daily update

Five ways to prepare for an MBA while working

2012-11-29T09:23:00.000-08:00

Balancing the demands of work with studying and applying for an MBA can be taxing. Here are a few tips from successful applicants that could help one cruise along.

1. Plan in Advance: Professionals looking to do an MBA should start working on it a year ahead, says Chaitanya Kalipatnapu, co-founder of executive education programme provider Eruditus and Insead alumnus. Research business schools and interact with alumni, he says.

2. Leverage Weekends: Vaibhav Pandey, a management student at ISB and an ex-software engineer, capitalised on his weekends for GMAT studies. It is equally important to find a support system, he says.

3. Highlight Leadership: Highlight experiences that demonstrate your unique abilities, says Kalipatnapu. Mention instances that show your leadership potential and list cross-cultural experiences, he adds.

4. Avoid Cliches: "Cliches do not work at all," says Kalipatnapu. Support your application with strong anecdotes. "Essays should tell your personal story," says Pandey.

5. Apply in the First Round: While each B-school has a different admission format, Kalipatnapu says it's best to apply in the first round. "If schools have a quota or are focused on diversity, it becomes hard to justify yourself in the second round," he says.

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Indian students affected as Australia shuts three vocational institutes

2012-10-03T11:22:00.001-07:00

Australia has decided to close down three vocational colleges for non-compliance of training standards, a move that will impact more than 500 Indian students enrolled in these institutes.

However, Australian High Commissioner to India Peter Varghese today assured that Indian students affected by college closures will be protected.

He was commenting on the move by Australia's vocational education regulator, the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA), to shut down two non-compliant vocational education and training colleges in Victoria and one in New South Wales (NSW).

Following comprehensive compliance assessments, including multiple site visits by ASQA officers, the ASQA audits concluded that the colleges were non-compliant with the standards that providers are required to meet in the delivery of training to domestic and international students.

"The decision to reject a training organisation's registration is not one we take lightly but the interests of students and the integrity of training standards across the VET sector have to be upheld," said ASQA Chief Commissioner Chris Robinson.

"The institutions have the right to have ASQA's decision reviewed which may delay or change the decision," he said.

Depending on the outcome of any appeals, the decisions take effect from October 30 and apply to all courses offered by The Ashmark Group Pty Ltd and G Plus G Global Trading Pty Ltd. Both colleges have campuses in Melbourne, Victoria. ASQA also served notice last month on the Ivy Group in NSW.

There are over 400 Indian students enrolled at the Ashmark Group college, over 100 Indian students enrolled at G Plus G Global and a further 30 Indian students enrolled at the Ivy Group.

Varghese said in New Delhi that Indian students affected by the foreshadowed closure of three colleges in Australia will be covered by a legislated safety net.

"The Australian Government has in place a comprehensive suite of protection mechanisms to safeguard the interests of overseas students under the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (the ESOS Act)", said Varghese.

He added, "If these education providers do close and do not meet their obligations to students, international students will be able to access the Australian Government's Tuition Protection Scheme (TPS).

"The TPS will seek to place affected students in an alternative course or refund any unspent pre-paid tuition fees to the students".

He said, "Australia is committed to maintaining high education standards and undertaking rigorous auditing of education providers".

Recession is the best time to pick assets: Sajjan Jindal

2012-09-18T09:19:00.002-07:00

There is a lot happening in the two sectors you are present-steel and power, for all the wrong reasons. Illegal mining, Coalgate etc. How do you view all this?

I think it is an evolving phase for an economy. Whenever an economy is shifting gears or moving from an underdeveloped economy or moving towards a faster growth economy then this kind of issues are bound to occur. Especially for a democratic country like India, which is so vast and diverse. These are part and parcel of the growth pangs of the growth economy. It is a phase that will pass. We'll have to allow this phase to pass. This is part and parcel of India's economy growing up.

What gives you such confidence?

Twenty years ago, India probably was a $200 billion economy and today we are close to two trillion dollar economy. We have indeed grown. Any decision by the government today can have a huge economic impact on the industry, either ways ie positively or negatively. So therefore the magnitude of the impact has become so large that it reflects immediately. As a country we have to gradually move towards a transparent system.

Isn't that the basic issue? (lack of transparency.)

That is what we lack. I've been saying for many years that natural resources allocation should be done through a very transparent process. Whatever process we follow should be totally transparent and not discretionary. .Even now the new Mines and Mineral Development and Regulation (MMDR) bill, which is going to be put up in the parliament has discretionary powers. There needs to be total clarity, wherever there is discretionary power. That breeds corruption. We have to make things more transparent and more equitable.

Was transparency the issue relating to coal block allocation?

It should not be because even in the coal blocks, there was a screening committee. There was a system put in place. There were many chief secretaries at the meeting and secretaries from different ministries who participated in the deliberations. But at the end it was all discretionary. To get approval from the state government was itself a process. If they don't like you, then your application was rejected.

How have you managed in all this?

We built India's largest steel plant in Karnataka and till date we still haven't a single iron ore mine. I've been shouting from day one to auction the mines. Put it on auction. Then I've a chance to get a mine. If it is discretionary, I will not get for sure, despite having put up the largest steel plant in the country.

So I hope with all this hullaballoo that has happened in the last few months, the transparency may finally come. Of course, there is a flip side to it. If everything is auctioned there is a fear that the big players will corner most of it as they have the financial resources. So how will the smaller players grow.

How will the smaller players grow?

I don't have an answer to that. But through a proper policy documentation, proper mechanism we can address all the misgivings.

So what you are saying that whatever is happening around you in the mining sector is a blessing in disguise?

I am a firm believer that whatever happens, it happens for the good. Ultimately, if you have a long term vision you'll understand that it is happening for the good of the nation. Of course, whatever is happening today is very painful to everyone. To me, our group companies are put into hardship obviously it is very painful but eventually it will bring in transparency. Transparency is a must, otherwise we will continue to be called as one of most corrupt countries.
copied from ET

Office Politics

2012-09-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

More often then not one has to deal with office politics & “the dirty game” that goes on at the work place. But then like every coin has 2 sides…there is good side to it toooo…So let us see how to run a positive campaign at the workplace & how to handle the negative Yadavji & Guptaji in our work life. (No offense intended if your surname is Yadavji n Guptaji — I’m sure you’re still lovely)
Talking about it, how do we begin?? And what do we do to run a good campaign?? As a answer to this let me divide the entire “good campaign” process into 2 parts. One, wherein you promote yourself and your team in an effective way . And second, by engaging yourself in positive office politics. Combining both ways, following are some of the best practices that can help in positive office campaigning.
· Finding a mentor (or two) because they can help navigate difficult personalities; look for solutions when you need sounding board. Most people like to help others — just be sure to come to him or her with a problem and a few possible solutions because Your mentor isn’t there to listen to you complain or to solve all of your problems for you.
· Take initiative, try to start something new, even if it’s just a fun thing for you as well as your coworkers to do together. There are some activities like fundraising activities, office holiday celebrations etc. It doesn’t have to be something that increases revenue to show leadership and team-building skills. (Although if you can identify a way to increase revenue, by all means, just go for it!!!!)
· Overcome your fear of speaking up. Many people have good ideas, but they’re afraid of being shot down or of what might happen if the idea bombs. But participation is an important part of good office politics. It shows that you’re engaged and thinking of solutions. If you’re too scared to speak up, talk to your mentor about ways to present your ideas at the next meeting or try joining a speaking group.
· Think about the best interest of the team or company. Before asserting your opinion or arguing your case, ask yourself who will benefit. Are you against change because you don’t want to take the time to learn something new, even though it’ll improve a system? Think big-picture and beyond your immediate desires. When a disagreement starting going downhill, try to get the group to refocus on the big picture.
· Be positive. This isn’t always easy. Believe me. But the people who constantly complain and play the victim are no fun to be around. People will start avoiding you, even if what you say has some merit. You want a reputation as a problem-solver, not a whiner.
· Develop your skills and techniques. This will not only help you build your confidence but also others will start to trust you and believe in your work.
Apart from all this, one should also know how to deal with “bad vibes” at the work place. Some of the tactics to handle them are:
· Avoid gossiping. Gossip will inevitably reach your cubicle, but ask yourself if there’s any credibility to the rumors. Whether there is or there isn’t, don’t pass it on. People who enjoy gossip usually only have half the story, and taking part is a sure way to wind up with your foot in your mouth.
· Watch what you say “in confidence.” Most things said in confidence will get out, usually starting with “I’m not supposed to say anything, but…” Disclose at your own risk. Try to be professional and polite to everyone but watch out on whom to trust. Just because you like someone doesn’t mean you can trust them with your confidential information.
· Instead of distancing yourself from the people who practice bad politics, get to know these people better. Get to know their motivations and goals to work more harmoniously with them (or at least to avoid in being in bad terms with them)

With MBA from US, Indians return to do business at home

2012-07-27T10:09:00.004-07:00

More and more Indians graduating from top global business schools, including Wharton, Harvardand Stanford, are spurning traditional job offers in favour of starting up new business ventures back home.
Wharton's MBA batch of 2012 had 70-80 Indians, of which 10-15 turned entrepreneurs. And in the current class of about 100 Indians, 15-20 are alreadyentrepreneurs or are actively working towards founding their own businesses, according to ET estimates based on interviews with 10 alumni. Such instances were uncommon even as recently as 2009.

Harvard Business School saw 5-6 out of 30-35 Indian students turning entrepreneurs from its class of 2011, according to alumni estimates. It hardly had any Indian entrepreneurs five years ago. Similarly, Stanford's B-school saw a record-breaking 16% of its class of 2011 starting their own firms, with a significant number of Indians in the group.

"Global B-schools expose them (Indian students) to a strong entrepreneurial architecture with a greater number of role models, success stories and potential investors," says Kunal Bahl, founder and CEO of SnapDeal.com. "This gives them the much-needed confidence to do something of their own."

Bahl passed out of Wharton in 2006 and immediately started work on SnapDeal.

"This is definitely a key trend for our generation," says Anirudh Suri, an MBA from The Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania) class of 2012, who currently runs an early-stage venture capital fund, The India Internet Group.

Senior level professionals going back to B-school to acquire management skillsets

2012-07-25T12:03:00.000-07:00

Senior level professionals going back to B-school to acquire management skillsets
Liane Cabral Ghosh was working as a senior manager and strategist at Dell's research and development centre in Bangalore, when she decided to enroll for an INSEAD leadership programme for senior Indian executives last August.

"I was growing well in technical functions, but did not have management skillsets. I wanted a programme that could provide a career jump for senior leadership positions," says Ghosh. The programme concluded last month, and it seems that Cabral has been taught well. She joins Canadian IT company Innovatia this month as country manager.

Senior-level professionals across functions, profiles and industries are going back to school for short-term and long-term executive education programmes in order to reskill themselves. Ghosh's batchmates at INSEAD included Rajshree Naik, the marketing head of Forevermark, De Beers; and Manesh Nair, former director of business relationship consulting, India and Thailand, at American Express, and after the course, global director for partnership development posted at American Express, New York.

"We are witnessing a growth of 25% when it comes to participation in 'open enrollment' executive education programmes every year," says Deepak Chandra, deputy dean at the Indian School of Business (ISB).

Open enrollment programmes are meant for professionals from all fields looking at a specialisation in functions like marketing, finance or sales strategies. ISB will host 5,000 such students this year. It currently offers 45-50 such programmes, up from 5-6 a decade ago. The courses at ISB last anywhere from a week to a month.

"Reskilling assumes greater importance in challenging times," says Chaitanya Kalipatnapu.

Kalipatnapu is co-founder and director of Eruditus, a firm promoted by the alumni of INSEAD and Harvard Business School (HBS) to deliver executive education programmes. "Business schools witness a spike in activity during a slowdown, as candidates consider it safe to turn to education and feel the slowdown would be over and done with by the time they pass out."

Among the IIMs, Kozhikode is the only one to offer a two-year executive post-graduate programme in management for professionals. The batch size for this programme accredited by the London-based Association of MBAs (AMBA) has increased from 220 in 2010-12 to 333 for 2012-14. "We have increased the batch size owing to a significant demand for this course among professionals," says C Raju, professor, quantitative methods and operations management, at IIM Kozhikode. The institute will also have two new one-year executive education programmes on human resource management and IT this year.

"The number of requests and applications for customised and open enrollment programmes have more than doubled this year," says Eruditus' Kalipatnapu. It offers executive education programmes from INSEAD (one-year), Wharton (both short-term and long-term), and Tuck School of Business in India. While Wharton has introduced open enrollment executive education programmes in the country this year, Tuck School of Business entered into a first-of-its-kind by-invitation consortium with a few companies like TCS, Mahindra & Mahindra and HSBC this year, wherein the companies nominated their senior managers for a programme on innovation and leadership. The Tuck programme is spread over nine months.

Individuals often opt for these programmes on their own, but companies too nominate and shortlist candidates and even work with universities on customised case studies to address their business needs. "Companies are realising that education is a good motivating tool to attract and retain talent," adds ISB's Chandra.

"Companies realise that the economic challenges demand a more targeted approach to talent management," says Kalipatnapu. Firms like Bharat Petroleum, Accenture and IBM work with these top schools for programmes tailor-made to suit their needs.

Harvard Business School India Research Center, which handles executive education programmes in India, has diversified its portfolio of executive education programmes this year. "We had three executive education programmes last year, and we plan to have around 10 this year," says Amrita Chowdhury, associate director, education, at HBS India Research Center. It has introduced new programmes on leadership and corporate accountability and innovation. "As senior professionals move up the leader, they realise they need specialised skills in general management and leadership," says Chowdhury.

IIM SEAT: CLASS 10TH AND 12TH SCORES MORE MATTER THAN CAT

2012-07-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

By all the means, you need to work hard to do well in your combined admission test (CAT) to get into an IIM's. But how well you do in CAT after you have been shortlisted which means you have made it to at least the top 10% of all applicants, makes up only a fifth of your final score when it comes to securing an IIM admission.

In fact it's your class 10th and 12th result that accounts for more 25% of the final score , your bachelor's degree 15%. The factor with the maximum weightage is your performance in group discussion(GD) GD summary and personal interview 35%. the balance 5% depends on work experience and whether you taken a "professional course".
And if you thought a B.Tech from IIT gives you an extra advantage,sorry. Only a CA qualifies as a "professional course" .
when it comes to work experience, three years will get u the maximum score depending on the quality and relevance of your job, anything more than three years.
Such details have been revealed for the first time by the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore which conducted the CAT last year after it was forced by the Central Information Comdardised scores in each category for IIM (B) in 2007 class 10th and 12th exam ; Bachelor's ; Group discussion and interview and work experience has now been posted on www.iimb.ernet.in Other IIMs are expected to follow a similar method.
IIM applicants in the general category have long known that they need to be in the top ten percent in CAT scores but it's now been revealed that to be even considered for the interview call, they must be in the top 15% in each section of the test verbal,logic and data,quantitative. SC/ST and disabled applicants need to be in the top 50% in the logic and quantitative, top 45% in verbal.In overall score,however,SC applicants need to be in the top 25% while ST in the top 35%.

F.D.I

2012-07-08T12:15:00.001-07:00

Foreign direct investment (FDI) is investment directly into production in a country by a company located in another country, either by buying a company in the target country or by expanding operations of an existing business in that country. Foreign direct investment is done for many reasons including to take advantage of cheaper wages in the country, special investment privileges such as tax exemptions offered by the country as an incentive to gain tariff-free access to the markets of the country or the region. Foreign direct investment is in contrast to portfolio investment which is a passive investment in the securities of another country such as stocks and bonds.

As a part of the national accounts of a country FDI refers to the net inflows of investment to acquire a lasting management interest (10 percent or more of voting stock) in an enterprise operating in an economy other than that of the investor. It is the sum of equity capital, other long-term capital, and short-term capital as shown the balance of payments. It usually involves participation in management, joint-venture, transfer of technology and expertise. There are two types of FDI: inward foreign direct investment and outward foreign direct investment, resulting in a net FDI inflow (positive or negative) and "stock of foreign direct investment", which is the cumulative number for a given period. Direct investment excludes investment through purchase of shares.FDI is one example of international factor movements.

the total retail of the year

2011-- RS 1572550cr.

2012--- $ 400 billion

2015--- $ 800 billion( expected)

india has apporx. 98 lakh food retailers

SOME POINTS RELATED TO FDI :-

1 in next 3 years 10 millions are likely to be raised in retail sector

2 farmers and agro producers will get 12 to 15% more price for their produce

3 70% of retail is in food items most of which are locally sourced.

4 multi brand retail will be on economic driver pushing india growth to beyond 8%.*

*FIGURES COME FROM STUDY DONE BY CII

5. in india the organised retail market is less than 5%.in other countries the figures are as follows

US-- 85 %

MALAYSIA-- 55 %

BRAZIL-- 36 %

CHINA-- 20 %

6. organized retail & multi brand retail will greatly encourage refrignaion,reservation, and food irradiation.

ACCORDING TO APEDA( AGRO PROCESSING EXPORT DEVELOPMENT AGENCY) RS 27000CR. FOOD AND VEGTABLES ARE WASTED.

when multi branding comes in it is directly going to be done procument under the APMC* act

*APMC-- agricultural produce marketing community

ORGANISED RETAIL SECTOR IN INDIA--

CLOTHING-- 36 %

ELECTRONICS-- 14 %

FOOD -- 12 %

FOOTWEAR -- 9 %

THE MAIN INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES WHICH WILL COME AFTER ALLOWING FDI

WALMART

Sam Walton, a businessman from Arkansas, began his retail career when he started work on June 3, 1940, at a J. C. Penney store in Des Moines, Iowa where he remained for 18 months. In 1945, he met Butler Brothers, a regional retailer that owned a chain of variety stores called Ben Franklin and that offered him one in Newport. Walton was extremely successful in running the store in Newport, far exceeding expectations. However, when the lease came up for renewal, Walton could neither come to agreement on the existing store's lease renewal nor find a new location in Newport. Instead, he opened a new Ben Franklin franchise in Bentonville, Arkansas, but called it "Walton's Five and Dime." There, he achieved higher sales volume by marking up slightly less than most competitors.

On July 2, 1962, Walton opened the first Walmart Discount City store located at 719 Walnut Ave. in Rogers, Arkansas. The building is now occupied by a hardware store and an antique mall. Within five years, the company expanded to 24 stores across Arkansas and reached $12.6 million in sales. In 1968, it opened its first stores outside Arkansas, in Sikeston, Missouri and Claremore, Oklahoma. Walton was extremely successful in running the store in Newport, far exceeding expectations.However, when the lease came up for renewal, Walton could neither come to agreement on the existing store's lease renewal nor find a new location in Newport. Instead, he opened a new Ben Franklin franchise in Bentonville, Arkansas, but called it "Walton's Five and Dime." There, he achieved higher sales volume by marking up slightly less than most competitors., Arkansas.

CARREFOUR

Carrefour S.A. (French pronunciation: is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Boulogne Billancourt, France, in Greater Paris.It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world (with 1,395 hypermarkets at the end of 2009, the second largest retail group in the world in terms of revenue and third largest in profit after Wal-Mart and Tesco). Carrefour operates mainly in Europe, Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Dominican Republic, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, but also has shops in North Africa and other parts of Asia, with most stores being of smaller size than hypermarket or even supermarket. Carrefour means "crossroads" in French. Previously the company head office was in Levallois-Perret, also in Greater Paris.

The first Carrefour store opened on 1 January 1958 in suburban Annecy near a crossroads (carrefour in French). The group was created by Marcel Fournier, Denis Defforey and Jacques Defforey and grew into a chain from this first sales outlet. In 1995 it merged with Promodès, known as Continent, one of its major competitors in the French market.

Marcel Fournier, Denis Defforey and Jacques Defforey had attended several seminars in the United States led by "the Pope of modern distribution" Bernardo Trujillo, who influenced other famous French executives like Édouard Leclerc (E.Leclerc), Gérard Mulliez (Auchan), Paul Dubrule (Accor), and Gérard Pélisson (Accor). Their slogan was "No parking, no business".

The Carrefour group was the first in Europe to open a hypermarket, a large supermarket and a department store under the same roof. They opened their first hypermarket on 15 June 1963 inSainte-Geneviève-des-Bois, near Paris in France.

In September 2009, Carrefour updated its logo.In April 1976, Carrefour launched a private label Produits libres (free products – libre meaning free in the sense of liberty as opposed to gratis) line of fifty foodstuffs, including oil, biscuits (crackers and cookies), milk, and pasta, sold in unbranded white packages at substantially lower prices.

In May 2011, Carrefour reviewed its situation under conditions of stagnant growth and increasing competition in France from rivals including Casino Guichard-Perrachon SA, and planned to invest €1.5 billion ($2.1 billion) to change the supermarket with the new concept of Carrefour Planet in Western Europe.

TESCO

During the 1950s and the 1960s Tesco grew organically, and also through acquisitions, until it owned more than 800 stores. The company purchased 70 Williamson's stores (1957), 200 Harrow Stores outlets (1959), 212 Irwins stores (1960, beating Express Dairies' Premier Supermarkets to the deal), 97 Charles Phillips stores (1964) and the Victor Value chain (1968) (sold to Bejam in 1986).

Jack Cohen founded Tesco in 1919 when he began to sell surplus groceries from a stall at Well Street Market, Hackney, in the East End of London.The Tesco brand first appeared in 1924. The name came about after Jack Cohen bought a shipment of tea from T. E. Stockwell. He made new labels using the first three letters of the supplier's name (TES), and the first two letters of his surname (CO), forming the word TESCO. The first Tesco store was opened in 1929 in Burnt Oak, Edgware, Middlesex. Tesco was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1947 as Tesco Stores (Holdings) Limited. The first self-service store opened in St Albans in 1956 (which remained operational until 2010, with a period as a Tesco Metro), and the first supermarket in Maldon in 1956.

Originally specialising in food and drink, it has diversified into areas such as clothing, electronics, financial services, telecoms, retailing and renting DVDs, CDs, music downloads, Internet services and software.

Jack Cohen's business motto was "pile it high and sell it cheap", to which he added an internal motto of "YCDBSOYA" (You Can't Do Business Sitting On Your Arse) which he used to motivate his sales force.

In May 1987 Tesco completed its hostile takeover of the Hillards chain of 40 supermarkets in the North of England for £220 million.

In 1994, the company took over the supermarket chain William Low, successfully fighting off Sainsbury's for control of the Dundee-based firm, which operated 57 stores. This paved the way for Tesco to expand its presence in Scotland, which was weaker than in England. In 2006 Inverness was branded as "Tescotown", because well over 50p in every £1 spent on food is believed to be spent in its three Tesco stores.

Tesco introduced a loyalty card, branded 'Clubcard', in 1995 and later an Internet shopping service. As of November 2006 Tesco was the only food retailer to make online shopping profitable.In 1996 the typeface of the logo was changed to the current version with stripe reflections underneath, whilst the corporate font used for store signage was changed from the familiar "typewriter" font that had been used since the 1970s. Terry Leahy assumed the role of Chief Executive on 21 February 1997, the appointment having been announced on 21 November 1995.

On 21 March 1997 Tesco announced the purchase of the retail arm of Associated British Foods, which consisted of the Quinnsworth, Stewarts and Crazy Prices chains in the Republic of Irelandand Northern Ireland, plus associated businesses, for £640 million. The deal was approved by the European Commission on 6 May 1997. This acquisition gave it both a major presence in (and marked a return to) the Republic of Ireland and a larger presence in Northern Ireland than Sainsbury's, which had begun its move into Northern Ireland in 1995.

In 1997, Tesco and Esso (part of Exxonmobil) formed a business alliance that included several petrol filling stations on lease from Esso, with Tesco operating the attached stores under their Express format. In turn Esso operates the forecourts and sells their fuel via the Tesco store. 200 Tesco/Esso sites now exist across the world.

IKEA

IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds, chairs, desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer. Founded in 1943 by 17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad in Sweden, the company is named as an acronym comprising the initials of the founder's name (Ingvar Kamprad), the farm where he grew up (Elmtaryd), and his hometown (Agunnaryd, in Småland, South Sweden).The company is known for its modern architectural designs on various types of appliance and furniture, often associated with a simplified eco-friendly interior design.

Product names

IKEA products are identified by single word names. Most of the names are Scandinavian in origin. Although there are some notable exceptions, most product names are based on a special naming system developed by IKEA.

Upholstered furniture, coffee tables, rattan furniture, bookshelves, media storage, doorknobs: Swedish placenames (for example: Klippan)

Beds, wardrobes, hall furniture: Norwegian place names

Dining tables and chairs: Finnish place names

Bookcase ranges: Occupations

Bathroom articles: Scandinavian lakes, rivers and bays

Kitchens: grammatical terms, sometimes also other names

Chairs, desks: men's names

Fabrics, curtains: women's names

Garden furniture: Swedish islands

Carpets: Danish place names

Lighting: terms from music, chemistry, meteorology, measures, weights, seasons, months, days, boats, nautical terms

Bedlinen, bed covers, pillows/cushions: flowers, plants, precious stones

Children's items: mammals, birds, adjectives

Curtain accessories: mathematical and geometrical terms

Kitchen utensils: foreign words, spices, herbs, fish, mushrooms, fruits or berries, functional descriptions

Boxes, wall decoration, pictures and frames, clocks: colloquial expressions, also Swedish place names

RADIO SHACK

The company was started as Radio Shack in 1921 by two brothers, Theodore and Milton Deutschmann, who wanted to provide equipment for the then-nascent field of amateur, or ham, radio. The brothers opened a one-store retail and mail-order operation in the heart of downtown Boston at 46Brattle Street, near the site of the Boston Massacre. They chose the name "Radio Shack," which was the term for a small, wooden structure that housed a ship's radio equipment. The Deutschmanns thought the name was appropriate for a store that would supply the needs of radio officers aboard ships, as well as "ham" radio operators. The term was already in use - and is to this day - by "hams" when referring to the location of their stations.

The company issued its first catalog in 1939 as it entered the high-fidelity music market. In 1954, Radio Shack began selling its own private-label products under the brand name Realist, but was subsequently sued and consequently changed the brand name to Realistic. After expanding to nine stores plus an extensive mail-order business, the company fell on hard times in the 1960s. Radio Shack was essentially bankrupt, but Charles Tandy saw the potential of Radio Shack and retail consumer electronics and bought the company for $300,000.

RadioShack Corporation (formerly Tandy Corporation) is an American franchise of electronics retail stores in the United States, as well as parts of Europe, South America and Africa. As of 2008, RadioShack reported net sales and operating revenues of $4.81 billion. The headquarters of RadioShack is located in Downtown Fort Worth, Texas. RadioShack is also a sponsor for the Samsung/RadioShack 500NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway. On July 21, 2009, RadioShack announced a partnership with T-Mobile USA, and started offering the service in August 2009. The T-Mobile partnership ended on September 15, 2011, when Verizon Wireless launched in over 4,000 of the retail stores nationwide.

RadioShack's current proprietary brands include RadioShack branded products (parts, adapters, telephones and other legacy/classic products), AntennaCraft (outdoor antennas and amplifiers), Auvio (audio/video cables, LCD TV's, headphones, premium surge protectors and speakers),Enercell (batteries and power), Gigaware (computer, GPS and iPod accessories, mp3 players and accessories, as well as digital cameras, digital camera accessories and digital picture frames) and PointMobl (Wireless Phone Accessories).

Discontinued brands include Accurian (audio and video equipment and accessories), MyMusix (MP3 players; now marketed under the Gigaware brand), Kronus (tools), Optimus (formerly audio and PA/DJ equipment; later used for digital camera accessories), Presidian (audio and video equipment, telephones, flashlights, calculators, and 2-way radios), VoiceStar (wireless phone accessories), Archer (wiring and antennas), Duofone (telephones & accessories), Micronta (scientific and educational equipment) and Realistic (sound equipment).

In 2009, the company became the main sponsor of a new cycling team, Team RadioShack, with Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel as two of the members.

BEST BUY

In 1966, Richard M. Schulze and business partner Gary Smoliak, opened Sound of Music, an audio specialty store, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. In 1967, Sound Of Music acquired Kencraft Hi-Fi Company and Bergo Company. Two additional Sound of Music stores were opened near the University of Minnesota and in downtown Minneapolis. The Sound of Music ended its first year with gross sales of $173,000 (USD). In 1969, Sound of Music's stock began trading as a publicly held company, the company enacted its first employee stock option plan, and three stores opened in the Twin Cities area. In 1970, Sound of Music hit the $1 million mark in annual revenues. In 1979, Sound of Music became the first suppliers of video and laserdisc equipment including Panasonic, Magnavox, Sony and Sharp.

On June 14, 1981, a tornado hit the Roseville, Minnesota store. Sound of Music responded with a "Tornado Sale," (with the sale promoted as a "Best Buy") and it became an annual event. In 1983, Sound of Music's board of directors approved a new corporate name: Best Buy Co., Inc.,the company opened its first superstore in Burnsville, Minnesota, featuring expanded selling space, a wide assortment of discounted brand-name goods, central service, and warehouse distribution. Stores began selling appliances and videocassette recorders. In 1985, Best Buy (symbol BBY) debuted on the New York Stock Exchange with an offering of 8.3 million shares. In 1987, Best Buy's brand logo changed to the yellow tag. In 1989, Best Buy unveiled a new "grab-and-go" store format.

Best Buy Co., Inc. is an American specialty retailer of consumer electronics in the United States, accounting for 19% of the market. It also operates in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada and China. The company's subsidiaries include Geek Squad, CinemaNow, Magnolia Audio Video, Pacific Sales, and, in Canada operates under both the Best Buy and Future Shop label. Together these operate more than 1,150 stores domestically and internationally In addition, the company operates over 100 Best Buy Express Automated Retail stores or "ZoomShops", operated by Zoom Systems, in airports and malls around the U.S. The company is headquartered in Richfield, Minnesota, United States.

Best Buy was named "Company of the Year" by Forbes magazine in 2004, "Specialty Retailer of the Decade" by Discount Store News in 2001,ranked in the Top 10 of "America's Most Generous Corporations" by Forbes magazine in 2005 (based on 2004 giving), and made Fortunemagazine's List of Most Admired Companies in 2006.

SOME INDIAN COMPANY OF THE RETAIL SECTOR

FUTURE GROUP :-

1 SPENCER

2 BIG BAZAAR

3 PANTALOON

4 PARK X

5 COLOR PLUS

ADITYA BIRLA GROUP :-

K. RAHEJA :-

1 SHOPPER'S STOP

2 CROSSWORD

TATA GROUP :-

1 LANDMARK

2 TITAN

3 WESTSIDE

FDI ALLOWED IN OTHER COUNTRIES ARE SUCH AS :-

CHINA- 100%

RUSSIA-100 %

BRAZIL-100%

*IN 2002 MONASOLI MARAN PROPOSED 100% RETAIL IN INDIA.

* IN 1997, 51 % FDI WAS ALLOWED BY DR. MANMOHAN SINGH

* ALL FIGURES ARE TAKEN BY SOME SURVEY

copyright to ashish lohani

UPDATE YOUR SONY ERCISSON PHONE MANUALLY WITH THE HELP OF THIS BLOG

2012-06-21T02:02:00.001-07:00

Sony Ericsson W8 owners have long waited for the official Android 2.3.3 update to roll out for their devices. Preponed from Q4 to Q3 and then pushed back again to Q4, the prayers have now been answered and Android 2.3.3 can now be seen running on many Sony Ericsson W8 around the world.

However, I am sure that there are a lot of people who are still using the outdated OS version 1.6 and haven’t updated their phone to Android 2.3.3 yet.
This is a tutorial for those people who want to update their Sony Ericsson W8 to the latest update from the company.
If you follow the instructions clearly then, by the end of the tutorial, you would have your phone running on Latest Android Version.

Step 1.

Download and install Sony Ericsson PC Companion and Sony Ericsson Update service inidually from http://www.sonymobile.com/gb/support/ Don't forget to select the type of your phone ( Sony Ericsson W8 ). Images below is use for example only, later appearance will not be much different.

Step 2.

Make sure that you backup all the data on your phone like messages, contacts, market applications etc before you proceed with the update.

Its not necessary to backup the photos and songs as they are stored on the memory card and would not be lost in the process. But to be on the safer side it is recommended that you keep a copy of them on your computer.

Step 3.

After you are done with the backup, run update service on your system. Make sure that your system is connected to the internet before you run the update service.

This step is ided into a checklist which needs to be considered before you begin.

a. Check that you have the USB cable for the phone.

b. Make sure that the phone battery is charged to at least 50%.

c. Make sure that your phone is not connected to the system.

The screen should look like the one below.

Check the license agreement statement and click Start to begin.
Step 4.

Now, amongst the list of other Sony Ericsson phone, select Sony Ericsson W8 and click Next.
Step 5.

Follow the instructions as they appear on the screen. For your convenience, find the instructions written below as well.

a. Turn off the phone and wait at least 30 seconds.

b. Connect the micro- USB cable to the USB port on the system.

c. Press and hold the Back key on the phone while connecting the USB cable into the phone.

d. Continue holding the Back key until a message saying, “Release the Back key” appears on the screen.

Step 6.

Let the update service check your phone and search for the latest update.
I already updated my phone to 2.3.3 before creating this tutorial, hence, the message I got was that my phone already has the latest software. But, if you are on Android 1.6, you would see the message that a new software update is available for your phone.

Click on Update\Install to proceed with the same.
The update service would now start downloading the software which is approximately 161 MB in size. The download may take several minutes depending on the speed of the internet connection.
Step 7.

After the software file has been downloaded, the service would begin installing the new operating system on your phone. During this time, make sure that the phone remains connected to the system. It may take several minutes to complete, so please be patient.
Step 8.

After the software has been installed, a message saying, your phone has been updated successfully, would appear on the screen. Click on Exit to close the update service.
Now, you can disconnect the USB cable and switch on the phone.
Step 9.

The phone might take a long time to boot up after fresh installation of the operating system. So, give it some time and set up the phone once it starts.

The phone would also seem to be a bit slow and laggy in the beginning. This is because the hardware needs to get accustomed to the new operating system. Play around for a couple of hours with the new update and you would find that the phone has resumed its fluidity.
This is the method that I used to update my phone and it worked flawlessly for me. If you run into any problems, do let us know and we would help you out.
Alternatively, you can try updating your phone with PC Companion, the video for which can be found on Sony Ericsson’s Support website.

REAL INDIAN HERO

2012-06-18T03:32:00.001-07:00

DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam born 15 October 1931 usually referred to as A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, is an Indian scientist and administrator who served as the 11th President of India.

Kalam was born and raised in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, and completed his studies in aerospace engineering at Madras Institute of Technology (MIT – Chennai). He joined Aeronautical Development Establishment of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), India and is known for his contributions to the aeronautical and missile technology of India.

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was elected president of India in 2002, defeating Lakshmi Sahgal, and was supported by both National Democratic Alliance(NDA) and BJP, then major political party of India. After serving office as a president till 2007 he is now a visiting professor at Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and Indian

Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam

Abdul Kalam at the 12th Wharton India Economic Forum, 2008
President of India
In office 26 July 2002 – 24 July 2007

Personal details
Born	15 October 1931 (age 80) Rameswaram, British India(present day Tamil Nadu, India)
Political party	Independent
Alma mater	St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli Madras Institute of Technology
Profession	Professor, Author, scientist Aerospace engineer
Religion	Islam
Website	abdulkalam.com

Institute of Management, Indore; Chancellor of Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology Thiruvananthapuram, a professor of Aerospace Engineering at Anna University (Chennai), JSS University (Mysore), and an adjunct/visiting faculty at many other academic and research institutions across India and is involved in philanthropic work.

Many critics, however, regard him as lacking in scientific credentials, an administrator rather than a scientist, who has mostly carried forward the works initiated by Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai. He has also been accused of exaggerating his achievements and claiming credit, in both India's nuclear and missile programmes, for work done by others.

Career as scientist

This was my first stage, in which I learnt leadership from three great teachers—Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, Prof. Satish Dhawan and Dr. Brahm Prakash. This was the time of learning and acquisition of knowledge for me.

“

”

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

After graduating from Madras Institute of Technology (MIT – Chennai) in 1960, Kalam joined Aeronautical Development Establishment of Defense Research and Development Organization as a chief scientist. There, Kalam started his career by designing a small helicopter for the Indian Army, but remained unconvinced with the choice of his job.Kalam was also part of the INCOSPAR committee working underVikram Sarabhai. In 1969, Kalam was transferred to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) where he was the project director of India's first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-III) which successfully deployed the Rohini satellite in near earth orbit in July 1980. Joining ISRO was one of Kalam's biggest achievements in life and he is said to have found himself when he started to work on the SLVproject. Kalam first started work on an expandable rocket project independently at DRDO in 1965. In 1969, Kalam received the government's approval and expanded the program to include more engineers.

Kalam addresses engineering students at IIT Guwahati

In 1963–64, he visited Nasa's Langley Research Center in Poquoson, Virginia, Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland and Wallops Flight Facility situated at Eastern Shore of Virginia. From the 1970s and 1990s, Kalam made an effort to develop the Polar SLV and SLV-III project which proved to be a success. In 1974, Kalam was shifted to the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), a subsidiary of DRDO.

Kalam was invited by Raja Ramanna to witness the country's first nuclear test, Smiling Buddha as the representative of TBRL, even though he had not participated in developing or even taken part in the test site preparations or weapon designing. In the 1970s, a landmark was passed when ISRO first launched into space the locally built Rohini-1, using the SLV rocket. In the 1970s, Kalam also directed Project Devil and Project Valiant – which sought to develop ballistic missiles from the technology of Kalam's successful SLV programme. Despite the disapproval of Union Cabinet, PremierIndira Gandhi allotted secret funds for these aerospace projects through her discretionary powers under Kalam's directorship. Kalam played an integral role convincing the Union Cabinet to conceal the true nature of these classified aerospace projects. His research and educational leadership brought him great laurels and prestige in 1980s, which prompted the government to initiate an advanced missile program under his directorship. As Chief Executive of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (I.G.M.D.P), he played a major part in developing many missiles in India including Agni and Prithvi, although the projects have been criticised for mismanagement and cost and time overruns. He was the Chief Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister and the Secretary of Defence Research and Development Organisation from July 1992 to December 1999. The Pokhran-II nuclear tests were conducted during this period where he played an intensive political and technological role. Kalam served as the Chief Project Coordinator, along with R. Chidambaram during the testing phase. Photos and snapshots of him taken by the media elevated Kalam as the country's top nuclear scientist although Kalam was not directly involved with the nuclear program at the time.

In the year 1998, with cardiologist Dr.SomaRaju, Kalam developed a low cost Coronary stent. It was named as "Kalam-Raju Stent" honouring them In 2012, the duo, designed a rugged tablet PC for health care in rural areas. It is named as "Kalam-Raju Tablet".

Criticisms and controversies

The controversy that surrounds Kalam's role as a nuclear scientist, is the lack of reliable and factual reporting of the yield of Pokhran-II tests. The director of the site test, K. Santhanam, publicly admitted that the thermonuclear bomb was a "fizzle" test, criticising Kalam for issuing the wrong report. However, Kalam dismissed the claims, and R. Chidambaram, a key associated withPokhran-II, had also described these claims as incorrect. In spite of his leading role in the development of Indian nuclear programme, Kalam has received criticism from many of his peers who claimed that Kalam had "no authority" over nuclear science. Homi Sethna, a chemical engineer criticised Kalam claiming that Kalam had no background in publishing articles in nuclear science, even in nuclear physics. Sethna maintained that Kalam received his doctorate in aerospace engineering which is a completely different discipline from nuclear engineering, and what various universities awarded him for his achievements had nothing to do with nuclear physics. Sethna, in his last interview, maintained that in the 1950s, Kalam had failed advanced physics courses during his college life, and quoted "What does he know (about [nuclear] physics)....?", on national television. Homi Sethna also accused Kalam of using his presidency to gain a national stature of nuclear scientist. Others felt that Kalam had never worked in any of the Indian nuclear power plants and had no role in developing the nuclear weapon which was completed underRaja Ramanna. Kalam worked as an aerospace engineer in a SLV project in the 1970s and from the 1980s onwards as a project director before he was shifted to Defence Research and Development Organisation, Sethna concluded. The prestigious Indian Institute of Science Bangalore rejected Kalam's application as they felt that he lacked scientific credentials.

In 2008, Indian media questioned his claims about his personal contributions to missile inventions while working in a classified missile programme. Kalam had taken credit of inventing theAgni, Prithvi, and Aakash missile system. All of these were developed, researched and designed by other scientists whereas Kalam was involved in getting the funds and other logistic tasks.As a director of DRDO, a lot of credit had gone to Kalam. R. N. Agarwal, former director, Advanced System Laboratory and former Program Director of Agni missile was considered to be the real architect behind the successful design of Agni Missile. In his own biography, Kalam credited the development of "Agni" to Dr Ram Narayan Agarwal, an alumnus of MIT. For the Prithvi missile project, he named Col VJ Sundaram as the brain behind this project and for the Trishul missile, he gave credit to Cmdr SR Mohan. In 2006, senior media correspondent Praful Bidwai, in the The Daily Star, wrote that two aerospace projects, Project Valiant and Project Devil, which were authorised by former Premier Indira Gandhi under the directorship of Abdul Kalam, resulted in "total failure". In the 1980s, these projects were ultimately cancelled by the government under pressure by the Indian Army.

Kalam was also criticised by civil groups over his stand on the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant, where he supported setting up of the nuclear power plant and never spoke with the local people.

Frisking by American security authorities

Abdul Kalam was frisked at JFK Airport in New York, while boarding a plane on 29 September 2011 as a part of "private screening" as he does not come under the category of dignitaries exempt from security screening procedures under stringent American guidelines. However, he was frisked again after boarding the Air India aircraft with US security officials came and asked for his jacket and shoes, claiming that these items were not checked according to prescribed procedure during the "private screening". The incident was not reported until 13 November that year. India threatened retaliatory action as there was a "general sense of outrage" around the country. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs protested over this incident, and a statement by the ministry said that the US Government had written a letter to Kalam, expressing its deep regret for the inconvenience.

Kalam was previously frisked by the ground staff of the Continental Airlines at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi in July 2009 and was treated like an ordinary passenger, despite the fact that he is on the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security's list of people exempted from security screening in India.

Future India: 2020

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam delivering speech

In his book India 2020, Kalam strongly advocates an action plan to develop India into a knowledge superpower and a developed nation by the year 2020. He regards his work on India's nuclear weapons program as a way to assert India's place as a future superpower.

It has been reported that there is a considerable demand in South Korea for translated versions of books authored by him

Kalam continues to take an active interest in other developments in the field of science and technology. He has proposed a research program for developing bio-implants. He is a supporter of Open Source over proprietary solutions and believes that the use of free software on a large scale will bring the benefits of information technology to more people.

Beyond the MBA Hype

2012-06-06T12:37:00.002-07:00

Beyond the MBA Hype

It is a truth universally acknowledged that an engineering graduate in possession of a software job must be in search of a ‘good MBA’.

In a free-wheeling interview, Sameer Kamat, founder of MBA Crystal Ball and author of ‘Beyond the MBA Hype’ shares his journey. And offers unbiased advice to those who are thinking of walking down that path.

Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I’m a computer engineer from VESIT (Mumbai) and after that I joind Citicorp. Worked in India and abroad on multiple assignments and then decided to move beyond pure technical work. So I joined PricewaterhouseCoopers in their management consulting division.

Why MBA?
In my consulting role, though the client, geography and technology changed with every project, essentially it was more of the same. That’s when I started researching options, and an international MBA seemed like a good way to change careers.

Did you focus only on top schools abroad?
My professional work involved a substantial amount of global travel. So I figured it would be logical to continue the international exposure by getting into a top bschool abroad where the class profile would be very diverse and international.

What was your GMAT score?
I’m not good at standardized tests. For someone from a tech/engineering/male background [considered to be the toughest applicant pool when it comes to global MBA applications] my GMAT score was quite low (below 700). So I knew that the rest of my application strategy had to be really strong.

How did you shortlist and decide where to apply?
This was the most confusing part. In India, the CAT score plays a significant role in getting interview calls from bschools. For international MBA programs, GMAT is important. But there are other aspects that are equally, if not more important.

Many of these are quite subjective, like the concept of ‘Fit’. It’s like a compatibility test where you need to convince the school that you are both made for each other. Plus there are factors such as post-MBA plans, professional background, number of years of work experience.

Considering all these, I felt I would not ‘fit’ into a 2-year program. A 1-year program in the UK would provide the RoI (Return on Investment) I was looking for.

Why Cambridge Judge and how was the experience?
My medium-to-long term plans were to get back to India. So I wanted a brand that was strong enough to get me a job abroad as well as in India. The University of Cambridge has been around for over 8 centuries and it’s a very well respected brand in India as well.

I was also drawn by the personality of the MBA program. Compared to the veterans in the MBA industry, this program is relatively young. It’s more collaborative than many others, and there’s a strong focus on experiential learning. Though you still have to be on your toes and compete with other extremely talented folks for grades, internships and jobs.

I got the opportunity to interact with entrepreneurs, I-bankers, scientists, management consultants, Olympic level sportsmen, iconic business leaders and Nobel prize winners. It was a fantastic experience.

How did you fund your education and how did you manage the EMI repayments?
I was lucky to have got 2 scholarships at Cambridge. That took care of a considerable chunk of the financing. Plus the bschool had a tie-up with a UK bank to provide education loans for accepted candidates.

Did you work in the UK or come back immediately?
After completing my MBA, I had a few options to stay back in the UK – with my former employer (but in a more business-focused role), with a strategy consulting firm (where I did my internship) and with a startup (that my team helped during the program). This was before the recession, so the job market was a little better. I had planned to work there for a few years, repay the GBP loan and then get back to India.

But due to a twist in the tale, I ended up accepting a job that brought me back to India immediately after graduation.

I was in India for a short vacation when I came across a team that was setting up a new office in India and they were looking for folks for their corporate finance work. The German Managing Director who interviewed me made the role sound interesting, so I decided to make a complete career change and start my post-MBA career directly in India. I worked in the area of Mergers & Acquisitions for 5 years after my MBA.

When did you start the website MBA Crystal Ball? Why do it?
When I was applying to bschools, I considered myself to be a dark horse. Most stats weren’t working in my favour (age, test scores, professional background). So I had put in extra efforts to ensure that my application was water-tight – right from thinking about the rationale for an MBA, the post-MBA career plans, explaining what made my profile unique while competing in the tough applicant pool.

After graduating, I started helping others who needed a helping hand in doing exactly what I had done for myself. I did it for free (it was more a passion than a business idea for me) and they started getting into the top schools.

The right mentoring can make a lot of difference when the competition is global and intense. Though Indian applicants are strong at cracking standardized tests, our education system doesn’t prepare us to tackle abstract and introspective questions that are part of the MBA application process.

The concept of MBA admissions consulting is relatively new in India and I felt maybe this was something where I can make a small difference.

How and when did you quit your job to focus on it full time?
Outside India, the premium admissions consulting model is well-established and attracts high-caliber talent (top MBA grads who’ve also done well in the business world). In India, it is mostly taken up as a part-time activity. That’s how I started off as well.

I created a product (it’s called the MBA Mock Application Process or in short - MBA MAP). It simulates an application process for the top-100 schools and provides chances of getting into each. That got an encouraging response (cost: Rs 9000/ $ 250). It might be the only Indian product in the admissions consulting field to have been ‘exported’ to other countries. I realized that the only way I could do justice to it would be if I focused on it on a full-time basis. So I quit my M&A job about a year back to manage MBA Crystal Ball.

Does the site make money for you yet? What’s the kind of traffic you get?
I don’t use the site to make money. In fact, there was no website for a pretty long time. Most folks reached out to us (and our services) due to word-of-mouth publicity. When folks started asking for my website URL, rather than giving creative answers each time, I guessed an easier option would be to create a simple website. So I got a domain (http://www.mbacrystalball.com/) registered and launched the site.

We get several thousand hits from candidates who are seriously considering a career transformation or just curious about evaluating career growth options. So we use the site more as a platform to share broader ideas. On our blog you’ll find content that sometimes has absolutely nothing to do with the services we provide. We recently published about non-MBA careers, like social service, teaching jobs. You’ll also find a guest post by a Gladrags model on careers in the glamour business.

When did the idea of a book come?
I wrote ‘Beyond The MBA Hype’ in 2006 after I had completed my MBA. When I was applying to bschools, most of the articles I read in newspapers and websites were about how an MBA will have a magical effect on the candidate’s career, financial status and life. And I really wondered how much of that was true and how much was hype.

After having gone through the experience I thought somebody needed to also share aspects that never got talked about – the education, building new skills, internships, the career hunt from an Indian candidate’s perspective (most books on this topic are written by international authors).

The book was not created to promote MBA Crystal Ball (it didn’t exist, at the time). In fact, those who’ve read ‘Beyond The MBA Hype’ tell me I shouldn’t have got it published as it is detrimental to my business interests. Instead of pushing more prospective aspirants to apply blindly to the top schools (and fill our coffers), the book recommends exactly the opposite.

The basic message is to step back and evaluate simpler, easier and less risky options to reach their goals.

How easy (or difficult) was it, to get published?
‘Beyond The MBA Hype’ has taken over 5 years to get published. I initially tried to get it published in the US, thinking that’s where the MBA market is. Publishers and literary agents who liked the concept turned it down saying a first time author without a saleable name would be a tough sell.

So I changed focus to India, not knowing if there would be any takers, as the international MBA market is extremely small and niche.

Fortunately, I found a good literary agent who sold it to HarperCollins. For new authors struggling to get published and going through a similar roller coaster ride, I share tips on my personal site: (http://www.sameerkamat.com/)

Who is your core target audience?
- Professionals with 2-10 years work experience, who are thinking of ways to take their career to the next level.
- Recent graduates who’ve not been lucky with the Indian MBA entrance exams (CAT, plus all the variations) and are thinking of applying to international MBA programs.
- Anybody who’s stagnated (frustrated) in their current job and thinking that an overseas MBA might be an easy way out.

How has the book been received?
Considering the initial apprehensions, it’s done exceedingly well. The first print got sold out in under 3 months, the second print-run is out.

Given the weak economic situation globally, would you advise people to look at an MBA abroad?
The message in the book is more relevant today than it was when I wrote it. The global economic situation should force MBA applicants to really get their game-plan sorted out.

Having said that, an investment in quality education is the best one can make as you are investing in yourself. So there’s more incentive to see yourself being successful. A well-designed MBA plan with risk scenarios clearly identified and mitigated is the best way to approach it.

For MBA applicants, I’d say do your homework, choose your schools well, put a best-case and worst-case career plan in place and go for it only when you are really confident.

Do you recommend 2 year or 1 year programs?
Both have their pros and cons. The profile and the career aspirations of the candidate should influence the choice. Where you want to work will also play a big role in choosing the school. Managing transnational placements is becoming tougher. Consider the average class profile for each school you are applying to, see if/how you’d fit in.

Is it possible to get a job in the US or Europe for a fresh, non-citizen MBA?
Possible? Yes. Easy? No.

The recruiter has to have a strong reason to go the extra distance and sponsor the international candidate’s work-permit. For complete career changers, it’s become more difficult.

The good part is that a ‘fresh’ MBA in an international MBA program comes in with an average of 4-5 years work-ex. So pre-MBA experience and skills can be leveraged while job hunting.

If instead, you return to India does the global alumni network help in finding a job?
They can, but in a soft economy there are limitations to what they can do. So I’d say, don’t depend only on the alumni network. Reach out to anyone and everyone who can help.

What’s the typical profile of people who get into top 20 bschools internationally?
For 2 year US-format programs: Average age: 26-27, Average work-experience: 4-5 years, Nationality: 60-70% American, rest international, Gender Mix: 70% Male, Communication skills: Excellent, Body mass index: Varies

Any application tips for those who aim for such schools?
Start early. Find out how the application process works. Don’t over-focus on the GMAT. Spend time thinking about post-MBA goals. Research schools that will help you get there. Know what the school will and more importantly, will NOT do for you.

Is it worth attending a 2nd or 3rd rung bschool abroad or should one drop the idea altogether?
Bschool rankings have their own yardstick to judge schools. A candidate’s yardstick may be very different. So, whether a school is rung 2 or 3 is a very subjective viewpoint. There are many excellent schools in India that might not figure on the top rankings. I went to a local ( ‘unhyped’) engineering college that doesn’t feature in any domestic or global rankings. But it gave me a good education and I did pretty well for myself career wise.

Extending that logic, I’d say don’t shortlist or discard Bschools purely on the basis of rankings or location. In the book, I use the term ‘good’ Bschools, without really defining it in absolute terms. Go to schools that are ‘good’ from your perspective.

For instance, Harvard is a great school. But is it great for everyone? For me it wasn’t even on the radar, as my secret desire was to quit the corporate world before I was 40 and start something entrepreneurial of my own (mission accomplished!). The theoretical idea of pumping close to a crore into an MBA program would make my heart miss a few beats.

Any advice for those in ‘decent’ jobs eg today but who still have the itch for MBA? Should they hold on to their jobs or invest 2 years in an MBA (India or abroad).
A top MBA is designed to take those in ‘decent’ and ‘good’ jobs and get them ‘better’ jobs. So for the high-potential ones who’ve weighed the pros and cons, it can be a great tool. But I’d recommend not looking at the MBA as an end in itself. Think about what it’ll help you achieve.

Going back to your analogy, my recommendation would be to evaluate the reason for the itch, and think if going abroad to buy a Rs 50 lakh itch relief powder is the only solution. Or would a warm neem-water bath at home cure it…

true story of taj mahal

2012-05-31T09:47:00.001-07:00

The True Story of the Taj Mahal

By P. N. Oak

The story of the Taj Mahal that most of us have known about may not be the real truth. Herein Mr. P. N. Oak presents an interesting set of proofs that show a completely different story. Contrary to what visitors are made to believe the Tajmahal is not a Islamic mausoleum but an ancient Shiva Temple known as Tejo Mahalaya which the 5th generation Moghul emperorShahjahan commandeered from the then Maharaja of Jaipur. The Taj Mahal, should therefore, be viewed as a temple palace and not as a tomb. That makes a vast difference. You miss the details of its size, grandeur, majesty and beauty when you take it to be a mere tomb. When told that you are visiting a temple palace you wont fail to notice its annexes, ruined defensive walls, hillocks, moats, cascades, fountains, majestic garden, hundreds of rooms archaded verendahs, terraces, multi stored towers, secret sealed chambers, guest rooms, stables, the trident (Trishul) pinnacle on the dome and the sacred, esoteric Hindu letter "OM" carved on the exterior of the wall of the sanctum sanctorum now occupied by the cenotaphs. For detailed proof of this breath taking discovery, you may read the well known historian Shri. P. N. Oak's celebrated book titled " Tajmahal : The True Story". But let us place before you, for the time being an exhaustive summary of the massive evidence ranging over hundred points:

NAME

1.The term Tajmahal itself never occurs in any mogul court paper or chronicle even in Aurangzeb's time. The attempt to explain it away as Taj-i-mahal is therefore, ridiculous.

2.The ending "Mahal"is never muslim because in none of the muslim countries around the world from Afghanistan to Algeria is there a building known as "Mahal".

3.The unusual explanation of the term Tajmahal derives from Mumtaz Mahal, who is buried in it, is illogical in at least two respects viz., firstly her name was never Mumtaj Mahal but Mumtaz-ul-Zamani and secondly one cannot omit the first three letters "Mum" from a woman's name to derive the remainder as the name of the building.

4.Since the lady's name was Mumtaz (ending with 'Z') the name of the building derived from her should have been Taz Mahal, if at all, and not Taj (spelled with a 'J').

5.Several European visitors of Shahjahan's time allude to the building as Taj-e-Mahal is almost the correct tradition, age old Sanskrit name Tej-o-Mahalaya, signifying a Shiva temple. Contrarily Shahjahan and Aurangzeb scrupulously avoid using the Sanskrit term and call it just a holy grave.

6.The tomb should be understood to signify NOT A BUILDING but only the grave or centotaph inside it. This would help people to realize that all dead muslim courtiers and royalty including Humayun, Akbar, Mumtaz, Etmad-ud-Daula and Safdarjang have been buried in capture Hindu mansions and temples.

7.Moreover, if the Taj is believed to be a burial place, how can the term Mahal, i.e., mansion apply to it?

8.Since the term Taj Mahal does not occur in mogul courts it is absurd to search for any mogul explanation for it. Both its components namely, 'Taj' and' Mahal' are of Sanskrit origin.

TEMPLE TRADITION

9.The term Taj Mahal is a corrupt form of the sanskrit term TejoMahalay signifying a Shiva Temple. Agreshwar Mahadev i.e., The Lord of Agra was consecrated in it.

10.The tradition of removing the shoes before climbing the marble platform originates from pre Shahjahan times when the Taj was a Shiva Temple. Had the Taj originated as a tomb, shoes need not have to be removed because shoes are a necessity in a cemetery.

11.Visitors may notice that the base slab of the centotaph is the marble basement in plain white while its superstructure and the other three centotaphs on the two floors are covered with inlaid creeper designs. This indicates that the marble pedestal of the Shiva idol is still in place and Mumtaz's centotaphs are fake.

12.The pitchers carved inside the upper border of the marble lattice plus those mounted on it number 108-a number sacred in Hindu Temple tradition.

13.There are persons who are connected with the repair and the maintainance of the Taj who have seen the ancient sacred Shiva Linga and other idols sealed in the thick walls and in chambers in the secret, sealed red stone stories below the marble basement. The Archaeological Survey of India is keeping discretely, politely and diplomatically silent about it to the point of dereliction of its own duty to probe into hidden historical evidence.

14.In India there are 12 Jyotirlingas i.e., the outstanding Shiva Temples. The Tejomahalaya alias The Tajmahal appears to be one of them known as Nagnatheshwar since its parapet is girdled with Naga, i.e., Cobra figures. Ever since Shahjahan's capture of it the sacred temple has lost its Hindudom.

15.The famous Hindu treatise on architecture titled Vishwakarma Vastushastra mentions the 'Tej-Linga' amongst the Shivalingas i.e., the stone emblems of Lord Shiva, the Hindu deity. Such a Tej Linga was consecrated in the Taj Mahal, hence the term Taj Mahal alias Tejo Mahalaya.

16.Agra city, in which the Taj Mahal is located, is an ancient centre of Shiva worship. Its orthodox residents have through ages continued the tradition of worshipping at five Shiva shrines before taking the last meal every night especially during the month of Shravan. During the last few centuries the residents of Agra had to be content with worshipping at only four prominent Shiva temples viz., Balkeshwar, Prithvinath, Manakameshwar and Rajarajeshwar. They had lost track of the fifth Shiva deity which their forefathers worshipped. Apparently the fifth was Agreshwar Mahadev Nagnatheshwar i.e., The Lord Great God of Agra, The Deity of the King of Cobras, consecrated in the Tejomahalay alias Tajmahal.

17.The people who dominate the Agra region are Jats. Their name of Shiva is Tejaji. The Jat special issue of The Illustrated Weekly of India (June 28,1971) mentions that the Jats have the Teja Mandirs i.e., Teja Temples. This is because Teja-Linga is among the several names of the Shiva Lingas. From this it is apparent that the Taj-Mahal is Tejo-Mahalaya, The Great Abode of Tej.

DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE

18. Shahjahan's own court chronicle, the Badshahnama, admits (page 403, vol 1) that a grand mansion of unique splendor, capped with a dome (Imaarat-a-Alishan wa Gumbaze) was taken from the Jaipur Maharaja Jaisigh for Mumtaz's burial, and the building was known as Raja Mansingh's palace.

19. The plaque put the archealogy department outside the Tajmahal describes the edifice as a mausoleum built by Shahjahan for his wife Mumtaz Mahal , over 22 years from 1631 to 1653. That plaque is a specimen of historical bungling. Firstly, the plaque sites no authority for its claim. Secondly the lady's name was Mumtaz-ulZamani and not Mumtazmahal. Thirdly, the period of 22 years is taken from some mumbo jumbo noting by an unreliable French visitor Tavernier, to the exclusion of all muslim versions, which is an absurdity.

20. Prince Aurangzeb's letter to his father,emperor Shahjahan,is recorded in atleast three chronicles titled `Aadaab-e-Alamgiri', `Yadgarnama', and the `Muruqqa-i-Akbarabadi' (edited by Said Ahmed, Agra, 1931, page 43, footnote 2). In that letter Aurangzeb records in 1652 A.D itself that the several buildings in the fancied burial place of Mumtaz were seven storeyed and were so old that they were all leaking, while the dome had developed a crack on the northern side.Aurangzeb, therefore, ordered immediate repairs to the buildings at his own expense while recommending to the emperor that more elaborate repairs be carried out later. This is the proof that during Shahjahan's reign itself that the Taj complex was so old as to need immediate repairs.

21. The ex-Maharaja of Jaipur retains in his secret personal `KapadDwara' collection two orders from Shahjahan dated Dec 18, 1633 (bearing modern nos. R.176 and 177) requestioning the Taj building complex. That was so blatant a usurpation that the then ruler of Jaipur was ashamed to make the document public.

22. The Rajasthan State archives at Bikaner preserve three other firmans addressed by Shahjahan to the Jaipur's ruler Jaising ordering the latter to supply marble (for Mumtaz's grave and koranic grafts) from his Makranna quarris, and stone cutters. Jaisingh was apparently so enraged at the blatant seizure of the Tajmahal that he refused to oblige Shahjahan by providing marble for grafting koranic engravings and fake centotaphs for further desecration of the Tajmahal. Jaising looked at Shahjahan's demand for marble and stone cutters, as an insult added to injury. Therefore, he refused to send any marble and instead detained the stone cutters in his protective custody.

23. The three firmans demanding marble were sent to Jaisingh within about two years of Mumtaz's death. Had Shahjahan really built the Tajmahal over a period of 22 years, the marble would have needed only after 15 or 20 years not immediately after Mumtaz's death.

24. Moreover, the three mention neither the Tajmahal, nor Mumtaz, nor the burial. The cost and the quantity of the stone also are not mentioned. This proves that an insignificant quantity of marble was needed just for some supercial tinkering and tampering with the Tajmahal. Even otherwise Shahjahan could never hope to build a fabulous Tajmahal by abject dependence for marble on a non cooperative Jaisingh.

EUROPEAN VISITOR'S ACCOUNTS

25. Tavernier, a French jeweller has recorded in his travel memoirs that Shahjahan purposely buried Mumtaz near the Taz-i-Makan (i.e.,`The Taj building') where foriegners used to come as they do even today so that the world may admire. He also adds that the cost of the scaffolding was more than that of the entire work. The work that Shahjahan commissioned in the Tejomahalaya Shiva temple was plundering at the costly fixtures inside it, uprooting the Shiva idols, planting the centotaphs in their place on two stories, inscribing the koran along the arches and walling up six of the seven stories of the Taj. It was this plunder, desecrating and plunderring of the rooms which took 22 years.

26. Peter Mundy, an English visitor to Agra recorded in 1632 (within only a year of Mumtaz's death) that `the places of note in and around Agra, included Taj-e-Mahal's tomb, gardens and bazaars'.He, therefore, confirms that that the Tajmahal had been a noteworthy building even before Shahjahan.

27. De Laet, a Dutch official has listed Mansingh's palace about a mile from Agra fort, as an outstanding building of pre shahjahan's time. Shahjahan's court chronicle, the Badshahnama records, Mumtaz's burial in the same Mansingh's palace.

28. Bernier, a contemporary French visitor has noted that non muslim's were barred entry into the basement (at the time when Shahjahan requisitioned Mansingh's palace) which contained a dazzling light. Obviously, he reffered to the silver doors, gold railing, the gem studded lattice and strings of pearl hanging over Shiva's idol. Shahjahan comandeered the building to grab all the wealth, making Mumtaz's death a convineant pretext.

29. Johan Albert Mandelslo, who describes life in agra in 1638 (only 7 years after mumtaz's death) in detail (in his `Voyages and Travels to West-Indies', published by John Starkey and John Basset, London), makes no mention of the Tajmahal being under constuction though it is commonly erringly asserted or assumed that the Taj was being built from 1631 to 1653.

SANSKIRT INSCRIPTION

30. A Sanskrit inscription too supports the conclusion that the Taj originated as a Shiva temple. Wrongly termed as the Bateshwar inscription (currently preserved on the top floor of the Lucknow museum), it refers to the raising of a "crystal white Shiva temple so alluring that Lord Shiva once enshrined in it decided never to return to Mount Kailash his usual abode". That inscription dated 1155 A.D. was removed from the Tajmahal garden at Shahjahan's orders. Historicians and Archeaologists have blundered in terming the insription the `Bateshwar inscription' when the record doesn't say that it was found by Bateshwar. It ought, in fact, to be called `The Tejomahalaya inscription' because it was originally installed in the Taj garden before it was uprooted and cast away at Shahjahan's command.

A clue to the tampering by Shahjahan is found on pages 216-217, vol. 4, of Archealogiical Survey of India Reports (published 1874) stating that a "great square black balistic pillar which, with the base and capital of another pillar....now in the grounds of Agra,...it is well known, once stood in the garden of Tajmahal".

MISSING ELEPHANTS

31. Far from the building of the Taj, Shahjahan disfigured it with black koranic lettering and heavily robbed it of its Sanskrit inscription, several idols and two huge stone elephants extending their trunks in a welcome arch over the gateway where visitors these days buy entry tickets. An Englishman, Thomas Twinning, records (pg.191 of his book "Travels in India A Hundred Years ago") that in November 1794 "I arrived at the high walls which enclose the Taj-e-Mahal and its circumjacent buildings. I here got out of the palanquine and.....mounted a short flight of steps leading to a beautiful portal which formed the centre of this side of the `COURT OF ELEPHANTS" as the great area was called."

KORANIC PATCHES

32. The Taj Mahal is scrawled over with 14 chapters of the Koran but nowhere is there even the slightest or the remotest allusion in that Islamic overwriting to Shahjahan's authorship of the Taj. Had Shahjahan been the builder he would have said so in so many words before beginning to quote Koran.

33. That Shahjahan, far from building the marble Taj, only disfigured it with black lettering is mentioned by the inscriber Amanat Khan Shirazi himself in an inscription on the building. A close scrutiny of the Koranic lettering reveals that they are grafts patched up with bits of variegated stone on an ancient Shiva temple.

CARBON 14 TEST

34. A wooden piece from the riverside doorway of the Taj subjected to the carbon 14 test by an American Laboratory, has revealed that the door to be 300 years older than Shahjahan,since the doors of the Taj, broken open by Muslim invaders repeatedly from the 11th century onwards, had to b replaced from time to time. The Taj edifice is much more older. It belongs to 1155 A.D, i.e., almost 500 years anterior to Shahjahan.

ARCHITECHTURAL EVIDENCE

35. Well known Western authorities on architechture like E.B.Havell, Mrs.Kenoyer and Sir W.W.Hunterhave gone on record to say that the TajMahal is built in the Hindu temple style. Havell points out the ground plan of the ancient Hindu Chandi Seva Temple in Java is identical with that of the Taj.

36. A central dome with cupolas at its four corners is a universal feature of Hindu temples.

37. The four marble pillars at the plinth corners are of the Hindu style. They are used as lamp towers during night and watch towers during the day. Such towers serve to demarcate the holy precincts. Hindu wedding altars and the altar set up for God Satyanarayan worship have pillars raised at the four corners.

38. The octagonal shape of the Tajmahal has a special Hindu significance because Hindus alone have special names for the eight directions, and celestial guards assigned to them. The pinnacle points to the heaven while the foundation signifies to the nether world. Hindu forts, cities, palaces and temples genrally have an octagonal layout or some octagonal features so that together with the pinnacle and the foundation they cover all the ten directions in which the king or God holds sway, according to Hindu belief.

39. The Tajmahal has a trident pinncle over the dome. A full scale of the trident pinnacle is inlaid in the red stone courtyard to the east of the Taj. The central shaft of the trident depicts a "Kalash" (sacred pot) holding two bent mango leaves and a coconut. This is a sacred Hindu motif. Identical pinnacles have been seen over Hindu and Buddhist temples in the Himalayan region. Tridents are also depicted against a red lotus background at the apex of the stately marble arched entrances on all four sides of the Taj. People fondly but mistakenly believed all these centuries that the Taj pinnacle depicts a Islamic cresent and star was a lighting conductor installed by the British rulers in India. Contrarily, the pinnacle is a marvel of Hindu metallurgy since the pinnacle made of non rusting alloy, is also perhaps a lightning deflector. That the pinnacle of the replica is drawn in the eastern courtyard is significant because the east is of special importance to the Hindus, as the direction in which the sun rises. The pinnacle on the dome has the word `Allah' on it after capture. The pinnacle figure on the ground does not have the word Allah.

INCONSISTENCIES

40. The two buildings which face the marble Taj from the east and west are identical in design, size and shape and yet the eastern building is explained away by Islamic tradition, as a community hall while the western building is claimed to be a mosque. How could buildings meant for radically different purposes be identical? This proves that the western building was put to use as a mosque after seizure of the Taj property by Shahjahan. Curiously enough the building being explained away as a mosque has no minaret. They form a pair af reception pavilions of the Tejomahalaya temple palace.

41. A few yards away from the same flank is the Nakkar Khana alias DrumHouse which is a intolerable incongruity for Islam. The proximity of the Drum House indicates that the western annex was not originally a mosque. Contrarily a drum house is a neccesity in a Hindu temple or palace because Hindu chores,in the morning and evening, begin to the sweet strains of music.

42. The embossed patterns on the marble exterior of the centotaph chamber wall are foilage of the conch shell design and the Hindu letter "OM". The octagonally laid marble lattices inside the centotaph chamber depict pink lotuses on their top railing. The Lotus, the conch and the OM are the sacred motifs associated with the Hindu deities and temples.

43. The spot occupied by Mumtaz's centotaph was formerly occupied by the Hindu Teja Linga a lithic representation of Lord Shiva. Around it are five perambulatory passages. Perambulation could be done around the marble lattice or through the spacious marble chambers surrounding the centotaph chamber, and in the open over the marble platform. It is also customary for the Hindus to have apertures along the perambulatory passage, overlooking the deity. Such apertures exist in the perambulatories in the Tajmahal.

44. The sanctom sanctorum in the Taj has silver doors and gold railings as Hindu temples have. It also had nets of pearl and gems stuffed in the marble lattices. It was the lure of this wealth which made Shahjahan commandeer the Taj from a helpless vassal Jaisingh, the then ruler of Jaipur.

45. Peter Mundy, a Englishman records (in 1632, within a year of Mumtaz's death) having seen a gem studded gold railing around her tomb. Had the Taj been under construction for 22 years, a costly gold railing would not have been noticed by Peter mundy within a year of Mumtaz's death. Such costl fixtures are installed in a building only after it is ready for use. This indicates that Mumtaz's centotaph was grafted in place of the Shivalinga in the centre of the gold railings. Subsequently the gold railings, silver doors, nets of pearls, gem fillings etc. were all carried away to Shahjahan's treasury. The seizure of the Taj thus constituted an act of highhanded Moghul robery causing a big row between Shahjahan and Jaisingh.

46. In the marble flooring around Mumtaz's centotaph may be seen tiny mosaic patches. Those patches indicate the spots where the support for the gold railings were embedded in the floor. They indicate a rectangular fencing.

47. Above Mumtaz's centotaph hangs a chain by which now hangs a lamp. Before capture by Shahjahan the chain used to hold a water pitcher from which water used to drip on the Shivalinga.

48. It is this earlier Hindu tradition in the Tajmahal which gave the Islamic myth of Shahjahan's love tear dropping on Mumtaz's tomb on the full moon day of the winter eve.

TREASURY WELL

49. Between the so-called mosque and the drum house is a multistoried octagonal well with a flight of stairs reaching down to the water level. This is a traditional treasury well in Hindu temple palaces. Treasure chests used to be kept in the lower apartments while treasury personnel had their offices in the upper chambers. The circular stairs made it difficult for intruders to reach down to the treasury or to escape with it undetected or unpursued. In case the premises had to be surrendered to a besieging enemy the treasure could be pushed into the well to remain hidden from the conquerer and remain safe for salvaging if the place was reconquered. Such an elaborate multistoried well is superflous for a mere mausoleum. Such a grand, gigantic well is unneccesary for a tomb.

BURIAL DATE UNKNOWN

50. Had Shahjahan really built the Taj Mahal as a wonder mausoleum, history would have recorded a specific date on which she was ceremoniously buried in the Taj Mahal. No such date is ever mentioned. This important missing detail decisively exposes the falsity of the Tajmahal legend.

51. Even the year of Mumtaz's death is unknown. It is variously speculated to be 1629, 1630, 1631 or 1632. Had she deserved a fabulous burial, as is claimed, the date of her death had not been a matter of much speculation. In an harem teeming with 5000 women it was difficult to keep track of dates of death. Apparently the date of Mumtaz's death was so insignificant an event, as not to merit any special notice. Who would then build a Taj for her burial?

BASELESS LOVE STORIES

52. Stories of Shahjahan's exclusive infatuation for Mumtaz's are concoctions. They have no basis in history nor has any book ever written on their fancied love affairs. Those stories have been invented as an afterthought to make Shahjahan's authorship of the Taj look plausible.

COST

53. The cost of the Taj is nowhere recorded in Shahjahan's court papers because Shahjahan never built the Tajmahal. That is why wild estimates of the cost by gullible writers have ranged from 4 million to 91.7 million rupees.

PERIOD OF CONSTRUCTION

54. Likewise the period of construction has been guessed to be anywhere between 10 years and 22 years. There would have not been any scope for guesswork had the building construction been on record in the court papers.

ARCHITECTS

55. The designer of the Tajmahal is also variously mentioned as Essa Effendy, a Persian or Turk, or Ahmed Mehendis or a Frenchman, Austin deBordeaux, or Geronimo Veroneo, an Italian, or Shahjahan himself.

RECORDS DON'T EXIST

56. Twenty thousand labourers are supposed to have worked for 22 years during Shahjahan's reign in building the Tajmahal. Had this been true, there should have been available in Shahjahan's court papers design drawings, heaps of labour muster rolls, daily expenditure sheets, bills and receipts of material ordered, and commisioning orders. There is not even a scrap of paper of this kind.

57. It is, therefore, court flatterers,blundering historians, somnolent archeologists, fiction writers, senile poets, careless tourists officials and erring guides who are responsible for hustling the world into believing in Shahjahan's mythical authorship of the Taj.

58. Description of the gardens around the Taj of Shahjahan's time mention Ketaki, Jai, Jui, Champa, Maulashree, Harshringar and Bel. All these are plants whose flowers or leaves are used in the worship of Hindu deities. Bel leaves are exclusively used in Lord Shiva's worship. A graveyard is planted only with shady trees because the idea of using fruit and flower from plants in a cemetary is abhorrent to human conscience. The presence of Bel and other flower plants in the Taj garden is proof of its having been a Shiva temple before seizure by Shahjahan.

59. Hindu temples are often built on river banks and sea beaches. The Taj is one such built on the bank of the Yamuna river an ideal location for a Shiva temple.

60. Prophet Mohammad has ordained that the burial spot of a muslim should be inconspicous and must not be marked by even a single tombstone. In flagrant violation of this, the Tajamhal has one grave in the basement and another in the first floor chamber both ascribed to Mumtaz. Those two centotaphs were infact erected by Shahjahan to bury the two tier Shivalingas that were consecrated in the Taj. It is customary for Hindus to install two Shivalingas one over the other in two stories as may be seen in the Mahankaleshwar temple in Ujjain and the Somnath temple raised by Ahilyabai in Somnath Pattan.

61. The Tajmahal has identical entrance arches on all four sides. This is a typical Hindu building style known as Chaturmukhi, i.e.,four faced.

THE HINDU DOME

62. The Tajmahal has a reverberating dome. Such a dome is an absurdity for a tomb which must ensure peace and silence. Contrarily reverberating domes are a neccesity in Hindu temples because they create an ecstatic dinmultiplying and magnifying the sound of bells, drums and pipes accompanying the worship of Hindu deities.

63. The Tajmahal dome bears a lotus cap. Original Islamic domes have a bald top as is exemplified by the Pakistan Embassy in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, and the domes in the Pakistan's newly built capital Islamabad.

64. The Tajmahal entrance faces south. Had the Taj been an Islamic building it should have faced the west.

TOMB IS THE GRAVE, NOT THE BUILDING

65. A widespread misunderstanding has resulted in mistaking the building for the grave.Invading Islam raised graves in captured buildings in every country it overran. Therefore, hereafter people must learn not to confound the building with the grave mounds which are grafts in conquered buildings. This is true of the Tajmahal too. One may therefore admit (for arguments sake) that Mumtaz lies buried inside the Taj. But that should not be construed to mean that the Taj was raised over Mumtaz's grave.

66. The Taj is a seven storied building. Prince Aurangzeb also mentions this in his letter to Shahjahan. The marble edifice comprises four stories including the lone, tall circular hall inside the top, and the lone chamber in the basement. In between are two floors each containing 12 to 15 palatial rooms. Below the marble plinth reaching down to the river at the rear are two more stories in red stone. They may be seen from the river bank. The seventh storey must be below the ground (river) level since every ancient Hindu building had a subterranian storey.

67. Immediately bellow the marble plinth on the river flank are 22 rooms in red stone with their ventilators all walled up by Shahjahan. Those rooms, made uninhibitably by Shahjahan, are kept locked by Archealogy Department of India. The lay visitor is kept in the dark about them. Those 22 rooms still bear ancient Hindu paint on their walls and ceilings. On their side is a nearly 33 feet long corridor. There are two door frames one at either end ofthe corridor. But those doors are intriguingly sealed with brick and lime.

68. Apparently those doorways originally sealed by Shahjahan have been since unsealed and again walled up several times. In 1934 a resident of Delhi took a peep inside from an opening in the upper part of the doorway. To his dismay he saw huge hall inside. It contained many statues huddled around a central beheaded image of Lord Shiva. It could be that, in there, are Sanskrit inscriptions too. All the seven stories of the Tajmahal need to be unsealed and scoured to ascertain what evidence they may be hiding in the form of Hindu images, Sanskrit inscriptions, scriptures, coins and utensils.

69. Apart from Hindu images hidden in the sealed stories it is also learnt that Hindu images are also stored in the massive walls of the Taj. Between 1959 and 1962 when Mr. S.R. Rao was the Archealogical Superintendent in Agra, he happened to notice a deep and wide crack in the wall of the central octagonal chamber of the Taj. When a part of the wall was dismantled to study the crack out popped two or three marble images. The matter was hushed up and the images were reburied where they had been embedded at Shahjahan's behest. Confirmation of this has been obtained from several sources. It was only when I began my investigation into the antecedents of the Taj I came across the above information which had remained a forgotten secret. What better proof is needed of the Temple origin of the Tajmahal? Its walls and sealed chambers still hide in Hindu idols that were consecrated in it before Shahjahan's seizure of the Taj.

PRE-SHAHJAHAN REFERENCES TO THE TAJ

70. Apparently the Taj as a central palace seems to have an chequered history. The Taj was perhaps desecrated and looted by every Muslim invader from Mohammad Ghazni onwards but passing into Hindu hands off and on, the sanctity of the Taj as a Shiva temple continued to be revived after every muslim onslaught. Shahjahan was the last muslim to desecrate the Tajmahal alias Tejomahalay.

71. Vincent Smith records in his book titled `Akbar the Great Moghul' that `Babur's turbulent life came to an end in his garden palace in Agra in 1630'. That palace was none other than the Tajmahal. 72. Babur's daughter Gulbadan Begum in her chronicle titled `Humayun Nama' refers to the Taj as the Mystic House.

73. Babur himself refers to the Taj in his memoirs as the palace captured by Ibrahim Lodi containing a central octagonal chamber and having pillars on the four sides. All these historical references allude to the Taj 100 years before Shahjahan.

74. The Tajmahal precincts extend to several hundred yards in all directions. Across the river are ruins of the annexes of the Taj, the bathing ghats and a jetty for the ferry boat. In the Victoria gardens outside covered with creepers is the long spur of the ancient outer wall ending in a octagonal red stone tower. Such extensive grounds all magnificently done up, are a superfluity for a grave.

75. Had the Taj been specially built to bury Mumtaz, it should not have been cluttered with other graves. But the Taj premises contain several graves atleast in its eastern and southern pavilions.

76. In the southern flank, on the other side of the Tajganj gate are buried in identical pavilions queens Sarhandi Begum, and Fatehpuri Begum and a maid Satunnisa Khanum. Such parity burial can be justified only if the queens had been demoted or the maid promoted. But since Shahjahan had commandeered (not built) the Taj, he reduced it general to a muslim cemetary as was the habit of all his Islamic predeccssors, and buried a queen in a vacant pavillion and a maid in another idenitcal pavilion.

77. Shahjahan was married to several other women before and after Mumtaz. She, therefore, deserved no special consideration in having a wonder mausoleum built for her.

78. Mumtaz was a commoner by birth and so she did not qualify for a fairyland burial.

79. Mumtaz died in Burhanpur which is about 600 miles from Agra. Her grave there is intact. Therefore ,the centotaphs raised in stories of the Taj in her name seem to be fakes hiding in Hindu Shiva emblems.

80. Shahjahan seems to have simulated Mumtaz's burial in Agra to find a pretext to surround the temple palace with his fierce and fanatic troops and remove all the costly fixtures in his treasury. This finds confirmation in the vague noting in the Badshahnama which says that the Mumtaz's (exhumed) body was brought to Agra from Burhanpur and buried `next year'. An official term would not use a nebulous term unless it is to hide some thing.

81. A pertinent consideration is that a Shahjahan who did not build any palaces for Mumtaz while she was alive, would not build a fabulous mausoleum for a corpse which was no longer kicking or clicking.

82. Another factor is that Mumtaz died within two or three years of Shahjahan becoming an emperor. Could he amass so much superflous wealth in that short span as to squander it on a wonder mausoleum?

83. While Shahjahan's special attachment to Mumtaz is nowhere recorded in history his amorous affairs with many other ladies from maids to mannequins including his own daughter Jahanara, find special attention in accounts of Shahjahan's reign. Would Shahjahan shower his hard earned wealth on Mumtaz's corpse?

84. Shahjahan was a stingy, usurious monarch. He came to throne murdering all his rivals. He was not therefore, the doting spendthrift that he is made out to be.

85. A Shahjahan disconsolate on Mumtaz's death is suddenly credited with a resolve to build the Taj. This is a psychological incongruity. Grief is a disabling, incapacitating emotion.

86. A infatuated Shahjahan is supposed to have raised the Taj over the dead Mumtaz, but carnal, physical sexual love is again a incapacitating emotion. A womaniser is ipso facto incapable of any constructive activity. When carnal love becomes uncontrollable the person either murders somebody or commits suicide. He cannot raise a Tajmahal. A building like the Taj invariably originates in an ennobling emotion like devotion to God, to one's mother and mother country or power and glory.

87. Early in the year 1973, chance digging in the garden in front of the Taj revealed another set of fountains about six feet below the present fountains. This proved two things. Firstly, the subterranean fountains were there before Shahjahan laid the surface fountains. And secondly that those fountains are aligned to the Taj that edifice too is of pre Shahjahan origin. Apparently the garden and its fountains had sunk from annual monsoon flooding and lack of maintenance for centuries during the Islamic rule.

89. The stately rooms on the upper floor of the Tajmahal have been striped of their marble mosaic by Shahjahan to obtain matching marble for raising fake tomb stones inside the Taj premises at several places. Contrasting with the rich finished marble ground floor rooms the striping of the marble mosaic covering the lower half of the walls and flooring of the upper storey have given those rooms a naked, robbed look. Since no visitors are allowed entry to the upper storey this despoilation by Shahjahan has remained a well guarded secret. There is no reason why Shahjahan's loot of the upper floor marble should continue to be hidden from the public even after 200 years of termination of Moghul rule.

90. Bernier, the French traveller has recorded that no non muslim was allowed entry into the secret nether chambers of the Taj because there are some dazzling fixtures there. Had those been installed by Shahjahan they should have been shown the public as a matter of pride. But since it was commandeered Hindu wealth which Shahjahan wanted to remove to his treasury, he didn't want the public to know about it.

91. The approach to Taj is dotted with hillocks raised with earth dugout from foundation trenches. The hillocks served as outer defences of the Taj building complex. Raising such hillocks from foundation earth, is a common Hindu device of hoary origin. Nearby Bharatpur provides a graphic parallel.

Peter Mundy has recorded that Shahjahan employed thousands of labourers to level some of those hillocks. This is a graphic proof of the Tajmahal existing before Shahjahan.

93. At the backside of the river bank is a Hindu crematorium, several palaces, Shiva temples and bathings of ancient origin. Had Shahjahan built the Tajmahal, he would have destroyed the Hindu features.

94. The story that Shahjahan wanted to build a Black marble Taj across the river, is another motivated myth. The ruins dotting the other side of the river are those of Hindu structures demolished during muslim invasions and not the plinth of another Tajmahal. Shahjahan who did not even build the white Tajmahal would hardly ever think of building a black marble Taj. He was so miserly that he forced labourers to work gratis even in the superficial tampering neccesary to make a Hindu temple serve as a Muslim tomb.

95. The marble that Shahjahan used for grafting Koranic lettering in the Taj is of a pale white shade while the rest of the Taj is built of a marble with rich yellow tint. This disparity is proof of the Koranic extracts being a superimposition.

96. Though imaginative attempts have been made by some historians to foist some fictitious name on history as the designer of the Taj others more imaginative have credited Shajahan himself with superb architechtural proficiency and artistic talent which could easily conceive and plan the Taj even in acute bereavement. Such people betray gross ignorance of history in as much as Shajahan was a cruel tyrant ,a great womaniser and a drug and drink addict.

97. Fanciful accounts about Shahjahan commisioning the Taj are all confused. Some asserted that Shahjahan ordered building drawing from all over the world and chose one from among them. Others assert that a man at hand was ordered to design a mausoleum and his design was approved. Had any of those versions been true Shahjahan's court papers should have had thousands of drawings concerning the Taj. But there is not even a single drawing. This is yet another clinching proof that Shahjahan did not commision the Taj.

98. The Tajmahal is surrounded by huge mansions which indicate that several battles have been waged around the Taj several times.

99. At the south east corner of the Taj is an ancient royal cattle house. Cows attached to the Tejomahalay temple used to reared there. A cowshed is an incongruity in an Islamic tomb.

100. Over the western flank of the Taj are several stately red stone annexes. These are superflous for a mausoleum.

101. The entire Taj complex comprises of 400 to 500 rooms. Residential accomodation on such a stupendous scale is unthinkable in a mausoleum.

102. The neighbouring Tajganj township's massive protective wall also encloses the Tajmahal temple palace complex. This is a clear indication that the Tejomahalay temple palace was part and parcel of the township. A street of that township leads straight into the Tajmahal. The Tajganj gate is aligned in a perfect straight line to the octagonal red stone garden gate and the stately entrance arch of the Tajmahal. The Tajganj gate besides being central to the Taj temple complex, is also put on a pedestal. The western gate by which the visitors enter the Taj complex is a camparatively minor gateway. It has become the entry gate for most visitors today because the railway station and the bus station are on that side.

103. The Tajmahal has pleasure pavilions which a tomb would never have.

104. A tiny mirror glass in a gallery of the Red Fort in Agra reflects the Taj mahal. Shahjahan is said to have spent his last eight years of life as a prisoner in that gallery peering at the reflected Tajmahal and sighing in the name of Mumtaz. This myth is a blend of many falsehoods. Firstly,old Shajahan was held prisoner by his son Aurangzeb in the basement storey in the Fort and not in an open,fashionable upper storey. Secondly, the glass piece was fixed in the 1930's by Insha Allah Khan, a peon of the archaelogy dept.just to illustrate to the visitors how in ancient times the entire apartment used to scintillate with tiny mirror pieces reflecting the Tejomahalay temple a thousand fold. Thirdly, a old decrepit Shahjahan with pain in his joints and cataract in his eyes, would not spend his day craning his neck at an awkward angle to peer into a tiny glass piece with bedimmed eyesight when he could as well his face around and have full,direct view of the Tjamahal itself. But the general public is so gullible as to gulp all such prattle of wily, unscrupulous guides.

105. That the Tajmahal dome has hundreds of iron rings sticking out of its exterior is a feature rarely noticed. These are made to hold Hindu earthen oil lamps for temple illumination.

106. Those putting implicit faith in Shahjahan authorship of the Taj have been imagining Shahjahan-Mumtaz to be a soft hearted romantic pair like Romeo and Juliet. But contemporary accounts speak of Shahjahan as a hard hearted ruler who was constantly egged on to acts of tyranny and cruelty, by Mumtaz.

107. School and College history carry the myth that Shahjahan reign was a golden period in which there was peace and plenty and that Shahjahan commisioned many buildings and patronized literature. This is pure fabrication. Shahjahan did not commision even a single building as we have illustrated by a detailed analysis of the Tajmahal legend. Shahjahn had to enrage in 48 military campaigns during a reign of nearly 30 years which proves that his was not a era of peace and plenty.

108. The interior of the dome rising over Mumtaz's centotaph has a representation of Sun and cobras drawn in gold. Hindu warriors trace their origin to the Sun. For an Islamic mausoleum the Sun is redundant. Cobras are always associated with Lord Shiva.

FORGED DOCUMENTS

109. The Muslim caretakers of the tomb in the Tajmahal used to possess a document which they styled as "Tarikh-i-Tajmahal". Historian H.G. Keene has branded it as `a document of doubtful authenticity'. Keene was uncannily right since we have seen that Shahjahan not being the creator of the Tajmahal any document which credits Shahjahn with the Tajmahal, must be an outright forgery. Even that forged document is reported to have been smuggled out of Pakistan. Besides such forged documents there are whole chronicles on the Taj which are pure concoctions.

110. There is lot of sophistry and casuistry or atleast confused thinking associated with the Taj even in the minds of proffesional historians, archaelogists and architects. At the outset they assert that the Taj is entirely Muslim in design. But when it is pointed out that its lotus capped dome and the four corner pillars etc. are all entirely Hindu those worthies shift ground and argue that that was probably because the workmen were Hindu and were to introduce their own patterns. Both these arguments are wrong because Muslim accounts claim the designers to be Muslim,and the workers invariably carry out the employer's dictates.

The Taj is only a typical illustration of how all historic buildings and townships from Kashmir to Cape Comorin though of Hindu origin have been ascribed to this or that Muslim ruler or courtier.

It is hoped that people the world over who study Indian history will awaken to this new finding and revise their erstwhile beliefs.

Those interested in an indepth study of the above and many other revolutionary rebuttals may read this author's other research books.

Tajmahal The True Story authored by Shri P.N. Oak can be ordered from :

A. Ghosh Publisher, 5720 W. Little York # 216, Houston, Texas 77091

MERI KAALAM SE DOO BAAT :/

2012-05-12T11:47:00.002-07:00

DIL KA DARD

Ye dil kuch to alag hai

Na kabhi roya na kabhi hasa

Ye to bas sab ke pass ja kar khoya

Isko to kisi ne bhi na samjha bas sab ne yehi bola ki

Ye dil tu kyu hai itna pershan tu kyu rehta hai udass

Kyu tu ghum shum batha hai kyu tu aise rehta hai

Ye zindagi na kabhi mile gi aur na hi kabhi ruke gi

Tu bas jee lee apni zindagi aur mita de apne ghum

Tu jab bhi roye ga dard sirf tujhe hi hoga koi nahi hai tere liye yeha par tu bas akela hi hai yeha par

Ye sab sun kar mera dil bas itna hi bola “jab tak main hu bas tab tak hi ho tum meri kadar karo verna kho dogo usko jisko karta hai ye dil pyaar “

by ashish lohani

MERA PYAAR

Tumne chhor di zindagi meri

Kuch na raha tere bina

Kuch to kami thi, na zindagi thi na saama tha

Bas tu hi to mera sahara tha

Tere bina ye dil kisi kam ka na tha

par teri yaadon se maine apne dil ko sambhala tha

Tune jo sataya tune jo hasaya tuje kya pta reetika tune

kis kadar tune mujhe rulaya tha..................

ICSE (Class 10) Examination Date Sheet 2012

2012-01-08T09:25:00.000-08:00

ICSE (Class 10) Examination Date Sheet 2012

DATE/DAY	SUBJECT	TIME	DURATION
Monday February 27	English Language – ENGLISH Paper 1	11.00 a.m.	2 hrs.
Wednesday February 29	Literature in English – ENGLISH Paper 2	11.00 a.m.	2 hrs.
Friday March 2	Environmental Education	11.00 a.m.	2 hrs.
Saturday March 3	Art Paper I (Still Life)	09.00 a.m.	2½ hrs.
Monday March 5	History & Civics – H.C.G. – Paper 1	11.00 a.m.	2 hrs.
Wednesday March 7	Geography – H.C.G. – Paper 2	11.00 a.m.	2 hrs.
Friday March 9	(Group II Elective) French / Computer Science / Agricultural ScienceTechnical Drawing	11.00 a.m.	2 hrs.3 hrs.
Saturday March 10	Art Paper II (Nature Drawing/ Painting)	09.00 a.m.	2½ hrs.
Monday March 12	Mathematics	11.00 a.m.	2½ hrs.
Wednesday March 14	Physics – SCIENCE Paper 1	11.00 a.m.	1½ hrs.
Friday March 16	Chemistry – SCIENCE Paper	11.00 a.m.	2 1½ hrs.
Saturday March 17	Art Paper III (Original Composition)	09.00 a.m.	3 hrs.
Monday March 19	Biology – SCIENCE Paper	11.00 a.m.	3 1½ hrs.
Wednesday March 21	Second Languages: Ao-Naga, Assamese, Bengali, Dzongkha, Garo, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Khasi, Lepcha, Lushai, Malayalam, Manipuri, Marathi, Nepali, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu Modern Foreign Languages: Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Kiswahili, Korean, Modern Armenian, Persian, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai, Tibetan	11.00 a.m.	3 hrs.3 hrs.
Thursday March 22	Environmental Science (Group II Elective)	11.00 a.m.	2 hrs.
Saturday March 24	Art Paper IV (Applied Art)	09.00 a.m	3 hrs.
Monday March 26	(Group III-Elective) Carnatic Music, Commercial Applications, Computer Applications, Cookery, Drama, Economic Applications, Environmental Applications, Fashion Designing, French, Hindustani Music , Home Science, Indian Dance, Physical Education, Portuguese, Western Music, YogaTechnical Drawing Applications	11.00 a.m.	2 hrs.3 hrs.
Wednesday March 28	Economics (Group II Elective)	11.00 a.m.	2 hrs.
Thursday March 29	Commercial Studies (Group II Elective)	11.00 a.m.	2 hrs.

merry christmas friends

2011-12-24T11:31:00.000-08:00

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer

We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

happy birthday harshit raj :)

2011-12-16T10:37:00.000-08:00

their are some memories with u :) happy birthday bhai this is a small gift from my side :) enjoy the moments :)

Chikni Chameli - The Official Song

2011-12-16T09:55:00.000-08:00

its for life

2011-12-15T10:26:00.000-08:00

Kabhi pahli baar school jaane me dar lagta tha,
or aaj har rashta khud hi chunte h.
Kabhi Mummy-papa ki har baat sacchi lagti thi,
aaj unhi se har pal jhut bolte h.
Kahaniyo ki jagah RAAt ko Chat karna jyada pasanad h.
Pahle !st aane k liye pure saal padha karte the,
Aaj Pass hone ko tarste h.
Cartoons nahi ab Reality shows acche lagte h..
Kabhi Choti si Chot kitna rulaati thi,
Aaj Dil tut jata h fir bhi sambhal jaate h...
pahle dost bus Sath khelne tak yaad rahte the,
Aaj kuch Frnds jyada pyaare lagte h...
Ek Din tha jab Tention ka meaning bhi nahi pata tha,
Or aaj tention soulmate lagta h,
1 din tha jab pal me ladna or fir manana to roz ka kaam tha..
Aaj jo 1 baar juda hote h to fir rishte tak kho jaate h...

Sach me Zindagi ne bahut kuch sikha diya... Na jaane hume kab itna bada bana diya.

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2011-11-14T09:03:00.001-08:00

Requirements for becoming a Chartered Accountant

2011-05-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

Requirements for becoming a Chartered Accountant
Under the existing chartered accountancy scheme of education, training and examination, the
requirements for becoming a chartered accountant are as follows:
(i) Enrol with the Institute for Common Proficiency Test (CPT) after passing class 10
th
examination conducted by an examining body constituted by law in India or an examination
recognized by the Central Government as equivalent thereto.
(ii) Appear in CPT after appearing in the senior secondary examination (10+2 examination)
conducted by an examining body constituted by law in India or an examination recognized by
the Central Government as equivalent thereto and after completion of specified period (60 days)
from the date of registration for CPT with the Board of Studies as on the first day of the month in
which examination is to be held, viz., students registered on or before 1st April/1st October will be
eligible to appear in June/December examination, as the case may be. However, candidate should
pass both CPT and 10+2 before registering for Integrated Professional Competence
Course (IPCC).
(iii) Enrol for Group I or Group II or for both Group I and Group II of Integrated Professional
Competence Course (IPCC) to become “Chartered Accountant”.
(iv) Successfully complete 9 months of study course from the date of IPCC registration.
(v) Successfully complete Orientation Course of one week spanning 35 hours and covering
topics, such as personality development, communication skills, office procedure, business
environment, general commercial knowledge, etc., before commencement of articled training.
(vi) Successfully complete 100 hours Information Technology Training (ITT) before commencement
of articled training.
(vii) Appear and pass Group I as well as Group II of Integrated Professional Competence
Examination (IPCE). Group I is composed of four papers and Group II is composed of three papers.
(viii) Register as Articled Assistant for a period of 3 years, on passing either Group I or both the
Groups of IPCE.
(ix) Register for CA Final Course and prepare for CA Final Examination.
(x) Undergo General Management and Communication Skills (GMCS) (15 days) course while
undergoing Final Course and serving the last 12 months of articled training.
(xi) Complete 3 years period of articled training.
(xii) Appear in the Final Examination on completion of the practical training or while serving last 6
months of articled training on or before the last day of the month preceding the month in which the
examination is to be held.
(xiii) Pass final examination and complete GMCS, if not completed earlier.
(xiv) Enrol as a member of ICAI and designate as “Chartered Accountant”. Chartered Accountancy Course (CPT+IPCC+Final)
No
Yes
Pass Class 10 Examination
Register with the Board ofStudies
for Common Proficiency Test
Is the specified
period of 60 days
after
registration over?
Appear and Qualify CPT
and 10+2 Examination
Appear and Pass in Both Groups/ Group I of IPCE
after completion of 9 months study course
Join CA Final Course
Simultaneously study and appear
in 10+2 Examination
Undergo
35 hours
Orientation
Programme and
100 hours ITT
Join IPCC
Join 3 Years Practical Training
after passing Group I of IPCE
Acquire Membership of ICAI
Appear and Qualify CA Final
Examination while serving
last 6 months of Articled Training
Appear and Qualify Group II of
IPCE if not qualified earlier
Undergo 15 days Course
on General Management and
Communication Skills after
2 Years of Article TrainingHow to become an Accounting Technician
(i) Enrol with the Institute for Common Proficiency Test (CPT) after passing class 10
th
examination conducted by an examining body constituted by law in India or an examination
recognized by the Central Government as equivalent thereto.
(ii) Appear in CPT after appearing in the senior secondary examination (10+2 examination)
conducted by an examining body constituted by law in India or an examination recognized by
the Central Government as equivalent thereto and after completion of specified period (60 days)
from the date of registration for CPT with the Board of Studies as on the first day of the month in
which examination is to be held, viz., students registered on or before 1st April/1st October will be
eligible to appear in June/December examination, as the case may be. However, candidate should
pass both CPT and 10+2 before registering for Accounting Technician Course (ATC).
(iii) Enrol for ATC.
(iv) Successfully complete 9 months of study course from the date of ATC registration.
(v) Successfully complete Orientation Course of one week spanning 35 hours and covering
topics, such as personality development, communication skills, office procedure, business
environment, general commercial knowledge, etc.
(vi) Successfully complete 100 hours Information Technology Training (ITT).
(vii) Appear and pass Accounting Technician Examination (ATE) (i.e. Group I of Integrated
Professional Competence Examination (IPCE)) comprising of four papers.
(viii) Successfully complete one year work experience under a chartered accountant in practice or
in industry.
(ix) Get Accounting Technician Certificate.
(x) Designate as “Accounting Technician”. How to become a CA, even after becoming Accounting Technician
(i) Enrol for Group II of Integrated Professional Competence Course (IPCC).
(ii) Register as an Articled Assistant for a period of 3 years.
(iii) Appear and pass Group II of Integrated Professional Competence Examination (IPCE)
comprising of three papers.
(iv) Register for CA Final Course and prepare for CA Final Examination.
(v) Undergo General Management and Communication Skills (GMCS) (15 days) course while
undergoing Final Course and serving the last 12 months of articled training.
(vi) Complete 3 years period of articled training.
(vii) Appear in the Final Examination on completion of the practical training or while serving last 6
months of articled training on or before the last day of the month preceding the month in which the
examination is to be held.
(viii) Pass final examination and complete GMCS, if not completed earlier.
(ix) Enrol as a member of ICAI and designate as “Chartered Accountant”.
for more details click here http://www.icai.org/

HAPPY HOLI WISHES

2011-03-19T02:52:00.000-07:00

WISHES FROM MY FAMILY

HAPPY HOLI

पिचकारी की धार,

गुलाल की बौछार,

अपनों का प्यार,

यही है यारों होली का त्यौहार.

हैप्पी होली!!!!

- JANKI LOHANI

Bright Colors,

Water baloons,

lavish sweets, and

melodious songs

are the ingredients of

a Perfect 'HOLI'

-RAMESH CHANDRA LOHANI

Celebrating the colors of our beautiful relationship,

I wish you and your family all the bright hues of life.

Have a colourful holi

-MEENA LOHANI

Rango se bi rangeen zindgi hai hamari,

rangeeli rahe ye bandgi hamari

kabhi na bigde ye pyaar ki rangoli

aye mere yaar aisi ho holi~HOLI

-DR.K.C.LOHANI

Pichkario ki fuhar, gubbaro ka dhamal,

rango ka sringar, gulabo ki bahar,

apno ka sath, jivan main ulas

our bhang ka gilas,

aap ki holi ho first class,

wish you a very happy holi.

-MAYA LOHANI

Holi brings with it, colors of life, colors that define emotions of our lives...come celebrate the color of happiness, togetherness and love

Happy Holi!

-A.K.LOHANI

Best wishes to you for a Holi filled with sweet moments and memories to cherish for long.

Happy Holi!

-SUMAN LOHANI

A true and caring relation doesn't have to speak loud,

a soft sms is just enough to express the heartiest feelings.

Enjoy the festival of Holi with lot of fun.

Happy Holi!!!

-ASHISH LOHANI

Chadenge jab pyare rang,

ek meri dosti ka rang bhi chadhana.

Lagne lagenge tumhe suhane sare rang,

Aur meri dosti ka rang chamkega hurdum tumhare sang.

Bolo sarararara....

Wish you a very mastiful and colourful Happy Holi!

-ABHISHEK LOHANI

Gulal ka Rang Gubbaro ki Maar Suraj

ki Kirne Khushiyo ki Bahaar Chand ki

ChandniApno ka Pyaar Mubarak ho A

apko "RANGO KA TYOHAAR" "Happy Holi

-HARSH LOHANI

daily update: dedicated 2 all close friends :)

2011-03-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

daily update: dedicated 2 all close friends :): "so close in my heart yet so far awayi think about u everyday I'm sitting here all alone wishing i could talk to ustaring at the phone..."

dedicated 2 all close friends :)

2011-03-13T08:12:00.000-07:00

so close in my heart

yet so far away

i think about u
everyday
I'm sitting here
all alone
wishing i could talk to ustaring at the phone
Everything was perfect
nothing could go wrongnow I'm stuck somewhere
i feel i don't belong

I love you so much
my very best friend
we were supposed to be together
until the very end

Memories of yesterday
linger in my mind
of all the things
I left behind

I wish i could turn back time
to when i was freeso full of life
just u and me

Id freeze that moment
and hold it tight
everything would be perfectand feel so right

Days turn into months
months turn into years
I'm forever missing u
wishing u were here

You'll always be missed
but Your forever in my heart
i will never 4get
the day we had to part

So until the day
we can meet again
goodbye for now
my best-est friend

daily update: happy women international day

2011-03-08T01:18:00.000-08:00

daily update: happy women international day: " INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY International Women's Day is celebrated o..."

happy women international day

2011-03-08T01:16:00.000-08:00

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

International Women's Day is celebrated on March 8th. This day celebrates the life of a woman who faces hardships with her inner strength. aishwarya rai, Mother Teresa,kiran bedi, sania mirza,lata mangeshkar and many others led an exemplary life.

They had to make difficult choices. Yet, they endured. Recharge your spirit with inspiring women quotes. The battle of the sexes is as old as the hills. In patriarchal societies, women are conditioned to accept men as the superior sex. But awareness, education, and life's struggles have led women to shed their inhibitions.

Great women leaders, artists, scientists, and other professional women have inspired other women to overcome social obstacles.Reams of paper and reels of films have been dedicated to describe a woman. Women-oriented books promise to reveal 'the secret' underlying womanhood. Biologists have spent their lifetime decoding the mystery of a woman.

But the woman continues to be an enigma. Her enigma embodies her beauty. And this beauty is not skin-deep. Even in this day and age, women face discrimination and prejudice. Yet, women all over the world continue to work hard to make a difference -- to alter their lives and the lives of others. These women have spoken from their heart, and their words leave an indelible impression on the reader's mind.

A woman is the epitome of tenderness, care, and wisdom. . Have a wonderful time with your gal pals, and enjoy the company of your women friends. And while you are at it, spare a thought for unfortunate women, who live in tyrannical societies.

happy womens day!!

some quotos related to women :-

Aristotle Onassis:-

"If women didn't exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning."

Ellen DeGeneres:-

"I really don't think I need buns of steel. I'd be happy with buns of cinnamon."

daily update

Five ways to prepare for an MBA while working

Indian students affected as Australia shuts three vocational institutes

Recession is the best time to pick assets: Sajjan Jindal

Office Politics

With MBA from US, Indians return to do business at home

Senior level professionals going back to B-school to acquire management skillsets

IIM SEAT: CLASS 10TH AND 12TH SCORES MORE MATTER THAN CAT

F.D.I

UPDATE YOUR SONY ERCISSON PHONE MANUALLY WITH THE HELP OF THIS BLOG

REAL INDIAN HERO

DR. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Career as scientist

Criticisms and controversies

Future India: 2020

Beyond the MBA Hype

Beyond the MBA Hype

true story of taj mahal

The True Story of the Taj Mahal

By P. N. Oak

MERI KAALAM SE DOO BAAT :/

ICSE (Class 10) Examination Date Sheet 2012

merry christmas friends

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

We wish you a Merry Christmas;We wish you a Merry Christmas;We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer

We won't go until we get some;We won't go until we get some;We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here

We wish you a Merry Christmas;We wish you a Merry Christmas;We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

happy birthday harshit raj :)

Chikni Chameli - The Official Song

its for life

advertisment

Requirements for becoming a Chartered Accountant

HAPPY HOLI WISHES

daily update: dedicated 2 all close friends :)

dedicated 2 all close friends :)

daily update: happy women international day

happy women international day

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer

We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here

We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.