A mba july 2016

editor

Aditya Prakash IengarEditor

from the

www.advancedge.com

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole and in part without written permission is prohibited. Printed and published by Kamlesh Sajnani, on behalf of, IMS Learning Resources Pvt. Ltd., (CIN:U80220MH1999PTC121823) E Block, 6th Floor, NCL Bandra Premises, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Bandra (E), Mumbai - 400 051. Printed at Uchitha Graphic Printers Pvt. Ltd., 65, Ideal Ind. Est., Mathuradas Mill Compound, Lower Parel, Mumbai - 13 and published at Mumbai.

Editor-in-ChiEf

Kamlesh Sajnani

Editor

Aditya Prakash Iengar

Sr. Correspondent:Alolika Banerjee

dEsign

Uma Shirke, Satish Yadav,Sylvester Moses

AdvErtising Shahid Malek / Rajashree MurthyTel: 022-6668 0005 / 6617 0000

hEAd - PubliCAtions

Anand Sutaria

CirCulAtion / subsCriPtion

Ramesh More

AddrEss for CorrEsPondEnCE

Advanc’edge MBA, IMS Publications,

A Division of IMS Learning Resources Pvt. Ltd., E Block, 6th Floor,

NCL Bandra Premises,Bandra-Kurla Complex,

Bandra (E), Mumbai - 400 051.

Contributors

Dr Suresh Srinivasan,Aninda Basu

Special thanks to Khushboo J

WritE to thE Editor At:[email protected]

Websites: www.advancedge.com, www.imsindia.com

www.facebook.com/advancedgeMBA

A lot has happened in the last month that will impact the Indian economy, far too much to be contained in this column.

There has been a lot of discussion and debates about Raghuram Rajan stepping down as the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Yet another bid was made for India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group, which was foiled again, with the likes of Brazil, Switzerland and New Zealand adding to China’s ranks of opposition to India. On the positive side, US firm Westinghouse has had talks with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India for the setting up of six nuclear power reactors in Andhra Pradesh. The entire scenario is in a state of flux right now, and not least among them is how markets will react to these developments.

I shan’t delve into this in detail here, as you’ll find everything — and more — in our Corporate World section. Suffice it to say that you should keep a close eye on what’s happening, not just so that you are better prepared for your GD, PI or Essay rounds, but also because it will give you a perspective of where the Indian economy is heading on the global stage.

Speaking of MBA entrance rounds, the first round you have to get through is the entrance test. I’m sure you’re studying quite hard —getting your concepts in place, learning to apply those concepts, beginning to take mock tests. And if you’re like most students, you’re probably preparing for more than just the one test — the CAT. In this issue of Advanc’edge, we have given a lowdown on all the various Indian entrance tests, complete with test structure, patterns, dates, et al.

You’ll also find a brief overview of another test — the GMAT. Before you start to protest, let me assure you that the GMAT is certainly a viable alternative to other MBA entrance tests, even if you keep it as a last resort, whether you have work experience or not.

But simply taking the GMAT isn’t going to take you anywhere, will it! In the next issue of Advanc’edge, we shall explore the routes the GMAT opens up for you, both in Indian institutes and abroad.

Until then, adieu. Study hard.

JULY 2016CONTENTSCOVER STORY

05 MBA entrance tests: All you need to know

Disclaimer : The views expressed in the articles by contributors and others are not necessarily those of the Publishers, unless specifically stated therein. While no effort is spared in ensuring the accuracy of the information published herein, readers are advised to reconfirm the current facts before acting upon any such information. The Publishers regret their inability to accept responsibility for any inadvertent errors of commission or omission in this issue. Readers are recommended to make appropriate inquiries before incurring expenses or entering into commitments in relation to any advertisement appearing in this publication. The publishers do not vouch for any claims made by the advertisers of any products or services. The Publisher, Printers or Editor shall not be held liable for any consequences in the event of such claims not being honoured by the advertisers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, in any form or means, or stored in a database or retrieval system without prior permission from the publisher.

Payment to be made by crossed Demand Draft/Cheque drawn in favor of “IMS Learning Resources Pvt. Ltd.” For subscriptions and related enquiries write to: Advanc’edge MBA, IMS Publications, A division of IMS Learning Resources Pvt. Ltd., E Block, 6th Floor, NCL Bandra Premises, Bandra-Kurla Complex, Bandra (E), Mumbai - 400 051.For more queries e-mail: [email protected]

New Subscription RatesPeriod Issues New Rate1 Year 12 Rs. 480/-2 Years 24 Rs. 840/-3 Years 36 Rs. 1080/-

Word Dose: Awkward encounters30

STUDY HOUR

28 Test Q&As

32 Globescan

34 SuDoKu

MBA BUZZ

11 Understanding the GMAT alternative

SNIPPETS

17 News in brief

CORPORATE INTERVIEW

16 ASHISH GUPTA,Director, Gold’s Gym

STUDENT SILHOUETTE

13 NISHITA PALKARHBS

CORPORATE WORLD

19 Campus placements: What’s going wrong?

22 India and nuclear power:A global perspective

25 Recent M&As: Dissecting the whys and the whats

cover story

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om

Advanc’edge MBA July 2016 5

MBA entrance tests: All you need to know

The Advanc’edge Team

Your preparedness for important management exams must be on in full swing along with the all-important CAT. You need to be familiar with the exam structure, which will help you fare

well. Here’s an overview of the important exams so that you know how best to prepare.

M

More candidates take the CAT than any of the other MBA entrance tests.

anagement entrance tests in India are primarily elimination tests. The

institutes decide on a cut-off for the written test, just high enough to cull out around a broad number of aspirants, and among them, the institutes select around even lesser number of students.

Don’t make the mistake of preparing for every single test. Take your time, go through the pattern of each of the tests, and take the right decision.

The CAT is the most important one among all these tests, and more candidates take this test than any of the others. The test is usually held in November, and has now become completely online. The total time given to candidates for the test is 180 minutes instead of 170 minutes, with 60 minutes per section.

EligibilityThe candidate must hold a Bachelor’s Degree, with at least 50% marks or equivalent CGPA (45% in case of the candidates belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and Persons with Disability (PWD)/Differently Abled (DA) category) awarded by any of the Universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956, or possess an equivalent qualification recognised by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. Final year students would also be eligible to take CAT provided they complete their final exam by June of the exam year.Test Date: NovemberTest Duration: 180 minutesTest Mode: Computer basedMarking Scheme: Every correct answers carries 3 marksNegative Marking: One negative mark for each incorrect answerTest Conducted by: IIMs

Exam PatternThe test has three sections with the following break-up –

CAT

cover storyww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com

Advanc’edge MBA July 20166

As per the IIMs, students have to show equal competency in all three sections. (Mind you this is an IIM requirement and not a CAT requirement. Other institutes that accept the CAT only use the overall percentile) Quant, VA-RC and LR-DI: Performance in one area (or the lack of it) cannot be subsidised by performance in another.

There will be “TYPE-IN-THE-ANSWER (TITA)” questions in each section, for the first time in the history of the CAT. However, the history of the CAT is littered with such changes and students who are prepared do not have a problem at all.

Accepted institutes Mostly all B-schools accept CAT scores including all the IIMs and other reputed institues like FMS, MDI-Gurgaon, SP Jain, NMIMS and others.

Cut-offsCut-offs for the top seven IIMs.

The Maharashtra Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) conducts MBA-CET (Common Entrance Test) for admissions to MBA/ MMS (Masters of Management Studies) programmes affiliated to the state university.MBA-CET is also accepted by various PGDM programmes offered by autonomous colleges in Maharashtra.

Outside Maharashtra students could apply to All India seats in MBA / MMS colleges through MH-CET as well as few other national tests such as CAT, XAT, GMAT, CMAT, MAT and ATMA.

EligibilityPassed with minimum of 50% marks in aggregate or equivalent CGPA (45% in case of candidates of backward class categories and Persons With Disability belonging to Maharashtra State only) in any Bachelor’s degree awarded by any of the Universities incorporated by an act of the central or state legislature in India or other educational institutions established by an act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as a University under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956 of minimum three years duration in any discipline recognised by the Association of Indian Universities, or possess an equivalent qualification recognised by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India. Final year students of Graduate Courses can also apply.Test Date: Usually in MarchTest Duration: 150 minutes (2.5 hrs)Test Mode: Computer basedMarking Scheme: Each question carries 1 markNegative Marking: No negative marking for incorrect answers. Therefore, it is imperative that the students attempt all the questions and intelligently guess the answers to unsolved questions.Test Conducted by: Directorate for Technical Education (DTE), Maharashtra.What is a good score?For a percentile of 99.9 and above, one will need to target a score of 150+ or more. This score is required to get into JBIMS, the best B-school under CET.

Exam patternThe test consists of 200 multiple choice questions arranged in random order that assess different areas. Duration of the test is 150 minutes (2½ hrs). There is no negative marking for incorrect answers. Therefore, it is imperative that the students attempt

MH-CET

Indicative cut-off percentiles for final call(2014-Final Admit) B-school Sectional

PercentileOverall

Percentile

IIM A Each Section: 94 Gen: 99.67, OBC: 96.42, SC: 90.68, ST: 81.10, DA: 86.76

IIM B Each Section: 90 90

IIM C Each Section: 90 95

IIM L Each Section: 85 99

IIM Kozhikode Each Section: 80 98

IIM Indore Each Section: 85 98

IIM Shillong Each Section: 85 98

Section Time No of Questions

Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension 60 min 34

DI & LR 60 min 32

Quantitative Ability 60 min 34

cover story

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om


all the questions and intelligently guess answers to unsolved questions. Every correct answer fetches 1 mark, making it a total of 200 marks. A score of around 140+ will get you into the best college under MH-CET. The area wise distribution of questions over the last several years is as follows:

Accepted institutes A few of the institutes accepting CET score:• JBIMS• SIMSREE – MMS• SIMSREE – PGDM• K. J. Somaiya• Welingkar

Cut-offsThe expected cut-offs for past CET are as follows:

Xavier Aptitude test (XAT) is a national level pen and paper based management aptitude test. The admission of XLRI Jamshedpur and other Xavier Associate Management Institutes and over 140 B-schools will take place through XAT scores.

EligibilityGraduates in any discipline from a recognised university or institute. Final year students would also be eligible to take XAT provided they complete their final exam by June of the exam year.Test Date: The XAT is usually held in 1st Sunday of January. Test Duration: 170 minutesTest Mode: Paper basedMarking Scheme: Each question carries 1 markNegative Marking: As per the latest notification, a student can skip up to a total of 13 questions in the first 3 sections. Beyond this every skipped question will attract a penalty of 0.05 marks per question. In other words, you need to attempt a minimum of 65 questions out of 78 to avoid negative marking. Also, GK questions will not have negative marking.Test Conducted by: XLRI conducts on behalf of the XAMI.

Exam PatternXAT 2016 will be on the similar pattern like last few years with some significant changes.

Accepted institutesAdmission is given on the basis of XAT to all postgraduate programmes at the Xavier institutes. Apart from these, a few other important institutes that accept XAT scores are: • SPJIMR • Loyola Institutes of Business Administration • Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad

(MICA) • Welingkar Institute of Management Development

& Research • GIM Panaji • FORE - Delhi • Great Lakes Chennai/Gurgaon - PGPM 1 year

XAT

Sl.No

Topics No. of questions

Mark per question

Maximum marks

1 Logical Reasoning

75 1 75

2 Abstract Reasoning

25 1 25

3 Quantitative Aptitude

50 1 50

4 Verbal Ability/ Reading

comprehension

50 1 50

Total 200 200

Sr.No

Sections 2016-Questions

2015-Questions

1 Verbal andLogical Ability 26 28

2 Decision Making 23 23

3Quantitative

Ability & Data Interpretation

29 33

Overall 78 84

4 General Knowledge* 25 30

Essay Writing*

*Scores required only for XLRI-Jamshedpur applicants

B-schools Total Seats(Open

Category)HU

CET cut off (Open

Category)HU

Seats (AI/

OMS)

Cut-offs

JBIMS 120 38 99.85 18 99.99SIMSREE – MMS 120 38 99.58 18 99.94

SIMSREE – PGDM 60 25 99.38 6 99.92

K. J. Somaiya 120 17 99.24 5 99.9

Welingkar 120 24 98.87 18 99.76

cover storyww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com


• IMT Ghaziabad • IRMA - Anand • IIFM - Bhopal • K J Somaiya - Mumbai • LIBA, Chennai • Praxis, Kolkata • SIMSREE - Mumbai • TAPMI - Manipal

Cut-offsThe XAT 2016 cut-offs for XLRI programmes along with sectional cut-offs are mentioned below (as published on XAT 2016 website).

The Symbiosis National Aptitude (SNAP) Test is a common and mandatory written entrance test conducted by the Symbiosis International University for admission into its postgraduate programmes.

EligibilityGraduate from any recognised/ statutory University or Institute with a minimum of 50% marks (45% for SC/ST). Programmes which require specific discipline/subject specialisation need to be checked for eligibility as given by the respective Institute.

A candidate who has completed qualifying degree from any Foreign University must obtain an equivalence certificate from the Association of Indian Universities (AIU). All foreign degrees/qualifications need to be verified from AIU by the candidate before seeking admission to any programme of SIU. Final year students of Graduate Courses can also apply.Test Date: 3rd Sunday of DecemberTest Duration: 120 Mins (2Hrs)Test Mode: Paper based test (Candidate must use Blue or Black ball point pen only)Marking Scheme: SNAP Test is an objective test. Each question has 4 responses.Negative Marking: Each wrong answer attracts 25% negative marks.Test conducted by: Symbiosis International University, Pune.

Exam patternThe overall structure of the SNAP exam remained the same as that of the previous years. The exam consisted of 3 sections having 40 questions of 1 mark each (Quantitative Ability, General English and General Awareness) and one section having 30 questions of 2 marks each (Analytical and Logical Reasoning).Following table shows the overall structure of the exam.

Accepted institutesAdmissions will be given on the basis of the SNAP test to all postgraduate programmes of Symbiosis International University. A few of the colleges accepting SNAP test score are given below:• Symbiosis Institute of Business Management

(SIBM - Pune) • Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human

Resources Development (SCMHRD)• Symbiosis Institute of International Business

(SIIB)• Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies

(SIMS)• Symbiosis Institute of Media & Communication,

Pune (SIMC- Pune)• Symbiosis Institute of Operations Management

(SIOM- Nashik)• Symbiosis Centre for Information Technology

(SCIT), etc.

Cut-offs The cut-offs for SIBM Pune and SCMHRD Pune as per SNAP 2015 results are given below:

Section Subject Area

Number of

Questions

Marks per

question

Total marks

Section I

Quantitative Ability

40 1 40

Section II

GeneralEnglish

40 1 40

Section III

Analytical and Logical Reasoning

30 2 60

Section IV

General Awareness

40 1 40

Total 150 180

B-school Percentile Score

SIBM Pune 97.9031 69.75

SCMHRD Pune 96.6206 66.25

SNAP

VA & LR DM QA & DI Overall

XLRI-BM 77.47 78.042 88.60 96

XLRI-HRM 69.128 68.978 69.00 94.4

XLRI-GMP - - - 69

cover story

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om


Accepted institutes On the basis of the NMAT, admissions will be given to the NMIMS Schools of Business Management at the Mumbai campus and the PDGM course at the Bengaluru and Hyderabad campus. Apart from that a few of the colleges accepting NMAT scores are as follows:• ICFAI Business School (IBS)• Alliance University• SRM University• BML Munjal University• VIT University• Ansal University

Cut-offsBelow mentioned are the expected cut-offs of NMIMS Mumbai and Bengaluru/Hyderabad campuses:

The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) was established in 1963 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to contribute in the skill building for the external trade sector of India. The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) has recognised IIFT as Grade ‘A’ Institution in 2005 as well as in 2015.

The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) admission test is a written exam conducted by the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade for their New Delhi and Kolkata campus. The test duration is 120 minutes majorly divided into 4 sections (2 sections with 2 sub-parts). Number of seats offered in Delhi campus is 220 and Kolkata campus is 140.

EligibilityRecognised Bachelor’s degree of minimum 3 years’ duration in any discipline. Candidates appearing for a qualifying examination can also apply subject to submission of proof of requisite qualification by beginning of October of the year of start of the course.

The NMAT by GMAC™ exam is computer-delivered and gives each candidate a randomly generated test from a pool of questions, delivered one-at-a-time. NMAT by GMAC™ can be taken thrice, with a 15-day gap between each, and the best of the scores shall be considered, provided the candidate has applied to the institute with each of the scores.

Earlier NMAT was conducted by Pearsonvue and considered by NMIMS for offering admission in its Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad campus. With effect 2015, NMAT has been conducted by GMAC™ and it is considered by 18 B-schools in India.

EligibilityBachelor’s Degree (10+2+3/4) in any discipline from a recognised university with minimum 50% marks in the aggregate. Final year graduation students can also apply.Test Window Period: 7th October 2016 to 20th December 2016.Test Duration: 120 minutes (Test Slots can be selected according to the availability at the selected Test center)Test Mode: Computer basedMarking Scheme: Not Available Negative Marking: No negative markingTest Conducted by: NMAT by GMAC™

Exam patternThe NMAT is an objective type multiple-choice test comprising a total of 120 questions that have to be solved in 120 minutes. There are no descriptive questions in the test. Candidates can choose the order of sections according to their preference. Each of the three sections have individual section timings and candidates are supposed to answer and review the questions of a particular section within the allotted section time. There are three sections in the test:

NMAT

Section Number of Questions

Time inMinutes

Language Skills 32 22

Quantitative Skills 48 60

Logical Reasoning 40 38

Total 120 120

Programme Sectional Score

Overall Score

QS LS LR

NMIMS Mumbai campus Programme

1. MBA and MBA –HR- Mumbai campus

65 50 55 208

2. MBA Pharma 45 50 45 160

NMIMS Bengaluru/Hyderabad campus PGDM Programme

60 50 50 196

IIFT Test

cover storyww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com


Test Date: Usually in November Test Duration: 2 hoursTest Mode: Paper basedMarking Scheme: Differential. Equal marks for each question. Negative Marking: 1/3 of allotted marksTest Conducted by: IIFT

Exam patternThe exam follows the structure given in the table below:

IIFT is known to alter its test structure every year and also it has a differential marking scheme which makes it one of the most competitive entrance tests.

Accepted institutesIIFT has two campuses in India – Delhi and Kolkata.

Cut-offsAccording to IIFT 2015 results, a score of 60.08 was equivalent to 99.7 percentile, a score of 58.35 was equivalent to 99.52 percentile, a score of 56.85 was equivalent to 99.31 percentile and a score of 55.09 was equivalent to 98.98 percentile.

The 2015 cut-off for IIFT-Delhi and Kolkata campuses is 48.5 for General candidates, 43.5 for OBC NCL candidates and 38.5 for SC, ST & PH candidates (Sectional cut-offs : VARC 8.75 DILR 8.68 GA 0.82 QT 4.34).

Tata Institute of Social Sciences conducts TISSNET which is a national level post graduate entrance exam. The exam is conducted for admissions to Masters in Social Work and related programmes offered by Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). TISSNET scores are accepted only by TISS campuses across India.

EligibilityCandidates having a bachelor’s degree with minimum of 3 years duration or its equivalent (under the 10+2+3 or 10+2+4 or 10+2+2+1 year bridge course pattern of study or any other pattern fulfilling the mandatory requirements of 15 years formal education) from a recognised university are eligible to apply. Final year students of graduate courses can also apply.Test Date: The exam is in JanuaryTest Duration: 1 hour 40 minutesTest Mode: Computer basedMarking Scheme: Each correct answer shall be awarded 1 mark. Negative Marking: No negative markingTest Conducted by: Tata Institute of Social Studies

Exam patternTISS NET 2016 will not have negative marking for any programmes including HRM. Candidates who have applied for a single programme or multiple programmes will be attempting a single question paper with 100 questions, for a duration of 100 minutes. This includes candidates who have chosen HRM in combination with other programme/programmes also.

Accepted institute:Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai campus

Cut-offs:The overall TISSNET 2016 cutoffs for M.A. (HRM)- Mumbai campus, for all categories is mentioned below:

Section No. of questions

2016 2015

General Awareness 40 30

Mathematical and Logical Reasoning

30 35

English 30 30

Total 100 95

HRM programme TISSNET 2016 cut-offs

General 74

SC 62

ST Not available

OBC/NC 65

PWD 57

TISS-NET

Section Area # Questions Marks per Q

1 Part 1 Logical Reasoning

20 0.75

1 Part 2 Data Interpretation

18 1

2 Part 1 English Usage 20 0.75

2 part 2 Reading Comprehension

16 1

3 General Awareness

28 0.5

4 Quantitative Ability

22 1

Overall 124

mba buzz

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om


Understanding the GMAT alternative

You are currently preparing for the CAT — and other tests like the XAT, SNAP, NMAT, etc. But do you have a Plan B in mind, in case you don’t crack the tests? In this article, we explore

the merits and advantages of the GMAT, which you should consider as a viable alternative.

Aninda BasuProgram Manager, GMAT

M ost of you are planning to appear for Indian entrance tests for MBA, such as the

CAT. Given the high competition in such tests, you must have quite a few questions lingering in the back of your mind at this stage – what happens if you don’t do well in this test? What if there was an alternate option which could save a year for you in case you don’t get a school of your choice?

There is certainly an option that’s worthy of being considered an alternate to the best of our national entrance tests — the GMAT. Surprised? You shouldn’t be.

GMAT – Some factsLet’s get a few myths out of the way first. It is widely believed that the GMAT is a test for those who have many years of work experience. Also, the GMAT is only for international B-schools or Indian executive MBA programmes. Neither is true. The fact is that through the GMAT, you can get into many top notch schools worldwide (such as London Business School, Kellogg School of Management, etc) with limited or no work experience at all. And as of today, the GMAT is steadily finding acceptance in the flagship programmes (including ones that require no work experience) of top

notch Indian B-schools (such as ISB, SP Jain, Great Lakes Institute of Management, TAPMI, MICA and more).

In this issue of Advanc’edge, we shall focus on the top international B-school programmes that require little or no work experience, and are worthy of being considered as an alternate to your top Indian B-schools. But, before we get into this discussion, let’s focus on the GMAT and why you should definitely consider this test as your alternate test.

Why GMAT is a “perfect” alternate optionApart from the fact that there is a plethora of good B-schools you can get into, with or without work experience, the test too offers a lot of advantages over other tests. Let’s have a look:The GMAT is a safe bet: One of the most scientifically designed tests, the GMAT is extremely standardised and has no “shock elements”. Here is why nothing can beat the GMAT when it comes to standardisation:a. The test structure (section

sequence, timing and breaks), question types, subject areas and even sub-topics are extremely well defined.

b. The GMAT typically experiments

with un-scored questions for a sufficient period of time before introducing them as scored questions on the test.

c. The GMAT is computer adaptive. This means that the test adapts itself based on how you perform. If you keep getting questions wrong, you start getting easy questions, and with higher levels of accuracy, you start seeing accuracy. Thus the score that you get in the end is extremely predictable.

d. Tests such as CAT typically see a wide variation in scores and their corresponding percentiles since the student base (and therefore the percentile pool) changes every year and so does the test.

Cracking the GMAT & CATAbhishek Aggarwal, a student of IMS Delhi, who appeared for CAT and GMAT and scored a 99+ percentile in both. Today, he has admits from London Business School (ranked 6th in the world) as well as IIM A apart from a host of other top league international and Indian B-schools. Another interesting fact is that Abhishek, like many of you is a recent graduate with no work experience.

mba buzzww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com


The GMAT, however, does not discard the percentile scores. Therefore, historically there has been limited change in scores, or percentile conversions. A 700 on the GMAT has historically been close to 89 percentile.

With the GMAT, you need not go around preparing for everything. Instead, you need to do a targeted preparation. If you have prepared well for the test, your score will certainly reflect that. As compared to other tests, the standard deviation of performance in practice tests and the actual GMAT test is extremely low.

Take less time to prepare: While candidates normally spend anywhere from 6 months to 1 year to prepare for Indian entrance tests, the GMAT takes 1 to 4 months to prepare. This is basically because the question types and topics are well defined. The level of questions asked in the Quantitative section is basic high school mathematics.You can prepare for the GMAT along with Indian tests: If you have prepared for the CAT or other Indian B-school entrance tests, you have basically covered a lot of areas already in the GMAT. We believe that

if you have prepared for the CAT, just another 2 to 3 weeks of preparation is sufficient to ace the GMAT. You can retake the GMAT after 16 days, up to 5 times in a year: Indian tests are typically held once a year. If you took the test and weren’t happy with your scores, you have to wait for another year to reappear for the test – delaying your plans by a year. The GMAT, on the other hand, is held all through the year. Also, if you are not happy with your score, you can simply cancel it and retake after 16 days. And finally, you can take the test up to 5 times in a year — so basically you get 5 attempts a year. Who can beat that?GMAT scores are valid for 5 years: Imagine you took an Indian entrance test this year and scored a 96 percentile. You were not happy with the schools you were getting and planned to retake the test next year and score a 98 or 99 percentile. What if your score takes a dip instead – say you end up with a 92 percentile? What will you do now? You can no longer use the 96 percentile that you scored the previous year. The GMAT gives a huge advantage in this aspect – your scores are valid for 5 years. You can retake the test and use the score 2 years later, and B-schools

will treat you equal to those who are applying with fresh scores. Power of score cancellation and re-instatement: The moment you complete your test, you see your unofficial score report (no more aching fingers for keeping them crossed for months before you get your CAT scores).

Now there can be two scenarios – you either get a score that makes you happy, or you get a score that doesn’t match your expectation. The GMAT allows you to cancel your score in such a case. So, if you scored a 710 while you were expecting a 750, cancel your score. However, if you like, you can always get back the scores by reinstating them, for up to 4 years and 11 months from the date of the test! Choose your test date and time slot: You can choose your test date and time slot as per your convenience at any time in the year, since the GMAT is held all through the year.

To summariseBased on all the information above, whatever your current plans are, you can always consider the GMAT as a parallel option.

Now, even if you are impressed with the flexibility that the GMAT

offers, remember that at the end of the day, it’s just a test and your objective is to get into a top ranked B-school.

Many international B-schools look for 2 years of work experience for their MBA programmes. But what about those who do not have the required work experience? There are many programmes for such students, typically called Masters in Management, or MIM programmes. Keep a lookout for the next issue of Advanc’edge to read all about MIMs. A

TestStructure

Duration Question Duration per Question

QuestionTypes

ScoringSystem

AWA(Analytical WritingAssessment)

30minutes

1essaytopic

Analysis

ofArgument

Scoredon ascaleof 0-6

IR(Integrated Reasoning)

30minutes

12Questions

150 Secondsper

Question

Multi-Source ReasoningGraphics

InterpretationTwo-Part Analysis

Table Analysis

Scoredon ascaleof 1-8

Quantitative Section

75minutes

37questions

121 Secondsper

Question

Data SufficiencyProblem Solving

Scored on the scale of 0-60 Total

Scoreon the scale of 200-800

VerbalSection

75minutes

41questions

108 Secondsper

Question

Reading Comprehension

Critical ReasoningSentence

Correction

Scoredon the scale

of 0-60

Total duration of GMAT: 210 minutes

student silhouette

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om


Your profile is moreimportant than yourGMAT score

Tell us a little about yourself.I’m from Mumbai. I studied mechanical engineering at Sardar Patel College of Engineering, and landed up with my dream job — in Larsen & Toubro’s heavy engineering. I worked there for five years, of which I spent four years in project management and one year as the supervisor on the shop floor. I was one of the first women on the shop floor in L&T, but I loved the work, and everything that came with it. I’m one of those few people who can truly say, “I love my job!”

What was it like being one of the few women on the shop floor, that too in the role of a supervisor?I started out as a graduate engineer trainee on the shop floor, so I actually made my way to the role of a supervisor. The shop floor was overwhelming to me as a newbie, and it took time for me to convince people that I knew what I was doing! Then there were men trying to assert their importance and authority. I knew I couldn’t start off bossing people around and telling them what to do.

So I took them into confidence, and showed them I was willing to learn from them. I did a lot of things to make them

comfortable around me. And then, when it was time, I started asserting myself and exercising my own authority as well. I refused to be one of the girls who simply sat in the cabin; I was there, on the floor, in the middle of the action. At the end of the day, the output I was getting was most important. So I was getting noticed, not just because there were very few women on the shop floor, but more so because of the good work that I was doing.

What made you want to go abroad to study?It has always been part of my higher agenda to work for a few years and get a management degree. I have always had that clarity. I feel that not only to get the jobs that you want, to be actually be able to do those jobs, you need to have a management education. To have a better capability to perform

when better opportunities come along, self development is what drives all of us, doesn’t it?

How did you prepare yourself for an international institute?I always wanted to go to Harvard. That was my one goal, and it did not change. Everything I did for the last to two to three years was Harvard-centric. From the assignments I was taking up at work, to a new language I learned,

... says NISHITA PALKAR, who secured admission to Harvard Business School in 2016. This IMS student tells Aditya Prakash Iengar how with a not-so-high GMAT score she persevered to get admission to her most coveted B-school.

To get the job you want, and to be actually be able to do it, you need to have a management education.

student silhouetteww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com


what I was doing with my days — all of this had to satisfy that one question: Will this help get me into Harvard? I did the same with the GMAT as well. During those six months of preparation — three on my own and three with IMS — I was living, breathing GMAT. Even if I had 20 minutes while commuting, I would be solving GMAT questions.

As far as taking the GMAT is concerned, I started with my goal: an admission to Harvard, in the next five years. Then I started working backward. I worked out the times I would need to build my profile, to work on my preparation for the GMAT, as well as the buffer, in case I didn’t get the score I wanted. At the same time, you don’t keep pushing your GMAT till the last date, because that would leave very little time for the application. And finally, I took the mock tests at the same time as the final GMAT. That helped me get into the routine.

I spoke to a lot of people, those who had taken the GMAT, gone through admission applications, people who’d done or doing their MBA, even people who knew me and knew how I studied and prepared. I cannot overemphasise the importance of talking to people, and taking their two cents. It doesn’t matter if you take their advice or input or not. But getting all the different views gives you a very broad perspective, which ultimately helps.

Why did you choose IMS?I was never a topper, or the brilliant kid in class; I was an above average student. And to be honest, I’ve never been the kind of person who can rely on self study, and I’m sure there are many others like me. Also, it’s difficult to get back to studying after working for a few years, since you fall out of touch. So I knew I needed a jumpstart to get back into the study routine, and the three month course at IMS was perfect. It gives that kickstart, and they cover all the studies in that time.

Plus, during class, the

faculty taught us a lot of tips and tricks especially for the GMAT — timesavers, approximations, et al. IMS even told me what to look for and where, so it saved a lot of time and effort.The course at IMS started out with a diagnostic test, so I knew on day one what the test would be like and where I stood. Then their course was actually GMAT-centric! So everything was focused on the GMAT — the study material, the tests, everything.

The other thing that really helped was the tough love I got from IMS. That was actually the turning point for me. When I sent my essay to my consultant, she kept rejecting it! I felt bad initially, but then she told me that it looked like the essay another institute — Duke — wanted! I’d had no idea, but that tough love was the key.

Another time the tough love really helped was during my interview preparation. One of the consultants turned out to be really mean, and demolished all my answers! But I realised later that she was doing it on purpose, and that made sense! What if in the actual interview, I’d gotten someone similar interviewing me, and I wasn’t reacting properly? So I reworked my prep for the interview. Tough love helped again!

You took the GMAT in 2013, with a score of 710. And yet you’re going to Harvard in 2016. Why the delay? I wouldn’t call it a delay, I’d rather say that I started early. That’s very important. You can go to the best consultants in the world, but ultimately, they can

only decorate what you are! So, when I got a 710 on my GMAT, I had the option of retaking the GMAT, but I didn’t. Had I applied then and there, I might not have made it, and yet, I would have been under a lot of unneeded stress!

So, I told my consultant that she had two years to help me build my profile, make me into someone that Harvard would want.

Nishita at a glance

• I’m one of those few people who can truly say, “I love my job!”

• I was living, breathing GMAT.• Getting into the B-school of your dreams is not

impossible, but it’s not exactly a walk in the park either.

• Even if I had 20 minutes while commuting, I would be solving GMAT questions.

• A B-school takes in a person, not a GMAT score.• I told my counsellor to make me into someone

that Harvard would want.• Don’t be afraid to ask someone for advice or

recommendation or anything.

As far as taking the GMAT is concerned, I started with my goal: an admission to Harvard.

student silhouette

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om


It’s only fair to them to give them time, since nobody’s a miracle worker! (laughs) And in those two years, I met my consultant regularly, took her advice, took up projects and assignments, restarted my NGO work and did a whole of other things. And it paid off.

Another thing I started early with was working on my CV. I did it even before I took the GMAT. This is important because the CV is very tricky — you can’t just sit down, write and finish it. You have to keep improving it and working on it until the last minute.

Tell us about the Harvard interview.All I can say is, with Harvard, everything is fair game. So even though I was working for L&T Heavy Engineering, if there’d been some news out about L&T Construction, I’d be expected to know it!

There was no usual “Tell me about yourself” or “Walk me through resume”. The interviewer started off with a bouncer! She said something like, “Your two-page CV has more than half of additional information. Walk me through it!” (laughs)

Anyway, I answered her, and the interview went off from there, and it was rapid fire questioning from thereon. I was a little worried, because I wasn’t really finishing my answers! It was almost as if the interviewer gauged that I was confident about answering her, and moved on. Also, there was very little about myself that she wanted to know. I had

no time to think or second guess my answer at all.

Most of the questions revolved around L&T and the competitors, what we did, about my role, who evaluates me, the NGO I’d worked with and how the children there were doing. There weren’t any behavioural questions that I’d prepared for at all, like my strengths and weaknesses, why I wanted to go to Harvard, and so on. It was purely on what I had done.

The interview was over in 30 minutes, not a minute more or less. They interviewer actually had a clock in front of her, and she kept looking at it during the interview and taking notes!

Any advice for future MBA aspirants? I feel it’s important to define your goal from the very beginning. Have one goal, and work towards it. Each institute has its own unique sense of community; the kind of students they’re looking for who can fit into that community. So be very clear where you want to be in the next few years.

For the test, application and everything else, I would advise everyone to start early. Getting into the business school of your dreams is not impossible, but it’s not exactly a walk in the park either. You’ll require a lot of planning, you’ll have to be organised, keep an eye on timelines, have an agenda and a schedule — generally be on top of things. And speak to people all the time. Don’t be afraid

to ask someone for advice or recommendation or anything, because what’s the worst that can happen? They’ll just say no, right?

Your GMAT score is important, no doubt, but of equal importance, if not more, is your profile. Because remember, the business school is taking in a person, not a GMAT score.

Finally, take the help of a consultant. It’s always better to get guidance from someone who is aware of what’s required for you to be successful.

Be positive, go for it, and you’ll find that there’s nothing you cannot do! A

Another thing I started early with was working on my CV. I did it even before I took the GMAT.

Harvard University

corporate interviewww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com


Hard work is the key to succeed in any venture… feels ASHISH GUPTA, Director, Gold’s Gym, Gurgaon. In a conversation with

Alolika Banerjee, this management graduate shares his advice on the essence of the diet and workout schedule before the MBA entrance-test season sets in.

Diet/workout regime for CAT aspirants

What you should do Why you should do itHave 5 to 6 walnuts every day

Keeps the brain lubricated.

Have 5 to 6 almonds every day

Sharpens the brain and brings down anxiety.

Have roasted flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and watermelon seeds

Helps gain protein and keeps anxiety at bay.

Jog for half an hour Boosts blood circulation in the body.

Do Yoga for half an hour Helps to relax and calm down, improves concentration.

Q. What made you venture into the world of gyms in the first place?I used to be quite an obese teenager, weighing 110 kilos! I remember being low on confidence and extremely conscious. Slowly, through regular jogging and workouts in gym, I lost 45 kilos in 2 to 3 years, and gradually I regained my confidence. After my MBA, when I was unsure about what to venture into, I felt that if losing weight could give me so much happiness, why not spread it by helping others like me get into a better shape? That triggered my decision.

Q. Why do you think this trend of being in the right shape is catching up in such a big way these days?I believe people are spoilt for choices, with many options in front of them. Being fit was always a fad in the West, but, our country was not exposed to that culture. However, ever since we got exposed to foreign brands, products and the Western way of living, we started realising that it’s also important to get fit.

We Indians ape the West for everything. Even though India is the birthplace of Yoga for the past 5,000 years, we needed the tug of the West to tell us about its

greatness. Nowadays, when Yoga is being celebrated the world over,

realisation dawned on Indians that it’s an excellent way to remain fit, physically and mentally.

Q. Is Gold’s Gym taking any initiative of a tie-up with

any such B-schools? Yes, we do have tie-ups with all the B-schools in Gurgaon, including MDI Gurgaon. We give them multiple offers like student discounts and various other facilities.

Q. Does your position as the Director of Gold’s Gym give you an added pressure of being in shape all the time? I am under more scrutiny than Miss Universe (laughs). Even if I gain half a kilo, my clients point it out to me. I always have to be in shape and for that I try and eat right all the time.

Q. How does your MBA degree help you fare in your role?My management degree has helped me immensely, even more so when I have my own business now. The two years in a B-school introduced me to different aspects of running a company, and I often incorporate whatever I had learnt in my B-school days.

Q. For those with entrepreneurial ambitions, what are the three things a person should have to sustain in today’s market? I feel passion is extremely important in anything that we do and must be the primary reason for choosing any industry.

Secondly, before starting a business, you need to be well-informed about it. And last but not the least is hard work. You have to be ready to put in a crazy amount of hard work in any business. So dive in only if you’re prepared for it. A

snippets

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om


News in briefHere are some interesting titbits from over the last month

Brexit wins: Britain votes to leave the EU Britain has voted to leave the European Union, with the Leave campaign securing around 51.8% per cent of the votes.

While England voted overwhelmingly for Brexit (UK leaving the EU – merging the words Britain and exit to get Brexit), Scotland and Northern Ireland backed Remain. London backed Remain but the turnout was lower than expected because of bad weather.

The pound crashed to the lowest level since 1985 as sterling fell below $1.35. The fall would be the third worst in history if stocks ended sharply, immediately after the results had been declared. Complacency about a Brexit outcome will become clear in due course of time.

Four newest elements on Chemistry’s Periodic TableThe International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry has

declared four new elements that have been added to the periodic table. Now, Nihonium, named after Japan (Nippon is a Japanese word for Japan), with an atomic number of 113. Its symbol is Nh. Moscovium (Mc), element 115, has been named after the Russian capital city, Moscow.

Tennessine (Ts), 117, has been named after the state of Tennessee. And finally, 118 is Oganesson (Og), which bears the name of Russian physicist Yuri Oganessian, who led several discoveries. This is the second time an element has been named after a living scientist.

Microsoft to acquire LinkedIn for $26.2 billion

Microsoft is buying the professional networking website LinkedIn for just over $26bn (£18bn) in cash, making this the largest acquisition in its history. The deal will help Microsoft boost sales of its business and email software. Microsoft said that even after the acquisition, LinkedIn would retain its ‘distinct brand, culture and independence’. Ben Wood, head of research at CCS Insight, said the deal would give Microsoft access to the world’s biggest professional social network with more than 430 million members worldwide.

Telangana has the maximum non-vegetarians in the countryAccording to Registrar General of India survey, Telangana has the highest meat-eaters in the country with almost 99% of its residents

being non-vegetarians. An almost equal percentage of men (98.8) and women (98.6) are non-vegetarians in the state.

West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Kerala follow Telangana among the states with the highest non-vegetarian population. Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana top the list of states with the highest vegetarian population. Overall, the percentage of non-vegetarians across the country has dropped from 75% in 2004 to 71% in 2014.

Raghuram Rajan not to seek second term as RBI GovernorIn a surprise move that sent ripples across the financial sector, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India Raghuram Rajan announced that he

would not continue to head the central bank after his term expires on September 4. He has mentioned that he will be returning to academia when his term ends.

Rajan announced his decision to RBI employees via an email which was published on the central bank’s website for ‘wider dissemination’. This is the first time during Dr Rajan’s tenure that his communication to staffers has been made public.

snippetsww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com


Hillary Clinton claims historic victory in Democratic presidential nomination battleHillary Clinton won the Democratic presidential nomination on June 8th, becoming the first woman to lead a major American political

party. Clinton had already secured the delegates needed for the nomination, according to an Associated Press tally. She added to her totals with victories in New Jersey and New Mexico.

Clinton faces a two-front challenge in the coming days. She must appeal to the enthusiastic supporters of her rival Bernie Sanders – who insists he still has a narrow path to the nomination – and sharpen her contrasts with presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

India ranked second in ease of doing business among 30 developing countriesIndia has been ranked second among 30 developing countries this year on ease of doing business, according to a study.

China has topped this survey done by 2016 Global Retail Development Index, which ranks top 30 developing countries for retail investment worldwide.

India has jumped 13 positions from last year to get the second ranking in 2016, which is primarily because of its pick-up in GDP growth and better clarity regarding FDI regulations.

India’s retail sector has expanded at a compound annual growth rate of 8.8% cent between 2013 and 2015, with annual sales crossing the USD 1 trillion mark.

Four Indians featured on 2016 Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women ListFour Indian business leaders have made their way into Forbes List of this year’s 100 Most Powerful Women. The Indian businesswomen on the 13th edition of the annual rankings include State Bank of India Chairman Arundhati Bhattacharya (ranked 25); Chanda Kochhar (40), MD and CEO, ICICI Bank; Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (77), Chairman and MD of Biocon; and Shobhana

Bhartia (93), Chairperson and Editorial Director, HT Media Ltd. Bhattacharya is at the helm of the nation’s largest lender, while Kochhar leads the country’s largest private

sector bank. Mazumdar-Shaw’s Biocon is a pioneer in the field of biopharmaceuticals and Bhartia’s HT Media is a popular media house.

Amazon pumps in `1,350 crore to boost its India unitIn a bid to accelerate

the momentum gained in the past 18 months, Amazon has invested an additional `1,350 crore (about $200 million) in its India unit this year. The latest investment in Amazon Seller Services, disclosed in regulatory filings on May 31, takes the total capital infused into the main India unit since early 2015 to `8,618 crore.

The Seattle-headquartered company completed three years in India, in which time it has bitten off significant market share from domestic rivals like edging past Snapdeal, which has been around longer.

Coming soon, IIT lectures live on TV!Good news for students enthusiastic about information technology in India! They will soon be able to watch live telecast

of lectures from six IITs and some other top institutions straight from their living rooms. In a couple of months, the HRD Ministry is all set to launch 32 Direct-to-Home channels to cater to their needs.

The Department of Space has agreed to allot two transponders on a GSAT series satellite for this project. These channels will be freely available on Doordarshan’s FreeDish DTH platform and all that the students will need is a Set Top Box to receive them. The channels might be operational by August this year, sources said.

Standard Chartered to hire almost 1,000 people this yearStandard Chartered Bank will be hiring about 1,000 people this year as per its plan to step up recruitment in India in the next few quarters.

This new recruitment policy is part of its efforts to build up the lucrative but competitive retail lending segment. The new staff will be mostly from rivals with experience in front-end operations. India is the bank’s biggest market in South Asia with around 7,000 employees.

corporate world

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om


he biggest challenge for Corporate India today, across sectors, is the

unavailability of adequate skill sets in terms of industry ready employees. Be it information technology, manufacturing, e-commerce or construction and allied services, lack of skill sets is the biggest challenge.

How corporates and colleges work togetherIn order to overcome this challenge, many corporates commit to visit engineering colleges and business schools

to handpick suitable candidates ahead of such students entering the job market. It works well for the college as well — the rating and prestige of the college is largely driven by its placement record and the average salary its students are able to secure from the market.

Hence, it makes a win-win proposition for corporates and colleges to tie up with one another in this initiative of placing the graduating talent. As corporates respect good colleges producing industry ready candidates, colleges equally respects reputed

companies that continuously pick up a large chunk of the students.

Placements at collegesThe placement season begins around a few months before the students complete their course. Early slots are allotted to top companies that are reputable and which also confirm participation in the placement process ahead of time. Generally, there is also a history of such companies being associated with the college for a longer period of time. In a good year, the best of the students get placed by the close of the early slots (generally termed as day zero and day one). This, however, means many of the smaller companies that come to campus later may not be able to pick up the right candidate.

Issues plaguing the placement processA number of ethical issues are also involved in the whole placement process. Students once selected by a company have to abide by their choice and cannot make an alternative choice later, unless an extenuating situation arises.

On the same line, once a company has selected a candidate and offered the confirmation, it

Campus placements: What’s going wrong?

Although the college-industry connect is very important to maintain, both for the college and its students as well as for the corporates, a lot of issues have cropped up in the campus placement

process, with some institutes responding harshly against the companies.

Dr Suresh Srinivasan

T

In a good year, the best of the students get placed much before their B-school graduation.

corporate worldww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com


Start-ups account for as high as 30% of all the companies that come to institutions.

should ideally not go back on its commitment or delay the timing of recruitment. If the company delays or retracts the offer, the student is in deep trouble, as he has foregone other opportunities in the campus placement process, primarily banking on the confirmation of the company that has recruited him, and any delay from the recruiter can put his career in peril!

Companies that backtrackedThis year, companies like FlipKart, CarDekho and Hopscotch are in trouble, as they are reported to have gone back on their commitments with the business schools with regard to placements. Flipkart deferred the joining dates of some of the students it picked up by six months, just three days before they were supposed to join the company. Six other companies have had a similar problem. Some companies reduced salaries by as much as 25% at the time of joining. These are pretty harsh measures, as these students were out of the campus recruitment process, once they had a confirmed letter from these employers.

Flipkart has claimed that it is in the process of an organisational restructure and has attributed this deferment of the dates to such events. It has offered to compensate the students through a bonus of `1.5 lakh for such a delay. The business school in question — one of the IIMs — has rejected Flipkart’s offer and is proposing to blacklist Flipkart from next year’s placement process. It is certain that the future engagement of Flipkart with business schools will be impacted after this incident, as it was a clear violation of ethics; the company seemed to have gone back on its commitments, which has already created mistrust between parties.

INDIA INC: AT A GLANCESBI to be merged with associatesA major consolidation is happening in the Indian banking sector. The Government of India has approved the merger of State Bank of India (SBI)

with its five associates and Bharatiya Mahila Bank. The five associates are State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Patiala and State Bank of Travancore.

Crompton Greaves divesting ZIVCrompton Greaves, owned by the Avantha group, is divesting its global automation business, ZIV, at around `750 crore. This sale will primarily include the transmission

and distribution business in Indonesia, US, Hungary, France, Belgium and Ireland. Crompton expects the sale to be completed by October. This strategic sale is intended to allow the company to focus on its core domestic India businesses.

The larger picture: RamificationsThis is bad news for other business schools and colleges in the country. This has a potential to derail the whole placement process that has been meticulously planned by the colleges in close coordination with the companies. More importantly, these events could have a long lasting impact on the affected student’s career.

With the Flipkart news spreading, institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) have become more cautious in scrutinising the intent and financial positions of start-ups to ensure the students don’t get a bad deal. IITs are now proposing to demand the start-up companies

to disclose their sources of funding and balance sheet details ahead of campus recruitment.

Start-ups have started gaining prominence in recent times and are very popular with campus recruiters. They currently account for as high as 30% of all companies that come to institutions like the IITs. If we consider IIT Madras alone, more than 30% of its students joined start-ups during the current year, a figure that has doubled from last year.

Too drastic, say criticsCritics also question the drastic steps being taken by the IITs against the start-ups in light of Flipkart’s own flip flop. Everyone knows that there are risks involved with start-ups. In fact the higher compensation doled out during placements is being paid purely to compensate such risks. Students too need to be aware that they are taking a risk when they choose to join start-ups whose business models are yet to stabilise and viability yet to be established. Colleges need to educate students on the downsides and risks involved in joining start-ups.

corporate world

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om


INDIA INC: AT A GLANCE

Flipkart takes heat from sellers on return policyVendors and sellers on the Flipkart platform have strongly objected to its return policy.

Flipchart allows a flexible return policy where customers can freely return goods purchased on the site. Flipkart now intends to pass on the return shipping and logistics cost to the vendor and sellers, which the sellers believe will make their business with Flipkart totally unviable.

Railway strike to protest foreign contractsA nationwide railway employee strike has been called in July. The strike is to protest the awarding of large contracts to foreign players rather than domestic companies. While discontent had been brewing for a while, things came to a head when the Indian Railways awarded a contract worth ̀ 40,000 crore to GE and Alstom to build locomotives for the railways in Bihar. Many are seeing the strike as a sort of resistance from all quarters to bringing about development in India.

For example, Mohandas Pai, former Infosys CFO and a start-up expert himself, has attributed the response of the IIMs and IITs as immature and insensitive. He considers the campus placement as to be a pure “arms-length” transaction between the student and the company, where both parties know the upside and downsides of their respective decisions. He has also pointed out that a lot of students do leave their employer within six months after joining the company, in which case the company may not have any recourse!

It is not just the start-ups that are facing problems with recruiting students. Issues crop up with large established IT services (ITeS) companies as well. L&T Infotech, India’s sixth largest software exporter and a subsidiary of engineering giant Larsen & Toubro, recently withdrew offer letters to more than a thousand students. The company explained that the students performed poorly in the second online test they attempted as part of the campus placement process.

These actions by recruiters put the students in a very vulnerable position and can have put serious dent in their careers, both financially and emotionally!

This has happened beforeThis is not the first time such issues are cropping up. After the sub-prime crisis and the global recession of 2008, a number of such cases had occurred. Companies like McKinsey and Royal Bank of Scotland, prominent recruiters at Indian business schools, had deferred their joining dates, but provided monetary compensation to the satisfaction of the students. In 2012, Infosys and iGate deferred their joining dates. HCL technologies had also had some issues in 2012, when it offered

letters of intent to candidates, who were then asked to take an additional test in which many failed and were denied jobs. At the time, students had protested across the country in front of HCL offices.

To summariseWe should not forget that the companies are operating on a real time basis in a competitive marketplace that is extremely volatile and dynamic. Headcount forecast and estimation, based on which such campus recruitment is

done, is extremely challenging and companies can go wrong.

However, given the ethical standing and commitment these companies provide to the colleges, they need to be more responsible in such hiring and deferment decisions. On the other hand, students too need to be very careful in understanding the risks involved with start-ups and play their card maturely. At the end of the day, this is what a business school, or any institution of excellence for that matter, are expected to teach them! A

In 2012, HCL technologies had denied jobs to cadidates to whom they had given offer letters, leading to protests.

corporate worldww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com


India and nuclear power: A global perspective

The Indian Prime Minister’s recent visit to the US was for India’s entry into the Nuclear Supplier’s Group. It also achieved other important objectives, including securing more foreign

direct investment.

P


Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently concluded his fourth visit to the US

in the last two years. Although investment of US companies into India is important and can strengthen the Prime Minister’s Make in India campaign, the most important objective of Modi’s recent visit to the US was for India to gain membership to the Nuclear Supplier’s Group (NSG).

About the NSGThe coveted NSG membership is important for India at this stage. With a view of controlling the spread of nuclear arsenal, the NSG was created with a membership of 48 nations. NSG members are a powerful group that decide and implement policies relating to exporting nuclear technologies and

feedstock (fuel for running nuclear plants).

India has been attempting to become a member of the NSG from 2008, but has not been successful. Even if one of the existing members objects to a new member coming in, admission will not be allowed. China is one of the prominent members that have been objecting to India’s entry into the NSG. For India, NSG membership is critical for it to gain sustainable access to the latest nuclear technologies for its commercial energy programmes. Today India is striving to increase nuclear energy as a part of its overall “energy basket”, thereby reducing reliance on fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas-based power generation plants.

Why India is being denied an NSG entryAs mentioned earlier, China has been vehemently opposing India’s entry into the NSG. This is mainly on the grounds that granting admission to India would mean a free flow of

nuclear technology and feedstock to India, which will in turn drive Pakistan to aspire for similar technologies. This would then enhance the arms race in the Asian subcontinent region.

Another reason why India is being denied entry to the NSG is due to the fact that India has refused to sign the nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Today, 191 countries are signatories to this non-proliferation group. The Treaty recognises only five countries in the world who can hold nuclear weapon capability — US, Russia, UK, France and China. All other nations who are signatories to the NPT have committed that they will not develop nuclear capabilities on their own and will rely on the cooperation from these five nuclear armed powers. These powers, in their turn, will support these other members in their commercial nuclear energy programs.

Countries like India, Pakistan and Israel, who are already nuclear powers and have tested their nuclear weapons, have refused to sign the NPT, as signing the treaty means that they will have to dismantle and give up their nuclear weapon capabilities.

corporate world

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om


INDIA INC: AT A GLANCEMeeting held on bad debtsChiefs of public sector banks met officials of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Banks Board Bureau, Central Bureau of Investigation and Central Vigilance Commission to clear the air around the state of bad debts in the sector. The default rate in banks, and more importantly the increasing number of willful defaulters have tarnished the image of Indian banks.

US Fed chief hints at interest rate hikeThe Chairman of the US Federal Reserve (Fed) has hinted that a possible raise in interest rates cannot be ruled out in the forthcoming July Fed meeting. Such a rate hike is possible depending on the employment and payroll data that are expected to be released over the next three weeks. The US has been holding interest rates at nearly zero for many years and a marginal rate hike came through a few quarters earlier.

Global crude price shows marginal riseGlobal crude oil price, which was hovering at around US$30 a barrel over the last year, has slowly started inching up during 2016. A series of production disruptions in Nigeria, Venezuela, Libya and Canada pushed oil to a 2016 high of $52.86 last week. Analysts reaffirm that the price is not likely to escalate further, but at the most remain at current levels during 2016.

Working around the NPTThe US, however, knows well that India is the fastest growing emerging market in the world and it is energy-hungry. It also is well aware that India needs to widen the nuclear energy in its energy basket. On the one side, this is an immense opportunity for the US to export nuclear technology to India, but on the other side, it was constrained by India’s non-signing of the NPT and India not being part of the NSG.

To overcome this constraint, the US, under the leadership of George W Bush, came forward in 2008 and signed the US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement. Under this pact, the US would provide nuclear technology support to India in spite of India not being an NSG member. The condition for India would be to separate its civilian and military nuclear programmes, and put the civilian part under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards.

The US-India Civil Nuclear Agreement also required China’s approval. In 2008, US-China relations were at its best, which is why Bush managed to secure the

then Chinese President Hu Jintao’s consent.

Inking a pact with WestinghouseForging ahead on the back of the good relations, a new entity is being established after Modi’s current visit to the US. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and the US firm, Westinghouse, have agreed to begin engineering and site design work immediately for six nuclear power plant reactors in India and conclude contractual arrangements by June 2017. These nuclear plants are likely to come up in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.

This is a major milestone and will create a substantial part of India’s targeted nuclear power generation capacity of 14.5 Gigawatt by the year 2020. It can be said that the most important outcome of Modi’s current visit to the US is the signing of the deal with Westinghouse for the six nuclear reactors. Although there are a number of other issues in executing this project — most importantly the anti-nuclear lobby in the country has to be satisfied that it makes sense to invest in the nuclear technology — this is a key milestone that has been achieved.

India and missile technologyIndia has now been granted membership to the coveted Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), a 35-member association of countries that controls policies and governs rules on missiles and unmanned delivery vehicles. Modi’s visit was also focused towards developing alternative strategies where the US can persuade China to ratify India’s entry into the NSG. With China aspiring to enter the MTCR, of which it is not yet a member,

The US knows that India is the fastest growing emerging market in the world and it is energy-hungry.

corporate worldww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com


this could be a negotiating card for the US to force China’s ratification of India into the NSG.

Modi’s visits and their impactIn addition to the US, Modi’s overseas visit in June covered Afghanistan, Qatar, Switzerland and Mexico. While Modi’s earlier trips to the US were geared towards meeting the international investor community to solicit investment in India, the current visit’s colour was tilted more towards international diplomacy and paving the way for India’s entry into the elite nuclear club.

The number of foreign trips Modi has made over the last two years has been immense, and the results of such visits in terms of translating into higher foreign investments in India

are interesting. Foreign direct investment (FDI) in India has improved from $24 billion in 2013-14 to $31 billion in 2014-15, $36 billion in 2015-16 and is likely to reach $38 billion in 2016-17. Some of the larger investments that have recently materialised include Foxconn’s $5 billion investment, GE and Alstom committing $5.9 billion in Indian Railways, and a number of other commitment that include Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Facebook.

The new government 2 years onWith the Modi government having completed 2 years, its success can, at the most, be termed as mixed. Positives have been seen in areas of stability, foreign investor perception, opening up of FDI in

many sectors and a number of initiatives that are still works in progress.

On the negative side, failing to pass key legislations like the Goods and Services Tax and the Land Acquisition Bill stand out as sore points. The Indian banking system continues to remain vulnerable to international shocks with a number of structural shortcomings, and is also considered to be a failure of the new government.

Some of these major failures are attributable to the Modi government’s lack of strength in the upper house of the Indian Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, where a party’s strength is determined by the state governments. Recently, with elections held in many states, the BJP secured a favourable mandate. In the recent Rajya Sabha elections, the BJP won 12 out of 27 vacant seats, while the Congress managed to secure only 6 seats. This means the gap between the Congress and BJP in the Rajya Sabha is narrowing down to barely 3 seats. It is expected that the BJP’s position in the upper house is strengthening and will pave the way for passing more reforms, which were largely blocked by Congress over the last two years due to its majority in the upper house. A

China has always opposed India’s entry into the NSG.

INDIA INC: AT A GLANCE

Samsung boosting IoT strengthsSouth Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics has announced that it will acquire US-based firm Joyent Inc., to boost its cloud computing and “Internet-of-Things” capabilities for an undisclosed sum. In a statement, Samsung said

the acquisition will help it strengthen its cloud-related infrastructure and services.

New civil aviation policy announcedA new civil aviation policy has been announced. The new policy replaces the 5/20 criteria (minimum of 5 years in existence and a minimum of 20 aircrafts) with a 0/20 requirement. With this change, new airlines like Vistara (owned by the Tatas), GoAir and a host of other new airlines can fly overseas within a year’s time.

corporate world

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om


Recent M&As: Dissecting the whys and the whats

A


The news recently has been awash with Reliance’s merger with Aircel and Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn. Why have these M&A decisions been taken, and what do they entail?

Read on to find out.

cquisitions have always been popular as strategy for growth.

These acquisitions are made based primarily on two major factors — either firms acquire other companies in the same business in order to grow in size, or to gain certain unique capabilities which they don’t have. There are often acquisitions that take both the above factors into account. In this article, let us review two acquisitions that have been announced during the last month and understand the rationale and motivation for such acquisition. Acquisitions have always been seen as popular growth strategies.

RELIANCE ACQUISITION OF AIRCEL

BackgroundTwo telecom operators, Reliance Communications, an Anil Dhirubhai Ambani owned company, and Aircel, a Maxis owned company, have decided to pool their wireless business together and create a merged entity, in which both the parties will hold 50% or so equity shares each. In reality, however, we may end up seeing Reliance holding a larger share, given the size differential between the two companies.

If the deal goes ahead, the merged entity is likely to be

listed in the stock markets within the next six months. Reliance Communications, after giving off its wireless business into the merged entity, will focus on data centres, direct-to-home TV, optic fibre, enterprise business and its sub-sea cable operations.

Valuation and transaction detailsBoth the parties are currently in the due diligence phase, understanding the businesses of the companies and assessing the synergies that will be an outcome of such a merger. Once the 90-day period of due diligence is completed, the

corporate worldww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com


valuation of the business and how much each party will have to pay the other will be crystallised.

The parties will also transfer the bank loans to the merged entity. It must be noted here that telecom companies have attracted heavy debt in the process of acquiring spectrum, and each company is likely to transfer close to `15,000 crore of loan into the merged entity.

Logic behind the acquisitionThe reason for this acquisition and merger is to grow in size, eliminate duplication, enhance focus and thereby gain an advantage in a very competitive telecom industry environment. Today, both are smaller players as compared to Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea, but on completing the merger, the combined entity is likely to be positioned as India’s Number 3 telecom operator. The merged entity is likely to hold 20% of the spectrum across all allocated bands for 2G, 3G and 4G services.

The shareholders expect that the new entity will be rebranded in order to reach a deeper penetration, especially given the scale and size the new entity will gain. In addition to gaining size and reducing costs due to economies of scale, the merged entity is also likely to gain cross selling opportunities to the combined customer base. Synergies are also likely in the investments, which can now be optimised and better utilised within the merged entity. The merged entity will be better positioned to tackle the severe competition in this industry that is heavily burdened by the problem of bank loans and underutilisation of the spectrum.The way aheadOnce the valuations and the

shareholding patterns are decided, the parties will secure regulatory and court clearances, finalise the management and leadership structure, and will also work on extracting synergies from this merger through reducing duplication such as offices, people, back-end technology services and sales and distribution. This is likely to happen over the next six months.

MICROSOFT ACQUISITION OF LINKEDIN

BackgroundMicrosoft recently announced that it would acquire the business of LinkedIn. LinkedIn, the professional network social media company, has been seeing significant slowdown in its advertisement and recruitment revenues over the last few quarters. Its shares have dropped by close to 40% since July 2015.

Valuation and transaction detailsThe deal is likely to be valued at $26.2 billion. Microsoft is paying the LinkedIn shareholders a 50% premium on the current market price of LinkedIn shares to conclude this acquisition. This is

likely to be the biggest acquisition of Microsoft. This deal is also rated as the sixth largest technology industry acquisition ever.

Given the size of such an acquisition, the shareholders of Microsoft are worried whether Microsoft can pull this deal off successfully and provide attractive returns to shareholders. Such investor concerns were reflected in the hit that Microsoft shares took, dropping by around 5% as sceptical investors sold off their shares. Moreover, there is a concern that Microsoft has overpaid for the LinkedIn acquisition.

Logic behind the acquisitionMicrosoft currently is looking at filling certain strategic gaps in its “dynamics” business, so that it is in a better position to compete in the marketplace. Dynamics provides customers a range of business solutions tailored to their market. This is achieved through an “enterprise suite” of software focused on delivering business and customer insights, housed on cloud.

Microsoft sees synergies in acquiring LinkedIn that will boost its dynamics business. SAP and Oracle are major players in the enterprise business, which is valued

LinkedIn has seen slowdown in its ads and recruitment revenues over the last few quarters.

corporate world

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om


at around $27 billion, of which they have around 35% market share between themselves. Microsoft is a small player with around 5% market share. LinkedIn, which has extensive data on close to half a billion professionals, and its sales navigator service, will be valuable to Microsoft and its sales people in driving its business development and in closing deals. The synergy in the acquisition lies precisely here, where Microsoft can become more competitive, and gain market share.

The way aheadIt is crucial for Microsoft to successfully reap the synergies for this acquisition to be a success. The investors are sceptical especially given Microsoft’s history in handling its past acquisitions.

Minds are still fresh with Microsoft’s wasting close to $8 billion a couple of years ago on the purchase

of Nokia’s handset business, which is still being considered a monumental mistake. Enormous amounts have been spent on costs of restructuring, accommodating severance payments for thousands of employees and attracting the stigma of a failed acquisition. Microsoft’s decision to originally hire 25,000 Nokia employees and then later proceed with a series of layoffs involving billions of dollars over the

past two years triggered the end of Microsoft’s mobile subsidiary.

However, analysts feel that Microsoft is much better positioned with regard to its current LinkedIn acquisition, as the two businesses are much more synergistic and capable of producing cross sales, as compared to the failed Nokia handset deal.

Everything said and done, the success of acquisitions cannot be predicted accurately, and is largely dependent on how the CEO executes the mergers and ensures that the anticipated synergies are reaped in reality. Only time will tell! A

INDIA INC: AT A GLANCEOla scaling up ops to fight competitionIntensifying competition in the radio taxi business and the aggressive entry of Uber has forced Ola to scale up operations. The company has doubled its driver partners on the

platform, spreading to 102 cities in the country. Ola Micro has helped the company regain market share and fight the competition. More than 80% of Ola’s bookings are reported to come from Ola Mini and Micro.

Foreign players eye India’s real estate marketWith the improvement of the economic development scenario in the country, the Indian real estate sector seems to be slowly becoming attractive. Japanese developers and private equity investors are looking to enter the Indian property market and could invest at least USD 2 billion over the next three years in residential as well as industrial projects. China’s biggest developer Wanda too also signed an MoU with the Haryana government.

6 nuclear reactors to come up in AndhraThe Indian government has set up an inter-agency committee that will structure the financing for six Westinghouse AP-1000 nuclear reactors that are likely to come up in Andhra Pradesh. It is being speculated that these are estimated to cost around `2 lakh crore, and will significantly enhance India’s power generation from renewable sources.

Apple looking to diversify offerings?Is Apple likely to move away from personal devices in the near future? What is it currently innovating on? In its recent annual developer conference, the company has indicated that its focus is likely to

be in cloud and cloud based concepts, Internet and in enhancing user experience of Apple devices across these mediums.

Microsoft wasted nearly $8 billion a couple of years ago on the purchase of Nokia’s handset business.

Dr Suresh Srinivasan is a Chartered Accountant, has an MBA (Bradford UK) and a Doctorate in Strategy. He is a Professor of Strategy in Great Lakes Institute of Management and a management consultant.

study hourww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com


Quant

Are you a Brainiac? In this section, we shall explore several different types of questions

from the various areas of entrance exams like the CAT, CET, GMAT, etc, and how to best solve them.

DIRECTIONS for questions 1 and 2: Answer the questions independently of each other.

1. In an equilateral triangle of side ‘a’ units, a circle is inscribed, in which again an equilateral triangle is inscribed and so on. If this process is continued for infinite times, then what is the total area of all the figures?

1] sq. units 2] sq. units

3] sq. units 4] None of these

1. Area of outer equilateral triangle = (a)2 sq. units

Area of incircle of this equilateral triangle

= = sq. units

Area of equilateral triangle inscribed in the above circle

= = sq. units

Hence, we observe that areas of equilateral triangles

are a2, a2, a2, ...

and areas of circles are

, , , ...

Hence, sum of the areas of all equilateral triangles

= a2 + a2 + a2 + ...

= a2

= a2 [ sum of infinite G.P = ]

= sq.units

Sum of the areas of the circles

= + ....

= =

= = sq. units

Sum of the areas of all the figures = +

= sq. units. Hence, [3].

2. A, B and C started a business by investing Rs.12000, Rs.14000 and Rs.20000 respectively. After 3 months, A withdrew Rs.4000 and lent it to D for a year at 10% interest. After another 3 months, B withdrew Rs.4000 and invested in a scheme, in which he would get 1.5 times the invested amount after 9 months. After another nine months, A withdrew all his money. Then they decided to divide the profit of Rs.40000 among themselves (the general rules for partnership apply). Considering all the investments, who will get maximum returns on his investment and how much as a percentage of his investment?

1] A, 75.9% 2] B, 96.3% 3] C, 99.01% 4] C and B, 97.4%

2. We have to consider a total of 15 months. Investment made by A for 15 months in the business = 12000 × 3 + 8000 × 12 Investment made by B for 15 months in the business = 14000 × 6 + 10000 × 9 Investment made by C for 15 months in the business = 20000 × 15 The compound ratio of their investments is 132 : 174 : 300.

So, A will get × 40000 Rs.8713

B will get × 40000 Rs.11485

and C will get × 40000 Rs.19802

A will get additional Rs.400 from D on his investment, and B will get Rs.2000 more.

So, A will get Rs.9113 and B will get Rs.13485, but C will get maximum returns as Rs.19802.

C’s returns as a percentage of his investments

= × 100 = 99.01%. Hence, [3].

study hour

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om


DIRECTIONS for questions 1 and 2: Each of the following questions has a sentence with two blanks. Given below each question are four pairs of words. Choose the pair that best completes the sentence.

1. Natural selection has designed flowers to communicate with other species, deploying an astonishing _______ of devices – visual, _______ and tactile – to get the attention of specific insects and birds and even certain mammals. 1] multitude … auditory 2] gamut … gustatory 3] array … olfactory 4] mode … odoriferous

The first blank requires a collective noun, so ‘mode’, which means method or type, does not fit, so option [4] can be egated. Judging by the two words surrounding the second blank, the missing word should be a type of communicative device used by flowers. Flowers use ‘visual’ (relating to sight) and ‘tactile’ (relating to touch) signals, but they do not use ‘auditory’ (relating to sound) and ‘gustatory’ (relating to taste) signals, so [1] and [2] are wrong. However, they do use ‘olfactory’ (relating to smell) signals. ‘Array’, which means a large group, fits in the first blank. Hence, [3].

2. Although transcendental _______ is a response to music found in many cultures, intense musical experience is not always so _______. 1] rapture … plaintive 2] euphoria … heartrending 3] ecstasy … blissful 4] equanimity … exhilarating

‘Equanimity’, which means calmness, cannot possibly be described as ‘transcendental’, i.e. mystical, so option [4] can be ruled out. Based on the logical connection between the two words in the blanks, we can infer that both are similar in meaning. ‘Plaintive’ and ‘heartrending’ mean sorrowful and distressed, respectively, which are not at all similar to ‘rapture’ and ‘euphoria’, both of which mean intense happiness or delight. On the other hand, ‘ecstasy’, which also means intense delight, is similar in meaning to ‘blissful’, meaning full of joy. Hence, [3].

DIRECTIONS for question 3: Each question has a paragraph from which the last sentence has been deleted. From the given options, choose the sentence that completes the paragraph in the most appropriate way.

3. It’s hard to avoid thinking of war when you’re travelling in France. The spirit of aggression is everywhere, in the museums of the tiniest towns, in the mentality of the people, and in the way the French have inhabited their country. We marvelled at cave dwellings when we visited Périgord, but quickly understood that he dwellings weren’t built just for protection against the elements. Their locations were obviously chosen for their strategic value in case of attacks from neighbours. Entire valleys in France are peppered with castles with moats and drawbridges and fortified churches. What’s left standing in France today looks quaint and charming, but most of it was built with the intention of waging war. 1] Aggression was the common denominator in most of France’s history. 2] This spirit of aggression is not uncommon in many other nations, which like France, have had to deal with a considerable number of invaders over the millennia. 3] Greed for land and power mongering were not the only reasons the French fought each other throughout their history. 4] The French have fought each other for these and less important questions, sometimes with unimaginable savagery and at a human cost that is difficult to fathom.

Options [3] and [4] do not flow directly from the information given in the paragraph. [3] states that greed for land and power mongering were not the only reasons for French aggression, but this implies that these reasons have already been stated, which is not the case. [4] mentions ‘these and less important questions’, but there are no questions given in the paragraph. So [3] and [4] can be negated. The assumption in the given paragraph is that French aggression is somewhat unusual, which is why the authors remark on it at all. But [2], which states that such aggression is common among other nations under similar circumstances, contradicts this idea. Option [1], which simply sums up the main point of the paragraph, without making any further assumptions or inferences, is a suitable answer. Hence, [1].

Verbal

study hourww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com


WORD DOSEAwkward encounters

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om

M AT C H T H E W O R D S W I T H T H E I R M E A N I N G S1. Effervescent – (ef-er-ves-uh nt) (adj)

2. Moodier – (moo-dee-er) (adj)

3. Stubbing – (stuhb-ing) (verb)

4. Distressing – (dih-stres-ing) (adj)

5. Personality – (pur-suh-nal-i-tee) (n)

6. Paralyses – (par-uh-lahyz-s) (v)

7. Vocal cords – (Plural noun)

8. Stretch – (stretch) (n)

9. Fumbling – (fuhm-buh l-ing) (verb)

10. Shuffling – (shuhf-ling) (verb)

11. Dumb – (duhm) (adj)

12. Departure – (dih-pahr-cher) (n)

13. Numbed – (nuhm-d) (v)

14. Droopy – (droo-pee) (adj)

15. Blonde – (blond) – (adj)

16. Saucer-eyed – (adj)

17. Breath-taker – (n)

a. The combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character.

b. The action of leaving, especially to start a journey.

c. Causing anxiety, sorrow or pain; upsetting.

d. To bring to a condition of helpless stoppage, inactivity, or inability to act.

e. Vivacious and enthusiastic

f. (Of a woman or girl) having fair hair and usually fair skin and light eyes.

g. Someone who is so astonishing, exciting and astounding, so as to be almost breathtaking.

h. Unable to think, feel, or respond normally.

i. Temporarily unable to speak.

j. To do any work clumsily or inefficiently.

k. A continuous period of time.

l. Sudden bouts of gloominess or sullenness.

m. Accidentally strike (one’s toe) against something.

n. Eyes like saucer or to be more precise, having large round wide-open eyes.

o. Shift one’s position or move one’s feet while standing, typically because of boredom, nervousness, or embarrassment.

p. Folds of membranous tissue which project inwards from the sides of the larynx to form a slit across the glottis in the throat, and whose edges vibrate in the airstream to produce the voice.

q. Lacking in strength or spirit.

This Bassett, I must explain, had been a fellow visitor of ours at Cannes; and as she and Angela had struck up one of those effervescent friendships which girls do strike up,

I had seen quite a bit of her. Indeed, in my moodier moments it sometimes seemed to me that I could not move a step without stubbing my toe on the woman. And what made

it all so painful and distressing was that the more we met, the less did I seem able to find to say to her. You know how it is with some girls. They seem to take the stuffing right out of you. I mean to say,

there is something about their personality that paralyses the vocal cords and reduces the contents of the brain to cauliflower. It was like that with this Bassett and me; so much so that

I have known occasions when for minutes at a stretch Bertram Wooster might have been observed fumbling with the tie, shuffling the feet, and behaving in all other respects in her

presence like the complete dumb brick. When, therefore, she took her departure some two weeks before we did, you may readily imagine that, in Bertram’s opinion, it was not a day too soon.

It was not her beauty, mark you, that thus numbed me. She was a pretty enough girl in a droopy, blonde, saucer-eyed way, but not the sort of breath-taker that takes the breath.

Excerpt from P. G. Wodehouse’s Right Ho, Jeeves

study hour

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om


th

Va

lid till 3

0S

epte

mber 2

01

4

Communication Skills Builder + Quantitative Skills Builder + Enhance Your English Proficiency

Fill in the form send it along with your DD to : IMS Publications, a division of IMS Learning Resources Pvt. Ltd., E Block, 6th Floor, NCL Bandra Premises,Bandra-Kurla Complex, Bandra (East), Mumbai - 400 051. Tel. No. : 022-66680005 / 66170000, CIN : U80220MH1999PTC121823

June 2016 1 week

Communication Skills Builder Bookwith 1 year subscription

FREE GIFT

Enhance your English Proficiency + Qantitative

Skills Builderwith 2 years subscription

FREE GIFT

Communication Skills Builder + Quantitative Skills Builder + Enhance your English Proficiency with 3 years subscription

FREE GIFT

Subscribe to the leading magazine for MBA aspirants, Advanc edge MBA and avail a discount on the news-stand price and take home a self-improvement book absolutely FREE!

WorthRs. 200/-

WorthRs. 400/-

WorthRs. 600/-

To continue reading Advanc’edge, subscribe now! The Leading Magazine for MBA aspirants

July 2016

study hourww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com


A quiz to boost your General Knowledge

1. The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) will soon be opening its first branch in India. This initiative is a part of an MoU signed between IDB and India’s EXIM Bank, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to United Arab Emirates (UAE) in April 2016. In which state of India will IDB open its first branch?

a. Ahmedabad b. Delhi c. Hyderabad d. Mumbai

2. As per a recent study conducted by Assocham-KPMG, what is India’s position in producing e-waste in the world?

a. 5th b. 6th c. 7th d. 8th

3. In which city of India, is Kempegowda International Airport located?

a. Kochi b. Telangana c. Bengaluru d. Hyderabad

4. This well-known businessman has received Harvard Business School Alumni Achievement Award for the year 2016. The award is presented annually since 1968. Who are we talking about?

a. Ratan Tata b. Sunil Bharti Mittal c. Azim Premji d. Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani

5. “Desert Eagle – II” is the bilateral air combat exercise

between India and another country. These air combat exercises provide exposure towards mission planning and execution in a simulated high threat combat environment. Name this country.

a. Iran b. Saudi Arabia c. Sri Lanka d. UAE

6. Mount Sinabung volcano recently erupted on 22nd May, killing 7 persons. Name the country where the volcano is located.

a. Italy b. Mexico c. Indonesia d. Japan

7. Name India’s first Union Territory that has signed ‘24/7 Power For All’ document.

a. Lakshadweep b. Puducherry c. Daman and Diu d. Chandigarh

8. In which state of India is Valmiki National Park located?

a. Uttar Pradesh b. Gujarat c. Chhattisgarh d. Bihar

9. India has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with another country to boost horticulture research and improve crop productivity. Name the country with which India has signed this MoU.

a. Sweden b. Denmark

c. Australia d. Austria

10. The world’s longest and deepest rail tunnel, which took 17 years to build, has been opened recently. This has overtaken Japan’s 53.9 km-Seikan, as the longest rail tunnel in the world. Name the country where this tunnel has been built?

a. Germany b. United States of America c. France d. Switzerland

11. The Hindi Journalism Day (or Hindi Patrakarita Diwas) is celebrated every year in India to mark the beginning of journalism in Hindi language. On this date, in 1826, the first Hindi-language newspaper of India Udant Martand was published from Calcutta by Pt. Jugal Kishore Shukla. When is the day celebrated?

a. May 29th b. May 30th c. June 4th d. June 5th

12. Name this Indian banker who has been honoured with the 2016 Green Economy Visionary Award.

a. Arundhati Bhattacharya b. Chanda Kochhar c. R Seetharaman d. Raghuram Rajan

13. This e-commerce company has recently introduced “No Cost EMI” option to make online shopping affordable for high-end purchases through an

study hour

www.

adva

nced

ge.c

om


attractive financing option of Equated Monthly Instalments (EMI) where customers will not bear additional cost. What’s the name of this e-commerce company?

a. Flipkart b. Snapdeal c. Amazon d. Paytm

14. The World Milk Day is observed every year to recognise the importance of milk as a global food. The day is established by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to provide an opportunity to bring attention to activities that are connected with the milk industry. When is the day celebrated?

a. June 1 b. June 2 c. June 3 d. June 4

15. In which city of India is National Film Archive of India (NFAI) headquartered?

a. Delhi b. Kolkata c. Pune d. Mumbai

16. The book Iron Fist, Velvet Glove is a photo journey that provides an insight into the lives of soldiers of the Indian Army. It is an attempt to capture the dichotomy of the army life through the eyes of a photographer who travelled across these areas. Name the author of the book.

a. Shandana Minhas b. Mahesh Nair c. Shashi Nahar d. PG Bhaskar

17. This person has been newly appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Board of Control for Cricket in

India (BCCI). Name him. a. Anurag Thakur b. Ajay Shirke c. Mehant Sharma d. Rahul Johri

18. There have been numerous stories on what a ruthless person Indira Gandhi was. This time a take on the person who she really was behind the iron mask, by her very own physician for over 20 years. Name this person who has authored the book The Unseen Indira Gandhi.

a. SK Mishra b. MS Joseph c. Milan Sharma d. KP Mathur

19. Name the cricketer who has been conferred with the 2016 Lifetime Achievement CEAT Cricket Rating award.

a. Dilip Vengsarkar b. Kapil Dev c. Krishnamachari Srikkanth d. Mohinder Amarnath

20. What is India’s rank in the 2015 Good Country index?

a. 69 b. 70 c. 72 d. 75

21. The United Nations World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) is observed every year to focus global attention on the problem of physical, emotional, and financial abuse of elders and to create awareness on the need to take care of them. When is the day observed?

a. June 18 b. June 17 c. June 16 d. June 15

22. The World Blood Donor Day (WBDD) is observed every year on June 14 to raise awareness of

the need for safe blood. What is the theme for the day this year?

a. More blood more life b. Thank you for saving my life c. Blood connects us all d. Every blood donor is a hero

23. What is the official slogan for the 2016 Rio Olympics and Paralympic Games?

a. A New World b. Welcome Home c. Inspire A Generation d. Love and Save Nature

24. Doordarshan’s Director General (DG)’s post had been lying vacant for 3 years since July 2014, after the then DG, Tripurari Sharan, completed his tenure. Who recently got appointed as the new DG?

a. Supriya Sahu b. Neha Nemaad c. BK Prasad d. Tripurari Sharan

25. The non-fiction epic Farthest Field: An Indian Story of the Second World War tells the story of war through the lives and deaths of a single family. Who is the author of the book?

a. Saroja Vaidyanathan b. Kiran Desai c. Raghu Karnad d. Ramachandra Guha

26. Name the technology giant that has been selected as the technical partner for HRD ministry’s SWAYAM platform for open online courses.

a. Wipro b. Reliance c. Infosys d. Microsoft

27. A special platform has been launched by India and South Korea to promote and facilitate Korean investments in India. The platform will act as a

study hourww

w.ad

vanc

edge

.com


How to PlayFill in the grid so that every horizontal row, every vertical column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1-9, without repeating the numbers in the same row, column or box. You can’t change the digits already given in the grid. Every puzzle has one solution.Hint: Don’t fill in numbers at random. While filling a particular square, write numbers 1-9 on a pad and start eliminating those numbers that already appear in the same row, column or 3x3 box.

SuDoKu

For more similar puzzles, visit:www.sudoku.com

ANSWERS

GLOBESCAN

1. a 2. a 3. c 4. b 5. d

6. c 7. a 8.d 9. c 10. d

11. b 12. c 13. a 14. a 15. c

16. b 17. d 18. d 19. a 20. b

21. d 22. c 23. a 24. a 25. c

26. d 27. b 28. c 29. b 30. c

31. a

WORD DOSE

mediator in arranging meetings, assisting in public relations and research/evaluation and provide information and counselling to Korean companies investing in India. What is the platform?

a. Korean Line b. Korea Plus c. Korea Invest d. India Korea bond zone

28. India, on June 21st, along with 139 countries of the world, celebrated the second edition of International Day of Yoga. What was the theme this year?

a. Let’s create a healthy environment

b. Live in peace c. Connect the youth d. Raise your soul

29. Name the Non-Government organisation (NGO) that has been ranked No. 1 in the NGO Advisor’s 2016 Top 500 NGOs World rankings.

a. Oxfam b. BRAC c. Grameen Bank d. Save the children

30. This country has become the first in the world to ban deforestation. This ban is a part of government’s procurement policy and includes eliminating the use of any product that contributes to deforestation. Which country are we talking about?

a. Germany b. South Korea c. Norway d. Bolivia

31. Losing My Religion is a story about a young entrepreneur and devoted gamer, Rishi Rai, who’s life, which was once successful, crumbles into pieces right before his eyes. Who is the author of the book?

a. Vishwas Mudagal b. RS Pathak

c. Amitav Ghosh d. Raja Rao

1. e 2. l 3. m 4. c 5. a

6. d 7. p 8. k 9. j 10. o

11. i 12. b 13. h 14. q 15. f

16. n 17. g

A mba july 2016

Documents

Transcript of A mba july 2016