Gaurav Gupta

About Me

2020-11-19T12:03:00.004+05:30

	I am an avid traveler and traveled along the coastal region of India totaling 5,500 miles in 25 days in 2010, to create awareness about polio among the people of India. I am very passionate about investments. I am currently pursuing MBA in Finance and Business Analytics at Frank G. Zarb School of Business, Hofstra University to pursue my dreams of working in an investment firm. With a vision to bring all the like minded individuals together and promote motorbiking in India, a friend and I co-founded a team called Team A2B (www.teama2b.com). I have traveled to the World's highest motor-able road, Khardung La in Leh-Ladakh, India. The other places, that I have visited on my bike are, 1. Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner (Rajasthan, India) in February, 2010. 2. Dalhousie, Chamba,Khajjiar, Kalavan (Himachal Pradesh, India) in March 2010. 3. Bareilly, Nepal, Nainital, Badrinath (Uttaranchal in India and Nepal) in March 2010. 4. Shimla, Kufri, Chail, Kasauli, Morni (Himachal Pradesh, India) many a times. Other achievements of mine include: 1. TEAM A2B's Coverage on << DAY & NIGHT NEWS CHANNEL >> 11th August 2010 - 10.30 PM -Video1 2. Featured in Bike India magazine, many a times, including my travelogue of Rajasthan in the march, 2010 edition. 3. I have performed in more than 5 stunt shows, in Chandigarh as well as the surrounding region.

I am an avid traveler and traveled along the coastal region of India totaling 5,500 miles in 25 days in 2010, to create awareness about polio among the people of India. I am very passionate about investments. I am currently pursuing MBA in Finance and Business Analytics at Frank G. Zarb School of Business, Hofstra University to pursue my dreams of working in an investment firm.

With a vision to bring all the like minded individuals together and promote motorbiking in India, a friend and I co-founded a team called Team A2B (www.teama2b.com).

I have traveled to the World's highest motor-able road, Khardung La in Leh-Ladakh, India. The other places, that I have visited on my bike are,

1. Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner (Rajasthan, India) in February, 2010.
2. Dalhousie, Chamba,Khajjiar, Kalavan (Himachal Pradesh, India) in March 2010.
3. Bareilly, Nepal, Nainital, Badrinath (Uttaranchal in India and Nepal) in March 2010.
4. Shimla, Kufri, Chail, Kasauli, Morni (Himachal Pradesh, India) many a times.

Other achievements of mine include:
1. TEAM A2B's Coverage on << DAY & NIGHT NEWS CHANNEL >> 11th August 2010 - 10.30 PM -Video1
2. Featured in Bike India magazine, many a times, including my travelogue of Rajasthan in the march, 2010 edition.
3. I have performed in more than 5 stunt shows, in Chandigarh as well as the surrounding region.

Zarb Executive Speaker Event- Co-Sponsored by Hofstra InvestmentBanking Association(HIBA)

2014-10-02T06:26:00.002+05:30

It was a great experience of co-sponsoring executive speaker event where Mr. Kenneth Topping, Managing Director, Asset Management division of Goldman Sachs came as a guest speaker and talked about Leadership Development at Goldman Sachs. Students had a great time speaking about career opportunities at Goldman Sachs and Mr. Topping also enjoyed coming back to Hofstra. He is a BS Computer Science, 1988 graduate from Hofstra University.

Dean Patrick Socci, Dean of Frank G. Zarb School of Business, Hofstra University opened the event by introducing Mr. Topping to the audience.

Dr. K.G. Viswanathan (Chairperson, Finance Department), Dr. Steven Krull (Faculty, Finance Department), Mr. Mehmet Eren (Past Secretary, HIBA 2013-14) and Mr. Keith Eisenberg (Treasurer, HIBA) along with others were present at the event.

(Right) Mr. Kenneth Topping (MD, Asset Management, Goldman Sachs) and Mr. Gaurav Gupta (President, Hofstra Investment Banking Association) presenting gift of honor

Left to Right- Mr. Jingxuan Chen(VP, HIBA), Mr. Gaurav Gupta (President, HIBA), Mr. Kenneth Topping (MD, Asset Management-Goldman Sachs) and Ms. Barbara Church Kattan (Director, Zarb Graduate Business Career Center)

New York Fed Visit

2014-09-26T09:16:00.001+05:30

The Zarb Graduate Business School Career Center and Hofstra Investment Banking Association(HIBA) organized a visit to the NY Fed. Ms. Barbara Church Kattan (Director, Career Center), Mr. JIngxuan Chen(VP, HIBA) and Mr. Apurv Vispute (Event Manager, HIBA) managed and led the group of 25 students to the Fed. Here are some pictures from the trip.

Ms. Kattan, Mr. Chen and students outside the Fed

Ms. Kattan, Mr. Vispute and Mr. Chen with the students

Ms. Kattan with the students

Executive Panel- Hofstra Investment Banking Association

2014-09-22T06:48:00.001+05:30

Hofstra Investment Banking Association organized an executive panel event on September 17, 2014 for the students where the executives such as Mr. Robert Pauley (Morgan Stanley), Ms. Marilyn Antoine (Merrill Lynch) and Mr. Hernan Celis (JPMorgan Chase) were present. They interacted and shared their experiences with the students. The students had a great learning experience. There were more than 65 students present at the event. Vice Dean George Papaioannou, Dr. KG Viswanathan and Dr. Dominique Gehy (Faculty Advisor) were present at the event. The officers of HIBA did a great job in working as a team and making this event a successful event.

From left: Mr. Gaurav Gupta(President,HIBA), Dr. Dominique Gehy(Faculty Advisor,HIBA), Mr. Hernan Celis, Ms. Marilyn Antoine , Mr. Robert Pauley, Mr. Jingxuan Chen(VP, HIBA), Mr. Apurv Vispute(Event Manager, HIBA) and Mr. Keith Eisenberg(Treasurer, HIBA)

Movie:"The Pursuit of Happyness"

2014-09-04T08:09:00.001+05:30

A movie which shows all the struggle that a person can do in his/her life and then can eventually become a millionaire. Perseverance, Honesty, Hard-Work and Determination are a few of the characteristics that have been portrayed in the movie as being the ingredients on the way to success. As our dean sums up,"Happiness is not a destination, it is a journey".

This movie was chosen by Hofstra Investment Banking Associaton to be shown to the new students so as to inspire and motivate them to work hard and achieve success in their lives. I feel honored to be the leader of the Associaton at the time this movie was shown and also being the initiator of this event. I hope our Associaton is able to keep working towards student development and help them achieve success in their careers.

Getting Internship Offer from a Tech Startup

2014-09-01T04:08:00.001+05:30

It was a usual meeting with my Multivariate and Simulation methods professor. He is very admirable and helps his students in any possible way and goes out of his way to do that. We were discussing the agenda for the fall semester and how the classes are going to be during this semester. Then we started discussing career opportunities after graduating for me as an MBA with double majors in Finance and Business Analytics. He told me about numerous job opportunities that a student can have with finance skills along with good technical skills. While we were discussing these, he asked me if I would be willing to do a part-time job/internship over the fall semester. I told him that I would like to know my responsibilities as an intern. So he put me in contact with the person incharge from a tech startup company called ProSeeder Technologies and it deals in SaaS for the finance firms such as Venture Capitals, Angel Investors and Broker-Dealers. I sent an email to her to fix the interview or information call for the following morning.

The interviewer called me the following morning and gave me a brief description of the job responsibilities that I would have at the company. Some of the responsibilities that I would have include data review and modification using Excel, quality assurance of data, import into client customized ProSeeder sites, content development for the client demo sites, market research, and other projects as needed. It sounded exciting over the phone and I was already ready to go for this internship. The interviewer asked me if I had ever used excel before. That was when I felt very confident while answering that question because I had already built many financial models such as Option pricing model (both binomial and Black-Scholes model), Bond pricing model, firm valuation model and Merger model to name a few. I told her that I had built some models in excel. Right after she heard that I knew how to use excel, she said, "Ok, then see you on next Thursday at the office". She asked if I knew anyone else who could work at that office. I knew of a friend who was looking for an internship over the fall semester, so I recommended him to her and they both setup an interview for the following week.

This moment was the moment that I had been working hard for for last one year. The next thing on my agenda is to do my best at this internship and climb up the ladder.

Panelist at International Student Panel

2014-08-28T08:27:00.003+05:30

A year ago, I was on the other side of the table listening to the panelists sharing their experiences with the new students such as me at that time. I wondered how amazing it would be for them to share their experiences with us. I never thought I would be there on the panelists' side of the table the following year. This year I was invited by the Multicultural and International Students Programs Office to be a panelist at the International Student Panel. It was a wonderful experience sharing my experiences with the new students.

Why I Had to Say No to an Investment Banking Internship Offer

2014-08-19T07:36:00.001+05:30

After sending hundreds of resumes to different investment banks, I finally got an interview with a boutique investment bank (in spite of me not being from a "target" B-school). I was interviewed by three different people including the president of the firm. The questions asked were typical investment banking interview questions such as "Do you know Financial Modeling?", "Do you have an experience of valuing a company?" and "Mention details about a recent IPO".

Every question was answered fine. My undergraduate degree in biotechnology engineering was the biggest plus point as the firm was interested in someone who could understand and value a biotechnology firm. Also, my two year work experience at a manufacturing firm and my current MBA in Finance and Business Analytics program added to the chances of me getting hired as an intern. The president and the other interviewers liked my experience and were willing to take me as an intern provided I did not demand any compensation. However, at that time my financial situation was not very sound and I could not afford to travel everyday from Long Island to New York City which would cost me extra $600 per month.

The president asked me if I would be willing to take that position. I thought twice before speaking and told him that I would need some compensation in order to accept that offer. He mentioned that he would hire me as intern right away if I did not demand compensation. However, now he would have to reconsider and talk to the budgeting department of the firm to check if they could compensate me for that position. I followed up after a few weeks but I did not get a reply. I assumed that they had found another candidate who did not demand any compensation. I asked again after a few months if I could join the firm for fall internship but the answer was a "no".

After this incident, I learned two valuable lessons:

1. You don't have to necessarily be a student/graduate from an Ivy League School to get offer/interview from an investment bank.

2. You need to be prepared for this kind of opportunity as it might not strike again.

Getting into Business School and climbing up the ladder

2014-03-18T03:08:00.001+05:30

The sun was back in business after an especially cold and extended winter and I was lying on the grass outside the library. I felt tired but productive because I had just executed a sizable chunk of assignments. I was thinking about all the stark changes my life and I went through in the past one year.

Working at a restaurant funded my application process to targeted business schools. Whilst working at the restaurant, I would occasionally feel like giving in to the temptation of returning to my hometown. I would then gather myself and think about how temporary the situation was and how I would cherish those moments of hard work and learning in the not so distant future.

I used to try and live as efficiently and thriftily as I could, which meant that I couldn't eat out and had to stay at least a mile away from the very inviting restaurants. Any transaction involving denominations more than $10 required me to reconsider my priorities and decide. One such decision was whether to attend a meeting at Rotary Club of Wall Street (RCWS) because the fees for the guests was worth $25. I have been associated with Rotary international since 2007 and was eager in attending the meeting of RCWS and meeting with the fellow Rotarians. I have always appreciated the community service that the Rotarians engage in and looked forward to meet the then president Mr. Thomas Rudy. It was decided that the $25 be forsaken.

I researched about and visited renowned business schools such as Stern, Columbia, Pace and Baruch in my after hours. I wanted to understand the schools and their admission criteria better. My sister encouraged me to take TOEFL while I was still in the planning phase. I had already taken the GRE before and the scores were still valid, fortunately. I took the TOEFL and proceeded with the process. I got a chance to visit an event called QS World MBA Tour.

At the QS World MBA Tour, I met Hofstra University's Full Time Day MBA Program Director, Dr. Andrew Forman. I expressed my interest of attending a graduate business program and studying finance. He took a look at my resume and told me that it was good enough for the school to accept, looking at past trends. He also told me that the application fees were waived for applicants who attended the seminar; the meeting couldn’t have gotten any better. I thanked my judgment for deciding to attend the Wall Street event because I had just saved more money than I spent on such necessary expenses.

Another month spent at serving tables, I got an email that congratulated me for being accepted at Hofstra University’s Frank G. Zarb School of business with a decent scholarship amount. The news filled my sister and myself with joy. All those months of hard work and sacrifices had ultimately resulted in fruition. It was an important day for my family.

My classes started in September and I tried to engage myself in as many extra curricular activities on campus as I could. I already had an on campus job offer as Graduate Assistant to Finance Department. I joined Hofstra Investment Banking Association (HIBA) and Hofstra Indian Students' Association (HISA) one month in the semester. I gelled and made friends with my classmates and teachers. I also got in touch with teachers who didn’t teach me because you always learn a thing or twenty from almost everybody.

I was invited to be graduate student representative for the Zarb Executive Committee. I was completely clueless about the purpose of this committee and I asked my sister about it, who is a graduate from NYU’s school of dentistry herself. She briefed that the executive committee is responsible for major decisions at the school. I liked the thought of being the students’ representative once again and gladly accepted the opportunity. I representated students in my undergraduate university too, as the south campus chairman of Students' Organisation of Panjab University(SOPU).

The semester was just over a couple months old when my education loan got rejected and another major obstacle confronted me. I was stressed and spoke it out with two of my close friends, Snehal and Apurv. Continuing with my education at Hofstra seemed impossible without a divine intervention. I also spoke with my marketing professor and the Dean. Our relationships were forged in classrooms and in executive committee meetings. They said that they would talk with my sponsor, the CV Starr foundation and initiate it to reconsider my scholarship. And it did. My scholarship was raised and my pursuit did not halt. My belief of "giving your best and leaving the rest" was reinforced.

I had a chance to meet Ms. Annabelle Libeau, a student of French Origin at Columbia University. She was an RCWS sponsored student pursuing Masters in Public Administration (MPA) and the intention of the meeting was to share and benefit from each others experiences as international students. She had passed 2 levels of CFA certification exam and encouraged me to take level 1; I was unsure about the certification then. She persuaded me and told me how level 1 was a basic exam. A person without finance background, like me, could study on his/her own and could pass the exam. I was somewhat convinced and slept over it. I talked about the certification with my friend Shobhit, who also was studying at Columbia University. He made me take a look at the study materials and then asked me to decide. The vast pastures of financial information got me hooked and I decided to do it. I studied the books over the winter break while my friends were away on vacation. I learned so many things over the period that I feel the books should be read even if one doesn’t want to go for the certification.

Semester one ended on a happy note with an attractive and a well deserved GPA. I now am in the second semester and still preparing for the 1st level of CFA. I feel much better prepared for it now. I am loving, and enjoying my experience at this wonderful institution and in this great country.

Next target: finding an internship for the summer break.

Pursuit of Happiness

2014-03-15T04:02:00.002+05:30

It was a usual day and I was studying Quantitative Methods for my CFA certification. I got a call from Mr. Ron Sidhu at 6:20 pm and he asked me to meet with him in NYC at around 7 pm. He wanted to introduce me to a person from Citi group. My estimation reflected that I’d need at least two hours to make the commute. Mr. Sidhu and his friend would be meeting for an hour or so, which meant that they would be together till only around 8:15.

Mr. Sidhu advised me to try and make it ASAP. It was a moment where I had to make a decision and act on my feet and I said to myself, "It’s now or never". I hung up and got ready in 10 minutes. It was 6:35 pm then. The next major hurdle was getting to the train station, which is about 4 miles away from my residence and the rather windy evening added to my list of troubles. The nearest place from where I could take a ride to the train station was my grad school (Frank G. Zarb school of business, Hofstra University), which has hourly shuttles to the train station. Hofstra is a mile away from my house and running was the only option left. My attire didn’t fit the occasion and neither did the weather. Running for a mile after many years was a task and I’m not athletically built, physically. The walk usually takes 25 minutes but I beat my own time by 10 whole minutes because the situation so required. My watch said it was 6:50 pm and the guests were to disperse in an hour and fifteen minutes.

The receptionist directed me towards the next shuttle, which was supposed to leave campus at 7:07 pm. I calculated, and concluded that I would reach the train station by 7:35 pm and the next train was supposed to leave at 7:45, which meant I would reach the diners by 9. I needed transportation much before the scheduled 7:07 pm shuttle.

I requested the receptionist to arrange a ride for me to the station as I had an urgent interview to attend at 8 pm in the city. The gentleman was empathetic enough to call the campus Public Safety office and ask them to drive me to the station. The Public Safety SUV arrived 10 minutes after; the watch read 6:57 pm. I expressed my concern to the driver that I had to make it to the city in time, else the world would be over for me. He made every possible legal attempt to make it to the train station ASAP. We managed to reach the train station at 7:12 pm. I thanked him and flew towards the ticket dispenser.

The next train was to arrive at 7:14 pm. I felt euphoric, as if I had attained the biggest goal of my life. The train reached Penn station at 8 pm (I had 15 minutes and one mile between me and my destination, which was 27^th, Park Ave.) I sprinted again from Penn and made it to the destination in time. Mr. Sidhu and his friend were kind and considerate in waiting for me; I silently congratulated myself for making possible the impossible. Mr. Sidhu also appreciated my endeavor and my drive for being not too late.

After his friend had left, Mr. Sidhu and I discussed about Mortgage Backed Securities(MBS), Collateralized Debt Obligations(CDOs), Credit Default Swaps(CDSs), Monte Carlo Simulation and many more financial instruments and tools. I believe I learned a lot from that long conversation.

Traveling hassles and the Polar vortex seem trivial compared to my desire of learning.

Journey of four years: The engineering

2011-05-15T00:58:00.005+05:30

Now that we have come to an end of a beautiful saga of four years of our lives, i would like to revive some of the old memories since our first day of the college.

We had entered our college after being pampered for many years at home and in school. The first day at college seemed to be the worst nightmare when the groups of seniors came and ragged and bullied us. At first I wanted to leave this place and go away. But, after a few days, a beautiful relation of seniors and juniors developed amongst us and The seniors. Then the nightouts with friends and riding to the hill stations nearby, was like living your own life without any restrictions.

Then came the second year. We were seniors now and The Fatchas entered the college with the same ardor and zeal as we all had. We too ragged them and made them good younger brothers and many of them stood against us and fought. That bond grew stronger and stronger as the days passed. We still enjoyed our early years of college life to the fullest and started to bunk the classes as if we didn't care about that creature standing in the class and speaking unnecessarily for the next one hour. While sitting in the class, we would still make noises and Then the teacher would escort us till the door and humbly requested us to leave the class. Then came the final exams and we didn't know what to do other than making chits and writing on the palms and arms.

Then came the third year. This was the year when we were little worried about our future. Some of us got engaged in the preparation of CAT, few were for GRE and other entrance exams. But still we managed to enjoy our third year till the fullest. Sometimes the head of department would come to scold us, but all in vain. Final exams were taken in the same old way as in second year.

Then came the last year of our college life. It was then when we all started to worry about our future after the college life. Old grudges and rifts were solved in this year and many of them just enjoyed last year to the fullest. Booze parties, trips and picnics was what we all did in the last year. Being with your buddies till late at night is what I feel is the best part of your college life. We did nothing but enjoyed our last few days to the fullest and who shall see these days again in the life ahead?

These years will just be cherished as sweet memories throughout our lives and We won't get them back. In all, these four years were the best days of my life...

And one of my friends,, Parambir Singh Salar described these 4 years in his own words as

"sessionals.internal.externals.presentations.gogo.jaali-medical.freshers.jhankar.goonj.sopu.pusu.stu-c.chaa.paronthe.larhaiyaan.bai-kithe-ho.night-out.gerhiyaan.savitri-bai.9to9.pu-ground.akhand-path.shake-shop.hasna.rona.aoukha-hona.kasauli.mass-bunk.ashiqi.kaimbwala.grari.YAARI.4 years just seem like one whole day"

A new family member-Tweet!

2011-05-09T10:19:00.003+05:30

Hi all,

I am hereby going to tell you all about our new family member called Tweet. He is a Black Labrador retriever. Ever since, I brought him home on 28th of April, 2011, I am in love with him like anything. He looks into my eyes like an innocent child and asks me for my love and licks me. I too hold him tightly in love. Its like he is a part of me. My mother, is also very fond of him, and sometimes keep shouting at me as he keeps littering around and creates a mess in the house. But, still she loves him like her own son. He keeps roaming around my mom, as he wants to play with her. He holds her feet and starts licking her feet and asks that he wants to play with her.

My father too, when he comes from his office, plays with him. Tweet is like a baby in our house and has brought happiness in our home. Here are some of his pics.

Polio- The Last Inch.

2011-04-01T16:34:00.000+05:30

Trip to Naina Devi from Mandi Gobindgarh(350km)

2011-02-13T23:23:00.002+05:30

My father came back from the office and was having his dinner, when he asked me if I wanted to go to Naina Devi, the next day. I replied in affirmative to his question. So, it was decided that we may leave at 8 in the morning. I slept at around 1 at night.

I woke up at 8:15 am, that too when my dad came to wake me up.Any how, I got ready in around half an hour and we had morning tea together. We left for Naina Devi at around 9am. It was a nice cloudy day with little showers of rain drizzling. So, we were on the way to Naina Devi, going via Sirhind, Morinda and Ropar. When we reached Ropar i.e. around 80kilometers from Mandi Gobindgarh at around 11am, we stopped to have our breakfast. It was Hari Sweets where we halted and had our breakfast. We had Chane and Bhature in the breakfast.

Then, after the breakfast, we left for Naina Devi. With lot of obstructions on the road, we started with the upslope of the hills leading to Naina Devi. While we were driving towards the shrine, we were met by some landslides. We had to wait there for good 30 minutes, till the workers cleared the roads. But, while waiting for the roads to be cleared, I didn't feel bored, as the scenic beauty around just stole my attention and left me spellbound. I clicked some pictures around. The roads were cleared now. So, we again started off for Naina Devi.

The drive till Naina Devi was too good. The famous Bhakhra river was flowing along the road. It was a very nice view. We reached Naina Devi in another half an hour and started the final journey towards the bhavan. We waded through the narrow streets towards the Shrine. It was a very crowded courtyard of the Shrine. It seemed as if many books were stacked together so as to leave no space to even let the air pass through it. All the people were chanting "jai mata di". Two of the worshipers got into quarrel, for one of them entered into wrong queue. The others said,' Mata ke darbaar pe ladne aye ho ya Maatha tekne?(Have you come here to preach or to fight)." While we were in the queue leading to the shrine, many monkeys came and started staring at us in anger. Some of the worshipers got scared and started shouting. I asked them to stay calm and not to look into the eyes of the monkeys. So, in another 5 minutes, we entered into the shrine. It took us 1 hour to reach the room where the idols were kept. It was only 100 meters away.

Finally, my parents took blessings and we moved out of the room. I didn't take blessings as I am an atheist. Then, we had some rest in courtyard of the premises. The cold breeze was blowing and it was a nice atmosphere around. After sometime, we started to go back to the parking, where our car was parked. Then, in no more time, our driver started off for the journey back to our home. He drove till Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab, and then boarded a bus back to his home, as we had to go further to Rajpura for dinner. So, I drove after that. We reached Haveli at Rajpura at around 5pm. I had burgers at the Mc Donalds, while mom n dad had there dinner inside the haveli. So, after the dinner, we came back to our place. It was a 350 kms long trip and a very nice one.

P.S. Pics are here.

Naina Devi

Teama2b Media coverage

2011-02-10T17:02:00.000+05:30

Media Coverage

2011-02-08T19:42:00.005+05:30

1.RIDING FOR CAUSE

HEROES ON WHEELS: Gaurav Gupta (left), an engineering student and Deepak Sharma, a BA student from Chandigarh, ride across the nation to spread the message of polio awareness. The ‘polio warriors’ began their journey on December 28 from Chandigarh

2. Novel way to spread the message on polio

The Hindu

Rotarians Gaurav Gupta (right) and Deepak Sharma, who are on a motor bike tour from Chandigarh to spread awareness about polio, address a press conference in Vijayawada on Tuesday. Photo: V. Raju

With the objective of creating awareness about eradication of polio, two students and Rotaracts from Chandigarh – Gaurav Gupta and Deepak Sharma – have embarked on a tour across the country on motorcycle intending to log about 7,600 km in all.

The rally, which began at Chandigarh and will conclude at Goa, touching various cities and towns, including Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Varanasi, Kolkata, Bhubaneshwar, Visakhapatnam, Vijayawada, Chennai, Kanyakumari and Thiruvananthapuram.

Speaking to reporters during their arrival here on Tuesday, Mr. Gupta said the 25-day rally was funded by the National Polio Plus Committee of India for the Rotary Club. He said the PAIN (Pakistan, Afghanistan, India and Nigeria) countries were the only four countries in the world that were still reporting polio cases.

Mr. Gupta said both of them were trying to interact with the parents and educating them about the need to administer polio vaccine on January 16. The team asserted that efforts will be continued in association with several partner organisations and agencies till polio was totally rooted out from the globe.

Rotary Club of Vijayawada Krishnaveni president Ashok K. Sethi appreciated the youngsters for spending time and undergoing physical strain for a noble cause.

He said around Rs. 706 crore was spent in India by the Rotary International to eradicate polio through the WHO and the UNICEF.

The rally was flagged off on December 20 last year and it would conclude on January 20. The team will be leaving the city on Wednesday for Nellore en route Tamil Nadu and other areas in south India. The club secretary T.V. Krishna Rao and others were present.

Polio Warriors- Pan India ride

2011-01-09T07:10:00.005+05:30

Trip To kanyakumari

Day 1: Chandigarh to Delhi

Day 2: Delhi to Agra to Kanpur

Day 3: Kanpur to Varanasi

Day 4: Varanasi to Dhanbad

Day 5: Dhanbad to kolkatta

Day 6: Kolkata to Bhubaneshwar.

Day 7: Bhubaneswar to Vishakhapatnam(Vizag)

Day 8: Vizag to Vijayawada.

Day 9: Vijayawada to Chennai.

Day 10: Chennai to Pondicherry

Day 11: Pondicherry to Madurai.

Day 12: Madurai to Trivandrum (320km).

How to mount a Camera on your bike???

2010-12-17T22:24:00.004+05:30

Itinerary For India Tour.

2010-12-15T12:08:00.005+05:30

Serial Number	Date	Place
1	29^th December, 2010	Agra
2	30^th December, 2010	Varanasi
3	31^st December, 2010	Dhanbad
4	1^st January, 2011	Kolkata
5	2^nd January, 2011	Bhubaneshwar
6	3^rd January, 2011	Vishakhapatnam
7	4^th January, 2011	Vijaywada
8	5^thJanuary, 2011	Chennai
9	6^th-7^th January, 2011	Pondicherry
10	8^th January, 2011	Kanyakumari
11	9^th – 10^th January, 2011	Trivandrum
12	11^th January, 2011	Mahe
13	12^th – 16^th January, 2011	Goa
14	17^th January, 2011	Mumbai(or, Pune)
15	18^th January, 2011	Ahmedabad
16	19^th January, 2011	Via Rann of Kutch to Mt. Abu
17	20^th January, 2011	Jaipur
18	21^st January, 2011	Chandigarh

Riders- 2
Bikes- P220cc and P200cc
Proposed distance-8000kms
estimated expenses- 30000 per head

Tea with pakode at Kasauli- An ultimate tea.

2010-12-10T20:28:00.001+05:30

It was a usual morning. I gave a call to one of my friends, Pamma. I asked if he wanted to accompany me to kasauli just to have tea. He just said yes and told me he would get ready in another hour. So I was supposed to reach his place in around 45 minutes. I had my breakfast at my hostel. Taking my gloves, wind cheater and helmet, I left for his place.I reached his place in around 10 minutes at 10:55am. So, we left for Kasauli at around 11:15am.

We then dared through the overly crowded roads of Chandigarh as well as Panchkula, and made it to a place somewhere on the way to Kasauli, which was around 35 kms away from Chandigarh. It was 12pm at that time. Clicked some photographs there.

Then we left at 12:15pm. I was enjoying every bit of the view of that beautiful nature running beside me. The cold breeze that blew around me, gave me an impression as if I were simply flying in the sky. Then at around 12:45pm, we again took some rest and clicked few more pics.

We had covered a distance of 45 kms by then. Then after sometime, we left for Kasauli, as it was the destination to our tea...:)... Then, at 1:30pm we reached Kasauli, around 60kms travelled.

Pamma took me to the tea stall, where he had always had his tea during his summers training in June, 2010. We ordered a piece of Gachak, 2 cups of tea, 250gms matrees and 250gms Pakode. Believe me, the stuff was too delicious to eat and that too in only 35rs. The cool weather added an awesome ambiance to have tea. It was just an awesome experience at that time. We had our tea with some cold air blowing and sometimes sun rays showering upon us.

Having our tea, we then moved to the lower mall to have fish fry there. But, to our surprise, we found that the market would be closed for the next 10 days, so the shop keeper did not keep enough stock of fish. The market is kept closed for 10 days in December every year as a rule made by the army there.

Disheartened, we moved towards a very beautiful trail called 'Gilbert Trail'. Pamma had discovered this trail while for his training in June. We then started off with the trail after parking our bikes. The trail is around 700mtrs long. We found an old person sitting at the corner of the trail reading newspaper. It was a nice view altogether. We kept walking towards the Gilbert Point with Pamma clicking pics all the way.

In no time, we reached the end of the trail. Seriously, it was such a beauty. I was feeling as if in heaven. Pamma left no angle to click the pics at that time. I sat on a bench facing the trench.

Aah! it was a relieving moment. We spent around half an hour there and then moved towards the bikes. The trail was some what risky. But it was good. We, then reached our bikes at around 2:45pm. Then left that place at 3pm.

We started our journey back. We reached Dharampur at 3:20pm. Then I started having a lot of fun driving after Dharampur, as I was curving my bike after about 6 months. Wow! The road was such a nice track for the ride. We reached Jabli at 3:45pm. There, I had mutton and rice while Pamma had Dal and Rice at Modern Dhaba near Mc Donalds. Mutton and Rice were too delicious.

We paid only 120 rupees for both. Then, started our journey way back to Chandigarh. The vehicles on NH21 were driving at speeds no less than 100kmph. I was almost scared to death when a speeding truck just overtook me. Whoa! I took a deep breath n kept moving. Anyways, we reached Chandigarh at 5pm.

*Total Distance- 130km

**Total Expenditure- 300rs per head.

Preparing for my trip to kanyakumari

2010-12-08T15:03:00.002+05:30

Having thought of going for this trip since last two years. immediately after coming from Leh trip. I am preparing for the trip to kannyakumari, covering whole of the Golden Quadrilateral as well as the total coastal region of India. I was waiting restlessly for the month of December to come as I am going to Kanyakumari on the 30th of December. I completed with my exams on 6th of December.

As soon as i completed with my exams, I told my parents about my trip. To my surprise, mom was not much anti trip instead she was like, its your wish son. I was happy having heard that. My parents already knew about my trips to Nepal, Rajasthan, Leh-Ladakh etc on my bike, which I never told them that I am going to these trips. So, according to me, they now know about my passion of biking. That's why they were not so anti trip.

Ok, now I tell you about my preparations of the trip. I completed with my exams on 6th of December. Immediately after I came out of my examination hall, I started off to Sector-21, which is the most prominent place to buy things for the bike, such as helmets, bungee cords, gloves, puncture kit etc.

The things that I bought from the sector were front and rear tyres for my bike, as the earlier ones are ripped. Then I bought gloves, puncture kit and not to forget, a foot air pump. I am really not able to stay calm, as goose bumps keep coming to me. Only 22 days are left for the trip and I am so excited about the trip that I feel like shouting like hell....

Now, I will write about my trip when i return. Take care till then!

trip to Dalhousie-Chamba-khajjiar-Kala top

2010-07-02T02:30:00.001+05:30

At the start of the trip at 3am.

The halt at a bridge enroute Phagwara. Partik, Manav, Pamma, Navit and Me.

Me and Partik, enjoying the ride.

The itinerants taking rest. Vinny, Partik, Navit, Me and Manav.

Navit, Vinny and Partik striking a pose for the camera.

During our lunch time. Pamma, Vinny and Navit.

At the Gandhi Chowk, Dalhousie. Me, Manav, Vinny, Partik and Pamma.

Me mesmerizing the beauty of nature.

Again me striking for a pose.

Me, Vinny and Navit enjoying sitting on a log of tree at a place somewhere between Dalhousie and Khajjiar.

Again we all posing for the camera.

Navit showing his wanderer looks... :)

Trying to climb it up to the hill.

Me, Pamma and Vinny on the way to Kala Top, which is in between Dalhousie and Khajjiar. Kala Top is at a distance of 3km trek.

At last we all reached Kala Top. What a natural beauty it was.

The picture speaks itself. The rest house at Kala Top was established in 1925.

Some views at Kala Top.

Me and Navit Posing for the camera.

Partik, Vinny and Me, while on the way back to the parking where our bikes were parked.

We all in a single queue heading forwards..

The view of Khajjiar at night.

Some camera trick by pamma. Good job indeed!

Khajjiar in early morning.

My bike resting amidst the trees of the hills of Khajjiar.

At a petrol pump in Chamba.

On the way to Sach Pass.

Pamma and Me had got a fancy of these lambs and goats... :P

The landslide.

The policewalas at checkpost warning us of the terrorists that might be present ahead.

They even cautioned us, if we were found doing some mysterious things then the army men their would even shot us. We were all scared literally.

The drive through a Landslide area.

Water curtain.

We all pose.

Thats at Kalavan, 10 km to Sach pass... Though we couldn't make it to Sach Pass, but this place was equally fun too...

On the way back to Chamba from Kalavan.

Some dam on the way to Pathankot from Dalhousie.

This trip was a fun too...

Total days- 3

Total expenses per head- 3000Rs

Bikes' conditions:

1. Mine- hunky dory

2. Pamma's- hunky dory

3. Navit's- foot rest broken and the chainset gave some problems. So he had to get his bike repaired at Chamba.

Trip to Leh(Ladakh)-Kargil-Srinagar-Jammu

2010-06-26T19:12:00.009+05:30

Juley!!

Having planned for atleast 4 months earlier, we started preparing for our trip. We bought a portable air pump, necessary tools, bungie cords, etc. I had my sister's engagement a day before we had to depart for our trip. After attending the function, i headed towards my hostel. Then the next day i.e. 3rd july, 2009, we got our bikes readied, got em serviced, etc. Then i bought a new battery for my bike, as the older one had been discharged to last. Then we didnt have much time to get that battery recharged. So i had to buy a new battery. Then till 12 midnight of 3rd july, we packed our bags and everything essential. Then had a nap till 3am.

4th july, 2009At 3:30A.M. We left our hostel after getting fresh and having prasad. We moved towards ropar, which is the route towards leh. We reached ropar(70km) at around 5:00am. Had tea there. And moved on towards manali. After ropar, around 15km away, we were near the hills. I was enjoying the every bit of moment. We reached bilaspur(140km) at around 7:30am and had some tea and had rest. We had our breakfast at around 9:00am(180km). Then we reached mandi(210km) at 10:22am. Wow! What a beautiful place was that, a river flowing by the roadside and the sound of the water making me feel fresh. I didnt feel any tiredness having driven so far. We reached kullu(280km) at 12:00pm after covering a long tunnel. Had some rest there, and left for manali. We reached manali(323km) at 1:15pm, had our lunch at some restaurant at the mall road and then left for rohtang. It was just an awesome ride from manali to rohtang(380km), where we reached around 4:47pm. Had some rest and then finally reached Koksar(415km) at 6:30pm. I was shivering with cold as i had been drenched in rain. We Had a stay at PWD guest house. Where we had our beds only for rs15 per bed. We had our dinner around 8:30pm. There we met four guys(Pushkar Ingale, Pradeep Deulkar, Parveen Bawankule and Ajinkya bhaiya) from pune I had to take an antibiotic as i had become ill. So finally we had a fine sleep after that.

Near Rohtang Pass.

At the dam near Kullu.

Myself resting to the fresh air.

Me and Punia Sir, midway between Kullu and Manali.

Enroute Manali.

Beasts taking rest.

Me and Punia sir.

5th july, 2009
We woke up at 6:00am and left koksar at 7:00am. Then we reached Tandi(438km) which is the last fuel station before leh i.e. Around 350km before leh, so we got our bikes' fuel tanks filled upto full and we were bit sacred & simultaneously excited. And then left again. Now we entered the spiti valley, and reached keylong which was 10km from tandi. Now we reached jispa(480km) at 10:30am. Had some rest and saw the scenic beauty of himachal. Then we reached zingzing bar(512km) at 11:30am and had our breakfast... Then we happened to reach Baralacha la(525km) at around 12:00pm. Oh man! What an experience was that to see snow everywhere around. I must mention here that snow that covered those peaks was around 10-15ft. Then we reached Sarchu(558km) at 1:45pm, which is the HP-J&K border. We had our camp booked at a bivouac which cost us rs500. Had our lunch at the same bivouac and slept till evening. Then we left our camp for some local site seeing. As we returned, we saw those four guys, whom we met at Koksar, coming towards our camp. I was glad to see them again. But i came to know that they were leaving. I was sad learning that. Anyways we had our dinner at 8:30pm with some foreigners in the dining camp. Then we went to sleep around 10:00pm.

On the way to Sarchu. It was just after we left Koksar.

Azure and the mountains of the Himalayas.

Rest.

Phew!

Near Tandi.

Tandi petrol pump. The so unique thing about this place is depicted in the picture itself.

A rivulet that we had to cross on our bikes. The water was more than chilled and 1-1.5 feet deep.

Barlachala.

Bivouac at Sarchu.

Barlachala.

6th july, 2009
We woke up at 7:00am. Then left at 8:00am. After riding for a km, i found my bike's rear tyre punctured. I couldn't find anyone who could fix a tubeless tyre. Then i found a wise man from Jallandhar, punjab, Who gave me his puncture kit and left. I was more than very happy at that time. Then after getting the puncture fixed, we moved on. We then reached Lachulung La(614km) at 11:00am. It was also covered with a lot of snow though less than that of Baralachala la. We then reached Pang(638km) at 12:15pm. After that More plains started, dil dance maare, tashan was shot there, which extend upto 48km. Was an awesome experience to drive through those sand laden plains. We met a person from chandigarh. He asked me if he could drive my bike, i said yes. He drove my bike for the entire More plains. We crossed these plains till 1:30pm. Then we reached Tanglang La(705km) at 3:00pm. I could not acclimatize myself, So i had a severe headache there. I could not bear that pain. I asked my companion to leave that place early. We then started off as soon as possible. Reached Upshi(765km) at 4:30km. Had some rest and then left. Then we reached Leh(812km) at 5:15pm. And had our room booked at tongspon guest house on lower mall road which cost 300 per day. Pune guys soon joined us in the same guest house. We got fresh till 6:30pm and then moved around in the city and say shanti stupa. And had our dinner at happy world restaurant nearby our guest house. The preparation of that restaurant was too good. Then i went to sleep at 9:30pm.

The 21 mighty Gata Loops.

The Gata Loops start.

The artistic scenery formed because of winds, just after Gata Loops.

Myself, filling air in my bike's front tyre.

Checking my bike for any problem if it had.

Naki la.

Just after Nakee La.

Man Made.

Mighty Tanglang La. I had a severe nausea here.

60 kms before Leh.

Thiksey Monastry.

The two mechanic Brothers from Punjab in Leh since last 15 years.

7th july, 2009
It was a brighter morning the next day. We woke up with little happiness and smiles on our faces. I was enjoying every moment of my stay at leh(the land of lamas). Today we planned our visit to the world famous lake, Pangong tso, for which we had to get permission from the D.C. office . We had to visit the office at 9am. We got the passes till 10:30am. We left for pangong tso at 11:00am. We had to travel back till upshi to go to pangong tso. Reached upshi(860km) at 12:00pm. Then took a turn from upshi to pangong. The road to pangong was elysian. I was wondering of stopping my bike there and just look at the beauty of the nature we have in our country. The journey included places like, Shakti, tseultak, rumtse etc. We crossed chang la on the way. Met an army personnel who was from my native place. Was nice talking to him. Had kawa there, which was complimentary by the army. We reached the place from where pangong's first view was seen, was 2km behind pangong. We reached pangong tso(950km) at 2:00pm and had our lunch there. We saw its colour changing from afternoon till evening. Was just lovely experience. It was blue in the afternoon and at around 5 in the evening it was slightly grey-purple in colour. We met those guys from pune. They joined us for a walk along the lake side. We enjoyed a lot singing old songs and some senti songs. Then we reached to the top of a hill nearby, where some bunkers were there. We moved into one of the bunkers and sat there for around an hour, looking at the beauty of the lake from the top. Believe me, you cannot get your eyes off from the beauty. Then while going downhill, we were bit sacred as it was a very steep slope. At night we had tomato soup, as it was chilly outside with the cold breeze blowing. Then we slept in the same camp where we had soup.

The Leh Gate.

Shanti Stupa.

Thats me giving weird face expressions. And sitting on the left is Stanzen, the owner of Tongspon guest house in Leh.

8th july, 2009
In the morning again, we saw the changed colour of the lake. One of the members of the group from pune, jokingly called it a magical lake. We then headed towards leh again at around 9 in the morning. We reached back to leh(1088km) at around 12pm. Then after some rest, we hanged around in the city's markets and local temples. Had some bakery products at the famous german bakery at leh. It was a wonderful experience being there after a long journey.

Enroute Pangong Tso.

Chang La, enroute Pangong Tso.

Chang La.

The native Yak.

I worship this place. Its my only temple.

So, Pangong Tso conquered.

The mean machines facing Pangong Tso.

Me and Punia sir mesmerizing the lake.

Pushkar bhaiya(in red), Ajinkya bhaiya(in blue) and me(in purple), climbing up to the bunker.

Piece of photography by Punia sir.

The 5 musketeers guarding the lake. :)

Pangon tso at night.

9th july, 2009
We woke up to travel to the highest motorable road in the world. Yes! I am talking about the world famous khardung la. The journey started at around 10:30 am in the morning. We had our breakfast at ‘THE HAPPY WORLD’. We saw many of the army trucks heading towards khardung la. T’was a nice and patriotic feeling watching those army men. Then we reached khardung la(1128km) at around 12:00 noon. Phew! What a feeling was that getting to the top of the world. We stayed there for around half an hour. We had a feeling to go to nubra valley(the coldest desert in the world and the only place in India where double humped camels are seen). But being tired a lot , we decided to go back to leh. We then moved towards leh. While coming back to leh, we saw a stone lying on the roadside, it was green in colour and named as khardung frog. It was awesome. We reached leh(1164km) at 3pm. It was cool roaming around in the city. In the evening, we saw some shops having t-shirts embroidered with different designs of leh.

Khardung La, the world's highest motorable road.

Thats the road to Nubra Valley, the coldest desert in the world.

The temple on the K-Top.

Some landscapes seen from the Khardung La.

10th july, 2009

Today, we had to leave for Srinagar. We left for Srinagar at 4am. Bidding adieu to the city, Leh. We reached the famous place called Magnetic hill(1220km) at around 5:30am. But we could not experience the magnetic effect.

Then we kept on moving with the zephyr and the azure along us. The hills just seemed to be covered with gold everywhere. The colour of the sand covering the hills was golden in colour. Then we reached Lamayuru(1280km) at around 10:30am. This place was really awesome. Houses were made of sand.

TOP 50 (+1) Words of GRE

2010-06-22T19:32:00.001+05:30

TOP 50 (+1) Words of GRE

abstain - - - - to choose not to do something
adulterate - - - - to make impure
apathy - - - - lack of interest or emotion
audacious - - - - fearless and daring
capricious - - - - changing one’s mind quickly and often

corroborate - - - - to provide supporting evidence
desiccate - - - - to dry out thoroughly
engender - - - - to produce, cause, or bring about
ephemeral - - - - lasting a short time
pragmatic - - - - practical as opposed to idealistic

propriety - - - - correct behavior; obedience to rules and customs
vacillate - - - - to sway physically; to be indecisive
volatile - - - - easily aroused or changeable; lively or explosive
advocate - - - - to speak in favor of
nemesis - - - - a powerful river, a usually unconquerable opponent

bolster - - - - to support; to prop up
pariah - - - - an outcast
gullible - - - - easily deceived
surfeit - - - - abundance, excessive amount
enigma - - - - a puzzle; a mystery

spurious - - - - false, fake, not genuine
erudite - - - - learned; scholarly; bookish
fervid - - - - intensely emotional; feverish
lucid - - - - clear and easily understood
opaque - - - - impossible to see through; preventing the passage of light

placate - - - - to sooth or pacify
precipitate - - - - to throw violently or bring about abruptly; lacking deliberation
prodigal - - - - wasteful; reckless with money
zeal - - - - passion, excitement

cacophony - - - - harsh, jarring noise

deride - - - - to speak of or treat with contempt; to mock
dissonance - - - - a harsh and disagreeable combination, often of sounds
enervate - - - - to reduce in strength
eulogy - - - - speech in praise of someone
rescind - - - - to cancel, to repeal

ingenuous - - - - showing innocence or childlike simplicity
lethargic - - - - acting in an indifferent or slow, sluggish manner
malleable - - - - capable of being shaped
misanthrope - - - - a person who dislikes others
obdurate - - - - hardened in feeling; resistant to persuasion

ostentation - - - - excessive showiness
paradox - - - - a contradiction or dilemma
respite - - - - an interval of rest, a temporary delay
prevaricate - - - - to lie or deviate from the truth
venerate - - - - to respect deeply

homogenous - - - - of a similar kind
laconic - - - - using few words
laud - - - - to give praise; to glorify
loquacious - - - - talkative
mitigate - - - - to soften; to lessen
pedant - - - - someone who shows off learning

NOTE: THESE words might not occur that frequently.

Travelling tips

2010-05-17T04:30:00.001+05:30

Safety tips for driving in hilly areas

Before going for a long trip, check for the following:

1. Tyres 

2. Controls 

3. Lights 

4. Oils n fluids 

5. Chassis 

6. Stands   

Another necessary packings:

1. Carry a rehydrant or lot of water with you, as u may get strokes or get tired while riding. 

2. Carry some light food to eat, in case u dnt find a suitable place to eat. 

3. While packing your luggage(try carrying as less as u can), put the heavier things at the bottom and the lighter ones at the top and tie them to the seat wid the help of bungee cords. 

4. Carry a good working gps system or road map. 

5. Last but not the least, protect yourself fully. Carry a good solid full face helmet, jacket, travelling shoes, gloves etc.   

P.S.-Plan your trip before you leave.  

Driving tips:

1. Don't change your lane, as there are many blind curves 

2. Drive at a speed not more than 55kmph as it may be difficult to control the bike if some vehicle comes in front. 

3. When raining, slow down or prefer not to drive, as it may lead to a major accident. 

4. For fuel efficiency, try to move at constant speed. 

5. Don't travel more than 100kms at a stretch. Take rest for minimum 30min or more. 

6. Take a nap of around 10-15 min at every 2-3 break. 

7. Avoid travelling at night, as it is less visible during night. 

8. Use scratch free visor for your helmet 

9. Be attentive on your road while driving  

Things to carry:

1. Tool kit 

2. First aid kit 

3. Extra tube for tyres. 

4. Puncture kit for tubeless tyres 

5. Compact Air pump 

6. Extra bulb for headlight, tail light and indicator 

7. The must, carry all the documents viz. license, registration certificate(R.C.), pollution check certificate, insurance cover note etc. 

8. Get your tank filled to full after half of your tank is empty, as you never know, how far the next filling station may be, and what if the next station is out of stock? 

For really long trips(>2500km), get your bike serviced every 2250km-2500km...