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[guest_writer (Guest)]

The quality of education among India's business schools has not been able to keep up with their growth in recent years. But if each 'good' b-school mentors the faculty of five lower-rung b-schools in its local region with IIMs taking the lead, vast improvements can be made in the general quality of Indian b-schools, says Prof Suresh Ghai, Director of the KJ Somaiya Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai and former President, Bombay Management Association.

Management education is more than a hundred years old in the world. In India it took wing in the late 1950s and the first IIMs at Ahmedabad and Calcutta were established under mentorship with the Harvard Business School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Today we have 11 IIMs. Despite more than 50 years of existence and heavy support from government and their foreign partners, the IIMs have only now begun to find their names among the top 100 b-schools of the world. There could be many valid reasons for their exclusion, but the fact is that they are not on the high table. However, admissions to IIMs, especially to Ahmedabad, Bangalore and Calcutta is the most difficult in the world. They probably have the highest applications to admission ratio in the world.

Today there are almost 3,000 b-schools in the country, out of which about 2,500 are approved by AICTE and remaining (ranging from the prestigious ISB to the dubious IIPM) conduct unapproved programmes. All these Institutes produce about 200,000 management graduates per year.

Outside the IIMs, very few b-schools attract really good students, the most well known being the Indian School of Business (ISB), XLRI Jamshedpur, FMS Delhi, MDI Gurgaon, the IITs, NITIE Mumbai, IIFT Delhi, NMIMS Mumbai, KJ Somaiya, IMI Delhi, IMT Ghaziabad, TAPMI Manipal and perhaps some more.

It is common knowledge that quality standards of education differ significantly among Indian b-schools. If you looked beyond the IIMs and a few other institutes mentioned above, there is strong need for quality improvement in the more than 2,000 b-schools before they can come upto a reasonably acceptable level. Even among the different IIMs and the next level of b-schools, there is a wide quality gap. Shortage of qualified faculty, quality of curriculum and shortcuts for course completion are some of the ailments. Thanks to the government regulators, the availability and quality of infrastructure has considerably improved in the last few years.

As b-school Deans and Directors, we frequently discuss among each other as to why the Government supports only the IIMs. Can the 3,000 MBAs produced by the IIMs fulfill Indias aspirations of being a fully developed country in the next 20 years or so? Why is it that there isn't enough government or sectoral support to improve the standards of teaching (and we are not talking about research, which is much worse) in the next level of b-schools?

Stray efforts have been made by some of the IIMs, the regulators and others to train the faculty of other b-schools through long and short term faculty development programmes and quality improvement programmes. However this has not really helped much, as the number of faculty that such expensive and long term programmes at IIMs can accommodate has been limited. Though the AICTE provides some limited grants to b-schools for this purpose, most institutes are just unaware of it or find it too cumbersome and feel uncertain about the benefits of applying for these grants. Secondly, the trained faculty does not pass on the learning gained to their colleagues. The reading material, case studies, simulation games, videos, exercises and teaching methodology etc remain confined to a few. The problem gets compounded when faculty members with family commitments feel reluctant to be away for long periods for such faculty development programmes. B-schools too feel reluctant to let their faculty go to such training sessions as replacement faculty is not available in most cases, compounded by the acute faculty shortage faced by most institutes.

Multi-level Diffusion

The author has been proposing a 'multi-level diffusion model' of mentoring Indian b-schools. I have suggested that each mature IIM should mentor the next level of 5 b-schools in their region. Non-IIM b-schools can send their faculty to the IIMs for a period of 2-10 weeks. The faculty will attend classes, may take some classes along with IIM faculty, interact with them and understand their practices and imbibe their teaching methodology and pedagogy. The salary of this faculty will continue to be paid by his/her mother institute. The IIMs may provide family guest accommodation to these trainees which will also be paid for by the source Institute along with all travel and local expenses. Similarly, the IIMs can send one or two faculty members to the interested / attached institute for a period of 2-10 weeks; the IIM faculty may teach a course or part of a course and interact and mentor local faculty in teaching methodology, case method, pedagogy, writing of research papers etc. The salary of the visiting IIM faculty will be paid by the local Institute and it will also make arrangements for lodging, boarding, travel and local transport. So the IIMs will have no financial obligation. In turn this non-IIM institute will mentor 5 institutes of next level and so on.

The advantage of this model is that there is no financial burden on host institutes or the IIMs and the arrangement is at their convenience. The learning is informal and widespread and can be diffused easily. It is expected that by this method at least 500 b-schools can improve their quality of teaching and research and stand a chance to compete in international rankings.

Cooperative localized learning

Local level Faculty Development Programmes at state capital level can be organized for a group of b-schools by a better group of b-schools having reputed and experienced faculty. This can be facilitated by local management associations, organizations like AIMA and its local management associations or chapters, AIMS and other regional and national forums of management schools. The local programmes will have the advantage of faculty not having to leave their family for long periods and lower costs. The costs for these programmes can be shared by the beneficiary b-schools.

The AICTE or its yet to be born avatar 'National Commission for Higher Education and Research' (NCHER) may give credit to institutes which mentor other institutes, and if possible fund these programmes.

I feel that such models can improve the quality of management education across a large number of b-schools in the next five years and improve the standing of Indian b-schools on a world stage.

Dr Suresh Ghai is the Director of Mumbai-based KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research and the immediate past President of the Bombay Management Association. He has been educated at IIT Roorkee, IIM Ahmedabad and Panjab University and has spent 28 years in the industry followed by 13 years as a management educator. The views expressed here are his own.

Comment policy for this article: Please write your real name at the end of your comment. Comments without real names will be summarily deleted.

[apurv (Apoorv Pandit)]

This one is for all the intellectuals on PaGaLGuY. Starting today, we're going to be introducing a new format of journalism, one which has been gaining steady ground worldwide, yet is in the process of evolving into a mainstream method of telling stories: Data Journalism.

We are going to be playing around with interesting data we can get hold of about Indian b-schools and present it in the form of thought-provoking visualizations. What you readers do with this data is completely upto you, because the visualizations will be interactive, allowing you to view the same piece of information from many different angles. Manyeyes, the software used for the visualisation also allows you to create your own visualisation based on the same raw data.

We are hoping that these visualisations will spark interesting debates and discussions amongst you and lead to newer insights that are learned collaboratively. We will try to keep the scope of the visualizations as useful and the depiction as simple and interesting as possible. At the same time, we'd like to stress that Data Journalism is a work-in-progress worldwide. Perhaps the way you all interact with it will in many ways help shape it as time goes.

The first visualisation we're publishing shows The Richest MBA flagship programs among India's top b-schools based on the revenue they earn from their flagship programs.

Source of the data: Official websites and e-brochures of b-schools, AICTE mandatory disclosure documents. Compiled my Shashank Prabhu and myself.

For some of the b-schools, we have taken more than one programs as flagship (IIM Calcutta's PGDM and PGDCM or XLRI Jamshedpur's BM and HRM, for example).

B-schools considered: 37 of the top 45 as per the PaGaLGuY B-school Rankings. Those omitted haven't published information about their intake or fees publicly. Anyone in the know, please email us and we'll include them. While calculating revenues, we have not taken into account the tiered-fee-waivers in the Indian Institutes of Management.

Feel free to play around with the widget and see what you can learn. We'd love to know what you think!

PS: This widget has been built using Java, but we'll use the more universally accessible Adobe Flash widgets soon.

[apurv (Apoorv Pandit)]

For those who found the last visualization esoteric, here is another one.

The following interactive chart depicts the fees charged by 37 of India's top 45 b-schools (as per the PaGaLGuY B-school Rankings 2011) versus the seat intake for their flagship programs, segregated by whether the schools are government-owned or private.

How to read the chart: The size of the box corresponds to the number of seats. The color of the box depicts the fees. The darker the color, the more the fees charged.

Some insights,

# Notice how among private b-schools, the bigger the b-school's intake size, the more expensive it is to study there. The smaller the b-school, the cheaper it is.

# You would think that the smaller the batch sizes, the better the scope for personal attention and hence the more the b-school is entitled to charge you higher. But that's quite not so.

# Government b-schools buck the above trend. A bigger intake size does not necessarily mean higher fees.

# Two of the most expensive programs are one-year programs.

PS: We've considered those MBA programs for which the age group 20-25 years is eligible. Data compiled by Shashank Prabhu and myself.

[laj (Lajwanti D'Souza)]

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has done it again. A fresh salvo by the government body banning all part-time MBA courses has got concerned MBA colleges in ruffles. The ban which comes into effect from the next academic year has put a second spoke in admission to MBA courses this year. (The first being the AICTE circular dated December 28, 2010 which pressed for various radical changes like a state machinery to carry out GDPIs and a cap on college fees.)

As of now, admissions to many part-time MBA programmes are on hold.

According to AICTE's Joint Director, Regional Office (Western), Dr Dayanand Meshram, the ban on part-time MBAs has come about because it has been seen that MBA institutes, in the garb of providing part-time MBA education are running other programmes and that too are of sub-standard quality. They are not following the norms which were made clear when permissions were granted to conduct this course. Quality has been taking a back seat in many of these part-time programmes, said Dr Meshram.

The notification however does not talk about an outright ban but urges colleges conducting part-time courses to renew permissions for the same every year. In this way, AICTE can also make sure that the standards of education are maintained, explained Dr Meshram.

Ironically, while this notification was also issued in December 2010, it did not make news till a few days ago. Some directors of b-schools, which Pagalguy spoke to also did not know of the notification. AICTE website states that colleges have till March 31 to renew permission for their part-time MBA programmes.

This move is expected to hurt about 400 colleges all over and roughly 15-20,000 students who opt for this programme. More than anything, it will affect working students who opt for a part-time MBA for better future prospects. One student who had decided to enrol in a three-year weekend MBA course in Mumbai this year is clueless on what his next step should be. I have a job right now but it's nothing great. Since I cannot remain without a job and don't have the money to go for a full-time MBA, a part-time course suits me best. After three years of MBA and my work experience, I was sure I would get a better job but now it seems my MBA may never happen, he said.

Part-time MBA programmes are also within the reach of students from the middle-strata of society. B-Schools in Mumbai approximately charge Rs 30,000- 50,000 as fees annually for a part-time course. Hence a three-year part-time would totally cost the student Rs 1-1.50 lakhs. While a full-time two year MBA course will make the student poorer by Rs 3-15 lakhs.

B-schools are as perturbed

Prof Dr Uday Salunkhe, Director, Welingkar Institute of Management said that his college had already advertised for the program in October 2010 and conducted the process in December 2010. However, we have put things on hold in view of this latest announcement by the AICTE. We have already written to the AICTE offices iterating the facts and have asked them to review their decision. Especially as the programme we are referring to in this case is the three-year Part-Time Masters Programme affiliated to the University of Mumbai and has been in place since 1988 at Welingkar.

Dr Salunkhe added that he had also shared with AICTE that the fees for these programs are regulated by the State and basic eligibility requires 2 years of Executive level work experience after graduation, making the program a "value for money" proposition for working executives seeking to progress in their career.

Court battle

Prof Prabir Pal, President of the Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS) told Pagalguy that he had just heard of this fresh notification and was planning to take action. I don't know why the AICTE is coming out with such notifications which are detrimental not only to the colleges but also to the students. I will discuss this part-time MBA issue with other members of my association and plan a course of action, Prof Pal said.

AIMS has been in the forefront fighting AICTE out in the court rooms across the country. In fact, only yesterday, the Supreme Court granted a stay to the earlier AICTE circular (dated December 2 which had banned all the entrance tests except for CAT and MAT and put a cap on fees. This notification had also made it mandatory for all admission processes to be conducted by a state-machinery and not by the individual colleges, as was the case earlier. The stay has been granted till March 22. Last month, the Bombay High Court offered an interim relief to a group of 52 B-schools and allowed them to go ahead with admissions. Even Orissa High Court had granted a stay on the same circular.

Krishna Sheshadri adds

While speaking on the ban on part-time MBA courses, Suresh Ghai, Director, K J Somaiya Institute of Management and Research said that the course has participants from the railways to the armed forces. This course imparts important skills and Mumbai institutes are in the best position to offer these skill enhancements in the form of a degree. The degrees offered are all Mumbai University degrees and are regulated by them. All classes are monitored by the university. We have spoken to the vice-chancellor of Mumbai University and requested him to speak to the AICTE accordingly. Also the move is unfair to the students.

[apurv (Apoorv Pandit)]

A bit delayed but not entirely late, we present to you our second free ebook --- the PaGaLGuY Group Discussion Anthology 2005-2010.

The GDPI Anthology is a collection of the most interesting GD-PI experiences as transcribed in detail by actual shortlisted candidates between 2005 and 2010 and posted on the various 'GDPI experiences' threads for the benefit of those in future slots. The interviews have been compiled by a team of young volunteers that comprise the PaGaLGuY Madcapz Group.

The volume of interviews we've been working with is huge, so for now we're releasing this edition only with the interview experiences of the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) at Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Indore, Lucknow and Kozhikode, so that those with their interviews lined up in the next few days can gain from the book. As we build repositories of the interviews for more IIMs, we'll include them in the book too. Of course, the book will also include other top non-IIM schools in the future too. The criteria for choosing b-schools for inclusion will be the richness and number of experiences over a long period of time.

Just like our previous book, you can download a personalized copy of this book with your name written on it.

Click here to download your personalized copy of PaGaLGuY GD-PI Anthology

Those with GDPI calls from b-schools included in this book will benefit from this work the most. But the book will be an interesting read all the same for those who are planning to take a go at MBA admissions in the next season and would like to know where the process of cracking a tough entrance exam eventually leads to, what kind of questions do they test you with at a real IIM interview and how people react to them.

PS: A very large number of people have worked on this book and we have tried our best to keep track of them and acknowledge them in the book. However in case you worked on this book and don't find your name there, please leave a message with Satwinder and we'll be glad to acknowledge your effort. Hope you enjoy the book!

[apurv (Apoorv Pandit)]

The Department Head of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur's MBA program Prof Jayanta Chatterjee speaks to PaGaLGuY.com about what makes the IIT Kanpur MBA special and what new things can the incoming batch expect.

What differentiates the IIT Kanpur MBA from other IITs? How are these differentiating factors a better bet for students?

Primarily, we believe that distinctiveness in this context does not relate to what, but to how. Over two years of the MBA program, we have about 1,000 contact hours with each student within which the candidate can opt for up to 250 hours of specialization in finance, operations, marketing like most other institutes. But we also offer vertical domain specialization opportunity in infrastructure, service or manufacturing through 250 hours of project based learning. Our program aims at creating transformational leaders of tomorrow who are not only equipped with sound knowledge but also encouraged to step out of theoretical models into real-life scenarios. The high faculty to student ratio enables our students to gain deeper insights into the areas of their choice. This constant emphasis on hands on learning through live issues distinguishes us.

The students entrepreneurial innovation spirit is also nurtured through multiple programs and projects. Of particular interest is the unique location of IIT Kanpur that allows them to engage in immersive socio-technical innovation projects.

Hence, students of IIT Kanpur MBA program can leverage the core strengths of the department along with the unique IIT Kanpur combination of academic rigor with intellectual freedom. We believe our program nurtures and polishes engineers into techno-managers with a penchant for innovation.

What areas of management has IIT Kanpur become consistently better at, either in terms of faculty or opportunities of learning?

IME has consciously and consistently tried to inculcate among its students the realization that management is as much a clinical art as a science. So we have always tried to go beyond mere analytical and cognitive skills or stylized treatment of complex issues and encouraged our students to engage with current business realities. So we strive to be consistently better at multi-disciplinary understanding of team dynamics and systems approach. Our alumni have also reinforced this trend. We have some of the best minds and most respected academia as faculty. Their diverse experience as well as their long standing commitment towards the management program provides our students with an enviable pool of knowledge to tap into. But more importantly during 3^rd and 4^th semester they get opportunities to take up investigative projects to apply managerial/entrepreneurial models to cutting edge developments in Behavioural Economics, Green Energy, Nano- Chemistry, advanced materials, Cloud Computing or social informatics.

This varied exposure to the various departments of IIT Kanpur, give IME students a sand-box to develop techno-commercial strategies, see their impact, and analyse the interplay of desirability, feasibility viability & sustainability. They get used to Systems thinking.

What does IIT Kanpur not teach that other IIT MBA schools do?

Distinctiveness is not in what we teach or not teach but in how we facilitate learning rather than teach through discourses. In short, the distinctiveness comes from intense use of andragogy rather than pedagogy. I would refrain from any comparison with any other institute. Our aim is to enable and enhance managerial talents to execute complex tasks efficiently while seeing the big picture intensely.

What are some of the new things that prospective students can look forward to at IIT Kanpur IME?

IIT Kanpur in general and IME department in particular, continuously seek new avenues of improvements. In 2011, we have significantly enhanced our infrastructure and shifted to a new building with state of the art facilities. The students have round the clock access to management research labs and high power computational facilities. As India Inc opens up to new market segments, our proximity to rural hinterlands becomes our strength and facilitates the understanding of the realities of business and how it could be bettered. Our new management research laboratories connect to key industries and institutions. Some of the new facilities are: Financial inclusion and innovation lab, Green Products and Service Design Lab, Digital manufacturing lab, Enterprise Integration Lab, Management Science Research Lab, Social Innovation and Case Research Lab.

Your website says that your pedagogy is centered around case method, projects, simulations, etc. Isn't such a method compromised due to a class comprised of people with largely similar backgrounds & experiences?

To answer this question, I would first like to discuss the options that students have in selecting their courses.

IIT Kanpur offers specialized courses in each department relevant to the corresponding stream of education (say, Mechanical, Aerospace Engineering, Design, or Industrial Engineering). While it is mandatory for all students to pursue compulsory courses from their own department, they have many elective subjects as well, for which they can opt for inter-departmental courses. The MBA programme thus opens up and embraces other departments of IIT Kanpur.

This is particularly helpful for our budding entrepreneurs: for example, a student studying BTech (Chemical Engineering) might develop a new process to efficiently trap a harmful gas.Then, in order to learn how to efficiently market his/her idea to fruition, he/she can take the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Course in our Department, or specialize in Services Management if he is developing a new service plan and team up with our MBA students. Thereafter the student team can go to our in-house incubation centre SIIC for seed money. Our students can take up electives like Product Design or Data Mining & Analytics in other departments. Students from diverse departments do our Management of Technology or International Business courses. Such healthy cross-departmental education model provides good diversity of perspectives in our interactive classes.

The better set of b-schools in India is experimenting with admission criteria to reduce the number of engineers and increase diversity. Will IIT b-schools too have to open up to people with non-engineering/non-science backgrounds in order to stay relevant?

Having only engineers and technologies for management discourses is in synergy with our vision and original plan. We have adopted this emphasis on techno-managerial specialisation by choice. However academic senate of IIT Kanpur is already working on new dual degree courses like BTech-MBA or MSc-MBA which will be announced soon. We also envisage sectoral specialisation courses like Construction Management, Power Systems Management or Design & Media Management in due course of time. So, our continuing emphasis will be on inter-disciplinary approaches to innovate new models.

[laj (Lajwanti D'Souza)]

It was early September 2010, that I proceeded on a tour of well-known b-schools in India's north and north-east. A month earlier, I had started making calls to the student media representatives and Public Relations Officers (PROs) to help fix appointments with faculty members, directors etc. I called this PRO from a b-school in Kolkata. His response was, What do you mean you want to visit the school. You cant just call me up and say you want to visit the school. Its not so easy. Nobody can meet you like that. You send me a mail, and then we will see." I sent the mail in the next twenty minutes but the PRO never responded, not even after several reminders, not even after twenty days.

So I just barged into the campus of that b-school and walked into the in-house PR (different from the earlier PRO) office and asked for help. Was again asked to send a mail which I did and received a response to with a deans email address and number, a day later. I called the dean, he did not answer the call. I continued calling and he answered the phone next day. I told him that I was interested in meeting him and writing about any relevant research that his b-school may have conducted.

Give me a call tomorrow at 5 pm and we will speak, was his response. I called the next day, though not at 5 pm, as at that time, I was running after every yellow cab on Kolkata roads (it was a strike and the cabs had decided to stop plying since the afternoon).

The dean did not pick up, not that day, not for several days later. Once, I managed to get him on the phone and said, Oh Professor _____, I have been calling you for so long. I think youve been busy and so we have not been able to speak. I was... (I was interrupted). He shot back, What do you mean you have been calling for so long. You make it sound like you have been calling for years and I have not been responding. Please do not talk like that. We have just begun to speak. Patiently, I told him again that I was looking out for research material. He asked for an email and disconnected. I sent the email and sent many more later. I have never heard from the dean since then, except for a strange SMS during Diwali last year apologizing for keeping me on hold about the research. I messaged Diwali wishes in return. And that was it. The festival of lights refused to bring light to my conquest of research from the school. Six months now, not a word.

Singapore

Apologies for such a huge description about this one school but it was only to describe how the system of interfacing works in India. And this I know because in March 2011 I visited some of the finest b-schools in Singapore and its been the most satisfying experience as far as interfacing with an institution to get news is concerned. Be it INSEAD, Chicago-Booth, National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University or SP Jain Singapore it has been a dream to tour them. It took me just a week to call/email and confirm appointments with PROs and directors in Singapore and exactly five days to cover five of them. From a few hours to spending a day with some of the brightest minds in Singapore was so easy a task. And I am not saying bright because of the PhDs or the years of academic experience they have behind them, but just because they seem such a bunch of uncomplicated people, leading busy but simple lives. They were punctual, met as per schedule and also promised to email information across (which they have been doing even after coming back). Not that they had all the time to spare all had mounds of papers on their table since it was admissions and placements time. This time of the year is the busiest for b-schools.

Time of the year

Speaking about time of the year, a couple of months ago, I called/emailed a couple of senior faculty and directors across b-schools in India and asked them to write columns for us. It has been three months, not a single article from a soul. Last week when I followed up, one professor (an admissions director) mailed that he was having starting problems (what does that mean?), another (also an admissions director) said that he completely forgot and a third (a dean) outright asked me what I was talking about. I sent the dean the correspondence of emails I had with his secretary about the article he apparently had agreed to write. No news since then.

Another former director of a big b-school in Ahmedabad acted quite pricey, when I called him. His assistant came on the line and told me that he does not have time to reply to small issues. Some days later, the same director sent us an email on the placements at his new b-school (a new one, yet to make a significant footprint in the applicant community). We did not publish. And so, the next time when I emailed him asking for his comments on an issue, his reply was on the lines of, Why dont you first use the information I have sent. Then, we can think about other things.

Am sure this director is a busy man but so were the professors and directors in Singapore. In fact, it is not just Singapore. Getting information from a Wharton, Duke, Dartmouth, Darden, Oxford, Cambridge, Richard Ivey, China's CEIBS, Hong Kong (HKUST) at any time significantly easier than from most b-schools in India. The other day my colleague wanted to confirm a sensitive piece of information from London Business School and all it took him was about two hours to do it, despite the time difference.

Students

This time of the year is hard for student media representatives too. I emailed one of them from a b-school in Indore about a recent study conducted in his b-school. No response to the mail, so I called. I was told by the media representative, Its difficult for you to get information on the study as the first year students are going to be out on internship and the seniors have already left. There is no one in the college. Call up the board line and ask for the concerned faculty. I asked for the boardline number so that matters could be speeded up and he told me to look it up on the net! Now, arent media representatives supposed to help the media and get their school maximum media attention? But when I emailed a Cultural Committee media representative from Nanyang (he is an American), he mailed back within three hours with the information needed.

In the same vein, many student media representatives are quite over-protective about their b-school. Instead of trying to better things, they would rather throw a cloak over its bloomers. One important b-school I visited in India's north-east, to know what all it has in store for medical emergencies, the media representative did not divulge that 25 of the students had suffered a bout of typhoid only recently. All she kept telling me was that her school has a jeep on standby day and night for medical emergencies. Ironically, the director confirmed this information to me.

But in Singapore, it was different. Students openly discussed controversial (school-related) issues in front of their seniors and administrative staff. For instance, the students of both INSEAD and NUS said that their respective colleges could have done more to help them with getting accommodation in Singapore, right in front of their administrative staff.

The small things

Its not all about the big stories or the meetings, the small things count as well. Almost every b-school in Singapore had made arrangements for my lunch since I was spending so many hours with them. Of course I politely refused the lunch so that I could meet one more person during that time. But in India, its different. I remember once, when I was covering an event in a b-school in Ahmedabad, I was told by the media representative, You want to have lunch go to the lunch arena and eat. Of course I knew where the lunch arena was and would have eaten anyway his tone was just not right.

Less stress

The one week in Singapore was most fruitful. After the first day, after I met SP Jain Singapore and thereafter INSEAD and Chicago-Booth, I was certain it would be a successful trip. What I covered and learnt in five days in Singapore, I will probably take five months to do it in India or even fifty months. Mentally, I knew I would get all the information required from Singapore b-schools without having to mail or call any one person hundred times and that made my visit so much less stressful. I enjoyed travelling to the b-schools which were in fact at a distance because at the end of the journey, I know there was worthwhile information waiting.

Why

Why do b-schools in India and Singapore operate so differently? Why is the business etiquette of returning calls, replying to emails and keeping commitments that is so absent in Indian b-schools something that b-schools abroad consider basic courtesy?

A speaker, a senior editor of a business weekly print magazine once commented at a high conference of Indian business schools, "In order to compete globally, the first thing that Indian b-schools ought to do is start answering telephone calls."

This b-school in Mumbai has a lousy phone line system. Since the director is not comfortable parting with his cell number, one has to call the board line. But it takes some twenty minutes for anyone to pick up the board line. The director knows about this, since I discussed it with him but nothing has been done about it.

Is it something to do with the fact that the students in Singapore are older, with more work experience or is it a culture thats signalled down from the top in the school. Unlike in many schools in India, in Singapore students wear shorts to class. Its what we learn in the classroom thats important, not what we wear, said Mohit Belani, student at INSEAD Singapore. In India, the old time-warp never gives way of students being brought up to not criticize their school and college because traditionally they are holier than thou places. And seats of education too, over the years like to think that they are some great service to society, so should be kept above all kind of criticism.

And yes, the India experiences, I have narrated are no blanket ones. I have made friends in some b-schools in Ranchi, Shillong, Kolkata and also receive instant information when I call some professors and directors in Lucknow, Hyderabad, Ranchi, Chennai, Mumbai but all these because I have cultivated them from an outdated system of functioning. And yes, the fact that information and people are not readily and happily available in India also makes my job so much more exciting and challenging. At the end of the day, digging for information is my job.

[thegreatkrishna (Krishna Sheshadri)]

(Photo credit: Jayant Bahel)

Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon completed the placement process for its 2009-2011 batch of 316 students across its Post-Graduate Programmes in General Management, Human Resources and International Management. According to the official placement report, 110 companies participated in the process of which 43 were first-time recruiters. The highest salary offered was Rs 21 lakhs with the average being Rs 13.28 lakhs across all the programmes.

Total Number of Students			316	Post Graduate program In Management (PGPM)		235
				Post Graduate Program in HR (PGP-HR)		60
				Post Graduate ProgramInternational Managment (PGP-IM)		21
Students opting out			11	Post Graduate program In Management (PGPM)		5
				Post Graduate Program in International Management (PGP-IM)		6
Number of Companies Participating				110
Lateral Offers Accepted		51		Post Graduate program In Management (PGPM)		38
				Post Graduate Program in HR (PGP-HR)		7
				Post Graduate ProgramInternational Managment (PGP-IM)		6
Pre Placement Offers (PPOs)	41			Post Graduate program In Management (PGPM)	34
				PGP HR(PGP-HR)	7

PGPM Placements

Going by the placement report, most students secured Marketing jobs, followed by Finance and Consulting for the 2009-2011 PGPM batch. The highest salary of the placement process, was 21 lakhs offered by an Asian multinational bank. The median salary for Rs 12.04 lakhs.

Roles	Number Of Students placed	Average Salary (In Rs)
Marketing	85	12.8 Lakhs
Finance	71	14 Lakhs
Consulting	46	15.5 Lakhs
Analytics	14	11.3 Lakhs
Operations	14	11 Lakhs

Marketing

FMCG companies such as Proctor and Gamble (P&G;), food and beverages companies like Pepsi and Coca Cola were major recruiters. Telecom companies like Airtel, Idea and Vodafone and banks such as Axis bank and ICICI also recruited students for marketing profiles. Other recruiters for marketing included ITC, Castrol and Videocon.

Finance

The financial sector saw participation of commercial banks, investment banks and financial services companies. 71 students managed finance jobs this year with the highest salary offered for a financial role being Rs 21 lakhs.

Investment banking majors like Goldman Sachs, Nomura, JP Morgan Chase recruited students from MDI. Financial services companies like Religare, SBI capital, American Express, etc offered jobs to the students. International and Indian banks like Citi, Standard Chartred, ICICI Bank and Axis Bank also offered financial profiles to students.

Consulting

Among the 46 students recruited for consulting roles, 30 were offered IT Consulting profiles while 16 were given business consulting roles. The average salary for the consulting sector was Rs 15.5 lakhs.

Consulting majors like Deloitte, Hewitt, Mercer and Ernst & Young recruited students from MDI for business consulting roles. IT majors Cognizant, TCS, Infosys, Accenture and HCL were major recruiters for IT Consulting roles.

PGP-HR Placements

Financial services companies were the highest PGP-HR recruiters with 10 students being hired for HR roles. Conglomerates, Manufacturing, Consulting and Pharmaceutical companies also recruited students for HR positions. The median salary was Rs 11.5 lakhs.

Major recruiters for the PGP-HR students were consulting firms like Aon-Hewitt, Mercer Consulting and Ernst & Young. The Tata Sons conglomerate, financial services firms like Franklin Templeton and ICICI also recruited for HR roles. Other major organizations like Procter and Gamble, Schneider Electric, ITC, Bharti Airtel also offered HR related profiles.

PGP-IM Placements

MDI's PGP IM program saw recruiters like Aspiring Minds, Avalon Consulting, Biocon, Deloitte and RPG. The highest salary offered was Rs 15.60 lakhs with the average salary being Rs 12.90 lakhs and median salary being Rs 11.03 lakhs.

Students who opted-out of MDI placements

11 students opted out of the placement process, of which 5 were from the PGPM program and 6 were from the PGP-IM program. Of the 5 students from the PGPM program, a couple of students joined their family business while one is starting his own BPO/KPO hybrid enterprise under mentorship of the school's entrepreneurship cell, claims MDI.

The students who opted out of the PGP-IM program are interning in companies abroad. According to a MDI Placement commitee member, these students typically undergo long internships abroad, ranging from 18-20 months. After this, they are usually absorbed by the same companies and hence do not appear for the institute's placements.

[shashank3012 (Shashank Prabhu)]

(Image credit: makeitbloom.com)

The entrance season is almost over and many b-schools have completed or are about to complete their final stages of admissions. Those with a single final admit are usually sure of whether they would like to accept the admit or not, it is those with multiple final admits who are at an important crossroad of their life.

Decisions taken at such a juncture tend to be based on peer or parental pressure, b-school rankings and the features b-schools highlight about themselves. Speaking to students of the school helps in a limited way, as the advice coming from there tends to paint a rosy picture of the institute and is seldom balanced. While the decision to join a particular school might indeed turn out to be the right one in the long run, it wont hurt if to systematically evaluate the options before you before reaching a conclusion.

Brand equity of the b-school

A factor which is individual-specific. A brand name may bring along with it a certain degree of respect from friends and family, you should be sure if the school is capable of getting you access to the right networks and avenues. A good brand no doubt matters in the short term, but one needs to also be competent to last in the long run. You should figure out whether the b-school comprising the faculty and student group is capable of gearing you up for an increasingly competitive world.

A good b-school brand name is built over quite a few years of consistent performance both by the students and the faculty. A wider alumni base would mean a larger network that the school can tap into. During the economic recession of 2008, it is the b-schools with a wide alumni network that had the best placements.

Return on Investment

The often-used term is an important factor in choosing a b-school over another one. But the manner in which it is commonly calculated (fees over starting salary) is a matter of dispute. While there would be some runaway winners in an FMS or a JBIMS, it may not be smart to turn down a b-school just because it costs a couple of lakh rupees more, or to take up a b-school because it costs less.

Among other things, an important takeaway from a b-school is the network it allows you access to. Your classmates and seniors are going to be your future business associates, colleagues and even bosses. The more competitive your peers, the more it will help you in the advanced stages of your career. If by spending a few lakh rupees more you get access to a better quality peer group, it will be worth the cost.

Also, do remember that the age 20-30 are the best years of your lives. You are earning, hopefully unattached for the better part of your 20s and hence in a position to take risks. Take decisions that are beneficial in the long term, even if it means facing some inconvenience in the short term. Avoid assessing education the same way someone might assess a car. You can buy cheap cars for now and change them umpteen number of times in your life. But you will get education only once. If by spending more you are getting access to a better quality of peer group and opportunities, do not leave it for a less worthy option tempted by fewer education loan EMIs.

Placements

All b-school websites feature placement information. Taking them at face value is, as they say, something you ought to do at your own risk. But all things being similar and all b-schools fudging their reports almost equally, give more emphasis on the profiles and roles offered by companies in a b-school rather than on the average salary.

You can figure out a lot by looking at the placement report of a b-school over 3-4 consecutive years. You can observe which companies have been consistently coming to the campus for placements, the number of offers they have made and the roles offered. If there is some company which has discontinued visiting the campus, you should ask the school the reasons. The number of alumni working in senior positions in the industry is an important parameter. The number of alumni who come back to recruit from the institute year after year is another factor to be considered.

Another thing one can do is, make a list of companies you are interested in joining and then visit their sites and see the credentials of the people and where they have graduated from and what number of years of work-ex do they carry. Linkedin is another great tool --- find profiles of senior people in your dream companies and observe their career tracks and alma mater. A few hours of research on Linkedin itself can throw up a lot of insights about what it really takes and whether the candidate b-schools under your consideration are capable of getting you there.

Peer group

An oft-neglected factor. Having classmates of superior intellectual capability and diverse backgrounds can have a profound effect on the learning you derive during your two years at b-school.

Be wary of joining a b-school where you may turn out to be the smartest guy/girl in the class. For most of you, b-school will be the last time you will ever spend in college. It will also be the last time you will get to experiment, rid yourself of many personal ghosts and push yourself out of comfort zones without the worry of responsibilities. Join a b-school where you are surrounded with people in whose company you can clearly see what you are not, and work towards filling those gaps in your personality.

One can get to know about the likely peer group at a b-school through the various online groups that are formed after the final admission results are out. Attend meets with seniors in your city and ask yourself honestly whether the company of these people will change you as a person for the better, or will it be a mere repeat of your undergraduate college in terms of the people you will be with.

Faculty

While its commonplace knowledge that not all faculty in a b-school are competent, there are a few you would like to know about. For this, you can go to the institute website, get to know the credentials of the faculty members and/or talk to the present batch of students. Talk to alumni too. Make an Excel sheet of the number of years of experience and academic background of the faculty and see whether the institute's claims about its intellectual capital are true. Search for the names of the professors on Google Scholar to find out how much research they participate in. In academic circles, the respect and the worth of a faculty is measured by the amount of research done by them. Beware of b-schools that rely too much on visiting faculty.

Figure out how accessible the faculty is. How easy is it to approach a faculty with ideas or doubts?

Culture of the b-school

Several Indian b-schools are run like secondary schools --- you are supposed to wear a uniform, there are rules and regulations concerning mobile phones, timings during which you can leave the campus, etc. Some b-schools require you to get up early in the mornings for Yoga and have stringent rules on meal timings.

Watch out for a culture that you might find too restrictive for your age and maturity. However if you feel that you could do with some grooming, discipline and polish at this stage in life, the above described culture may help you.

Rankings

While there are various rankings available across various media, it cannot be the most important parameter to take a call. Usually, a difference of a rank or two doesnt necessarily make a b-school better or worse than the other. Pay attention to how the rankings are arrived at be it on the basis of perception (our very own PaGaLGuY b-school rankings) or data collected from the college. Get to know what the methodology is and asess whether the rankings are fair and genuine before taking a call. Use rankings as one of the many parameters but never the principle parameter.

Location

B-schools located near industrial centers find it easier to create opportunities for industry interaction and placements. If b-schools are located away from industrial centers, ask how they compensate for it.

Try not to join a b-school in the same city as your family. If you've never stayed in a hostel, grab the opportunity to do so during b-school and learn to be independent and manage your life on your own terms.

Infrastructure

There is little to choose between colleges on the basis of this factor. Almost all the colleges boast of a similar level of basic infrastructure (a hostel, WiFi enabled campus, basic AV facilities, a library, etc.) Even then if you are not sure about the tall claims made by certain b-schools, you can either visit the campus yourself or ask someone from the city (you can always find someone from PaGaLGuY to assist you with this) to check out the campus on your behalf and maybe click a few pictures too.

The choice of not making a choice

Do remember, not accepting any of the admits is also a choice.

In case you get an admit from one of the b-schools you werent too keen on joining right at the start of the season but find yourself 'settling' for it, now is the time for introspection. Take into consideration all the relevant factors, consult people who know you and assess your potential before arriving at a decision. Your past scores would be an important factor which can be considered. If there is a glaring weakness youve identified (panicking under pressure, not being able to write a good statement of purpose, fumbling in the GD and the PI, a weak section, lack of time, etc) and you feel you can overcome it, you can take another shot at the entrances or consider an MBA abroad.

In recent times, entrance exams and admission processes to the country's top b-schools have been rife with glitches. The frustration so caused can cause pressure to 'settle' for a school that will not do justice to your capabilities. If you feel you have underachieved, you can take another chance. At the end of the day, it is important to be content and not lament about how things could have been had you just walked that extra mile.

(With inputs from Apurv Pandit)

[thegreatkrishna (Krishna Sheshadri)]

This year, only 13 crossed the 150 mark at the Maharashtra MBA CET written exam. An exclusive club indeed, considering that last year 600 crossed the same mark. PaGaLGuY spoke to three from this exclusive lot who were genuine MBA applicants (and not personnel of coaching classes). Incidentally, this year's topper who scored 172/200 is a coaching class owner in Mumbai.

Nikhil Mahajan Score 162/200 | 99.99 percentile

This Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) - Mumbai final year electronics engineer-to-be from Malad, Mumbai, confesses that he did not really study for the CET. I had my NMIMS Mumbai, MDI Gurgaon, XLRI Jamshedpur and IIM Shillong interviews lined up before the MBA CET. In fact, I had my XLRI interview just two days before the CET exam. As a result, I could not prepare wholeheartedly.

Nikhil had enrolled for coaching from Mumbai's CPLC which he says also helped. I had already prepared hard for my CAT, so my basics were clear. I just had to concentrate on strategy. My strategy combined with the fact that it was an unconventional paper was the reason for my success, he says. Nikhil explains his exam strategy. I divided my exam into 5 blocks of 30 minutes each. I solved questions for 25 minutes and marked answers for 5 minutes in each block. The 5 minutes used for marking, which did not require mental exertion, allowed me to relax and refresh for the next 30-minute block.

This finance industry hopeful is now preparing to crack JBIMS Mumbai, though he is waiting for the results of other b-schools' admissions before he decides. I already have a job at Nomura, a Japanese financial group, through VJTI's campus placements, so I am in a situation of plenty as of now. Nikhil's father is a customs and a logistics officer and his mother a housewife and he attributes his success to their constant support. Speaking of the future, Nikhil says, I want to own a financial consultancy in the next 10 years. And as advice for those who want to crack CET, he says that studying with an aim to crack the CAT exam is the best approach.

Bhavin Jain: 153/200 | 99.99 Percentile

With a score of 153/200 in the MBA CET, Bhavin Jain is finally at peace because he has had two unsuccessful attempts at the CET in 2009 and 2010. I am happy that I finally managed a score that will get me to a top b-school, he says. Bhavin first took a go at the Maharashtra CET in 2009 which got him a score of 99.90 percentile. That was followed by insufficient scores in the group discussion and interview phase. That turned JBIMS into a distant dream for him, so Nikhil concentrated on helping his father with his textile business instead.

I did not take up any coaching this year, but I had attended Parag Chitales CPLC classes back in 2009. I had preserved his notes and they helped me a lot this year, recounts Bhavin. He started studying about a month in advance of the test, during which he dedicated the first half to brushing up his basics and the second half to solving mock tests. I was expecting a difficult CET paper this year after surprises in other entrance tests. I solved some 15 mock test papers picked from all coaching classes. This ensured that I was not unprepared, if the paper turned to be a tough one.

However, he credits his success to his exam strategy. I solved questions for 45 minutes and marked them for 15 minutes. This helped me relax and ensured that I was mentally fresh when I went to the next set of questions. By the end of half time, Bhavin had solved most of the easy questions in the paper. I managed to crack the two DI sets which were said to be tough in the last segment of the test. It is because of that and an overall tough paper, that I got the good score, he reasons.

So did he expect to be among the toppers in this test? If those DI sets were correct, I knew I would get a good score. But to be among the top is a pleasant surprise. To the inevitable what next question, he says, Now I have to do my GD-PI really well, so that I stand a good chance to get into JBIMS." He has kept the NMIMS and MDI options open too. Bhavins dream is to become an investment banker and work with a company like Goldman Sachs.

Parth Dedhia: 152/200 Percentile 99.99

This Dadar boy was so shy of publicity that he refused to send his photograph when we asked him for it. But as a 99.99 percentiler, we just could not ignore this DJ Sanghvi College of Engineering Final Year Electronics student. My intent and efforts, correct coaching, and a bit of luck are the reasons for my score, he says. This is my first attempt at MBA CET and to get such a score for me is a peasant shock, he admits.

I started preparing for MBA CET since the middle of January 2011, says this son of a businessman. I had an SP Jain interview on February 17, so till that point of time my preparation for CET and that of SP Jain was on simultaneously.

I had prepared well for CAT, and my preparation for CET was just an extension of my CAT preparation. I solved almost 16 mock MBA CET tests, especially in the weeks closer to the exam. I used to solve one paper in the morning, work on my mistakes in the afternoon and then solve another in the evening. This helped me to correct my mistakes and gauge my strengths and weaknesses, Parth says.

The unconventional CET paper, with a strong focus on reading comprehension helped me a lot as comprehension has been my area of strength, explains Parth. He did not have a specific strategy for the paper, and just solved questions set by set. I solved all the questions of a particular passage in one go and I marked them on the answer sheet. This ensured I did not miss out on areas of my strength and ultimately contributed to the good score.

Parth says that this good score has unexpectedly opened up new options for him. I am not thinking about my calls, results and the choices that I have to make. I just want to enjoy my score for now, he says. He wants to do an MBA in Finance and wants to get into financial consultancy. His ultimate aim is to become like his uncle who runs a financial firm. Parth is also the recipient of the Best Student award at his college.

On advice to students, he simply says Papers solve karne ka. Only solving mocks will give you an accurate knowledge of your strengths and weaknesses. And of course, only constant practice can make one better in areas like DI and Logic.

[thegreatkrishna (Krishna Sheshadri)]

In an effort to inculcate 'social awareness' in MBA students, Indian b-schools have been sending them on mandatory or optional stints to Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs). SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR), Mumbai, for instance, has a six-week compulsory stint while International Management Institute (IMI), Delhi has a three-week schedule in an NGO. School Of Inspired Leadership (SOIL), Gurgaon sends students to NGOs once a week for an entire year and Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Mumbai has a similar schedule, but for six months. All b-schools say that these stints give their students a better understanding of the society, but not all NGOs agree.

Anshul Gupta, founder of Goonj, a pan-india NGO based out of Delhi, says that the student-NGO initiative has become like the mandatory National Service Scheme (NSS) program. You do it either for the extra marks or if the institution forces you. Most students choose an NGO closest to their residence and not for its cause. Also, the institutions do not give them an orientation. Agrees Anuja Kishore, HR Executive, Teach For India, a Mumbai NGO focused on education for the under-privileged. Students are not enlightened by the b-schools about the nature of their work. Hence they do not understand our needs. Both Anshu and Anuja add that students come with the mindset that they are going to revolutionize the NGO but not learn from it. They think the social sector is bereft of talent. What they do not understand is, even we have professionals who have worked with us for years, says Anshu.

SK Mitra of the Jabala Trust, Kolkata, which works for the upliftment of the underprivileged and physically challenged says that students work for too short a time to make an impact. Their ideas tend to be theoretical. Highlighting the gap between the needs of the NGO and the ideas of the students, he gives an example of students from a b-school in eastern India. While we wanted new areas for expansion, the students only suggested ways to improve our existing operations. On a similar note, Anuja recalls a batch of 40 students from a b-school in Mumbai, of which the project of only one student could be used. It was a cultural document, highlighting different aspects of Indian culture for our overseas volunteers. The other area of failure that Anshu, Anuja and Mitra point out is reluctance to work in the field and very little or no follow-up from the b-school after the stint.

But not all NGOs have a problem. M Chandrashekar, the placement coordinator of Samarthanam Trust for the disabled, Bangalore, says that thanks to the students, he has access to talent that he could never afford to hire. Speaking about students from IIM Bangalore, he says, We had many projects running in a haphazard manner. These students restructured them under six different verticals like education, health, et cetera. Our operations now are streamlined and efficient.

Likewise, Chandini Bedi, Head - Quality Management, Navjyoti Foundation, New Delhi singles out students from SPJIMR and SOIL as successful experiences. Prior work experience of the students coupled with the strong institutional focus on the programme helps, she says recalling a business model for their self-help group developed by SPJIMR students. Not only was the model very effective, but also the students consistently tracked its implementation. Nupur Dwiwedi, HR head, Deepalaya adds, Three IMI students redid our HR rules and another student took care of the documentation for our ISO accreditation.

Both Mr Chandrashekaran and Nupur agree that it is up to the NGO to utilize these students well. To ensure only the right students come to their NGO, Nupur sends the requirements of the NGO well in advance to the institutions. Chandrashekaran deploys the students based on their profile and interest. They however, feel a three or six-week stint is too short for a student to understand the NGO. As a result their ideas are theoretical. SOIL students are better. As they are with us for an entire year, their ideas are practical, Nupur says.

Working effectively with an NGO finally comes down to sincerity and enthusiasm, which is an individual trait, observes a student from a b-school in Eastern India and who runs an NGO. His b-school gives the option of a summer internship in an NGO instead of a corporate. He says, NGO stints are generally taken up by students, who cannot secure a corporate internship, so draw your own inference!

SPJIMR Mumbai, has moved the traditional summer corporate internship to autumn, in favour of a mandatory stint in an NGO. Working with an NGO is sometimes futile. We can do little to address systemic failures in a short time, says one SPJIMR alumnus. All the SPJIMR alumni PaGaLGuY spoke to unanimously recommended the switching of summer and autumn internships, as a summer corporate internship would be advantageous, both in terms of roles offered and the final Pre-Placement Offers (PPOs).

Dr Parimal Merchant, Director, Center of Family Managed Business, SPJIMR, defends the concept of mandatory summer NGO internships. We moved the corporate internship to autumn, so that students have one trimester of specialisation. This gives them an edge over other summer interns, who do not have that knowledge, he says. When told about the problems faced by the NGOs, Dr Merchant agrees that there is sometimes an expectation mismatch between the NGOs and the institution. NGOs should know that we are going there as external consultants, not regular volunteers. As for the duration, he asserts a period of 6 weeks is enough for the students to understand and implement. Any longer, we will begin to think like them, he says. Dr Meena Galliara, Chairperson, Social Enterprise Cell, NMIMS Mumbai, says the stints have to be made compulsory as students do not have exposure to social work. I will rate our NGO work between 6 and 7 on a scale of 10, she says.

IMI, Delhi limits NGO work only to its PGDM HR students. Students of the other programmes cannot dedicate three weeks to this initiative, justifies Dr Richa Awashty, Co-ordinator for NGO work. Weekly interactions with the students during their NGO stint, constant feedback from the NGOs and presence of a member from the NGO during the final student presentation, are some of the steps IMI is taking to make the NGO stint a success. We welcome students who want to work with the NGOs but only if they dedicate an entire month to this, she says. SOIL's NGO stints are not only compulsory but also constitute a fourth of their curriculum, informs Kanupriya Sekhri, the course co-ordinator. Flexibility in choosing their NGOs and a focus on 'social awareness' of the students during the admission process are factors for our success with the NGO program, says Kanupriya.

In a contrasting approach to these schools, Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI) School of Business and Human Resources, Jamshedpur has made NGO internships completely voluntary. Dr Madhukar Shukla, Professor, XLRI says We invite NGOs for recruiting summer interns before the corporates come to our campus. The student has to sign out of the corporate internship process, to be eligible to work with an NGO. He believes this process ensures only the genuinely interested people work with the NGOs. IIM Bangalore, meanwhile treats the NGOs at par with corporates during the summer internship. NGOs make presentations, so that they can recruit students, says Sapna Agarwal, Head, Career Development Services, IIM Bangalore. She points out that the NGO stints are completely voluntary and it is the student's discretion to work with an NGO. In both schools however, less than 1 percent of the batch opt for NGOs. I am sure it will increase in the coming years, says an optimistic Dr Shukla.

As Dr Galliara says, social work as a profession has always been looked down upon by the society at large. Both b-schools and NGOs concede that it is very difficult to change this attitude. Making NGO stints voluntary, increasing their duration, giving students a proper orientation are some of the suggestions given by the NGOs to make this programme effective, and all of them stress the need for it to be successful.

[laj (Lajwanti D'Souza)]

For those who have read the earlier post, this ones also about NGOs. But theres a difference, this article is about Abodh Aras, a graduate from Institute of Technology Management (ITM), Mumbai, who is today Chief Executive Office (CEO) of one of Mumbais famous NGOs, The Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD).

And the bigger disparity is that Abodh did not have a single stint with an NGO while in b-school, nor did he sit through any guest social service speakers. Unlike today, there were fewer NGOS the days when I did my business schooling so the orientation had to come from within. And anyway, no school or lecture can make you want to work for a social cause, says Abodh, now in his 30s.

Incidentally, WSD caters to sick and injured stray and abandoned animals. At its kennel in Mahalaxmi, the animals, mostly dogs are sterilised, treated and nursed back to good health and kept back on the streets from where they are picked up regularly.

The Corporate bit

On graduation from ITM in 1996 with a Marketing specialisation, Abodh got placed in DHL as a management trainee. Within a few months, he was made Assistant Customer Services Manager and soon later, the Sales Manager. He was put in charge of an entire business unit in South Mumbai. I loved every bit of working for DHL. The company was good, I was paid well and I got a lot to learn. There was of course lot of work and so much of networking between different units and processes. I understood so much about how businesses are run at the basic level. I learnt practically how when all basic processes fall in place, the bigger company functions smoothly, the WSD CEO adds.

Inner calling

However, even while working for DHL or earlier studying at ITM, Abodh had begun volunteering with the WSD. That meant spending every holiday and Sundays with sick and injured animals, treating them, driving them to hospitals, attending to animal distress calls from the public. So between completing his b-school assignments and later managing huge corporate teams, Abodh always removed the time for WSD.

Over time, seeing ill animals recuperate gave Abodh a different sense of joy, which beat any previous experience. Animals have a way of reciprocating love that is so different. Their love is totally unconditional. The bond one forms with animals, even though strays, is out of the world. When an animal licks you and wag his tails seeing you, it feels like the world, confesses Abodh. After years of dedicated volunteering, sometime in 2000, WSD made Abodh an offer to join the NGO. I just could not refuse. WSD realised I was serious and I had given the impression of wanting to work there, so when they asked me, I was delighted.

Transition

So was the transition from corporate to social service smooth? Yes of course, all the more since I wanted it. I enjoyed DHL thoroughly but I knew that in my heart the animal world is where I wanted to be. However, once in WSD and staring at the real world of stray animals, it pained Abodh to see that so many people in and around Mumbai abandoned animals they did not want anymore. From German Shepherds, to Doberman, Labradors, we have rescued every kind of pedigree animal from the streets. I always thought pets were family members, so how do people just abandon family members on the streets, asks Abodh.

The WSD CEO, since childhood had cats at his home, many rescued from different places.

On the new job

Last 11 years with the NGO, Abodh has brought in much life and zeal into the organisation. While earlier Abodh only volunteered, today he does much more. From planning new programmes to working out different marketing initiatives, his day is pretty much packed. I attend meetings with WSD management, with outside agencies for marketing WSD since garnering funds is an important function. I go around the city, looking for sick animals, oversee our first aid and sterilisation programmes and I also liaison with municipal officials.

However in all the din of so many jobs, Abodh has never ever stopped volunteering work. Thats basic leg work and one has to do it to be in touch with reality. In DHL too, I learnt the job and business by going on the field with the courier guys. Only immense ground work has made be capable of taking good leadership decisions. You cant become a leader or CEO unless you have gone through a thorough grind. Thats when you get to be in a position to teach others too. And all this, one does not learn in books and schools, one learns only on the job, the CEO says.

Corporate miss

So does Abodh miss the glitter of corporate life? I do everything that I would have done if I was working in a corporate. My life is as busy. Just that now, I also terribly love what I do. I have friends in the corporate world who envy me because while they earn more, I am the happier person. He adds: Corporate people always talk about working long hours but for me, I dont know when my day starts or ends. I work all 7 days, so I never have Monday morning blues.

As CEO, Abodh takes decisions for his NGO, he has teams of people under him and he is directly responsible for the growth of the NGO. The company has 30 employees and about 150 vlunteers. Abodh also travels. From attending workshops and taking lectures on Volunteer Management in Singapore to talking on issues like Public Outreach in China, Abodh gets to live every bit of a corporate CEOs life. If not travelling abroad, Abodh travels extensively across India and even in Mumbai. We regularly take workshops in schools and colleges about animal welfare and first aid. It is best that children are given the necessary orientation early in life, says Abodh.

WSD volunteers at the Mumbai Marathon

Love and life

Abodhs earns a few thousands but he has never worked for money. He admits that having a family house in Mumbai and a wife in the corporate field helps him live his passion better. The WSD CEO is all praise for his wife Maya Menezes who is also an MBA graduate from ITM and has a high profile corporate job. The two fell in love at ITM and stalled marriage for almost a decade so that both were settled in their individual careers.

My wife and I both realised a long time ago that she would be the real earning person in the house so we kept marriage on hold till we were comfortable to be able to run our house. Its only when I knew that I could devote enough time for my passion and we could still manage, we took the plunge. Abodh and Maya finally married in November 2006.

Funnily, Maya is a little scared of dogs but she does so much for the dogs and WSD that it more than makes up. She stands outside stalls selling stuff for WSD, she is out in the sun volunteering for all WSD activities and she is my support in everyway, says Abodh with a huge smile.

Why MBA

So why did Abodh do an MBA? He could have still been part of WSD without an MBA tag. But everything I have learnt in my b-school I am putting into practise here. From planning to strategising, working in teams, researching for a new venture to negotiating, training the new members and marketing. Taking important financial decisions, calculations, falling back on various theories that I learn in b-school, it all comes of help at WSD, answers Abodh.

The young CEO is also credited for pushing the First Aid programmes in a big way at WSD. Today the NGO conducts various workshops on the subject and is actively involved in imparting the knowledge to different groups. One of Abodh's serious challenges constitute the municipal body's constant pressure to start killing strays in the city and NGOs like those of WSD thwarting the move every time.

And all this only proves on thing that either you have the fire in you to join an NGO or not. No amount of NGO stints can get anyone interested in social work and the issue is never about choosing corporate over NGOS or vice-versa. You have to have the heart and mind to be part of an NGO. You have to take that one conscious decision not to be part of a world where prosperity means the pay packet at the end of the month but it means nursing an injured bird back to good health and seeing it fly into the clouds.

[thegreatkrishna (Krishna Sheshadri)]

Introducing new courses, updating the existing ones and employing new 'out-of-classroom' methods in learning are some of the maneuvers that Indian b-schools are adopting to stay relevant and competitive. As a result, students now have a cornucopia of elective courses and learning methodologies to choose from across the spectrum of b-schools. We review curriculum changes in the MBA programs of some of the most preferred private b-schools of India.

Autonomous b-schools have the discretion to change their curricula without any statutory interference and as a result, most top schools make incremental additions to their curricula every year based on feedback from the faculty, students, alumni and the industry. A renewed focus on ethics, greater stress on environmental sustainability, new electives on niche sectors and introduction of new off-campus learning initiatives are some of the embellishments that b-schools have added to their MBA curricula this year.

Increasing global focus on environmental consciousness has made b-schools either introduce new courses or update existing ones to be green friendly. Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Mumbai has made the course 'Environment Management' compulsory for all its students whereas Xavier Institute of Management (XIM), Bhubaneshwar has trod the same path with their 'Environment and Sustainability' course. XLRI School of Business and Human Resources, Jamshedpur has revamped its course 'Sustainable Development Of Corporate Strategy' to focus on the environmental impact of corporate initiatives while KJ Somaiya Institute of Management Studies and Research (SIMSR), Mumbai has introduced a new course 'Environmentally-conscious Manufacturing' to their Operations program. Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development (SCMHRD), Pune also has increased the focus on the environment aspect of its 'Infrastructure Management' course.

Finance and Operations

Changes to the finance area have largely been in the form of sector-specific electives. International Management Institute (IMI), Delhi has introduced a new course called 'Infrastructure Finance' while SCMHRD has increased the weightage of 'Infrastructure Management' to 100 credits. IMI has introduced a course in Private Equity while TA Pai Management Institute (TAPMI), Manipal is offering a 'Strategic Financial Management' elective. These new courses deal with the nitty-gritties of the world of private equity and venture capital. In Operations, SIMSR has introduced 'Industrial Management', a course dealing with the time-method analysis in manufacturing and 'Maintenance Management' to highlight the importance of maintenance and its effects on manufacturing. Courses like 'Manufacturing Process Management' by Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon revolving around the use of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and 'Six Sigma and Green-belt' by TAPMI pertaining to quality control, have also been introduced under operations.

Marketing

In the marketing area, b-schools this year have concentrated more on updating the courses rather than introducing new ones. IMI has split its previously composite electives like 'Product and Brand Management' and 'Sales and Distribution' into separate electives for each sub-area. The school is also training students on software packages in their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) course, which earlier used to focus on the marketing component of CRM. SIMSR has updated its marketing specialization with indigenously developed case studies with Indian scenarios being the focus. NMIMS and TAPMI have made the marketing simulation game 'Markstrat' a compulsory part of their curriculum. Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA), known for its niche communication program, and SCMHRD have introduced 'Luxury Management' which offers insights on management of luxury brands. Similarly MICA and NMIMS are offering a 'Sports Management' elective which evangelizes the use of sports as a long-term strategic platform to engage consumers of different categories. TAPMI has also leveraged their annual marketing strategy event 'Brandscan' and introduced a new course 'Advanced Marketing Research' tailored toward it. This TAPMI says, has improved the performance of its students in Brandscan, benefiting both the students and the participating corporates.

Human Resources Management

All b-schools concur that the HR field is highly susceptible to change, which is the reason for its constant updation. XLRI claims that it is the first b-school in India to introduce 'Managing Redundancy', a course dealing with the challenges arising due to the increased use of technology. SCMHRD has introduced 'Idle Time Management', a course that deals with utilization of the non-work times in the IT and the manufacturing industry. MDI has introduced new courses such as 'Management of Creativity & Innovation in Organizations' and 'Employer Branding' in their HR program. SIMSR has similarly updated the content of their Labour Law course to satiate the demands of the service sector. They have also introduced a new course called 'Internal Communication' which deals with the effective communication of the company objectives and initiatives to all its employees, across all levels. There is also an increasing focus on ethics in HR with MDI introducing a course called 'Social Conscientization'.

Emphasis on ethics

SPJIMR, XLRI, NMIMS and TAPMI are laying an emphasis on ethics. SPJIMR has made ethics an integral part of the curriculum with a weightage of almost 40% in a trimester. XLRI has introduced a compulsory course called 'Ethical ways of running a business'. NMIMS has increased the component of ethics in the mandatory 'Corporate Social responsibility' course. TAPMI has a large component of their orientation programme dedicated to ethics. Similar emphasis has also been laid on the spiritual texts, with SPJIMR running a course called 'Management through the Bhagvad Gita' where students analyze the Gita text for management lessons. NMIMS is planning to introduce a course on similar lines.

Learning methodologies and non-classroom initiatives

Some b-schools are also changing their orientation programmes to make them more attractive. Instead of a dry classroom session, NMIMS sends its students on a treasure hunt encompassing the city of Mumbai, with students having to use local transport and communicate in the local language (Marathi) to 'find the treasure'. TAPMI has a three-week exclusive orientation program, which they call 'Immersion'. It consists of a set of six non-credit modules which deal with the case pedagogy, IT and quantitative techniques, book review, art of thinking and reflection and achievement orientation.

The innovations and changes are not only reflected in the curriculum but also in various non-classroom initiatives. Most of the non-classroom learning is directed towards the social development of their students. XIMB and XLRI ask their students to compulsorily spend three nights in a village. They are encouraged to interact with the villagers and get to know their problems. On similar lines, NMIMS has instituted something called as a 'WeCare' initiative, where NMIMS students spend three weeks in an NGO, working with them. NMIMS also has introduced something called as 'Interest-based workshops', run by both the faculty and students, to encourage non-classroom learning. Management learning from films and literature and Management learning from art and history are some of the interest based workshops run by the b-school.

(Also read: Is the arranged marriage between b-schools and NGOs working?)

In addition to their 'summer internship in an NGO' rule, SPJIMR has also instituted a new initiative called 'Abhyudaya'. As a part of this initiative, SPJIMR students mentor 150 students selected by the b-school from various municipal schools in Mumbai. Students have to compulsorily spend 2 hours every 2 weeks with their 'mentees', guiding them academically and in their extra-curricular activities. XLRI has a collaboration with the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF), run by the legendary Bachendri Pal. All XLRI students have to attend an adventure camp which includes water sports and rock climbing, supervised by TSAF.

[shashank3012 (Shashank Prabhu)]

You've seen the posts, the thanks and the groans. Now meet the faces behind the usernames at the 8th edition of the All India PaGaLGuY Meet (AIPGM) on May 28 and 29, 2011 at Bangalore. A one of its kind event, the meet will allow you to network with other regular puys alongside a rock show, some laughter-inducing theater, sports and a lot of fun at the beautiful Elim Resort.

Meet other MBA applicants (ranging from those who have taken the CAT eight times to those who've never taken it), to students and alumni of the IIMs, XLRI, FMS, IIFT and the like at the event. Once at AIPGM, you don't have to make any sense!

And to top is all, there is a big swimming pool at the resort to chill out in.

How can you attend the event? Owing to the 'world-famous' nature of this event and the limited capacity of the resort, AIPGM 2011 will be an invite-only event with a maximum limit of 120 attendees. To stand a chance of an invite, please fill up and submit this form. Briefly, we will invite only those who are/have been...

1. Members of the PG Dream Team, City Dream Teams, UnderDogs Team, the ShoutBoxers Team.

2. PG MadCapz

3. A 'Hardcore PaGaL' having more than 250 posts on the forums (as on April 30, 2011)

4. Anyone who has attended at least one PG Meet this year.

5. OMPA members

6. Anyone who may not fit the above criteria but has been a part of the community, is invited as well. We will consider your case on err... a case-by-case basis.

Once your invitation is confirmed, all you have to do is reach Bangalore and everything else will be taken care of. Else if you can reach Mumbai or Pune, you can travel in the PG bus with us to Bangalore.

At Bangalore, the party, food and accommodation for the May 28 night is on us!

So, hurry up and fill the form. Who knows, you just might get lucky. Just 120 seats and those too getting filled up rapidly. We are sure you don't want to miss this chance!

Continue discussions about AIPGM here.

[thegreatkrishna (Krishna Sheshadri)]

For those with 'good news' at the end of the MBA admissions season starts an entirely new and bigger phase of money-bleeding --- for paying tuition fees, living expenses and buying that inseparable appendage of business education --- the Laptop.

Believe it or not, the laptop will be both the source of stress as well as its antidote at b-school. When you are not using the laptop for rigorous class assignments and presentations, it will be your all-in-one tool for watching movies, playing games, haunting social networking sites and staying in touch with your near and dear ones.

We looked up some of the best MBA-friendly laptops out there in the market and are briefly reviewing them for you. But before we begin, some de-jargonizing of typical computer terminology is in order.

The Processor

It being the brain of the computer, we suggest you opt for the most powerful multiple core processors for the best computing performance. 'The more the merrier' couldn't have been more applicable than while selecting processors. Look out for the generation of the processor as your laptop's efficiency depends on it. You can find out the generation of the processor by simply looking at its code. A code that read like 2xxx, means that the processor belongs to Intel's latest 'second-generation' of processors. These line of processors offer better graphics and video processing capabilities while consuming lesser power over its first generation counterparts. Your laptop will thus work for longer hours.

Here is how to interpret a processor's nomenclature. Suppose a processor is named 'Intel Core i3-380M Processor (2.53GHz, 4 Threads, 3M cache)'. Then,

i3-380m is the processor code. This is an Intel first-generation core processor (a second generation processor will have codes along the lines of 2xxx, for example '2130').

2.53 GHz is the clock Speed; higher this number, better the performance.

4 Threads indicates the multitasking capabilities of your processor. The more the number of threads, better the processor.

3M Cache - the L3 (Level 3) Cache Memory of the CPU.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

The higher the RAM, the lesser a computer's tendency to hang while you multitask between multiple software applications. For a new laptop, a DDR3 RAM of 3GB is sufficient for running Windows 7 and other ancillary applications that you will use extensively in your b-school curriculum. We are talking about applications such as Microsoft Excel, SPSS or Minitab. Make sure that the RAM in you laptop is upgradeable, as you never know when you might want to pimp the machine up.

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

A GPU in a laptop is quite like the power-windows feature in a car: it is good if you have one, but it is not necessary. Most modern processors powering today's laptops have an in-built GPU which allows them to produce decent graphics. But if you would like to use your laptop for high-end gaming or watching high-definition movies, you should consider adding an external GPU. You will have to shell out more, but it will significantly enhance your gaming and multimedia experience. Oh and yes, GPUs tend to be battery drainers and cause laptops to heat up. So do look up reviews of the particular GPU model on the Internet before buying the laptop.

But if you're going to largely keep your laptop usage limited to b-school-related software and watching standard quality movies, you can give an external GPU a miss.

Make sure your laptop has a VGA-out port. You will need it to connect to projectors for showing those dazzling Picasso-shaming Powerpoint presentations that you will subject your professors to.

After-sales Service

To limit the damage caused by malfunctions for a longer period of time, opt for the 'extended manufacturer warranty' at an additional cost. Ask your seniors how good their service experience has been with various brands in the city your b-school is situated in.

Onwards ho to the laptops. We are suggesting a few laptops priced below Rs 45,000 for,

1. Running academics-related software

2. Watching movies in hi-definition and

3. Playing the occasional game (like Need For Speed (NFS), Grand Theft Auto (GTA), CounterStrike, Warcraft III, etc)

Best Laptops under Rs 45,000 for Indian b-schoolers

#5: Acer AS4820TG - 5463G50Mnks

Specifications:

Processor: Intel i5-460M - 2.53 Ghz 3M Cache

RAM: 3 GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)

Hard disk: 500 GB SATA 5400 Rpm

Screen Size: 14' Active Matrix TFT Colour LCD Resoultion: 1366 x 768

GPU: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 1 GB

OS: Genuine 64-bit Windows 7 Home Premium

Weight: 2.20 kg

Price: Rs 42,500-ish

The goods: Fast processor, ample HDD space, very good GPU, Windows 7 home premium (better multimedia capabilities), Thin and light form factor.

The bads: Better deals available at lower prices, glossy screen makes it difficult to see in the sun.

Why is it here?

This is is a good laptop which can easily transform from a business laptop to a gaming one. However it is a little too pricey for its configuration as you will find out.

#4: Dell Inspiron 14R New Laptop

Specifications

Processor: Intel Core I3-380m (2.53 GHz, 4 Threads, 3M)

RAM: 4GB DDR3

Hard disk: 500 GB SATA 5400 Rpm

Screen Size: 14" (35.6cm) HD WLED Glossy Display with TrueLife (1366x76

GPU: Intel HD Graphics

OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic SP1 64bit (English)

Weight: 2.25 kg.

Price: Rs 34,400-ish.

Pros: RAM, and HDD, lower price, easily portable (14 screen). Accidental Damage cover by Dell in the warranty period, which can be extended to second year at an extra cost of Rs 3235. Recommended if there is almost no need for gaming and/or viewing HD content.

Cons: No GPU, basic 1st generation i3 processor.

Why is it here?

This is a laptop that is purely for people who are looking for something that matches the rigours of a curriculum; nothing more, nothing less. This laptop can easily take the load of the applications needed in the MBA course, but might tire out if used for gaming or extensive multimedia. Recommended if you absolutely do not need a laptop for gaming or viewing HD content.

#3: Hewlett-Packard HP G6-1017TU

Specifications

Processor: Intel Core i5-2410M (2.30GHz, 4 threads, turbo boost up to 2.93 Ghz, 3M cache)

RAM: 4 GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)

HDD: 320GB SATA 5400 Rpm

Screen Size: 15.6" (39.6cm) HD LED HP BrightView Display (1366x768)

GPU: Intel HD Graphics 3000 (Internal)

OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic SP1 64bit (English)

Weight: 2.4 kg

Price: Rs 40,500

Pros: 2nd Gen i5 processor (fast, really), decent RAM.

Cons: No separate GPU.

Why is it here?

A very well-rounded package for business needs, with a fast processor and ample RAM. Well suited for delivering rich multimedia experience coupled with superb performance in routine tasks. The lack of a separate GPU means that avid gamers might want to look for some other options, but it can handle casual games quite well with Intel HD Graphics 3000 integrated GPU.

#3: Lenovo IdeaPad Z570 59-067847

Specifications

Processor: Intel Core i5-2410M (2.30GHz, 4 threads, turbo boost up to 2.93Ghz, 3M cache)

RAM: 4 GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)

HDD: 640GB SATA 5400 Rpm

Screen Size: 15.6 HD LED Glare (1366x76

GPU: Integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000

OS: Win7 Home Premium( 64 Bits)

Weight: 2.5 kg

Price: Rs 40,990+tax

Pros: Good processor, RAM and HDD config, Windows 7 Home Premium

Cons: Price, absence of a separate GPU will cause problems for gamers.

Why is it here?

This model has slight edge over the Hewlett Packard HP G6-1017TU as it offers an additional 320GB HDD space and Windows 7 Home premium, which offer better multimedia capabilities over Windows 7 Home Basic. But because of its price the Lenovo ties with HP for #3.

#2: Lenovo IdeaPad Z570 59-069600

Specifications

Processor: Intel Core i3-2310M (2.10 GHz 3M cache)

RAM: 4GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)

HDD: 640GB SATA 5400 Rpm

Screen Size: 14" (35.6cm) Widescreen HD WLED Glossy Display with TrueLife (1366x76

GPU: Nvidia GeForce GT 520M - 1GB

OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic SP1 64-bit (English)

Weight: 2.6 kg

Price: Rs 38,990+tax

Pros: 2nd Gen i3 processor, ample RAM and HDD space, and a separate GPU too!

Cons: The processor could have been faster, like a first generation i-5.

Why is it here?

A gaming laptop, akin to the #1, albeit with slightly downscaled performance parameters. However, the price is lower as well.

The only difference between this and the #1 laptop is the processor. The i3 second generation here, we feel is slightly underpowered. Both of them are at par as far as graphics is concerned with Lenovo's Nvidia 520M only slightly losing out. However with Nvidia's optimizer solution Optimus, the GPU power consumption is regulated for giving an optimum battery life. All in all a very good buy. Let us say Lenovo lost in a photo finish.

#1: Dell Inspiron 14R

Specifications

Processor: Intel Core i5-480M (2.66GHz, 4Threads, turbo boost up to 2.93Ghz, 3M cache)

RAM: 4 GB DDR3 (Upgradable to 8 GB)

HDD: 320GB SATA 5400 Rpm

Screen Size: 14" (35.6cm) Widescreen HD WLED Glossy Display with TrueLife (1366x76

GPU: ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 - 1GB

OS: Genuine Windows 7 Home Basic SP1 64bit (English)

Weight: 2.25 kg

Price: Rs 40,626 for this configuration, Rs 35,400 without Graphics card and 3 GB RAM.

Pros: Everything. Accidental Damage cover by Dell in the warranty period, which can be extended to second year at an extra cost of Rs 3235..

Cons: HDD space couldve been larger.

Why is it here?

An i5 processor with 4GB RAM, coupled with a high-mid range separate GPU we guess that the configuration speaks volumes. And as stated earlier, Dell is known to have a superb after-sales service. It edges out the Lenovo Ideapad Z570 mainly because of its processor and its graphics handling capabilities are far better than the others in this range. The best laptop at this price, for b-school requirements, high definition movie watching and occasional gaming.

PS: For people willing to put a graphics card in their laptops and run the machine for more than 12 hours a day, you might want to invest in a laptop cooling stand. And if you want to use/play unplugged, a 9-cell battery would take care of the extra power consumption.

PPS: Apple makes excellent laptops. Its just that they never bother to come down to this price range.

Advisory

We have observed some people considering the Apple iPad or other tablet devices as a substitute for a full-fledged laptop. If you ask us, tablets such as the iPad or the Blackberry Playbook have not been designed and are not intended to replace a laptop. So please don't think of the iPad as a substitute to a laptop. Tablets for now are niche media consumption devices not geared up for complex spreadsheet or presentation-creating activities.

(With important contributions from Prashant Bist and Sarath Kurup.)

[laj (Lajwanti D'Souza)]

Are you genetically right for your job or do you need a proper work-environment to bring out the best in you? This is the subject that Dr. Richard D. Arvey, currently the head of the Department of Management and Organization at the National University of Singapore has researched for decades. His research has concluded with a finding that at least 40% of whether we are 'happy with our jobs' is because of the genes we possess.

Only a month back, Dr Arvey received the distinguished Scientific Contribution Award given by the Society of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, a Division of the American Psychological Association (AP). The award honors individuals who have made the most critical, empirical and/or theoretical scientific contributions to the field of industrial and organizational psychology.

PaGaLGuY met up with Dr Arvey to know more on whether 'job satisfaction' runs in the blood or whether office colleagues, boss and nature of the company makes any difference.

Dr Richard Arvey

How did you start you research?

I started by studying twins. Identical twins share 100 percent of their genes, and fraternal twins share about 50 percent. This allowed us to look at twins who were raised together and raised apart and the contribution of genetics compared to that of environmental factors. The environments make them different, while their genes make them similar. We checked on Minnesota Twin Registry-a University of Minnesota database which tracked 10,000 surviving pairs of twins born in Minnesota between 1936 and 1981.

How were the tests carried out?

To tease apart these contributions, participants were asked a series of questions centered on the desire to influence others, to be the center of attention, to persist when others give up, and to be with people. All the questions had a genetic component. Whoever answered the questions positively, were probably genetically better wired for leadership. Next, I took an inventory of the leadership roles they had held throughout their lives, including titles such as supervisor, director, vice-president, or president. A great deal of personality is genetic-based. If your personality is such that you aspire to and have held these positions, then these roles also suggest a genetic link. My study did not identify a specific gene, but looked at whether an individual gravitated to leadership positions.

One pair of identical twins Dan and Dean is often discussed in your research?

Identical twins Dan and Dean Oberpriller, 60-year-old Minneapolis-based entrepreneurs, have always held leadership positions and had strong leadership role models in their parents. They both graduated with majors in journalism from the University of Minnesota and spent several years in the upper ranks at various premier advertising agencies in Minnesota before starting out on their own.

The Oberprillers were not a part of the study, but genetics played a key factor in their desire to lead. Their father owned a bakery, and the twins assisted him since an early age. The father however, discouraged them from joining the bakery business. And their mother was very active in the community and a leader in getting people to vote and in arranging political causes. So genetics played a strong role in their desire to lead their own businesses.

Another interesting fact is that Dan and Dean worked together on and off over the years and decided early on in their lives that they would not compete. They decided to share the leadership tasks of whatever they undertook together, including their own advertising company, DBK & O. Although both of them believe that they were born to lead, they were able to temper their leadership desires, in order to cooperate in whatever environments they were in.

Are you saying that if a person is satisfied with his job, his son/daughter will also be satisfied?

You are correct. Because children share about half their genes with each parent, there will be a tendency to show similar satisfaction with their jobs. Note, however, that this will not be a particularly strong association/correlation.

Are you saying that the environment does not play any role in 'job satisfaction.'

Not at all. The environment does play a role in producing job satisfaction. Our studies simply show that the environment is not the sole contributorthe genetic make-up of an individual plays a role as well. People are not as malleable as we think. While the environment influences 60-70 percent of our leadership behavior and the roles we obtain, our genes still exert a sizable influence over whether we will become leaders. Therefore, leadership is both inherited and acquired. And although 30-40 percent may not seem like a high number, statistically it is strong.

Is 'job satisfaction' different for women and men?

The research evidence shows that females are generally more satisfied with their jobs, even when the type of job and other factors are controlled. The explanation offered is that females have lower expectations than men and so, if the jobs present males and females with the same opportunities (e.g. challenges, demands, etc.) women will respond more favorably to their jobs. Men and women often have different expectations with regards to a job.

We normally hear of people being happy if they get along with their seniors and bosses ?

Do you mean happy "in general" or happy "with their job"? If you mean satisfied or happy with their job, it is true that having good relationships with their bosses is a major factor, but this is not the entire picture. Other things like co-workers, the resources available, the tasks involved in the job, etc. are also significant contributors.

Does job satisfaction have anything to do with rising in the ranks?

There is some evidence that individuals with more complex jobs are more satisfied. Theoretically, job satisfaction is largely a function of what people expect in a job and what they actually encounter. So as individuals rise in the ranks their expectations change as well. Thus, satisfaction levels for individuals in different ranks are pretty much the same.

Are some people such that they will never be satisfied with their jobs?

There is a tendency for individuals to be consistent in their job satisfaction even when they take on new and different jobs, but the correlation is not perfect. Thus, for some individuals who are dissatisfied with their job they can still find satisfaction under different conditions. One is not doomed to be either satisfied or dissatisfied.

Is job satisfaction an age related issue at all?

There is empirical evidence that older individuals are relatively more satisfied with their jobs than younger individuals, although again, the differences are small. This is possibly because older individuals through experience recognize that jobs are never perfect and have lower expectations.

Is job satisfaction culture based and society based. Do some cultures breed this trait?

There is evidence that some cultures are more satisfied than others. While it may be easy to attribute this to culture, it isnt quite that simple because of the kinds of conditions in organizations and the different types of job demands (e.g. hours worked, etc.) differ across cultures as well. Thus, any differences observed between cultures are confounded because of possible differences in the way work and jobs are constructed.

What are the answers you are still seeking?

This was the first step in looking at genetics in the workplace, there's still much to be done. If 70 percent of leadership is environmentally-based, what are the various environmental influences that make a leader? How do genetics and the environment interact in creating a leader? What if gender is factored in? These are many of the questions waiting to be answered. It also doesn't mean that if you are a leader, you are a good one. The study looked at who became leaders and why, and not at leadership effectiveness.

Dr Richard D. Arvey is an American psychology professor. After receiving a bachelor of arts degree in psychology in 1966 from Occidental College, he attended University of Minnesota to study industrial psychology, earning a master's degree in 1968 and a doctorate in 1970. Dr Arvey has authored books on the issue (Fairness in Selecting Employees) and his work has been published in international journals. Besides consulting with NASA management to help devise a valid system for selecting astronauts for long duration space flight missions, Dr Arvey also serves as a witness in a variety of employee-related court cases.

[laj (Lajwanti D'Souza)]

Pic by Max Wolfe Photostream

In a bid to fill up 2,100 PGDM seats, about 52 b-schools in Maharashtra are, for the first time, conducting a centralized admission process for b-school aspirants. The service will hope to net students who have taken any of the entrance tests namely: CAT / MAT / XAT / ATMA / JMET /Maharashtra or any other state level CET and have still not managed to secure admission anywhere.

For those who have not taken a single entrance test and still harbor dreams of doing an MBA, there are thoughts of conducting another specialized CET for them.

The 52 schools that come under the body - Consortium of Management Education (COME) threw open their online admission process today through their website.

Single window

According to Dr Apoorva Palkar, Executive President of COME, the idea to initiate this system was to make sure that there would be a single admission avenue for the students. Why should students wait in long queues at different b-schools or run from one school to another?", she asked. This system, she hopes, will make admissions a hassle-free process especially as students availing of it will basically be an already-stressed-out lot, not having got admission anywhere this year.

The process

While the number of students who will avail of this facility is yet unknown, COME expects a huge number of aspirants to apply. Advertising for this process will begin tomorrow (June 2). The GD/PI along with the written test score and other parameters will be considered for creating a merit list, after the forms are received. According to Dr Palkar, it will be the students who will have the option of choosing an institute. The allocation will be done on the basis of merit and the preferences of the applicant.

While the actual admission process starts tomorrow, the GDPI's will be held from June 8 to June 21 at centers in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nasik, Jalgaon, Kolhapur, Hyderabad, New Delhi, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Indore and Jaipur. Results will be declared only by June 24.

When asked whether this will entail a delayed start to the academic year in the b-schools involved, Dr Palkar said that the sessions in the respective schools will begin only from July 15. This will delay the process but it is in line with the AICTE guidelines."

No entrance exam

A point worth noting in the new process is that students who have not taken a single entrance exam this year will also be eligible for admission. PaGaLGuY pointed out to COME that this may drastically reduce the quality of students that apply through this process. To this Dr Palkar replied, "If the number of students which fall in this category is huge, and if the group members feel the need, COME will propose a CET as per the guidelines of state and Pravesh Niyantran Samiti. If permissions come by, this CET could be held by mid-June. Dr Palkar added that this decision is subject to receiving the necessary permissions from the authorities.

It may be recalled that last year too, the state government, had decided to fill some 15,000 MBA seats that were vacant in schools across the state without taking into account the Common Entrance Test (CET). The move met with moderate success as of the 35,000 vacant seats, around 10,000 remained vacant for quite a while. PaGaLGuY had then spoken to Rajesh Tope, Minister for Higher and Technical Education and he had clearly stated that the rule to allow MBA admissions to students who had not taken a single entrance exam was only for 2010 and would not be carried over to 2011.

[guest_writer (Guest)]

There is a slight glimmer of hope for MBA applicants to Maharashtra b-schools caught in the domicile imbroglio at the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) office in Mumbai. For those candidates who have not submitted Maharashtra domicile certificates while applying for admission to various management courses and face omission, there just could be an extension of deadline.

A decision in this regard is however, yet to be firmed up.

The deadline for receiving applications from candidates applying to different professional courses in the state was May 31, 2011. That day itself, the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) officials found that a huge number of candidates had not attached their domicile certificates with the forms. A domicile certificate is a legal document certifying that an individual has been residing in that state for at least 10 years and is used to implement state-level quotas in higher education admissions.

While the exact number of candidates who submitted incomplete forms is still not clear, the number was huge enough to irritate DTE Director SK Mahajan. The DTE officers told PaGaLGuY that the blame lies squarely on the candidates to furnish complete information and they must read rules before submitting application.

The decision about whether or not to extend the deadline for these candidates will be taken on June 17 or 18, which according to the DTE calender are days reserved for grievances.

Dr Sunil Bhamare, Officer on Special Duty at DTE said that a solution keeping in mind the availability of seats would be worked out at the end. As for the extension of date, Dr Bhamare said, We cannot decide anything now. We will have a meeting within a couple of days. If we extend the dates, other qualified admission candidates might take us to the court."

When PaGaLGuY visited the DTE office twice this week, both times, there were at least 20-30 candidates lined up with their parents awaiting news about domicile certificates. On both the days, candidates were seen crowding around DTE analyst NB Patil. Patil told PaGaLGuY that the rule on domicile certificates had been in use since last year. Besides, the rules have been freshly written on our brochures and on our website since January 27, 2011 when we started the admissions process. How is that so many candidates claim to not know of it?

Patil added that the same information had also been published in various English as well as vernacular newspapers.

But candidates seemed totally clueless. Some of them told this correspondent that the rule about domicile is hidden deep in the middle of the CET admission brochure which is too thick a book for anyone to go through. Who will actually read a brochure as thick as this inside out? asked a candidate.

The receptionist at the DTE office who has a brochure on his desk was showing its contents to the candidates. He kept referring to the pages which had information about the domicile certificate and also dates for submission of forms.

The receptionist however added, "Yes, it is a thick brochure and important dates have been written in the middle of the book. But still, the candidates should have read the book thoroughly. It is their life, their career."

Patil was seen constantly assuring the aggrieved candidates and parents. He was heard telling them that the meetings (for grievances) which would be held on June 17-18 will be the deciding factor. Adil Deshmukh, an MBA aspirant who has not submitted his domicile certificate said, "I can't do anything now except look forward to the grievance dates."

Another MBA aspirant, Nirmal Menon, who scored 92 percentile in the CET was also disappointed. "I don't think I will get into a good college. I don't have much hope. Yet, I am looking forward to the provisional merit list on June 16.

Sumit Baskar, a candidate under the Other Backward Castes quota had submitted the domicile certificate but couldn't submit the non-creamy layer certificate on time and said that many of his friends were in the same kind of soup.

Explaining the importance of a domicile certificates, Dr Bhamare said that it was made mandatory because some candidates from outside Maharashtra were managing to get MBA seats as Maharashtra natives, while those from within the state were being left out.

A domicile certificate can be procured at any magistrate court or any tehsildar offices for Rs 15. It is furnished to those who have been staying in the state for ten years or more and ones domicile can be proved by submitting birth certificate, school leaving certificate, ration card or passport.

Some candidates at DTE seemed so desperate that they were even willing to bribe the right people to avail of the certificate. One of them who did not wish to be named said that it usually took two to three weeks or even more to obtain a domicile certificate, but with a bribe of Rs 15,000, all it takes is a day.

Editor's note: This obviously is a story for the consumption of Maharashtra CET students. We would like to remind the others that they have the choice to not comment for the heck of it.

[apurv (Apoorv Pandit)]

This post has been intentionally designed to make all those of you who did not attend the eighth All India PaGaLGuY Meet (AIPGM) 2011 at Bangalore on May 28 and 29 feel bad about not making it.

We are going to share photos and videos of the biggest and baddest PG meet of all in the rest of this article and make you stamp your fist on the table and exclaim, Why was I not there?"

We don't intend to act mean, but the hidden agenda (not hidden anymore) behind sounding so arrogant about showing-off the great time more that 80 of us puys had at the AIPGM is to encourage you to attend it next year.

So on May 28 and 29, more than 80 regular users of PG who are either preparing for a top b-school, already studying in one or graduated out of one had one of the awesomest offline meets of an online community known in India. People flew, drove or rode down from Delhi, Pune, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and more to meet the faces behind the online personas they had come to know well on PaGaLGuY through their journey of preparing for a top b-school admission.

I could go on and on about the cricket matches, mafia games, rain dances by the pool, rock concerts, networking, inspiration-sharing, and the philosophical conversations about life, the universe and everything we had with a bunch of amazing people from across the country including those such as him, but instead I'll just let the pictures do the talking (click on the picture below to begin the slideshow).

Here's a video from the little acoustic set PaGaLGuY's Official Rock Band 'Suspended' put up.

And finally, the salsa performance put up by a few talented feet in the PaGaLGuY Headquarters, including Founder and CEO Allwin Agnel.

Super-duper pats on the back for the Bangalore puys for taking responsibility of hosting the event and executing it flawlessly. You guys don't need an MBA, you're already great managers!

The PaGaLGuY community thanks the Indus Business Academy at Bangalore and Greater Noida for sponsoring the event and making it possible for us to host the party at a just the right kind of resort for this type of an event.

The AIPGM is held during end-May every year and a is a great opportunity to network with people who you've come to know well during your stay on PG. Hope you will consider attending next year!

[bhuenyunpa (Tendar Tsering)]

Deadlines that extend like rubber bands.

MBA applicants to Maharashtra b-schools who had failed to submit their domicile certificates before the stipulated deadline now have a reason to smile. The Directorate of Technical Education (DTE), which conducts the common admission process has decided to allow them to submit their domicile certificates between June 20 and 23, 2011.

AM Jadhav, Systems Manager at the DTE office said that the decision to extend the deadline was taken after a meeting with the DTE Director keeping in view the high demand from affected applicants for the extension.

According to Jadhav, about 1,000 students had not furnished their domicile certificates and around 200 candidates had not submitted their 'Non Creamy Layer Other Backward Caste' certificates by the original deadline of May 31.

On June 3, DTE officer on special duty Dr Sunil Bhamare had told PaGaLGuY that extending the deadline was impossible and if done, the candidates that had complied with the document submissions could take DTE to the court.

But the DTE has even put up a circular (in Marathi) on its website today notifying that candidates can change their category by furnishing domicile or non-creamy layer certificates between June 20 and 23.

The DTE's decision has showered applicants caught in the domicile imbroglio with hope of landing up in a good b-school in the state.

Yet, MBA students who had duly submitted their domicile documents on time are ferocious about the decision and think that the DTE should not have extended the deadline.

Rohan P, an MBA aspirant feels that if DTE kept extending such deadlines, there will continue to be careless candidates next year who do not comply with a stipulated process meticulously. But he also sees an opportunity to to make it work to his advantage. "After the first provisional merit list is on display on June 17, we will decide whether to jump categories depending on the ranks we have got."

"I am firmly against any extension of the date. Were we fools slogging day and night to procure our domicile certificate before the deadline? It would be very partial and unjust for the DTE to extend the date," comments a reader in our earlier story about the matter.