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CLarion
22nd December 2004

A Weekly Magazine for MBA aspirants by Career Launcher, Chennai

Face to Face
[Management Compass August 2002 issue]

Work for a Career, not a Job

A Ph.D in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University, USA, Dr.J.L.Batra, Director-General, Amity Business School, Noida (near Delhi), has 35 years of experience in teaching, research, academic administration, training and consultancy. The president of Association of Indian Management, Dr.Batra has also been the Director of IIM Lucknow and Fore School of Management, New Delhi and a faculty member at IIT, Kanpur. He is also the recipient of the International Man of the Year Award for contribution in the field of management and technical education, that is awarded by International Biographical Center, Cambridge, UK. He now has big plans for Amity Business School, as we discovered in a conversation with him.

When your students pass out, what is the one thing you tell your students to work towards and that one thing they should never forget? I always tell them, We have tried to give you the best education. Now you owe something to the society at large and the country as a whole. We have given you several keys as tools and techniques. But it doesnt mean they will work as a thumb rule. It is your ingenuity that helps you handle real life, complex situations. I also stress on the importance of discipline, dedication and hard work. I tell them, Please be sincere to the organization you work for. Work for a career, not for a job. What according to you are qualities of a successful manager? Successful manager should be a change master. He/she should have the ability to perceive changes in the business environment and lead those changes. He has to inculcate qualities of working in a team and ultimately leading a team. Understanding people, the ability to lead them is what I think matters. Any book you recommend a management student to read? I would recommend any books that give information in terms of career profiles of successful CEOs, like life history of Henry Ford, the History of GE...

You have been associated with IIM Lucknow and are now with Amity Business School. Tell me about the change in your role. At IIMs, you get students who have had a good academic performance to back them. There are students who have passed engineering exams and then they pass the CAT. So, all in all, some of the best students get in. At IIM L, my job was to keep the bright students bright. At Amity, I have to make the students brighter, bring them to a level that they are at par with the other management students in the industry. What are your criteria of selecting a student to your MBA program? The student should be a graduate in any branch with a minimum 50 percentage and qualify the all India Test called the MAT conducted by ATMA (All Indian Management Association). Based on the performance in MAT, cut-offs are established and GDs and Interviews follow. What about the placement facilities? How were the placements in Amity last year? It is not necessary that all the 150 students who pass out want placements. Many students opt to go abroad, some join family businesses, and some go on to become entrepreneurs. But all those who required placements have been provided with the same from the campus. As someone who has been in the field of management education for some time now, what do you have to say with regard to entrepreneurship? Do you think the trend is catching on, or coming down? There has been a positive trend. As a matter of fact, entrepreneurship is offered as a specialized course at ABS. Every student here has to go through one foreign language out of Spanish, German, French and Japanese. We also stress on the issues of values and business ethics. I always tell my students how important it is to think globally and yet act locally. You can be modern and yet have to maintain your values, your culture. Also, the interaction with industry is pursued rigorously.

The Lead

Activate Your Academic Luck

[Sanjay Jain, Feng Shui Consultant 98114-26116]

Feng Shui, the ancient practice of living harmoniously with the Energy of the surrounding environment, originated in China more than 3,000 years ago. Feng means wind and Shui means water. Its principal aim is to improve every aspect of life including finances, career, relationships and health. Education luck in Feng Shui is often associated with the North East sector. So the study table should be placed in this sector. But before you activate education and study luck, you should know that the element of North East is Earth. Thus the best way to energize study luck is to display earth element objects like crystals, pottery, etc. in the N-E corner of the room. This would effectively raise the Chi in that area to benefit studies. There are quite a few good fortune symbols you can place on your study desk. Here are some of them, choose the one that appeals to you the most.

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Rock Quartz Crystal It produces a natural balance in the surrounding energies to help us utilize our talents and abilities to the fullest. Students should display it in the N-E to ensure good grades. Crystal Globe It is the perfect energizer for the N-E sector because of its double representation of the earth element. It is good for success in fields related to education, literature, publishing, media and communications. The Citrine Crystal Tree The Citrine enhances education, business, and interpersonal relationships. These pale yellow stones are excellent for fostering emotional stability. The tree represents growth and is a powerful attractor of study luck. Dragon Water Fountain The dragon is said to create the precious cosmic chi, which brings good fortunes into your home and workplace. Displaying the dragon together with moving water in the North brings limitless career success. Three Running Horses Place this fiery trio in the South corner of your living room to be widely respected, well known and successful. Metal Turtle Place a metal turtle in a small bowl of water and keep it in the North zone of your home. The turtle in the North is an enhancer for career opportunities. Chi Lin or The Chinese Unicorn The Chi Lins presence is said to attract the powerful cosmic breath of the dragon, bringing good fortune to those residing in the abode. It is especially potent for those in the military, civil service or politics. 5. ezibiz is the name of the first of its kind e-commerce portal in the petroleum and energy sector. This portal has been launched by ... a. IOC b. BPCL c. ONGC d. Reliance Petroleum 6. Slim milk, that claims itself to be 99.5% fat free, is a product from ... a. Mother Dairy b. Nestle c. Pares d. Britannia 7. This brand was ranked as the topmost brand, according to the annual brand equity survey 2003. Identify from the given options. a.Dettol b. Lux c-Pepsodent d. Colgate 8. In a recent deal of the Indian pharma acquisitions abroad, this Indian pharmaceutical giant bought RPG Aventis SA in a deal worth 70 million.. Can you Identify this Indian pharma giant from the given options? a. Dr Reddy's Laboratories b.Ranbaxy Laboratories c. Cadila Healthcare Ltd, d. Torrent Pharmaceuticals Ltd. 9. Water Kingdom, Essel World and Playwin are all the companies that are slated to be brought under one brand 'Essel Group', that is owned by ... a.Subhash Chandra b. Arun Purie c. Subroto Roy d. Kunal Dasgupta 10. Swarozgar Credit Card for small borrowers, especially In the rural areas, is slated to be launched by ... a. SBI b. RBI c.NABARD d. Canara Bank

Question Bank
BUSINESS AFFAIRS

11. Which of the following represents the worth of the deal in which ITC acquired Colmhatore based Bilt Industrial Paper Company from the Lalit Mohan Thapar Group? a. Rs 187cr b. Rs 214cr c. Rs 233cr d. Rs 257cr 12. Name the first life insurance company in India to receive the ISO 9001:2000 certification ... a. ICICI Prudential Life b. ING Vysya Life c. HDFC Standard Life d. Max Now York US 13. Identify the incorrect Atta brand,:, Manufacturer k. Nature Fresh Cargill b. Annapoorna HLL c. Healthy World AgroTechfoods d. Shakti Bhog ITC 14. Veedol is a famous name in the field of...

1.World's first running humanoid robot, named 'Qrio' is from ... a. IBM b. Sony Corp. c. Toshiba d. Philips NV 2. Ice World, Smart Investor and The Strategist are all special editions of... a. The Financial Express b. Hindu Business Line c. The Economics Times d. Business Standard 3. Chitchat FLEXI is the name of the first daily prepaid card launched by.. a. Hutch b. AirTel c.Idea d. None of these 4. identify the incorrect match. Scheme establishment Year of 2000 1999 2001 2003

a.shoes b. lubricants c. computer peripherals d. tyres 15. This personality sold the India World Communications pvt. Ltd. which he had founded, to Salyam Infoway for $115 millions in the year 1999. Can you identify him from the given options? a. Sabeer Bhatia b. Rajesh Jain c. Vinod Dham. d. BV Jagadeesh

a. Swarna Jayant! Gram Swarozgar Yojana b. Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana c. Pradhanmantri Gram Sadak Yojana d. Swajaldhara Yojana

16. I-Sort is the name of the latest TV model launched by a. Philips b. LG c. BPL d.Sarnsung 17. Nippon Oil and Mitsubishi Oil have merged to bring out the engine oil that is named a. Powero b. Energeo c. Eneos d. Strengtho

adequate skills, one can end up on the wrong side of the cut-off marks. Hence, it is all about the mental make-up and temperament. Another piece of advice: don't take tests or do performance reviews the day before CAT. And yes, it is very important to get a good night's sleep before the exam. Also, get Sunday's items ready today to avoid stress at the last minute.

18. My Encounter with Higher Education is a book authored by a. SD Tendulkar b. IG Patel c. Jagadish Bhagawati d. Bimal Jalan Answer keys: 1.b 10.c 2.d 11.c 3.c 12.d 4.d 13.d 5.b 14.b 6.b 15.b 7.d 16.c 8.b 17.c 9.a 18.b

Reach your test centre at least half an hour early. Though it may sound mundane, it is risky to be late or rush before the test starts. Last year (CAT 2003), some centres turned back candidates who were late by just one minute. At the venue, relax. Don't talk about CAT. Recall all victories and be at peace. Dos and don'ts: 1. Be careful of instructions that cover a set of questions. If you read them wrong, the entire set will go for a toss. Don't assume anything; read every word. 2. Spend time reading questions and options; that's where the money is. Reading questions with full concentration is most important, or you'll find yourself making silly mistakes. Also, your time will not be wasted re-reading them.

CL Events
CL, Chennai in media

This will eliminate silly errors and fetch 2-3 marks more - which can make all the difference. 3. Start with the shorter questions, not because they are easier, but because it takes you lesser time to decide whether you can answer them or not. 4. Don't be taken aback by surprises in the paper. 5. Negative marking: You pay a price for wrong answers. It is better to avoid wild guesses. 6. Take care while filling up the OMR sheet. 7. When you open the paper, scan the whole thing and get a feel of the test paper. Identify areas where you can maximise your score. Don't let the toughness trouble you. If it's tough for you, it's tough for others too. 8. The instructions also tell us of any deviation from the previous years' CATs. If there is a change in the format, pattern or marking system, do not panic. And post-CAT, unwind. Familiarise yourself with other forthcoming test patterns. Analyse your CAT performance realistically. Then see if you need to apply to more B-schools.

The Hindu dt.20/11/04-Page 3-Chennai (A day before CAT)

Tips to bell the CAT

By Our Staff Reporter CHENNAI, NOV. 19. Just a day left for what many have been preparing for months the Common Admission Test (CAT). Over 1.2 lakh candidates are taking CAT, the ticket to some of the most prestigious management schools, including the Indian Institutes of Management(IIMs). The test, to be held on Sunday, covers over 50 top B-schools in the country. An estimated 6,500 candidates are writing the examination in the city. Considered the toughest exam in Asia, can this CAT be belled? This is what Gopinathan, head of academics, Chennai, Career Launcher India Limited, has to say on the eve of the test: keep cool and concentrate on your strengths. A few marks less can put you behind by 1,000 ranks an indication of the level of competition. Even with