Overemphasis on Education in Indian context_Do we have so many formal sector jobs??

Hi Friends

The recent mid day meal fiasco got me to think on a very different direction. There is a lit of emphasis on literacy and education all around us . The government has introduced various schemes like Right to Education, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan , Mid day meal, Ladli scheme for girl child. Similarly, there are various NGO's working in this direction to educate children. In mass media, you always hear about importance of education and how this can be a ticket to get out of poverty.

Then there are tons of reports coming about how poor the education delivery in India is and x% of students in class 5 can't read class 2 text. How India is having very young population and thus focus on vocational education to make them employable.

My thought is if everybody gets educated the way every intellectual thinks, then what would happen. India population is 120 Crs and we have limited resources and development. How and where these educated people would get jobs?

Let me tell you as first hand report about Mumbai economy functions. There are  lacs of people who are educated and work in white collar jobs or organised blue collar jobs like factories. But then there are lacs of people who work in unorganized sectors like auto driving, vada pav stall, sugar cane juice stall, tea vendors. plumbers, electricians, painters, cloth pressing etc who all make decent living. I had one teacher in my staff ( yah I also tried my hands to educate under privileged kids for 2 years) whose husband was sitting at home for 1 year. The reason is that he is 12th and he lost his formal job. Now, because he is educated, he do not want to do informal job like tea stall as that is below his dignity. Same conversation, I had with watchman of my colony. Looking at life style of educated class, he is also spending to get his kids private school education back in MP of course at Rs 500/month. Now surely that kid is not going to actually get into IIT or any other institute of repute as the competition is from kids of ours. But of he studies there till class 10th or 12th, he would surely do not want to be watchman or Ricksaw puller etc. Then what he would do for a living.

Somehow, I felt we are moving towards bigger disaster than what is presently there in society. Do we have so may formal sector jobs??

Anna Hazare Vs Arvind Kejriwal--What is the confusion

Anna vs Arvind

Recently,  other than India going out of world cup T-20, the other big news item is Arvind Kejriwal political party announcement and Anna Hazare making tons of public announcements to make it clear that he has nothing to do with that.

Why Anna Hazare is making himself so distant from this.

I am not questioning the intentions of either of them, both of them have shown enough proves that they are totally clean and do not have any personal agenda. They both want to get India rid of Corruption and make India a better country to live for coming generations. Then why do they seems to on war paths in recent days.

Though Arvind Kejriwal is for more educated , Anna Hazare seems to be far more learnt when it comes to polity of India. Anna knows that right intentions and everything else is fair, you can’t win elections in India just like that.  As they say, the rules to win elections in India are simple .

Path 1:

1.       Money and lot of Money:  First spend lot of money to get ‘ ticket’ of a party who have done the hardwork of creating a brand in last 40-50 years. For me there is nothing new, even this happens in corporate world and any other business. People buy HLL products easier than a new FMCG brand so people who want to distribute HLL products need to pay more money to get that distributorship

2.       Then spend lot of money in campaign.  This is again marketing money spend by largest of corporations of world.  As large MNC’s do targeting before giving advertisements, politicians also do the same. They Target lower income group of people, spend money there in dinners and drinks and get votes next morning.

3.       The target group generally do not read newspapers, do not go to Janter Manter or listen news channels.  So reaching them is a very different ball game.

Now, The situation is not that bad. Many people are successful politicians without having spent money. So let us see their path

Path 2:

1.       Start working in a small area and be popular with people

2.       Be available to help them solve all their problems starting from Electricity to Water to Hygiene to small police matters

3.       Be ready to be awaken at 2 in night to go with someone

4.       Do this for 5 years and you would surely win your first election.

5.       Get lot of people to do that and you would create a successful party

6.       So the crux is full time with overtime involvement of people for next 10 years.

Anna knows that team Anna can’t follow either path 1 or path 2. So the third path is to be in good books of people/ politicians and get your stuff done. If you fight elections and lose, then you are over. There is a famous saying

‘ Band mutthi lakh ki khul jaye to khak ki’

So  till you haven’t contested and lost a election, you can always claim to be carrying people sentiments and demands with you. But once you fight and lose, you are finished.

Anna knows that it is best to keep your fist closed and still get media attention. Once  party is formed and elections are lost, no media guy would ever cover you.

How President of India is Elected

Lot many people ask me about the mathematics behind the election of President of India. Though it seems to be a non serious position in Indian context, the approach is surely very serious and unlike in 60's and 70's when Congress used to get their man ( or woman) elected easily, this is not the case any more.

 Let us first see the maths:

President of India is elected by all elected MPs and MLAs across the nation, as they all are representatives of the masses. As of current scenario India has 776 MPs and 4,120 MLAs. To elect President of India MPs and MLAs have certain vote value.

MPs vote have a value of 708, which is uniform across the nation, irrespective of the parties they belong to. But, MLAs have vote value according to their states, i.e. differs from state to state.

In total, 776 MPs have vote value of 549,408 (776x708) and 4,120 MLAs have total value of 549,474.

The total vote value of 776 MPs and 4,120 MLAs is 10,98, 882. Various political parties join hands with other regional  parties and allies to support their candidates and whoever supports with majority will get to crown President of their choice. And, this is how nation elects President of India through electoral college of MPs and MLAs.

So, the interpretation is  that MLA's also play a significant part in this and about 50% votes are with various MLA's across nation. Also, Rajya Sabha seats are also dependent upon position of parties in various state assemblies. 

With Congress and BJP losing in lot of states and bigger states like UP/Bihar/Bengal/TN not with any of them, they need support from various parties for their candidate.

Defining Job Satisfaction

Many of my friends/colleagues have discussed with me in past about a new offer that they are getting and if they should take that or not. I used to share my views to best of my knowledge

Lately, I actually designed a satisfaction scale to make this choice analytically. Let me share my thoughts here
I think a job can be defined a 5 dimensions


1. Your Role
2. Your salary/money/ CTC :)
3. The organisation
4. Location of your work ( in your home city/ dream city)
5. Personal comfort/Work life balance/personal time

Somehow, I feel that any offer can be analysed in these 5 dimensions. Now to make things simple, we can give equal weights to these dimensions ( you can put different weights for different dimensions also) and let us define satisfaction scale from 1 to 3.

1 is for not OK
2 is for Good
3 is for very good

Again, you can have 5 point scale from Very bad to Very good.

Now, on those 5 dimensions, give a score and then total that score

let us assume you get 9 out of 15 score. So your satisfaction score is 60%.
So, evaluate your next offer on these and find out score. If there is at least 10% increase, go ahead and switch your job 

How it helps:


Sometimes, we tend to switch a job only for money but that gives you lesser role growth or personal time. For first few days, you enjoy your money but then the overall satisfaction comes into play which is lower than previous job. Then you repent a lot !!


Example:

Let us assume you are in a job which is 2 in all parameters thus your total is 10. Now, you can get a job with amazing role and money taking those things to 3 each.

We tend to jump for these offers and you also took that. But somehow that took all your personal time and that actually falls so bad that it is zero.

Now, you would see your total score again to be 10.

So overall, you are as good or as bad as before. The difference is, you might enjoy your work a lot but you might get very disturbed from personal perspective.


So, use this scale to judge your overall score before jumping into anything..


Cheers

Study Plan for CAT Quantitative section

Study Plan for CAT Quant

If you’re seriously aspiring for CAT examination, you must have had a glance at scores of articles & blogs that must be highlighting you on several tried & tested formula for attaining success in this competitive examination. However if you carry gray matter on your shoulders, you’d be knowing that such claims made are most often fake. There is no such formula to crack the CAT or any specific section and along with your hardwork, sometimes luck also plays a very big part.



Study Plan for CAT Quant

Most of the test takers find CAT Quant as the most difficult section to handle since this test not only tests your graduate math competence, but also other skills such as logic, analytical ability and arithmetic expertise. In our school education, we learn basic concepts such as Algebra, Geometry, and Arithmetic etc. but know very little about how to implement these concepts in competitive examinations such as CAT.

What is a Study Plan?

A study plan is like a curriculum chart, which you prepare and list down the time and energy that you’d be investing while preparing for an important exam. This chart is segregated into different sections, each carrying a manageable task to be handled.

If you wish to create an effective study plan, take a tour of the steps enumerated below and rest assured to attain success in any competitive exam including CAT:

1. Never Prioritize topics

It’s a well known fact that CAT exam has an exhaustive area to be covered. As per previous years paper, you might find few topics carrying more questions that others. But this doesn’t mean that the pattern would continue next year. I would share a very interesting anecdote. During my engineering, I had a elective subject in electrical engineering. In the final exam, I just left one chapter, induction motors as it was expected to have maximum 1 out of 7 questions and we are supposed to attempt 5. In that year, the teacher thought that every mechanical engineer should know about induction motors so there were 4 questions out of 7 from that chapter. I failed in that subject and failed for first time in my life.

So, you should prepare all topics with equal focus and dedication.


2. What is prepared & what needs to be learned?

A study plan can help you sail through if you’re clear about the topics, which need your immediate attention. It’s hard to believe if a student claims that he’s absolutely ignorant of the Quant section. You must be knowing some portions, if not all, of the test material. It’s just that you need to run your eyes through the test material once again, and acquire the expertise in those topics. We advise you to take a Diagnostic test, which would help you analyze where you stand in the competitive race for CAT exam. It would also help you realize how much effort you need to put in to stand in the forefront of the queue for a coveted exam like CAT.

3. Time Management

Time Management plays a crucial role in the preparation of a competitive exam like CAT. It can either translate your dream of clearing CAT exam or break your dream of getting an admission in the top business school of the country. However, only a few of the aspiring candidates know how to leverage the power of time management effectively.

Since you’re the architect of your study plan, you must know which areas need your more attention, and thereafter devise an efficient strategy to attain the goals that you’ve set for achieving success in this exam. You can seek help of calendar to set your own targets and deadlines to accomplish these targets accordingly.


4. Set accomplishable goals

Your study plan should be such that it enables you set specific dates for all the topics that you feel are important & need to be covered on a propriety basis. Set small and accomplishable goals. While you chalk out your study schedule, you need to focus on your core strengths & weaknesses, and then work accordingly.

5. Stick to your plan

You might be a good time manager. However, we recommend you to write down your plan on a sheet of paper, and put on the wall of your room or bulletin board, where you can view it regularly get reminded of the goals you need to accomplish from time to time. This exercise would also keep you informed about the pace of progress that you’re making on a daily basis. However, there might be some junctures in your entire study schedule where you feel tumbled down but don’t get disheartened & restart with vigor more than ever. You can reschedule your entire time table as per your convenience & study needs.

By now, you must have got a fair idea about how to get started with CAT Quant preparation in the most effective way. We wish you all the Best!

Tips to Crack the CAT

Come November and students are frenzied lot! After days or even months of constant burning of the light lamp, it is time to fight the ferocious CAT. Anxiety pangs are a frequent phenomenon. But is CAT really as tough as it is perceived to be? Many a times the not – so - intelligent lot of students are able to crack CAT while the consistent high scorers come out of the examination hall broken – hearted. The truth lies in the unseen. Unlike other entrance test, like JEE for engineering or medical entrance test, CAT does not test your mettle in math formulae or your prowess in Queen’s English. Instead, Common Admission Test or CAT is essentially a race against time – a race which you can win.

Given below are a few tips which can turn you into Formula 1 racer for CAT! Read them carefully and imbibe them in you right now so that you are equipped well when the D-day arrives!!

Analytical skill: Being an application – driven test, CAT would test your analytical skills. It is mandatory to develop strong problem – solving skill rather than memorising the age – old math formulae and grasping the theories. So, after going through Study Lessons and solved examples, start solving the Practice Tests. Follow the 48-hours Principle which means do not look for solutions till 48 hrs. You are free to seek outside help during this time. If you are still confused then only see the answer. The most common mistake students can make is to look at the solved answer as soon as they realise that they are unable to work out a question. This hampers the building up of their analytical power. It is necessary the building up of their analytical power. It is necessary that you strain your brain to solve a question. As a result you would be able to understand the concept in – depth as well as develop sound problem solving skills.

Think long – term: Our brain functions like a computer’s memory. Whatever we learn either gets stored in the short – term or long term memory. One critical mistake which most students make is that whatever they learn gets stored in their short – term memory. This is why students forget about the concepts and principals which they have learned before the exam. To tackle this problem, follow the ‘Times 3 principal’. According to this principal, practice every concept/question three times. First is an attempt, then a solution and finally the last one makes for revision. Revision is an integral part of any preparation. You must not take this lightly.

Start speeding up: As mentioned earlier, speed is a major factor while appearing for CAT. You will not be able to suddenly start solving questions quickly at the time of the examination. Once you are through with the entire course, start giving mock entrance tests. The higher the number of tests. The better it is. However, do not err by thinking that this solely would increase your speed. Rather, you need to analyse every mock examination that you take to ensure that you don’t end up making the same mistakes again. Keep a note of time that you take to solve the paper and the marks that you attain in every mock test. A better option would be to track your rank at a national level. Remember one thing, Never fell in love with a question!! So if you can’t solve a question, leave it ASAP. Also, you all have heard that you should never throw good money after bad. This thing is applicable here also. Even if you have spent 2-3 minutes over a question, do not hesitate to leave it, the question might take another 6-7 minutes or more. So do not worry about wasted 3 minutes, save the next 7 minutes which you are going to waste on this question.

Work smart: Good decision – making skills go a long way in helping you crack CAT. It would be a better idea to deal with simple and less time – consuming questions. Once you have attempted the easier ones, your nervousness would take a back seat and you would be geared up to handle the difficult questions. This in turn would also increase the probability of getting the right answers for such problems. So always start with a section in which you are most comfortable. Get 7-8 right questions in your kitty and you are on the right path to tackle the difficult questions/sections. So is the paper contain questions with different maximum marks, it is better to attempt questions with lower marks first as they logically should be easier. Remember, Nothing matters more than your confidence during those 2-3 hrs
Practice Online: With the CAT exam going online, the test pattern might change considerably. Hopefully, it would follow the structure of GMAT and GRE entrance examinations. It is thus critical to familiarize yourself with the computer and internet as the test is conducted online. So take a lot of mock tests online so that you are comfortable in using online testing softwares.

Happy Cracking CAT !!
Taken from book Asian’s Crack the CAT
By Vivek Gupta
Batch of 2004-IIM Bangalore

Buy the book on flip cart at link below


http://www.flipkart.com/crack-cat-4th-ed-2010-book-8184121164

Online Preparation: Key to Success in CAT

Online Preparation: Key to Success in CAT

Online preparation is vital in the preparation for CAT. If not the entire course, taking lot of practice tests online is a must if you aspire to crack the CAT. There are various reasons for this

 Put you under real test conditions—A stress-free mind looks at the CAT examination paper from different eyes. However when a student runs his eyes through the question paper sitting inside the examination hall, his perspective is altogether different since his performance on that day is an index of his future. To him, the question paper of CAT seems nothing less than a nightmare since his scores in that entrance examination would decide his admission in a business school. Taking online tests would put him under real test conditions, and repeated practice would make him used to the entire test process. This shapes the student into a confident candidate sitting for the exam. No anxiety, no fatigue!

 Give you required practice of solving bulk questions in one go—Unless you’re put under real exam conditions, it’s human behavior to take frequent breaks & attempt solving a question paper in multiple installments. Online mock tests help you gain enough practice to solve the entire paper in a single attempt, which eventually prepares you to the competence of solving questions in bulk & crack the exam.

 Use elimination method to solve objective questions—CAT examination is objective like most other competitive examinations. Since you score according to the number of right answers you make, it’s not like a regular school or college exam. So, you need to be smart in your problem-solving approach, which would eventually help you gain a competitive edge over the rest. Elimination method can help you score better as you can eliminate 4 (least likely to be right) options out of 5. Hence, this methodical approach increases your chances of scoring better manifold. Then, it’s not necessary for you to attempt 100% questions. You can leave some difficult questions & not devote more than required time to any one question particularly.

 Get maximized percentile—CAT exam is driven by percentile score. The relative grading plays a crucial role in deciding your fate as far as getting admission into a good business school is concerned. You essentially need to have an edge over 99% of the test takers. That can only be possible when you benchmark yourself continuosly with other candidates. The larger the pool of people, better is your estimates of performance. So taking test which is taken by other thousands of students help you to fine tune your preparation as well as test taking strategy, So, practice as many tests as possible online.

After having read this write-up, you must have realized the great significance of online preparation for CAT entrance examination. So, follow this saying stringently—“Practice as if you’re the worst, perform as if you’re the best.”