Showing posts with label रenowned management guru. Show all posts
Showing posts with label रenowned management guru. Show all posts

Monday, July 26, 2010

Great power needs great responsibility

From a regime of long term power purchase agreements (PPAs) and predetermined pricing, private players are quite excited about merchant power; as they have the opportunity to negotiate prices bilaterally or via an exchange. But merchant power is also inherently risky, since it is not backed by the kind of guarantees that long term PPAs provide. That is why banks are also more confident of funding projects with at least 60-70% of long term PPAs. In the short term, power demand can fluctuate menacingly, so private players may be exposed to significant risks (prices, demand shortfalls & payment defaults) before the market matures as a whole; on the lines of developed markets like UK, where 2 years is considered long term. Finally, considering the cost of producing power and its environmental impact, we would risk playing devil’s advocates and mention that the price of power has to be carefully calibrated to curb excesses. Kameswara Rao agrees, “It’s not just revising tariffs to reflect costs but to look at allocative efficiency as well; i.e. the type of consumption (time of day, seasonal, et al) and the size of the user (slabs, categories) to encourage conservation and economic use of electricity. Even a simple indexation to inflation would have helped, but unfortunately in many states the tariffs have not been revised for several years.” This provides India with a miserable record of one of the lowest energy intensities in the world. Yes, the private sector may achieve the goal of ‘Power for All’ ultimately and light the ‘bulb’, but Indian consumers would do well to keep its true cost in mind every time they switch it on.



B&E: How has the policy landscape changed for the renewable energy in the last few years?
MT: In India, the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy introduced the concept of generation based incentives to promote grid-connected solar power plants for the first time in January 2008. However, this policy had an extremely small target of 50 MW with payment guarantees of only 10 years compared to the global practice of 20 – 25 years. Because of these and other reasons, the policy did not result into any actual projects. The solar mission (announced in June 2008) has laid out an extremely ambitious target of generating 20,000 MW of solar power by 2022. This is set to transform not just the solar industry in India but also the energy map.

B&E: How are tariffs of power from renewable energy getting set?
MT: The generic tariff for the renewable power is set by following an established procedure involving a public hearing of interested parties by the CERC. CERC looks at what should be fixed as the normative capital cost for one MW of a renewable energy project. Then it looks at all other costs including the cost of finance and O&M costs etc. It then fixes the levellised tariff for the next 20-25 years as the case may be so that the investor can get a pre-fixed rate of return on his equity investment. For solar this normative return on equity has been fixed at 19% pre-tax for the first 10 years and 24% for the years 11 to 25.







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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri and Arindam chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
“We will change your outlook” - The Sunday Indian on B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED! A must read...
The Sunday Indian:-
B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!
For Exclusive Footage by Sunday Indian Click Here

Outlook Magazine's B School Ranking Scam Exposed
Business Standard Exposes the Outlook Magazine Money Editor
Don't trust the Indian Media!

IIPM enters into media education
IIPM makes record 10,000 placements in five years
TSI exposes b school ranking scamsters Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Premchand Palety of C fore. - For Complete Sting Operation Video Click Here
Pioneer Exposes the fraud called Mahesh Sharma and Mahesh Peri of Career 360 and Barbel Schwertfeger of mba-channel.com
IIPM: An intriguing story of growth and envy
Prof Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM on MF HUSAIN‎
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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Strike: loss is in the air

Air India strike shows a highly unprofessional attitude

A beautiful nation is not a gift; it is a result of good vision, continuous effort, strong political will and many more. But beyond this, perhaps small but more important factors are good governance, efficient bureaucracy and less corruption. Many of these are the factors which made Singapore, a tiny island nation an Asian country to qualify as the 'First world nation'. On my recent visit to Singapore (as a part of the IIPM GOTA programme), while in a conversation with a taxi driver, I came to know about Singapore efficient and corruption free culture. He told me numerous incidents where one was not allowed to contest election since he had committed a crime, perhaps a decade before.

But the worse was yet to come. On May 26, 2010, we (I along with 17 of my students) were running exhaustively at the airport after knowing that Air India employees are on a strike.There was news that the strike was pre-decided, if that is so, then Air India should not have issued tickets for those particular days and even if they have issued the tickets, the management should have some efficient mechanism to ensure that passengers would have alternative flights to reach respective destinations without hassle and harassment on time. Well, no such arrangement was on place. In fact, there was hardly any Air India employee to provide any kind of information and guide hundreds of clueless passengers at the airport. And more interestingly, this one or two days strike also gave another reason to show why the government undertaking entity is struggling to make profit. Each passengers paid to Air India about Rs.20,000, on an average for their journey. And Air India spent approximately Rs.81050 (about Rs.24,150 on accommodation and food, Rs.6900 on transport and about Rs.50,000 for alternative flights via Bangkok) on each of these passenger — who were in a few hundreds in number. Meanwhile, the Aviation ministry releases press brief that it’s not going to interfere over the issue, it will back the management’s decision completely. What was even more interesting was that our stay at Bangkok airport, for over six hours, never made us realise that we are in the same nation which is being torn apart through riots since years. The arrangement and flight procedures inside the airport was perfectly in place and it was made sure that the internal disturbance don't harm the business of airlines.

In a casual conversation I asked a receptionist of Hotel Mandarin Oriental Singapore, where we were staying as we were waiting for an alternative flight arrangement, that can employees of Asia’s one of the most successful airlines, Singapore Airlines, go on strike on similar context? He confidently said no though it doesn’t mean that their demands can’t be heard and met by respective authorities. Strike is illegal while employees have all the rights to raise their demands.

It’s high time for us to wake up, at least, for the sake of the nation. This small incident exemplifies the uncivilised manner we deal with issues. There is no logical reason harassing hundreds of commuters who have nothing to do with the strike's agendas (whether they are selfish or greedy in nature). Similarly, there is no point that Aviation Ministry should be so careless on such issues especially when no airlines, even public run airlines are making big money.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


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

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Monday, June 07, 2010

Time to move on...

Bollywood’s dusky girl, Lara Dutta feels that her 30s have given her “a sense of liberation” from the “angst and confusion” of the 20s. Though films like "No Entry" and "Partner" have got her noticed, her screen presence in "Blue" reminds one of her beachwear charm that earned her the highest points at the swimsuit round way back in 2000 at the Miss Universe contest. While she's tasted real success with comedy, the sexy lass seems ready for a shift and plans to move to some new genre of films other than comedy.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Friday, June 04, 2010

Holidays from Hell!

When the Alps call you not, nor the allures of the Parisian markets enchant you, but the abandoned buildings in Pripyat intrigue you and horrifying tales of heinous crimes get your pulse racing, then you are in for a vacation that could change you forever… Anu Gulmohar throws light on dark tourism.

“We have not had any tours to the eruption site at Eyjafjallajökull as the surrounding area has been closed. We did, however, take almost 700 persons in different tours to see the eruption in Fimmvorduhals, a few weeks before the eruption in Eyjafjallajökull. One tour was a coach tour that drove into a valley next to the eruption so passengers could view from a safe distance. Another tour of ours drove the passengers up to Myrdalsjokull glacier and from there they went on snowmobiles to see the eruption up close. The third one was a super jeep tour driving in as close as one km from the eruption site. Our customers were from all over the world… UK, USA, Scandinavia. Many Icelanders went there as well. To see a volcanic eruption is once in a lifetime experience for most people. You get to see the forces of nature in action which is just indescribable,” said Gudrun Thorisdottir, Sales Manager, Iceland Excursions – Gray Line Iceland (www.grayline.is). The disastrous impact of the volcano eruption – from forcing Icelanders to flee their homes at 2am to travellers stranded for days at various airports – has captured the world’s attention. In addition to voicing their outrage, the multitudes were also seen struggling to pronounce Eyjafjallajökull (AY-uh-fyat-luh-YOE-kuutl-uh). Iceland has been grappling with a severe financial crunch and the foreign money brought in by the tourist eruption following the eruption of the volcano gave some welcome relief to the country’s government. It also posed a challenge of handling visitors 24x7 and rescuing several of those getting too close to the zone and not taking sufficient precautions.

Cut to Gopinatham, a small village in Karnataka, which is (in)famous for being home to Veerappan, the forest brigand, responsible for the reign of terror. He murdered 184 people, smuggled sandalwood worth Rs 103 crore and poached about 200 elephants for twenty long years on 6,000 sq km of forests. While the forests have finally been freed of this bandit, his exploits still arouse much interest among the people. The government has come up with a plan to launch tours based on the life and trails of the notorious smuggler/poacher. This would include a trekking scheme called Mystery Trails, which would include legends and myths around Veerappan and re-trace his hideouts and escape routes. K Viswanatha Reddy, Tourism Director, does not take kindly to the ‘terror tourism’ tag though. “It (the tour) will definitely have universal attention though not universal appeal. It will be successful because it is in a negative note,” said Reddy. When presented with the concept of the tour, Sue St Clair, a Canadian, said, “Yes, I would be interested in undertaking such a tour.” Sue is a self-confessed dark tourist. What is a dark tourist you ask? Dark tourism is ‘the act of travel to sites associated with death, suffering and the seemingly macabre’ [Stone, P.R (2006) ‘A Dark Tourism Spectrum’, 146], for people who travel not just for the sun, sand and shopping, but for a chance to glimpse at the macabre and gulp down each and every horrifying detail. While German extermination camp at Auschwitz, Poland, is perhaps the best known site for dark tourism, Sue listed her favourite dark spots to us, “The Tower of London (grisly history), Jack The Ripper walking tours (London, England), Underground Catacombs (Paris, France), Dracula Tours in Romania, all have a very dark history, and are enjoyable.” The volcano in Iceland isn’t her idea of Ibiza though. “I would not want to be breathing in that ash nor risking being too close to it, and possibly being injured or worse. I prefer dark history,” she reiterated.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


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

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Friday, March 12, 2010

Once in twelve years is an intriguing frequency

Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, Chief Minister, Uttarakhand, on the state’s precious heritage

Tourism industry is a major source of income for both the people of the state as well as state government. For its significant support to the state’s livelihood, we would like to lay emphasis on adventure tourism and development of yoga and meditation centres. Uttarakhand has many religious and scenic tourist spots which is why it is also called the land of the gods (dev bhumi). With the help of World Tourism Organisation, we have created a master plan for Uttarakhand and development of its tourism industry to increase amenities for the many pilgrims and tourists who flood the state every year.

We have seen an increase of four per cent in domestic and six per cent in foreign tourists coming to Uttarakhand. Our target is to get the number to a 10 per cent increase in foreign tourists. The Veer Chand Singh Garhwali's tourism self-employment plan is to develop rail services in the hilly regions and provide facilities for air services to the prominent tourist destinations. Protecting the environment is also a priority, since we are one of the world’s top regions in terms of biodiversity. We have several proposals in the field of eco-tourism too.

Combing the Kumbh for legends

According to Vishnu Purana, 14 treasures emerged in the process of churning the ocean by gods and demons to obtain nectar. When nectar finally did appear, there was a struggle between the two groups to make it their own. Meanwhile, Indra's son Jayanta fled with the vessel and was chased by the demons. During his escape, Jayanta laid the vessel at rest in 12 places, of which four – Haridwar, Ujjain, Nashik and Prayag – are on earth and are celebrated as venues for the Kumbh Mela. The rest are believed to be in heaven.

The snan (holy bath) is a part of the Kumbh tradition, during which members of 13 Akharas (Hindu monastic orders) – comprising Saiva and Vaishnava sects – bathe in the Ganga. These Akhara groups were established in the manner of a religious army during the Mughal era to protect Hindu religion. But given the divisions, there were often clashes over rights to the Royal Bath first. This time, however, things will be different. Says Mahanta Vishwa Bandhu, a member of the Digambar Akhara, “Earlier, the administration used to allot date and time for the Shahi Snan (Royal Bath) for the various sects. But after Akhara Parishad took the initiative, both Saiva and Vaishnava Akharas will take the Bath together for the first time at Kumbh.”

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


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

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Outlook Magazine money editor quits
Don't trust the Indian Media!
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Monday, February 15, 2010

The Price of the last drop...

Water is synonymous to life but is also a cause of losing many lives

The water resources are plunging in Middle-East and North Africa, which hold 5 per cent of world population, but only 0.9 per cent of the world’s potable water resources. The countries hit by water scarcity are constantly on the rise – from only three in 1955 (which included Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait) reaching to 11 in 1990 (with the addition of Algeria, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Tunisia, and Somalia), with another seven are likely to join the group by 2025.

The potable water of Middle-East originates from three major river basins - Euphrates Tigris, Nile and Jordan. Water, without a slightest doubt, is a catalyst of conflict as more and more water scarce countries jostle for their increasing share. The 1967 war between Syria and Israel is being an example. Water conflict is also a basis of many diplomatic efforts and bilateral treaties, like the US brokered Johnson Negotiation in 1953-55 or agreement of Full Utilisation of Nile water in 1959 and Israeli-Jordan treaty in 1994. The twin factors of rapidly rising population and falling water levels are creating ripple in the interstate relations and even evolving into conflicts. There is a fall-out between Israel, Palestine and Jordan over Jordan River basin, between Turkey and Syria over Tigris and Euphrates; and between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia over Nile.

In South Asia, however, with the exploding population and increasing environmental degradation, water resource will always be a bone of contention among the countries. In spite of various political and economic divergences, the South Asian countries have shown remarkable maturity in dealing with water distribution. Indus Water Treaty was signed in 1960, between India and Pakistan, where three eastern rivers namely Ravi, Sutlej, and Beas belong to India, while the western rivers viz. Indus, Jhelum and Chenab belongs to Pakistan. In spite of odd differences (like India is building two dams on Jhelum and nine on Chenab), the two countries have upheld IWT even at the lowest ebb of their relationship. Likewise, Ganges Water-Sharing Treaty, between India and Bangladesh in 1996, was a path breaking effort to solve the long-standing disagreement, where as Mahakali Treaty in the same year was an attempt to resolve water sharing crisis between India and Nepal.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


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

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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Striving for alternative fuel

A varsity is taking help from farmers to produce biofuel

With oil reserves depleting in the Middle East, a university in Bangalore is working overtime to produce alternative energy. Scientists at the University of Agricultural Science (Gandhi Krishi Vignyana Kendra), Bangalore, are involved in a project that would make India self-reliant in fuel consumption.

The visionary project was started in 2006. Farmers have also been roped in to help scientists produce alternative fuels. Under this programme, the university established a Bio-fuel Park Project in Madenur near Hassan — 200 kms from Bangalore. Besides, scientists have unleashed a campaign to identify plants that can be used to produce bio-fuel. To date, some 300 plants have been identified. However, scientists are not homing in on edible oils.

Says Dr. Balakrishna Gowda, professor of the UAS: “The project is destined to achieve its goal without having an impact on the food security of the state. The positive thing about the whole programme is that we are getting help from farmers”.

He further added: “In European countries research is also going on to find out alternative fuels. But they are far ahead in research. All told, the problem there is that they are using agricultural land to cultivate bio-ethanol crops. Whereas in India, we are not touching agricultural lands. We use only waste lands, bunds, public lands and degraded lands.”

Under this project, seedlings are distributed among the farmers to be raised on bunds, backyards and waste lands. And it has been successful. With farmers’ cooperation, the university has been able to establish 325 Biofuel Seed Farmers’ Association (Jaivika Indhana Beejagala Belegarara Sangha) in the state. The domestic and large-scale oil expelling units, designed by experts, have been distributed to farmers. And they use it to extract oil from seeds. Every care is taken that the oil cakes, which are available after extraction of seeds, are not wasted. Farmers are encouraged to use them as manure in their farms. In Hassan district, more than 8 lakh bio-fuel species have been planted in thousand acres. Some 57 villages have been declared “Complete Bio-fuel Village” and scientists involved in the project have organised more than 900 awareness meetings across the state.

Says Dr. Gowda: “Today five per cent bio-fuel is being blended in conventional petrol. But this will be increased with the production of oil crops. We are gratified with the success rate. So far, it has been above 65 per cent.”
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


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

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Tuesday, February 02, 2010

An MBA for PM?

Politicians would have been the least expected to have mba qualifications. B&e’s priyanka rai found out quite a handful...

Lawyers have dominated national politics since at least the days of the struggle for Independence. A look at the educational qualifications of the new council of ministers shows the first signs of a culture change in Indian politics. Today, we have many with a black cap showing off their MBA degrees – at least three ministers from the young brigade, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sachin Pilot and Jitin Prasad are MBA graduates. In fact, many young MPs like Deepender Singh Hooda, Naveen Jindal, Milind Deora and P. D. Rai also belong to the not expected MBA brigade.

Deepender Hooda, son of the Chief Minister of Haryana and a Member of Parliament from Rohtak constituency believes that his MBA degree helps in adding value to his political career in many ways. “It helps you definitely; it trains your mind to adopt a particular approach to deal with situations in a more organised way. You get the bigger picture of the situation and you know then how to approach [the problem] in what way and solve it in very organised manner,” says Hooda. However, Jitin Prasad, Minister of State for Gas and Petroleum, also an MBA, though not denying the benefits an MBA degree has in politics, tales a different perspective, “I would like to see this in a different way that whosoever is entrusted with the responsibility in the electoral politics, a good education background always helps – whether it is a Law Degree or a Management Degree or some other qualification.

To take a conscious and judicious decision, a mix of your education as well as a sense of ground reality is always helpful.” But then, if contemporary politics is all about leadership skills and decision making abilities, wouldn’t having an MBA degree really help? “You start thinking in terms of projects not profits. There are many politicians I know with good intentions. They want to work but fail to deliver because I believe, they get engrossed in the process. Their approach, thinking is more process oriented whereas the other approach is deadline oriented (result oriented),” explains Hooda, who has worked with Reliance Industries Ltd, Infosys Technologies Ltd. (as a Software Engineer) and with Sabre Holdings, Dallas (USA) for two years. Hooda admits that he gains by applying the MBA strategies learnt in work to his constituency as well: “I apply the knowledge I have gained from my education, apply the strategies and I get the work done on time in my constituency.”

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


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

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Friday, January 22, 2010

“Similar to ‘Sanskritisation’

“Similar to ‘Sanskritisation’ in the socio-cultural sphere, ‘Congressisation’ is the most uncalled-for phenomenon in politics and it is the epidemic from which the TDP is suffering most from,” said political analyst Chakradhar Mukkamala, while referring to the burning issue of Telangana agitation as a testimony to the final decadence of TDP.

TDP was founded by the late N. T. Rama Rao (NTR) and came to power invoking insult to Telugu pride because Congress chief minister Anajaiah was berated by Rajiv Gandhi on the tarmac of the Begumpet Airport. NTR was the belated manifestation of the egalitarian dream of the Justice Party of 1910s and 1920s. An advocate of federalism, custodian of underdogs and messiah of the lumpen proletariat, NTR also filled the political void where the Left had failed. ‘Andhra Pradesh politics, till then, was ‘Congressised’, with pampered sections like Reddys and Malas monopolizing political power,’ another political observer Ravinder Durgam says.

The Reddy strongholds, spread over the southern region of Rayalaseema, Nellore and most of Telangana, produced most Congress chief ministers till the TDP was formed. Incidentally, the current CM Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy is also from the Reddy community only. NTR and his successor Chandrababu Naidu demolished Reddy domination, particularly in Telangana by fielding and successfully electing non-Reddy castes. Thus, the backward castes of Andhra Pradesh, particularly of Telangana, were swayed by NTR's egalitarian, socialist vows. But, after NTR’s demise and during the decade-long reign of his son-in-law, Chandrababu Naidu, his caste (Kamma) monopolised political power.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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Thursday, January 21, 2010

The nexus between politicians and the mining mafia is wreaking havoc in many Indian states

The recent developments in Karnataka involving the Reddy brothers of Bellary substantiate that allegation. A decade ago, G Janardhan Reddy and G Karunakara Reddy, ministers in the present BS Yeddyurappa government, were small-scale financiers in Bellary. After they forayed into the mining industry, their stocks rose rapidly. Today, it is claimed that they control almost the entire government in Karnataka. It is also claimed that the Reddy brothers and their close friend, Karnataka health minister Sriramulu, fly from Bellary to Bangalore in their own helicopter almost everyday.

The connection between the Reddy brothers and former Andhra chief minister YS Rajashekara Reddy’s son Jagan Reddy is a well-known fact in political circles. The Bellary brothers belong to the BJP and Jagan to the Congress. But in the mining business, they are partners.

With their political clout and money power they have all but obliterated state boundaries with their mining activities. But after Rajashekara Reddy’s demise, the political scenario has changed. The Andhra government is gunning for the Reddy brothers’ Obulapuram Mining Company.

Already behind bars is Madhu Koda, former Jharkhand chief minister. A mine worker, he rose quickly up the political ladder to wrest the post of chief minister. Along the way, he used his position as minister for mines to line his pockets. He is now under the scanner of the Enforcement Directorate. The irony is that in the name of development, the mining industry is growing helter-skelter in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa. On the human development index, however, these states are proven laggards. “In terms of financial growth mining has turned into a major industry in India. But, the growth occurs only in the upper strata of the society. Mine owners, companies and politicians are reaping the harvest. In most cases, uncontrolled mining leads to an unequal society,” says Bhanumathi.

According to experts, almost 50-60 per cent of mining activities in India are illegal. For example, Forest (Conservation) Act of India 1980 is frequently circumvented, thanks to the nexus between mining and politics. Since the enactment of the Act three decades ago, the Union government has granted clearance to mining projects on more than 100,000 hectares of forest land. Though these clearances were strictly conditional, both state-owned and private mining companies have flouted all norms to maximise their profits.

For example, except for a few cases, these mining companies did not carry out compensatory forestation activities. In places that they did so, it was only an eyewash. According to the Union forest ministry, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh are top five affected states. In Andhra Pradesh, more 15,700 hectares of forest land has been released for mining activities. The story is virtually the same in the other aforementioned states.

“We need stringent laws to put an end to this. Otherwise both the environment, both natural and political, will be marred. I hope the proposed new Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation (MMDR) Act will curb illegal, unscientific mining activities,” says former environment secretary of Karnataka, AN Yellappa Reddy. The final draft of the MMDR Act has been sent to the Union Cabinet for approval.

The Union ministry of mines is hoping that the new Act will usher in an era of sustainable and community-friendly mining. The question is: will the political mafia that controls the spoils of the industry allow that to happen?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

The attack on MA Jinnah Road

The attack on MA Jinnah Road after the Ashura procession was hit by a bomb has not only devoured 46 precious lives, but has also damaged the “Wadhumal Odharam area” of Serai Quarters. “Prior to the partition, Hindu families lived in the area but its beautiful buildings were considerably degraded after the partition,” noted architect and town planner Arif Hasan told TSI.

“Denso Hall area that has beautiful buildings of 19th century has also been affected by fire,” he said.

“Since Independence, Wadhumal Odharam and Ranchore Quarters, the British civic and recreational centres have been under severe market pressures. The pressure being of infiltration of markets from the Old Town Quarters, accompanied with their intrinsic physical qualities, including wider roads and spacious ground floors, than those of the Old Town Quarters. Their proximity to the port is an additional asset. These factors have also encouraged the establishment of new markets,” writes noted architect and town planner Yasmin Cheema in her remarkable study: The Historical Quarters of Karachi.

According to the reports, at least 80 markets were damaged, including Boulton, Iqbal, Chhani, Light House and whole sale and plastic markets. Ironically, these structures have not been put on fire by mourners, but by unknown people , whose main objective was just not to destabilise the government, but to pave the way for the land mafia, who wants to replace them with skyscrapers.

“I was in the procession when the blast took place though I was not close enough to see the dead bodies. But I can say with confidence that people who set shops and markets on fire were not mourners. The mourners were empty-handed and were not carrying any inflammable material,” Syed Zain Haider, 18, told TSI.

“The land mafia may have had a role in the carnage. In fact, I was told that even the gunbattle in Lyari (a slum area near the port) had the mafia's backing because they want to build skyscrapers there,” said Arif Hasan said. He added that after the WTO began dictating terms with a big bang, an underground economy took refuge in the real estate sector, especially related to foreign currency and gold. As a result of WTO policies, this economy is no more underground. It is exerting pressure on the local governments to change the building by-laws, Hasan said. He added that in the model which was earlier operative in Karachi, the most dangerous aspect that land has become a commodity.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


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

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Friday, January 15, 2010

Kings and queens still have their feet washed by villagers of the world’s largest democracy

That Bolangir was to then take a steady downward spiral into deprivation and despair even as Singhdeo passed away in 1975, did not, however, change the fortunes of his family that, after him, continued on a winning streak at the hustings. Following Singhdeo’s death, his two sons Rajraj and Anang Udaya took on the family’s new-found political mantle; while Rajraj was elected twice to Parliament from Bolangir, younger brother Anang Udaya made it seven times to the state assembly, and even became minister twice in Naveen Patnaik’s cabinet. It wasn’t to stop there. Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo, Anang Udaya’s son who joined politics in 2004, was elected to the state assembly as a BJD candidate, while Rajraj’s son, Kanak Vardhan, has made it to the state assembly four times as a BJP candidate from Patnagarh, becoming a minister in the BJD-BJP alliance government from 2000 to 2009. His wife, Sangita Singhdeo, has won from the Bolangir parliamentary seat thrice as a BJP candidate.

And just what sees them through? “They owe it to their clean image,” says Bhagwan Mishra, a royal family supporter. “They never indulge in corruption and maintain a clean image before the public. They also never refuse anyone who seeks their help in anything.”

Political rivalry meanwhile has slowly eaten its way into the royal family. The split between the BJD and BJP resulted in family members locking horns in the last elections in 2009. While Kanak Vardan fought against his sister-in-law Prakruti Devi, his wife Sangita fought against her brother-in-law Kalikesh. In that battle while Kanak Vardan won the approval of the people, his wife and three-time MP lost to Kalikesh. “I want to do something for the people of Bolangir,” Kalikesh, who has become an MP from the constituency for the first time, tells TSI. “People have great faith in our family and I don’t want to ever let them down.”

In all of this, it is the Congress that seems to have taken a beating having chosen the wrong candidates in the first place. And the yardstick for political performance in Bolangir is not quite the same as it is in the rest of the country. “Everybody is the same here,” says Harishchandra Sahoo, a farmer of Khaprakhol, a village in the area. “Everybody comes to us once every five years seeking our votes. But at least members of the royal family do not indulge in corrupt practices. Unlike the others in politics, we know for sure that they at least won’t siphon off a share of the funds allotted by the government for the benefit of the poor.”

Then again, with 60 per cent of the constituency's population living below the poverty line, and 45 per cent of its people still trapped in illiteracy, it isn’t surprising that not many in Bolangir have either the time or the means to fret and fume about the mysterious ways of governance or, for that matter, misgovernance.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative
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Thursday, January 14, 2010

Nuclear deal

The US Congress on October 1, 2008, gave absolute endorsement to an accord facilitating nuclear collaboration between the US and India. The agreement is seen as a defining moment in US-India associations and brings in a fresh aspect to worldwide non-proliferation efforts. The agreement lifts a more than 30 years old US cessation on nuclear trade with India by allowing US to offer aid to India’s civilian nuclear regime. However, opposition parties in India maintained that the country’s sovereignty and reputation have been sold out. On the other hand, several US politicians are of the belief that a gaping fissure has been knocked into the NPT command and it essentially overturns more than 50 years of US non-proliferation labours undermining efforts to thwart Iran and North Korea from obtaining nuclear weapons, and potentially adds to a nuclear arms race in the continent.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative
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Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Desperate Invasions

It was extremely shocking for the world that had for so long invested morally in Non-Aligned Movement to understand the Bush’s doctrine of either-you-are-with-us-or-against-us. As Uncle Sam first marched into Afghanistan and later in Iraq, most of the world’s statesmen were caught off the guard. While Taliban was universally despised, Saddam Hussain was sort of an iconic figure of resistance. Naturally, the fall of Baghdad had different reaction to that of Kabul. As sycophants allied nations jumped to eat the spoils of war, developing world started to fathom the meaning of “Global War on Terror”. The Blitzkrieg although won battles for US, the war in Iraq and Afghanistan still continues. As overstretched US army finds difficult to hold grounds in Iraq and Afghanistan, the threat of second Vietnam looms large over America.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative
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Monday, January 11, 2010

Brilliant concept of global warming meets!

EU did take the lead and declare to cut its carbon emissions by 20% from 1990 levels by 2020 and is the only region on the planet running a comprehensive Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). However, it refused to commit to any further cuts unless other rich nations reciprocate its earlier gestures. But, in the midst of this heat that has suddenly raised COP 15 temperature by many degrees, Dr. R.K. Pachauri, Chairman of the Nobel Prize winning IPCC, said at the inaugural speech of the summit that “To limit average temperature increase at 2.0 and 2.4° C, the cost of mitigation by 2030 would not exceed 3% of the global GDP. In other words, the so-called prosperity expected in 2030 would be postponed by just a few months. But, we have clearly specified in the AR4 that if temperature increase is to be limited to between 2.0 and 2.4°C, global emissions must peak no later than 2015.”

The Copenhagen Summit started recently with the greatest fanfare in recent times for any international event – rivalled only by the 2008 Beijing Olympics. However, the thriller, even before its screening, has already had its share of controversies with the stealing of certain emails of scientists at the University of East Anglia in UK, the contents of which showed that certain studies cast doubt over the fact that human induced activities cause climate change. This proved to be a panacea to climate change naysayers and a sudden surge of criticisms were hurled at the so called propagandists of ‘left’ leaning legions of policy-makers and governments across the globe trying to take over the capitalist world. However, the jigsaw consists of many more hidden pieces. There are other issues intertwined with carbon and equivalent emission reductions that are on the COP15 agenda but have largely been remained footnotes in the emissions tale.

Firstly, as Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has reiterated on many platforms, funding and technology transfer from developed countries to developing nations to curb, mitigate and adapt to damaging effects of climate change must be made a certainty within the confines of any international treaty. However, the rhetoric by the world’s largest oil and gas companies, coal power plant owners and timber companies largely sidelined India’s stance when the clause about peak oil was introduced some time back by some EU representatives. It was followed by the Chinese per capita reduction commitment and suddenly, India seeing itself as the isolated warrior capitulated immediately. Under the giant garb of standing its ground, it slowly slithered out and positioned itself behind China in curbing its per capita emissions at 2005 levels by 20-25% by the year 2020. Dr. Manmohan Singh has declared that he is going to Copenhagen; and as expected, the developed world is waiting with open arms.

The Danish Government, the hosts to COP 15, sent a statement of Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen to B&E, “I welcome Prime Minister Singh’s announcement of his participation in the climate conference in Copenhagen on 18 December. With the Indian announcement, at present 105 leaders from all over the world will participate. Together, these 105 leaders represent 82 percent of globe’s population, 89 percent of the world GDP and 80 percent of the world’s current emissions. If an agreement can be reached within this group, it could change the future of the globe, thus making Copenhagen the global warming turnaround, we all wish for.” But such sweeping statements about universal wishes from the West almost never mention anything about technology transfer and a funding mechanism to aid developing nations.

Secondly, the soot from the carbon jargon has been so thick that the greatest sink for carbon dioxide, the largest GHG, the global forest cover, has been but forgotten. Brazil, the largest Latin American economy recently declared post negotiations with other Amazon economies that it would only accept and support a climate agreement if it made mandatory for developed nations to use only 10% of their emission reduction targets to invest in afforestion projects. However, Brazil might have just forgotten that China single-handedly emits nearly 50% of the carbon emissions combined by EU and US and it is still a developing economy.

Connie Hedegaard, Danish Minister for Climate and Energy, also the President for COP 15, tells B&E (as she keeps insisting on all forums she goes to), “Failure in Copenhagen is no option.” If her definition of failure is the deal not being signed, it is surprising that nobody’s cared to email her the latest details. For UN Conference Summits are now no more than glorious forums for the global environment ministers to meet each other, have great photo opportunities, discuss and debate to keep up the skills required back home in their senates, tour a little more, and finally pack for the next conference. COP 15 is named COP 15 as it’s the 15th conference since 1995 (each in a different place; next one in Mexico). Apart from these main summits, there’re pre-summit meetings (for example, 183 delegates met in Bonn this year, then in Bangkok, then in Barcelona and so on so forth). So what can one actually look forward to in COP 15? The Obamas, and the Salahis, but of course!

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative
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Friday, January 08, 2010

The Story Behind the Hype

The Maya inherited their basic calendrical information from an earlier civilisation called the Olmecs who developed the Long Count between the second and first centuries BC. There is only one known inscription that mentions the end date. It is Monument 6 from Tortuguero, and is damaged and broken. At the end of the damaged inscription, three calendars cross-reference one date: “It was 2 days, 9 Uinals, 3 Tuns, 8 Katuns and 3 Baktuns before the 13th Baktun is completed on 4 Ahau 3 Kankin. Then it will happen – darkness, and Bolon-Yokte will descend to the (???)”

In the most popular correlation to our calendar, this equates to the 21st December 2012.

Baktun 13 (which is also Baktun zero) starts when the calendar reaches 13.0.0.0.0 in December 2012… (The Book of Chilam Balam of) Tizimin adds a prediction of UFOs, poor harvests and extreme weather, along with a mass near-death experience. However, the Maya were not the only ones to see this coming. There are several other independent sources that also mark 2012 as a conspicuous time. In the 1970s, the Chinese oracle, the I Ching was found by Terence McKenna, (who knew nothing of the Maya calendar at that time), to encode a fractal time wave that terminates late in 2012.

In the 1980s, the Paqos, who are priests of the Q’ero tribe living in the Andes, Peru, announced that their Pachakuti formula – the overturning of spacetime – would start in 1990 and last 22 years. Thus 2012 would bring the start of a Golden Age called Taripay Pacha, when the upper world, lower world and everyday world will unite.

All these other sources knew nothing of the Maya Long Count, so what can it all mean?

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009


An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative
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Thursday, December 03, 2009

Born on 26/11 - Freelance journalist, bangalore

TSI Profiles some Indians whose birthday last year was engulfed by death and destruction

Uday sangli

Freelance journalist, bangalore

Actually, I am not really into celebrating my birthday. I've never done it. I have no plans to celebrate it this year either. This day will be like another day for me.

On the fateful day last year, I was busy covering a rally on “world peace” at Basaveshwara Circle in Bangalore. The rally had been organised by the Art of Living Foundation. The protest was against the accusation that that the Art of Living Foundation had harboured a terrorist.

Volunteers from Art of Living Foundation were on a candlelight vigil to register their protest against what they called was an attempt to vilify them. In a tragic coincidence, the horrific terror attack on Mumbai occurred even as the Bangalore rally was on. It obviously took us all by surprise. The sense of shock and grief was palpable.

A year has gone by since that terrible day. What I fail to understand is that even after an entire year, Kasab, the only culprit detained, has not been convicted. Instead the man's day to day activities in prison continue to rake up various issues.

Sadly, Kasab is not the first terrorist that India is looking after like a ‘guest’; Afzal Guru and many other terror suspects have been receiving the same sort of VIP treatment from the Indian government. really, this can happen only in India and everybody knows the politics behind it. So I don’t have any hope that India will ever be able to take tough measures to weed out the threat of terrorism from our midst.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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


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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Myths and problems...

.In 2006, when Second Life was on its upward media popularity curve, many companies jumped onto the bandwagon of establishing their ‘presence’ on Second Life. This amounted to little more than just a nice-looking static 3D space, very much resembling an extension of themes and concepts used in the companies’ existing 2D websites. The expectation was ‘if we build it… people will come’, completely ignoring the basic fact that a user needs a compelling reason to visit a virtual location just as he does to visit a company’s website. This saw many major companies like American Apparel, Wells Fargo, Armani, Dell, et al launch huge campaigns and see them fail.

It led many prominent advertising agencies to believe that virtual worlds like Second Life were not meant for marketing purposes and led to a backlash in the media. The failure, however, was not of the medium as much as of the message. Virtual worlds offer the great chance to engage your target audience in an interactive and immersive brand experience. They allow you as a marketer to create a narrative and ask your customers to participate in it. Such an experience is not possible in any other online digital medium to this extent. Instead of leveraging the huge interaction and narration capabilities of the medium most of the failed campaigns tried instead to create ‘pretty places’ and sell their products blandly using the kind of video and banner based marketing popular on the 2D web and this expectedly backfired.

Brands like Coca-Cola, L’Oreal, Orange, Pontiac and Starwood Hotels succeeded wildly in their Second Life campaigns because they chose to take an event based and community based approach to the medium. They provided an experience or utility which people demanded in virtual worlds while blending it with the brand message. Indeed Coca-Cola has launched a new campaign in Second Life for its Nestea brand by sponsoring a concert in Second Life.

To conclude, the future of Virtual marketing or V-marketing (as we might call it) is bright, but only as long as marketers realise how to use the medium and its strengths instead of blaming it on the real-life non-existence of the medium.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2008
An IIPM and Professor Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist) Initiative

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