
INFRASTRUCTURE

1 IIM - Ahmedabad
2 IIM - Calcutta
3 IIM - Bangalore
4 IIM - Lucknow
5 Faculty of management studies FMS - Delhi
6 Indian School of business (ISB,) Hyderabad
7 IIM - Kozhikode
8 Institute of management technology ,(IMT) Ghaziabad
9 Xavier labor research institute (XLRI),Jamshedpur
10 Symbiosis institute of business management (SIBM), Pune
11 IIM - Indore
12 MDI Gurgaon
13 SP Jain institute of management and research(SPJIMR), Mumbai
14 Jamnalal Bajaj institute of management studies, Mumbai (JBIMS)
15 Narsee Monjee (NMIMS), Mumbai
16 IIPM
17 Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi
18 Prin. L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Mumbai
19 IIM - Rohtak
20 KJ Somaiya institute of management studies and research , Mumbai
21 IIFT - Delhi
22 Amity Business School - Noida
23 IIM - Shillong
24 ICFAI - Hyderabad
25 BIMTECH

INDUSTRY INTERFACE

1 IIM - Bangalore
2 IIM - Ahmedabad
3 IIM - Calcutta
4 IIPM
5 IIM - Lucknow
6 Xavier labor research institute (XLRI),Jamshedpur
7 Faculty of management studies FMS - Delhi
8 Indian School of business (ISB,) Hyderabad
9 Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi
10 Institute of management technology ,(IMT) Ghaziabad
11 SP Jain institute of management and research(SPJIMR), Mumbai
12 Jamnalal Bajaj institute of management studies, Mumbai (JBIMS)
13 MDI Gurgaon
14 IIM - Shillong
15 Narsee Monjee (NMIMS), Mumbai
16 IIM - Kozhikode
17 IIFT - Delhi
18 KJ Somaiya institute of management studies and research , Mumbai
19 IIM - Indore
20 Amity Business School - Noida
21 ICFAI - Hyderabad
22 Symbiosis institute of business management (SIBM), Pune
23 IIM - Rohtak
24 Prin. L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Mumbai
25 BIMTECH

PLACEMENTS
1 IIM - Ahmedabad
2 Faculty of management studies FMS - Delhi
3 IIM - Calcutta
4 IIM - Bangalore
5 IIM - Lucknow
6 IIPM
7 Xavier labor research institute (XLRI),Jamshedpur
8 Indian School of business (ISB,) Hyderabad
9 IIM - Kozhikode
10 Institute of management technology ,(IMT) Ghaziabad
11 IIM - Indore
12 Jamnalal Bajaj institute of management studies, Mumbai (JBIMS)
13 IIM - Shillong
14 MDI Gurgaon
15 SP Jain institute of management and research(SPJIMR), Mumbai
16 Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi
17 KJ Somaiya institute of management studies and research , Mumbai
18 Narsee Monjee (NMIMS), Mumbai
19 IIM - Rohtak
20 IIFT - Delhi
21 Amity Business School - Noida
22 Symbiosis institute of business management (SIBM), Pune
23 Prin. L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Mumbai
24 ICFAI - Hyderabad
25 BIMTECH

INTELLECTUAL IMPACT

1 IIPM
2 IIM - Bangalore
3 IIM - Calcutta
4 IIM - Ahmedabad
5 IIM - Lucknow
6 Xavier labor research institute (XLRI),Jamshedpur
7 Faculty of management studies FMS - Delhi
8 Indian School of business (ISB,) Hyderabad
9 Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi
10 Institute of management technology ,(IMT) Ghaziabad
11 IIM - Kozhikode
12 SP Jain institute of management and research(SPJIMR), Mumbai
13 Jamnalal Bajaj institute of management studies, Mumbai (JBIMS)
14 MDI Gurgaon
15 IIM - Shillong
16 Narsee Monjee (NMIMS), Mumbai
17 IIFT - Delhi
18 Amity Business School - Noida
19 KJ Somaiya institute of management studies and research , Mumbai
20 IIM - Indore
21 ICFAI - Hyderabad
22 Symbiosis institute of business management (SIBM), Pune
23 IIM - Rohtak
24 Prin. L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Mumbai
25 BIMTECH

GLOBAL EXPOSURE

1 IIPM
2 IIM - Bangalore
3 IIM - Ahmedabad
4 IIM - Calcutta
5 Xavier labor research institute (XLRI),Jamshedpur
6 Indian School of business (ISB,) Hyderabad
7 Faculty of management studies FMS - Delhi
8 IIM - Lucknow
9 Institute of management technology ,(IMT) Ghaziabad
10 Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi
11 IIM - Kozhikode
12 IIM - Shillong
13 SP Jain institute of management and research(SPJIMR), Mumbai
14 Jamnalal Bajaj institute of management studies, Mumbai (JBIMS)
15 MDI Gurgaon
16 IIM - Indore
17 ICFAI - Hyderabad
18 IIM - Rohtak
19 Narsee Monjee (NMIMS), Mumbai
20 Amity Business School - Noida
21 IIFT - Delhi
22 KJ Somaiya institute of management studies and research , Mumbai
23 Symbiosis institute of business management (SIBM), Pune
24 Prin. L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Mumbai
25 BIMTECH

QUALITY OF FACULTY

1 IIM - Ahmedabad
2 IIM - Bangalore
3 IIM - Calcutta
4 IIM - Lucknow
5 Faculty of management studies FMS - Delhi
6 IIPM
7 Indian School of business (ISB,) Hyderabad
8 IIM - Kozhikode
9 Xavier labor research institute (XLRI),Jamshedpur
10 Institute of management technology ,(IMT) Ghaziabad
11 Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi
12 IIM - Indore
13 Jamnalal Bajaj institute of management studies, Mumbai (JBIMS)
14 IIM Shillong
15 IIM - Rohtak
16 MDI Gurgaon
17 SP Jain institute of management and research(SPJIMR), Mumbai
18 IIFT - Delhi
19 ICFAI - Hyderabad
20 KJ Somaiya institute of management studies and research , Mumbai
21 Narsee Monjee (NMIMS), Mumbai
22 Symbiosis institute of business management (SIBM), Pune
23 Prin. L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Mumbai
24 Amity Business School - Noida
25 BIMTECH

COURSE CONTENTS

1 IIM - Bangalore
2 IIM - Ahmedabad
3 IIM - Calcutta
4 IIM - Kozhikode
5 IIPM
6 IIM - Lucknow
7 Faculty of management studies FMS - Delhi
8 IIM - Indore
9 Xavier labor research institute (XLRI),Jamshedpur
10 Indian School of business (ISB,) Hyderabad
11 IIM - Shillong
12 IIM - Rohtak
13 Institute of management technology ,(IMT) Ghaziabad
14 Department of Management Studies, IIT Delhi
15 ICFAI - Hyderabad
16 SP Jain institute of management and research(SPJIMR), Mumbai
17 IIFT - Delhi
18 MDI Gurgaon
19 Jamnalal Bajaj institute of management studies, Mumbai (JBIMS)
20 KJ Somaiya institute of management studies and research , Mumbai
21 Symbiosis institute of business management (SIBM), Pune
22 Narsee Monjee (NMIMS), Mumbai
23 Prin. L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Mumbai
24 Amity Business School - Noida
25 BIMTECH

Real These link also:
IIPM: Placement
IIPM Contact Us
IIPM, Management Institute India
IIPM: Infrastructure
The IIPM Think Tank

They don't live here anymore

Punjab's 'thriving' model village stands sad witness to a never-ending exodus to distant shores. It has more people abroad that at home, writes Nirupama Dutt

How often have I loitered o'er thy green/Where humble happiness endeared each scene/How often have I paused on every charm/The sheltered cot, the cultivated farm – Oliver Goldsmith (The Deserted Village)

Driving down the tree-lined road in the Doaba region of Punjab, which takes its name from do-ab and literally means land between two rivers, we stop at Mahilpur in Hoshiarpur district to seek directions to Kharaudi. “Turn left and when you come to a Marriage Palace on one side and a petrol pump on the other, just turn right and you will reach the village,” a wayfarer guides us.

Kharaudi is well-known in these parts because it is the first village that brought in the lifestyle improvement project to rural Punjab, courtesy the efforts of its eminent expatriates.

As we enter the village, we are struck by its palatial villas and houses with landscaped gardens, which could compete with the best residences in Chandigarh or Panchkula, but there are locks on their huge wrought-iron gates. Therein lies the paradox of this promised village: more of its inhabitants live abroad than at home.

A labourer paving a footpath says: “All the wealthy villagers live in America, Canada or Australia. They might come in the winters every other year or not.” The homes, however, are kept spic and span by caretakers as mementos to the success that they earn abroad.

A popular song sums up the story of this land: ‘You will long for mangoes once you leave the Doaba homeland’. Sadly, the people do long for the sweet mangoes yet they leave. The largest immigration in the past three centuries has been from this region known for its mango and citrus fruit groves.

It is the most picturesque area of Punjab, sharing its northeast boundary with Himachal Pradesh, known for its forests and rivulets. Writer Des Raj Kali, who has done extensive research on these parts, says: “ It is said of our region that as soon as a child is born in Doaba, his or her passport is made. The reasons for this are the small land holdings and the unsuitability of much of the land for wheat and paddy crops. Most of the heroes of the Ghadar movement and the famed Komagata Maru ship belong here. Our immigrants have done us proud.”

Hoshiarpur has also had the highest literacy rate because survival here meant education. Male literacy is 89.9%, and female literacy is 80.8% as per the 2001 census which showed the total literacy for the state at for 71.4 per cent for males and 60.53 for females.

Eminent thinker and writer John Berger says: “Emigration, forced or chosen, across national frontiers or from village to metropolis, is the quintessential experience of our times.” This experience translated itself with educated immigrants from Kharaudi moving to distant shores seeking their fate and fortune. One of them was Raghbir Singh Bassi, who graduated from Harvard and rose to the position of Vice-Chancellor of Alaska Pacific University.

His students and admirers would ask him about the village of his origin and express a wish to visit it. He often wondered what these people would think of an obscure village without any modern facilities. His fellow villager, Gurdev Singh Gill, who left for Canada after completing high school in 1949, did his medicine there and became the first doctor of Indian origin to start private practice in Maple-leaf land, was also concerned about the poor sanitary conditions that he saw in his village on his trips back home.

The two joined hands in the mid 1990s to change the face of their village when they were home on a vacation. They appealed to other Kharaudians and in a short time Rs 50 lakh was collected and the Village Life Improvement Board was formed. Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal gave a matching grant and work started with the help of the district administration to turn Kharaudi into a model village.

Harpreet Singh Gill, a member of the Board who resisted the temptation to migrate and does farming, says: “The villagers happily gave land and buildings for the project and whatever else they could in cash or kind. A new Kharaudi was born in 2002.

Solar lighting was introduced and a primary school with computer education was started. A park was laid out in the memory of a native hero, freedom fighter, poet and social activist Arjan Singh Sach (1897-1979) who languished in British India jails for 18 long years. Another clock-tower park was built on the other end of the village.

Kharaudi also has a community centre with furniture, crockery and what have you. A foreign visitor later built an open-air theatre and Pammi Gill constructed a modern mortuary as he had not been able to see his mother’s body for he could not make it back in time for the funeral.

In spite of all this, telephone connections and a monument to the Ghadari Babas, the model village of Punjab bears a deserted, or rather haunted, look. Harpreet Gill, whose grandfather migrated to New Zealand in 1890s, says: “All our family slowly moved to distant shores. I am the only one who chose to stay here. In many other homes there is not a single person. Very few are left here.”

This is the paradox of Kharaudi. Villagers realise the dream of building palatial homes with dollars earned broad but rarely get to live in them. Kharaudi is indeed a model village but few are left there to enjoy the blessings.

Real These link also:

IIPM: Placement 

IIPM Contact Us

IIPM, Management Institute India

IIPM: Infrastructure

The IIPM Think Tank

 

This village cooks a mean meal

In the district of Ramanathapuram is a village called Udappankulam, surrounded by lush green fields. Yet, as the menfolk will tell you, it is a village of part-time farmers, for 90 per cent of them are completely into catering. No fancy degrees, no culinary diplomas for these men, who, armed with just their utensils have whipped a gastronomical storm. Fifty chefs from the village are best known but in the population of 1,500 (236 families), each family has at least one member who cooks for a living.

The chefs of Udappankulam range from 25 to 60 years and are experts at both vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes. For long they’ve relied on innovation and experience, what with education being a recent import into the village.

When we visited the village, we came across only children and the elderly. The women were away working on the fields, the men were away catering. Even men who are not into the business profess to possess culinary skills. Aiyyanar, a 24 year old local holds a degree in English literature and has undergone teachers training but is a pro at the kitchen. “During school holidays, I would accompany elders in the family to assist them in their catering orders. It started when I was 15. I enjoyed the food and the money but never thought that it would become a career.

Over the years, I perfected my skills and today I get orders individually. I earn around Rs 15,000 and hope to become a good teacher in addition to a good cook,” he says.

A. Karppaiya, 25, is the son of Ayothi Raman, a popular cook whose client list includes politicians and top businessmen. He too started by assisting his father. “For ten years I learnt the art with him. Then my father began giving me some of his orders. Now I get orders on my own. My dishes are such that they cater to the tastes of people from various communities. Patience and concentration are musts for this profession,” says the man who claims to get some 10 orders every month.

The popularity of cooking in the village is attributed to Arumugam,

Angappan and Perumal. Of these, Arumugam is a septuagenarian who cooks only from home. He says, “In 1996 I returned from Burma. There I had worked under one Mr Jalebiwallah who got his name because he would sell jalebis when there was no catering order. He was otherwise called Devasagayam and was from Virudhunagar. He became my role model. When I returned I encouraged the young in the village to take up cooking.” While these master cooks whip up their delights for strangers, at home they display their skills rarely. “If available at home, I take tips from him for non vegetarian dishes,” says Kalpana, wife of ace chef Muthumari.

“It makes me proud that Udappankulam is known for its excellent cooks which are much in demand. Some food product companies have also printed recipe books of some of our special dishes,” says Ponn Aadhi, head of the village panchayat.

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IIPM Mumbai Campus

 

In the name of Guru

A visitor to this village will have no difficulty figuring out why it is called bhakton ka gaon (village of worshippers). Loudspeakers blare bhajans from different corners and almost every surface is plastered with pictures of god men and god women.

From Jai Gurudev to Asaram Babu and from Ma Nirmala Devi to Prajapati Brahmakumari, every god man or woman popular in North India has a visible following in the village which lies in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh.

This multitude of gurus also means that different forms of greetings are in use. Thus while someone will shout 'Jai Gurudev', another will say 'Hari Om', leaving the casual visitor confused as to what the most appropriate greeting is. In fact your greeting becomes your unique identity in that it allows instant slotting.

Not only grown ups, even children in the village claim deep knowledge of God and religion derived as it is from the teachings of various gurus. While many gurus have a strong following, the most popular are Jai Gurudev, Asaram Bapu, Om Shanti Om and Nirmala Devi who along with their other spiritual brethren operate as franchises in the village.

There is stiff competition to win over followers and inroads by new gurus, though difficult, are not unheard of. Such is the faith in the power of gurus that all good tidings--a child who survives a nasty fall or a drunkard who kicks the bottle are attributed to his/her blessings. Technology is considered an ally for it enables the devout to access the guru’s teachings even when busy with the affairs of the world. Sanjay, a local who runs a paan kiosk says, “Bapu reaches millions of his followers through television. I use my mobile to listen to him when I am away.”

The first man of god to make his impact felt in the village was Jai Gurudev. One Nekram was his follower and took it upon himself to rescue the village from the clutches of crime and liquor. This he did by relaying Gurudev’s teachings to the villagers. The truth about the “virtuous” life finally dawned on the villagers and they gave up liquor and non vegetarian food.

Rabdi, a village in Unnao district, becomes a magnet for new age healers and gurus, morphing a nondescript hamlet into an abode of the devout. The gurus are making the best of it, collecting donations and votes for their political masters when needed, finds out Rajan Prakash

Raj Kumar Nishad, a former pradhan of the village, who is the third generation of village headmen from his family, says, “Every home produced liquor once upon a time. People from a radius of 10 km flocked to the village and arguments and fights under the influence of alcohol were common. The Panchayat would have to intervene almost regularly. Non vegetarianism was rampant. But thanks to Nekram that changed. For the last eight years the village has been trouble free and the police have kept away. Forget brewing liquor, no one even drinks it now.”

Ironically though Jai Gurudev’s teachings initiated the heart change, they also became the reason for the entry of other godmen.

A follower lets in, “According to Jai Gurudev’s teachings, a follower has to donate 10 percent of his earnings. However, many in the village could barely make ends meet. These were attracted to others.” Phoolchand Garv, president of the Jai Gurudev Satsnag Dal says his estimate is that the number of followers in the area has exceeded 16,000.

The pursuits have not remained merely spiritual. Politics has followed. In the last Vidhan Sabha elections, since Jai Gurudev supported Mulayam Singh Yadav, the SP candidate Kuldeep Singh Sengar, a weak choice, won the local seat.

Rajkumar, a resident says, “We will not even vote for our own relative against the guru’s wishes.”

Despite the strangle hold of god men and women, there is no temple in the village. That is attributed to the fact that once a person takes a guru and becomes a satsangi, he is not permitted to worship anyone else.

Ramnaresh, a follower of Jai Gurudev says, “All Gods exist within the guru, hence why waste time by praying to any one of them individually? Worshipping the guru is like worshipping the all subsuming ocean.”

Spirituality has also made possible women’s empowerment. Gangajali (35), a mother of six obtained deeksha from Asaram Bapu in Haridwar one-and-a -half years ago, even though her husband did not.

She says, “My husband did not dissuade me. He asked me to stop cooking non vegetarian food. He lends a hand on household chores”. And though all seems fine, Gangajali is a little upset about the fact that her husband considers Jai Gurudev his mentor.

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IIPM Placement: Another successful placement year

The Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) which was established in 1973, has announced the campus placement results for the Class of 2010-12. At the time of going to the press, the Institute had successfully placed 3,491 students (beating its own National Record of 2800 students last year for which it has been bagging the prestigious Dewang Mehta Award for the last four consecutive years). An astounding 1,299 (800+ unique companies) domestic and international companies that visited the various IIPM campuses this year.

The Dean of IIPM Think Tank, Professor Arindam Chaudhuri said: “With more than 90 per cent of the class of 2012 already placed we are once again set to achieve our target of 99 per cent plus placements this year for the 16th year running! No slowdown has ever been able to hit the amazing placement cell at IIPM which has more than 100 people working round the clock and around the globe! At a time when all so called UGC approved and AICTE approved institutes are struggling to get a bare 100 students, IIPM is proud to place about 3500 students-the key reason why more students around the globe choose to study at IIPM than at any other B-School globally”. Class of 2012 received an overwhelming response from the corporate and saw companies from all sectors visiting the campuses.

The recruitment process that kicked off in September 2011 had an overwhelming participation from different industries viz. FMCG, banking, IT, telecommunication, real estate, automotive and many more. Although, the batch size was more than the previous batches, this season witnessed a surge in participation of companies by over 75 per cent.

Overall, the average package offered to the class of 2010-12 increased significantly by 20 per cent compared to last year. The average package that was offered to the students of IIPM’s flagship program was `6.25 Lakh while it was `4.5 Lakh for non-flagship ISBE program of IIPM. The international average package that was offered this year stood at `12 Lakh. The highest package at domestic level offered was `16 Lakh by Kapston Facility Mgt. Pvt. Ltd for IIPM students and `7 Lakh for ISBE students. The highest international package this year was `18 Lakh offered by Al Mashriq LLC, Dubai. Preet Singh Chawla who bagged highest domestic package credits her success to IIPM and says, “When it comes to global outreach, nothing in the world can beat IIPM. A perfect blend of intellect and fun is how I would like to describe my journey at IIPM. An amalgamation of good faculty members and an interactive and application based style of teaching has contributed a great way in my personality and made me a confident individual. Each class at the institute was a new learning experience and the exposure helped me to get my goal for my corporate journey in a much better way.”

This year companies like citibank, standard chartered, HDFC bank, colgate and palmolive, canon India, HSBC investments, ernst and young, indiabulls investments, ICICI group, mahindra and mahindra group, aditya birla group, vodafone, airfone China, reliance ADAG group, Taj group of hotels, IGate technologies, HP, zee enterprises, UB group, jet airways, copal partners, DLF group, American express and RR donelley, to name a few, visited various IIPM campuses, beside other regular recruiters. Even a surge in international companies visiting the campus was seen with names like first gulf bank, jumbo electronics Dubai, landmark retail, Al Abbas group Dubai recruiting more than 75 students from various campuses.

One of the top recruiter of this year, Rachit Mehra, unit head-acquisitions, Barclays bank PLC said: “It has been a short association with IIPM but the quality of candidature we got to see here is amazing. The values and ethos taught at IIPM shows in the confidence and commitment of the candidates. IIPM has a very good talent pool which gives the institute an edge over others.”

Students were able to grab dream jobs in their functional areas with three-fourth of all students' opting for Marketing and Sales functions. Prof Rajat Shukal, dean placements — All India, shared that, “IIPM placements have been a towering experience for 2010-12 batch, as usual BFSI sector being the largest contributor to the service sector of the economy was the most impatient sector to hire students and gear up growth, followed by IT/ITES where the market sentiment has been traditional due to international markets being conservative of growth but with the elections up this year in almost 12 prominent countries of the world, with governments budgets being high, this sector also has seen a surge in hiring. Real estate and infrastructure development companies were the new entrants at campuses and proved to be a prominent sector as far as placements are concerned. This year was a landmark year for hiring with 1100 companies visiting the campus and the reason why IIPM again was a preferred campus was again due to the absolutely rigorous and innovative pedagogy that it uses in terms of educating its students and following a mix of theory and case study applications which gives the students the ability to make real life business decisions which create value for organisations.” 

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IIPM Placement reach to new sectors in 2012

As it prepares to start a year-long celebration on the occasion of its 40anniversary, the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM) — established in 1973 — has announced the campus placement results for its class of 2010-12. The institute has already placed 3,491 students with both domestic and international companies this year.

The recruitment process that kicked off in September 2011, saw the participation of different industries, including FMCG, banking, IT/ITES, telecommunication, real estate and automotive, among others.

Overall, the average package offered to the class of 2010-12 has increased by 20% compared to last year — Rs 6.25 lakh for students of IIPM's flagship programme; Rs 4.5 lakh for its non-flagship ISBE programme ; Rs 12 lakh (international average package); Rs 16 lakh (domestic level) by Kapston Facility Mgt Pvt Ltd and Rs 7 lakh for ISBE students. The highest international package offered by Al Mashriq LLC, Dubai, this year is Rs 18 lakh.

Arindam Chaudhuri, honorary dean of IIPM Think Tank, says, "With more than 90% of the class already placed, we are set to achieve our target of 99% plus placements this year. The placement cell at IIPM has more than 100 people working round the clock and around the globe."

Preet Singh Chawla, who bagged the highest domestic package credits says, "A blend of intellect and fun and an amalgamation of good faculty and an interactive and application-based teaching style has been part of my journey."

This year, recruitment companies like Citibank, Standard Chartered, HDFC Bank, Colgate and Palmolive, Canon India, HSBC Investments, Ernst & Young, Indiabulls Investments , ICICI Group, Mahindra and Mahindra Group, Aditya Birla Group, Vodafone, Airfone China, Reliance ADAG Group, TAJ Group of Hotels, IGate Technologies , HP, Zee Enterprises, UB Group, Jet Airways, Copal Partners, DLF Group, American Express and RR Donelley, to name a few, visited the campus. International companies visiting the campus included First Gulf Bank, Jumbo Electronics Dubai, LandMark Retail and Al Abbas Group Dubai.

One of the top recruiters in 2012, Rachit Mehra, unit head-acquisitions , Barclays Bank PLC said, "It has been a short association , but IIPM has a good talent pool." While three-fourth of IIPM's students opted for marketing and sales functions, Rajat Shukal, dean placements-All India, shared, "The BFSI sector was the largest contributor to the service sector of the economy, followed by IT/ITES where the market sentiment has been traditional due to international markets being conservative about growth. But, with the elections this year, in almost 12 countries, with high government budgets, this sector also has seen a surge in hiring."

Real estate and infrastructure development companies were the new entrants this year and proved to be a prominent sector vis-a-vis placements.

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This village cooks a mean meal

Udappankulam in Tamil Nadu has turned into a village of full-time cooks and part-time farmers, finds out Perachi Kannan

In the district of Ramanathapuram is a village called Udappankulam, surrounded by lush green fields. Yet, as the menfolk will tell you, it is a village of part-time farmers, for 90 per cent of them are completely into catering. No fancy degrees, no culinary diplomas for these men, who, armed with just their utensils have whipped a gastronomical storm. Fifty chefs from the village are best known but in the population of 1,500 (236 families), each family has at least one member who cooks for a living.

The chefs of Udappankulam range from 25 to 60 years and are experts at both vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes. For long they’ve relied on innovation and experience, what with education being a recent import into the village. When we visited the village, we came across only children and the elderly. The women were away working on the fields, the men were away catering. Even men who are not into the business profess to possess culinary skills. Aiyyanar, a 24 year old local holds a degree in English literature and has undergone teachers training but is a pro at the kitchen. “During school holidays, I would accompany elders in the family to assist them in their catering orders. It started when I was 15. I enjoyed the food and the money but never thought that it would become a career. Over the years, I perfected my skills and today I get orders individually. I earn around Rs 15,000 and hope to become a good teacher in addition to a good cook,” he says.

A. Karppaiya, 25, is the son of Ayothi Raman, a popular cook whose client list includes politicians and top businessmen. He too started by assisting his father. “For ten years I learnt the art with him. Then my father began giving me some of his orders. Now I get orders on my own. My dishes are such that they cater to the tastes of people from various communities. Patience and concentration are musts for this profession,” says the man who claims to get some 10 orders every month. The popularity of cooking in the village is attributed to Arumugam, Angappan and Perumal. Of these, Arumugam is a septuagenarian who cooks only from home. He says, “In 1996 I returned from Burma. There I had worked under one Mr Jalebiwallah who got his name because he would sell jalebis when there was no catering order. He was otherwise called Devasagayam and was from Virudhunagar. He became my role model. When I returned I encouraged the young in the village to take up cooking.” While these master cooks whip up their delights for strangers, at home they display their skills rarely. “If available at home, I take tips from him for non vegetarian dishes,” says Kalpana, wife of ace chef Muthumari.

“It makes me proud that Udappankulam is known for its excellent cooks which are much in demand. Some food product companies have also printed recipe books of some of our special dishes,” says Ponn Aadhi, head of the village panchayat. 

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'I learnt a lot from Dhoni': Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is one of the India's most explosive and most well dressed member of Indian cricket team. During a recent function of the brand that he is endorsing, TSI Correspondent Prakriti Raj had a converstaion with one of the most stylish cricketer in Indian history, here are the excerpts:

Virat, you are the brand ambassador of Sangam Suitings, why did you choose to endorse this brand?

I like the fabric that is used by this clothing line and I also like the punch line of the brand which is 'You wear what you are', I can relate with it. I wear what I like to wear and what I want to and after analysing all these things I thought that I should endorse this brand.

How was your experience while working with Sunil Shetty?

Oh, it was great fun to work with Sunil Shetty, we had great fun while working on the sets.

Since you are endorsing Sangam suitings, whom would you like to give a makeover in your team?

I think everybody in my team is stylish in their own way and I don't think anybody needs a makeover. Everybody is fit and know how to carry themselves nicely. I can't think of any names as such.

Who is the style icon according to you?

I think Zaheer Khan will fit that bill.

And who is the best dressed?

That would be Sachin Tendulkar.

You have played all the formats of cricket matches, Test match, one day and 20-20 as well. Which one of them is your favourite?

My favourite would be test match format beacuse there you actually get a chance to showcase your talent. Now I know that why do seniors like to play test match. I didn't used to get that point earlier but now that I play the game I can relate to it.

Dhoni is the current captain, while Gambhir's name is also taking the rounds for the same, what do you want to say about that?

What should I say about this, I mean it is not my take and it depends solely on the selection committee.

Who is the better captain-Dhoni or Gambhir?

I don't want to select any one of them buit Dhoni has brought Indian cricket to a very high pedestal and has been quite a successful captain. Under his captaincy Indian cricket team has achieved some magnificent feats.

What have you learnt from Dhoni?

I have learnt a lot from Dhoni. He never over reacts in any situation. He is always calm and is never aggressive. I am learning all that from him.

Have you talked with Yuvraj Singh?

Yes, I have talked with him and I do talk with him on a regular basis. He has always been very supportive. He is one person who is always happy for everybody. I pray for him to get healthy soon, so that he can return to team.

Since you have learnt a lot from Dhoni, do you follow him while choosing brands?

I think what brand one wants to choose is his personal discretion. You choose a brand that goes with your personality. In that matter I don't follow him.

Are you planning to get married any time soon?

No, there are no marriage plans as of yet.

IIPM: GLIDIORATORS COLLIDE AT CICERO'S 2012!

IT WAS A FEST TO REMEMBER. ON THE SPRAWLING LAWNS OF THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT (IIPM)'S NEW DELHI CAMPUS, 6,000 VISITORS CONGREGATED FOR CICERO'S CHALLENGE 2012 TO CREATE WHAT WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST AND MOST EAGERLY AWAITED EVENTS FOR THE CAPITAL'S STUDENT COMMUNITY. WHAT FOLLOWED WAS AN EXPLOSION OF COLOUR AND CHARACTER!

Palpable enthusiasm in the air, a whole lot of fun events happening all at the same time, and scores of nattily dressed students happily chattering away – these were just some of the sights that greeted the eyes on entering IIPM's International Campus on May 3. It didn't take long for us to get why so much anticipation and excitement had preceded Cicero's Challenge, a much-awaited fest that the student community looks forward to be a part of. Expectedly, with 6,000 footfalls, of them 2,000 participants, Cicero's Challenge 2012 lived up to its reputation of having something in store for everyone. Students from schools across Delhi were seen participating in competitions ranging from T-shirt and Collage Making to Creative Writing and JAMming, with a zest that was to watch out for.

This event, first conducted in 2006, started as an initiative to provide students a platform to test their debating skills. The fest got its name from Cicero, an ancient Roman philosopher, orator, lawyer and statesman, who is credited with creating the Latin philosophical vocabulary. However, what started as a one-event show has today grown into an elaborate fest with several competitions, ranging from dancing and singing to testing the literary bone.

The Producer of the event, Prof Rajita Chaudhuri, captures the essence when she says, “Cicero's gives students a chance to develop their competitive spirit and put in a good fight, for nothing is more satisfying than emerging victorious against strong competition. But victory is not just winning but also about being able to tell after a fight that 'I gave it all I could. I gave it my best'. That is also the spirit of Cicero's Carnival.”

The theme for the 2012 edition of the festival was 'Get Real', and the contests were planned in a manner to test the students' connect with the real world. The theme worked out to be absolutely relevant, since we live in times where the virtual world is increasingly overtaking the time young people spend in the 'real world'. more Like every year, the 2012 edition also witnessed overwhelming participation, with more 2,000 students taking part in various events.

In appreciation of IIPM's initative to provide a platform to students, Neelanja Banerjee, a teacher with Ryan International School in New Delhi, said, “It is wonderful to see students showcase their talents and overcome their fears, on such a huge platform. Their desire to explore their strengths and do their best is commendable.”

The two-day competition kicked off with its signature event, which saw students debating about 'Technology is a knack of so arranging the world that we do not experience it' in the preliminary round. The finals on the second day witnessed 27 participants speaking for and against 'The virtual world is somewhere I can really be me'. Saksham Agarwal of Amity International School, Gurgaon, who bagged the first prize in the debate competition, ironically stood speechless on stage while receiving the cash prize of Rs 1,00,000, a certificate and trophy. Later he said, “I wasn't expecting to do so well, but now that I have, I am very happy with the results. I had heard some-where that winners don't do different things, they do things differently. It was with that on my mind that I gave my speech. My friends are of course waiting for me to throw them a party now!”

Saksham was closely followed by Praney Lekhi of Modern School, Delhi, and Siddhant Law of Don Bosco School Delhi, who stood second. The three students who bagged the third position were Pulkit of Manav Sthali School, and Dewang Mulani and Simran Keshwani of Montfort Senior Secondary School, Delhi. Dewang, who has been visiting Cicero's for two years now, said, “ I am elated. We've all known Cicero's to be the biggest fest of intellect and entertainment. My school has also won in several other events and I'm proud to have contributed by winning a position here. There was tough competition and the topics were great. I'm planning to join IIPM for my MBA as it as a perfect combination of education and fun.”

Prof Arindam Chaudhuri had a tough time choosing the winners. He said, “Every time I judge an event at Cicero's, I discover new schools with drive like Montfort school, for instance. As about the topic, the debate is not whether the virtual world is good or bad, rather whether one can be themselves in the virtual world. I can say I like to be myself in the virtual world, because being real in the virtual world is original.”

Amity International School of Gurgaon and Modern School and Maxfort School from Delhi received a special mention by Prof Arindam Chaudhuri for their excellent diction and for their confidence.

Dancing The Night Away

Besides the debate competition, the other main highlight of the event was the choreography competition, where enchanted audiences sat enthralled. From hip hop to Bollywood moves to salsa and bhangra, there was something for everyone.

Nehha Bhatnagar, an acclaimed Bharatnatyam dancer, who judged the session, said she was thoroughly impressed with the students' efforts. “Their energy is commendable.

These days, even schools and teachers take interest in the students' innate talents,” she observed. While Montfort Senior Secondary School won the first prize, Colonel's Central Academy School, Gurgaon, and Salwan Public School emerged as first and second runners up respectively.

Some Rock For The Soul

Cicero's Challenge 2012 on day one was a jam-packed event, but those present were equally charged up towards the end of the show too. And young rock music enthusiasts ensured that the wait did not go in vain. Students tried their hands at their own compositions, and the response was overwhelming. DAV school from Sheikh Sarai, who were adjudged the second runners-up, gave the audience goosebumps with their performance. The rhythm and harmonies in place, the renditions worked their magic. “We had only four days to get our act in place and this was also our first experience on stage, but we did very well here today,” gushed the lead vocalist of the band, who has also appeared on the 'Chhote Ustaad' reality show on Star Plus. In this contest, Modern School, Barakhamba won the first prize, while Ryan International School were the first runners-up.

Personality Gains

The personality contest at Cicero's Challenge 2012 had three rounds introduction, talent and questionnaire. Students sang, danced and did everything within their means to impress the judges. Swasti Kapur of St Thomas' who bagged the 'Ms Cicero' title said, “It is like a dream come true to have participated on this platform.” Mr Cicero's title was take by Said Kheershed of Maxfort School.

JAMming The Stands

The Just A Minute (JAM) competition came up with unusual and random topics. Sample this: 'Lunch, Crunch & Munch' and 'Bone, Cone & Stone'! But as would be expected from GenNext, the students did not disappoint. Bhavya Batra of Manavsthali School won the first prize. “I am a regular JAMmer; but the atmosphere here at Cicero's this time was something else. I'm feeling on top of the world,” she said on being awarded. St Thomas School, Modern School and Amity International, Gurgaon were the other winners.

Of Colourful Collages and Unusual T-shirts

The 'Get Real' theme was everywhere. At the collage contest, students were seen putting together crayons, sketch pens, water colours, glue, newspaper and magazine cuttings, and even food items like pulses to convey their message! Montfort Senior Secondary School bagged the first prize while Apeejay School, Sheikh Sarai, and Shah International School won the the second and third prize respectively.

Similarly, at the T-shirt Designing Competition, students were seen associating the 'real world' with nature, friends, good health and the 'virtual world' with evil, Facebook and the internet. Delhi Police Public School was declared the winner, followed by Salwan Public School, Gurgaon and Modern School, Barakhamba.

Rowlings Of the Future

Students from 50-odd schools participated in the creative writing competition, on the topic 'The real world is as superficial as the virtual world'. “It was an interesting exercise, and also quite challenging to streamline our thoughts in accordance with the subject,” said Ritika Singh from Salwan Public School, Gurgaon.

Dramatics on Display

The skit competition of Cicero's Challenge 2012 was one of its most awaited events. On the front lawns of IIPM, young actors from various schools brought some vivid concepts and characters to life. From female foeticide and rape to the right to education, students had a lot of social issues on their minds. “Our team was thrilled to be a part of the carnival. We practiced for four continuous days to come up with the final act,” says Prerit Daga of Vidya Bharti School, Rohini. Students of Ryan International, Vasant Kunj, who bagged the first position for their skit, spoke of evils such as corruption, smoking, deforestation and domestic violence. “We did not have much time to prepare. While we were earlier thinking of focusing on any on social issue, then later decided to take up several. Our experience at the fest was amazing. We got to interact with a lot of people, and also learnt a lot in the process,” said the winners. They were followed by St. Columbus and D.P.S (R.K Puram).

Ad-ding It Up

The ad competition was another platform for students to showcase their creative zing. The competition saw participation from more than 50 schools and over 250 students. The participants had to clear three rounds, wherein the first two rounds required students to identify brand names and their taglines. In the last round of the competition, the teams had to present an advertisement for a product. Olay, Bajaj scooter, Airtel and Bisleri were some of the products presented by the students. D.P.S R.K Puram, St. Columbus and Delhi Police Public School Were the winners.

Apex court's anti-corruption move is praiseworthy but not enough

The Supreme Court creates sensation every time it comes up with a new judgment. History repeated itself when the Supreme Court upheld a judgment of the Kerala High Court about sports officials being public servants and hence liable under the Prevention of Corruption Act. This definitely marks a strong commitment on part of the Indian judiciary irrespective of whether it will guarantee the end of corruption in sports or not.

Such a judgment is relevant in today’s context when corruption is rampant not only in sports bodies but also in other streams of life. Sports body officials handle huge public funds. They can’t resist the temptation of misappropriating money. Kerala Cricket Association officials are alleged to have misappropriated Rs 28.42 crore received from BCCI in 2004-08 and Rs 1.88 lakh received from the state for promotion of cricket. There are massive corruption charges on Commonwealth Games officials.

Corruption has also spread its tentacles to other fields like social work and microfinance. Unfortunately, social work is a sector with little accountability but huge responsibility and has exceeded the $1 trillion mark globally. Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) in the developing world have recourse to over $15 billion. The number of NGOs in India is estimated to be over 3.3 million with over 19.4 million people engaged. There is evidence of rampant corruption worldwide. Transparency International ranks NGOs in Kenya as the second most corrupted body in terms of taking bribes. The Council for the Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology (CAPART) in India has blacklisted 400 NGOs while another 3,000 NGOs have been blacklisted by the Central Social and Welfare Board (CSWB) on the ground of irregularities of fund allocation and misconduct. India’s microfinance sector has reached the $7 billion mark, with over 120 million homes having no access to banking. About 70 million people have benefitted from microfinance. As per a CRISIL research, there are over 3,000 MFIs and NGO-MFIs, out of which, about 400 have active lending programmes. There are often news of misuse of funds.

NGOs and MFIs handle huge funds, often the same as sports bodies. Under the new SC verdict, if sports officials are public servants chargeable under the Prevention of Corruption Act, social workers and MFIs should be equally chargeable under the same corruption act. This will be another way to push the lazy Indian government to act. To reiterate again, it will not guarantee the end of corruption but will show the commitment of the existing Indian judiciary.

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Arindam Chaudhuri on Real King Khan is a caring and a lovable person

Film icon Shah Rukh Khan is often criticised for the outrageous comments that he makes and for his aggressive conduct. But that does not really bring out the true side of his personality.

The real King Khan is a caring and a lovable person, and his mischief is harmless

When he sees elderly idealistic looking people in the audience, he himself says that he knows he is blamed for being the symbol of a decadent culture. In fact, he said that in one of our IIPM shows, for those were the exact words. Those were the exact words I heard from my dad, just a few hours before entering the venue. Later, he laughed it off saying he knows that’s how parents often look at him. Actually that’s what sets him apart. While most film stars in Bollywood wouldn’t have ever used the word ‘decadence’ in their lifetime, Shah Rukh Khan can use it upon himself and laugh. That’s the intellect and spirit which sets ‘King Khan’ apart from all his contemporaries.

While it often seems that he is torn between going the Amitabh Bachchan way of completely dignified existence or the Salman Khan way of brashness, the fact is that he is being just himself. As his supporters vehemently tweeted after the Wankhade stadium incident, he is most caring and soft-spoken, especially towards children.

He most certainly is. Till he is poked and irked for no reason, he really is the symbol of dignity. His words, like Amitabh Bachchan’s, are most articulate and well chosen — proof of his education and continuous reading. The way he cares for his kids, only people close to him know. Others would have got an idea in the way he had his daughter next to him throughout the tournament and not just post-Wankhade.

But then, don’t poke him. Apart from his polite and dignified ways and the fact that he is the only other genuine superstar India has ever produced since Amitabh Bachchan, there is no similarity between him and ‘Big B’. They belong to two different generations. ‘Waise toh Delhi wala hoon aur logon ko ek mukka deke theek karna bhi aata hai’, Shah Rukh had said in jest another time, yet making a point during the launch of our book, Thorns To Competition, while elaborating on how he did feel like hitting a lot of people when he entered the industry. He candidly admitted he still does want to do that. But he can’t, thanks to where he has reached. Or perhaps, I should rephrase his words and say he tries his best not to.

But, with the number of people trying to pull him down, I am sure at times he is human enough to be provoked. However, the fact is that the urge is rare. For he knows how to hit back differently. He himself says that to hit back hard, he decided to change the game. He decided to go on a route that no one had travelled before. He even took up bad-guy roles. And that’s how he hits back hard. He plays a game that others are not into and changes the rules of the game — something that anyone studying his career will vouch for. And that’s been his way to hit back this time to his detractors too. The IPL crown. Not at all a fluke. Very intelligently and passionately drawn up victory. Beginning with the choice of Wasim Akram as the bowling coach to the careful selection of the team, its captain to the calculated risk of angering Kolkata fans by dropping the once great but now completely finished Sourav Ganguly.

‘I’m the best!’ That’s one line he is known by and proudly proclaims at every given opportunity. He said to Kolkata fans too: “I am the god of my team.” He is unabashed about the things that he does, for he does things from his heart and with complete passion. And he does good things. He has no pretence to be a social change agent. When people questioned him on why he even wanted to be in the film industry, his response always used to be, “To make people smile.” His premise has always been clear — he is an entertainer. When they asked him why he wanted to be a movie star, he said, “I want to be a movie star for my late parents... I want to make movies so damned bloody big that my parents, somewhere up in heaven, can sit on some star and see my movies from there too, and say, ‘Hey, we can see his movies from here better than we can see the Great Wall of China... We can see his movies covering the face of this earth’...” It’s his own set, standard of excellence. And that’s why he feels that he can’t be beaten, for he has never fought the battle that everyone else has been fighting. That’s quintessential SRK for you. A winner.

He never tells his children that he does films so that he can earn for their future or give them better lives. He tells them that he does films for himself. He does films because he loves it and it’s for his selfish needs.

His grandmother used to tell him that every time a camera flashed, it took away a minute of one’s life — Shah Rukh Khan confessed that his obsession with movies was such that he would rather have so many cameras flashing at him that his life ended in a second’s time (this, incidentally, is also the last line of his yet-to-be finished autobiography). That’s how he wants to go...giving the last shot for a film. That’s him. No one says this. They call it decadent culture. He proudly symbolises it and inspires a whole generation.

People tell Shah Rukh Khan that one should not sell art. He says, “Well, no. I don’t come free... You can buy me! I will do anything that you want me to do. I dance in parties, because I am a firm believer in selling dreams; and as long as what I do brings smiles to the faces of just two people sitting in the audience, I am proud of it!”

But, what we must not mistake is his spirit and call it arrogance. At no point has he gotten so arrogant as to think that he will never fail. In his foreword for one of my previous books, Discover The Diamond In You, he wrote an oft-forgotten but most meaningful quote, “Success is never final, and failure never fatal”.

Instead of banning him from a stadium, we might do better learning one thing from him: ‘Winners never quit and quitters never win.’ Keep rocking, SRK.

The author is a management guru and the honorary dean of IIPM Think Tank.