Cycling/Biking trails around Marathahalli - Whitefield -- 3

Click on the link below for map:
Marathahalli -- Chikka Tirupathi

See the image below for the route. It is around 50-55 kms depending on which route you take.

I have to mostly go via Hope Farm junction as one biking friend stays in Kannamangala :)

Cycling/Biking trails around Marathahalli - Whitefield -- 2

Click on the link below for map:

Marathahalli -- Soukya Road (Whitefield)

The route is as follows (around 33 kms):

Marathahalli -- Forum Value Mall -- Hope Farm -- Right onto Channasandra Main Road -- Take left at T-Junction towards Hoskote and then take right for Soukya Road -- then back after doing a circle on Channasandra main Road -- Take left after Udupi Garden -- Forum Value Mall and back.

Instead of taking left after Udupi Garden, you can come straight to Hope Farm junction and follow the same route back.

Will be doing this route this weekend.

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.