Cycling/Biking trails around Marathahalli - Whitefield -- 1

Click on the link below for map.
Marathahalli -- Hoskote

The route is as follows (around 42 kms):

Marathahalli -- Forum Value Mall -- Hope Farm -- Right onto Channasandra Main Road -- Take left at T-Junction towards Hoskote -- Left on NH 207 -- Left towards Kannamangala/Kadugodi from NH207 after toll gate, from the side of flyover -- Kadugodi -- Hope Farm and back.

While coming back, you may take right just after Kadugodi flyover, and you will come on ITPL road. Cross ITPL. Either take left at Big Bazaar (diagonally opposite to Prestige Shantiniketan), or left from further down at Hoodi junction. Cross Graphite junction, then right at Kundanhalli junction, and you have reached from where you started :) Zero displacement, but lots of fun, lots of calories burnt ;)

If you are interested in little off-roading, take left towards DPS on Hoskote Road. Its a mud road, but ok to cycle with scenic views. Keep going straight, and at the T-junction, take right. You will come out near Whitefield Railway Station.

Some good eateries in this area are Udupi Cafe (after Kannamangala, towards Kadugodi), Shri Ganesh Darshan (opp. Sai Baba Ashram, next to Kadugodi flyover) and Udupi Cafe (Channasandra main road).

Its good to have a rear view mirror on cycle, especially on right side. Makes biking much safer and comfortable.

Billing Counters...

Shopping experience is good in most megastores like hypercity and all, all the pain starts when you reach the billing counter. It takes 15-20 mins to pick up all the stuff you need, and same or more time to get the billing done!!!

This time when I went to hypercity, I observed the following:

1. There were more than 30 billing counters but less than half were manned!! When I asked customer care, he said that in evening most are working as most people come in evening. It was saturday that afternoon and parking lot was full!!!

2. Some habits of consumers which lead to delay:

a) One person at billing counter and other partner still buying more goods. The person at counter will ask the billing guy to wait..and the whole queue behind him has to wait!! May be it follows from the point above as most know  that its hard to get the billing done quickly

b) People paying by sodexo’s invariably take more time. Both the buyer and counter person will count, and since sodexo’s come in small denominations, it takes more time than usual. Also sodexo’s dont come in Rs 1 or 5 and change in cash is not returned for sodexo’s, so people pay some part by cash..again leading to more time at counter.

3. No barcode entry for the product in the system.

4. People forget to weigh a vegetable or a fruit, and then rush from the payment counter to get the same weighed, again leading to increased payment time for all.

It would help if these stores have more counters open all time, and have at least a few counters where one can pay by credit/debit card only so that at least the payment time is reduced.

PGSEM Resources -- Views of Professors/Alumni, Interviews and Admission Process

PGSEM (Post Graduate Program in Software Enterprise Management) is a two-and-a-half year part-time post-graduate General Management Program of IIM Bangalore offered at Bangalore. PGSEM is almost similar to the full-time PGP/ePGP program in content and rigour sans placements and is designed for IT professionals seeking management education even as they continue to work.

Classes are scheduled on Friday mornings and Saturdays. Participants can take quarter breaks to attend to work assignments (domestic or international) from second year onwards. PGSEM students can participate in International Student Exchange programs (it’s a common process for PGP & PGSEM Students in IIMB; i.e, students from both courses would compete for same slots)

PGSEM discussion board: This is a yahoo group where you can post your queries about PGSEM. I think this is maintained by PGSEM students.

PGSEM 2011 Admission Process Details

IIMB PGSEM MBA blog by students and alumni

Interview on PGSEM with IIMB professor Rajendra Bandi

Reflections on PGSEM vis-a-vis other MBA programs for people with work experience in India (Article by IIMB professor DVR Sheshadri)

PGSEM 2008 admission test paper (One more link)

PGSEM sample test paper by IIMB

PGSEM -- Some insight into shortlisting criteria for interview

PGSEM discussion thread at pagalguy.com

PGSEM Interview experiences of past students
1) My PGSEM 2010 Interview Experience

2) http://ajithprasadb.blogspot.com/2007/04/my-pgsem-interview-iimb.html

3) http://ashuonnet.blogspot.com/2007/04/pgsem-2007-interview.html

4) http://piyushkrsrivastava.blogspot.com/

5) http://shamitb.blogspot.com/2008/04/iimb-pgsem-faculty-interview.html

6) http://kaipathoughts.blogspot.com/2008/04/iimb-pgsem.html

7) http://supreethamave.blogspot.com/2009/04/pgsem-2009-iim-bangalore.html

Many more experiences are there in mails of PGSEM yahoogroup...

PGSEM SOP
1) http://rjha94.blogspot.com/2007/04/pgsem-i-have-worked-in-indian-software.html

Promotional videos on YouTube -- introduction to PGSEM, course contents and view of faculty and students about the program

Exam Preparation Resources
1) Practice tests at tcyonline.com
2) http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/exam-resources/
3) Old CAT Papers
4) CAT 2006 Paper
5) PGSEM sample test paper by IIMB
6) MBA Entrance Exam Papers

Gayatri Mantra

The image above is scanned from The Speaking Tree, ToI, Bangalore dated 02/05/10. Couldn't find online link to this article, so wanted to save this by scanning this.

Obligations of Government Department under RTI

RTI clearly says that government departments should constantly provide as much information to public on there own through various means of communication like print, internet etc. It actually benefits them only as then many RTI queries will be reduced. If you would have noticed, all government websites now have a RTI link where they provide information about various officers, hierarchies, salaries, duties, department budgets etc for that department.

All departments have to compulsorily have PIO -- public information officer. You file your RTI application with PIO. PIO has to compulsorily provide information in 30 days. However for issues related to life and liberty of person, its 48 hours.

All departments need to have appellate authority which has officers senior in rank to PIO. If the applicant is not satisfied with the information received from PIO, or if the applicant has not received any information at all, he can appeal to appellate authority.

Still if the applicant is not satisfied, he can file appeal with information commission. The information commission has the authority to fine PIO if it feels that PIO didn't provide the information without any reasonable cause, or didn't provide in stipulated time, or tried to destroy information etc. The fine is Rs 250/- per day till the information is provided upto a max of Rs 25000/-.

At sub-divisional level or sub-district level, there are APIO -- assistant public information officer who will take application from public and pass to PIO in 5 days.

Fees for the RTI application is Rs 10/-. BPL people don't need to pay that. If the information to provided involves photocopying etc, then Rs 2/- per copy or more depending on size of copy. If it involves inspection, then no fee for first hour and Rs 5/- for each 15 minutes. The onus is on PIO to provide information in the language asked by applicant in the application.

First day of PGSEM orientation

Today was the first day of PGSEM program orientation. I was very excited, going back to school after 10 years. It’s for 3 days and college had arranged for accommodation but I was not sure whether I will stay in hostel or come back. However I had carried luggage but kept in car on reaching IIMB. After getting the room keys, went to hostel room which reminded me that I am actually in a college hostel and not in some hotel room. Anyway, it was on top floor so opened the room windows and left for lunch in Amruth Kalsa, the name of hostel mess. By that time many people had come there and there were lot of introductions going on which might have happened again during the course of the day. Special lunch was organized for us and after having that I was looking forward to the dinner at MDC.

After finishing the lunch, we went to auditorium where some activities were planned by SAC (Student affairs committee). On reaching the audi, the first shocker came. We all were given 3 big fat books for the 3 courses in the first quarter. And the big realization finally dawned upon me that getting in doesn’t mean that degree will come as a cakewalk, probably getting in was the easiest part. Anyway SAC (seniors) gave us one information form to fill and started calling one by one to get photos clicked probably for ID card. Some were mostly uninterested; some got it clicked again after setting their hair and all. One guy again asked the photographer in the evening to click again after coming in formals. I was reading through the schedule book where the final quarter exam date was given which was clashing with the deliverable date on which I am working currently in office and SAC members were telling that first quarter GPA matters the most. I wanted to say “aal is well” but what came out was God, please help.

SAC then started presentations on various things – academics and various activities/committees and answered the various queries people had about various things. And then came the million dollar question – how can placements/better jobs be facilitated for this course. SAC told the various things they have been doing to make the industry more aware about this program. I must say SAC team really organized the orientation well, were present till late in night, considering they all are working professionals like us.

Then the actual inauguration came. Everyone was in formals. Last I was in formals during the PGSEM interview and before that I don’t remember when. Prof Pankaj Chandra, director, and Prof N Agarwal, Chairperson PGSEM were present along with Mr Harsh Manglik, chairman Nasscom, who was the chief guest. I was smiling and getting excited, not actually because of the speeches which these 3 distinguished gentlemen gave though each of them gave a truly excellent and thought provoking speech and I am looking forward to more of these in my IIMB days, I think it was the aamir khan effect of actually being a student at IIMB.

After that we went for dinner and we were told to assemble outside audi at 9 pm. All 75 students were divided into 4 groups and there were group activities planned during the 3 days, probably to give a platform to incoming students to mingle and know each other better. Most of the people reached audi late and everyone got a mild blasting from the SAC team. Anyway, the activities started with antakshri. Each team had to sing maximum songs on the given word in 45s. We came first in reverse order, which I think is because we got word “ishq” which is not hindi :) Don’t mind my excuse.

Its 11pm and now we are doing the final task for the evening - write a blog which our team has to submit by 7.45am tomorrow. And yes, I am staying back at hostel; thankfully I didn’t forget to bring bedsheet.

For those interested in Harsh Manglik's speech, read here

My PGSEM (MBA@IIMB) 2010 Interview

My interview was on 24th April at 9 am. I reached the campus at around 8.35 am. At the classroom blocks gate, there were 2 persons from IIMB who told to go to room L11 for one essay writing. L11 was a techie class -- audio system, projector, smart system like credit card swipe machine for attendance ...or maybe I am out of college for 10 years now, that's why I got too fascinated by all that :). BTW my kid's school also has projector in all classrooms. Anyway, at 9 am we were given the topic -- Issues and challenges before Human Resource Management in India. 10 minutes were given to think through it and 20 mins to write the essay.

After the essay, we were given our interview schedule. There were multiple interview panels and I was in P2. Each group had 10 candidates. It was in M23 class.

I went to M23. There were 9 guys and 1 girl. One person from admin collected xerox of mark sheets/experience letters from each one of us. The interview started at around 10 am. I was 8th in the queue. Each interview lasted for some 20-30 mins with one taking almost 40 mins. It was a long wait. My turn came at around 1.20 pm. 3 hours I was just waiting and waiting on the chair, and yes there were 2 whose was after mine. There was one conference going on in the next classroom. During there second tea break, one guy actually asked me whom I am waiting for there for so long. I told him about PGSEM interview -- he smiled and wished me luck.

Finally 1.20 pm!!

There were 2 members in the interview panel -- lets call them P1 and P2. I don't know there names,

They offered me seat. Probably it has been too long for them also taking interviews, so may be it was fun time for them :)

The interview started -- no question about introduction.

P1: This is your 4th company. Why did I do so, and at hindsight do I think it was good or bad for me?
I told the reasons why I changed -- some gyan that I wanted to go into development only. In first job after development, I landed into maintenance type work which I didn't want to do. Second company got merged with someone and was not doing well. 3rd one didn't have too many projects....and so on

P1: How do you think about software engineering as a career option, if you have to tell me to my son in 10th, what will you say?
Only job where constantly paid to study/learn, lot of things newly coming every now and then, unlearn and learn...that's why it never gets boring + its better to do MS than jump straightway into job...and so on

P2: But whats the point when you can loose jobs, no guarantee, very few jobs..
Its with all private sector. Agreed that only 5-7 lakhs are software engineers, but its a plush job and where potential is unlimited. Lot of indirect jobs are also getting created because of this. And yes, we need more sectors to open up like software -- biotech, BPOs etc

Now it was mostly P2 -- I don't know faculty or alumni, but P1 I think was faculty

In my SOP, i had put theme as entrepreneurship. Other than this, I was asked on nothing from SOP, and nothing else from anything else either.

P2: Do you have any ideas?
Yes

P2: Which ones
I told him one about retail and one in software (thanks to my office buddies. we have been discussing a lot about these for sometime now)

P2: He asked about retail -- have I done any analysis, what I would need, capital and other stuff
Somehow I managed

Then it was about my software idea

P2: You can start now itself, why need an MBA
I told that I can do, but once it scales up I will need all the skills in sales/marketing blah blah

P2 was not convinced. He was trying to portray I don't need MBA or maybe he was checking if I am myself clear about why I want to do MBA and what I want to do after MBA:)

P2: You can do MBA from Bangalore university or elsewhere. Some correspondence course, why waste time and money
Told him no correspondence course can match the learning of class, and when you want everything best for you, then why not get trained by the best college in country

P2 was still not convinced. Many times to his questions I asked him  -- I don't agree or I don't buy this.

P2: Do you have any stats on how many students have graduated
I told him I don't know about PGP, but PGSEM around 500-600

P2: There have been thousands of students altogether, but we have not heard any great stories on entrepreneurship. So again I don't need MBA

P2: In business you need selling skills, which you have as you are unconsciously trying to sell why we should take you.
I replied for a businessman these things should come consciously and blah blah

P2: Its just theory in class, how will theory help you in business.
I said PGSEM being a part time course is a great advantage. Whatever we learn in class can try to apply those concepts during workweek. Its actually 2.5 years of practical, and its upto the candidate what he wants to take from this course.

Thankfully track of interview shifted now.

P2: If you are asked to handle some project, which model you will use
I couldn't get the question -- maybe because of so much of defense which I did for why I need to do this MBA. Actually he was asking about waterfall/spiral/agile model etc

P1: If we don't take you, what will you do
May be I will apply again next year

P2: But will you continue your business
Surely I will do

P2: But will you apply again next year
Yes, I will do both things.

GOOD LUCK.

Keeping my fingers crossed!!!

More on PGSEM can be found here.