In the port town of Vizag for a soiree of the sun-and-sand kind…

IIPM Mumbai Campus

Port of pleasure

Name a beach in India. Go on, admit it: some Goan beaches would have been on the top-of-the-mind even though you may not have named it. And those of you, who considered consulting Google for an answer, welcome to the club. The quest for a healthy dose of pure unadulterated sunshine and the desire to witness some sand-sea bonhomie led me to the east coast of our country. I was headed for Vizag.

Visakhapatnam or Vizag was one of the first places along the coast where the French and later the British set up shops, as this region was known for its natural port. The sea is unnaturally deep out here as the continental shelf (Google tells me) suddenly falls, allowing heavy vessels and ships to come really close to the port.

Today, Visakhapatnam is a moderately crowded place and as I winded through the streets I traced the footsteps of many a tourist who had walked these pathways before me. The rental car meant to take me around had not yet arrived at the hotel, so I thought of checking out one of the testimonials of local creativity: sandalwood sculptures. Exceptionally beautiful, these handicraft sculptures had a kind of finesse which… My phone rang and it was the receptionist from the hotel lobby telling me that my car had arrived. I was soon taken to the Ramakrishna Beach, one of the most popular beaches in the city. Just in time for that magical-every-time moment of the setting sun, there was quite a crowd on the beach – some seated, some sauntering. The sun hanging low on the horizon and the silhouettes of the strollers made the scene surreal.

The next day, Borra Caves was first on the itinerary. Deep in the heart of the earth – the deepest in India – are these breathtaking natural formations lit up in many colours by artificial lights, giving the place an extra-terrestrial feel. After the cavernous affair, I emerged fully exhausted but overwhelmed by the natural heritage of this land. Recently modernised by the Tourist Dept. of Andhra Pradesh, the caves also house a temple for Lord Shiva after a structure resembling the Lingam, or the phallic symbol of the deity.

On the Vizag-Bhimli Beach Road is the Tenneti Park, and that, arguably – however, much I know I’m not exaggerating – is the most beautiful place in all of Vizag. At sunrise, the air is filled with a mystical mist and the ocean turns orange. It’s a true spectacle of nature and is one of the sharpest memories I have of Vizag.

Other locations that must not be missed when you are in the port town of Visakhapatnam are Araku Valley, Kailasagiri and Simhachalam. Be it trekking through caves or sitting and watching the sun set over the horizon, the ‘Goa of the East Coast’ as Vizag is also known, will not disappoint.

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Revolts in Europe have deep links with socialist movements

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Why Karl Marx was right

2010 has been quite challenging for the European policy makers. European states including Greece, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Lithuania and many more have been blazing due to incessant strikes one after the other. Starting from June 2010 to September 2010, each day was hectic for the state police trying to control agitations on streets led by different labour unions demanding wage increase, reforms in pension schemes and working conditions. Although these incidents seem apparently discreet, they have deep links with the socialist structure and mark the beginning of a full-fledged social movement.

German philosopher, sociologist and historian Karl Marx envisioned a new economic system, the foundation of which was to be dictatorship of the proletariats – the larger section of the society – and the state was to be responsible for safeguarding the interests of proletariats against the bourgeoisie. This later came to be known as 'Socialism.' But history is testimony to the fact that any nation that had experimented with socialism, had somehow failed to safegaurd the interest of proletariats and often saw discreet discontentment in the form of revolt or strikes. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) imbibed socialism in 1917 through the October Revolution led by the great visionary V. I. Lenin. However, the world witnessed that the experiment failed when USSR split in 1991. There were many reasons behind the failure including wars, famine in USSR, the short life span of the leader Lenin etc. Moreover, the irony in the case of USSR was: inspite of the fact that agriculture gets special focus under socialism, USSR witnessed drastic fall in agricultural output during the socialist era. Finally, while socialism was supposed to be dictatorship of proletariats, there was dissatisfaction among them which resulted in widespread revolts across USSR. Worse was the use of police force by leaders like Stalin to suppress such revolts. Even the socialist journeys of Central and European states like Romania, Bulgaria, though quite successful, were often knocked off by incidents of dissatisfaction among citizens.

Modern Europe can be considered in the same league. European states are increasingly incorporating socialist policies with time. History shows that the entire rebuilding and reconstruction of Europe was based on Keynesian theory. A more critical observation shows that many things are changing in Europe recently. Trade unions are gradually becoming more powerful. They have more influence over policymakers unlike in India or other mixed economies. In contrast, the bargaining power of the capitalist class and their dominance is declining. In totality, there are high chances that proletariats will overthrow pro-capitalist governments and establish socialist policies in full swing. This is what Marx had prophesised centuries ago. The transformation may not be so sudden and radical as Marx had said but there are all possibilities for a drive, a change or a transition. When and how? Even Karl Marx had not given a timeline!

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Not just a beauty queen…

Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM

What is “Turning 30” all about? What drew you toward this role?
“Turning 30” is about a girl who is turning 30. It’s a story of her trials, her tribulations, her joys and sorrows as she approaches her 30th birthday. Being an achiever, she is doing very well professionally and her life is going very well, all according to the plan. Thirty is kind of a benchmark that most people set for themselves; say by 30 we want to achieve all these things in life. She has achieved everything, but suddenly everything falls apart as she turns 30.The director came to meet me and I liked the story, premise, treatment, vision of the director, and I always appreciate real life characters as I can identify with them. Also, the movie is produced by Prakash Jha. I have always admired his work.

Ups and downs are a part of life; can you tell us of a time when you faced a crisis in your life, when you felt that your career/life wasn’t heading anywhere? How did you deal with such a situation?
I don’t consider any phase to be a ‘down’ in my life. I can’t remember a single moment when I was depressed. Being a runner, I exercise regularly, so I’m always charged with endorphins! I don’t feel depressed and despondent at all! I am somebody, who doesn’t get bogged down by things. My attitude is of someone who is ready to get up and get going. I don’t spend time thinking about the downs in my life at all. That’s why I’d say that I haven’t faced a period of depression in my life.

You were very active in sports and public speaking when in school. How did the thought of participating in beauty pageants occur to you?
Yes, I was an athlete and was very active in debates as well. I figured out that these beauty pageants were something more than just beauty. I thought I should give it a shot because it would be another feather to have in my cap. So, that’s how it happened.

Is there any advice that you’d like to give to the girls who aspire to win beauty pageants?
I think beauty with substance matters the most. So, if you’re not inherently beautiful, you can make yourself beautiful with intelligence.

So you’d say intelligence matters in these contests?
I would like to believe so! (laughs)

Share some memorable moments of the time when you were one of the contestants.
Oh, you know at that time, my excitement was all about being there and winning goody bags and so many gifts each day. Everyday we would come back and find new things on our bed, like a new camera, a pair of jeans etc. For me, all of this, plus just being on national television was very exciting.

Usually films are the next progression after beauty pageants. Is that how films happened to you?
I did television for four years before coming into films. At some level, I think, all girls want to be movie stars and beauty queens. And I had the same thought! But consciously, I never thought about it whether in school or in college. I got an opportunity to be a part of television. After that I had offers of films as well, but there was nothing that pleased me. There were roles where I had to be the hero’s girlfriend with just 5-6 scenes and that didn’t interest me. So, I chose to use my communication skills to my advantage and used that in television before graduating to films.

You have always done character-based roles and not tried out-and-out commercial Bollywood films. Why is that?
There are a lot of factors actually. First, I believe that every film is made for a commercial purpose. Every film is made to earn money. The idea of releasing a film and showing it to the audience means it’s a commercial film. Yes, some films might have a different scope and different budget, and small budget movies are meant to cater to a different audience. More than the intelligence of the script and story, I think the treatment of the film is very important. Whatever genre you make a film in, it should be real. That’s what I look for. For instance, “Rajneeti” was a film with a massive budget, but it had a ‘real’ element to it. So realism in the film is very important to me.

Which character is closest to your heart or the one which you could relate to the most?
I think Naina, my character in “Turning 30” is very versatile, aggressive and professional. Any girl in today’s age who works, has a job, is struggling, can relate to this character. So, this character has a very high identifiable quotient.

Apart from films and television, you’ve been involved in a lot of adventure. One of that is the F1 racing experience. Tell us about that…
Well, the fact that I’ve been into adventure hasn’t been a secret. And when they were looking for somebody to represent India, my name came up. I ride bikes. It was so exciting to be driving a car, which goes faster than a plane when it’s taking off! I wasn’t scared at all. Recently, I raced in a track in Chennai. It was the Volkswagen Polo Cup. All this is very exciting.

If you had to choose between adventure sports and movies as a career option, which would you pick?
Well in India, to be honest, sports do not have much potential. Films definitely have a wider scope. And it’s easier to take that up as a profession! Both are very competitive where the rule of ‘survival of the fittest works’. But, I’d say films would be my choice.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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IIPM Mumbai Campus

Yamla Pagla Deewana: An enjoyable no-brainer

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The Deol deal

The Deols reunite for a film that is all about them. Yamla Pagla Deewana is a part self-indulgent part self-deprecating effort from the trio, which aims to entertain from the beginning to the finish. The brothers in real life play bros on-screen too but they get separated when their con-man father Dharam (also their real life father Dharmendra) takes his younger son Gajodhar (Bobby Deol) and leaves their mother (Nafisa Ali). Twenty years later, the mother and elder son Paramveer (Sunny Deol) are settled in Canada, but when they hear about Dharam’s whereabouts, Paramveer travels to India to find his long-lost father and brother. Conveniently, Gajodhar is the first person he meets in Benaras, and while Dharam refuses to acknowledge Paramveer as his son, he does allow him to tag along with them once they witness his brute strength. The plot then focuses on Gajodhar’s romance with Saheba (Kulraj Randhawa), and after her five brothers assault Gajodhar and take the girl home, the trio, in DDLJ fashion, follow her to Punjab.

The brothers know what they’re good at, and so while Bobby sticks to romance, Sunny spoofs several of his own action sequences. Dharamendra as the tottering conman is good, but this is no where close to any of his best performances. Where the film provides us with several LOL moments, it also has a lot going against it. The Gajodhar-Saheba romance is a drag, the music is mostly terrible, and a lot of gags fall flat in the face. Yet, Yamla Pagla Deewana is good family fare, as long as you don’t reason too much about the happenings.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here
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To mine or not to mine...

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The government, through a new legislation, wants mining companies to share 26 per cent of their net profit with the local community. While worried miners have projected the new-profit sharing formula as an end of road for the industry, the government seems confident of making it work.

After having displayed a laggard approach on the need of a more contemporary mining policy for years, the government has recently shown great urgency in bringing out a new legislation that promises to address mining-related concerns of most stakeholders. The new proposal, 'The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Bill, 2010', which is an amendment to the MMDR Act, 1957, and has been approved by the Union cabinet to be put before the Parliament in the forthcoming Budget session, aims to increase the benefits from mining to local communities and also open up the country’s resources to foreign and local private investment. Most interestingly, the contours of the new Bill make it mandatory for mining companies to give 26 per cent of their net profit as compensation to locals displaced by the projects. As S. Vijay Kumar, Secretary, Department of Mines, explains to TSI in an exclusive interaction, “We are trying to give enough options to the local communities by giving them a recurring financial compensation. And it's not a compensation for land, it is to empower them to do something different.”

The expansion of mining in India is a key towards maintaining the GDP and export growth of the country. While Mines minister B K Handique says that the share of mining sector to the country's GDP (between 2.5 per cent and three per cent currently), is poised to increase substantially, the current scenario of mining in India is rather disappointing. The battle between the mining companies and the people displaced by their projects have posed as a huge obstacle for the growth of Indian mining industry in the past. In this context, the question remains, can the new Bill go a long way in resolving these battles?

Going by the miners, well, it will not be as easy as it seems. As per them, they are disturbed with the new profit-sharing formula. The reason, they say, is that 26 per cent sharing is an addition to the regular corporate tax and royalties they are already paying. “While there is no denying that the interests of the tribal population have to be kept in mind, the government also needs to ensure that the industry does not get wiped off,” says R K Sharma, Secretary General of the Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI).

While the industry contests that royalty linked contribution by mining companies is the best way to deliver justice to affected people, the Mines ministry, on the other hand, has proposed that a 'District Mineral Foundation' be created and the beneficiaries be paid out the 26 per cent net profit of the mining companies from it.
The government is firm on its stand to ensure that miners give tribal and other affected sects of the population a share of the profits they make from exploiting mineral resources. However, Sharma firmly believes that appropriating a percentage of earnings will demotivate entrepreneurs. “On one hand the government says that it wants to bring tribals to the national mainstream, and on the other hand you yourself ensure that they don't,” he observes.

It is interesting that both the government and industry have raised similar concerns on this issue. Both sides recognise the need for a fresh thrust in exploration of minerals and metals in which India is deficient and depends totally on imports (such as gold, copper, nickel and platinum). Both parties also believe that mining should be carried out in a manner that does not hurt the interests of the locals or tribals. However, a consensus still eludes.

Apart from the new profit-sharing formula, there are some other facets of the proposed legislation which has the industry worried. “The Bill stipulates a payment of 26 per cent of net profit or 10 per cent as royalty, whichever is more. So, even if a company is in loss, it will still have to pay the 10 per cent royalty, above other taxes that we are already paying,” Sharma says, adding that the fresh move will only lead to illegal mining in India.

While the actual impact of the renewed Act on the mining sector in India will unfold only once it is implemented, the government is fairly confident of making the new formula work. “I agree that by giving away 26 per cent, the company’s reserves will go down, their expansion plans might be hit and I sympathise with the industry. But there is no other option, if the locals do not get 26 per cent they will not allow mining. The option here actually has to be between mining and not mining rather than expanding or not expanding,” says Kumar.

Nevertheless, the Bill offers the miners some reasons to smile as it proposes transparent and quick procedure for granting of licenses, size specifications designed to invite interest from big players with better technology and expertise, creation of a National Mining Tribunal for appeals against executive decisions et al.

The aspirations of the new draft legislation provide enough evidence of the damage caused by current mining practices. Even though FIMI's Sharma terms the Bill in its current form as “the grand obituary of the mineral resource industry in India”, Mines Secretary Kumar is very clear about his plans. “Everybody is extracting from mining areas and nobody is giving back. Even the royalty from the state governments is being used in non-mineral areas. I am paying back. Others will have to adjust,” he concludes.

With the need for changing the image of the mining industry in India gaining momentum, the government will have to strike the right balance between the social and economic demands and implications of mining in India, while ensuring that it does not pitch itself as an unattractive destination.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
Kapil Sibal’s voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill

"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here
IIPM Mumbai Campus