Read a good article from R Gopalkrishnan or RG as he is popularly known as. Shows his masterly insights into Indian agriculture... a combination of facts & views on what needs to be done... A very timely reminder..
RG calls for a "shift in public policy on agriculture to markets and competition from the traditional ones of regulation and support, and a view of agriculture as an agribusiness. "
Public investment in agriculture has declined from 1.6% of GDP in the early ‘90s to 1.3% of GDP in 1998-2002. The agricultural production index has stagnated and the productivity of agriculture has made no progress.
He also says that there is an ever widening gulf between agri & non-agri per capita income in our country having wide social implications.
Money can reach the poor through public investment in agriculture (rural roads, irrigation, marketing infrastructure) and employment (rural industries, public works).
We need to restore to the farmer in a calibrated way the decisions on agricultural inputs, production volume, product mix, hedging systems, marketing decisions, market access and so on.
Comments: This is a similar view echoed by CK Prahlad, who says that India has to tap its potential in Rural India & create opportuniities for the poor so that they can take part in the reform process. In fact he is now talking to giants like HLL to increase their rural reach. The government has to support this kind of initiative in all possible manner. This will ensure that the majority of our population which is in rural India is in sync with the urban India.
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Friday, February 20, 2004
Politics of Religion
The Mulayam Singh Yadav government in Uttar Pradesh on Friday withdrew its controversial order to close teaching work in government schools and colleges by noon on Fridays to facilitate Muslims to offer prayers.
Comment: What is the use of such a move? Whom is it serving? Even after 50 years of Independence minority pandering goes on. There should be emphasis on development work not give out orders which no one wants.
The MP Govt wanted a ban on wearing of jeans by girls saying that it was against the Indian culture..!!
Cooment: The MP Govt came to power promising that it would give basic necessities to people like Bijli. sadak, Pani. But what has been done? There is nothing in sight for these people. On the grounds of culture etc it has been only doing more harm to people. There was a report that MP Govt bad also banned fishing by tribals in Narmada waters near a religious centre. But for these tribals eating fish. eggs etc is the only way they can get nutrients cheaply. But the MP Govt could not care less. The sooner these acts are stopped & government gets down to development work (MP is one of the BIMARU states) the better it would be for the people & the Govt.
Comment: What is the use of such a move? Whom is it serving? Even after 50 years of Independence minority pandering goes on. There should be emphasis on development work not give out orders which no one wants.
The MP Govt wanted a ban on wearing of jeans by girls saying that it was against the Indian culture..!!
Cooment: The MP Govt came to power promising that it would give basic necessities to people like Bijli. sadak, Pani. But what has been done? There is nothing in sight for these people. On the grounds of culture etc it has been only doing more harm to people. There was a report that MP Govt bad also banned fishing by tribals in Narmada waters near a religious centre. But for these tribals eating fish. eggs etc is the only way they can get nutrients cheaply. But the MP Govt could not care less. The sooner these acts are stopped & government gets down to development work (MP is one of the BIMARU states) the better it would be for the people & the Govt.
Thursday, February 19, 2004
India's tour of Pakistan..is it worth it?
Even as i post the bottom post, there is a post on our Bulltin Board.
India's tour of Pakistan could be worth $20 million.
All it will take to wipe out the Pakistani Cricket Board's huge losses is one visit from the Indian team. I repeat...in just one visit. India's tour in March-April is expected to rake in huge financial gains for the Pakistan Cricket Board.
I am one of the biggest cricket fans you'll ever meet, but something about this deal is just not right!!!
Why the stomach churn?
Sadly, Indians are ready to play cricket with the perpetrators. But, before they do so -- let us acknowledge what they're choosing to ignore :
There were the Pakistanis who packed in bombs into a school-bus in Bandipora, grievously injuring five schoolgirls. Packing bombs into a school bus! (Ref: Washington Times)
Karam Veer, 14, and Harpreet, 13, who were brutally killed at Vaishnodevi just as they stopped to get a bite to eat. Dozens of other children were injured that day and, of course, the terrorists proudly took ownership for this deed.
The list could go on and on -- since this happens almost every day. In many cases, the children receive yet another kind of sentence -- they lose their childhood, their parents and their futures.
But simply put, every week, Indian parents have to scrape the bodies of their children off the streets or receive bullet-riddled bodies in body-bags, thanks to the Pakistanis -- and still they are enthusiastic about seeing Tendulkar square up to Shoaib. Wow.......wat a craze 4 cricket !!!
Remember, all this killing and debauchery does not come for free -- the Pakistani terrorists get good money for this. And, the money has to come from somewhere. Not surprisingly, The New York Times amongst others have consistently reported on the open fund-raising for jihad-e-Kashmir (& many other organisations 2 name) that goes on unabated in Pakistani mosques. While our Rotarians collect money to save Pakistani lives, Pakistanis proudly announce their accomplishments in raising resources for the terror in Kashmir.
So, it would seem that some businessmen, who would benefit from television revenues and access to the markets through selling their wares during the matches, may be willing to pay handsomely for killing their children. Rest assured that by advertising and gaining access to Indian customers, some of these same traders will gain many times more than the $20 million the PCB will earn. This is just initially predicted figure. Amount must be much much higher than this.
No prizes for guessing which 'charities' these traders will bequeath sacks of money to. And, Indians are stupid enough to believe they can buy the goodwill of the financiers and cheerleaders of the terrorist clans.
Doesn't make sense to me, any which way you look at it.
In the past, the Samjhauta Express, life-saving medical treatment for dozens of Pakistani children, numerous peace-offers -- nothing, absolutely nothing, has tempered Pakistani society's innate bloodlust. So, why do Indians expect magic to happen this time?
But, but, but -- say the die-hard peaceniks -- this has nothing to do with cricket! Not quite.
Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi's terrorist first cousin, a local commander for the Harkat-ul Ansar, was killed by the BSF in an encounter in Kashmir recently. Please note -- first cousin!! So, while the BCCI (Board of cricket control in India), Indian advertisers and the paying Indian public will bail out the now bankrupt Pakistan Cricket Board, close relatives of Pakistani cricketers are busily killing Indians. Also, let us not forget that officials of the very same army, that run the Pakistan Cricket Board, also run the organizations that regularly issue threats to the lives of Indian star cricketers -- nice people they are dealing with, aren't they?
Such direct family and personal connections to terrorists are not at all uncommon in Pakistan -- a country where doctors, nuclear scientists, cricketers, PhDs from MIT and government officials regularly consort with terrorists.
So, if Indians refill the coffers of Pakistani cricket and with their hard-earned money, there's a very good chance some of it will find its way back to their home -- as bullets into the heads of Indians!! Is this the right way to invest our money? Do really Indians r so stupid wanting to finance the people who're anxious to bash in the heads of their own children?
Sure........ some of them want to see their docs to treat Pakistani children -- great go for it !! Some want to make sure that relatives can visit each other across the border -- nothing wrong with that! That's all very Indian and very humane. But do they really have to subsidize the war on our children, their neighbors and their extended families?
Sure, cricket is important to INDIANS -- but is it important than their own children & family members ?? If their answer is yes, then well forget this article And i m extremely sorry 4 taking their valueable time.
India's tour of Pakistan could be worth $20 million.
All it will take to wipe out the Pakistani Cricket Board's huge losses is one visit from the Indian team. I repeat...in just one visit. India's tour in March-April is expected to rake in huge financial gains for the Pakistan Cricket Board.
I am one of the biggest cricket fans you'll ever meet, but something about this deal is just not right!!!
Why the stomach churn?
Sadly, Indians are ready to play cricket with the perpetrators. But, before they do so -- let us acknowledge what they're choosing to ignore :
There were the Pakistanis who packed in bombs into a school-bus in Bandipora, grievously injuring five schoolgirls. Packing bombs into a school bus! (Ref: Washington Times)
Karam Veer, 14, and Harpreet, 13, who were brutally killed at Vaishnodevi just as they stopped to get a bite to eat. Dozens of other children were injured that day and, of course, the terrorists proudly took ownership for this deed.
The list could go on and on -- since this happens almost every day. In many cases, the children receive yet another kind of sentence -- they lose their childhood, their parents and their futures.
But simply put, every week, Indian parents have to scrape the bodies of their children off the streets or receive bullet-riddled bodies in body-bags, thanks to the Pakistanis -- and still they are enthusiastic about seeing Tendulkar square up to Shoaib. Wow.......wat a craze 4 cricket !!!
Remember, all this killing and debauchery does not come for free -- the Pakistani terrorists get good money for this. And, the money has to come from somewhere. Not surprisingly, The New York Times amongst others have consistently reported on the open fund-raising for jihad-e-Kashmir (& many other organisations 2 name) that goes on unabated in Pakistani mosques. While our Rotarians collect money to save Pakistani lives, Pakistanis proudly announce their accomplishments in raising resources for the terror in Kashmir.
So, it would seem that some businessmen, who would benefit from television revenues and access to the markets through selling their wares during the matches, may be willing to pay handsomely for killing their children. Rest assured that by advertising and gaining access to Indian customers, some of these same traders will gain many times more than the $20 million the PCB will earn. This is just initially predicted figure. Amount must be much much higher than this.
No prizes for guessing which 'charities' these traders will bequeath sacks of money to. And, Indians are stupid enough to believe they can buy the goodwill of the financiers and cheerleaders of the terrorist clans.
Doesn't make sense to me, any which way you look at it.
In the past, the Samjhauta Express, life-saving medical treatment for dozens of Pakistani children, numerous peace-offers -- nothing, absolutely nothing, has tempered Pakistani society's innate bloodlust. So, why do Indians expect magic to happen this time?
But, but, but -- say the die-hard peaceniks -- this has nothing to do with cricket! Not quite.
Pakistani cricketer Shahid Afridi's terrorist first cousin, a local commander for the Harkat-ul Ansar, was killed by the BSF in an encounter in Kashmir recently. Please note -- first cousin!! So, while the BCCI (Board of cricket control in India), Indian advertisers and the paying Indian public will bail out the now bankrupt Pakistan Cricket Board, close relatives of Pakistani cricketers are busily killing Indians. Also, let us not forget that officials of the very same army, that run the Pakistan Cricket Board, also run the organizations that regularly issue threats to the lives of Indian star cricketers -- nice people they are dealing with, aren't they?
Such direct family and personal connections to terrorists are not at all uncommon in Pakistan -- a country where doctors, nuclear scientists, cricketers, PhDs from MIT and government officials regularly consort with terrorists.
So, if Indians refill the coffers of Pakistani cricket and with their hard-earned money, there's a very good chance some of it will find its way back to their home -- as bullets into the heads of Indians!! Is this the right way to invest our money? Do really Indians r so stupid wanting to finance the people who're anxious to bash in the heads of their own children?
Sure........ some of them want to see their docs to treat Pakistani children -- great go for it !! Some want to make sure that relatives can visit each other across the border -- nothing wrong with that! That's all very Indian and very humane. But do they really have to subsidize the war on our children, their neighbors and their extended families?
Sure, cricket is important to INDIANS -- but is it important than their own children & family members ?? If their answer is yes, then well forget this article And i m extremely sorry 4 taking their valueable time.
Should India tour Pakistan?
This question has been in the minds of every Indian on whether India should go ahead with its cricket tour of Pakistan or not. Anyway now that the foreign minister has given its approval, it is time for sound thinking from every Indian.
Rohit Brijnath while writing in BBC said that there is enormous pressure on the players. "Reasonable people want nations with so much in common to end their enmity - but cricket cannot fix this. The distrust between India and Pakistan is too deep to be bridged by a cricket match. Let us not expect men in white flannels to do what politicians for years have been unable to. Their strength is cover drives not diplomacy, and it is foolish to invest cricket with more importance than it deserves. They want the killings in Kashmir to stop. They want the nuclear muscle-flexing to end. But cricket cannot fix this."
He is right, people on both countries cannot expect 50 years of acrimony to end with a cricket tour. Treat this just as any other tour.
Rajdeep sardesai while writing in NDTV echoes similar thoughts. "should our cricket team go to Pakistan? Despite all the pressures, I believe it should. It should go precisely because we believe that all Pakistanis are congenital India-bashers, with a gun in their hands and jehad on their lips. Somehow, the stereotypes of two nations at constant war have prevented us from even attempting to deal with each other in a remotely 'normal' manner."
Rohit Brijnath while writing in BBC said that there is enormous pressure on the players. "Reasonable people want nations with so much in common to end their enmity - but cricket cannot fix this. The distrust between India and Pakistan is too deep to be bridged by a cricket match. Let us not expect men in white flannels to do what politicians for years have been unable to. Their strength is cover drives not diplomacy, and it is foolish to invest cricket with more importance than it deserves. They want the killings in Kashmir to stop. They want the nuclear muscle-flexing to end. But cricket cannot fix this."
He is right, people on both countries cannot expect 50 years of acrimony to end with a cricket tour. Treat this just as any other tour.
Rajdeep sardesai while writing in NDTV echoes similar thoughts. "should our cricket team go to Pakistan? Despite all the pressures, I believe it should. It should go precisely because we believe that all Pakistanis are congenital India-bashers, with a gun in their hands and jehad on their lips. Somehow, the stereotypes of two nations at constant war have prevented us from even attempting to deal with each other in a remotely 'normal' manner."
The Offshore Proposition by Eriq Lindquist
Vivek Paul, Vice Chairman of Wipro Technologies, the $1 billion India-based outsourcing company, told me a very interesting story. When his 1995-model car recently needed a repair, he dutifully clipped a coupon from a Silicon Valley newspaper offering 20 percent off the regular service rate. When told that even with the discount the rate would be $92 per hour, he couldn't help think, "For 30 percent less than that, I can get engineers who can design a brand-new car rather than fix this old one."
In that automotive nutshell may reside the impetus that drives the outsourcing industry, of which Wipro and its customers are a part.
As I'm writing this, the excesses of Enron and Tyco have not yet worn off and the phenomenon of the regal chief executive appears ready to re-emerge. Yet here's one of the top players in the hot-seat position at an international company who clips coupons and is frustrated that the repair rate is too high for his last-millennium automobile. There's more: Paul works in a simple office, sees no need for a bevy of handlers and betrays a concern for the bottom line at his company—a concern as intent as his desire to get his car fixed at a reasonable rate. All in all, you can see why the software engineer shouldn't be the only one worried about outsourcing.
Maybe outsourcing should start in sumptuous executive suites where catered lunches and a moat of handlers prevent chairmen from understanding the needs and expectations of their customers. How many layers of management and administration does an executive need in an era when many technology products are sold because they promise to speed decision making and reduce management stratification?
Once again, the repair labor rate, even with the discount, was $92 per hour. A mechanic should be able to charge what the market will bear, but an automobile manufacturer or dealer should not count on making up for lost margins on car sales by nailing the consumer on service costs.
The rising costs of services for anything containing electronics and the difficulty—often the impossibility—of performing the service yourself is a major reason customer service is racing to offshore sources.
Somewhere along the line, service stopped being, well, a service and started being a profit center. Once the bean counters took hold of the equation, they started to look for ways to charge users more for service while having their company pay less for it. The next thing you know, you're talking to someone in Manila about your cranky computer. Designing systems that don't need service because they work as expected would be the best service offering vendors could develop.
Paul, when confronted with the expensive service charge, realized he could hire a designer back in India for 30 percent less than the mechanic was going to charge for servicing his 9-year-old car. Indeed, the next stage for offshore outsourcing will not be merely offering customer support, nor will it be carrying out work necessary to build products. It will be in conceiving and designing the products themselves.
Paul acknowledged this trend in our conversation when he said one of his next goals is to develop business understanding and consulting skills within Wipro. And what is the next stage after that?
Once the offshore companies realize they have the business development, design, manufacturing and service skills, they'll begin asking themselves just what their U.S. partners are bringing to the table. This will bring about the emergence of new competitors among companies that were once partners, which, I predict, will be a hallmark of the technology market over the next year.
This election year is due to amplify the entire outsourcing issue beyond its current relatively small (OK, I know it doesn't feel small when you are the one being outsourced) percentage of the U.S. technology marketplace. When outsourcing companies become competitors throughout the product cycle, traditional U.S. vendors will have to show that they have learned more from outsourcing than just how to transfer costs. They will have to show they have learned how to develop products that meet customers' needs without a $92-per-hour service bill attached at the back end.
In that automotive nutshell may reside the impetus that drives the outsourcing industry, of which Wipro and its customers are a part.
As I'm writing this, the excesses of Enron and Tyco have not yet worn off and the phenomenon of the regal chief executive appears ready to re-emerge. Yet here's one of the top players in the hot-seat position at an international company who clips coupons and is frustrated that the repair rate is too high for his last-millennium automobile. There's more: Paul works in a simple office, sees no need for a bevy of handlers and betrays a concern for the bottom line at his company—a concern as intent as his desire to get his car fixed at a reasonable rate. All in all, you can see why the software engineer shouldn't be the only one worried about outsourcing.
Maybe outsourcing should start in sumptuous executive suites where catered lunches and a moat of handlers prevent chairmen from understanding the needs and expectations of their customers. How many layers of management and administration does an executive need in an era when many technology products are sold because they promise to speed decision making and reduce management stratification?
Once again, the repair labor rate, even with the discount, was $92 per hour. A mechanic should be able to charge what the market will bear, but an automobile manufacturer or dealer should not count on making up for lost margins on car sales by nailing the consumer on service costs.
The rising costs of services for anything containing electronics and the difficulty—often the impossibility—of performing the service yourself is a major reason customer service is racing to offshore sources.
Somewhere along the line, service stopped being, well, a service and started being a profit center. Once the bean counters took hold of the equation, they started to look for ways to charge users more for service while having their company pay less for it. The next thing you know, you're talking to someone in Manila about your cranky computer. Designing systems that don't need service because they work as expected would be the best service offering vendors could develop.
Paul, when confronted with the expensive service charge, realized he could hire a designer back in India for 30 percent less than the mechanic was going to charge for servicing his 9-year-old car. Indeed, the next stage for offshore outsourcing will not be merely offering customer support, nor will it be carrying out work necessary to build products. It will be in conceiving and designing the products themselves.
Paul acknowledged this trend in our conversation when he said one of his next goals is to develop business understanding and consulting skills within Wipro. And what is the next stage after that?
Once the offshore companies realize they have the business development, design, manufacturing and service skills, they'll begin asking themselves just what their U.S. partners are bringing to the table. This will bring about the emergence of new competitors among companies that were once partners, which, I predict, will be a hallmark of the technology market over the next year.
This election year is due to amplify the entire outsourcing issue beyond its current relatively small (OK, I know it doesn't feel small when you are the one being outsourced) percentage of the U.S. technology marketplace. When outsourcing companies become competitors throughout the product cycle, traditional U.S. vendors will have to show that they have learned more from outsourcing than just how to transfer costs. They will have to show they have learned how to develop products that meet customers' needs without a $92-per-hour service bill attached at the back end.
A worrying reco of UR Rao report
Article from ET
Apparently India produces seven times as many engineers as it should!
Stop. Rewind. Let's go for some background bullets:
§ Up to 1 million tech jobs will be off-shored from the US in the next 10 years
§ 50,000 financial services jobs will be moved to India in the next 4 years
§ There are 20 per cent more engineers in Bangalore than in Silicon Valley – and the gap will only grow
That’s the demand side. How about the supply? On current trajectory, India should be producing 500,000 engineers a year by 2010, up from the current level of about 260,000, according to Nasscom estimates.
But not if U.R. Rao has his way. The former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation believes that India produces way too many engineers given the job scenario.
So, in a report that is being used by the Union Human Resource Development Ministry to slash the fees of the IIMs from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 30,000 a year, Rao has recommended cutting the number of seats in engineering colleges to 30,000.
What???!! Yeah, the scientist believes that the human resource pool that is enabling India to become a major work centre for the world’s knowledge industry should be made to shrink. Arguing that the 1,200-and-odd E-Schools in India today – up from about 300 a decade ago – cannot assure quality, Rao has recommended shutting down most of the institutes.
Wait, there’s a method to the madness. For, Rao’s reccos are based on the following points:
§ With a recommended teacher-student ratio of 1:15, there should be about 30,000 professors. Given that only about 375 PhDs are given out every year, it would take nearly 90 years to churn out enough professors. Likewise, says Rao, there are 25,000 master’s degree-holders too few to service so many students.
§ There is no stipulation that an E-School has to register with the AICTE. Which, in turn, means that the majority of E-Schools remain out of the jurisdiction of the body that is supposed to regulate the technical higher education market in the country.
§ At 350,000 engineers a year – Rao’s estimate – there will be 15 lakh engineers in four years, at a time when unemployment across all engineering sectors is running somewhere between 15 and 20 per cent
But wait a minute. Isn’t it precisely the enormous pool of qualified, English-speaking grads in general and engineers in particular that is leading globocorps to India? Isn’t this pool the reason GE Capital Services employs 18,000 people in its back-office ops? That IBM is planning up to 10,000 people in India? That EDS will have 3,500 people here? That Intel employs 1,700 and Oracle, 6,000?
That not a day goes by when some global IT company or the other announces plans to hire in India?
If Rao’s recipe is followed, wouldn’t all these companies find it far less attractive to be in India? After all, simple economics suggests that cutting the supply of people will immediately raise prices, lifting tech salaries to levels where American companies, for instance, will not find it worth their while coming to India.
As for the over-supply problem that Rao envisages, the dramatic increase in outsourcing and offshorign predicted by every major forecaster – whose estimates place the job-flow to India at anywhere between 200,000 and 350,000 a year – should take care of the availability factor.
Following the Rao formula would, of course, make mockery of the very advantage that global corporates are discovering in India. In the words of Steven Clemons, executive vice-president of the New America Foundation think-tank, quoted in an article on a Website on the finance business: "There's a culture of inquiry here. I've never met so many smart, so incredibly inexpensive people."
It would be interesting to see what Union HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi – who cited Rao’s report to cut IIM fees even though the IIMs were not part of the ambit of the report – makes of this particular downsizing strategy.
Apparently India produces seven times as many engineers as it should!
Stop. Rewind. Let's go for some background bullets:
§ Up to 1 million tech jobs will be off-shored from the US in the next 10 years
§ 50,000 financial services jobs will be moved to India in the next 4 years
§ There are 20 per cent more engineers in Bangalore than in Silicon Valley – and the gap will only grow
That’s the demand side. How about the supply? On current trajectory, India should be producing 500,000 engineers a year by 2010, up from the current level of about 260,000, according to Nasscom estimates.
But not if U.R. Rao has his way. The former chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation believes that India produces way too many engineers given the job scenario.
So, in a report that is being used by the Union Human Resource Development Ministry to slash the fees of the IIMs from Rs 1.5 lakh to Rs 30,000 a year, Rao has recommended cutting the number of seats in engineering colleges to 30,000.
What???!! Yeah, the scientist believes that the human resource pool that is enabling India to become a major work centre for the world’s knowledge industry should be made to shrink. Arguing that the 1,200-and-odd E-Schools in India today – up from about 300 a decade ago – cannot assure quality, Rao has recommended shutting down most of the institutes.
Wait, there’s a method to the madness. For, Rao’s reccos are based on the following points:
§ With a recommended teacher-student ratio of 1:15, there should be about 30,000 professors. Given that only about 375 PhDs are given out every year, it would take nearly 90 years to churn out enough professors. Likewise, says Rao, there are 25,000 master’s degree-holders too few to service so many students.
§ There is no stipulation that an E-School has to register with the AICTE. Which, in turn, means that the majority of E-Schools remain out of the jurisdiction of the body that is supposed to regulate the technical higher education market in the country.
§ At 350,000 engineers a year – Rao’s estimate – there will be 15 lakh engineers in four years, at a time when unemployment across all engineering sectors is running somewhere between 15 and 20 per cent
But wait a minute. Isn’t it precisely the enormous pool of qualified, English-speaking grads in general and engineers in particular that is leading globocorps to India? Isn’t this pool the reason GE Capital Services employs 18,000 people in its back-office ops? That IBM is planning up to 10,000 people in India? That EDS will have 3,500 people here? That Intel employs 1,700 and Oracle, 6,000?
That not a day goes by when some global IT company or the other announces plans to hire in India?
If Rao’s recipe is followed, wouldn’t all these companies find it far less attractive to be in India? After all, simple economics suggests that cutting the supply of people will immediately raise prices, lifting tech salaries to levels where American companies, for instance, will not find it worth their while coming to India.
As for the over-supply problem that Rao envisages, the dramatic increase in outsourcing and offshorign predicted by every major forecaster – whose estimates place the job-flow to India at anywhere between 200,000 and 350,000 a year – should take care of the availability factor.
Following the Rao formula would, of course, make mockery of the very advantage that global corporates are discovering in India. In the words of Steven Clemons, executive vice-president of the New America Foundation think-tank, quoted in an article on a Website on the finance business: "There's a culture of inquiry here. I've never met so many smart, so incredibly inexpensive people."
It would be interesting to see what Union HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi – who cited Rao’s report to cut IIM fees even though the IIMs were not part of the ambit of the report – makes of this particular downsizing strategy.
A good article on Anu Aga of Thermax
Posted on Indian Express
In 1996, when Anu Aga took over as Executive Chairperson of the Pune-based Thermax Group after the sudden demise of her husband Rohinton Aga, she wasn’t really ready, having done only a stint with Human Resources. But she had two choices: either to compare herself with her husband, focus on her limitations and feel small or to be herself and do her best.
With a lot of fear and sadness and no excitement whatsoever, Anu Aga took up the challenge. A year later, there was another tragedy —her 25-year-old son died in an accident. But putting the pain behind her, she did her best. And more. Today, Thermax, the energy and environment major, is a Rs 538-crore company, having turned around after some very difficult years. When even the employees had lost the faith.
It’s perhaps fitting in the scheme of things that in her last year as Chairperson — she turns 62 in September and will most likely hand over the baton to daughter Meher Pudumjee (now vice-chairperson) — she is being honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award at the Financial Express’ Women in Business Awards.
She, of course, thanks everyone else for it: “I am the recipient, but the credit goes to many people in the organisation who have done a remarkable job of turning around the company. My family who have been always there for me, my husband who helped me grow into a career person. I may be the person to receive it, but I honestly believe the award belongs to Thermax.”
So, is Thermax where she wants it to be? No. “I would always want something more than where we are... for there’s no destination, it’s a journey”. In this journey, Thermax may have earned the right to exist today, but there’s a long way to go. “I am sure my daughter, who is a very value-based person, will do a fine job of taking us wherever we need to go.”
Thermax takes corporate social responsibility very seriously. Since last year, it has been putting in 1 per cent of its profit after tax for the community. It is a caring organisation, committed to the cause. In fact, Anu Aga, who raised her voice against the Gujarat riots, is still very unhappy with governance. She says though India has done economically well, there’s creation of wealth but very little distribution. And she’s pained at what’s happening to the Satyendra Dubeys of the world or to communal harmony or to the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute or to the IIMs...
Anu Aga’s also passionate about social work. And reading and travelling. She will try and fit all of it in her retirement plans. A host of people want her on their boards, but then she wants to take a year or two to look around at different NGOs of her interest (women’s issues, children) and maybe even compile a book, and then decide where to give her energies.
Among the books that mean a lot to her - she loves to underline favourite passages - are Charles Handy’s The Empty Raincoat: Making sense of the future; Ricardo Semler’sMaverick (an incredible book about how a 25-year-old turned around his company in Brazil through innovative practices), Hugh Prather’s Spiritual Notes to Myself...
Everyone has two sides to themselves, the ordinary and the extraordinary. During the hour-long conversation, we get a glimpse of the extraordinary self of Anu Aga, who pushes herself and takes no rest till she’s given her best. But has she always been this tough at heart? Yes, and meditation - now she does 10 minutes of pranayam too, besides vipashana - has done the rest
In 1996, when Anu Aga took over as Executive Chairperson of the Pune-based Thermax Group after the sudden demise of her husband Rohinton Aga, she wasn’t really ready, having done only a stint with Human Resources. But she had two choices: either to compare herself with her husband, focus on her limitations and feel small or to be herself and do her best.
With a lot of fear and sadness and no excitement whatsoever, Anu Aga took up the challenge. A year later, there was another tragedy —her 25-year-old son died in an accident. But putting the pain behind her, she did her best. And more. Today, Thermax, the energy and environment major, is a Rs 538-crore company, having turned around after some very difficult years. When even the employees had lost the faith.
It’s perhaps fitting in the scheme of things that in her last year as Chairperson — she turns 62 in September and will most likely hand over the baton to daughter Meher Pudumjee (now vice-chairperson) — she is being honoured with a Lifetime Achievement award at the Financial Express’ Women in Business Awards.
She, of course, thanks everyone else for it: “I am the recipient, but the credit goes to many people in the organisation who have done a remarkable job of turning around the company. My family who have been always there for me, my husband who helped me grow into a career person. I may be the person to receive it, but I honestly believe the award belongs to Thermax.”
So, is Thermax where she wants it to be? No. “I would always want something more than where we are... for there’s no destination, it’s a journey”. In this journey, Thermax may have earned the right to exist today, but there’s a long way to go. “I am sure my daughter, who is a very value-based person, will do a fine job of taking us wherever we need to go.”
Thermax takes corporate social responsibility very seriously. Since last year, it has been putting in 1 per cent of its profit after tax for the community. It is a caring organisation, committed to the cause. In fact, Anu Aga, who raised her voice against the Gujarat riots, is still very unhappy with governance. She says though India has done economically well, there’s creation of wealth but very little distribution. And she’s pained at what’s happening to the Satyendra Dubeys of the world or to communal harmony or to the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute or to the IIMs...
Anu Aga’s also passionate about social work. And reading and travelling. She will try and fit all of it in her retirement plans. A host of people want her on their boards, but then she wants to take a year or two to look around at different NGOs of her interest (women’s issues, children) and maybe even compile a book, and then decide where to give her energies.
Among the books that mean a lot to her - she loves to underline favourite passages - are Charles Handy’s The Empty Raincoat: Making sense of the future; Ricardo Semler’sMaverick (an incredible book about how a 25-year-old turned around his company in Brazil through innovative practices), Hugh Prather’s Spiritual Notes to Myself...
Everyone has two sides to themselves, the ordinary and the extraordinary. During the hour-long conversation, we get a glimpse of the extraordinary self of Anu Aga, who pushes herself and takes no rest till she’s given her best. But has she always been this tough at heart? Yes, and meditation - now she does 10 minutes of pranayam too, besides vipashana - has done the rest
Tuesday, February 17, 2004
XLRI placements 2004
Just got the info that XL placements are over & it was a resounding success....
Accenture gave 10 offers to IRs
Wipro gave 10 offers
CTS gave around 5... TCS & Infy gave 4....
there were lots of companies.... especially IT sector.... so good times are here in IT...
as they say India is shining .. XL too is shining...
Accenture gave 10 offers to IRs
Wipro gave 10 offers
CTS gave around 5... TCS & Infy gave 4....
there were lots of companies.... especially IT sector.... so good times are here in IT...
as they say India is shining .. XL too is shining...
Are IIMs accountable? If so to whom?
Brilliant column from an iim prof
These are interesting times and interesting times are challenging times. There is a furore among some sections of the elite about the ministry of human resources development's recent directive to reduce the fee charged from IIM students. Normally one expects lots of enthusiasm for such a step. But in these globalising and reformist times more the fees the merrier [at least for those who are not prospective students.]
Let us look at some issues closely:
1.There is an 80 percent reduction in fees, from Rs 1.5 lakhs per annum to Rs 30,000 by the government order -- it is unfair.
The annual fees [excluding mess charges] have been increased from Rs 3,000 in 1991-1992 to Rs 1.5 lakhs in 2003-2004 which is a CAGR [compounded annual growth rate] of nearly 40 percent. Any economist would be amazed.
In these 12 years nothing has grown at this annual rate -- inflation, student strength, price of books, faculty size or salary and buildings. The first major fees increase in 1992-93 was undertaken by the IIMs to around Rs 8,000 with an understanding that an increase of around 10 to 15 percent or inflation rate [whichever is higher] will be made each year and on that basis the fees today, after these 11 years, would be around Rs 40,000 only.
The market can bear argument is not tenable when the IIMs are in a monopoly situation. Out of every hundred aspirants only one is admitted. By keeping the intake numbers low the IIMs have created scarcity with a dominant monopoly principle.
2. The board of the IIMs is the supreme authority in financial matters.
It is interesting that very recently [one week before] when the government announced [in the vote on account] the merger of 50 percent DA [dearness allowance] with basic pay, it was immediately implemented by the IIMs. This time nobody argued that the IIM board should discuss it and may reject this proposal. When it is convenient, the board's 'autonomy' is forgotten and the IIMs follow the ministry's instructions immediately.
The IIMs [for those not familiar] are not companies. They are societies which are creatures of the central government under the Registrar of Societies Act of the respective states. The memorandum of articles of association of the IIMs has not vested the board with financial decisions, pertaining to fees.
3. Students in higher education should not be given subsidy.
The IIM controversy: Complete Coverage
Fair enough. But from the canteen to electricity [24 hours] to housing to Internet [24 hours] to plumbing to garbage disposal in the IITs/IIMs, everything is very highly subsidized. For instance, the market rent for a three bedroom house with garage plus servant quarters with attached garden and full time security is around Rs 30,000 per month in many cities. But inside the IITs/IIMs people pay only Rs 1,500 to 2,000. How come the subsidy argument fails then? The argument on subsidies is a much larger issue not just applicable to students in institutions of higher learning only.
4. Can the IIMs manage with this reduced fee?
By all means. They can and will earn extra from sponsored research/consulting/executive programmes etc. Since, on these activities there are no 'fees' restrictions.
5. Bank loans are there.
Incidentally, one of the closely guarded secrets in our country is the percentage of NPA [non performing assets] in the loans given to IIT/IIM students. A couple of years ago one of the IIMs published a long list of defaulters [wilful defaulters] year-wise in their alumni magazine. But everybody thought it was an honours list!!
Informed bankers suggest there is less default among cobblers and tailors. The alumnus, having two bytes on television, should repay and encourage others to repay for further loan flow. To overcome this problem educational loans should be recovered like TDS -- the onus on the employer -- with every pass certificate stamped as 'loanee.' The passport should also should bear a 'loanee' stamp [for recovery before travel abroad]. There are issues of collateral particularly for students coming from rural and average income backgrounds.
6. The surplus with all IITs/IIMs is very useful.
It is kept in central and state government securities [the investment norms are -- up to 90 percent should be in government securities]. Some state undertakings are in such a situation that there is a question mark on the interest and principle to be received by the IIMs. It is like our foreign exchange, kept in US treasury bills earning 3 percent. At least, let us hope the US treasury will honour its commitments! Just having a corpus is no fun unless massive construction etc activities are undertaken. Buildings/pensions etc are always funded by the government.
7. Financial surplus implies world class and autonomy.
Neither is automatically true. This is a typical American notion that financial strength implies 'freedom' and 'independent.' Actually throughout Indian history, sages and fakirs who were totally poor were independent and did not worry about opposing the rulers. During the sixties/seventies, IIMs were fully dependent on the government but still had total autonomy. Also to note, that many capitation fees charging street corner colleges are 'rich,' but that does not make them world class. People have chosen/choose to be teachers since it is considered as a passion by them and not as a vocation or career.
8. Cost cannot be covered.
The government did not say anything about research/executive programmes/consultancy/international programmes etc. They are relatively tougher tasks compared to increasing fees for students. IIMs can and do earn from those sources much more. Globally all business schools subsidise post graduate courses from research/consulting and executive programmes.
9. IIMs are self regulating and know how to maintain global quality and hence they should not be questioned.
In the context of global schools, there is something called tenure track [permanent] which may not be got by all the faculty. In IIM/IIT structure after two years everybody is permanent and till retirement nothing can be done to her/him unless s/he indulges in grave sexual/financial etc impropriety. For academic non-performance nobody has been sacked/penalised in the last forty years in our higher learning portals. Hence all comparison with US schools is meaningless.
10. The minister is saffronising IIMs.
Unless it is felt Mr N R Narayana Murthy, Mr S M Dutta [ex-HLL], Mr Yogi Deveshwar [ITC], Mr K V Kamath [ICICI], Mr Ajit Nambiar [BPL], Mr Venu Srinivasan [TVS] etc are all saffron! All these were appointed on various IIM boards by Dr Joshi. Actually some saffronites complain that he has not appointed them to these places!!
11. Dr Joshi's style of functioning is not good.
There may be a point in this. It is complained, that he does not consult with a large body of academicians etc. The same is the case with many political leaders. As a wag commented most of our politicians stand between two mirrors [like in a saloon] and make consultations to conclude that they had consulted infinite number of persons!!
12. Four areas are critical for functional autonomy:
Curriculum
Recruitment of students
Recruitment of faculty
Promotion/assessment of faculty
None of this is currently under any threat other than the feelings [like the feelings of Bush on WMD] that 'they may be affected in the future.' More than the mirage of financial autonomy what needs to be stressed and preserved is Functional Autonomy.
IIMs are tax exempt entities under the assumption that they are organizations not for making profits. But recently they are claiming they are making huge surplus. This does not seem to be compatible with the original educational objectives. The bottom line --Are IIMs accountable? If so, to whom?
In a democracy it has to be to Parliament and the ministry and in a sense to society at large since IIMs are public organizations. Unfortunately for an institution like the IIMs the bottom line can never be profit after or before tax.
It is also interesting to note that the corporates who are making lots of noises have not come forward with huge funding to the IIMs like Rockefeller or Fulbright Foundations. There is a school of thought among some of the 'reformers' and 'globalisers' that the IITs and IIMs should be handed over to the private sector and this view is supported by some corporate chieftains and some in the English media.
That would be a sad day for our educational edifice built with so much sagacity and foresight. There are enough corporate sector institutions to worry about top line and bottom line. Let there be some institutions at least, in our country which are solely concerned about pursuit of knowledge and preparation of future citizens based on contemplation and a passion for research and innovation. I rest my case.
Needless to add, all these are my views and are not of the organization to which I belong.
R Vaidyanathan is professor of finance and control at IIM, Bangalore. He obtained his Fellow in Management (Doctorate) from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta where he also taught for four years.
These are interesting times and interesting times are challenging times. There is a furore among some sections of the elite about the ministry of human resources development's recent directive to reduce the fee charged from IIM students. Normally one expects lots of enthusiasm for such a step. But in these globalising and reformist times more the fees the merrier [at least for those who are not prospective students.]
Let us look at some issues closely:
1.There is an 80 percent reduction in fees, from Rs 1.5 lakhs per annum to Rs 30,000 by the government order -- it is unfair.
The annual fees [excluding mess charges] have been increased from Rs 3,000 in 1991-1992 to Rs 1.5 lakhs in 2003-2004 which is a CAGR [compounded annual growth rate] of nearly 40 percent. Any economist would be amazed.
In these 12 years nothing has grown at this annual rate -- inflation, student strength, price of books, faculty size or salary and buildings. The first major fees increase in 1992-93 was undertaken by the IIMs to around Rs 8,000 with an understanding that an increase of around 10 to 15 percent or inflation rate [whichever is higher] will be made each year and on that basis the fees today, after these 11 years, would be around Rs 40,000 only.
The market can bear argument is not tenable when the IIMs are in a monopoly situation. Out of every hundred aspirants only one is admitted. By keeping the intake numbers low the IIMs have created scarcity with a dominant monopoly principle.
2. The board of the IIMs is the supreme authority in financial matters.
It is interesting that very recently [one week before] when the government announced [in the vote on account] the merger of 50 percent DA [dearness allowance] with basic pay, it was immediately implemented by the IIMs. This time nobody argued that the IIM board should discuss it and may reject this proposal. When it is convenient, the board's 'autonomy' is forgotten and the IIMs follow the ministry's instructions immediately.
The IIMs [for those not familiar] are not companies. They are societies which are creatures of the central government under the Registrar of Societies Act of the respective states. The memorandum of articles of association of the IIMs has not vested the board with financial decisions, pertaining to fees.
3. Students in higher education should not be given subsidy.
The IIM controversy: Complete Coverage
Fair enough. But from the canteen to electricity [24 hours] to housing to Internet [24 hours] to plumbing to garbage disposal in the IITs/IIMs, everything is very highly subsidized. For instance, the market rent for a three bedroom house with garage plus servant quarters with attached garden and full time security is around Rs 30,000 per month in many cities. But inside the IITs/IIMs people pay only Rs 1,500 to 2,000. How come the subsidy argument fails then? The argument on subsidies is a much larger issue not just applicable to students in institutions of higher learning only.
4. Can the IIMs manage with this reduced fee?
By all means. They can and will earn extra from sponsored research/consulting/executive programmes etc. Since, on these activities there are no 'fees' restrictions.
5. Bank loans are there.
Incidentally, one of the closely guarded secrets in our country is the percentage of NPA [non performing assets] in the loans given to IIT/IIM students. A couple of years ago one of the IIMs published a long list of defaulters [wilful defaulters] year-wise in their alumni magazine. But everybody thought it was an honours list!!
Informed bankers suggest there is less default among cobblers and tailors. The alumnus, having two bytes on television, should repay and encourage others to repay for further loan flow. To overcome this problem educational loans should be recovered like TDS -- the onus on the employer -- with every pass certificate stamped as 'loanee.' The passport should also should bear a 'loanee' stamp [for recovery before travel abroad]. There are issues of collateral particularly for students coming from rural and average income backgrounds.
6. The surplus with all IITs/IIMs is very useful.
It is kept in central and state government securities [the investment norms are -- up to 90 percent should be in government securities]. Some state undertakings are in such a situation that there is a question mark on the interest and principle to be received by the IIMs. It is like our foreign exchange, kept in US treasury bills earning 3 percent. At least, let us hope the US treasury will honour its commitments! Just having a corpus is no fun unless massive construction etc activities are undertaken. Buildings/pensions etc are always funded by the government.
7. Financial surplus implies world class and autonomy.
Neither is automatically true. This is a typical American notion that financial strength implies 'freedom' and 'independent.' Actually throughout Indian history, sages and fakirs who were totally poor were independent and did not worry about opposing the rulers. During the sixties/seventies, IIMs were fully dependent on the government but still had total autonomy. Also to note, that many capitation fees charging street corner colleges are 'rich,' but that does not make them world class. People have chosen/choose to be teachers since it is considered as a passion by them and not as a vocation or career.
8. Cost cannot be covered.
The government did not say anything about research/executive programmes/consultancy/international programmes etc. They are relatively tougher tasks compared to increasing fees for students. IIMs can and do earn from those sources much more. Globally all business schools subsidise post graduate courses from research/consulting and executive programmes.
9. IIMs are self regulating and know how to maintain global quality and hence they should not be questioned.
In the context of global schools, there is something called tenure track [permanent] which may not be got by all the faculty. In IIM/IIT structure after two years everybody is permanent and till retirement nothing can be done to her/him unless s/he indulges in grave sexual/financial etc impropriety. For academic non-performance nobody has been sacked/penalised in the last forty years in our higher learning portals. Hence all comparison with US schools is meaningless.
10. The minister is saffronising IIMs.
Unless it is felt Mr N R Narayana Murthy, Mr S M Dutta [ex-HLL], Mr Yogi Deveshwar [ITC], Mr K V Kamath [ICICI], Mr Ajit Nambiar [BPL], Mr Venu Srinivasan [TVS] etc are all saffron! All these were appointed on various IIM boards by Dr Joshi. Actually some saffronites complain that he has not appointed them to these places!!
11. Dr Joshi's style of functioning is not good.
There may be a point in this. It is complained, that he does not consult with a large body of academicians etc. The same is the case with many political leaders. As a wag commented most of our politicians stand between two mirrors [like in a saloon] and make consultations to conclude that they had consulted infinite number of persons!!
12. Four areas are critical for functional autonomy:
Curriculum
Recruitment of students
Recruitment of faculty
Promotion/assessment of faculty
None of this is currently under any threat other than the feelings [like the feelings of Bush on WMD] that 'they may be affected in the future.' More than the mirage of financial autonomy what needs to be stressed and preserved is Functional Autonomy.
IIMs are tax exempt entities under the assumption that they are organizations not for making profits. But recently they are claiming they are making huge surplus. This does not seem to be compatible with the original educational objectives. The bottom line --Are IIMs accountable? If so, to whom?
In a democracy it has to be to Parliament and the ministry and in a sense to society at large since IIMs are public organizations. Unfortunately for an institution like the IIMs the bottom line can never be profit after or before tax.
It is also interesting to note that the corporates who are making lots of noises have not come forward with huge funding to the IIMs like Rockefeller or Fulbright Foundations. There is a school of thought among some of the 'reformers' and 'globalisers' that the IITs and IIMs should be handed over to the private sector and this view is supported by some corporate chieftains and some in the English media.
That would be a sad day for our educational edifice built with so much sagacity and foresight. There are enough corporate sector institutions to worry about top line and bottom line. Let there be some institutions at least, in our country which are solely concerned about pursuit of knowledge and preparation of future citizens based on contemplation and a passion for research and innovation. I rest my case.
Needless to add, all these are my views and are not of the organization to which I belong.
R Vaidyanathan is professor of finance and control at IIM, Bangalore. He obtained his Fellow in Management (Doctorate) from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta where he also taught for four years.
Monday, February 16, 2004
The Great Film Awards Jambooree
An eye opener... something needs to be done for the awards at the Film Level...
It's the Bollywood season again. That time of the year which starts the series of Filmi awards right from Screen, Sansui, Filmfare, Zee Cine, IIFA to name a few.
The guidelines for judging the excellence for each award vary from another. Screen has a complete jury based system while Filmfare is 50 percent votes (magazine readers and online voting mechanism) and 50 percent jury. Sansui and Zee are only viewers' votes. And each one claims to be fair. But what do our audience's and media think?
Coming to the nominations, every year we have atleast one controversy over a nominee who withdraws citing irregularities. This year we had Manoj Bajpai withdrawing his nomination from the Best Supporting Actor in the Screen Awards since he was not nominated in the Best actor category. JP Dutta also publicly withdrew LOC-Kargil from Screen. We have Aamir Khan who does not attend awards because he feels all of them are biased. And to top it all, we have the ace filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who does not believe in the awards system at all. At the other end, we have Shahrukh Khan, who has the maximum Filmfare Awards in his kitty!
Some of the awards also create special categories to keep everybody happy. For example: Best Actor category and Most Outstanding Performance category. That way, you ensure that everybody is happy and smiling…at least in the front of the camera!
IndiaFM ran a poll to rate the credibility of the awards. A total of about 1.2 million respondents have given their verdict loud and clear. About 45% of the respondents felt that all the existing awards were arbitrary and unfair in some manner.
They think very poorly of the awards in terms of credibility. The maximum that any award could manage was Filmfare, which was judged fair by as low as 40% of the respondents. For all the others, it was pathetic. National awards are judged fair by only 15%. For the other awards, the less said the better, for their trust % was in single digits.
Our awards are all about money, honey. So basically the awards benefit everybody, the organiser who makes the moolah, the TV channel who gets software and sponsors for the event, the media who get an event to go ga-ga about, the print who gets stories to fill up the paper, and most of all the nominees, who get talked about and get the photo-ops and write-ups. And finally the winners, who get to make their thank you speeches. And the way the system works, each performer will win some or the other awards. And most of all, none of those involved speak out because all awards are controlled by some or the other media house. So nobody wants to enter in the bad books of any media house, for that would mean no publicity, which in effect is a hara-kiri, for what is a celebrity without publicity.
You have the PNC-Sansui 'VIEWER'S CHOICE AWARDS', which not only nominates its own movies and performers in as many as 8 categories. And then it insults our intelligence by wanting us to believe that majority of 'PUBLIC' has voted for Juhi Chawla as the best supporting actress for the movie Jhankaar Beats, which is a PNC production.
Incidentally, most of the PNC product nominees have not been nominated in any other awards. When it failed to get Kareena in Chameli any awards, they give her a jury award for best performance for Chameli, which is another PNC production. And the icing on the cake is that PNC released Chameli in only one show in one theatre in December 03 to be eligible for the awards.
Coming to the media coverage, Filmfare Awards are not covered by rival publications since Times Group is associated with the same. Similarly, Screen Videocon awards are not covered by other publications. Zee Cine Awards are also not covered by rival channels. Can you imagine Oscars not covered by a single newspaper or a channel?
Now let's compare our awards to the Oscars
Membership in the Academy is limited to those who have achieved the highest level of distinction in the arts and sciences of motion pictures.
Members currently represent 14 branches — Actors, Art Directors, Cinematographers, Directors, Documentary, Executives, Film Editors, Music, Producers, Public Relations, Short Films and Feature Animation, Sound, Visual Effects, and Writers. At this time, there are over 5,700 voting members of the Academy.
Up to five nominations are made in most categories, with balloting for these nominations restricted to members of the Academy branch concerned. Directors, for instance, are the only nominators for Achievement in Directing.
Final winners in most categories are determined by vote of the entire voting membership of over 5,700 individual filmmakers.
Even a nomination in Oscars is considered an honour. An Oscar means added box office revenue and a global TV audience. Compare this to Indian awards and you will find that Indian awards do not contribute to an increase in audience or collections.
The need of the hour is an award on the lines of Oscars. An award that truly recognizes the excellence in cinema. And one that is handled by the peers in the industry, for the industry and not some media house for its own benefit. Will somebody take the lead to light the light?
It's the Bollywood season again. That time of the year which starts the series of Filmi awards right from Screen, Sansui, Filmfare, Zee Cine, IIFA to name a few.
The guidelines for judging the excellence for each award vary from another. Screen has a complete jury based system while Filmfare is 50 percent votes (magazine readers and online voting mechanism) and 50 percent jury. Sansui and Zee are only viewers' votes. And each one claims to be fair. But what do our audience's and media think?
Coming to the nominations, every year we have atleast one controversy over a nominee who withdraws citing irregularities. This year we had Manoj Bajpai withdrawing his nomination from the Best Supporting Actor in the Screen Awards since he was not nominated in the Best actor category. JP Dutta also publicly withdrew LOC-Kargil from Screen. We have Aamir Khan who does not attend awards because he feels all of them are biased. And to top it all, we have the ace filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma, who does not believe in the awards system at all. At the other end, we have Shahrukh Khan, who has the maximum Filmfare Awards in his kitty!
Some of the awards also create special categories to keep everybody happy. For example: Best Actor category and Most Outstanding Performance category. That way, you ensure that everybody is happy and smiling…at least in the front of the camera!
IndiaFM ran a poll to rate the credibility of the awards. A total of about 1.2 million respondents have given their verdict loud and clear. About 45% of the respondents felt that all the existing awards were arbitrary and unfair in some manner.
They think very poorly of the awards in terms of credibility. The maximum that any award could manage was Filmfare, which was judged fair by as low as 40% of the respondents. For all the others, it was pathetic. National awards are judged fair by only 15%. For the other awards, the less said the better, for their trust % was in single digits.
Our awards are all about money, honey. So basically the awards benefit everybody, the organiser who makes the moolah, the TV channel who gets software and sponsors for the event, the media who get an event to go ga-ga about, the print who gets stories to fill up the paper, and most of all the nominees, who get talked about and get the photo-ops and write-ups. And finally the winners, who get to make their thank you speeches. And the way the system works, each performer will win some or the other awards. And most of all, none of those involved speak out because all awards are controlled by some or the other media house. So nobody wants to enter in the bad books of any media house, for that would mean no publicity, which in effect is a hara-kiri, for what is a celebrity without publicity.
You have the PNC-Sansui 'VIEWER'S CHOICE AWARDS', which not only nominates its own movies and performers in as many as 8 categories. And then it insults our intelligence by wanting us to believe that majority of 'PUBLIC' has voted for Juhi Chawla as the best supporting actress for the movie Jhankaar Beats, which is a PNC production.
Incidentally, most of the PNC product nominees have not been nominated in any other awards. When it failed to get Kareena in Chameli any awards, they give her a jury award for best performance for Chameli, which is another PNC production. And the icing on the cake is that PNC released Chameli in only one show in one theatre in December 03 to be eligible for the awards.
Coming to the media coverage, Filmfare Awards are not covered by rival publications since Times Group is associated with the same. Similarly, Screen Videocon awards are not covered by other publications. Zee Cine Awards are also not covered by rival channels. Can you imagine Oscars not covered by a single newspaper or a channel?
Now let's compare our awards to the Oscars
Membership in the Academy is limited to those who have achieved the highest level of distinction in the arts and sciences of motion pictures.
Members currently represent 14 branches — Actors, Art Directors, Cinematographers, Directors, Documentary, Executives, Film Editors, Music, Producers, Public Relations, Short Films and Feature Animation, Sound, Visual Effects, and Writers. At this time, there are over 5,700 voting members of the Academy.
Up to five nominations are made in most categories, with balloting for these nominations restricted to members of the Academy branch concerned. Directors, for instance, are the only nominators for Achievement in Directing.
Final winners in most categories are determined by vote of the entire voting membership of over 5,700 individual filmmakers.
Even a nomination in Oscars is considered an honour. An Oscar means added box office revenue and a global TV audience. Compare this to Indian awards and you will find that Indian awards do not contribute to an increase in audience or collections.
The need of the hour is an award on the lines of Oscars. An award that truly recognizes the excellence in cinema. And one that is handled by the peers in the industry, for the industry and not some media house for its own benefit. Will somebody take the lead to light the light?
Sunday, February 15, 2004
Eliyahu Goldratt & his theory of Constraints
Eliyahu Goldratt & his theory of Constraints... This one again from ET
We asked Eliyahu Goldratt, management thinker and author of bestseller The Goal, what drew him to India. A puff on his trademark pipe and a smile later: “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me,” he says. Nudged on, he explains, “India has the best education of management in the world and perhaps the largest internal market. You have the potential to be one of the five economic powers. But, are you?” For the creator of the Theory of Constraints, Indian managements are ‘constrained’ by their “admiration of sophistication”, he tells ET.
He’s here to lead managers down a different path. “I told you, you wouldn’t believe me,” he says. Look at IT, those wonderfully complex machines. “People don’t understand that any complex system is based on inherent simplicity. Capitalising on inherent simplicity is what enables incredible improvements within a short time.” Mr Goldratt was in Mumbai to speak on ‘Viable Vision’ at a seminar presented by ET.
His viable vision can translate into “bringing up the company so that in less than four years, net profit equals its current total sales.” Mr Goldratt’s theory rests on the assumption that organisational systems are in fact complex. Made more so by the cause and effect relationships that exist between various components.
“Examine a given system and ask yourself, what is the minimum number of points one has to impact in order to impact the whole system?... For every real-life system there are very few elements governing the entire system.” The fewer the points, the easier the system is to manage. “To get results you have to spend your time finding those elements,” he explains. These elements, or constraints, are also the leverage points of the organisation.So, here’s Dr Goldratt’s five-step agenda to almost immediate performance jumps:
Identify the system’s constraints;
decide how to exploit these;
subordinate everything else to this decision;
elevate the system constraints; and finally,
if in the previous step’s constraint has been broken, go back to step 1.
We asked Eliyahu Goldratt, management thinker and author of bestseller The Goal, what drew him to India. A puff on his trademark pipe and a smile later: “If I told you, you wouldn’t believe me,” he says. Nudged on, he explains, “India has the best education of management in the world and perhaps the largest internal market. You have the potential to be one of the five economic powers. But, are you?” For the creator of the Theory of Constraints, Indian managements are ‘constrained’ by their “admiration of sophistication”, he tells ET.
He’s here to lead managers down a different path. “I told you, you wouldn’t believe me,” he says. Look at IT, those wonderfully complex machines. “People don’t understand that any complex system is based on inherent simplicity. Capitalising on inherent simplicity is what enables incredible improvements within a short time.” Mr Goldratt was in Mumbai to speak on ‘Viable Vision’ at a seminar presented by ET.
His viable vision can translate into “bringing up the company so that in less than four years, net profit equals its current total sales.” Mr Goldratt’s theory rests on the assumption that organisational systems are in fact complex. Made more so by the cause and effect relationships that exist between various components.
“Examine a given system and ask yourself, what is the minimum number of points one has to impact in order to impact the whole system?... For every real-life system there are very few elements governing the entire system.” The fewer the points, the easier the system is to manage. “To get results you have to spend your time finding those elements,” he explains. These elements, or constraints, are also the leverage points of the organisation.So, here’s Dr Goldratt’s five-step agenda to almost immediate performance jumps:
Identify the system’s constraints;
decide how to exploit these;
subordinate everything else to this decision;
elevate the system constraints; and finally,
if in the previous step’s constraint has been broken, go back to step 1.
Reliance on TIME cover
There was an interesting take on the Ambani's by the Time Magazine. This article was on the ET today.
The Reliance group of industries of the Ambanis figures in the cover story of Time magazine this week in which it takes a survey of the leading business families of Asia and focusses on the changing nature of family-run business empires.
The magazine, which takes a close look at the daily lifestyle of the two Ambani brothers, Mukesh and Anil, says that there was a doubt whether they could fill their father Dhirubhai Ambani's shoes.
"People will remember you after you are gone not for your money or your power, but because of what you have left behind," the magazine quoted Mukhesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, as saying.
The magazine said that since taking over Reliance Industries as chairman and vice-chairman respectively after their father's death in 2002, Mukhesh and Anil Ambani have reinvented India's most powerful business enterprise.
The brothers have taken the company beyond its textile production and petrochemicals base into lucrative ventures in power generation , oil exploration and mobile phone services .
Last year, Reliance Industries had revenues of $16.8 billion and accounted for 3.5 per cent of India's gross domestic product (GDP).
Some had questioned whether Anil and Mukesh could match their father's managerial skills, even though Mukesh graduated from Stanford's Business School and Anil from Wharton School and others wondered whether the antipodean brothers could work together, Time said.
Flashy Anil, who is married to a former film actress, likes designer clothes and jogs every morning, his chauffeur driving slowly behind. Mukesh prefers spending time with his children or catching up on technical journals
The Reliance group of industries of the Ambanis figures in the cover story of Time magazine this week in which it takes a survey of the leading business families of Asia and focusses on the changing nature of family-run business empires.
The magazine, which takes a close look at the daily lifestyle of the two Ambani brothers, Mukesh and Anil, says that there was a doubt whether they could fill their father Dhirubhai Ambani's shoes.
"People will remember you after you are gone not for your money or your power, but because of what you have left behind," the magazine quoted Mukhesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, as saying.
The magazine said that since taking over Reliance Industries as chairman and vice-chairman respectively after their father's death in 2002, Mukhesh and Anil Ambani have reinvented India's most powerful business enterprise.
The brothers have taken the company beyond its textile production and petrochemicals base into lucrative ventures in power generation , oil exploration and mobile phone services .
Last year, Reliance Industries had revenues of $16.8 billion and accounted for 3.5 per cent of India's gross domestic product (GDP).
Some had questioned whether Anil and Mukesh could match their father's managerial skills, even though Mukesh graduated from Stanford's Business School and Anil from Wharton School and others wondered whether the antipodean brothers could work together, Time said.
Flashy Anil, who is married to a former film actress, likes designer clothes and jogs every morning, his chauffeur driving slowly behind. Mukesh prefers spending time with his children or catching up on technical journals
Friday, February 13, 2004
Music Review of MEENAXI
Did this posting on our Bulletin Board... got good reviews!!
Starting today every fortnight I will be reviewing music albums & films. Please note that this is from a layman’s point of view & any comments are purely mine. My only claim to fame is that I have a passion for music & films. So please take it with a pinch of salt..!!.... Any comments are always welcome.
Meenaxi is painter MF Hussain’s second venture after the dud GajaGamini starring Madhuri Dixit. This time he has the beautiful Tabu as his heroine. Movie is set in three cities of Hyderabad, Jaisalmer & Prague. Music by AR Rahman reflects the sounds from these cities. Lyrics are by Rahat Indori, Sukhvindra Singh & MF Hussain.
Song 1: 'Yeh Rishta' is a superb track that has vocals by new comer Reena Bhardwaj. This song should become a rage in days to come.
Song 2: Chinnamma Chilakkamma' is the next track & the lyrics & vocals are by Sukhwindra Singh (& isn’t he a magician) are too good. This song is set in the Telugu land like Jiya jale in Dil Se was in the Mallu land. My guess is that it would be the next chart topper.
Song 3: Do Kadam Aur Sahi' from Sonu Nigam reminds one of Sooraj Hua Maddham from K3G. It confirms Sonu’s status as one of the best singers in Bollywood. This song is very soothing on the nerves & should be listened on a calm night with the lights turned off..!!.
Song 4: Dhuan Dhuan' is By Asha Bhsole. No words are sufficient to describe this diva. Her versatility is yet again confirmed when she so easily sifts between western classical to Hindustani classical in this track. A great song by a great team (remember Tanha Tanha from Rangeela & other numerous hits given by these two.)
Song 5: 'Rang Hai' is by Alka Yagnik is a peppy number & similar to the shaadi song in Zubeidaa. This song is also proof of versatile nature of Alka.
Song 6: 'Noor-Un-Ala-Noor' M.F.Husain has written lyrics for this song & this is my favorite in this album. Wonderful drums by Sivamani & bass guitar give this qawwali a great zing.
Songs 7 & 8: Potter's village' & 'Cyclist's rhythm' are instrumental tracks. Potters village is set in Rajasthan & has ghatam sounds blending with eastern music. Cyclists rhythm has the cycle bell (yes Rahman can make music out of this also..!!) mixing with drums & whistles. Although not in the genre of Bombay instrumentals this is still too good.
Comment:
Rahman’s eye for catching new comers is a legend in Hindi & Tamil Cinema. Remember Unni Krishnan & Harini. This time is no different. Reena Bhardwaj is excellent as a new comer. Also his team work with Asha Bhosle is excellent & Ashaji again confirms that she is the number one. Great orchestration in all the songs again from Rahman especially Noor Un Ala.
This is Rahman at his best after a long time & forget Tehzeeb & Lakeer. This is definite buy for his fans & yes, look out for Yuva in April some time. Also look out for his composition in the Chinese film Warriors of Heaven & Earth in some more days
Starting today every fortnight I will be reviewing music albums & films. Please note that this is from a layman’s point of view & any comments are purely mine. My only claim to fame is that I have a passion for music & films. So please take it with a pinch of salt..!!.... Any comments are always welcome.
Meenaxi is painter MF Hussain’s second venture after the dud GajaGamini starring Madhuri Dixit. This time he has the beautiful Tabu as his heroine. Movie is set in three cities of Hyderabad, Jaisalmer & Prague. Music by AR Rahman reflects the sounds from these cities. Lyrics are by Rahat Indori, Sukhvindra Singh & MF Hussain.
Song 1: 'Yeh Rishta' is a superb track that has vocals by new comer Reena Bhardwaj. This song should become a rage in days to come.
Song 2: Chinnamma Chilakkamma' is the next track & the lyrics & vocals are by Sukhwindra Singh (& isn’t he a magician) are too good. This song is set in the Telugu land like Jiya jale in Dil Se was in the Mallu land. My guess is that it would be the next chart topper.
Song 3: Do Kadam Aur Sahi' from Sonu Nigam reminds one of Sooraj Hua Maddham from K3G. It confirms Sonu’s status as one of the best singers in Bollywood. This song is very soothing on the nerves & should be listened on a calm night with the lights turned off..!!.
Song 4: Dhuan Dhuan' is By Asha Bhsole. No words are sufficient to describe this diva. Her versatility is yet again confirmed when she so easily sifts between western classical to Hindustani classical in this track. A great song by a great team (remember Tanha Tanha from Rangeela & other numerous hits given by these two.)
Song 5: 'Rang Hai' is by Alka Yagnik is a peppy number & similar to the shaadi song in Zubeidaa. This song is also proof of versatile nature of Alka.
Song 6: 'Noor-Un-Ala-Noor' M.F.Husain has written lyrics for this song & this is my favorite in this album. Wonderful drums by Sivamani & bass guitar give this qawwali a great zing.
Songs 7 & 8: Potter's village' & 'Cyclist's rhythm' are instrumental tracks. Potters village is set in Rajasthan & has ghatam sounds blending with eastern music. Cyclists rhythm has the cycle bell (yes Rahman can make music out of this also..!!) mixing with drums & whistles. Although not in the genre of Bombay instrumentals this is still too good.
Comment:
Rahman’s eye for catching new comers is a legend in Hindi & Tamil Cinema. Remember Unni Krishnan & Harini. This time is no different. Reena Bhardwaj is excellent as a new comer. Also his team work with Asha Bhosle is excellent & Ashaji again confirms that she is the number one. Great orchestration in all the songs again from Rahman especially Noor Un Ala.
This is Rahman at his best after a long time & forget Tehzeeb & Lakeer. This is definite buy for his fans & yes, look out for Yuva in April some time. Also look out for his composition in the Chinese film Warriors of Heaven & Earth in some more days
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