tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12261868824335074692024-03-06T01:04:25.536-08:00Maverick ThoughtsAn initiative which facilitates time killingThe Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-83901590084106084872009-05-04T10:09:00.000-07:002009-05-04T10:35:32.263-07:00Auto drivers drive Bangalore...Namma in Kannada is My in English. It has been 9 months for me in Bangalore and still I'm searching hard for a reason to add 'My' before it. Leave apart the awesome pub culture, the city has nothing much to offer. It comes packed with it's traffic jams, alien language, extremely expensive life style and on the top of that menacing auto drivers, with whom I have special enmity. These species, I don't want to call them human in order to maintain the sanctity of our race, remind me of the Tasmanian Devil from Looney Toons, always hungry and with sub-normal intelligence. They repel logic of all kinds and always take advantage of your situation. Be it 11 PM at night or 6 AM in the morning, you will always find an auto where ever you go, always on a look out for vicitims like us. And once you are betrayed by the BMTC bus, you are at their mercy. No amount of money is unreasonable for them. With the mindset that Bangalore youth like a golden goose, they can ask for above Rs. 250 for a mere 15-20 KM. Compare this with Delhi, an auto driver there would never dream of charging above 150. It's as if their tongue stammers while asking for a big amount. And then Bangalore auto drivers are cushioned by their union. United they stand to rob you off your savings. But looking at the flip side, it's not completely their fault. It's the bangalore youth which has filled them with confidence. People willing to pay any amount, are like a cake with icing on top. Also, they have not adopted CNG which could have really plummeted the fuel costs, like in Delhi. But I really hope there is a regulatory body which catches these auto drivers red handed and teaches them a lesson. The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-29199234872406147732009-05-02T07:32:00.000-07:002009-05-03T13:23:42.732-07:00A cool headphone buying tip...I am not a hardcore music buff but do consider music as a good time pass. So, I decided to buy a headphone to pass time for my office. I didn't have a price range in mind but wanted a decent one. I went to this electronic shop and took a demo of Sennheiser HD 437. First of all the company's name is hard to pronounce. I had never heard of such a company before. But soon I got to know that it is one of the best in professional headphones (courtesy: Google). The demo was something called mind-blowing. I had heard the 5.1 and Bose speakers (low range though) but nothing like this. It was a complete theatre in my head. And hence I couldn't just say no to this headphone, even when it burnt a whole of Rs. 1600 in my pocket. But apart from the awesome headphones I also got a professional tip from the vendor. If bychance any one of you is keen about the technical specs of headphones, just notice the Frequency response. For me it's a cool <a class="secFormDescription">21 – 18,000 Hz. And why do I use the word 'cool', because for a good experience a headphone should be able to collect frequencies from a wide range. This would mean every minute sound in a song should come to notice. And not only this, the meaty bass is in the range of 20 to 160 Hz. So if you want a headphone which should shake your world, just make sure it covers this range specially the lower bass range of 20 to 40 Hz. And this is what makes a difference between a local ear phone and a cool head phone. Even normal speakers ignore bass because they are oblivious to such frequencies. But this frequency response is not the only measure of quality. Almost every good headphone covers this range. So, to separate the wheat from the chaff one has to actually listen to the headphones rather than relying on tech specs. </a>The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-39652124335042922642008-12-03T09:19:00.000-08:002008-12-03T09:58:29.230-08:00Being a Software Engineer<p class="MsoNormal">"I am a software engineer" sounds cool, fills unaware people with awe. But ask a person with zero coding background and you will realize how life has played a cruel joke on him, someone like me. Starting from day one I have been bombarded with terms seemingly innocent in English, but having grave meanings for the computer. And with computer science people sitting around, it becomes a lot more difficult. I see heads nodding in confirmation here and there when the mentor is explaining something. Either one can go against the tide and ask foolish questions or can start nodding one's head in consonance. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>An innocuous term like 'interface' took me 1 week to grasp. And after the training when I was given an actual project, I found a huge gap between expectations and talent. The corporate environment requires you to think on your toes, but I have ended up stepping on them. I weep for the future of my company. They think I can fix bugs without introducing more. The happiest moment of my day is when a problem gets fixed. And this has left me pondering that my happiness depends on the functioning of a computer. I have to write instructions in such a manner that it doesn't get offended. Another point added in the eternal debate of <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>'Science- A boon or a curse'.</p>The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-69223307024541266592008-07-09T10:49:00.000-07:002008-07-09T11:03:34.768-07:00Protest...Anyone interested?There are a few drawbacks of Democracy, besides going in for the trouble of casting votes. One of them is the free willed protests. A few days back, BJP announced a pan-India bandh. I don't know how much successful it was because in my area of Delhi, there was hardly any disturbance. Though the strike was due to a polemic decision in J&K, politicians thought it might be good to spread the protest all over the country. However, if one goes deep inside these protests, one would find that its participants don't have even a whit of knowledge as to why they have assembled. Long way back, I chanced upon a person moving with a crowd which was protesting against the demolition of Ram Setu bridge. Out of curiosity, I asked him the reason. "Bhaiya ye kya ho raha hai". He said, "Kya karein gaon mein bijli nai ata hai, teen teen din tak paani nai aata hai, kuch toh karna padega na." I was really shocked at his reply. The person was not even aware of why he was moving with the crowd in full afternoon. Such kinds of people are mainly like mercenary protestors. They come from small villages, packed in buses, just to visit the city for free and also to enjoy the promised food. We often see people waving their hands in front of a TV camera or making a 'V for victory' symbol. Many of them are indifferent towards the cause and just add on to show the strength of the protest. I feel incensed when such demonstrations occur just to achieve petty interests of few. So, next time if you catch upon such procession, just take a moment and ask one of the participants the reason, you will either fall off laughing or feel really instigated upon such foolishness.The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-34982649938906329742008-06-20T07:22:00.000-07:002008-06-20T07:42:09.177-07:00Taming the English...'Everyone took their hats from the table.' Notice any anomaly? Well, at start, I didn't. The correct sentence should have been 'Everyone took his or her hat from the table.' I felt robbed when some my beloved seemingly correct sentences were taken away from me, by a grammar book which I've started reading lately. I've developed an obsession for correct Standard English. For once, it sounds cool and also it's difficult to develop. And one of my life fundas dictates that many things are worth doing simply because they are hard. Being a non-native speaker of English makes this task a lot more difficult and interesting. It's interesting, as you get new revelations at every step. 'The tree was tall.' Here 'tall' isn't an object but a complement. An American or British would unknowingly make grammatically correct sentences. The same logic applies to us when it comes to Hindi. However, writing and speaking have a lot of difference. In writing, the construction and function of sentences is considered important. While in speaking, conveying your message is more important, no matter how you convey it. 'You and me should go on a date.' sounds correct and states the amorous intentions of the speaker. But when it comes to writing, it should have been 'You and I should go on a date.' It's really funny when one realizes that we have been studying English right from 1st standard to 12th. No other subject has this much consistency. But still we (at least I) don't have command over Standard English grammar. However, I'll try and redeem myself from this curse before I start my career.The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-65748432680166272672008-06-18T06:46:00.000-07:002008-06-18T07:19:01.929-07:00Network NeighborhoodHave you been a victim of incommensurate returns? You worked so hard for something but the other person got the pie? Well, all most everybody has experienced these kinds of situations. Giving your hundred percent into something doesn't always guarantee success. There is something which acts as a seasoning to all your efforts. That's networking. We have witnessed networking in some form or the other in our lives. Right from the start, in order to get admission easily in a school, if you have good contacts you can cut all the sycophancies and monetary incentives given at every step and give your kid the right start he/she wanted. Passing school one faces admission in a college. Well, if you have talent and achieved good grades, there's no stopping you. But for the unlucky ones, it's networking which saves their day. Even good colleges have a special quota for backdoor entry. Then for the softer part of your life, you want a date, hops in your friend's sister's friend's cousin's long-time-no-see friend which can fill in the void. Finding a mate on your own might be a daunting task, but again if you're endowed with beauty it might be a different story. After completing the college, one steps into the corporate world. It's in the corporate world where you really see networking in its full form. Be it entry level job or job-hopping, if you have right people placed in the right companies, your ship will steer through the storms safely to the shore. How can he who didn't even have the knowledge end up at such a good place? Networking is the answer. Normally it's talent coupled with good networks which form the backbone of your career. In our day to day lives even small contacts give great returns. Watchmen, vendors, drivers can provide you with good incentives if you have good relations with them. But how does one develop such web of network? Obviously, it's a give and take relationship. If you want help from someone you must help him first. Make deposits in their emotional banks (Stephen Covey). Joining community websites like orkut can be of real help. Reaching out to old friends also can provide good opportunities. May be your old buddy has become a VP of some firm.The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-39544617465921818122008-06-14T23:42:00.000-07:002008-06-14T23:47:47.623-07:00Indian Institute of Child Prodigies (IICP)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebd7MgyaeDMQDlrlVSC01nisqPcrn_z9RaPgCWdxrj0YZzHqrCtI8CPE8orT7wOyJNNd5hhprcDS3HOhQu3A_njXpFDo-XjlUfsmmpK-TFQBq0aOo79IBA1N3SpbOujpOLdcMPkWOraI4/s1600-h/dcr0756l.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211996053426449186" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebd7MgyaeDMQDlrlVSC01nisqPcrn_z9RaPgCWdxrj0YZzHqrCtI8CPE8orT7wOyJNNd5hhprcDS3HOhQu3A_njXpFDo-XjlUfsmmpK-TFQBq0aOo79IBA1N3SpbOujpOLdcMPkWOraI4/s320/dcr0756l.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>As one passes a major education institute, like school or college, one tries to think, "What have I learnt?" In school, we learn about the basics which help us develop our cognitive abilities and also try to explore our aptitude. We decide in our school, whether to take up a science or a college stream, a decision, predominantly based on our peers, but also reflecting our interest to some extent. We get into a college and ostensibly specialize in a particular field. After graduation, we get a job and it is then when we expect our knowledge to be put to test. But, alas! We are given training for 6-12 months pertaining to the field of the company. This makes one introspect, that whatever learnt in the college was of some use or not? Application is a lot different than theory. In real life situations, quick decisions are based more on logic and common sense than some complex derivations from existing theories. For instance, if I'm a fresh Civil engineer posted on a site and a problem comes up, I would be expected to give a quick remedy rather than grab a calculator and Indian Standard codes and churn out numbers. So, what role does college plays in our life? Is it again a continuation of building our aptitude and cognition? What differentiates an elite college from the rest? Being from IIT, I've noticed that though we are endowed with huge funds from the government, the facilities are not utilized to the full potential by the undergraduates. The only differentiating factor is the quality of students entering into the college. Students mostly leverage upon the brand image. IITs have become the hub of the smartest kids in the country, ones who can grasp anything quickly. This is what the USP of IIT is. The kind of companies visiting the campus reflects the expectations the corporate world has from IITs. Investment banks and consultancies take the cream out of the campus, which should otherwise have been engineers. Students end up being financial analysts, which is nowhere near the curriculum taught in the college. So, what is the meaning of demarcating engineering into different fields, when a mechanical engineer and a computer engineer end up in the same job? It is the aptitude that has the market value. Salary is directly proportional to the level of brain involved in the job. Current trend suggests that students would be better off learning to crack puzzles and teasers rather than learning engineering as these are mainly the questions asked in an interview. One could argue that IITs give a lot of options to its students and it is left solely on the student to take up whatever job he/she wishes, either an engineer, analyst, consultant. However, the current market values street smartness rather than knowledge in case of an undergraduate. A separate institute of the super intelligent, Indian Institute of Child Prodigies (IICP), would be more apt for the current job scenario, wherein students are given challenging mathematic problems and puzzles throughout the curriculum. </div>The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-35247268726453920812008-06-13T10:42:00.000-07:002008-06-13T10:45:06.948-07:00Want that coif?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiue9mKl_IjAjThW8lRsSji6uHVyZFshPKpPMKp3zWdY8QYH1FsTBh7DtDVPMl28hVto1pPq29jnDZ7fRC3HBHgQ_CuunB1BqJsv6Uuj00lL4EvjOFGgMmQi4iqMh3bMSOTKeyC_VvSbB/s1600-h/hairstyle9bu7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211423479645258434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJiue9mKl_IjAjThW8lRsSji6uHVyZFshPKpPMKp3zWdY8QYH1FsTBh7DtDVPMl28hVto1pPq29jnDZ7fRC3HBHgQ_CuunB1BqJsv6Uuj00lL4EvjOFGgMmQi4iqMh3bMSOTKeyC_VvSbB/s320/hairstyle9bu7.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div></div>Governed by societal considerations, men have to take several rounds to the barber shop throughout their lives. For people who have found the right haircut, it's comfortable. But for not so fortunate ones, like me, still looking for the right one, it becomes an ordeal. From the time I've gained consciousness, I've looked at other people's hair-styles and generally found them attractive and in vogue. However, I've not been able to reciprocate the same for myself. Some accentuate my face, while others simply won't stop curling. I have had so many blunders and been the butt of jokes, in both school as well college life, regarding my hair style. I have tried hard to emulate the John Abrahims, Dhonis, et al, but the experiment has always backfired. The most difficult part has been the barber himself. It has always been impossible to explain him about the haircut I want. He is never abreast with the latest trends in the hair-style industry. Tell him to do a Dhoni cut and he's not aware that Dhoni has cropped his hair. You always have to explain him the details to the point when you yourself might want to do the hair-styling. And it's difficult as I'm not well conversed about basic techniques of hair-cutting. He tries to understand but follows whatever he thinks is right. I wish all these hair-styles had a name and just like a restaurant system, you order the hair-style from the menu and poof!!! May be such system is prevalent in famous salons like the Habibs, but in normal circumstances you have to depend upon your barber. So, I've surrendered in my quest to find the right hairstyle and today I left myself on the mercy of the barber. And maybe it's my skull profile but I'm still not satisfied.The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-91058977793804188942008-06-12T10:20:00.000-07:002008-06-12T10:21:09.672-07:00Self study vs ExperienceStepping into the corporate world, one is always nervous about the treatment one can expect. There is always a challenge to remain employable, well equipped with the latest happenings. As I'm yet to be nurtured or marauded by the job environment, I've always thought how to keep abreast with the latest developments. How can a person meet the expectations of his/her employer at all times? I feel it can be done either by self study or you can gain the relevant experience. Gaining experience might be tough as you might not be able to grab the right opportunity. This leaves us to self study. One can use internet to gain some valuable insight. But then self study lacks authencity. A company might not believe you and might consider it a hogging the limelight act. This conundrum becomes more relevant when people wish to change their streams. Taking my example, I have an engineering background but also possess keen interest in finance. I don't have any relevant experience in the same and might not be able to gain one due to lack of expertise. However, I have knowledge about various fundamentals through internet and course books. The latter, though is a sincere attempt, might not help me fetch a finance job as I don't have anything on my resume which reflects a finance profile. How do experienced people bail themselves out in such circumstances? May be I might realise latter that things aren't that tough once you enter the river.The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-77551196920211563482008-06-11T10:19:00.000-07:002008-06-11T10:47:05.141-07:00Advertisements: The third angleAre advertisements meant to be a break in between your favourite serial or show, so that you can complete your all important work side by side? For me they aren't. I'm generally on a look out for these fillers and hence an ardent viewer. Generally their jingles stay in my mind. However, I've started looking at them in another perspective. In order to catch the mood of the audience, these ads show subtle pictures of our society. They show things to which common audience can relate to. For instance, take the new ad of Bajaj XCD wherein its pride owner tries to mock a stranger with his own choice of bike. The ad clearly shows that today people take more pleasure in other's losses. Why would a person nudge a complete stranger at a red light and make him realise that he made a wrong decision? Whenever it's about money related issues, ads always show a daughter coming to the rescue and proving to her parents that she has now become the son they never had. These kind of ads try to attach a sympathy factor with them. You would always approve of such ads which show an emancipated women. Another case is the life insurance ads which depict the growing insecurity among the people. Whenever a wife finds her husband lying lifelessly on a couch, first thing which comes to her mind is death. A comfortable nap never crosses her mind. However, such ads become efficacious only when the audience can put themselves in the character's shoes. It's when they see a disaster looming that they go in for insurance. But some ads are good just because of their humour quotient. Bingo ads, though meaningless, leave a giggle on one's face. So, next time when you look at any ad see for the subtle signs. And who knows you might find them more interesting than the main program itself.The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-51418525303426231682008-06-10T10:04:00.001-07:002008-06-10T10:04:44.682-07:00Too many cooks spoil the brothIdle time has reintroduced me to my old friend, T.V. It has brought back all the associated nostalgia, days when we used to stare at each for even the whole day, legitimate indulgence. However, things had not been the same after I joined college and hostel. And as it is said long distance relationships don't fare well. But, things have started to go normal, thanks to the idle time. Browsing through the idiot box, your eyes suddenly stop to a gory screen, with even more dreadful captions on it "<em>Gurgaon mein ghoomta shaitaan ka aatank</em>". Ok, what does that mean. "<em>Jaanne ke liye dekhiye aaj raat 8 baje</em>". Glancing on the top right corner, you come to know that it's again a news channel. With a giggle you go to the next channel. There is a comedy show going on, with a host coming in between each act and standing in front of one of the worst special effects screen, again a news channel. As you browse along, you will notice that these channels have tried to bring in everything which a normal as well an abnormal intelligence would wish to see. You have movie trailers, music videos, suspense, comedy, drama, and a bit of news sprinkled on the top. But why has this syndrome come up of late? It's not that nothing is happening in the worlds and that's why the channels are on a break. In order to outwit each other, these channels have overdone themselves. The channels have gone to the degree of creating cartoon enactments from a lot serious case of Arushi. One channel even tried to show an MMS of Arushi, thinking that they have hit the jackpot, which proved to be a hoax. Who would enjoy tarnishing the image of a girl who cannot defend herself as she's no more? Most probably the targeted audience is the one which is deluded, cynical and frustrated with their own lives. Why do the news channels try to create a sense of fear amongst its viewers? They have redefined xenophobia. If they are to be believed, even our family members are plotting and feigning against us. I wonder why these channels are functioning in this age when people want to go on a strike at one whim or the other.The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-63269699655164320152008-06-08T09:41:00.000-07:002008-06-08T10:16:09.919-07:00Can you spare some marks?Board results are out and so is the anxiety for admissions. However the latter has changed its color of late. Anxiety has become more of an external attribute rather than an internal one. Things seem disorderly when they get out of your control. Getting admission in DU is no longer a matter of you choosing which college to go. Your grades are important but equally important are of others. You have got 95%, congratulations, but so have Chintu, Monu and Bubbly. 90s are becoming the new 80s and 80s the new 70s and 70s are still searching their alter ego. But I'm unable to comprehend the fuss. Being from the science background makes me a neutral spectator of all the helter-skelter made by the commerce students. Why is DU considered their only <em>Mai Baap</em>? Why do students feel doomed if they miss the cut-off lists? Aren't all the colleges good enough? A mismatch between colleges has been created mainly based on the popularity quotient. Students right out of 12th start giving judgments about which courses to pursue and which not. I wonder where do they get all this gyan from. Well, there are some acclaimed courses like B.Com hons. or Eco. hons., but what about the rest? Why do the colleges even bother to teach them if they are of no value? Obviously some colleges will stand out in one parameter or the other, but overall DU should act as a monolith, with quality of education at par amongst all the colleges. All of them are at a stone's throw distance. It should be very easy to share each other's infrastructure or faculty. Anyways, even if we assume the current state of affairs, how can just 3 years of college govern one's whole life? If you are missing cutoffs by a whisker, then it's obvious that the system doesn't expect you to be anxious. The whisker-missers will adorn the next college. Every kid cannot get a chocolate; the box has to go empty. If a student is dedicated he/she would excel in his/her field irrespective of the college one has attended. And it's not that fresh graduates are homing in fat packages so that they would not have to pursue post graduation at all. One gets so many chances in life; well if God is picking on you then it's a different story all together.The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-74842375556025191602008-06-08T09:26:00.000-07:002008-06-08T09:27:03.348-07:00What's with these kids?Summer holidays kick in and bring along with them bags of boredom, frustration and what-the-hells. They seem worthless and a torture during the college days when you have absolutely no work to do and you are reduced to the point where studying is considered a viable option. IITs have been famous for leaving its students literally idle during the holidays. There had been times when basic functions like attending nature's calls featured in the to-do lists. But days were not like these during the school years. We used to get some holiday homework, which was more of a test for parents. I remember enjoying looking at my parents who used to slog in making models and trying to display their artistry which acted as a proxy for mine. They even went to the extent of making the Qutab Minar using bamboo and popsicle sticks. I've passed those days but my parents have not been relieved from the onus as I've a brother still climbing the school ladders. However, there has been a little twist. Since I've have absolutely no work to do, the holiday homework conundrum has been bestowed upon my shoulders. Now when you have tasted the college curriculum, you tend to weigh everything based upon their final percentages. I would rather waste my time in an assignment which is worth 15 marks rather than 5 marks (Well the latter might not be even considered). So extrapolating this logic to the school life, I found that my brother's holiday homework per subject would have fetched him just 5 marks out of hundred. Why would one go into so much trouble for just 5 marks which, in normal circumstances, might not even matter in the final grades? Each subject requires you to make a model, a project file with pictures, some course based homework and in extreme situations writing poems. The rate of return for all this is almost zero. May be school wants to teach that marks are not the only thing in the initial stages of your life. But even then, an incentive of 5 marks, which you might not get in entirety, is very little. For me it is, and that is why I've decided to opt out from helping my brother. I would rather torture myself with boredom and ennui than being a part of this travesty.The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-27764071013861671742007-04-07T13:19:00.001-07:002007-04-07T13:19:56.931-07:00Is levy of service tax on office rent justified?Well this is yet another new feature introduced by this budget. According to the new rule, the property owners who rented their immovable properties for commercial purposes would now have to pay tax on the rent earned. This has incensed the landlord-tenet community. The point of contention being that the renting of property doesn’t come under any service provided, so why this service tax? Well this what I feel:<br />1. This would reduce the margins of small and medium retailers as they would now have to squeeze out this new service tax besides VAT and other taxes on their sales.<br />2. It might give rise to more inflation because in order to offset this tax, the retailers might pass it on to the consumers.<br />3. If we leave the inflation part, the tax might be justified due to the exorbitant earnings by the landlords from rentals in view of the increasing property prices. The government would definitely want to put a check on it.<br />4. Being not a commerce student, I don’t have much idea about taxation, but isn’t it lead to double taxation. The government in already taking income tax from the retailer on his earnings. He would shell out the service tax on rental from his earnings only. So isn’t it harsh on him to pay so much taxes. I might be wrong on this, there might be ways to get exemption from the income tax. Kindly enlighten me on this<br />Well, who says ET is difficult to read. I have assimilated this information from our dreaded newspaper itself.The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-5608584540592935592007-04-06T12:58:00.001-07:002007-04-06T12:58:57.450-07:00Are stock options a means to retain valued employees?Employee stock option is an option or right given to the employee to buy stocks of the company at a pre-decided price during a fixed period of time, say 10 years. The employee might exercise his option when he finds the current market price of the company’s stocks higher than the price of the option. The aims of this kind of program are:<br />1. To improve employee’s efficiency: As the employee is made an owner of the company by entitling him to buy shares of the company, it would be an incentive for him to work as the progress of the company would imply his progress. The attrition rates might be reduced too, as the employee has been bonded by the company. The employee has too sell his shares or revoke the option if he decides to exit the firm, which might at as a deterrent if the market price are less than the option price.<br />2. As a perk to the employee: ESOPs can be seen as perks or bonus given to the employees. Some ESOPs are transferrable and exempted of tax. The profit an employee gets on selling the stocks bought by exercising the option can be tax exempted if earned after a certain period of time.<br />Well I don’t have much knowledge about this ESOP, I heard this a lot in newspapers that the PM has introduced some Fringe benefit Tax on ESOP. Now I’m still trying to figure out what this FBT is, will let you know once I get my hands on something.The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-48718971604339791802007-03-09T11:43:00.000-08:002007-03-09T11:59:21.571-08:00Should I-T be levied on dividends distributed to shareholders?According to the budget the dividends given by firms to the shareholders would come under the ambit of Income Tax. I strongly think that the policy is flawed. I cite the following reasons:<br />1. This may lead to double taxation. The recipient of the dividend is already paying tax on the income he has earned due to the dividends. Now taxing the firm again on this dividend would lead to double taxation.<br />2. The firms which are already paying very high taxes will be hit by this policy. The dividend taxation should be categorised on the basis of the amount the firm is already paid as tax. The firm which does not pay much tax should be entitled to dividend taxation.<br />3. It would not encourage further investment. The firms will definitely try to retain profit. This surplus money would have otherwise been distributed to the share holders who would in turn have invested it some instruments. But now the extra money might not be utilized efficiently by the firms. The money might also be left unused.<br />I am not really sure about its merits but according to me the government has levied such a tax extract more revenue. The profits of the firms might not have been taxed at all saying that they are meant for the dividends. The firms would not have to pay any taxes but the shareholder would have too. So the profits are earned by the firms but the taxes are paid by the shareholders.The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-1607510680918978642007-03-09T11:27:00.000-08:002007-03-09T11:28:18.843-08:00Will setting up of one IIM in each state help broad base professional education in India?Now this is an interesting topic! I hope this would topic would attract some comments.I would like to discuss the merits first:<br />1. Setting up new IIM would make quality education available a large chunk of population. IIMs in each state will really give a boost to North Eastern regions, which have lagged behind in terms of education.<br />2. This would reduce the cut throat competition and thereby reducing the anxiety among candidates appearing for CAT every year. Every person who dreams to be in IIM can actually fulfill it.<br />3. The companies will have wide variety of candidates to employ from. They can have a broader set of MBAs to choose from.<br />4. More and more managers will be produced. Some of them will even start their own venture. This would be a positive sign for India Inc. as it would lead to faster growth.<br />Demerits are as follows:<br />1. It would lead to dilution in the quality of IIMs. IIMs have for long been known as powerhouse of India which gives out best of the best managers. The IIM passout is treated with awe and appreciation. However setting up IIMs will only deteriorate the status of an IIM post-grad. It’s like too many cooks spoil the broth.<br />2. Already we have a shortage of number of professors in the faculty. Setting up more IIMs will only worsen the situation. This would lead to compromise in terms of quality and credentials of a professor.<br />3. Setting up a new IIM is not a great idea which provides post graduate degree. In an area which lacks primary education, the inhabitants will never think of getting a post graduate degree. Setting up new schools which impart primary education at low costs will be more beneficial.<br />4. The quality of students entering would deteriorate. Till now the candidates are selected with a rigorous selection procedure. However following such a process for so many candidates may not be possible and the process might be slackened. Even if the candidates are chosen as before, the bright students would prefer the already established IIMs and the newly built IIMs may not come into prominence for a long time!The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-22969690767668249282007-02-25T03:04:00.000-08:002007-02-25T03:05:28.521-08:00Your say: List out five priorities for FMSo the budget is slated to be released on 28th Feb.Lets help our FM to repeat the dream budget of '91.Here are my five points for the FM:<br />1. Control inflation: As we know inflation has touched 6.73%, the foremost goal for FM should be to introduce reforms to tackle rising inflation.There are various measures which have been taken but have not produced fruitfull results such as increasing the excise duties on products like cement to check the producers tendicies to eat the consumer surplus.According to me the imports of agriculture products should be minimized so as to improve their supplies.2. Sunstain the current growth: It has been a dream run for Indian economy with growth rate above 9%.Our next target is to reach a double digit growth rate.The FM should introduce policies which are able to sustain aswell propel the existing growth rate.3. Encourage more FDIs (Foreign Direct Investments): I came across the news that Mittal-Arcelor are planning to acquire 49% of HPCL's Bathinda Refinery. Till now there has been a cap of 26% on FDIs in public sector units.So the norms should be relaxed to encourage more foreign investment participation.4. Make provision for the SEZs: I consider SEZs to be a key player in our economic growth.I agree with the plight of the farmers whose lands are been taken away, but in return the companies are providing good incentives such as free technical training for one member of each family which would enable the person to earn upto Rs 4000 a month.Also they are distributing a good percentage of fertile land to each family.So in view of these incentives the FM should definitely make some provisions to encourage SEZs5.More investment should be encouraged: Inflation has arisen due to mismatch in demand and supply.The demand is in excess of supply.So if the consumers are encouraged to save more rather than expend, inflation problem can be tackled.So some tax exemptions in investments upto a fixed amounts can be introduced.The interest rates on savings in banks can be increased to entice more investment.<br />Well there can be thousands of such points but I would like some points to be discussed by the readers.Pls give your comments on this one, this affects all our lives.The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-38039063270294813282007-02-24T09:46:00.000-08:002007-02-24T09:49:30.807-08:00What led to the free fall on Dalal street during the past week?Source: ET Instapoll 24 Feb 2007<br /><br />This is an interesting question by ET (24 February 2007).Being not a person with commerce background I can cite only a few reasons. Other reasons are surely welcomed:<br />1. The market might have been played emotionally. As we know budget is round the corner (28th Feb.) so the investors might be willing to play safe by clearing their portfolios and waiting for the FM to announce the various subsidies or stringent rules for the various sectors of the economy. Well I can say this personally because the shares in which I had invested have really taken a beating even though I considered them the safest bets!!!<br />2. May be due to high rising inflation. The simple meaning of inflation is ‘mehengai’ or money draining out from the wallet faster. So if the rates of the commodities in the nearby retail stores are high, the investor would have to keep some more part of his earnings in expenditure rather than keeping the money idle or investing in stocks!!!<br />3. There had been bullish trends before the last week. So maybe, just to be on the safer side, the investor might be booking profits by selling the share in case something unexpected happens in the market.<br />4. In order to check inflation, Govt. has tried to curb the increasing prices due to shortage in supply by levying excise duty on the manufactured goods. Since the supply is less the manufacturers have hiked the prices in order to take advantage of the mismatch in demand and supply. So the excise duty has been imposed as a check. As a result the shears of the affected sectors such as cement have taken a beating as can been seen by a 3.5% decrease in the stock prices last Friday. For further reference on this point visit: <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Indl_Goods__Svs/Cement/Cement_duty_hike_to_check_prices_on_cards/articleshow/1670526.cms">http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Indl_Goods__Svs/Cement/Cement_duty_hike_to_check_prices_on_cards/articleshow/1670526.cms</a><br /><br />Well this is all what I have to say in this. Pls give me some more points in this regards. This topic really interests me!!The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-61750085896825932602007-02-24T02:52:00.001-08:002007-02-24T03:36:55.648-08:00Will the air travel services become better after merger of Indian and Air India?Source: ET -InstaPoll<br />Reference: <a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1653325.cms">http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/1653325.cms</a><br />The much awaited merger of the indigenous airlines Air India and Indian Airlines is imminent.Many are excited about this new joint venture but will it really be a success.I came across a full page article on this "The Big Story ET 24-2-07". It had discussed the pros and cons of such a deal.The upsides of this deal:<br /><ul><li>It will make the new merged entity the operator of the largest fleet strength, about 112 planes.The entity will enjoy the biggest parking space in any airport.AI is one of the few airlines in the world which have prime slots, refered to as Grandfather rights, by which it can find a parking in London's Heathrow airport even in the busiest of hours!!!</li><li>The option is economically viable too.Till now AI an IA had many routes overlapping. For instance, both airlines fly to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Sharjah and Dubai.With the merger, there would be no overlap in the routes.The merger would be bring convinience to the passengers too.</li><li>Till now AI flights did not have provisions for flights in the lesser known destinations.For example, a flight from Boston to Nagpur.AI has to pay some tax to IA for plying between Mumbai and Nagpur.So it would not be economically viable for the airlines to entertain such a passenger as margins in the aviation industry is very low.But with the merger, domestic and foreign destinations can be linked economically.</li><li>The merger will blend the experience and expertise of both the airlines.AI doesnot have a provision for e-booking while IA has.The sharing of the infrastructure, human resources will lead to a lot of savings.The AI building which has offices of both the airlines will have a lot of free space now, which can be rented to have additional revenues!!!!</li><li> For the merging entity, it wont have to worry about competition from the private airlines as would take a good 5-6 years for them to have such a capacity and attain such parking slots in major airports!!</li></ul><p>Well these have been the positives, now the ugly side:</p><ul><li>As we all know AI and IA have been typical PSUs with lazy government officials.Many employees have been serving the airlines for atleast a decade even the airhostesses!!!!So the merger might lead to a stalemate.The employees might not be able to cope with the new management.The promotion policies are different in both the airlines.So two employees who have served their respective airlines for same time period and have same set of skills might not be in the same position in the merger which might lead to anxiety among the workers.</li><li>As is said with great powers comes great responsibility.Till now the AI and IA have had the work force which has not been competent enough.I came across a shocking fact that one official posted abroad was just a matrick pass.He had reached that level just because he hung to the airlines!!So a new work force would be required to survive in this competitive world!This might be a good new for private airlines as this would buy them some time to expand their infrastructure while the AI-IA is busy hunting for new employees!!!</li><li>The planes of both airlines are different.AI is predominantly Boeing, while IA is all Air Bus. The merged AI-IA would have both these types of planes in its fleets which would increase the maintainance costs.A single type of plane is always convinient than a variety.</li><li>Till now both AI and IA have had all its operations manual!!Infact the most highfy gadget they possess is the plane itself!!!All the records are kept manual.One can only imagine what would happen if a merged entity would be handled manually!!So the entities have to be overhauled!!</li></ul><p>Well I hope I can find a good critic for the above comments.Pls be free to post your comments and even add to the above discussion.</p><p> </p>The Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1226186882433507469.post-12641258291618165212007-02-24T02:29:00.000-08:002007-02-24T02:40:53.787-08:00Hi thereHello people,<br />I started this blog with an objective in mind.For all the people like me having a hard time in Group Discussions, I wanted to create a platform where in I would post some topics taken from various sources such as TOI and ET (polls). I would give my viewpoints on the topic and you are requested to give your comments too.I would also provide the web links from where you can get more knowledge of the topic.This way we can have a healthy discussion on the various happenings and fill ourselves with contents!!So pls be a regular visitor of the blog and I will try to put a new topic everyday!!Lets make it a success!!<br />CheersThe Evangelisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04411326071422375523noreply@blogger.com0