Sons rise in the east

Tejaswi and Chirag plan to make impressive political debuts in 2014 and take their fathers’ political mantle ahead. Sanjay Upadhya reports

They are young, stylish and trendy and could hardly be described as icons of backward politics which their fathers espoused with such fervor. Tejaswi Yadav and Chirag Paswan, sons of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) strongman Laloo Yadav and Dalit leader Ram Vilas Paswan respectively, are here to stay and carry the political baton ahead in Bihar.

With their fathers’ career not particularly on the upswing, it is but natural in the Indian scheme of things that children take over. In the recent past, both have made their presence felt in the political corridors of power launching scathing attacks on Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his ‘misrule’.

Both of them have many things in common – apart from political lineage. One was a budding cricketer, the other a wannabe film star, their innings nipped early in the bud. On their fathers’ invaluable political advice, they have so far kept away from day to day politics, preferring to keep ‘social mission’ as their motto – as of now.

At the recent Parivartan rally in Patna’s historic Gandhi Maidan, Tejaswi thundered like a trained politician, aiming his guns at his father’s bête noir Nitish Kumar.  Young, energetic and soft spoken, Tejaswi represented Jharkhand in Ranji Trophy and was part of Delhi Daredevils in IPL.

He is set for another innings,now that cricket has not paid adequate dividends and what better than to take daddy’s mantle ahead? Blue-eyed Chirag Paswan, who had a small role in eminently forgettable ‘Mile Na Miley Hum’, realized that the film industry was the prerogative of Kapoors and Khans. So? Next stop politics of course.

A Paswan aide confesses that Chirag is being trained for building bridges with the Congress and Rahul Gandhi. “I won’t say I and Rahul Gandhi are best friends, but we have grown up together and our families are very close so I did not have to convince Rahul to watch my maiden film,’’ Chirag said during a recent election campaign. He had earlier told TSI: “my heart beats for films and politics is in my blood.’’ It is common these days to see giant cuts outs of Chirag posing with dad Ram Vilas, all in style mind you. At the main gate of the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), a smiling portrait of Chirag welcomes all with folded hands. Like Tejaswi, Chirag’s attacks on ‘uncle’ Nitish are polite and non-inflammatory, away from the rough and tumble of Bihar politics.

Sensing change in the political air – with the Maharajgunj Lok Sabha bye-elections victory and the JD (U)-BJP split as the background – Laloo Yadav is set to provide 40 per cent tickets to youth. Party insiders say it has already been decided that the command of the youth brigade would be given to Tejaswi.

When Yadav Jr. is in town, he is busy preparing his list of youth volunteers. He is a regular visitor to the RJD office encircled with friends. He takes keen interest in party affairs without being overbearing and is reverential towards the party’s senior leaders.

Father Laloo Yadav is playing a vital role in Tejaswi’s baptism. In 2010, he formally introduced his cricketer-son in politics. “Look at Tejaswi, he is going to do wonders in politics. He is good orator,’’ a beaming father had told a press conference. During the 2010 assembly elections, Tejaswi addressed many political meetings but despite his presence in Raghopur, mother Rabri Devi could not win.

However, the induction of the two siblings has raised the specter of dynastic politics, a cause which had propelled their fathers to political super stardom in the salad days of the JP agitation back in the 1970s.

JD(U) and BJP leaders allege that RJD's Parivartan rally was aimed at handing over the baton – an extension of Laloo’s move to install wife Rabri Devi as chief minister in the bad old days of the fodder scam. Post-fodder, Laloo build his bridges with the Gandhi-Nehru family, since everything is deemed ‘fair’ in politics.

That has not enthused other members of the Laloo Yadav clan. His brothers-in-law Sadhu and Subhash, both power centres in the days of RJD rule, are particularly miffed. “Jijaji ab satta mein kabhi nahi aayenge,’’ (brother-in-law Laloo will not never come to power) predicts former MP Sadhu Yadav.

Laloo, who had once described both Sadhu and Subhash as his energy tonic, is now keen to give them the short shrift. One insider says both the salas (brother-in-laws) are not allowed entry into the Laloo Yadav household.
However, the canny RJD strongman had given enough indications that “all my children have careers in politics ahead of them.’’ The time to blood one of them has arrived with the 2014 General Elections on the horizon.

Now, with the advent of Tejaswi, it is clear that the party’s youth wing is going to be headed by him. RJD has already announced that 40 percent of party tickets will be distributed to young leaders. Clearly, the 2014 elections will be the right occasion to keep dynastic politics going ahead in good stead.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman

ExecutiveMBA

Living and the dead

The mysterious death of Khalid Mujahid in UP is a template for all that is wrong in the war against terror.Puja Awasthi reports
In death, Khalid Mujahid has a voice louder than the living. A voice, spoken in many tongues, that is threatening to shout down the Samajwadi Party government which finds itself in a bind over his custodial death. In the state which tops the ignoble list of such deaths, the tragedy of Mujahid (see box), a madarsa teacher from Jaunpur, 250 kilometre from the state’s capital Lucknow, is not just another statistic but a template for all that is wrong in the war against terror.

The FIR filed by Mujahid’s uncle Zaheer Alam Falahi names two former DGPs- Brij Lal and Vikram Singh (in addition to Manoj Kumar Jha,Chiranjeev Nath Sinha and S Anand) and the Intelligence Bureau as accused in a conspiracy to kill Mujahid. Vikram Singh who was the state’s DGP in 2007, stands by the arrests. “We broke the back of the terrorists. UP has been quiet ever since. We are on a high moral and legal ground”, he says.

Yet human rights organisations believe that if the case were to be investigated impartially, a proverbial can of worms would open. By logical extension, all the arrests that happened only on ‘leads’ provided by Mujahid and Tariq Qazmi would also be under a scanner, as would police claims of successfully working out terror cases.

Rajeev Yadav, spokesperson of the Rihai Manch-a forum for the release of Muslims jailed on terror charges says,“This is not an investigation into one case. It raises policy questions- why is the Intelligence Bureau doing what it is? Under what pressures is it working?”

Outwardly the government shows no signs of being perturbed. But the overtures are telling—an offer of security to Mohd Shoaib and Randhir Singh Suman (respective lawyers for Qazmi and Mujahid) and Rajeev Yadav, and a compensation for Mujahid’s family. The security cover was refused and the compensation turned down. The latter is also being challenged by a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which argues that since Mujahid is still a terrorist in the government’s records, his family must deserve what comes its way. “These are just ploys to silence us”, says Shoaib. The government’s measures have come in fits, as it seems desperate to be seen doing something, doing anything for an important vote bank. While there is no word from the CBI on the inquiry, a committee of the Home Secretary and the ADG Power Corporation is also probing the incident as is the chief judicial magistrate of Faizabad.

Yet suspicions keep growing. “The government’s intentions were always doubtful. The half measures for Khalid's release ensured that he became a threat to the police. He would have been a prime witness in investigations into his arrest. How could they have let him live?” asks Falahi. The ‘half measures’ he speaks of, include the holding back of the Nimesh Commission report. That report is a key document in shedding light on the role of the police in the arrests. As half substantiated leaks flow out, Mujahid has acquired the tag ‘shaheed’ and a motley group of self servers are being drawn to it. Among them, Maulana Bukhari who has demanded that an independent agency, not the CBI, conduct the inquiry and an employment offer figure in the compensation package being offered to the family. Some emotion was also sought to be whipped by mentions of Mujahid’s deeply anguished widow who in fact does not exist. The BJP has piped in with a promise to side with the suspended police officials, not specifying what it would do, while another PIL has been filed to seek quashing of the suspensions as they had happened arbitrarily.

The only undisputed fact in this maze is that the fight against terror is flawed. Take the case of Walliulah Obaid Qazmi sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2009 for the Varanasi bomb blasts of 2006. Qazmi was convicted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act but let off from the more serious charges of waging war against the state, criminal conspiracy and sedition. The debate on whether he got away lightly because of sloppy investigation or paid for a crime he did not commit, has not ceased. As such debates grow so does the possibility of political manipulations and public discontent.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman

ExecutiveMBA

Bogged down by capacity constraints

Given the growth in cargo traffic and maritime trade, ports in India are in urgent need of capacity augmentation in order to meet the country’s growing economic needs and also to grow its share of international trade.

India, which has a long and meandering coastline stretching 7,500 kms, expects its ports – 13 major ports and around 200 non-major ones spread across the nine maritime states that dot its western and eastern corridors – to demonstrate efficiencies to sustain the demands of its growing international trade. About 95% by volume and 70% by value of the country’s international trade is carried on through maritime transport. Over the past decade, Indian ports have seen a sharp surge in traffic, which grew four-fold to 9.7 million TEU (One TEU represents the cargo capacity of a standard intermodal container, 20 feet long and 8 feet wide or 6.1 m long and 2.44 m wide) in 2011, from 2.4 million TEU in 2001 – a staggering growth of 395%.

Unfortunately, India’s ports are ill-equipped to meet this surge in traffic demand as they have not been able to significantly ramp up their capacity and efficiency. Several port projects in the PPP as well as private mode are facing delays on account of regulatory approvals. Take, for instance, projects such the mega container terminal of Chennai, 4th container terminal of JNPT, Vizhinjam port project of Kerala, Rewas port of Maharashtra and the offshore container terminal of Mumbai port, all of which have been delayed. Delays in getting the security clearance, complicated bidding process, poor response of developers and legal issues are the major factors holding up these projects.

Among the PPP port projects that have been hit worst by delays include the construction of six riverine jetties at Kolkata port with 4.5 million tonnes capacity worth Rs.3 billion. Besides, at the Paradip port Trust, construction of the new coal terminal is still in limbo due to want of certain clearances. Some of the other projects awaiting security clearance include conversion of berth No. 8 as Container Terminal at V. O. Chidambaranar (Tuticorin) port. Private players in infrastructure like the Adanis and Punj Lloyd have been denied security clearance for the coal import terminal at the government-controlled Mormugao port in Goa. Similarly, Lanco Infratech has been denied permission for developing a container terminal project for cargo berth facility at Tuticorin port.

As a result of these project delays and unwillingness on the part of the government to award private players port development projects, India has not been able to achieve the target of its capacity expansion. According to the Planning Commission, the capacity of Indian ports will have to nearly double to 2,302 million tonnes (MT) over the next four years to be able to handle the fast growing cargo traffic. The total capacity of the port sector is envisaged to be 2,301.63 MT, to meet the overall projected traffic of 1,758.26 MT by 2016-17, as per the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17) document. The Planning Commission estimates that cargo traffic by the end of the 12th Plan would be 943.06 MT and 815.20 MT for the major and non-major ports respectively, with corresponding port capacities of 1,241.83 MT and 1,059.80 MT respectively. In light of the fact that our port-handling capacity is way short when compared to the throughput of major ports globally, the Planning Commission has set a target of expanding the annual capacity of major ports to 1229.24 MT by the end of March 2017.

However, till date, no Indian port is capable of handling large container vessels. Most international cargoes are off-loaded at Colombo or nearby ports and then transported to India in bits and pieces. This incapability robs Rs.10 billion from traders. Worse, the turnaround time for ships entering our ports is inordinately high, aggregating 4.67 days and leading to high levels of congestion. The high turnaround time at our ports also leads to pre-berthing delays for ships, which can vary from 2 hours to 40 hours, depending on the port and cargo with the overall average for FY12 being 11 hours.

Addressing concerns related to turnaround and pre-berthing time calls for urgently ramping up our port infrastructure. Already, the dilatoriness in resolving such issues is beginning to impact our cargo trade adversely. Traffic at Indian ports grew by just 2% in 2011-12 (a sharp contrast from 9.2% CAGR recorded during 2005-06 to 2010-11), points out Prof. Sham Choughule, Visiting Faculty, Mumbai University and Member, Port and Logistics Committee of Maharashtra Chambers of Commerce & Industry. Clearly, innovative solutions are needed to stem the tide of declining port traffic. L. Radhakrishnan, Chairman, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust, suggest that alternative means of transport such as coastal shipping and inland water transportation should be promoted inviting PPP along with larger viability gap funding by the Government. He also warns about how the tariff guidelines of TAMP (Tariff Authority for Major Ports) are harming private initiative. “The tariff cuts enforced on private terminal operators by TAMP are not benefitting exporters/ importers but are actually getting passed on to international shipping lines.” He suggests that this anomaly needs to be corrected since no authority similar to TAMP exists anywhere else in the world.

To boost capacity augmentation of our existing ports and develop newer ones to meet the demands of growing trade, the Indian government has come out with an action plan spanning ten years. The Maritime Agenda 2010-2020 envisages an investment of Rs.1,650 billion in the port and shipping sector by 2020, of which the majority will be from private investors. The Ministry of Shipping also proposes to build an overall port capacity of 3200 MT by 2020 to cater to the projected traffic demand. This near tripling of capacity in less than a decade’s time is proposed to be achieved by undertaking upgradation of existing ports and development of new major ports.

Read more.......

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year

BBA Management Education

Beyond Matryoshkas & Marshrutkas

With its fabulous museums, rich cultural life, breathtaking architecture and history in every nook and corner, Moscow, beyond doubt, will remain forever etched in your heart. By Saurabh Kumar Shahi

Sheer mention of the word Moscow evokes myriad of imagery among the Indians of all age group. For the people in their mid-50s and beyond, Moscow evokes the best of Soviet Union days. A mishmash of culture, literature, politics—both cladestine and otherwise—heritage and much more. For children, Matryoshka Dolls and Nikulin Circus evokes pleasant memories. But then, there is a sudden blackout. As USSR disintegrated in the early 90s and India started looking for greener pastures, the affect was seen widely. The flights between Indian cities and Moscow dwindled as their national carrier, Aeroflot, started making news for the wrong reasons. Lured by the post-Cold war Europe and further West, tourists started looking for more options. Amidst all these, Moscow started slipping from the radar. A decade or so later, it remained a shadow of its former self.

However, as it is said that one bounces back after hitting the rock bottom; the same stood true for Moscow as well. The over exposure of Western cities, the desire to explore what is near and the plain nostalgia has put Moscow back on the travel map. Meanwhile the city has added so much to its profile that a fresh look has become necessary.   

Basics first. If there is one carrier that has completely reinvented itself in the last few years, it is Aeroflot. Gone are the days of rickety planes, soggy food and torn carpets. Aeroflot now boasts of one of the youngest fleets of aircrafts in the world served by Boeing, Airbus and indigenous Antanov and Ilyushin. It has direct connections to almost all the big metropolises in India and has a sector leading luggage allowance.

Moscow, because of its sheer size and importance, is served by as many as four international airports. However, without exception, if you are not planning to take your private jet or sneak inside a commercial jet, you are most likely to use either Sheremetyevo or Domodedovo International Airports. The flights from India lands at the former, which is new and splendidly equipped.

AeroExpress serves the connection between airport and Belorussky Railway Terminal in the city centre that are half an hour apart. This is the cheapest and the easiest way to reach Moscow downtown. You can take taxi too but it is costly and will take much longer time amidst traffic snarls especially during peak hours.

Going around in Moscow is a breeze. The city boasts of one of the most efficient and widespread metro networks in the world. The lines are laid out in such a way that one can see the entire city without being away from the metro station anywhere. There are cards for multiple trips and transfers are free. Stations, as well as the city, have destinations and roads written in both Cyrillic as well as Roman scripts, and maps are readily available.

Muscovite are interesting people. While at the first look they might appear as reserved, the people are actually very forthcoming and any request for assistance of any kind is enthusiastically accepted. The younger lot is more expected to know English than the older people.

Moscow is a huge city and is widely spread with attractions dotted all over the map. Therefore sightseeing needs a bit of planning and commonsense. Unless you are stopping there for, say, at least a week, it is advisable to make a priority list of attractions so that you fully enjoy them by spending time which they demand. While there are many tour operators who have customized itinerary to help you out, the more daring ones can go independently relishing the city.

The first place to start is of course Red Square. Right in the heart of the city, Red Square is city's biggest and the most important city square. Known for stunning parades during (and after) Soviet Union days, the place attracts lots of tourists any time of the day. Apart from the square itself, the place also has the iconic St. Basil Cathedral at one of its corners towards the Moskva river.

Cathedral's stunning onion-shaped domes have become a sort of establishing shot for the city and one needs to spend some time to fully enjoy its architecture from both inside and outside.

Right in the middle of the square, overlooking the long brick walls of Kremlin is the mausoleum of Vladimir Lenin, where his body is preserved. A visit is a must for everyone enthusiasm in history or a lack of it notwithstanding. At the opposite end of the Cathedral is the State History Museum.  The museum has a treasure trove of centuries of artifacts that will steal your breath. You also has an option to have your photos clicked wearing a Czar or Cossack dress.

The Kremlin, the seat of Russian executive, is another must. Situated at a walking distance from the square, the place itself needs a full day to fully appreciate. Particularly interesting is the antique weapons and gems collection in the Armory. One also has an opportunity to visit several beautiful churches that dot the landscape. There are ballet shows to catch as well. One can also spend time by just sitting in one of its numerous gardens and witnessing the time fly by. Another place to spend some quality time is the nearby Old and New Arbat streets. There are numerous eateries and cafes where one can spend time.    
       
Moscow is the city of museums and galleries. While it is impossible to visit all of them, one can pick some of the most important ones such as Pushkin Museum and Park Pobedy. Pushkin Museum and its annexe is dedicated to western art and has arguably one of the world's best Impressionist and Post-Impressionist collections. Park Pobedy or Victory Park is dedicated to World War II and has impressive collection from the era. This museum also boasts of some of the world's best Diorama by some of the best masters in the craft.

If you want to relax and spend sometime with your loved ones, Gorky Park is Moscow's trendiest place to be. Dotted with cafes, open air theatres, cinema halls, theme rides and what not, the park is a must visit if you have children accompanying you. Bibliophiles on the other hand will give their right hand to visit Moscow State Library and take a look from inside. At the end, you wont be able to decide whether the impressive collection of books or the intimidating architecture that left you stunned.

Of the cathedrals, Christ the Savior Cathedral and Novodevichy Convent are the most important one. The former was detonated during the Communist era, but following the collapse of USSR, it was re-erected exactly on the old design. It is on the banks of Moskva river so one can see the panoramic view of Kremlin from here.

Novodevichy Convent on the other hand was tolerated even during Stalin years and hence survived. Taking a stroll inside the convent is heavily recommended, but even more recommended is the adjoining cemetery. Apart from the Kremlin necropolis, this is probably the most famous cemetery in the world if one considers the profile of those buried. From comedian Nikulin to author Gogol, from Chekhov to Ilyushin, from Nikita Khrushchev to Boris Yeltsin; the cemetery is full of people who were not only respected in Russia but all over the world.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year

BBA Management Education

Wah Astad!

A virtuoso dancer-choreographer, Tagore’s timeless poetry and a group of multi-talented boys come together to create magic with a blend of modern dance, puppetry and music, writes saibal chatterjee

The nature and scope of contemporary dancer and choreographer Astad Deboo’s work are such that resting on is oars is never an option for him. Constant, rhythmic and perfectly orchestrated movement, both creative and physical, is an integral part of his life and art. And it invariably assumes hypnotic proportions when he weaves it into a top-notch stage performance.


It did just that and more on the evening of February 11 in a packed Kamani Auditorium in New Delhi as the 65-year-old virtuoso, in the company of eight one-time street children that he has been working with for close to five years, interpreted four poems/songs of Rabindranath Tagore.

Although the 80-minute performance was woven around only four of Tagore’s poems, the sheer range of Deboo's choreography was absolutely stunning.

From the Yogic stillness of the opening piece (Surrender) – staged with three of the boys – to the mesmeric blend of Kathak chakkars and dervish-like whirling in the final solo act (Awakening), Interpreting Tagore was an experience that allowed the audience to come face to face with an array of moods created through a blend of music, light, sound and, of course, dance.    
  
Deboo and Tagore go back a long way. It was in 1995 that the internationally celebrated choreographer first worked with Gurudev’s poems in a solo performance in Kolkata. In the programme note on Interpreting Tagore, the dancer writes: “I zeroed in on three poems – Akla Chalo, Your Grace, and Every Fragment of Dust is Awakened. When I read them, I was deeply touched. For me, they were resonant of my own struggles with the forces of traditionalism and the resistance to new ideas of a stone-hard bureaucracy.”

Deboo’s new Tagore work is an expansion of the earlier performance, with a fourth poem, Surrender, added to the repertoire. Interpreting Tagore was conceived as a tribute to the poet on his 150th birth anniversary and premiered at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai in November 2011. It has since been staged in many other cities, including once before in Delhi. “The earlier performance in Delhi was for a limited audience,” says Deboo. “This is the first public show of Interpreting Tagore in the city.”

“When a 150th anniversary tribute to Tagore was suggested to me, I decided to revisit the earlier work, expand its scope, and bring these young performers into the act,” says Deboo.

While the veteran dancer is an acknowledged master of his art, the boys have brought an amazingly spontaneous level of energy and verve to the performance.

The two centrepieces of Interpreting Tagore are each remarkable in their own way. Your Grace is enlivened by the use of striking masks and larger-than-life puppets. Walking Tall, a translation of Akla Chalo, is a dramatic rendition of the iconic anthem of stoic defiance.

“Some of these young performers know how to operate puppets, so I incorporated these giant figures into Your Grace, which is about Goddess Kali. The poem gave me the scope to bring in a whole ritualistic act – the young boys and I, as devotees, offering our sorrows to the Devi because that is all that we have,” explains Deboo.

Walking Tall, the legendary choreographer points out, is “semi-autobiographical”. He says: “It is my dig at the Indian classical dance mafia, the cultural bureaucracy and corporate sponsors. In spite of these people, who have constantly been a hindrance, I continue to do my work on my own terms. I continue to walk tall.”

Echoing Deboo’s experiences while seeking sponsorships to fund his projects, Walking Tall depicts dancers and corporate executives negotiating with each other and ordinary artistes earning the latter’s support while the genuinely creative dancer is shooed away disdainfully. Deboo informs the piece with a mix of anguish, anger and humour. 

The Tagore poems, translated by Delhi academician Aruna Chakravarty, are read prior to every piece by veteran film and theatre actor Akash Khurana. “These poems,” says the thespian, “are so deeply felt, profound and lyrical. They contain echoes that can touch every life.”

Deboo seamlessly moves from the personal to the universal and from the here and now to the metaphysical in his interpretation, an act supported by an array of eclectic musical pieces drawn from diverse sources. Among the musicians whose work the choreographer uses in these performances are Italian composer Frederico Senesie, singer Amelia Coni, Finnish pianist Iiro Rantala and Japanese composer Yoichiro Yoshikawa.

Deboo is especially proud of the eight former boys of Salaam Baalak Trust (SBT) who are now a part of the Astad Deboo Dance Company, having earned their spurs through years of intensive training with the master. “This group of boys is quite unbelievable,” he says. “My group in Manipur is very good too, but these boys are something else. They have raised the bar to a point that makes working with them a challenge.”

The youngest in the group is 18-year-old Rohit Kumar, while the oldest is the 28-year-old Mohammed Shamsul. “The latter is getting married tomorrow,” reveals Deboo. “As the foster-father I will have to be there at the wedding.”

The young performers have come a long way since they first met Deboo in 2008. At that point, they were a group of 14 raw youngsters, including four girls. After six months of rigorous training, they were ready to perform alongside Deboo – the result was a series of shows of a six-piece routine titled Breaking Boundaries. It was designed specifically to serve as a showcase for the street children out to claim their place in the world.

The group, which has now been pared down to eight, embraces multiple talents – puppetry, graphic design and animation, among other skills. Two of the boys, Shamsul and Avinash Kumar – Deboo describes them as “my left and right eyes” – are assistant choreographers. “They ensure that the rehearsals happen without let and the dancers stay in touch during the long breaks between one performance and the next,” says Deboo.

Read more.....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman

ExecutiveMBA

“Right to banking should be made a fundamental right”

C. H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary, All India Bank Employees Association, says what is really required now is re-emphasis on the social objectives of PSBs and retuning their activities co-terminus with the national planning process

When India became independent in 1947, all our banks were in private sector and were handmaids of one or the other industrial house. Later, when India chartered the path of planned development with public sector playing a pivotal role in it, resources were required. However, these banks that had huge public money were reluctant to get involved.

Banks were unwilling to go to rural areas and serve the masses. They were more interested in doing business in cities and towns, and making big money in the process. Agriculture had to be developed and as such rural India needed financial help. But private banks refused to cooperate. Hence, came the necessity to convert Imperial Bank of India into State Bank of India in 1955. This was the beginning of public sector banking in India. Then came the watershed decision – the nationalisation of 14 private banks in 1969. This completely changed the Indian banking scenario.

Banks started moving to villages extending credit to priority segments which were hitherto neglected. Class banking was getting melted to mass banking. With further dose of nationalisation in 1980 and starting of regional rural banks (RRBs), public sector banks (PSBs) became a dominant force in the country controlling about 93% of the banking activity.

Bank credit started reaching agriculture sector, and for employment generation, poverty alleviation, , infrastructure, etc. Banks were finally on the right track. But with the advent of new economic policies in 1990s, banks started journeying in a different direction. Government’s equity in the banks got diluted. Provision was made to allow private capital upto 49% in PSBs. Then came the policy decision to allow new private banks, and a dozen of them came in the scene only to vanish soon.

A case in point is Global Trust Bank which was started with all fanfare and open encouragement from the Government. But what happened to that bank and how that poison had to be swallowed by a PSB – Oriental Bank of Commerce – is a history now. Now the Government wants to go in for the next generation of reforms. Recently, they managed to get some amendments approved by the Parliament in the Banking Laws – more voting rights to private investors in PSBs, from 1% to 10%. Similarly, in private sector banks the present ceiling on voting right has been relaxed to 26%. What for? The game is clear; give greedy private players more access to India’s strong banking system that deals with huge public money. The total deposits of Indian banks have today crossed Rs.60 lakh crore. It is four times the total annual budget outlay of the Central Government. In short, liberalise the regulations and allow these players to plunder public savings.

Read more......

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

 

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

 

2012 : DNA National B-School Survey 2012
Ranked 1st in International Exposure (ahead of all the IIMs)
Ranked 6th Overall
Zee Business Best B-School Survey 2012
Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri’s Session at IMA Indore
IIPM IN FINANCIAL TIMES, UK. FEATURE OF THE WEEK
IIPM strong hold on Placement : 10000 Students Placed in last 5 year

BBA Management Education

International

Intel: change of guard

Otellini’s successor to come into a hard landing

The Paul Otellini era at Intel Corp is drawing to a close. Intel’s legendary CEO will call it a day in May 2013, after working for an astounding 40 years in the service of the world’s largest chip maker. The news came as a shocker, as Otellini, 62, surprised the tech community by announcing to retire three years before Intel’s mandatory retirement age. He has had a stellar record at the helm of Intel since 2005. Intel’s revenue increased by 57% to reach $55 billion at the end of 2011. He also settled an antitrust suit against Intel for $1.25 billion, and went on to convince Apple to put Intel chips in its computers.

Otellini will hand over the baton to a new incumbent at a critical juncture in the company’s 44-year-old history. Until not very long ago Intel strode the tech world like a collossus, enjoying over 80% share of the global market in computer chips and processors. But those days of glory are now a fading memory as new rivals and upstarts such as Qualcomm and ARM Holdings have eaten into the turf that was once Intel’s happy hunting ground. The company also found itself turning up late for the party as new players made rapid gains by moving in fast and capitalising on the big shift towards mobile devices.

The Intel board has begun its search in earnest for a worthy successor who can turn around the flagging fortunes of a company beset by an eroding market share and falling PC sales. Last month Intel’s Q3 net income fell by more than 14% to $3 billion on falling PC sales (its core competence area). According to market research firm Gartner, PC sales fell flat for the seventh quarter in a row during the second half of 2012 and the outlook for the future doen’t look bright either. Will Otellini’s successor be able to step up to the plate and revive Intel’s business in these challenging times?

HP: DEAL gone sour

Autonomy deal blows up in the face

Bad luck seems to have become a constant companion of the US technology major Hewlett-Packard (HP). The latest downer is it’s purchase of Autonomy, a British software company, for a whopping $11 billion last year. How HP, an old warhorse of the tech race, could have been so naive to jump at a deal, which had disaster written all over it from the word go? Autonomy’s numbers were fishy to begin with. Its stated profit margins of around 50% did not seem to translate proportionately into cash flow and its claim of double-digit organic growth in software license revenue appeared too good to be true. And despite being warned by analysts that it was forking out too high a price for the acquisition, the computer maker went ahead with the deal. Not surprising that it has now unravelled with destructive force leaving behind a toxic trail of accounting rigmarole. HP is now engaged in salvaging the situation and limiting its damages. The company has written down $8.8bn in the value of the deal. It has also fessed up to “serious” accounting improprieties at the British company. However, it will take some time before HP is able to clean up the mess and leave the stink behind.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

 

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

 

IIPM’s Management Consulting Arm-Planman Consulting
Professor Arindam Chaudhuri – A Man For The Society….
IIPM: Indian Institute of Planning and Management
IIPM makes business education truly global
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri
Rajita Chaudhuri-The New Age Woman

ExecutiveMBA

"India can't afford to ignore a big market like EU”"

Ajay Sahai, Director General & CEO, Federation of Indian Exports Organisation (FIEO) reasons why Indian government needs to aggressively push for the conclusion of India-EU FTA

B&E: Critics argue that through the FTA the European Union is eyeing India’s highly lucrative retail pie and as such the Indian retailers would be on the receiving end. What’s your take?

Ajay Sahai (AS): India is gradually developing into an open-market economy and I don’t think there should be any problem when it comes to opening its doors to the European Union. I am totally in favour of the FTA as it will not only expand our market reach, but will also make us more competitive. If there are certain sectors, which the government feels need protection, then it should surely safeguard their interest. In fact, the FTA needs to be negotiated in that manner.

B&E: Don’t you think that the liberalisation of retail services under the FTA can also put pressure on small farmers’ livelihoods? Not only do big supermarkets ask for very high standards and reject produce on grounds of not meeting that quality, they can gradually take away farmers’ access to local markets. Isn’t it true?

AS: If we are talking within the context of WTO membership, then we are not a signatory to the agreement on government procurement. But if EU wants the government procurement clause to be integrated in this FTA, India needs to be really cautious. The reason is simple. The stakes are indeed high for India as sectors as diverse as railways, energy and telecommunications to construction and health, hitherto reserved for domestic constituencies and used to address economic and social inequalities and to promote domestic growth and development, are slated to be up for grabs by EU firms. Government procurement in India has a social objective and it should be fulfilled at any cost.

B&E: Which sector has a significant upside potential if the India-EU free trade agreement comes into play?

AS: The Indian apparel and textiles industry will see a major boost once the FTA is signed. The EU accounts for about 50% of India’s annual apparel and textiles exports of over $13 billion. Hence, the FTA holds a lot of significance for the domestic textile industry, which at present is outpriced by its less developed counterparts in the region. For instance, apparels produced in India cost around 15-20% more than those produced in Bangladesh. Because of its least developed country status Bangladeshi textiles and apparels enjoy duty-free access to the EU markets, which is not the case with Indian garments. Currently, we are also losing market to China, which will change as soon as the FTA comes into play.

Read more....

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

 

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

IIPM Global Exposure
IIPM Best B School India
IIPM B-School Detail
IIPM Links
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face

BBA Institute