Birth rights of sperms & eggs

The debate on abortion has moved away from the empowerment of women to cutting religious propaganda

Of course, all this is not happening for the first time. Since time immemorial, a woman’s body has been the theoretical and unembellished territory for societal and political war. From the theoretical, scientific and religious end, there are numerous logical stages that define the starting point where ‘human life’ begins. Many schools of thoughts believe that sperms and eggs have life; and put them at par with humans, thus considering them as preconceived life. Many don’t! But almost all blocks ranging from political to religious are in some or the other form discussing the issue of abortion – or as the critics call it, immoral killing of a life.

So what is the debate all about? That’s simple, as that rests on the analysis of the options a woman with unwanted pregnancy has, and those are: one, she can put up the child for adoption; two, she can accept the child; and three, she can abort the unborn child. And that is where the whole debate on abortion starts, with opposing philosophies promoted by two schools of thought: Pro-choice campaigners (who demand a mother be allowed to choose whichever of the three options she might wish to undertake), as opposed by pro-life campaigners (who generally argue in terms of foetal rights rather than reproductive rights). The pro-choice group believes that “a woman should have complete control over her fertility and the choice to continue or terminate a pregnancy,” and demand that a woman is given ‘the guarantee’ of reproductive rights – access to sexual education, fertility treatments, contraception, to safe and legal abortion, and even legal protection from forced abortion. The pro-life group’s philosophy revolves around the argument that “…human foetuses and embryos are persons, and therefore they have a right to live.” Thus, the movement is characterised by extreme wingers opposing sale and use of contraception, practise of death penalty, euthanasia, cloning, embryonic stem cell research et cetera. Philosophers and writers have been key in this debate, saddling further complicated arguments. Mary Anne Warren, noted American writer and philosophy professor (cited in major publications like Peter Singer’s ‘The Moral of the Story:


An Anthology of Ethics Through Literature’ and Bernard Gert’s ‘Bioethics: A Systematic Approach’) concludes that the foetus “satisfies only one criterion: consciousness (and this, only after it becomes susceptible to pain); the foetus is not a person and abortion is therefore morally permissible.” Using a scientific angle, a former President of the British Academy and current President of the Royal Institute of Philosophy, the well known Anthony J P Kenny believes that since division of the zygote into twins through the process of monozygotic twinning can occur until the 14th day of pregnancy, abortion should not be permissible after two weeks! Again, noted American moral philosopher and metaphysician Judith J Thomson states that even if the foetus has a right to life, abortion is still morally permissible because a woman has a right to control her own body.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-

Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You
IIPM B School on Twitter

Let us work together for peace...

Though cultural and religious ties between India and Sri Lanka are very old, it was only until recently that both started developing good relations. An exclusive conversation with Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, senior Embassy official in India testified that Sri Lanka is more worried about India’s vulnerable relations with China and Pakistan than others. Some excerpts:

“5 things Sri Lanka appreciates about India...”

HARMONY IN RELATIONS: 30-40 years back, relations were limited to political contacts, religio-cultural tourism. Relations were also hindered by the ramifications of the ethnic conflict. But now there is harmony in the relationship with the political leadership of both countries staying in close contact. The relationship has also become multifaceted with increased trade, aviation links, tourism and people to people contact.

TRADE RELATIONS: It is very progressive. India and Sri Lanka were the first to initiate a Free Trade Agreement in the region. Trade volumes also went up from just $600 million to $3 billion. Many Indian MNCs have set up businesses in Sri Lanka in oil and lubricants, telecom, healthcare etc. Aviation has seen a sea change.

POLITICAL LEADERSHIP: The relationship has also reached a level where top level political leadership does not need to go through cumbersome bureaucratic procedures. India’s political leadership directly contacts top level Sri Lankan political leadership bypassing bureaucratic channels today.

JOINT INITIATIVES AGAINST TERRORISM: Both the countries initiated many joint anti-terror initiatives. India provides training to around 1,500 members of the Sri Lankan armed forces annually, the largest foreign contingent. India has also provided a few naval vessels to the Sri Lankan navy.

“And the 5 things we dislike...”

SECURITY ISSUES: Though infiltration is not a big problem today as the LTTE is destroyed, it is possible that remnants of the LTTE may try to regroup using Tamil Nadu, with support of pro-LTTE elements there. Sri Lanka wants India to maintain a continuous vigil of its maritime borders.

INVOLVEMENT OF CHINA: The issue of China’s involvement in Sri Lanka is a sensitive issue in India. Media or academic think-tanks are slightly to blame as they often over-hype issues. For example, many analyse China’s investment in developing Hambantota Port as a step to use Sri Lanka against India. However, Sri Lanka’s position is that it will never allow a third party to use its territory against India. Its engagement with China is purely commercial in nature.

SETHUSAMUDRAM ISSUE: India wanted to dredge a Channel in the Palk Straits and Adams Bridge area as it would give vessels a shorter route. Sri Lanka’s stand is that since it is an environmentally sensitive area, both should work to jointly manage the environmental repercussions.

NON-TARIFF TRADE BARRIERS (NTBS): Many Sri Lankan exporters and Indian importers have expressed concerns over the non-tariff import burdens from India. The concern is that NTBs have contributed to widening the trade gap in favour of India.

DIRTY POLITICS: Tamil Nadu politicians use Sri Lanka in vote garnering exercises. Political support to LTTE and Jayalalithaa’s call to retrieve Katchativu are prominent examples. These measures tend to vitiate an otherwise friendly relationship between the people of Sri Lanka and Tamil Nadu.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-

Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You
IIPM B School on Twitter

RANBAXY: IS THE TURNAROUND FOR REAL?

And they all forgot the Sobti angle!
After a successful revival of Ranbaxy’s financials in the past two quarters, Atul Sobti, despite his zero experience in leading a pharma major before, is trying to prove himself to be the best suited for the task. But how long will the effort last? steven philip warner analyses...

“We have got some good settlements on some products. We also have some excellent savings on selling, general and administrative expenses. Overall, in the right key markets (which are also emerging markets), we have done well. It is basically, a combination of these three factors,” says Atul Sobti, CEO & MD of Ranbaxy, when asked about the secret behind the most recently announced third quarter 2009 results, which took many by surprise. Yes, Ranbaxy had become the whipping boy for Indian media ever since the Singh family gave up charge (in June last year), and the recent ‘surprising’ quarterly disclosure – a net profit of Rs.1.86 billion for Q3, 2009, in the backdrop of a loss of Rs.3.53 billion, a year back – has brought it back into the limelight. And this marked the second consecutive profitable quarter for Ranbaxy (after three consecutive quarters of losses), ever since Atul Sobti, the 55 year-old CEO took control of Ranbaxy, five-and-a-half-months back.

First, he surprised his colleagues in August 2007, when he quit Hero Honda, having overseen a 400% jump in its annual sales units in seven-and-a-half years amidst thick competition. Then, within two months, he joined as the President (India, M-East, APAC & the Global Consumer Healthcare) of Ranbaxy. Fourteen months later, he became the COO, and in just over two years, the CEO & MD on a fine Sunday afternoon; too quick a movement up the ladder, said some then. When he took charge of Ranbaxy, most gave him little chance of playing the doctor at the bourses. The reason was simple – even under the seasoned Singh, post-Daiichi’s acquisition, Ranbaxy’s stocks had shed-off 60.4% of its value. Then there were other shadows lurking around, of patent litigation cases filed against it in US courts and the USFDA bans on imports of its drugs. Even the modest performance of Terapia (which it had bought for $324 million in 2006) due to political issues, was no motivation. Sobti had his back to the wall. That was then.


Today, after two healthy quarters of revival in bottomline, Ranbaxy’s stocks are up by 65.8%, touching Rs.416 (as on November 6, 2009; NSE). That Sobti’s fame preceded him was a fact quite evident when the mere announcement of Sobti becoming the new CEO, on May 25, 2009, saw Ranbaxy’s share price flare up by 30%. But still, critics do comment that Ranbaxy’s most recent performance could well be a momentary bliss, statements that seem a little hard on salt, given the past two quarters’ results. But Sobti does face critical issues still – topmost amongst them is the fall in revenues in the developed economies, a great danger for a generic player like Ranbaxy, whose exports account for 80% of its annual revenues. John Anthony, a Massachusetts-based analyst warns, “When it comes to choosing between the two concerns, fall in revenues and fall in net profits, then it is fall in revenues (especially in developed markets) which is more dangerous [for Ranbaxy]!” But Sobti had seen such a situation brewing months before the real events unfolded. So why did he not do anything about it for so long?

Ramesh Adige, President, Ranbaxy, defends Sobti vociferously to us, saying that it’s clearly not like that. Sobti apparently has been working double time with his team on this issue, especially given the fact that despite the 80% high dependence on exports, the company in reality “has a balanced revenue mix with emerging markets contributing 54% to our revenues,” as Adige puts it.

To his credit, Sobti has increased his focus on emerging economies and ensured that despite an alarming 30% drop in sales in developed markets, Ranbaxy’s performance in emerging economies (which contributed to 62% of its revenues this quarter) was enough to help it post a 13.5% y-o-y growth in net income to touch Rs.13.65 billion for Q3, 2009. He reallocated funds from cost-centres like R&D (where the expenditure during Q3, 2009, was reduced by 6.22% y-o-y) and cost of employee base (a y-o-y dip of 10.59%), to ensure that proceeds in the promising economies ran smooth, as Sobti shares in one interaction with us, “Revenue growth in some strategic geographical markets, and a sharp focus on cost efficiency have been the underlying themes this quarter. With good achievements on these fronts, we are confident that we are on the path to recovery…”

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-

Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You
IIPM B School on Twitter

It’s all about the markets, honey!

One major flaw in the growth of agriculture is lack of marketing. Unfortunately, this is a pan-India phenomenon says niharika patra

“No sirjee, I don’t face problem because I can’t grow crops, but the trouble is that I am not able to sell them in the way I want and at the price I want.” These are words of Ankur, who owns a sizable farm in Punjab, the state which was the main beneficiary of the Green Revolution. Similar situation is also faced by Jatan, a jute grower and marketer from West Bengal. The places may be far and wide, but poor conditions for agri-marketing is very near to what can be called homogeneous. Whether it is production of cash crops or food grains, average Indian farmers invariably face trouble in marketing their products. Most of the times they even fail to sell crops at the market price. But the real vices are more deeply rooted.

From the very beginning of a crop’s journey towards the market, a farmer starts struggling because of the loopholes in the existing system. Storage as such costs the most. Even if the farmer is ready to pay, there is lack of sufficient storage facilities. And if the farmer needs a customised storage facility like a cold storage, then the situation turns out to be even worse. Not that there is no government service. There are FCI godowns, but there maintenance and availability can put the most complacent person in the world to shame. Although, private companies have now started to come up with their services, they are still going through their own troubles. Says Subarat Dash, a cold storage owner in Orissa, “While the government states that there are 104 cold stages in the state, the reality is different as there are merely 35 and 22 of them are owned by private parties. And even those are unable to meet the demand since we don’t have that many resources and the help from the government in negligible.”

While lack of storage is one aspect, the unavailability of proper infrastructure is another. What farm credit does to increase productivity (that of course no doubt is in poor state as has been discussed in the story related to farm credit), proper infrastructure does to the product prepared to be marketed. Says a report published by Ministry of Food Processing and Industries that India faces a food grain loss of Rs. 500 billion every year because of poor infrastructure. This is due to lack of post harvest infrastructure and inefficient supply chain management.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-

Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You
IIPM B School on Twitter

Taslima’s homecoming?

“…maybe one day with the flag of democracy wrapped around me, in my dearest India, someone will put me in a grave, a Government officer, he will be, I guess…’’
— Taslima Nasreen

Controversial Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasreen, who had uttered these words in 2008 from an undisclosed location in Delhi, is visiting India this year. Recently, Taslima has expressed her desire from the United States, (she is there to complete a year-long fellowship in human rights at New York University) to settle down in Kolkata. “I don’t want to settle in the West. I’m waiting to see if the West Bengal authorities would allow me to return to Kolkata,” she told reporters.

She is visiting India on January 16 to renew her visa that expires on February 17. Also, she will be visiting Kolkata on the Republic Day to collect an award given to her by the ‘Bhanusinha Samman’ Committee. Taslima has been nominated for her immense contribution to art and literature. Besides, she will also attend the launch of the sixth instalment of her most-awaited autobiographical novel, ‘Nei, Kicchu Nei’, (No Entity) at the Kolkata Book Fair.

In 2008, circumstances forced her to cancel the publication of this book and, under tremendous pressure from some quarters, she was forced to delete some parts from her controversial book “Dwikhondito”. The content had triggered riots in a few areas of Kolkata. On August 17, 2007, dozens of clerics from prominent mosques in Kolkata issued a “death warrant” against Taslima for her “repeated criticism” of Islam.

Urging her to leave the country, they declared that they would offer money to anybody who would kill her. An unknown radical body, the All India Minority Forum, organised violent protests in Kolkata on November 21. And with fear of violence spreading to other parts of the state, the Left Front government forcefully shifted Taslima from Kolkata to Jaipur and then to New Delhi. This came just a week after she was attacked in Hyderabad during the launch of the Telugu translation of one of her novels. Some legislators from the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen had led the attack. Since then, a lot has changed. Now, Taslima’s friends are mounting pressure on the West Bengal government to allow her to stay in Kolkata. They have appealed to West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and other senior politicians to provide her security if she returns to the city. Shyamali Banerjee, director of the India International Women’s Film Festival, and its chairperson Anita Roy Chowdhury have written to the chief minister regarding Taslima’s visit. They want the government to let her settle down in West Bengal.

But the question is will the embattled state government antagonise the Muslim voters by allowing her back when the Assembly election is due next year?

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-

Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In YouIIPM B School on Twitter

A healthy and happy 2010?

2010 may not see many big elections but they'll surely be influential

If elections are perceived as a gift of democracy by one, it is a gamble to the other and remains a matter of debate for years. Elections were thought to bring some revolutionary changes in the recent past especially in the US, India and Japan. Unfortunately, the results were mixed. In that context, though the current year, may not witness many big elections, but it will certainly decide the fate of some nations and will have an impact across borders geopolitically. So, there may not be billions of dollars pouring into electoral campaigns or lobbying taking place between corporates, bureaucrats and politicians, but elections may prove to be significant either in bringing changes or restoring democracy.

The election that people across borders will be looking at curiously is the United States Senate election on November 2, 2010. The US Senate is currently composed of 58 Democrats, 40 Republicans, and two Independents. Elections will be for nearly 36 Senate seats. Interestingly, the rate at which Obama is losing his popularity for Iraq and Afghanistan challenges or in bringing substantial healthcare transformation, the election is likely to bring some changes. It would be an exaggeration that the expected Republicans’ Senate election victory will be a big threat to Obama’s ‘Change Plan’ and would broadly affect the world critically. The next big election is the UK general election to be held May. Gordon Brown has been recently voted one of the worst dressed man by the GQ Magazine. It mirrors the distrust and dissatisfaction among Britains against the government for being ineffective to take the nation forward. Moreover, popular antagonism shows that while people are fed up with PM Brown, they neither see candidate Cameroon nor Nick Clegg possible options. Astonishingly, about 112 existing MPs - after the MPs expense scandal - expressed not to stand for the coming election which indicates a revival in waiting. But the most important elections of the year 2010 will be the Burmese elections. The nation, ruled by the army will apparently witness elections as the military rulers of the country has supposedly agreed to go the democratic way and release political prisoners before elections. There is a widespread criticism that election will not be free and fair, but it will definitely lay the foundation of democracy and strengthen the possibilities for change in the future. Even though the main opposition leader, Aung Suu Kyi will not be allowed to contest but the elections - if at all occur - will open opportunities for the people with the formation of a new government. And finally, Sri Lankan Presidential election which is scheduled on January 26, is expected to revive Lankan politics. This will surely influence the geopolitics of the region. While the popularity of Rajapakse remains intact, Sarath Fonseka has emerged as a national hero after his relentless efforts to wipe out LTTE. So in short, 2010 may not see prolonged media coverage and hype, it will reiterate the fact that election is not just a part of democracy but, in fact, a pillar. With that hope, 2010 may not give the best but will certainly bring some hope.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-

Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You

Coal mine fire wreaks havoc

Mahanadi Coalfields Limited suffers loss of Rs 25 crore

A fire has swept through a coal mine in Orissa’s Talcher area, destroying assets worth nearly Rs 25 crore. The fire erupted at Mahanadi Coalfields Limited's Bharatpur mine on December 23, 2009, and it took authorities more than ten days to bring it under control.

The fire halted coal supplies to a nearby NALCO plant, affecting operations at its captive power generation facility.

A half-a-kilometre haul-road, at another open cast mine in Anantapur, caved in on December 24, complicating the fire fighting operations at the burning mine. However, no reports of casualties have come in from either location. According to sources, authorities were slow in responding to the Bharatpur mine fire, allowing it to spread and grow. People in surrounding villages have spent sleepless nights ever since the fire began.

The NALCO plant, located in Angul district, needs about 15,000 tonnes of coal per day to run its units, which is supplied from the Bharatpur mines. However, the logistics was affected because of the damage to the conveyer belt that fed the system. NALCO was forced to stop few of its power generation units due to shortage of coal.

However, MCL sources revealed that fire in coal field has become a regular phenomenon as coal is vulnerable to fire. "We used modern techniques to bring the fire under control, but the thick curtain of smoke hindered fire fighting operations", MCL public relations officer Dikken Mehra said.

On the other hand, the state government deputed senior officials to review the occurrence of the incident. The state development commissioner S.P. Nanda and other officials of the state Pollution Control Board visited the Bharatpur mines to gather a first-hand report on the mishap and subsequent reports of landslides and soil cracks. The DIG (west-central), Talcher, Lalit Das said, “The senior officials visited the spot to review the situation." However, he refused to comment on the cause of the fire. "It is quite a common fire and investigation is on to ascertain the cause. Therefore, it is difficult to put responsibility on anyone for the incident right now”, Das said.

The sources also revealed that the mines had more than seven lakh metric tonnes of coal. The fire devoured major portion of the mine as no timely action was taken to transport the raw material. The cause of the fire, however, was believed to be the burning coal beneath the road. Meanwhile, the MCL authorities have constituted a committee to probe the incident that has resulted in a loss of about Rs 25 crore to the company.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-

Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You

Engineering his success

Having tried different career options before zeroing in on acting, Madhavan’s real life story has a lot in common with his character Farhan Qureshi in “3 Idiots”.

Working with Rajkumar Hirani and Aamir Khan must have been a delight! What do you think makes them special?

Like they’ve tried to say in the film, I think they are, in all classic terms, idiots who actually have found their calling and followed their hearts. Even in cinema, both of them refuse to be dictated to by the norms of the industry.

What got you hooked on to the script of “3 Idiots”?

In plain and simple terms, the steering that my character, Farhan Qureshi, has in the film is exactly my real life story except that I didn’t want to be a wildlife photographer; I just believed that I didn’t want to be an engineer. I think I probably said the same lines to my dad. I think, strangely, every child would have had in one way or the other, spoken the same lines to their parents.

Have you read “Five Point Someone”?

Yes I have. In all honesty, the film is vastly different from “Five Point Someone” in terms of plot and story. There are some similar situations perhaps and a couple of dialogues. Apart from that, it is an extremely different story.

There seems to be a Farhan Qureshi in all of us – someone who tries to become something he truly wants to be but is pressured to seek the 'safe' and 'conventional' options. What can we do as a society to let a thousand Farhans bloom?

Well, in all honesty, every parent wants the best for their child except that earlier, kids had to rely on their parents’ experience to choose a career for themselves. But today, youngsters are extremely well-informed. There is the Internet; there are social networks and friends. You are so into every aspect of the profession right from your childhood that you, by far, have a better understanding of what you want to make out of your life than your parents. Parents find it difficult to let go; they feel they are being deprived of a right.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-

Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You

The Showmen... & women

Four generations in the business and the Kapoor khandaan is not done yet. From the original celluloid doyen Prithviraj Kapoor to the showman Raj Kapoor and now the latest heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor, the Indian film industry would have been incomplete without the talented Kapoor family. Randhir Kapoor shares with TSI, what makes this dynasty go from strength to strength with every new generation...

The Kapoor family name was well established before you had entered the industry. What sort of expectations did you face? Was there a certain family code of conduct that you were expected to follow?

There were no dos and don’ts or any diktats that my family had laid for any of us. We are an educated and accomplished family and were well-trained to conduct ourselves. There was never a time when I felt that I had to do or not do a certain thing because my family expected me to.

Then came the generation after you where your daughters entered the industry. Were you a little apprehensive about the fact that they were entering the industry at a very young age? Was there a time when you or Babita sat them down and explained that they had to keep up the family’s name?

I’m sure that my children have been brought up in a manner where they are aware of their responsibilities and how to conduct themselves. And I’m extremely proud of our fourth generation where Karisma, Kareena and now Ranbir have made a name for themselves. And talking about our lineage, we are all very blessed in that way. We have been able to keep up our family name for four generations now.

What is it that has enabled the Kapoors to keep the show going on since so many decades?

I think we are blessed. All we did was dedicate ourselves to the entertainment industry, starting from my grandfather (Prithviraj Kapoor). I would also say that we all have put in tremendous hard work. I think we have all given our bit of contribution to keep up the name of our dynasty.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You

The Saheb of Baramati

The road to Baramati doesn't yield a joyride but in the constituency Sharad Pawar has worked wonders over the years, reports Danish Riaz

Sharad Chandra Govind Rao Pawar was born in Baramati, a little town around 100 km to the northeast of Pune. The date was December 12, 1940. One does not know if Baramati had road connectivity then. It is December 2009, and the road connecting Pune to Baramati is a backseat rider’s nightmare. But Sunil, a lecturer at the Indian Institute of Management and Research Centre, Pune, sitting next to me in the rickety state bus, assured me. “Don’t be depressed or anxious. You are going to Baramati. The roads are fine there, within two hours your backbreaking journey will end.” His words proved true.

Upon reaching Baramati, you won’t come across life-size cutouts of Pawar Saheb, nor will you see huge NCP hoardings crying out “Mubarak” and “Dhanyawad”. But speak to anybody here about the NCP supremo, and you are likely to learn that someone in his family has received a favour or two from Sharad Pawar.

Pawar focused on two core issues in his constituency - security and stability. He established agriculture trusts for farmers and sugar land for general labourers. To ensure supply of milk for the public, he created a “Doodh Sangh”. He made sure those who lived in the villages and the suburbs got access to education. He built numerous social and cultural trusts which served people and entertained them, not to mention the numerous political organisations he founded. In fact, his process of political, social and economic development impressed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh so much that he advised the rest of the country to adopt the Baramati model.

Kiran Bhujbal, a former political adversary and now a close aide of Sharad Pawar, tells TSI, “Sharad Pawar and his family played a key role to bring Baramati up to a certain level. The story of progress has not ended ever since it started in 1967 when Pawar Saheb won his first election by 18,000 votes. People have been fully supportive ever since. That is why now, during election time, he does not really have to come down for campaigning. He attends to other responsibilities, knowing that he will win.”

Kiran Bhujbal goes into the past. He says, “There are two political families in this area, the Pawars and the Kakrys. In 1965, Babu Lal Kakry stood against Sharad Pawar. But Pawar Saheb beat him hands down because of his people-centric approach. His programmes were all development-oriented. He installed a percolation tank with help from the Australian High Commission in 1967. That brought immense relief to farmers. The Baramati constituency is 40 per cent Marathi. The remaining 60 are other communities. Pawar Saheb is the undisputed leader of them all.”

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You

Tsunami Terror

The tremor that triggered tsunami in the Indian Ocean in 2004 is estimated to have let loose the force of 23,000 Hiroshima-type atomic bombs. Massive forces that had been buttressing deep inside the earth’s crust for thousands of years were out all of a sudden on December 26., It gave a free rein to a sequence of killer waves that sped crosswise the Indian Ocean at the pace of a jet aircraft. By the end of the fateful day, more than 150,000 people were dead or misplaced and millions more were on the streets in 11 countries, making it possibly the most destructive tsunami in record.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You

32 events from nervous noughties

From terror strikes to sporting spectacles, the 'Noughties' saw its fair share of ups and downs. As the decade draws to an end, TSI recaps the big moments of ten years of change

Terror's shadow

When a bomb blast rocked Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar in the late 90s, it was considered an aberration. After all the violence unleashed by Kashmiri separatists had never spilled over to mainland India. But the subsequent attacks on Parliament and Red Fort that culminated in the 26/11 attack on Mumbai, exposed a new face of terror in the country. The use of modern equipment and sophisticated weapons changed the way they worked. These attacks had the footprints of Pakistan, but the constant denial by them made the investigations into the modus operandi rather difficult for India.

Pakistan, on its part, kept on manupulating and placating world powers as it had been successfully doing for several decades.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You

‘Missile’d Israel

Israel’s supremacy is in danger

Let’s get the issue straight, what is Israel most afraid of – Iran’s nuclear enrichment program or the prospect of losing its nuclear monopoly in the region? Buoyed by the US’ accomodating approach to its increasing nuclear weapon arsenal, Israel has left no stone unturned to prevent its neighbours from building nuclear capacity in the Middle East. It has often worked jointly with the US to intentionally threaten its neighbours from going nuclear.

According to speculations, Israel might have around 100–150 nuclear warheads. However, the picture with respect to interest or commitment to go nuclear for other countries in the region is quite ambiguous. It starts with Iran. US National Intelligence Estimate judged with ‘full confidence’ that Iran had an active nuclear weapon program on 3rd December, 2007 (just as Iraq had a chemical weapons programme!). It further postulated that Iran would probably be technically capable of producing enough HEU (High Enriched Uranium) for a weapon by 2015. Syria is the second country under suspicion. Israel bombed an officially unidentified site in Syria on September 6, 2007; asserting that it was a nuclear reactor under construction. Press reports suspected North Korea of supplying nuclear reactor to Syria, evidence of which was found by the Institute of Science and International Security later on.

However, the real threat is expected to come from prominent US ally Saudi Arabia. Although it doesn’t possess any nuclear warheads, evidence shows a high probability in the future. It bought 36 CSS-2, intermediate-range missiles from China and also planns to procure new Pakistani intermediate-range missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. It has also signed a MoU with US to develop nuclear energy cooperation and is in talks with France. Saudi Arabia opened a nuclear research centre recently and is planning the reconstruction of one of its old nuclear reactors that Israel destroyed.

Now that Iran and Israel are both going the nuclear way, and that its relations with the US are not exactly like the good old days. Saudi Arabia may just be looking to enter the nuclear club. In that case, Israel needs to worry even more.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You

Untangling an ignorant referendum

The ban on minarets in Switzerland has shifted the focus from immigration to religion

The hullabaloo over the Swiss referendum against the erection of new minarets appears to accentuate political and legal concerns. The most conspicuous of them are the streamlining of several right-wing political parties around the question of an “European-Christian” character standing in opposition to an “Islamisation of Europe” and the likely divergence between the democratic right to take decisions by polls and the constitutional code of choice to practice one’s faith.

The Swiss referendum, which will most likely be rejected by the European Court of Human Rights—Europe’s widely respected body, has, however, accomplished something in shifting the spotlight away from the societal and economic trouble of migration and towards faith. It is not for nothing that the minaret is being banned in the heart of Europe — to sprinkled ovation in adjoining nations. However, a detailed analysis of voting pattern has thrown some interesting results. The call for ban was propped up predominantly by the Swiss countryside electorate, whose trepidation of Islamic belligerence comes more from unawareness than experience. It is entirely safe to assume that most of these rural voters have never come across a mosque, leave alone a minaret, with the exception of hysterical and over-the-top campaign bills where a menacing looking burqa-clad woman was shown aside minarets that were represented as comic-book missiles.

Reacting on the vote, veteran analyst Eric Margolis, who had extensively reported on Islamic world and Islam in Europe, told TSI, “At present, one out of every four person in Switzerland is foreign-born. This fact profoundly offends Swiss — above all, the German-speaking mainstream. The worldlier, urbane and refined French Swiss are far more tolerant and broad-minded. There is even a Swiss secret police that keeps an eye on all resident of outside origin; natives are encouraged to spy on their non-Swiss neighbours.” Other observers also suggest that the result (more than 57% favouring the ban) is not natural.

All through 2009, most exit polls suggested that not more than 35% Swiss favoured the ban. Therefore, this resounding “No” came only after a spirited drive to rally voters by the Swiss People's Party (SVP) and Switzerland’s smaller but just as xenophobic, Swiss Democratic Union. Also, observers suggest, xenophobic voters are more likely to come out and vote than the secular, suave and urbane population that is against the ban. Another interesting fact was the overwhelming participation of women voters, who were fed with fear about subjugation of Muslim women. Most Swiss women, who only got the right of adult suffrage in 1971, had no idea that Balkan Muslim women who form the majority of Muslim populace in Switzerland are as liberated as they are.

The vote, however, brought the architecture issue in focus. Minarets are usually erected next to Europe’s huge metropolitan mosques, where the preachers and imams are typically reasonable and tolerant establishment figures. In fact, the clergy who support and sermonise jihad don’t do it from big mosques with minarets. Indeed, extremist preachers are more typically found in makeshift mosques run in basements, private garages and stores.

“Minarets are an icon of Islam while church steeples are a mark of Christianity. A minaret on the skyline tells a considerable number of Muslims live in close proximity,” says Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, chairman of the Cordoba Initiative, an independent project that seeks to improve Muslim-West relations. Arguments put forward by the right-wing parties are not merely xenophobic but confusing too. For example, German Christian Democratic state interior minister Volker Bouffier told the press that “[Muslims] should make sure not to overwhelm the German population with them [Mosques].”

Now what sort of post-post-modernistic reason is it that the world is yet to be enlightened of? There are only four minarets in the entire Switzerland, a nation of roughly 7.6 million people. How overwhelming can that be? Naturally, the protests have started. Some 700 odd protesters congregated outside parliament in Bern this week to denounce the ban. Swiss government had to reluctantly agree to it, amid fears that the reactionary steps will lead to boycott of Swiss products in the Muslim world and withdrawal of money from the Swiss banks and market leading to financial woes for the already-battered nation.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You

Politics is definitely about shedding blood

Chairman Mao had said, “Politics is war without bloodshed while war is politics with bloodshed.” Well, in Telangana, politics is definitely about shedding blood. In the latest bout of suicides, as many as three dozen youths laid down their lives in an apparent fillip to Telangana’s claim for statehood. Garnering maximum television footage, TRS supremo K. Chandrasekhara Rao (KCR), the biggest apparent champion of the cause, shed tears remembering the latest martyrs. Ironically, the viewers are sceptical of the credibility of his tears. In the six decades of struggle for a separate Telangana, KCR is not the first leader to be distrusted but definitely the latest.

“He, I suppose, is the luckiest politician of the times. Whenever his integrity is at stake, the Congress, of course unintentionally, comes to his rescue. He owes much to our party,” a vexed Congress leader quipped in distress.

The leader’s reference was to the hasty and imprudent announcement of the Union home minister P. Chidambaram in favour of a separate Telangana. AICC spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed’s ‘confessions’, on the run-up to the announcement, before the media in New Delhi, further augmented the waned glory of KCR. According to Ahmed, the precarious situation prevailing in Telangana with TRS chief KCR’s fast entering the 11th day, propelled the UPA government to issue the midnight statement.

The Union home minister’s announcement led to a constitutional crisis in Andhra Pradesh, as 143 MLAs of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema, cutting across party lines, made a beeline before the Speaker with resignation letters. Normal life in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema has been paralysed ever since. Meanwhile, the comments of Ahmed vindicated the obvious ‘pressure’ under which Chidambaram made the announcement. Thus, he spilled the beans before a dozen disparate stakeholders in a new map of India. The message was to shun mere crying but to pick up the kitchen knife threatening either murder or suicide.

The late Congress chief minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, managed to keep the Telangana issue from boiling over through a policy of carrot and stick. TRS broke its alliance with the Congress in 2006. TRS was headed for a spilt and its members were caught in scandals and criminal cases. TRS fared poorly in the by-polls which followed the mass resignations by its MPs and MLAs. The party came a cropper again in the 2009 general elections despite its ‘opportunistic’ grand alliance with TDP and Left parties.

“He had not even mustered enough courage to contest the Greater Hyderabad civic body elections last month. But, our party arrived to his rescue and helped him rise like a phoenix from the ashes,” the Congress leader scoffs.


“The Telangana agitation in 1969 was started by the people of the region when they felt that the Andhra leaders had flouted the Gentlemen's Agreement, worked out during the merger of Andhra state and Telangana region in Hyderabad state. The supreme sacrifice of 400 glorious fighters went in vain after Telangana leaders like Marri Chenna Reddy fished in troubled waters,” Rajaiah of Telangana Writers’ Forum tells TSI. With the newly launched Telangana Praja Samithi (TPS), Reddy romped home during 1971 general elections with 10 Lok Sabha seats out of the 14 from Telangana. But TPS merged with the Congress. After assuming office of the sixth chief minister of Andhra Pradesh in March, 1978, Chenna Reddy announced that a separate Telangana was no longer an issue.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

Read these article :-
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You