Great power needs great responsibility

Obviously, this creates a pressure for private players to secure coal supplies for the long term. But the major caveat is still the coal policy, which has not kept pace with the demands of the power sector. Demand for coal has been increasing by 8-9% per annum, but Coal India’s production has only increased by 5-6% CAGR from 2004-09. The government’s plan to open captive mining to private players has not yielded the desired results as the blocks allotted have not proved economically viable for many reasons. The government has introduced a useful policy initiative for allotment of coal blocks on competitive bidding basis. But the framework for final allocation is still not finalized; and that’s impeding projects by a great deal. It is also being proposed by some sections that blocks be given to private players for commercial use too.

Coal has limitations, thanks to green concerns, due to which there has been an imposition of a coal cess on thermal power generation and a growing commitment to reduce its use. Hydro is a very useful alternative, but the pace has been too slow. V. P. Bhargava, Director-Technical, NHPC, comments, “We need to have 10-year plans in the sector to fulfil current five year plan targets!” India’s hydro generation capacity is around 1,48,700 MW and we have exploited just about 47,000 MW. Out of total installed capacity, share of hydro is only 25% whereas for stability of the grid, it should be 40%. Policy clearances play the main villains here too, besides geographical issues. Post the announcement of the plant, actual clearances take 3-4 years. Most unexploited potential is in the north east (around 60000 MW); primarily in Arunachal Pradesh. Bringing this power to other parts of India through the chicken neck (the thin tract of land that connects North East to West Bengal) presents its own set of problems.

Out of the renewable energy set, Manish Aggarwal, ED, Infrastructure Advisory, KPMG India, comments, “There is significant interest in solar. However, any meaningful contribution from solar power will mean that it will also impact the average cost of power purchase. I don’t see clarity on how this cost impact will be managed going forward.” Actually, India does have massive potential due to one of the highest solar intensities in the world. K. Subramanya, CEO, Tata BP Solar, laments the lack of opportunities and infrastructure support, as he says, “We are exporting 80% to the western world. We want to sell in our country but there are not enough opportunities.” The government has allocated Rs.500 crore for setting up of solar and small hydro power units in this year’s budget. According to Deepak Puri, CMD, Moser Baer, (which is planning to become an end-end player in solar energy), this is too less. He says, “If you plan to set up 300 or 400MW plants, this will be wiped out in 2-3 months.”

Due to past inexperience, most private players rely on external contractors to execute projects, and risk facing delays as well as cost overruns. At the contractor end as well as at the company end, the problem of manpower is equally crippling, as not many engineers and technicians have been churned out for the power sector like they were for a sector like IT. The Planning Commission estimates that the augmentation required at all levels is 8424 personnel for the thermal power sector and 3420 people for the hydro power sector. Similarly, there is a huge equipment deficit.

In addition, mega power projects may end up getting severely constrained by finances. According to KPMG 2010 report on the power sector, each Ultra Mega Power Plant (UMPP for 4000 MW) costs over Rs.160 billion and it’s a high stakes game. Any delay in receiving the financial amount at the right time and/or at the desired terms could derail some of these projects midway. RBI’s stringent norms for exposure of banks to individual companies



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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2010.

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

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Air India strike shows a highly unprofessional attitude

Air India spent approximately Rs.81050 (about Rs.24,150 on accommodation and food, Rs.6900 on transport and about Rs.50,000 for alternative flights via Bangkok) on each of these passenger — who were in a few hundreds in number. Meanwhile, the Aviation ministry releases press brief that it’s not going to interfere over the issue, it will back the management’s decision completely. What was even more interesting was that our stay at Bangkok airport, for over six hours, never made us realise that we are in the same nation which is being torn apart through riots since years. The arrangement and flight procedures inside the airport was perfectly in place and it was made sure that the internal disturbance don't harm the business of airlines.

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

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

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

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Goneare the dieting days…

Gwyneth Paltrow has given up her quest for a sexy and sizzling figure and is no longer concentrating on dieting so that she can look after her children. Apparently, the “Shakespeare in Love” star doesn’t get the time to follow a diet. In fact, she is so fond of food that she would love to open a restaurant one day! Hopefully we’ll see more actresses choosing to be curvaceous and we’ll see fewer clothes-hangers passing off as women!

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Primary education for all

Some 1.7 lakh children to benefit from the scheme

Shankar Sathua lives in Salia Sahi, a slum in suburban Bhubaneswar. Life became hell for him after his father’s demise. When he was four-year-old, Shankar had to work as a domestic help along with his ailing mother. But still he was struggling to meet the basic need. Finally with the help of some people Shankar opened a vegetable shop at a nearby colony. Since then, his family’s economy has stabilised as his small business is doing well. Still he has many problems to overcome. Illiteracy is the biggest one as he is unable to even count properly. But this will come to an end soon.

The Orissa government is planning to launch a new system through which a boy or a girl can get direct admission into a class according to his/her age. A non-beginner like Shankar can directly get admission in class seven along with his friends.

Dr Rabindra Acharya, a senior teacher at Capital High School, Bhubaneswar, says: “This is a good idea and we hope this provision of lateral entry of children in higher classes according to their age will reduce the number of school drop-outs and non-beginners in the state. This way, we can achieve the goal of primary education for all.” There are more than 1.75 lakh illiterate children in Orissa. The scheme will come into effect in all 30 districts of Orissa from July. Under the newly legislated “Orissa Education Rule-2010,” the government has introduced this provision for the first time. It has called it bridge course. According to government sources, the facility of lateral entry to students will be available up to class eight under bridge course. The execution of this new scheme will be carried out by Orissa Primary Education Programme Authority (OPEPA) at district level. The School & Mass Education Department, which has the responsibility to achieve the goals of universal elementary education, is funding this mega scheme of Rs 1,740 crore. Iswar Chandra Barda, joint secretary to School and Mass Education Department, says: “This is an ambitious project that will make Orissa a 100 per cent achiever in primary education. And one important thing about this scheme is that the government will bear all expenditures of the students inducted under this scheme. OPEPA along with some other NGOs will execute the programme.”

The OPEPA has started a state-level training programme for primary school teachers in Bhubaneswar. The purpose is to make them aware of their new responsibilities. Now, about 55,417 schools across the state are ready to welcome a new group of students. The need of the hour is to re-orient the existing programmes and help implement the new policy of bridge course successfully from the grass-root level. This way the mission of providing primary education to children can be achieved by the government.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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The green-eyed hunk talks about his journey from “finished” to “phenomenal”

Doesn’t attempting all those daredevil action scenes give you goosebumps?

I’m a slave to my vision in my head. If I see something in my head, then I have to make it manifest. If I can see it in my head, I know it’s possible and if I know it’s possible, I just keep working at it without giving up. And that’s how it happens.

Do you see yourself progressing into direction?

Ah! No, I don’t think so. I don’t think direction is about giving suggestions and having little visions of how a scene should progress or where you should place the camera. It’s just that I’ve been around the camera so much that I’ve learnt a lot and have my own instincts. But that doesn’t mean I have the talent of being the director. But all said and done, if at all my life leads me that way, then, we shall see (laughs).

Which has been your best role till now?

Well, I see my life in two phases. All the work that I’ve done between “Kaho Na Pyaar Hai” and “Koi Mil Gaya” were kind of a reference phase in my life. All that I did was reference acting and reference work. I was trying to duplicate or relive the kind of success that I had in my first film. And then “Koi Mil Gaya” came into my life and I relived that same passion, that desire and that drive which I’d felt in my first film. And then I realised what filmmaking and acting was truly all about. I realised and I decided at that time that I’d do only those films that make me feel this way. From then on my stepping stone towards that mission became my films like “Lakshya”, “Krissh” and “Dhoom”. Now it’s “Kites” and then “Guzaarish”. I only want to do films that excite me that much and I realised this back at the time when I was doing “Koi Mil Gaya”. You know, even while brushing my teeth in the morning, I would think about the film. I had this rush and feeling of pure passion. That’s how I want it to be with all the films I take up.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Breaks from routine, whether short or long, have numerous salutary uses for mankind

A few tourists visit places for snapshots and then snap their ties with idyllic environs. It is another task for them. Picturesque spots get lost in the zeal to take pictures to be flaunted to the neighbours. Our priorities are decided most of the time by our neighbours and relatives. We need to learn to relax and enjoy the breeze, vast firmament and fragrant flowers blossoming all the way to enhance our trip. When we climb up a hill station, we can observe the weather turning pleasant in degrees and the moist wind blowing. Many doze off on the way and miss the memorable moments.

In any wildlife resort, we can find foreigners staying for a longer duration, imbibing every inch of wilderness. They become totally anonymous, shredding their identity sans any airs. The problem is that we carry ourselves everywhere. We want to have all the modern gadgets. Very often we make a slight remark, ‘law of the jungle’. Actually, things happen with a rhythm in a forest. No animal ever harms other creatures for the heck of it.

Tags become crucial in deciding the destination. Mindless crowding in a few popular destinations can be observed. Many lesser-known spots, serene and scenic, are neglected. ‘Mob mentality’ creeps in. We want similar congestion, crowd, malls, amusements and eating joints in our destinations. As a result, we return exhausted and remain enervated. I feel that the oft used term ‘home away from home’ itself is a complete misnomer. William Shakespeare wrote in his famous play, Henry V, about the need for escaping from one’s home at times to have a glimpse of the world. He says, “... `T is ever common that men are merriest when they are away from home.” If we want to have homely comforts, we might as well stay home and stagnate.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Appointing an expat CEO, for traditional Indian companies

If one were to call a spade a spade, considering India’s vast diversified culture where each state is as good as a country in itself, appointment of a global CEO who isn’t well-aware of the cultural differences and the state of affairs is surely an extremely high risk affair. But on the other hand, the international experience they bring is undeniably invaluable and could transform a company’s vision superlatively. So what is the critical factor companies look for when recruiting expat CEOs?

One answer could lie in domain specialisation. Often, successful matches are about balancing off the expat leader’s specialisation with the cultural functional void in his/her profile. When Brian Tempest was employed in Ranbaxy Laboratories, the R&D expertise that he enabled helped the company immensely. K. R. Kim, former LG India head honcho, was taken up by Videocon as the company planned a radical branding and business transformation. And the top management is quite pleased so far with his efforts. “Appointing a foreign national as the CEO of a company such as Tata Motors and Ranbaxy with deep Indian roots makes sense when the goals to be achieved are clearly defined,” says Vikas Pota, MD, Saffron Chase. Infosys goes one step ahead. It recruits a person in the top management position only if the individual – irrespective of nationality – has grown within the company over time from lower positions (and therefore knows the company’s culture inside out), “but a leader has to have specialisation in at least one domain,” says CEO Kris Gopalakrishnan.

The aviation industry has been striving for global standards of service, so it is logical that expats make their presence felt. Nikos Kardassis, who held the post of CEO at Jet Airways from 1993 to 1999, truly transformed the way global counterparts looked at the Indian aviation industry. Kardassis joined back Jet Airways in 2008 and was appointed as the acting CEO in 2009 after Wolfgang Prock-Schauer resigned from the post. Similarly, Bruce Ashby, who was the President at Indigo Airlines from 2006-2008 played a major role in establishing Indigo as a prominent player in the Indian aviation sphere. But Jet Airways learnt some painful lessons while dealing with expats. Schaeur, for instance, first resigned in 2007 to join Kingfisher Airlines but Naresh Goyal persuaded the Austrian to stay back. But things got complicated, as the Indian pilots and other employees developed an acrimonious relationship with expat employees. Schaeur was practically invisible from the rift between the airlines and the pilots last year.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Despite a Tiger Woods, there are more role models than fallen angels!

Jyoti Narain Director P7,

Media partner, HWC

It is a delight to be the official media partner of the FIH-Hockey World Cup. In India, Hockey is not behind the others anymore! Certainly, sports like Hockey, which is also our national game, should be supported in every possible way. It is our pride and understanding of the need of masses that has encouraged us so far....

Dola Banerjee Archer

World Champ, 2007

We need infrastructure and top-class training and equipments. While Sports Authority of India is getting foreign coaches, we still don’t have the means to challenge the international players. But, the truth is that the government cannot do everything. It is the support from India Inc. that ultimately matters...

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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THE NEED OF A RIGHT TO FOOD BILL - Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri of IIPM

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The banned outfit’s fugitive chief Paresh Barua may seek Maoist help

Barua’s whereabouts are not known, but an Assam Police source confirms that he might be hiding in China or Myanmar with a few supporters. Even as security forces and the home department claim that ULFA has lost its strength, the organisation recently sent an email to the press, ordering the Tata group to leave Assam as soon as possible or else face dire consequences.
The Tata group had laid the foundation of a five-star hotel in Guwahati a few days back. ULFA had been lying low since the arrest of its president. But the recent warning issued to Tata group indicates that ULFA isn’t a spent force yet. Its ‘revival’ seems to indicate the possibility that it now has the support of another strong rebel organisation. Reacting to this suggestion, the inspector-general of Assam police, Khagen Sharma, says: “It is true the Maoists are tying to build a strong base in the north-east but they are functioning on their own. There is no evidence that they have joined hands with a local outfit.”

Sharma points out that no militant group ever concedes its area of operation to another organisation. “So it is not possible for the Maoists to set up a base in the north-east,” he concludes.

As the Maoist rebel groups prepare themselves to establish a foothold in the north-east, security forces and the police are also on their toes. It is believed that the Maoists feel they can use the north-east as a safe hideout for their leaders as it would take the security forces a fair bit of time to figure out the exact location of the rebel camps.

Jiten Dutta confesses that the pro-talks ULFA leaders had failed to stop the youth of some areas of upper Assam from rejoining the organisation. He says, “There are some areas of upper Assam where illiteracy and unemployment are major factors. Some places have no communication network. So, we cannot meet each and everyone and create a consensus against ULFA. Most of the new ULFA recruits are antisocial elements.”

Regarding the possibility of the Maoists setting up a base in the north-east, People’s Consultative Group member Dilip Patgiri says, “As far as I know, the Maoists aren’t heading for the north-east. A few days back, the Union home secretary himself confessed that the Indian security forces would need at least seven years to weed out the Maoists. Maoist rebels already have a strong base in Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar and West Bengal. I see no reason why they would want to come to the North-East?”

ULFA is facing a huge problem after the crackdown in Bangladesh. It might, therefore, make sense from Barua's point of view to accept any that is forthcoming from other banned militant outfits. Moreover, ULFA has in its arsenal an abundance of sophisticated weapons but they lack the manpower that is necessary to put these arms to effective use. So it would be no surprise if Barua and whatever is left of ULFA do decide to actively pursue policy of seeking the cooperation of the Maoists as a stepping stone to rebuilding the organisation.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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The Cabinet nod for the Bill to allow foreign universities to set up campuses in India

Mr Sibal’s efforts to address the challenges confronting the higher education sector in the country are already paying dividends. The Union Budget has allocated Rs. 11,000 crore for the higher education sector, a hike of 7 per cent. Liberalisation in the education sector may lead to a larger participation of private unaided foreign institutions providing better quality higher education. This will infuse creative and productive competitions in offering better salary structure to India’s talented but poor teaching community. And naturally the reverse brain drain will acquire a faster pace.

But what if this opportunity is utilised for mere commercial purposes and not for true value quality Education? “The higher education providers delivering cross-border education should ensure that the programmes that are delivered across the borders and in their home country are of comparable quality and they also must take into account the cultural and linguistic sensitivities of the receiving countries,” Mr Sibal had said in the keynote address at the plenary Session of the World Conference on Higher Education, at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on July 8, 2009. Way to go, Mr Sibal!

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Tech Mahindra (formerly known as Mahindra British Telecom) established

Then comes his Club Mahindra odyssey, which has earned an equal proportion of criticism as it has won praises in the market. At present, the company boasts of high-occupancy rates in all its resorts, across the year, which sounds encouraging, but this road too has bumps as a former executive points out, “For Club Mahindra, the challenge is the ability to find new holiday destinations and maintain financial discipline while keeping enough inventory of rooms. Also, there are huge options in leisure for today’s consumer; they need to keep this in mind.”

With an outlay of Rs.1 billion, the group also ventured into the retail space in the first month of 2010. The entry missed the public eye, largely due to the lack of fanfare at the launch of the two ‘niche’ lifestyle stores in Ludhiana and Ahmedabad. The chain of two stores which has been branded as ‘Mom & Me’, caters to the needs of mothers and infants. Though the concept of catering to a niche segment (largely based on the idea behind the world renowned UK-based iconic retail chain ‘Mothercare’) sounds exciting, it is to be noted that the Indian consumer hasn’t evolved as much as it appears when you walk through the huge malls that flaunt global brands. One also has to see that the group has opened a retail venture that caters to a niche, when the buzzwords doing the rounds in the sector at present are hypermarts and supermarts. Clearly, the rate and scale of Mahindra’s retail expansion will depend on the feedback from customers, and our guess is – he’ll hold back on this one!

For now though, Mahindra has been intelligent enough not to have made billion dollar blunders like some few of his contemporaries when it comes to spreading his business to newer sectors. But at the same time, maintaining caution, he should continue focussing on his cash cow automotive business. The group has also done well to enter the two-wheeler segment in a price sensitive market in 2009 by acquiring the assets of the troubled Kinetic Motors (Anoop Mathur, CEO, Two wheelers, M&M, tells B&E that his plans for the Indian market in 2010 are extremely bullish), while at the same time, its commercial vehicles segment, in alliance with Navistar, will give the company a more comprehensive line-up of products for the Indian market. A Mahindra competitor, Pankaj Dubey, National Business Head, Yamaha India, accepts his trepidations to B&E, “The Mahindra Group has done well in all segments that it has tried its hands on. With the growing focus on the two-wheeler segment, Mahindra will surely be a tough competitor...” Even during the past quarter, the automotive and farm equipment sectors combine, accounted for 60% of the Mahindra group’s revenues of Rs.76 billion.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Restoring the pride of mankind

The day we belief that we all are from a single origin, we end racism

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay warned in an annual report that Romanians are being discriminated in countries like the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Italy. She further suspected that the situation may worsen gradually. The news might not be able to grab much attention since the issue of racism has become more of a day-to-day affair in the global scenario, but its increasingly becoming odious is concerning the world community. The entire world is aware of racism and its effects but two extreme views from two famous personalities would perhaps simplify the issue. Adolf Hitler, former German chancellor, leader of the Nazi party, (1889-1945) said, “If I can send the flower of the German nation into the hell of war without the smallest pity for the shedding of precious German blood, then surely I have the right to remove millions of an inferior race that breeds like vermin.” On the other extreme, Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929 – 1968), the prominent leader in the African-American civil rights said on the issue of racism, “Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away, and that in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty.” Such diverse views on one subject reveals the complexity over the issue. None succeeded to build a society based on their principles that they dreamed off.

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Expecting too much?

As the troubled General Motors was busy finalising its restructuring process and doing some heavy duty pondering over hard decisions of retaining and shedding various brands under its vast portfolio post the bankruptcy filing under Chapter 11, home-grown Tata Motors was keeping a close eye on the developments. Around the same period, Carl-Peter Forster, President of GM’s European operations, had a decision to make of his own; one, a bigger job at General Motors – perhaps even the global head – and, two, becoming Group CEO of Tata Motors. Having worked at companies like GM, BMW and McKinsey, the Tatas knew that if Forster could be convinced, he would bring a lot of valuable experience on the table. For the London-born Forster (raised in Bonn and Athens, worked across the globe), India could promise to be an enlightening experience. But Forster also knew that if he were to join the Tatas, however hard he tries, he would – by rote nomenclature – be known as an ‘Expat CEO’ (short for expatriate CEO). Along with the bouquets that accompany this garnishing, Forster would have had the benefit of being brandished with the standard ignominious accusations reserved with honour for expat CEOs. But really, why do typically Indian companies take expat CEOs in the first place? Are there any lessons?

To be fair, this is not the first case of an Indian company headhunting for an expat CEO; and it definitely won’t be the last. In fact, the Tata group itself has believed heavily in global talent for top positions; which is logical since a huge 65% of the group’s revenues come from overseas markets. Raymond Bickson, MD, Indian Hotels (of the Tata Group), contributed heavily to the company’s global expansion through innovative acquisitions and tie ups with luxury hotel chains and cruise lines. But taking in Daryl Green as MD of Tata Teleservices wasn’t as rewarding as Green quit in two years, citing personal reasons and amid rumours attributing his resignation to his inability to mingle with the culture of the Tata Group.

If one were to call a spade a spade, considering India’s vast diversified culture where each state is as good as a country in itself, appointment of a global CEO who isn’t well-aware of the cultural differences and the state of affairs is surely an extremely high risk affair. But on the other hand, the international experience they bring is undeniably invaluable and could transform a company’s vision superlatively. So what is the critical factor companies look for when recruiting expat CEOs?

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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

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Ever heard of Bhint Budrak?

Methan is anything but a conventional village. For one, it has never witnessed panchayat elections. The sarpanch and members of the panchayat samiti are nominated by the villagers and they assume office unopposed. The village, inhabited by a mix of Hindus and Muslims, has never seen any communal tension. The Muslim population here is very prosperous and they have provided plenty of assistance to the setting up of and running the gobar gas plant.

The president of the Methan gobar gas plant, Kasambhai Elimad Thuka, says, “In 1987, village leaders like Jaffer Mohammad and Rahim Karedia broached the idea of a gobar gas plant. It was very difficult in the beginning but every resident of the village contributed a lot.” For plant maintenance and gas usage, every household with a biogas connection is charged Rs 50.

But a huge question mark now hangs over the future of the biogas plant, which has been hit by a shortage of cow-dung. Says Kasambhai, “The younger villagers have migrated to foreign countries. These families do not own cattle anymore. Hence the quantity of cow-dung is dwindling. We once had 50 stables in the village. Now there are only about ten. So we have to often obtain cow-dung from nearby villages. But the supply can be rather irregular.”


The effects are being seen on the ground. Methan once boasted 300 households with a gas connection. Now only half that number use biogas. “The shortage of cow-dung has led to low-pressure supply, forcing villagers to opt for stoves or LPG gas cylinders. Moreover, tribal and backward community people continue to use wood as a source of fuel,” says Kasambhai. A member of the Biogas Association, Mansoor Ali Momeen, says, “This plant needs specific changes. We need to develop a technology which can reduce labour inputs and increase the plant’s efficiency. In 1987, apart from Methan, biogas plants were installed in Meloj and Varsheela villages with help from the Centre but due to improper maintenance, these plants shut down within a year. The biogas plant in Methan is about 20 years old.”

Taking tips from Methan’s experience, Bhint Budrak is going full steam ahead. Started in 2007, the Bhint Budrak gobar bank has become a subject of study for many institutions. Sultan Momeen says that Bhint Budrak’s initiative should be emulated by every village.

Bhint Budrak is a predominantly tribal village that is situated on the Gujarat-Maharastra border. Education and health continue to be major problems for the populace here, but the village has achieved unmatched success with its gobar bank and biogas plant.

Before 2007, the village was only an insignificant speck on the map. The then district development officer, Vijay Sonvane, chose this village to set up a community biogas plant. The district panchayat allocated Rs 10 lakh but equally precious support came from SUMUL Dairy.

The president of Bhint Budrak gobar bank, Ramesh Vasava, says, “We got this project from the district panchayat and SUMUL Dairy because of our reputation for social harmony. Now, each and every person of our village gets gobar gas even as they earn by selling cow-dung. There was a time when we got only Rs 150 to Rs 200 for our dung cakes per annum. But now on we earn Rs 300 to Rs 350.”

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

Read these article :-

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!

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Much of the allure of Uttarakhand lies in its natural beauty and spiritual attractions

Much of the allure of Uttarakhand lies in its natural beauty and spiritual attractions. Nestled in the lap of the Himalayas, Uttarakhand is a prominent religious destination not only for Hindus, but Sikhs and Muslims too. The most sacred river for Hindus, Ganga, originates from Gangotri. The famous temples of Badrinath, Kedarnath and Kailash Mansarovar are also located here. While the rivers Alaknanda and Mandakini meet at Rudraprayag, the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers converge at Devprayag, and are each of spiritual significance. Uttarkashi and Joshimath are called Kashi of the mountains because of the presence of temples of Lord Shiva. Besides, Hemkund Sahib is the holiest of pilgrimages for Sikhs, and Piran Kaliyar houses the tomb of famous Sufi saint Alauddin Sabir Kaliyari, visited by Hindus and Muslims alike.

The recent overhauling of the famous Har ki Pauri Ghat in stone is an indicator of attempts to promote the place as a major spiritual-cum-tourist destination. Establishing adventure and wildlife tours around religious spots can go a long way in luring the youth. Doing so will not only generate employment opportunities for the residents but also increase government revenue. Haridwar District Tourism Development Officer Yogendra Gangwar says, "Millions of people come to Haridwar during the Kumbh. This is a golden opportunity for us. In order to easily inform people about these destinations, we’ve set up 16 information centres at the Kumbh Mela and printed over three lakh pamphlets and leaflets.” The state government has also arranged for helicopter tours of the Kumbh for those interested.

Dr Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’, the chief minister of Uttarakhand, has initiated the Vision 2020 in order to promote tourism in the state.

According to the plan, by the year 2020, the state should make noticeable contributions to adventure tourism, eco-tourism, health tourism, spiritual tourism and wildlife tourism. The state will also witness increased foreign investment and benefits from the participation of private sector in infrastructure development. If the plans materialise, there would be no stopping Uttarakhand from turning into a tourism hub to reckon with in India and the world.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

Read these article :-

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!

Outlook Magazine money editor quits
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“The US facilitated drug trafficking due to foreign policy concerns”

Dr Clarence Lusane is an author, activist, scholar, lecturer and journalist. For more than 30 years, he has written about and been active in national and international human rights, anti-racism politics, globalisation, US foreign policy and social issues such as education, crime, and drug policy. He has lectured and presented scholarly papers at a wide range of colleges and universities. He has also lectured on US race relations in over 50 nations. Dr Lusane received his Ph.D. in Political Science from Howard University in 1997.

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Indian in Karachi, Dr Lusane, Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations, School of International Service at American University, spoke on some vital issues. On topics ranging from war and peace, drugs and missing people in Pakistan, he made it clear at the onset that he was not representing the US government and what he said were his personal views. Excerpts:

While going through the CIA documents that were de-classified recently, it is amazing to find that Americans helped India and Pakistan in making a nuclear bomb. Now the US is crying itself hoarse in a bid to bring peace between Pakistan and India so that the Pakistan Army may concentrate solely on the so-called “war on terror.” As a professor of international relations, don’t you feel it’s quite hypocritical?

I would say we are still feeling the consequences of the Cold War even though it is more than 20 years now. There are habits in terms of foreign policy practices. There should be justice. Well, there has been a practice of pitting countries against each other but now it’s important to build cooperative relations between countries. And I think there is a new generation of politicians who think along these lines.

It has been well documented by the Americans themselves that the previous Afghan War was fought by drug money. Are there any indications that the “war on terror” is also being fought with drug money?

I think not enough attention has been paid to our relationship with drug policy and foreign policy. In the past, foreign policy concerns weighed over our drug policy. And what that meant was that drug trafficking was allowed or even facilitated because of foreign policy concerns. Today we still have a heroin addiction problem in the United States. So, it’s critical that we address this issue in Afghanistan because we can’t allow the drug problem to continue. It is so devastating to many communities in the US. The US needs to quickly find ways to work with the Afghanistan government to address the issues of drug production and drug trafficking.

The fallout of the previous Afghan War has been extremely injurious for Pakistan in the shape of drugs and arms culture. Again, the Americans are vying to leave Afghanistan and Pakistan in the lurch. Don’t you agree that Pakistan has been used as a conduit to fulfil American global interests?

I think it is far more complicated than that because there are people in the US who generally want peace and development in the region and have strongly advocated these causes. There have been other people who have a more narrow view of foreign policy. But it’s a debate in the US that doesn’t often make international news. There have been many people who have argued for more progressive, cooperative and equal relationships between the US and other countries. Hopefully, with the new President, we will see the focus shift to a more cooperative relationship.

As a human rights activist, what would you suggest as a step to resolve the issue of missing people in Pakistan?

I don’t know much about the issue but it is absolutely critical that the government respects human rights.

For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article

Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009

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

Read these article :-

The Sunday Indian:- B-SCHOOL RANKING SCAMSTERS EXPOSED!

Outlook Magazine money editor quits
Don't trust the Indian Media!

Follow Arindam Chaudhuri on Twitter
Delhi/ NCR B- Schools get better
IIPM fights meltdown
IIPM News
1 LAKH COPY SOLD in less than ten days of Prof. Arindam Chaudhuri's new book Discover The Diamond In You
IIPM B School on Twitter
IIPM ISBE Programmes