Our HRD ministry seems to be in love with the IIMs. They started with the proposal of decreasing the fee to Rs. 1 lac some years ago, then quota implementation, quota for teachers and now have given this brilliant idea of having integrated interviews.
The idea is a great one, on the face of it; given the fact that right now there are 7 IIMs and it is planned to increase to 13 (which will spoil brand IIM - different issue though), so a student will have to undergo just one interview instead of multiple rounds. And the reference is given to the Civil Service selection.
This would have made sense had all IIMs had the same selection criteria. With all IIMs giving different weightage to different things like CAT, past academic record, work experience, extra-currics or recommendations (IIM B is the only one as of now asking for it), the student will have different shortlists. Moreover, how will the composition be done for the panel who will be interviewing? Currently, it is the professor or alums of the particular IIM who interview the candidate. Lastly, there are some clear skills which a particular IIM looks for and that is reflected in the GD or case study handed out or the types of questions asked. For example, IIM Calcutta always stress on 'quanti' stuff and asking puzzles and lots of maths in an interview.
The advice given out is fine but it would have been better if HRD had its homework. And my sincere advice to HRD - leave the IITs and IIMs alone; please focus on primary education. That's where the problem lies in the country!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
And finally got it...
After interviewing for the US visa, the wait for passport delivery begins. Now, the embassy gives us 2 options to collect the passport. One is to collect from VFS office (the agency handling the operations for them in the city) near Park Street or get it couriered to one's place by Blue Dart. Since, IIM C campus does not fall into the delivery zone of Blue Dart, the second option was ruled out and instead I could collect it from Blue Dart office at the Airport!
Moreover, collection is possible from VFS only the next day of the interview and that too from 1400 hrs to 1600 hrs; else they will send it to Blue Dart office. I called up VFS office in the morning and inquired about my passport. They checked their records, had no information about my passport and advised to call at 2 pm. I was scheduled to meet a company official for a project near the airport and so I left for the same.
Once my interview was over, which went quite fine, it was 3 pm and it suddenly struck me to call VFS office. I tried their number multiple times but the sad Airtel connection did not allow me to connect. And even if it did connect, the call dropped multiple times. I decided to use the SMS service, but as the luck had it, the message was not getting delivered! After more trials, I finally got to speak to VFS operator and indeed my passport was lying in their office and I had just about 50 minutes to reach their office from the Airport.
I hired a cab and he very confidently told me that even with traffic, we can make it in max 40 minutes to the destination. Little did I know that Calcutta Metro would have been a convenient, cheaper and faster option. Trusting him, I jumped into the cab and thus began the journey. Luckily, he took me through the by-pass route which promised no traffic which was indeed true. But, nothing comes for free and I could see the taxi meter moving like Akhtar's deliveries!
While in the cab, I received an SMS that my message for passport enquiry has been delivered and Airtel 'thanked' me for using this tracking service. I was amazed to read this but when I read the next line, I was shell shocked! I was charged Rs. 10 for this service !!! The point is that it was never mentioned that I will be charged that amount for the service. I thought it will be a normal Rs.3 SMS charge for a service when a message is sent to a 5 digit number. Moreover, somehow any visa activity seem to give license to everyone in the world to charge any amount of insane money. I experienced this when went to my photo clicked for the visa form. The US visa have strict photo specifications and everyone has to get them clicked, come what may! When I went to the photographer and asked rate for photos, he told me its 50 odd for normal passport pics. I asked photos for visa and rates skyrocketed to Rs. 300 for 4 pics. I was dumbfounded. That's daylight robbing going on! I negogiated and finally managed to bring it down to 275, but still it was too much to pay.
Nevertheless, no point in thinking about this now. The taxi had beaten a majority part of the traffic but finally I could not escape the traffic moving at snail's place. It was 1540 and cabbie assured me of me making it there in max 10 more minutes. But the traffic refused to move and if it did, it was not more than 50 meters in one shot. I still kept my cool as I had a buffer of 10 minutes. The traffic moved, albeit slowly and steadily but in some time I realised that I am going to be late for sure. The cabbie was also helpless as there was just no space to move. I decided to call the helpline and inform them that I will be late by 5-10 minutes and if possible, please consider my case. But as the Murphy's Law exists, it was bound to happen. I just could get through the helpline at all :(
Amongst this crazy setting, we moved out of the traffic area and then the cabbie rammed the accelerator and we were moving at a frenetic pace. But alas, I was late and reached the building at 1607. I was late but I still wanted to take a shot. I paid the cabbie and ran into the building. I asked the guard the floor of the office and it was on the 14th floor of this 14 floor building. Why the top floor only?! Well, I went inside and saw that first lift was meant for first 7 floors, moved on to the next one to discover that it was for 7th to 14th floor but was out of order. Grrrr!!! Saw the third lift, it was for all 14 floors and was working too. 2 more people were waiting with me for this lift. The lift arrived and all 3 announced "14" as the destination floor to the lift-man. He closed the door but another guy stepped in by putting his foot between the closing doors, which reminded me of Amitabh Bachchan doing it in Deewar :D He had to go to the 12th floor, which meant some extra seconds for me!
Thankfully, lift was a high speed lift and I reached the VFS office at 1610. Now the guard did not allow me inside as officially the time was over. He was doing his duty and he was right in doing so. I pleaded him saying that I am a student of IIM Calcutta, and will need to go to airport to collect it from Blue Dart as Joka is not in the delivery zone. He was not budging at all and I told him to allow me to speak to someone, to which also he did not agree. I gave him my IIM Caclutta I-card and requested him to speak on my behalf to the officer. He agreed to this proposal and went inside. He came out after 2 minutes and allowed me in. I showed the required identification and collected the passport. I must have thanked that officer some 100 times for considering my case.
I opened to check my passport and was delighted to see a 10 year, multiple entry visa stamped! I came out and thanked the guard again and again :) :)
As it is said - All's well that ends well!
Moreover, collection is possible from VFS only the next day of the interview and that too from 1400 hrs to 1600 hrs; else they will send it to Blue Dart office. I called up VFS office in the morning and inquired about my passport. They checked their records, had no information about my passport and advised to call at 2 pm. I was scheduled to meet a company official for a project near the airport and so I left for the same.
Once my interview was over, which went quite fine, it was 3 pm and it suddenly struck me to call VFS office. I tried their number multiple times but the sad Airtel connection did not allow me to connect. And even if it did connect, the call dropped multiple times. I decided to use the SMS service, but as the luck had it, the message was not getting delivered! After more trials, I finally got to speak to VFS operator and indeed my passport was lying in their office and I had just about 50 minutes to reach their office from the Airport.
I hired a cab and he very confidently told me that even with traffic, we can make it in max 40 minutes to the destination. Little did I know that Calcutta Metro would have been a convenient, cheaper and faster option. Trusting him, I jumped into the cab and thus began the journey. Luckily, he took me through the by-pass route which promised no traffic which was indeed true. But, nothing comes for free and I could see the taxi meter moving like Akhtar's deliveries!
While in the cab, I received an SMS that my message for passport enquiry has been delivered and Airtel 'thanked' me for using this tracking service. I was amazed to read this but when I read the next line, I was shell shocked! I was charged Rs. 10 for this service !!! The point is that it was never mentioned that I will be charged that amount for the service. I thought it will be a normal Rs.3 SMS charge for a service when a message is sent to a 5 digit number. Moreover, somehow any visa activity seem to give license to everyone in the world to charge any amount of insane money. I experienced this when went to my photo clicked for the visa form. The US visa have strict photo specifications and everyone has to get them clicked, come what may! When I went to the photographer and asked rate for photos, he told me its 50 odd for normal passport pics. I asked photos for visa and rates skyrocketed to Rs. 300 for 4 pics. I was dumbfounded. That's daylight robbing going on! I negogiated and finally managed to bring it down to 275, but still it was too much to pay.
Nevertheless, no point in thinking about this now. The taxi had beaten a majority part of the traffic but finally I could not escape the traffic moving at snail's place. It was 1540 and cabbie assured me of me making it there in max 10 more minutes. But the traffic refused to move and if it did, it was not more than 50 meters in one shot. I still kept my cool as I had a buffer of 10 minutes. The traffic moved, albeit slowly and steadily but in some time I realised that I am going to be late for sure. The cabbie was also helpless as there was just no space to move. I decided to call the helpline and inform them that I will be late by 5-10 minutes and if possible, please consider my case. But as the Murphy's Law exists, it was bound to happen. I just could get through the helpline at all :(
Amongst this crazy setting, we moved out of the traffic area and then the cabbie rammed the accelerator and we were moving at a frenetic pace. But alas, I was late and reached the building at 1607. I was late but I still wanted to take a shot. I paid the cabbie and ran into the building. I asked the guard the floor of the office and it was on the 14th floor of this 14 floor building. Why the top floor only?! Well, I went inside and saw that first lift was meant for first 7 floors, moved on to the next one to discover that it was for 7th to 14th floor but was out of order. Grrrr!!! Saw the third lift, it was for all 14 floors and was working too. 2 more people were waiting with me for this lift. The lift arrived and all 3 announced "14" as the destination floor to the lift-man. He closed the door but another guy stepped in by putting his foot between the closing doors, which reminded me of Amitabh Bachchan doing it in Deewar :D He had to go to the 12th floor, which meant some extra seconds for me!
Thankfully, lift was a high speed lift and I reached the VFS office at 1610. Now the guard did not allow me inside as officially the time was over. He was doing his duty and he was right in doing so. I pleaded him saying that I am a student of IIM Calcutta, and will need to go to airport to collect it from Blue Dart as Joka is not in the delivery zone. He was not budging at all and I told him to allow me to speak to someone, to which also he did not agree. I gave him my IIM Caclutta I-card and requested him to speak on my behalf to the officer. He agreed to this proposal and went inside. He came out after 2 minutes and allowed me in. I showed the required identification and collected the passport. I must have thanked that officer some 100 times for considering my case.
I opened to check my passport and was delighted to see a 10 year, multiple entry visa stamped! I came out and thanked the guard again and again :) :)
As it is said - All's well that ends well!
Monday, July 27, 2009
US Visa Interview experience
Two of my friends and I are planning to go to the US in August end/ Sept first week. Now, how this plan was made will be covered in another post soon. We booked our flight tickets first and then took the visa dates. I was given the 9 am slot for today July 27 in the Kolkata consulate.
Before taking the date, I had to do a lot of groundwork for the same. Applying for a tourist visa calls for a groundwork. Since, I had already booked my tickets, I felt rather peaceful about the whole thing. Then I needed to show my bank statements, Income Tax returns, got a bonafide certificate from my college, PAN card copy, Credit card copy etc.
It is advised to reach the consulate 15 minutes prior to the appointment but I reached at 8 30 only. The appointment letter and HDFC bank receipt (used to pay the visa fees) are checked. No mobile phones and bags are allowed inside the consulate, so it is better not to take them in the first place.
After a brief security check, a queue is there to see the basic forms of the visa. Once the verification is done, one is asked to wait. The name is called out for fingerprinting record. After that, starts the wait for the interview call.
I was called quite quickly for my interview. I greeted the lady across the counter and the interview started.
She: Why are you going to the US?
Me: Sightseeing, leisure
She: You know anyone in the US?
Me: No, all my relatives and family are in India
She: What are you right now?
Me: A second year student in IIM Calcutta MBA Program
She: Who is funding your trip?
Me: I am, from my savings.
She: When did you graduate?
Me: 2004
She: Where and how long you worked?
Me: HCL Technologies for 3 years.
She: How much was your salary?
Me: Told her...
She: How long you have been in IIM?
Me: Joined in last June
She: What all subjects you studied last year?
Me: (stumped, not prepared for this one) umm..marketing, marketing, stats, marketing.....(long pause) strategy, economic and political history, risk management..(took some more names)..(she looked little suspicious)....should I tell my subjects in this year?
She: Its fine.
After some data entry and paperwork, she looks up again and says "Your visa is APPROVED. Com after 4-5 days to collect it."
The whole thing took max 50 minutes. Surprisingly, no one checked any of the documents taken along but it is always better to take them.
Before taking the date, I had to do a lot of groundwork for the same. Applying for a tourist visa calls for a groundwork. Since, I had already booked my tickets, I felt rather peaceful about the whole thing. Then I needed to show my bank statements, Income Tax returns, got a bonafide certificate from my college, PAN card copy, Credit card copy etc.
It is advised to reach the consulate 15 minutes prior to the appointment but I reached at 8 30 only. The appointment letter and HDFC bank receipt (used to pay the visa fees) are checked. No mobile phones and bags are allowed inside the consulate, so it is better not to take them in the first place.
After a brief security check, a queue is there to see the basic forms of the visa. Once the verification is done, one is asked to wait. The name is called out for fingerprinting record. After that, starts the wait for the interview call.
I was called quite quickly for my interview. I greeted the lady across the counter and the interview started.
She: Why are you going to the US?
Me: Sightseeing, leisure
She: You know anyone in the US?
Me: No, all my relatives and family are in India
She: What are you right now?
Me: A second year student in IIM Calcutta MBA Program
She: Who is funding your trip?
Me: I am, from my savings.
She: When did you graduate?
Me: 2004
She: Where and how long you worked?
Me: HCL Technologies for 3 years.
She: How much was your salary?
Me:
She: How long you have been in IIM?
Me: Joined in last June
She: What all subjects you studied last year?
Me: (stumped, not prepared for this one) umm..marketing, marketing, stats, marketing.....(long pause) strategy, economic and political history, risk management..(took some more names)..(she looked little suspicious)....should I tell my subjects in this year?
She: Its fine.
After some data entry and paperwork, she looks up again and says "Your visa is APPROVED. Com after 4-5 days to collect it."
The whole thing took max 50 minutes. Surprisingly, no one checked any of the documents taken along but it is always better to take them.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Go Kiss the World - Part 2
Now I was not able to hold myself back and completed the book today itself. So, as promised here are some more amazing quotes from it.
1. Mother Teresa once said “God does not require us to succeed, he asks only us to try."
2. In worst of the times, the job of a leader is to let his or her people know that there is tomorrow.
3. All that good parents can do is to inculcate in their children the sense that "when they make a choice, they also choose he consequences."
4. Open your mind before you open your mouth.
5. Many professionals shudder at the thought of physical displacement, yet crave rapid mobility and growth in their careers. When you are continuously displaced, you make friends easily. You have low expectations from the unfamiliar hence you are more pleasantly surprised than frustrated when faced with life's many ups and downs. You explore everything around you, develop curiosity - new lands, customs, food, and ways of doing things begin to draw you in. You learn to survive on the strength of who you are, just for this day, today. You build ingenuity in order to survive. You trust strangers and, hence, strangers trust you. You build intuitive capability to sniff trouble - which can tell you when to leave a bar! You become an interesting person, because you have lots of stories to tell. Finally, you learn to move on.
6. And finally the last line of the book - Making it in life is not about material benefits and carving individual success; it is about moving from brightness to greater brightness, while taking people along. It is not about making it big, but about making it good.
1. Mother Teresa once said “God does not require us to succeed, he asks only us to try."
2. In worst of the times, the job of a leader is to let his or her people know that there is tomorrow.
3. All that good parents can do is to inculcate in their children the sense that "when they make a choice, they also choose he consequences."
4. Open your mind before you open your mouth.
5. Many professionals shudder at the thought of physical displacement, yet crave rapid mobility and growth in their careers. When you are continuously displaced, you make friends easily. You have low expectations from the unfamiliar hence you are more pleasantly surprised than frustrated when faced with life's many ups and downs. You explore everything around you, develop curiosity - new lands, customs, food, and ways of doing things begin to draw you in. You learn to survive on the strength of who you are, just for this day, today. You build ingenuity in order to survive. You trust strangers and, hence, strangers trust you. You build intuitive capability to sniff trouble - which can tell you when to leave a bar! You become an interesting person, because you have lots of stories to tell. Finally, you learn to move on.
6. And finally the last line of the book - Making it in life is not about material benefits and carving individual success; it is about moving from brightness to greater brightness, while taking people along. It is not about making it big, but about making it good.
Go Kiss the World
I am reading this book written by Subroto Bagchi. He tells about his life experiences since his early childhood and is an interesting read. I am half way through and wanted to quote of the wonderful lines he has written. I am sure I must have missed some of the ones from the first half of the bok, but I will cover them in my next post.
Here they are
1. Sometimes, not handing out punishment when it is most expected is the best way to bring lasting pretence.
2. Success is your ability to rise above your discomfort, whatever your current state of wealth.
3. If one is good is in his work, the designation does not matter in the long run.
4. One has to start with a sales job to make it to the top.
5. Most people covet good jobs great posting higher salaries than their friends and a rather elusive elixir called job satisfaction.
6. Negative public opinion most often has some basis and we must have grace to accept it.
7. While it takes time to build perception, it takes even longer for perceptions to change.
8. No decision is without risk, but when you take the time to think things through, you take very few regrettable decisions.
9. The first three jobs do not shape one's career.
More will follow soon...
Here they are
1. Sometimes, not handing out punishment when it is most expected is the best way to bring lasting pretence.
2. Success is your ability to rise above your discomfort, whatever your current state of wealth.
3. If one is good is in his work, the designation does not matter in the long run.
4. One has to start with a sales job to make it to the top.
5. Most people covet good jobs great posting higher salaries than their friends and a rather elusive elixir called job satisfaction.
6. Negative public opinion most often has some basis and we must have grace to accept it.
7. While it takes time to build perception, it takes even longer for perceptions to change.
8. No decision is without risk, but when you take the time to think things through, you take very few regrettable decisions.
9. The first three jobs do not shape one's career.
More will follow soon...
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
You have no right to complain, Mr. Ponting
High stake tournaments in any sport brings out the best of any player and the worst too - be it World Cup in Soccer or cricket or Wimbledon or "Flash Gordon" in IIM C ;) (I just hope some IIMCian is reading this and will be able to appreciate it) or much hyped Ashes series between Australia and England.
No doubt, Australia deserved to win the first win after a fantastic batting display and some superb bowling in the second innings. But thanks to last wicket partnership, England was able to save the match.
And now comes the statement of the century. "England did not display sportsmanship. They used time wasting tactics in the end." This came from none other than, Mr. Ponting. Are such people allowed to make such statements?! He needs to refresh some memory of his and go back only one and half years.
The matter of the fact is that Australia is not able to come terms with the fact that the last wicket partnership held nerve for 40 minutes and saved the test. Come on team Australia, you also tried it way back in 2005.
Learn to give credit to opposition too :)
No doubt, Australia deserved to win the first win after a fantastic batting display and some superb bowling in the second innings. But thanks to last wicket partnership, England was able to save the match.
And now comes the statement of the century. "England did not display sportsmanship. They used time wasting tactics in the end." This came from none other than, Mr. Ponting. Are such people allowed to make such statements?! He needs to refresh some memory of his and go back only one and half years.
The matter of the fact is that Australia is not able to come terms with the fact that the last wicket partnership held nerve for 40 minutes and saved the test. Come on team Australia, you also tried it way back in 2005.
Learn to give credit to opposition too :)
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Nokia 7210 Supernova
After experiencing an airline ticket purchase online, I am here to write my experience on a mobile buying these days which is much more time consuming and involves physical labour too ;)
I was contemplating to buy a new mobile handset and finally last weekend, I set out to a nearby (well, not so near) 'Mobile Store'. When I reached there, I found that a 'Hot Spot' outlet has also opened absolutely adjacent. As Hot Spot has some 'assured' prize winning scheme going on, I decided to give this place the first shot.
I told my budget of 5 to 6k and a NOKIA phone, come what may, preferably no camera :D He showed me 7210 Supernova with a price tag of 5300 and music express 5130 or 5310 for 5800 INR. Then he brought this Sony W 310 for 5000 and according to him was the BEST phone. The seller was really pushing hard for this model. Now, my MBA has taught me one thing - if a dealer is pushing for a lower priced product at the same margin, then something is definitely not right somewhere. I really liked Supernova model but with a 1 GB card, I was not getting the data cable!
I moved to Mobile Store next door and was shown the same 2 models of Nokia but no data cable again with Supernova. He also showed me an awesome Samsung slider phone too, again for 5100. When I asked for his advice, he quietly told me to go for Nokia, coz its a Nokia :) Here, I enquired about Sony W 310 and was told that production has been stopped and anyone selling it would be clearing an old stock (which confirmed my previous apprehension. I did indeed checked on the net afterwards and found that Mobile Store was right).
Last, in the line was a Nokia Priority Dealer, who was offering Supernova model for 5,300 INR WITH a data cable! I had no question in mind to go for this model now. This model is fully loaded - 2 MP camera, 1 GB card, data cable, video recording, expandable memory upto 2 GB, Radio, MP 3 player, Bluetooth, excellent sound quality, absolutely sleek finish :)
Its turning out to be a good buy till now atleast!
I was contemplating to buy a new mobile handset and finally last weekend, I set out to a nearby (well, not so near) 'Mobile Store'. When I reached there, I found that a 'Hot Spot' outlet has also opened absolutely adjacent. As Hot Spot has some 'assured' prize winning scheme going on, I decided to give this place the first shot.
I told my budget of 5 to 6k and a NOKIA phone, come what may, preferably no camera :D He showed me 7210 Supernova with a price tag of 5300 and music express 5130 or 5310 for 5800 INR. Then he brought this Sony W 310 for 5000 and according to him was the BEST phone. The seller was really pushing hard for this model. Now, my MBA has taught me one thing - if a dealer is pushing for a lower priced product at the same margin, then something is definitely not right somewhere. I really liked Supernova model but with a 1 GB card, I was not getting the data cable!
I moved to Mobile Store next door and was shown the same 2 models of Nokia but no data cable again with Supernova. He also showed me an awesome Samsung slider phone too, again for 5100. When I asked for his advice, he quietly told me to go for Nokia, coz its a Nokia :) Here, I enquired about Sony W 310 and was told that production has been stopped and anyone selling it would be clearing an old stock (which confirmed my previous apprehension. I did indeed checked on the net afterwards and found that Mobile Store was right).
Last, in the line was a Nokia Priority Dealer, who was offering Supernova model for 5,300 INR WITH a data cable! I had no question in mind to go for this model now. This model is fully loaded - 2 MP camera, 1 GB card, data cable, video recording, expandable memory upto 2 GB, Radio, MP 3 player, Bluetooth, excellent sound quality, absolutely sleek finish :)
Its turning out to be a good buy till now atleast!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
