Seasonal Magazine - August 2017 Issue - Amit Shah Cover Story by John Antony

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Managing Editor Jason D Pavorattikaran Editor John Antony Director (Finance) Ceena Senior Editorial Coordinator Jacob Deva Senior Correspondent Bina Menon Creative Visualizer Bijohns Varghese Photographer Anish Aloysious Correspondents Bombay: Rashmi Prakash Hyderabad: Iqbal Siddiqui Delhi: Anurag Dixit Director (Technical) John Antony Publisher Jason D Pavorattikaran

INDIA WANTS MODI TO SUCCEED, BUT THE COUNTRY NEEDS AN ALTERNATIVE TOO

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EDITORIAL

That Modi and Amit Shah look invincible now is the understatement of the year. That almost all Opposition Parties are in total disarray would rank as the second best understatement of 2017. Be it controversial moves like demonetization or cattle trade ban, or hasty implementations like GST, nothing seems to affect the BJP juggernaut for now. Not even the abysmal jobs report and decades-low corporate credit growth are helping the Opposition to fight back. But then, is it such a bad thing for the country? If Modi and Shah are doing a good job for the nation, and even if results are not forthcoming, it is not a bad thing that the Opposition is still groping in the dark.

However, the problem is this seeming invincibility. If a political leadership can get out of a colossal blunder like demonetization, which economically terrorized the nation at the grassroots level as well as corporate level for months altogether, and still win India’s largest state in assembly elections, that leadership needs to be feared. Modi didn’t just get out of demonetization mess narrowly. He deftly turned the tables on detractors by repositioning demonetization’s objective to be ensuring transparent digital payments, which of course is a noble aim that no one can dispute. It is another thing that poor Urjit Patel was left to fend off for himself before the parliamentary panel probing how much banned notes have returned into

the system. Let alone that, RBI has not been able to reply on when the counting and assessment would be over. Of course, the nation knows the answer from several informal news reports, and it shows the end result of demonetization in an unenviable light. Modi can’t be judged on moves like demonetization, nor should he be. Mistakes do happen especially when a Prime Minister tests un-treaded waters. But what should be judged is his political astuteness in turning the tide in his favour against all odds. That is second to none in the world, and therefore troubling. He can charm anyone into consensus, his consensus. Look at how he virtually trapped Nitish Kumar for the Presidential elections. Not only could Modi-Shah combine gift RSS its first ever Indian President, but more than that they exposed Nitish Kumar as a rank opportunist who could be easily bought over with some carrots. With his latest six-monthly flip-flop in his ‘ideological’ position, it is almost certain that Nitish Kumar will never ever return as Bihar CM after this tenure ends. Modi and Shah just ripped apart whatever little unity the Opposition had, and the impending dire consequences have already been felt by Sonia Gandhi herself, who rushed in to patch between Lalu and Nitish on the Tejashwi issue, and gossip is also rife that Sonia is virtually taking over the leadership mantle from Rahul. Still, none of the Opposition leaders including Sonia have realized what they are really up against. They might be admitting inwardly that they are up against two of the best political strategists India has ever seen, but that is not all. They are up against that, plus the largest cadre party system in the

country, if not the world. That is a deadly combo, and that should be troubling the nation. Even if Modi makes mistakes like demonetization, hasty implementation of GST, or the idiotic cattle trade ban, there is a huge organization guarding his back, and that is an advantage no political party in the country enjoys. Take the recent cattle trade ban, and what it has delivered for the BJP. Armchair democrats can wax eloquent on how the judiciary intervened and curbed government excesses on this issue, but if the Government doesn’t give a hoot for that, everything else have gone according to the plan. The underlying plan with such seemingly hasty and stupid moves is, of course, sharpening the most effective weapon in BJP’s arsenal – the communal polarisation of India between Hindus and non-Hindus. And hasn’t it succeeded? Ever since the cattle trade ban was hastily implemented, cow vigilante attacks that were always there since Modi came into power, surged across the country. Every couple of days there were reports from across India, of extreme right wing groups taking law into their own hands, and attacking those transporting cattle or suspected beef. Needless to say, most of the victims were Muslims, and some of them succumbed to the fatal injuries made by angry mobs. Of course, no one thinks either Modi or Shah had any direct involvement in these incidents. But there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the sudden cattle trade ban had further empowered these mobs for executing the lynching incidents. The end result is anyway something the right wing cadre party benefits from – more Muslims hating Hindus, and even

more Hindus hating Muslims. But if anyone thought that was all to it, nothing could be more wrong. Modi is not a silly politician who settles for such gains. As usual, after taking his time, Modi responded powerfully against the cow vigilantes not once, but twice. He didn’t dilute his position that cows should be protected, but in an emphatic tone befitting a powerful Prime Minister, he came down harshly upon all groups taking law into their own hands in the guise of protecting cows. Advantage Modi again. Whatever the noise cow vigilantes make in the society, and whatever seeming support they get from some Hindus, the undeniable fact is that a huge majority of Hindus across India are moderate in their views, and would never support killing Muslims for transporting cattle or even carrying beef. With his harsh criticism of cow vigilantes, Modi once again won over this huge moderate electorate. Even minorities were soothed by Modi’s tough words for those attacking humans for protecting cows. While they understand that his response came too late, they also realize that he could have kept quiet saying that law will take its own course. Such is the political intelligence of our Prime Minister, and against him which politician of the Opposition stands a fair chance? Are things as bad as they seem for the Opposition benches? For the time being, the answer is yes. But there are some holistic strategies that will help the Opposition come out of the rut it finds itself in. Let it turn to Gandhi for strategy. No not Sonia or Rahul, but Mahatma Gandhi. He had a beautiful strategy for each religion, which however, will work for each political party too. Gandhi’s gentle exhortation for the SEASONAL MAGAZINE

passionate adherents of each religion was to first act so as to bring credit to their own religions! The same holds true for leaders of each political party. Let them first act so as to bring credit to their own political party and ideology. For instance, before attacking Modi for his mistakes, let the Congress work really hard and sincerely in the few larger states it holds like Karnataka, Punjab, & Himachal. Let it work at retaining those states, before dreaming about plotting a comeback at the Centre. The same strategy should apply even in the smaller states it governs like Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Puducherry. Similar should be the case with every Opposition Party, be it AAP, BJD, CPM, TMC, TRS, AIADMK, or JDU, all of them governing large or crucial states. Let them work at retaining power in the next round, and then dream about stitching together a viable alternative to BJP. India needs such an alternative, as much as it needs Modi to be a successful Prime Minister. Because without viable alternatives, long cherished democratic setups can crumble within no time. Such an alternative is still very much possible by Indian politicians, especially of the younger breed. In

fact, despite the ultra nationalist win by Trump in USA, the success of more liberal leaders elsewhere in the globe, especially of Justin Trudeau in Canada, and more recently of Emmanuel Macron in France prove that liberal alternatives can still emerge as an alternative to right wing politics. Seasonal Magazine’s Cover Stories for its various Editions for this month include in-depth coverage from politics, governance, and higher education. In politics, we have interviewed

none other than Amit Shah, BJP President, to bring you inside insights from the man who has been second only to PM Modi in ensuring that the BJP juggernaut keeps rolling over obstacles. (Read: ‘Modi’s Chanakya’) In governance, we present how the southern state of Karnataka is building on its leadership in various sectors including information technology, biotechnology, e-commerce, startups, skills development etc, based also on our interactions with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. (Read: ‘How Karnataka Shows the Way Across Sectors’) In higher education, we cover two leading private universities in-depth, apart from several other shorter features on universities. Bangalore based Alliance University has been making a strong comeback in the mindshare it enjoyed among students after a brief lull due to a management tussle last year, while SRM University has been making its dominant presence felt in the new dream city of Amaravati. (Read: ‘8 Reasons to Prefer Alliance University’ and ‘SRM Leading at Amaravati’ respectively.) John Antony

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CONTENTS

MODI'S CHANAKYA? His unwritten brief was to MODIfy India. But Amit Shah had to go beyond his duty, and guard Modi Government’s back on challenges ranging from demonetisation to jobless growth. Always in a campaign mode due to the country’s never ending state elections, Amit Shah's latest win has been the Presidential election. By sweeping the Presidential election, and all set to repeat the feat in Vice Presidential polls, it is clear that Modi aNd Shah have played their cards well, once again. By choosing Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit leader and Venkaiah Naidu, Former Union Minister of Urban Development and more importantly a South-Indian based legislator as its Presidential and Vice-Presidential faces respectively, the duo have once again pulled off ‘a-rabbitout-of-the-hat moment. This is yet another move that could

FOOD FOR THOUGHT, GOOD THOUGHTS

Depression is one of the primary causes of disability in the world with the major chunk of sufferers falling under the age of 25 years. Adolescence is a phase marked by utter chaos, not only is the teenager battling with physical and hormonal changes but psychological ones too. A recent study conducted by the experts at the University of Cambridge notes the fact the girls and boys react differently under depression.

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“WHILE OUR WORDS ARE MAKE IN INDIA, OUR TAXES SAY QUIT INDIA”

With the nation set to welcome the historic GST system, the uncertainties surrounding its implementation is not lost on anyone’s mind. However, Arvind Datar is sceptical of its usefulness and believes the challenges are only going to compound for tax administration in India.

JEEP COMPASS GETS READY FOR LAUNCH

It was recently announced that the Jeep Compass will be launched in India on July 31. This will be the brand's most affordable SUV and will be launched in three variants for now, with two engines on offer. We not only did a road test of the Jeep Compass recently, but also a full-blown comparison with it taking on the Hyundai Tucson and the Tata Hexa.

SALARY GAP OF INDIAN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR BANK CEOS WILL LEAVE YOU SHOCKED!

It was always known that private sector bank CEOs in India take home a sizeable salary compared to their public sector counterparts. However, even with the range of benefits accrued to them, the salary earned by public sector lenders is far more disproportionate than once believed.

CONTENTS 8 Reasons to Prefer Alliance University If anyone thought Alliance University management has been caught off-guard by last year’s unsavoury controversies arising from a family feud, they are in for a rude shock. Seasonal Magazine recently visited Bangalore and caught up with Alliance University Founder and Chancellor Dr. Madhukar G Angur to get the low-down on the situation, and returns pleasantly surprised at the rigor with which the management is staying focused on regaining its leadership as one of the best private universities in the country.

DEAD MOTHER KEPT ALIVE FOR 4 MONTHS GIVE BIRTH TO HEALTHY TWINS iracles can be seen everywhere around us every once in a while. Similar case happend in Brazil when a brain dead woman was kept alive on life support for 123 days just to let the babies in her womb see the light of the day.

INDIA’S ENGLISH HANDICAP BARRIER TO VIRTUAL WORLD

The 1.3-billion strong country is home to 22 official languages and over 122 other major ones. Further, there are over 700 dialects written in a multitude of scripts. Yet, India’s education system and job market favour English.

VOLVO V90 CROSS COUNTRY LAUNCHED @ RS 60 LAKH

Volvo's latest offering, the V90 Cross Country is now available at a starting price of Rs 60 lakh, ex-showroom and is available only in variant, D5 Inscription.

RESTAURANTS SHOULD REDUCE RATES: HASMUKH ADHIA

Restaurants, hotels and eateries should cut rates on food items in their menu to reflect the benefit of being able to set off tax paid on inputs under GST, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said.

MEET WORLD'S FIRST WIRELESS CHARGING LAPTOP

Dell is one of the largest PC manufacturers in the world, and it has something that will make you fall in love with laptops again. It is widely believed that the demand for PCs is declining and people are going more mobile – thanks to the power-packed

IT PAYS TO SLEEP: INNOVATIVE EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM

The online mattress-maker Casper specializes in selling customers a good night’s sleep. But Casper employees can actually make money in exchange for getting some much needed workout and sleep!

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CONTENTS

SRM TO DOMINATE HIGHER EDUCATION SCENE IN AMARAVATI As SRM University turns the page on a new chapter in its prolific history, there are very few of its counterparts that can match up to its steady progress. Amaravati, the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh, welcomed its first varsity – SRM University, AP recently with a splendid inauguration ceremony graced by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandra Babu Naidu and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, M Venkaih Naidu. The Chief Minister reiterated his commitment for the comprehensive development of Amaravati and heaped praise on SRM University’s contribution to the same.

CAN SAUDI ARABIA PULL OFF ARAMCO’S 2-TRILLION DOLLAR IPO?

Saudi Arabia plans a public offering of 5% of its national oil company, Aramco, sometime in 2018. As the world’s largest energy producer and with the largest proved reserves, Saudi Arabia believes that the capital market will value Aramco at some $2 trillion, making it the world’s most valuable publicly traded company.

KARNATAKA'S AGRITECH SECTOR GETS MAJOR BOOST OF RS. 10 CRORE INVESTMENT FOR INNOVATION In order to fuel the growth of innovative ideas in the agritech sector, Karnataka’s agriculture department has set aside about $1.5 Mn (INR 10 Cr) fund to be administered by the information technology and biotechnology (ITBT) department.

"RAHUL GANDHI MOST RELIABLE ALLY THAT MODI & SHAH COULD ASK FOR" The Padma Bhushan awardee and India’s most cherished historian is unquestionably a voice of reason when it comes to this nation’s two most loved topics – cricket and politics. However, one can be sure that he has little interest in the ‘politics of cricket’ or at least. From questioning stardom culture in Indian cricket to raising “conflict-of-interest” charges on Sunil Gavaskar, Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, Ramachandra Guha send shockwaves when he announced his resignation from the SC-appointed CoA. Like any historian, even Guha might have wished to expend his attention and time to academic rigor than be a part of India’s cricket administration where ineptitude seems to be the norm. Being SEASONAL MAGAZINE

CONTENTS HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

When Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s rule enters its fifth year, Karnataka is showing other states of India on how to maintain leadership in sectors like IT, BT, e-Commerce, startups, and professional higher education even while making major breakthroughs in sunrise sectors for the country like aviation industries, entrepreneurship development, and skills development.

HOW TO DEVELOP A SUCCESSFUL MORNING ROUTINE Dr Travis Bradberry, best-selling author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, is an early riser. But what really is the secret of his and countless other people’s success? Here he takes us through his daily time table and why it’s

INDIA DONATES TO PHILIPPINES TO TAKE ON ISIS

Joining hands in the battle against the Islamic State in the city of Marawi, India has rushed financial assistance of $500,000 (approx. Rs 3.2 crore), in the troubled Mindanao province, 800 km south of Manila, says a Times of India report. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

A VIRAL TWEET PUTS MENTAL HEALTH IN CAREERS IN GLOBAL LIMELIGHT

TO FIGHT TRAFFIC MENACE, BENGALURU MULLS ROAD WIDENING OPTION

AUTO

Volvo V90 Cross Country Launched @ Rs 60 lakh Volvo's latest offering, the V90 Cross Country is now available at a starting price of Rs 60 lakh, ex-showroom and is available only in variant, D5 Inscription. olvo Cars have introduced the V90 Cross Country, a station wagon based on the S90 sedan in India at a price of Rs 60 lakh, ex-showroom. Like the S90 and the XC90, the V90 Cross Country will also be underpinned by the company's SPA (Scalable Platform Architecture) platform. The station wagon would carry forward the Thor's Hammer LED headlamp setup with DRLs (Daytime Running Lamps) from the S90 and is also offered with vertically positioned LED tail lamps, 20inch alloy wheels, skid plates at both ends, redesigned bumpers as well as Aluminium brushed roof rails. Inside the Volvo V90 Cross Country, the most prominent change when compared to the S90 sedan is the replacement of faux wood inserts with silver. That said, the 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment unit which also supports control for air conditioning, as well as entertainment options, has been carried forward from the S90. Steering mounted audio and phone controls are also

offered as standard and the Volvo V90 Cross Country is offered only in one variant, D5 Inscription. Powering the Volvo V90 Cross Country is the existing 2.0-litre D5 turbocharged diesel engine. However, for the station wagon, the engine has been retuned which now produces 235 hp of power and 480 Nm of torque. That is 45 hp of power and 80 Nm of torque more than the S90. This retuned engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. This engine and gearbox combination is also offered with an all-wheel-drive system with different driving modes, Eco, Comfort, Dynamic and Rough Road. In terms of practicality compared to the S90 sedan, the V90 Cross Country has a larger boot volume of 590 litres which can be expanded further to 1,526 litres by folding down the second row of seats. These seats can be folded down using switches in the boot for added convenience. For added convenience, the V90 Cross Country also has electrically adjustable front seats as well as an electrically adjustable lumbar

support. Safety features on the Volvo V90 Cross Country include multiple airbags for the occupants, Emergency Brake Assist (EBS), Intelligent Driver Information System (IDIS), Hill Start Assist, Park Pilot Assist and City Safety. Currently, there is no competition for the Volvo V90 Cross Country in India with this body style, however, the Swedish carmaker expects to attract buyers from the sedan as well as the SUV segments. For cars like the Volvo V90 Cross Country, GST or Goods and Services Tax has worked in favour as they have to pay considerably lesser tax. The tax structure before the implementation of GST included Excise Duty, NCCD (National Calamity Contingency Duty), Infra Cess, CST (Central Sales Tax) and VAT (Value Added Tax) wherein VAT varied from one state to the other. This attracted close to 55 percent tax which is now 43 percent hence aiding in the price cuts for cars like the V90 Cross Country. Under GST, the tax on cars is now 28 percent with additional cess of 15 percent for the cars categorised in SUVs.

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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

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Exclusive Interview with Amit Shah, BJP President

Interview & Story By: Jaison D, Carl J

MODI'S

CHANAKYA? His unwritten brief was to MODIfy India. But Amit Shah had to go beyond his duty, and guard Modi Government’s back on challenges ranging from demonetisation to jobless growth. Always in a campaign mode due to the country’s never ending state elections, Amit Shah's latest win has been the Presidential election. By sweeping the Presidential election, and all set to repeat the feat in Vice Presidential polls, it is clear that Modi aNd Shah have played their cards well, once again. By choosing Ram Nath Kovind, a Dalit leader and Venkaiah Naidu, Former Union Minister of Urban Development and more importantly a South-Indian based legislator as its Presidential and Vice-Presidential faces respectively, the duo have once again pulled off ‘a-rabbit-out-of-the-hat moment. This is yet another move that could propel BJP to newfound territory and most crucially, to get one foot in the door as the 2019 General Election looms large. Being Amit Shah is not easy. Being BJP President might be an easy job, as many of his forerunners had proved, but being Amit Shah as BJP President has never been easy. The reason is simple – he doesn’t avoid challenges but embraces them. Ad-hoc crises or scheduled challenges, Shah is ready with strategy. Shah had recently moved swiftly with decisive action to contain a corruption allegation as well as in-party rifts by some of its leaders in Kerala. He has been taking such steps whenever necessary and has been PM’s troubleshooter ever since Modi took over the reins of the country. Seasonal Magazine caught up with Amit Shah recently for this exclusive interview.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has grabbed headlines for his frequent foreign visits, Amit Shah's domestic yatra has attracted considerable, if not equal, coverage in the press. While Modi engages in age-old diplomacy with his foreign counterparts, Shah has been on election mode ever since he assumed the post of BJP President and never misses an opportunity to take on his detractors. While the post of BJP President has assumed greater responsibility like never before, Shah is not alien to such a workaholic attitude. With crucial state elections on the cards, he has effectively erased any notion of him being an armchair President through his marathon travel across the country while continuing to carry out his boss' instructions when conveyed impromptu.

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For starters, Amit Shah seems to have his eyes set on one of BJP's stronghold states, Gujarat which will go to polls at the end of this year. He has already extolled his party workers for their tireless efforts and to gear themselves up for some grueling months ahead of the all-important state election. Shah felt that it would be the most opportune moment for the party to pay its debts to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by winning “nothing less than 150 seats”. In typical cadre-party fashion, Shah made them take an oath that they will settle for “nothing less than 150 seats”. He added, “Anything less than that will not count as a victory.” Also, he reminded them that there was no better motivation than their recent thumping victory in U.P. “Everyone laughed at us when we said (during the campaigning phase) that we will get over

200 seats. But the party workers worked tirelessly to win the confidence of people, and we won 325" That he is an astute communicator was never in doubt. And like all orators, his greatest weapon is his ability to sway the audience with his timely rhetoric. Referring to the BJP’s victory in recent polls in five states, Shah said, “We are a party that began with 10 members, had never won even municipalities. Today, political experts ask us how we formed a government in Manipur with just 2 per cent votes. They don’t understand the power of party workers.” He also showered praise on Modi for curbing communal violence in the state during his tenure as CM, while castigating the Congress party unit for their ineptness in handling such matters. "After Narendra Modi government

came in no Aaliya Maaliya Jamaliya dared to orchestrate a communal riot in Gujarat. May it be Narendrabhai’s government or Anandiben’s or the ongoing Vijaybhai’s government, curfew has become a thing of the past in Gujarat". A divided Congress and good monsoons are likely to help BJP reap a rich electoral harvest in Gujarat in the forthcoming elections as the saffron party is not faced with a formidable opposition and despite some resentment faces virtually no anti-incumbency in the state. The challenge that was building up under the leadership of Hardik Patel has also dissipated now As retaining Gujarat is high on Shah's priority list, he encouraged BJP workers to give the coming polls all they have got.“You are the owners of this party. No one can win elections except page and booth pramukhs — those 50 families on your list is all you need to win. Will you take Modiji’s message to them? Will you ensure that they cast their votes before noon?” While the BJP seems less panicky about Gujarat, Delhi seems to be the party's Achilles heel. Shah has a dreaded task ahead of him in the capital city with reports of infighting within the state unit threatening to undo his good work. In the two-day visit, he is slated to address concerns about not just insider bickering but also organizational inefficiency. While AAP is fighting to save its own face, Shah reckons that his party has much to capitalize on since losing there in consecutive assembly elections. There are speculations of a mid-term poll in Delhi as nearly 30 AAP MLAs face disqualification under Office of Profit. In his address to the newly elected BJP councillors, Shah had already told the state unit to be prepared for polls. Keeping in view the developments, the party has also launched the vistarak program to expand the party on grassroot level and add new members. The eastern state of Odisha throws up a different challenge to Modi's trusted lieutenant. His recent visit to Odisha is a part of BJP’s strategy to strengthen the party in the state under ‘Mo Booth Sabuthu Majboot’ (My Booth is the Strongest) programme. The BJP is focussing on expanding its base in Odisha ahead of the 2019 elections, after an impressive performance in the panchayat polls recently. Shah also held the ruling BJD government responsible for widespread poverty and lack of development in the state. Odisha is the 14th state the party president is visiting as part of the BJP’s vistarak programme. His unwritten brief was to MODIfy India. But Amit Shah had to go beyond his duty, and guard Modi Government’s back on challenges ranging from demonetisation to jobless growth. Always in a campaign mode due to the country’s never ending state elections, Amit Shah speaks about Modi’s 1111 days as PM. Being Amit Shah is not easy. Being BJP President might be an easy job, as many of his forerunners had proved, but being Amit Shah as BJP President has never been easy. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

The reason is simple – he doesn’t avoid challenges but embraces them. Adhoc crises or scheduled challenges, Shah is ready with strategy. He has been PM’s trouble-shooter ever since Modi took over the reins of the country. The latest instance has been the farmers’ struggle in Madhya Pradesh and elsewhere in the nation. While it is clear that BJP and its Madhya Pradesh CM are at a disadvantage at this sudden and massive uprising, it took the intervention of Amit Shah to restore some sort of normalcy, at least in the sentiments. In true Shah style, the BJP President was quick to ‘find’ roots of the uprising in rival political parties, especially Congress. He also didn’t forget to articulate effectively on the array of steps the Modi Government had taken for the benefit of farmers. While it remains to be seen whether Shah’s strategy would succeed in the longer term, for now it has been more than enough for BJP and its CM there to heave a sigh of relief. Winning the game for Modi has been Amit Shah’s passion for long, ever since he was entrusted by Modi to retain Gujarat for the second term. Recently, Amit Shah was in Kerala energizing the Sangh Parivar’s state cadre. While the headlines were all about how Shah had effectively warned the ruling LDF to desist from attacking RSS workers, it is an open secret that Shah’s main mission was to take BJP’s state leadership to task for a poor show till now. Shah is known to have given the ultimatum to the current leadership that it would be ‘perform or perish’ for them. In an incident that reinforced the novelty of his preparedness, a local BJP leader in Thiruvananthapuram was briefing Shah on the construction plan of the BJP headquarters there. However, a person unknown to the leader contradicted his briefings to which the leader promptly objected. Much to everyone’s bewilderment, Shah revealed that the person was a builder he had personally brought in to study the construction plan. Shah has been Modi’s non-playing captain till now. In a way, Shah rising to the job and even higher than the job, SEASONAL MAGAZINE

is a huge setback for the next rung of leaders in BJP, most of them enjoying plum positions in the Cabinet. Shah even while non-playing as he isn’t part of the Cabinet, has perhaps done more for the government from the outside than these insiders. In fact, Shah has also been quite the social butterfly in terms of the “friends” he has managed to make across the political spectrum. While he maintains cordial relationships with BJP’s longstanding allies like the Shiv Sena, Shiromani Akali Dal, Lok Janshakti Party, Shah has formulated a mutually beneficial partnership with many regional outfits like the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), Bodoland People’s Front, Hill State People’s Democratic Party. His negotiation skills came to the fore when he successfully persuaded the AGP to agree to his seat-sharing arrangement after the Assam-based party initially appeared too adamant to concede much ground. With the help of former Congress bigwig Himanta Biswas Sarma, Shah delivered Assam to the hands of his boss. Although achieving far from the desired result he would have hoped for, Shah’s connections with the Bharath Dharma Jana Sena that represents the backward caste of Ezhavas and the Kerala Congress (Nationalist) was still a masterstroke. While he can claim credit for stitching many useful associations in the North East and the South, Shah also takes a no-holds-barred approach when strategizing in historically significant states for the party. For example, during the U.P election campaign, Shah managed to convince Modi that merely giving tickets to Muslim candidates could turn counter-productive for the party’s interests and it was best that BJP play to its strengths. The outcome was there for everybody to see. Many believe that this communication line between the Prime Minister and party President has worked wonders for the nationalist party. Their stellar chemistry dates back to 2003 when Modi had put Shah, then a junior minister, on a panel to oversee a ‘Narmada Yojana’ rally with two other ministers, Ashok Bhatt and Bhupendrasinh Chudasma. Realizing that both the ministers were “too senior” to take orders from him, Shah requested

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Modi to excuse himself from the committee. Modi felt that Shah’s potential was too good to forego and instead had both his senior ministers dropped to give Shah a free hand. Soon after Kerala, it was the turn of Maharashtra to get a taste of Shah’s strategies. Unlike in other states, the BJP has an ally posing trouble here. But Shah who has already outsmarted Shiv Sena partially, is set to do more with his extensive interactions with various nonpolitical citizens groups like NGOs, resident associations, ALMs etc across Mumbai, in an aptly titled forum called ‘Opinion Makers Meet’. Shah’s next challenge would be to install a new President for India, which is a tricky job given the lack of numbers. Ram Nath Kovind’s candidature comes after the astute leader quickly tried for reconciliation with Congress and other Opposition parties, and has also constituted a Cabinet panel for the selection through consensus. Shah might have learned the political ropes from Modi, but as of now the PM has no time left for political strategies, and it is up to Shah for guarding Modi’s back in challenges that will only increase in the coming months. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Doing one’s homework is a serious affair even beyond school-life, especially when the stakes are so high. Unsurprisingly, BJP’s chances will be determined by how two of its most enterprising students fare in what is slated to be a tough test in the 2019 General Election: Prime Minister Narendra Modi & BJP President Amit Shah. If Modi is the one who gives the exam, then Amit Shah is the guide book that formulates the strategy. A voracious bookworm, Shah is known to immerse himself over district gazetteers before visiting a place to discover any useful data or talking point. Arguably, Amit Shah is the man of the

In fact, we will look to secure the largest number of Lok Sabha seats from Kerala in 2019. This will be one of our biggest goals.

moment when it comes to contemporary Indian politics and campaign strategies. That is just what the BJP expects out of the 52-year old mastermind when Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh gets set for assembly elections soon, as the party eyes for a larger share of the electoral pie. Few can match the enthusiasm and stamina levels of BJP’s campaigner-inchief, Amit Shah, who is currently on a 95-day countrywide tour to expand BJP footprints in regions that are not its traditional strong-points. The trip is significant as the BJP rules 13 states, shares power in four and hopes to galvanize party cadre ahead of the allimportant 2019 General Election when it looks to better its 2014 tally in the Lok Sabha. In Telangana, where the ruling TRS and Congress attract considerable sympathy, Shah directed his party workers to fight these parties tooth and nail at every given opportunity, dismissing concerns how it may affect the Presidential vote for BJP’s candidate. Spectacular performances in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand appear to have whetted the BJP chief’s hunger for expanding the party’s footprints from “Kashmir to Kanyakumari”. He kickstarted his yathra in J&K and

Seasonal Magazine Recently Caught up with BJP President Amit Shah he BJP has completed 3 years in office. Apart from major upcoming state elections and party strengthening initiatives, where do you see the party and what are its immediate goals in the near future? Our aim is to develop a determined and secure nation. We are in power in 14 states and we rule at the Centre. We are also alliance partners in 4 other states. We want to project India as a shining example to the world. You recently remarked that Modi is the most popular politician since independence..

proceeded to Tamil Nadu, where BJP is a minor force. His much publicized visit to Kerala send a strong signal to regional parties about the BJP’s interests in the southern state. So far, Amit Shah has traversed West Bengal, Odisha, Gujarat, Telangana and Lakshadweep where his message to booth-level workers will give him an opportunity to get first-hand ground reports necessary to construct his election strategies. The BJP has grown exponentially, becoming the world’s largest political outfit with more than 11 million members, after Shah took charge in July 2014. A trusted lieutenant of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, fellow Gujarati Shah is credited with the party’s impressive wins in state polls since the 2014 parliamentary elections. In highprofile constituencies, Amit Shah will personally monitor BJP activities, underscoring the party’s long-held desire to break through Congress bastions like Amethi & Rae Bareilly.

Yes, but this is in reference to politicians who were born after independence. This statement was twisted by media but I think my statement was very clear. It wasn’t a comparison with any other national icon. What do you hope to achieve from your 95-day nationwide tour? Look, I’m the President of the party. All levels of the party functioning is under my jurisdiction. It is my responsibility to expand our party activities. This year also happens to be Deendayal Upadhyaya’s 100th year

birth anniversary. We would like to spread his teachings and life’s work. Our collective effort would be towards organizational expansion and to meet the expectations of the country on every front. That’s the aim of this tour. You’ve been quite a force to reckon with when it comes to election strategizing and campaigning. What is Amit Shah’s secret mantra ? There can’t be a one-size-fits-all solution. Every election can’t have the same strategy. Requirements vary with changing ground realities. But what we have managed to show the country through our rule at the Centre and state levels that the developmental agenda is the only way forward. The people

Caste-based politics, family politics and appeasement politics have been shunned by our party leaders. Also, I believe that experience gained from such campaigns always gives one a sense of purpose.

With the 2018 assembly polls just round the corner in Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan and Tripura, Amit Shah seems to be a man on a mission. Will he manage to script another historic victory for his party? Only time will tell. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

We have made the world sit up and take notice of our strong political will to act when needed. We have also brought in several agricultural reforms and improved the rate of growth from -2% to a healthy 4%. We have made all efforts to improve the lives of the specially abled community. We also successfully passed the Maternity Benefit Act. In this way, we have made all efforts to introduce new schemes and ideas in every field.

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have come to realize this gradually. Caste-based politics, family politics and appeasement politics have been shunned by our party leaders. Also, I believe that experience gained from such campaigns always gives one a sense of purpose. Through my travels to different parts of the country, I’ve been blessed to learn from the common man. Why do you think the Opposition has been struggling to mount a

challenge to BJP given the current political climate? See, I think what matters more is that we’ve been doing the right things more so than the Opposition failing in their tasks. That is what I feel about the whole situation. The Bihar election debacle may have upset your plans given the massive importance of the state.. We admit that there was a lot that could’ve been done to ensure a favourable result for us. But, we accept the loss and the mandate of the people. The simple task would be to further strengthen the organization right from the grassroot level. We want to continue the revolution and ensure that government schemes reach every deserving person.

However, if somebody wants to speak about the breakup of this country, then there is no doubt in our minds that he/she is an anti-national. People can criticize the Prime Minister, the party but why talk about secession?

With the Gujarat elections just round the corner, how do you think the recent caste-based movements by Patidars, Dalits etc will impact BJP’s fortunes? I have heard this for the past many years but just ask yourself who continues to form governments in Gujarat in every assembly election. We are confident that the people of Gujarat will once again place their trust in us. In which areas do you think that BJP could have fared better given your experience as its President so far? You want me to do the job of the Opposition by pointing out our weakpoints? (laughs). Before that, let me tell you some of the initiatives of this government. We have ensured that crores of people have their own bank accounts, 2 crore women now receive gas cylinders, 4.5 crore homes now receive electricity, we have provided loan schemes under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee loan yojana. We have ensured that GST is now a reality. We have also actualized the recommendations of the Kalelkar Commission towards securing the interests of the backward caste and classes. 104 satellites were launched in a single flight. Surgical strike were carried out to destroy terrorist hubs. We have made the world sit up and take notice of our strong political will to act when needed. We have also brought in several agricultural reforms and improved the rate of growth from SEASONAL MAGAZINE

-2% to a healthy 4%. We have made all efforts to improve the lives of the specially abled community. We also successfully passed the Maternity Benefit Act. In this way, we have made all efforts to introduce new schemes and ideas in every field. The Opposition alleges that the Sangh Parivar’s ideology is influencing decision-making which in turn has made it difficult to voice any other point of view. What is your take on this? No, it’s totally false. We are open to everybody’s opinions. I am here, listening to some of the good points you yourself are raising right now. And isn’t it imperative to open one’s ears to good ideas? Also, are we supposed to expect the Opposition to praise us? They are bound to criticize us and they will continue to do so. Following the JNU debacle & surgical strike, the government and party have been playing up the nationalist card aggressively. And the Opposition and some civil society groups allege that those who hold an opposing view are termed as ‘anti-nationals’. What are your views on this? Well, this is a part of our proud history. Even at the time of independence, the overwhelming emotion was that of

It is the duty of the respective state governments to ensure that law and order prevails. Take Kerala for example. Even when the UDF was ruling, there was no end to these rampant killings. But with CPIM coming to power, the situation has been exacerbated. Even with killings in his own district, the CM has no answers.

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nationalism. And, the allegation isn’t true. However, if somebody wants to speak about the breakup of this country, then there is no doubt in our minds that he/she is an anti-national. People can criticize the Prime Minister, the party but why talk about secession? What is the government’s strategy to fend off Naxalist threat? How long do you think this would take? We have made all efforts to reduce Naxalite violence in the last 3 years. And I believe we have managed to bring it under control. We won’t deny that there have been incidents every now and then. It is only natural that when such operations take place, there will be strong resistance from the perpetrators. We are strongly of the view that Naxalism can be rooted out in the near future. There will be heightened efforts to build infrastructure in violence-prone areas and there will be zero tolerance for Naxalite elements who want to impede progress. There are parallels being drawn between the situation in Kashmir and Palestine. What are your views? I don’t think that’s true. You see, since 1989, there’s always been 6-7 months when violence is at its peak in the Valley. This is not a new feature. The security forces have adopted a strong approach to separatist tendencies in

We are strongly of the view that Naxalism can be rooted out in the near future. There will be heightened efforts to build infrastructure in violence-prone areas and there will be zero tolerance for Naxalite elements who want to impede progress.

the region, which is why we see retaliation. Therefore, if you take a look at the last 20-25 years, it is wrong to highlight only the last 6-7 months. You need to consider the larger picture when talking about the Valley. The recent political killings of RSS & Left party workers in Kerala & West Bengal have increased at an alarming rate. Don’t you think there is an urgent need for the stakeholders to iron out differences before situation worsens? Please help me understand which party rules or has been ruling in these states for the past decades. Is it us? Our moral principles don’t permit violence. It is the duty of the respective state governments to ensure that law and order prevails. Take Kerala for example. Even when the UDF was ruling, there was no end to these

rampant killings. But with CPIM coming to power, the situation has been exacerbated. Even with killings in his own district, the CM has no answers. Now please ask yourself if this is the response expected when situations like this happen right under your nose? Also, the Left parties have to answer as to why only these killings become severe whenever they are in power. It is solely the responsibility of the Left parties to find solutions and nobody else’. Your party did exceedingly well in the recent U.P elections with Yogi Adithyanath being chosen as the CM. What is your take on his first few months as CM? We are 100% satisfied with Yogiji’s performance. He has sprung into action in a short span of time and even provided solutions to some pressing issues. I think he’s moving in the right direction along the path of governance and development which have been a feature of all BJP ruled states. There seems to be a feeling that law & order measures have been too controversial with the anti-romeo squads, Hindu Yuva Vahini taking

law into their own hands etc.. No, the Hindu Yuva Vahini has nothing to do with policing issues. As far as the Hindu Yuva Vahini is concerned, it is not a law and order problem. It is in fact a policy to improve and find solutions to law and order problems created under the watch of the previous dispensation. The new cattle slaughter laws have created quite a stir in the South and North East parts of the country. And many people are wondering if this is an attack on their traditional eating habits.. If you take a look at the notification, which clause says that there will be restrictions on eating habits? Also, this was a Supreme Court judgement earlier in the year. Based on the SC ruling, the government constituted a committee to form certain rules. Therefore, there has been no attempt at infringing on anybody’s eating habits whatsoever. How has yours and Prime Minister’s “outsider” approach helped in redefining governance in Delhi?

The Prime Minister is working towards improving governance all over the country, not just in Delhi. Also, I don’t think it’s true that just because we rule sitting in Delhi, we become interested only in the affairs of the Central government. Of course, leaders come from different states but the intention is to work towards the development of the country as a whole. What are your plans to expand BJP’s presence in hitherto untested areas? Our various state and district level organizations are working round the clock. We have plans to build schools and libraries in every district. We are also providing training programmes to around 9.5 lakh karyakartas. There are also efforts to document party activities from the past and also to write its history. We will also take all efforts to document the life and times of our great leader Shri Deendayal Upadhyaya. We have already successfully launched the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana to benefit rural areas. What can the people expect from the government in the next 2 years? I have already highlighted some of our main initiatives. Apart from that, we intend to better our performance in Kerala drastically. In fact, we will look to secure the largest number of Lok Sabha seats from Kerala in 2019. This will be one of our biggest goals. Could you share with us your favourite past time, some recent books you’ve read, most recent movie you’ve watched, your role model etc? I have too much on my plate to be having any past time (laughs). Otherwise, I do maintain a library at home and I read books ranging from topics like religion to politics. Coming to movies, I recently watched Bahubali. I have a large portrait of Chanakya at home and one of my favourite role models is without doubt Veer Savarkar. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

AUTO

JEEP COMPASS GETS READY FOR LAUNCH

1. The engines The Jeep Compass diesel debuts the Multijet II engine in India. It produces 173PS of power and 350Nm of torque The Jeep Compass debuts the 2.0-litre turbo-diesel Multijet II engine in India. It produces 173PS of power at 3,750rpm and 350Nm of torque from 1,750-2,500rpm. The 1.4-litre turbopetrol Multiair engine, which will be offered on the Jeep Compass, produces 162PS of power and 250Nm of torque.

2. Transmission and drivetrain The diesel variant of the Jeep Compass will only be offered with a 6-speed manual when it is launched in August. The automatic will be available later in the year The diesel variant of the Jeep Compass will be sold with just a 6-speed manual transmission when it is SEASONAL MAGAZINE

launched, while the petrol will come with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. According to Jeep, a diesel automatic will be on offer later in the year. Both engines will come with 4x4 and 4x2 options. The 4x4 system has four modes -- Auto, Snow, Sand and Mud. Unlike the Jeep Compass's Trailhawk variant, which isn't available in India, this one doesn't get a 4x4 low setting.

3. Variants The Jeep Compass's interior looks luxurious and is well built. However, there aren't too many storage spaces The Jeep Compass will be launched in India in three variants - the base Sport, mid-spec Latitude and the top-end Limited. While all variants will get 4x2 as standard, only the Limited trim can be optioned with 4x4. As you would expect, the amount of features and

equipment will vary between the different variants.

4. Price The Jeep Compass is especially handsome from the front profile. It looks larger than it actually is thanks to the 7-slat grille and the large bumper There are plenty of stories floating around about the expected price of the Jeep Compass. We think that the ideal price for the Jeep Compass should be between Rs 16-22 lakh. Anything more and it will be fighting a tough battle with cars like the Hyundai Tucson and the Volkswagen Tiguan. And this brings us to the next topic.

5. The competition If Jeep manages to price the Compass between the Rs 16-22 lakh mark, then there's no other vehicle like it in that price range. It will sit between the comparatively less premium seven-seater Hexa and the more luxurious Hyundai Tucson and Volkswagen Tiguan.

L U X U R Y PIAGET POLO S MAKES A COMEBACK

LOUIS VUITTON INTRODUCES NEW TIMEPIECE TAMBOUR HORIZON From Louis Vuitton comes a new wristwatch – the Tambour Horizon. The first of wristwatches created by Louis Vuitton began in 2002 and this is a timepiece with global ties, as it was conceived in Paris, with a case made at Louis Vuitton’s manufacturer in Switzerland, and finished using technology developed in California’s Silicon Valley. The new timepiece has 24 time zones and features semi-customizable models available in Monogram, Black, and Graphite. At just 42mm, the case is compact thanks to Qualcomm® SnapdragonTM Wear 2100 platform. It features the distinctive concave bezel of the Swiss manufacture’s Tambour Moon design, and wearers can choose between 60 readily detachable straps – 30 created for men, 30 for women.

MICHAEL KORS COLLECTION RESORT 2018 Michael Kors’s vision for his 2018 collection included island florals, sarongs, ruffles and dresses for the beach or a party. Presented at the Whitney Museum, the collection features tropical prints, oversized, relaxed takes on men’s blazers, and metallic accents of silver and gold met citified elements. Intense yellow paired with brown and black along with mixes of sapphire, brown and black are prominent in the collection. The collections continues with accessories, from slouchy, woven bags to oversized clutches and collapsible totes.

HOTEL CAFÉ ROYAL LAUNCHES PAPILLION Hotel Café Royal, located in the heart of London, will welcome the Papillion restaurant in mid-June 2017. A new allday dining destination open daily from 7:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m., the 38-seat space will feature a menu inspired by both British and French influences. Dishes will range from Ibérico Ham Eggs Benedict, to Bircher muesli in the morning (from £9), lunchtime offerings such as Broccoli and Roquefort Quiche, or a healthy Quinoa, Beetroot and Chia Seed Salad, and Fish Pie, Confit Duck and Truffle Rillettes, or a range of buckwheat crepes at dinner (dishes from £12).

Piaget has revealed three new creations to complete the Polo S collection that began in 2016. In a limited edition of 888 individually numbered timepieces, the Piaget Polo S, equipped with the 1110P movement, appears with a black dial, ADLC-treated bezel and black rubber strap, as well as a cushion-shaped dial, a sapphire caseback and skeleton P on the second-hand counterweight.. The Piaget Polo S Chronograph is also available in a limited edition of 888 individually numbered timepieces with the same specifications. These two creations are delivered with a second black calfskin leather strap as well. To pair with one of Piaget’s watches, or wear alone, is the Possession bracelet for men, crafted from hand-assembled links.

FENDI ANNOUNCES METALLIKA CAPSULE COLLECTION Gold, silver and bronze, and bold turquoise, pink and green define Fendi’s new Metallika Capsule Collection. This collection features both metallic bags and accessories, created in laminated leather. The Kan I bag with scalloped edges and Double Baguette are decorated with feminine multicolor Bonbon flowers and have charcoal grey stripes along the front of the bag. Kan I bags are also available in a mini size adorned with studs along the flap, ranging in colors from baby pink to charcoal. As for shoes, the Chameleon features a short or medium-sized chunky heel and lamé colors such as: gold, silver, turquoise and pink. Available in FENDI boutiques worldwide and on fendi.com.

KATE WINSLET LAUNCHES LONGINES TIMEPIECE TO BE AUCTIONED ONLINE On Saturday 10 June 2017, in its boutique located at Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris, Longines, together with its Ambassador of Elegance Kate Winslet, presented the new timepiece: The Flagship Heritage by Kate Winslet, featuring the same dial as The Flagship Heritage –60th Anniversary 19572017. Ms. Winslet is Longines Ambassador of Elegance, and she chose the dial, the case and strap herself. Only five pieces have been crafted in total, and three models will be auctioned online for the benefit of The Golden Hat Foundation, a charity co-founded by the actress. The first timepiece will be given to Ms. Winslet and the second will be kept in the Longines museum in Switzerland. The models numbered 2/5, 3/5 and 4/5 will be auctioned for the Foundation.

A. LANGE & SÖHNE PRESENT AN EXTENSION OF THE 1815 CHRONOGRAPH WATCH A. Lange & Söhne is presenting a new version of the 1815 Chronograph with a stopwatch function. The watch features a power reserve of 60 hours, and a pulsimeter scale on the outer ring of the dial to determine heart rates. The newest edition includes a white-gold case with a black dial, a black alligator leather strap and solid white-gold Lange prong buckle, as well as a sapphire-crystal case back.

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MIRACLE

DEAD MOTHER KEPT ALIVE FOR 44 MONTHS, MONTHS GIVE BIRTH TO FOR HEALTHY TWINS iracles can be seen everywhere around us every once in a while. Similar case happend in Brazil when a brain dead woman was kept alive on life support for 123 days just to let the babies in her womb see the light of the day. It happened for the first time in the history of medical science, when a brain dead patient is kept alive for such a long period. Frankielen da Silva Zampoli Padilha from Campo Largo in South Brazil suffered from Cerebral Haemorrhage last year in Ocotber, following which she was declared dead. Doctors were surprised to see that babies in her womb were doing perfectly fine. Nosso Senhora do Rocio hospital decorated the space around the woman and sang songs to the unborn babies to

compensate the love of their mother. The babies’ birth is being described as a miracle birth after everyone lost hopes. Ms. Padilha died during ninth week of her pregnancy following a cerebral haemorrhage. Her ventilator was switched off in February. Her husband, Muriel Padilha lost every hope initially when doctors told them that the chances of babies’ survival are remote. Dr Dalton Rivabem, head of neurological ICU at the hospital told Daily Mail: 'We did an ultrasound on the embryos thinking they would be failing in the womb but to our surprise they were clinging to life. 'Frankielen's organs were all intact and working as if she was still with us. We took the decision to keep her alive to save her unborn children. And every day we watched them grow normally.' There have been other cases where a

brain dead patient was kept alive on ventilator. But this one with 123 days was the longest. The embryos were two months old when their mother died and now they are healthy babies. One baby among the twins was born weighing 1.4 kg while the other weighed 1.3 kg at the time of birth. Their health was comparable to that of other premature babies. The newborns were kept in incubators and now they are being fostered by Frankielen’s mother. Frankielen’s husband Muriel said, “Frankielen has appeared to me on many occasions especially when I was despairing and crying out for God to bring her back to me” The doctors, nurses, nutritionists and host of other health professionals routinely sang to the babies and caressed Frankielen’s pregnant belly. The ICU was filled with love to welcome the miracle babies. Everyone including the father cried when the babies were born. Frankielen was complaining about a sharp pain at the back of her neck, which was signifying stroke. Last year, she called her husband to get back home immediately. Muriel went back home to find his pregnant wife writhing with pain and vomiting due to the distress. While driving her to the hospital, she told her husband that he needs to be prepared for this as she won’t be coming back home. These were the last words she spoke to her husband.

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STATE -IN-FOCUS

HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

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WHEN CHIEF MINISTER SIDDARAMAIAHâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S RULE ENTERS ITS FIFTH YEAR, KARNATAKA IS SHOWING OTHER STATES OF INDIA ON HOW TO MAINTAIN LEADERSHIP IN SECTORS LIKE IT, BT, E-COMMERCE, STARTUPS, AND PROFESSIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION EVEN WHILE MAKING MAJOR BREAKTHROUGHS IN SUNRISE SECTORS FOR THE COUNTRY LIKE AVIATION INDUSTRIES, ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT, AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT.

earning from how the early-mover advantage has worked for Bengaluru and the state in Information Technology and Biotechnology, Siddaramaiah is leaving no stone unturned in pursuing the next big wave for Karnataka. While the state already leads in a few emerging sectors like e-commerce and startups, the Congress Government is most bullish on pushing growth in the high-tech area of aviation industries. The CM has been smart enough to realize that there is huge synergy for this industry in the state, as Karnataka is second only to Delhi and

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Maharashtra when it comes to both aircraft movements and passenger traffic. Even Central agencies like DRDO prefers to utilize the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s potential, and has recently commissioned its Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) at Chitradurga in Karnataka. The state-ofthe-art facility spread over 4000 acres is the first of its kind in India and will go a long way in furthering aeronautical research. National leadership of Congress has made it clear that Siddaramaiah will be the face of the party in next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s elections, and there is no doubt that this has made Opposition BJPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s task to take over the state tougher. Karnataka is also showing other states in India the way when it comes to skills development and vocational training. Within days of CM Siddaramaiah launching the acclaimed Kaushalkar web portal and app for the same, over 3.22 lakh youth have enrolled from across the state for training in specialized jobs like account executives, air conditioner specialists, delivery associates, accessory fitters, ambulance drivers, CCTV supervisors, and more. Karnataka has even formed a new Department of Skills Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood for spearheading the program. The professionalism and effectiveness of the portal and app have resulted in even BJP-ruled states like Gujarat and Rajasthan evincing interest in the app.

This achievement is especially noted as GST is not expected to be net positive for the state in the near term, even while some sectors like e-commerce are expected to outperform on GST.

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Karnataka has even formed a new Department of Skills Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood for spearheading the program. This massive initiative in skills is not surprising, given Siddaramaiah’s long-term ambition to provide jobs to 1.80 crore youths by 2030, as estimated by the Knowledge Commission of Karnataka. Unlike many political leaders across India, this CM has been astute enough to realize that if India has to attract manufacturing jobs it has to go miles and miles in skills development, just like how China did it. In its existing stronghold of IT, Karnataka Government is aware of the challenges especially from the new phenomenon of large-scale lay-offs in Bengaluru and Mysuru, and has decided to tackle it head-on by ministerial level discussions with the

IT trade unions. With strong pre-monsoon showers bringing relief across Karnataka, and a healthy monsoon expected to break over the southern state by first week of June itself, the state’s huge farming sector is expected to perform powerfully. Unlike by many other states, Karnataka Government has rubbished Centre’s recent notification of cattle trade ban, asserting powerfully that it is a purely state issue. This has brought relief to farmers as cattle rearing and trade has been a pivotal part of the farming cycle in the state since centuries. However, on the flipside, the state has pulled back from controversial protests like beef-fests, in accordance with Rahul Gandhi’s vision, who is expected to campaign in the state intensively for continuation of Congress rule in the state. On the business and commerce side, the state’s finance and industries departments have moved effectively to take a swift lead in GST implementation across India, with over 93% of business units already enrolled for the landmark tax reform. This is

number one position in the country, even ahead of states like Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra, and speaks volumes about the agility of the government as well as private sector in the state. This achievement is especially noted as GST is not expected to be net positive for the state in the near term, even while some sectors like ecommerce are expected to outperform on GST. The government is also doing everything possible to maintain its lead in professional higher education, across India. For instance, 56 private and government institutions provide medical education in the state, with it producing the most doctors, 8750 to be precise, ahead of other heavyweights like Maharashtra and Tamilnadu by a good margin. Even in the current year, the state has added 350 more MBBS seats. With such concerted efforts to emerge in sunrise sectors and maintain leadership in strongholds, there is no doubt that CM Siddaramaiah will provide a tough fight to Opposition in the 2018 polls.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has succeeded in sending a powerful message of standing with the state’s Dalits and OBC people, by hosting the three-day BR Ambedkar International Conference in Bengaluru, which was attended by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi; Martin Luther King III, noted civil rights advocate and eldest son of legendary activist Martin Luther King Jr;Nobel laureate KailashSatyarthi; and Dr BR Ambedkar’s grandson PrakashAmbedkar. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

10 WAYS KARNATAKA IS SHOWING THE WAY

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uring the past four years, under Chief Minister Siddaramaiahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visionary guidance, Karnataka has been winning on several specific fronts. The state at large, and especially its pioneering industry sectors were also seen putting their weight behind such efforts. Here are ten such specific ways in which Karnataka is pushing ahead for the future.

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Kannada Pride Close on the heels of making learning Kannada language mandatory in all schools across the state, Karnataka Government is all set to make it compulsory the singing of the State Anthem, ‘Nada Geethe’. If implemented, it will be a sentimental as well as patriotic master-stroke which puts the Sangh Parivar and BJP on the defensive in the state, as their moves to push Hindi into public life has been meeting with significant opposition in the state. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is also executing this move to promote Kannada culture deftly, without affecting the singing of the National Anthem and school anthems if any.

Asserting its Cauvery Rights While the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal’s 2007 decision was given as a final order, there was no doubt in the state that it had affected Karnataka’s interests detrimentally. Now, under Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s able guidance, Karnataka is effectively contesting this final order in Supreme Court. Senior SC Advocate Fali Nariman, appearing for Karnataka, has impressively dug up alleged excesses done by neighbouring Tamil Nadu that breaches the original 1924 agreement, which the Tribunal had allegedly overlooked while passing the final order in 2007. This move has won widespread support in Karnataka which has been reeling from drought.

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A Pro-Poor Land Bill A few proactive state governments have come out with Land Bills in recent years to replace outdated laws, but under CM Siddaramaiah what the state has proposed The Karnataka Land Reforms Amendment Bill (2016) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is nothing short of revolutionary. If consented by the Centre and the President, this sharply pro-poor law will give ownership rights to over two lakh people belonging to scheduled tribes and micro backward classes, to lands they have been living on without any documents even if it is private land. The BJP is definitely is in a fix over this, mulling whether it would be better to stall it, or to help the CM and share the glory.

A Pro Homebuyer Realty Law Karnataka has been one of the first state governments to implement the new state law required to implement the new Central legislation on real estate development. While there were initial hiccups in certain provisions, CM Siddaramaiah had directed to quickly address it, and the new clarifications have been widely welcomed by homebuyers and organizations supporting their interests. On the other hand, even major real estate developers, who usually comply with regulations, have expressed their view that the Real Estate (Regulation & Development) Act (RERA) is quite stringent and is seen as protecting homebuyersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; interests more.

Taking No Chances in Power With the monsoon season reaching almost the halfway mark, the updates from the weather office is that it is unfortunately going to be another rain-deficient year for Karnataka. But like in last two years, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is taking no chances and has already announced that it will be buying 1000 MW soon. Power availability is a crucial issue in the state due to the concentration of industries, farmers, and even higher education students, which are incidentally three pillars of its economy. The state government has also been pushing for renewable energy in a big way which recently won the appreciation of the British Deputy High Commissioner. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

A German Technical Training Institute Soon after CM Siddaramaiah’s skills development portal and app won national level approval and rapid enrollments from across the state, the government has announced a new Karnataka German Technical Training Institute (KGTTI). While Mysuru will host this world-class institute that can develop 3000 industry-ready candidates, by giving land, water, and electricity, a German company will be doing the significant investments required. The stress will be on hands-on training and towards this state-of-the-art training facilities would be provided by the Germans who are noted for producing some of the world’s best technicians.

The Next-Gen Agri Trading Platform When it comes to tech-enabled services, Karnataka has a natural edge, and the state government too has been utilizing it impressively. The state’s Unified Markets Platform (UMP) built in association with NCDEX Spot Exchange has already connected 157 of the 162 agricultural markets across 29 districts of the state. Bidding is taking place online. Nearly 300 tons of agricultural commodities valued at around Rs.57,000 crore have already been traded by farmers using UMP, and Karnataka is now attracting buyers from other states. Current bulk buyers include ITC, Reliance, Metro Cash & Carry, Godrej Agro, Pepsico India etc.

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Bengaluru to Go Smart How did Bengaluru miss the bus on being selected as a ‘Smart City’ in the first two rounds? The best explanation is that it was already the smartest city in India that needed no handholding for the same. But better late than never, and the Karnataka capital has been selected for being a Smart City in the third round of selection by the Centre. What it means to Bengaluru is that it will get Rs. 2219 crore funds from both the Centre and State to implement several projects to modernize the city and bring it up as a global city. While several projects will vie for the funds, many of them on PPP basis, the bulk will go to a project to revitalize the historic heart of the city.

Finding Solutions in True Tech Style Bengaluru is famous for many things while infamous for only one – the traffic gridlock. Recently, Flipkart, one of the largest ecommerce companies in India, which is based out off Bengaluru conducted a competition for tech teams to come up with out-of-the-box ideas to solve the city’s traffic congestion forever. Believe it or not, teams participated from not only Karnataka or India, but across the world including from Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Indian startups like Ola. Titled Gridlock Hackathon, the solutions presented including those that leverage Cloud, Big Data, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence etc.

Not Resting on Metro Laurels While Karnataka had swiftly moved to implement the metro rail system in its capital, CM Siddaramaiah is not resting on the laurels of having implemented Namma Metro. He has been pushing hard for a more lengthier suburban railway system for Bengaluru and its suburbs, and owing to his persistence, the Centre has recently given the green signal based on the condition that Karnataka should bear 80% of the charges while Indian Railways will bear only the remaining 20%. For now Karnataka has agreed, promising to bargain later. The suburban rail will have 15 MEMU trains and will also include a MEMU maintenance facility at Banaswadi. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

HOW KARNATAKA

SHOWS THE ACROSS SECTORS WAY

On the business and commerce side, the stateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finance and industries departments have moved effectively to take a swift lead in GST implementation across India, with over 93% of business units already enrolled for the landmark tax reform. This is number one position in the country, even ahead of states like Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra, and speaks volumes about the agility of the government as well as private sector in the state. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

The government is also doing everything possible to maintain its lead in professional higher education, across India. For instance, 56 private and government institutions provide medical education in the state, with it producing the most doctors, 8750 to be precise, ahead of other heavyweights like Maharashtra and Tamilnadu by a good margin. Even in the current year, the state has added 350 more MBBS seats.

Karnataka is also showing other states in India the way when it comes to skills development and vocational training. Within days of CM Siddaramaiah launching the acclaimed Kaushalkar web portal and app for the same, over 3.22 lakh youth have enrolled from across the state for training in specialized jobs like account executives, air conditioner specialists, delivery associates, accessory fitters, ambulance drivers, CCTV supervisors, and more.

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HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

To Fight Traffic Menace, Bengaluru Mulls Road Widening Option

The state government is working on widening and redeveloping four roads on the city outskirts to bring down traffic congestion. Two of the four roads identified for redevelopment will improve the connectivity to the international airport as well. hese arterial and sub-arterial roads, each of which ranges from 22 km to 47 km, will become wider once the project is completed. The Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) has prepared the proposal for improvin g these roads -155 km, in all -at an estimated cost of Rs 1,455 crore. "Land acquisition would cost another Rs 500 crore," said M Lakshminarayana, principal secretary, Public Works department. KRDCL managing director KS SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Krishna Reddy said the redevelopment includes widening the existing two-lane road into four lanes."The plan is to minimise land acquisition so that we can complete the project as early as possible. We have only carried out a survey. Details such as properties that need to be acquired will be known only after our proposal is cleared by the Cabinet," he said. In his budget speech on March 15, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had talked about these proposals. Of the proposed roads, the one connecting Anekal to Hoskote passes through the software hub of

Sarjapura and Whitefield. In February, the state government had approved a proposal to widen Ballari road between Windsor Manor bridge and Hebbal flyover. The project is estimated to cost Rs 27.52 crore. In the meanwhile, the BBMP is preparing to widen the road up to the Cantonment railway station via Jayamahal. The construction of an alternative road from Begur near Mylanahalli cross to the Kempegowda international airport may not meet the deadline as a high-tension power line passing through the area.

HOW KARNATAKA SHOWS THE WAY ACROSS SECTORS

KARNATAKA'S AGRITECH SECTOR GETS MAJOR BOOST OF RS. 10 CRORE INVESTMENT FOR INNOVATION IN ORDER TO FUEL THE GROWTH OF INNOVATIVE IDEAS IN THE AGRITECH SECTOR, KARNATAKA’S AGRICULTURE DEPARTMENT HAS SET ASIDE ABOUT $1.5 MN (INR 10 CR) FUND TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND BIOTECHNOLOGY (ITBT) DEPARTMENT. he Department of Agriculture, Government of Karnataka organised ‘National Trade Fair 2017- Organics and Millets’ in Bengaluru recently to give organic and millet farmers a national platform to showcase their produce. At a session during the National Trade, Fair Karnataka’s Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and ITBT/Tourism Minister Priyank Kharge spoke passionately about bringing in technology in a big way in agriculture. It was also stated the Karnataka will soon call for a hackathon for technologyenabled ideas and innovative ways to address challenges in agriculture. Speaking at the panel, Priyank Kharge, Minister of State, IT BT & Tourism Department, Government of Karnataka said, “Karnataka is the only state that has a Proof of Concept (Idea2POC) Grant Scheme, under which the government aims to issue up to $77K (INR 50 lakh) as part of its multi-sectoral startup policy and work with various stakeholders to

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create ideation and incubation sectors. A budget of about $1.6 Mn (INR 10.5 Cr) has been allocated for agriculture innovation startups which will be allocated to selected startups. The government also assists startups in the agri space with Series A and B funding by connecting them to investors.” Kharge further added that startups in Tier II cities are also being funded by the state by registering with the state startup cell. In order to get a remunerative market for the farmers and a reasonable price for the consumers, the Government of Karnataka has promoted 14 district-level Organic Federation of the Farmers covering all 30 districts in the State. More than 30 buyers from various MNCs and local wholesalers, distributors emerged with a long term business potentials. Over 20 MoU’s were signed between farmer federations and leading brands at the National Trade Fair. Various companies including Britannia, MTR Foods, ITC Foods, Big Basket, Pro

Nature, SPAR, Reliance participated in the event.

Retail

Talking about the economic benefit of the trade fair, Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister for Agriculture, Government of Karnataka said, “Around $110K-$125K (INR 70 Lakhs-INR 80 Lakhs) worth of business has happened at the fair with an immediate impact of about $7 Mn (INR 45 Cr) of business opportunities. The long-term impact will be in the range of $15.5 Mn (INR 100 Cr).” The Karnataka State Government has been proactive in encouraging startups in the state. Earlier in July 2016, the Government of Karnataka, announced a set of schemes with an aim to bolster the startup ecosystem in the state, which included a $60 Mn fund, the launch of a startup cell in Karnataka Biotechnology and Information Technology Services (KBITS), and more. In September 2016, the Karnataka startup cell funded eight startups with $300K (INR 2 Cr), that have built unique tech solutions for the tourism industry in India.

HIGHER EDUCATION

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Interview & Story by: Jaison D, John Antony

anyone

thought

Alliance

University management has been

caught off-guard by last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unsavoury controversies arising from a family feud, they are in for a rude shock. Seasonal Magazine recently visited Bangalore and caught up with Alliance University Founder and Chancellor Dr. Madhukar G Angur to get the low-down on the situation, and returns pleasantly surprised at the rigor with which the management is staying focused on regaining its leadership as one of the best private universities in the country. Here are eight reasons why any aspiring student should prefer Alliance for this academic year.

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AGELESS INFRASTRUCTURE When it was created almost 10 years back, the infrastructure of Alliance University was one of the best in India. But so would feel the infrastructure of any new private university in the country. The beauty of Alliance Infrastructure is that even after a decade, it still comes across as one of the finest in India. Such has been the foresight and detailed planning that have gone into creating this unique private university in Bangalore. Most of its peers are not as equipped as Alliance on this front because the brains behind this university have unparalleled exposure in several world-class universities of United States in different capacities.

“ENSURING NOT NOT JUST JUST ACADEMIC ACADEMIC “ENSURING RIGOUR BUT BUT INDUSTRY INDUSTRY RELEVANCE” RELEVANCE” RIGOUR DR. MADHUKAR ANGUR, FOUNDER AND CHANCELLOR OF ALLIANCE UNIVERSITY OPENS HIS HEART TO SEASONAL MAGAZINE REGARDING THE CORE PHILOSOPHIES DRIVING THIS CENTRE OF HIGHER LEARNING, AND THEIR LATEST FUTURE-READY INITIATIVES.

he university has been innovating on international programs. Could you provide us with a brief overview of these initiatives? Alliance University was founded on the principle that education should be world-class. We need to compete with the best universities in the world. As a standalone business school, that we were at one point, we looked at not only aspirational institutions in the country like the IIMs but also at some of the very leading universities in the world like Harvard, Stanford, North Western University etc. What I have experienced in all of these major universities was their universal standards. The frame of reference was that these were truly international in content as well as SEASONAL MAGAZINE

facilities, and we looked at them to understand what business education of the future looks like. Therefore, internationalization came as a result of this basic philosophy with which the university was founded. This philosophy was that professional education ought to prepare the graduates for the global market. How did you go about doing it, the internationalization of your offerings? If you look at the managers of the future, they have to be global in nature. The curriculum also has to be global. We not only wanted to look at the best practices that great universities provide but also the next best practices they were planning. I have visited close to

200 universities, which has given me much insight into globalized higher education. I have also been faculty, guest and visiting professor at many of these places. I believe even our students need to have that kind of mind-set and frame of reference. How could we do it? So we ensured our faculty needs to come from different parts of the world. Primarily, our faculty have been educated in Europe and USA. We also have an international advisory board that is truly global in its outlook. We have got members from major universities in Singapore, Europe and USA. Certain international recruiting partners have been placing Alliance University students. Do you expect this trend to gather steam or wane off

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP Alliance University is the brainchild of Dr. Madhukar G Angur, a renowned scholar of engineering and business strategy in USA, India, and several other countries. He has studied and taught at some of the best universities in the developed world, and is unique in that he has visited around 200 of the best universities across the globe as part of his professional career as well as personal passion in discovering the best educational practices. Moreover, Dr.Angur is not only an ace academician but has been a successful entrepreneur in both USA and India, with one of the companies he founded being part of a publicly listed corporation.

given the protectionist measures in USA, UK and EU? My guess is that protectionism is a phenomenon the world over, particularly in the United States and Europe. However, when it comes to the kind of demographic dividends that India provides, be it in the form of a younger population, more educated youth skilled in specific areas and the reality of ageing economies of the West, there is huge potential there. There is going to be a gap of skill sets in most parts of the developed world. Despite protectionism being practised, there is always the reality of the skill gap which nations always need to fill. If a US citizen has skills equivalent to what an Indian can offer, naturally the US would prefer the former. Therefore, our managers and professionals need to have the necessary skill set in the event of any existing skill gap. Number of such hiring might go down, but the quality of

Dr. Madhukar G Angur

hiring will go up. Our students have to realize that they have to match in global competitiveness. The problem of ageing population can only be dealt with by embracing the skill sets brought in by the younger population. The average age of the U.S citizen is in the 40s, whereas in India it is in the 20s. While every private university claims to have superior infrastructure, can you walk us through some of the exceptional features that you believe gives Alliance University the edge? See, the first thing anybody notices when they visit our campus is our beautiful infrastructure. This has been around for almost 10 years now. So if we can think of the future and build a campus that is considered to be modern even after 10 years, it tells us about the foresight that we have with regards to infrastructural facilities. I also want to add that great universities arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t known mainly for their infrastructure but for the tech-led evolution in teaching that has occurred over the

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TOP CITY, FINE LEVERAGE Bangalore has successively been India’s Information Technology capital, Outsourcing capital, Biotechnology capital, E-Commerce capital, and Start-up capital, due to a definitive reason. Much before Bangalore became all of these, it was the professional higher education capital of the country. The city boasts of the largest number of PhD holders in the country. Alliance University being founded by a noted entrepreneur is using this location advantage to a strategic advantage. Alliance students are also placed by some of the best e-com/start-up companies, and the university has an incubation centre that also caters to public talent.

recent years. Take the case of Harvard University, which is almost 400 years old, and doesn’t need to boast about its infrastructure. What they have basically done in the newer side of Harvard, and similarly in IIMAhmedabad, is that they have made revolutionary technological changes in their classrooms. One is the beautiful buildings that we see from the outside, the other part is the adaptability to technology within the classroom. What we’ve done at Alliance University, for example, is that we have got the newer construction in the campus to be more adaptable to technology-enabled classrooms. We have adopted this model in our classrooms, labs, and other learning centres, inspired by what we have seen at various universities around the world. Apart from classrooms, what all are your thrust areas in infrastructure and facilities? We want to have an additional library with exclusive digital interface. We already have a very large, centralized library. But what we want now is the ability to have a seamless integration with technology and the know-how to connect with the rest of the world using this technology. Cost-effectiveness is SEASONAL MAGAZINE

also a huge factor driving this change. It is also important to keep in mind infrastructure in the context of quality campus life for students. Residential and extra-curricular facilities also play a role in making them believe they are part of a system that enhances their quality of all-round learning. This is easily noticeable in Harvard and Stanford where there is a sense of university community and I wish to make our students get that community feeling of being in a ‘home away from home’. Co-curricular programmes is another area where you have been giving huge thrust. Can you outline Alliance University’s initiatives with regard to this domain? Any conventional curriculum revolves around 3 sub-components. In the curriculum, you have foundation, core and elective courses. This is true for any discipline. But pedagogy at Alliance is much more than curriculum. We have curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular activities which in totality will provide holistic learning experience to our graduates. For instance, in the law programme, we have got moot court competitions. This is a co-curricular activity. We have academic clubs that are co-curricular in nature which cater

FUTURISTIC FACILITIES The best universities across the world including Harvard are not building new brick-and-mortar infrastructure, but techenabled facilities that take classroom learning to the next level. This approach has also been implemented by some Indian institutions like IIM Ahmedabad. Alliance has followed suit, and has recently upgraded itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tech-enabled classrooms to be at par with such best institutions in USA and India. Also, despite having one of the largest university libraries in this part of the world, Alliance is currently building one of the largest digital libraries in India that will give next-generation access to journals, MOOC etc.

to enhancing knowledge in a certain domain and to prepare them for competitions in the managerial, finance, marketing fields. These have a technical interface with theory and practice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with what I call the rigor and relevance part. That interface is what is done through co-curricular activities. For instance, we ensure interactions between our students and industry, we enable industry visits for our graduates so they can understand the application of theory. Our law students are working under accomplished lawyers, and our business students get to work with CEOs and senior executives of companies. How well one integrates curricular with co-curricular, theory with practice or the rigor and relevance will ultimately define the key contribution of the institution, that is our graduates. We are constantly looking for innovative ways to bridge this relevance gap. Extracurricular activities like sports, drama etc are also encouraged with equal vigour which will help them enhance their personality. You have been very bullish about introducing more humanities into professional courses. How far has this effort been carried out? For the new academic year, we have

introduced some very significant humanities-based courses in all our programmes. The purpose of doing this is precisely to impart holistic education. Our students should not only excel in their respective professional fields but also have to develop into better human beings. They have to understand that their actions impact not only the company, but the people or community around them. We are taking this aspect very seriously and we have done it much more effectively in this academic year. When it comes to 2017 admission too, the rival groups that controlled universities for a few months have been making claims. With the SEASONAL MAGAZINE

INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK Right from its inception ten years back as a Business School, Alliance University had the requirements of the global job market in its radar. Under Dr.Angur’s leadership, Alliance has successfully attracted renowned faculty trained in US & Europe, and also has an Advisory Council comprised of global heavyweights in academics and industry from North America, EU, Singapore etc. It has also made most of its academic programs for international requirements, and this is paying rich dividends now. For a few years now, international recruiters have been placing Alliance students in global markets.

original website under their control, don’t you think there is a credibility problem among prospective students? I don’t even call them as rival group, because whatever they’ve done has only been destructive. Alliance University is much bigger and stronger and has a reputation of its own. So, that group is becoming smaller and smaller and very disenchanted with what they are doing. A lot of people in the university environment understand their underlying motive to spread negativity. I also want to add here that a lot of good people from across various fields have stood by me and the University during turbulent times and on behalf of the university community, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to those people who have stood by us. But when you have gained control of the central campus, how is it possible for this group to make such claims? We have taken appropriate legal remedies to make sure that they don’t operate from anywhere. And we are confident that the law will take its SEASONAL MAGAZINE

course. It should be resolved shortly. I have complete faith in our legal system and I’m sure the verdict will ensure that they never dare to pursue such illegal activities ever again. Right now, we are focusing on ensuring that the legality is totally addressed. How far has your scholarship and financial aid programmes been successful? Has the university been able to attract meritorious students on scholarship and aid schemes? You know, I have always believed that

in any university system particularly in India, we have to have the ability to attract the best possible talent. When we do that, the talent may not necessarily be in a position to pay the full tuition fee. So, we go out of our way to ensure that we are in a position to attract the best talent and give scholarships to the deserving ones. We have been successful at that. I have also gone to the extent of announcing this to a larger audience as the details of the scheme should reach the beneficiaries. The focus isn’t on increasing the

CURRICULUM BEYOND CONVENTION In many universities across India, curriculum is all about academic rigor alone. While earlier this approach of focusing on the fundamentals, core, & electives, was enough to get a job, today’s demanding careers call for much more. Alliance University had already rose to this emerging challenge years back, and had innovated on co-curricular and extracurricular activities in a high-impact way. The university has been overflowing with co-curricular events like seminars and conferences, which are conducted in close interaction with industries, and this has ensured that Alliance looks after not only academic rigor but industrial relevance of its graduates.

number of scholarships but to identify the most meritorious students and help them in whatever way we can. This point has been conveyed to the admissions team and concerned officers so that it is properly communicated to the beneficiaries. For instance, meritorious students also get a free waiver, meaning they don’t have to pay any tuition. There was a cap set for this, but now we are increasing this as much as possible. We also try to identify highly accomplished students in various other fields – national-level players in

various sports etc – who also receive significant aid. Has Alliance University entered into any new tie-up with a foreign university for the purpose of student and faculty exchange? At this point, we already have nearly 45-50 collaborations worldwide. I am not really looking at increasing that number as the focus is on attending to the existing relationships we have with some of the leading universities in the world. We want to manage relations well and build on our shared values. Numbers don’t really have much meaning. Ultimately, there should be better relationships, shared understanding, joint research, benefits to our students etc. So, the quality of collaborations matter to us more. Bangalore being the start-up and ecommerce capital of India, what are the initiatives for tapping into this massive potential for your students? We have been having an incubation centre for almost 9 years now. However, what we have done is that we are introducing different ways by which our services can be utilized more

fully, not only by our own students but also the general public. I am bringing in some extra talent into that, different ways for start-up companies to become members of the incubation centre, providing them with the required skill sets. Which is the next major initiative being planned by Alliance University? India’s education system continues to face problems pertaining to the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER), which despite steadily increasing, is still far below the world average. This ratio is only about SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Holistic Grooming Over the first 10 years of its existence, Alliance University’s focus was on the professional success of its students. But success on this front has equipped the university to focus on more holistic development of its students. It status as a primarily professional university has been a challenge in this regard. But under Dr.Angur’s guidance, Alliance is now ensuring more holistic development by including more humanities courses into its professional programs, whether it is engineering, business, law, or other programs. This is ensuring that Alliance graduates are not only benefitting their companies, but their communities due to social responsibility and ethical behavior.

20% in India, that is only 1/5th of those in the age group of between 18-24 are in college. The rest of the 80% who aren’t enrolled in any college, also need to improve their skill set if they are to get proper jobs. There is a Centre for Skill Development that we have created at Alliance University, which has been named after my parents – GirijaAngur&GuddappaAngur National Centre for Skill Development is the name of the institute. I have essentially invested in it and a lot of dedicated professionals have designed courses in conjunction with the National Skill Development Centre. We are trying to

cater to the youth that isn’t part of the higher education system, but can develop specific skills relevant to the job market. This centre has just been launched and we hope to build on this part. This tells you that as a university and institution of higher learning we are not only focused on ensuring our students are employable but also care about that section of society that would have otherwise been deprived of higher education. The centre has been housed near the campus itself and the infrastructure will be solely dedicated to the workings of the Centre. We are also in touch with major industrial houses for additional funding. Universities like MIT and Harvard have been making their course available freely over the web. Does Alliance University use such resources or encourage its students to rely on premium content? Yes, we believe this is a part of the future of

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education. Institutions of higher learning worldwide have embarked on this Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) approach for over 10 years now. Many Indian universities are also doing this in one way or the other. Alliance University isn’t far behind and here we encourage faculty to add to the plethora of courses taught in campus. These are either free courses or ones with minimal financial investment. We have also been offering such courses and will be more engaged in this aspect in the near future. What are some of the other aspects you wish to address in the coming years? Alliance University, in a short span of time has developed into one of the leading universities for higher education in this part of the world. We are committed to the creation of knowledge by making our research much more useful to the society at large. Our quest for knowledge creation and knowledge dissemination must be in all fields of importance as we work steadfastly towards building the name of our university, taking it to greater

Scholarships that Beckon If you have high scores in your plustwo, graduation, or post-graduation, Alliance is calling you. Top scorers get even full tuition fee waivers, while high scorers get partial waivers and deferred fee payments. What is more, Alliance is also offering scholarships to top national-level performers in non-academic fields like sports, arts etc, which is something most private universities are not offering in the country. Alliance draws its scholarship programs from best international practices in the West, where fine students flock to the best institutions based on the superior financial aid provided.

to meet the needs of our many publics whose quality-of-life would increase with enhanced education. We will be starting new academic unitsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;schools and collegesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as part of our expansion in the areas of medical sciences, physiotherapy, nursing, media and communications, etc. The master plan for the University includes 11 colleges and schools in the near future.

heights and working towards the enhancement of society at large, as we move towards a fully integrated knowledge society. Alliance University shall assume greater leadership roles as we purport to teach and engage our university communities in exploring, studying, and making a difference on the big issues facing our society today and in the future. This will require us sharing faculty time, student ideas, alumni access, and research support. We must make all efforts to have our university outreach activities

There is an office of Institutional Analysis attached to my office which tracks the results of the initiatives undertaken by the University and the impact it has had in terms of touching the lives of people in various waysâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; be it our students, parents, faculty, staff, companies, the larger university community, etc., I am very glad to say that our existence thus far has had the good fortune of being able to make an impact and/or have had the opportunity to touch the lives of over 12 million people world-wide. This is the power of education and the multiplier effect of knowledge

dissemination. And of course, it provides me with an immense sense of satisfaction just to be able to feel that our university has made a difference in the lives of so many people in a positive and productive way. I would like to see Alliance University to become one among the best universities in the world, hopefully in my lifetime. As you know, education is a game changer and can have marvellous effect on people and I am excited about the fact that I have been able to contribute in my own little way to higher education in India and beyond.

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"RAHUL GANDHI MOST RELIABLE ALLY THAT MODI & SHAH COULD ASK FOR" THE PADMA BHUSHAN AWARDEE AND INDIA’S MOST CHERISHED HISTORIAN IS UNQUESTIONABLY A VOICE OF REASON WHEN IT COMES TO THIS NATION’S TWO MOST LOVED TOPICS – CRICKET AND POLITICS. HOWEVER, ONE CAN BE SURE THAT HE HAS LITTLE INTEREST IN THE ‘POLITICS OF CRICKET’ OR AT LEAST BEING PRIVY TO IT.

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INTERVIEW WITH Dr. RAMACHANDRA GUHA Interview by: Carl Jaison

rom questioning stardom culture in Indian cricket to raising “conflict-of-interest” charges on Sunil Gavaskar, Saurav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, Ramachandra Guha send shockwaves when he announced his resignation from the SC-appointed CoA. Like any historian, even Guha might have wished to expend his attention and time to academic rigor than be a part of India’s cricket administration where ineptitude seems to be the norm. Being a true patriot and cricket enthusiast, the Bangalore-based author took up the mantle bestowed on him by the apex court to implement the Lodha recommendations in the functioning of the BCCI. As he would later realize, the possibility for solace, which he gained from reading books as a historian, is a rather tall ask in an administration where even a page from the rule-book isn’t adhered to. Pointing out that the problem runs deeper than many would imagine, Guha went on to lament the poor pay handed out to domestic cricketers, CoA’s lack of oversight with disqualified members attending official BCCI meetings and the absence of a male cricketer in the committee. While he declined to comment any further on his recent resignation and his damning letter to Vinod Rai, Guha has provided Indian cricket’s well-wishers with some food for thought. The bottom line is whether he has detected a larger tumour than the Supreme Court has addressed or has he stepped a bit too far with his criticisms? Whatever one may think of it, Guha only wishes good health for Indian cricket. He may not be the specialist according to him, but Guha knows the age-old grandma remedies. It may be well worth everyone’s time to sit up and take notice. While his stint at the CoA may have been a quick-fire T20-like innings, Guha’s popularity in academic circles makes him a Bradman of sorts! In 2008, he was placed 44th in the US magazine Foreign Policy poll of the top 100 public intellectuals in the world. Armed with degrees from the prestigious St. Stephens’ College and Indian Institute of Management-Calcutta, he is easily one of the most recognizable public commentators and eminent historians in the country. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

If Subramanian Swamy is the conscience-keeper of the right-wing, Ramachandra Guha could well take the honours of being the darling of the liberal-left community in India. He seldom hides his admiration for the Nehruvian period and has spectacularly articulated his thoughts on the subject in one of the most epochal chronicles of post-1947 India ever written, via nonfiction best seller, India After Gandhi. The colossal book’s 10th anniversary edition was released recently with much fanfare. However, ever since its original release, the political scenario has changed rapidly and Guha might feel persuaded to pen down his thoughts about the country’s ongoing developments. Many would be waiting with bated breath for the celebrated historian to once again wield his astute mind. Only that this time, it would be to chronicle the spectacular rise of the BJP and the manof-the-moment Prime Minister Narendra Modi. As Guha would himself testify, being amongst the pantheon of writers from the liberal political tradition at a time of fervent nationalism is a thankless task. Often derided as an apologist of the Congress regime, Guha is no stranger to controversies. However, this is a recurrent misconception about the man who has often go on record to blame the Opposition (especially the Congress) for its corruption and dynasty politics and stated that the party might as well give up on its 2019 general election hopes. He launched a scathing attack at the Congress party for its failure to redefine itself and singled out the “entitled” Rahul Gandhi for being the “most important ally” of the BJP. However, at the same time, Guha bemoans the communal politics being practised by the Sangh Parivar and its detrimental effects on India’s democratic image. He once famously quipped about the lack of right-wing intellectualism in India and believes that the views of Sangh’ idols like M.S Golwalkar are plain bigotry requiring no serious academic engagement. A staunch pluralist, with a reformist streak, Guha has courted headlines for his outspoken criticism of Hindu fundamentalism for what he sees as a bigger threat than Islamist terrorism in India. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Much like his disdain for the status-quo in politics, Ramchandra Guha doesn’t mince words when he calls out the flaws in India’s cricket administration & the attitude of its functionaries. Although he steered clear of any questions relating to the pandora’s box called BCCI and cricket in general, Guha put on his political punditry hat and was at his usual resounding best when Seasonal Magazine caught up with him recently in Bangalore: Your ardent readers recently celebrated the tenth anniversary of your bestselling book, India After Gandhi. In the last decade, what according to you was the most defining moment/event in Indian politics that you didn’t anticipate would happen? The rise of Narendra Modi and the corresponding fall of the Congress Party are without doubt the defining moment of Indian politics in the past decade. After the 2009 general elections, the BJP looked down and out. But then hubris set in within the Congress, and a wave of corruption scandals in 2010-1 undermined the UPA regime. Modi seized the moment, adroitly pushing himself on to the national stage, and then converting the election campaign into a Presidential one, not party vs party, but himself vs the weak, incompetent, entitled, and lazy Rahul Gandhi. Since May 2014 the Congress has slipped further, and now the BJP is utterly dominant, being to Indian politics what the Congress was in the 1950s under Nehru or the early 1970s under Indira. You had once called the current BJP government as the “most antiintellectual government” in India ever. Do you now see a surge in right-wing intelligentsia & literature with the recent efforts to popularize the works of Jana Sangh leaders Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya &

AS GUHA WOULD HIMSELF TESTIFY, BEING AMONGST THE PANTHEON OF WRITERS FROM THE LIBERAL POLITICAL TRADITION AT A TIME OF FERVENT NATIONALISM IS A THANKLESS TASK.

M.S Golwalkar or will the Indian academia continue to tend towards leftist historiography? It is an utter misconception that ‘leftists' wholly dominated Indian academics or intellectual life. In fact, liberals had much greater influence than Marxists from the 1950s onwards. The Marxists controlled a few institutions such as JNU, but elsewhere the liberals were very prominent. Most of the best economists, such as DR Gadgil and Jagdish Bhagwati, were liberals not Marxists; so were the best sociologists, such as MN Srinivas and Andre Beteille, and the best political scientists, such as Rajni Kothari and A. Appadorai. As for your question, while there were fine conservative scholars in the past (such as Jadunath Sarkar, RC Majumdar and others) there is no credible rightwing intellectual tradition in India today. In a long essay published in Caravan magazine in 2015 I outlined the profoundly anti-intellectual orientation of the Sangh Parivar. Golwalkar and company had a real hostility to independent thinking and quality scholarship. The present Modi-Shah regime has no conception of scholarship either. They are philistine and antiintellectual, as their sponsorship of the most vulgar abuse on social media shows.

IT IS NOT FOR ME TO PRESCRIBE WHAT THE RULING PARTY SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT DO. BUT THE PRIME MINISTER HAS TO GO BEYOND THE ODD STATEMENT MADE IN THE SABARMATI ASHRAM.

The ‘Not In My Name’ protests highlighted the strength of mass, apolitical movements, which arguably prompted the PM to send out a stern message to gaurakshaks. What more do you think the ruling party must do to deal with situations of mob lynching? Do you endorse the need for a MASUKA law to deal with such violence? It is not for me to prescribe what the ruling party should or should not do. But the Prime Minister has to go beyond the odd statement made in the Sabarmati Ashram. These lynchings are deeply damaging to Indian democracy, and they give India and Indians a bad name. You cannot go abroad and ask foreign firms to invest in India when you cannot ensure security of life and property within India itself. Going by BJP’s recent thumping victory in Uttar Pradesh, what are your predictions for the 2019 General Election and the performance of the incumbent government? Do you think there is still time for the Opposition to mount a comeback or has the ModiShah combo decimated any hopes of all hopes? The Opposition is in disarray. However (and this is our republic's saving grace) democracy is about more than party politics. Thus the ideas and policies of

Modi and Shah are being contested by Indians who shall never fight or win an election, even a panchayat election. While large sections of the print and (especially) electronic media have become mouthpieces of the ruling party, there remain some newspapers, some editors, and some reporters who write fearlessly and on the basis of facts about the crimes and errors of the BJP and the governments it directs. And some websites are more independent-minded still. Meanwhile, notwithstanding the paid armies of right-wing trolls, on social media too democratic and liberal voices are becoming more visible and active. In spite of the time, energy and money that the BJP spends on controlling mainstream as well as social media, it has not been able to suppress either reasoned debate or independent documentation and analysis. Meanwhile, in society at large, tens of millions of Indians remain committed to an idea of constitutional patriotism that is steadfastly opposed to Hindutva. These Indians do not want their country to become a Hindu Pakistan. They do not want to be told what to eat, how to dress, whom to love and whom to vilify. Seventy years of independence and of life under the Constitution have led to the inculcation of mores and habits that run against the grain of authoritarianism and majoritarianism. Will this independent, non-party, opposition to the BJP crystallize over time into a party (or parties) that can defeat the BJP in the general election of 2024? Can there be a Emmanuel Macron-like phenomenon in India? Those questions I don’t have answers to. But I would like to reiterate that democracy must never be reduced to, or equated with, the winning and losing of elections. Democracy is a way of life, a system of values that must be practised

every day, not brought out of hibernation once every five years. Many Indians subscribe to this deeper understanding of democracy, which is why, in spite of a single party being so dominant in the sphere of elections, its policies and politicians face such searching criticism in the public sphere. The inspiration for the cow slaughter ban clearly has its roots in the RSS ideology, best put forward by M.S Golwalkar. Although he primarily voiced his opinion about rights of Hindus, do you think there is a case to be made for engaging with Golwalkar’s philosophical reasoning in a discourse currently dominated by the Marxist & liberal academia? Golwalkar was a bigot, plain and simple. There is no philosophical depth or subtlety to his writings, merely a demonization of Muslims and Christians, and a glorification of India's alleged greatness in the past, and a dogmatic assertion that India will lead the world in the future. His ideas are profoundly antithetical to the Constitution, indeed to civilized and humane life in general. India is one of the most stable and pluralist democracies in Asia and yet has often been reluctant to embrace Western notions of multiculturalism and liberalism. Are you apprehensive about the rise of majoritarian & faithbased politics or are you confident that India’ institutions and constitution can withstand any adverse circumstances? As a constitutional democrat, I am apprehensive about the rise of majoritarianism. There are some very ugly sides to the present regime. And they are helped along by a corrupt and incompetent Opposition. Indeed, Rahul Gandhi, who exemplifies this incompetence most, is the most reliable ally that Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have. At the same time, I deplore the apocalyptic talk, so common among the Indian Left, of fascism and the like. Forget Fascism, the situation today is not even comparable to the Emergency. There is far more open debate than there was in 1975, and many major States are controlled by Opposition parties. The democratic instincts of Indians will push back against the authoritarianism of the Sangh Parivar. But it will be a long and arduous struggle. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

NATION

INDIA’S ENGLISH HANDICAP BARRIER TO VIRTUAL WORLD THE 1.3-BILLION STRONG COUNTRY IS HOME TO 22 OFFICIAL LANGUAGES AND OVER 122 OTHER MAJOR ONES. FURTHER, THERE ARE OVER 700 DIALECTS WRITTEN IN A MULTITUDE OF SCRIPTS. YET, INDIA’S EDUCATION SYSTEM AND JOB MARKET FAVOUR ENGLISH. or many Indians who are still offline, language is a massive barrier to the online world.

widely used Indian languages. Amazon’s Kindle now supports e-books in five Indian languages.

Indian language content constitutes less than 0.01% of the internet today. But make no mistake, the next wave of users in India will be non-English speaking, a study of 4,612 urban citizens and 2,448 rural Indians by management consultancy KPMG India and search giant Google shows.

However, “almost every new user coming online—roughly nine out of 10—is not proficient in English,” says Google vice-president, India and south Asia, Rajan Anandan. “So, it is fair to say that almost all the growth of usage is coming from non-English users.”

Indian language internet users already far exceed the number of English language users in the country—their user base grew from 42 million in 2011 to 234 million in 2016. To capture this emerging market, businesses must ditch the status quo where English is king. Besides, merely having a phone with a regional language keyboard, search capability, and translation tools isn’t enough anymore. What is needed is a complete ecosystem. That is the bridge Reverie Language Technologies is building. The Bengaluru-based startup provides regional language capabilities to device makers and app developers, among others. “An entire generation has grown up not being able to type in its own language…and has instead been forced to adopt English usage in order to get on the information superhighway,” said Arvind Pani, co-founder and CEO, Reverie. Language equality on the internet “seems like a distant reality” to him. Along with providing surface level solutions like translations and Indic display fonts for feature phone, Reverie is also working to integrate Indian languages at the device and app levels. Its team of around 66 employees focuses on creating a start-to-end Indic language experience, from rendering fonts and creating display support for SEASONAL MAGAZINE

devices to accurate typing and content discovery. Reverie was founded in 2009 by siblings Arvind and Vivekananda Pani, and SK Mohanty, Vivekananda’s colleague from the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). It works with original equipment manufacturers, chipset makers, and developers, besides consumer internet companies in the ecommerce, travel, and media space. In August 2015, Reverie secured $4 million in funding from Bengaluru-based venture capital firm Aspada and California-based Qualcomm Ventures. By 2021, around 201 million Hindi users will be online, the KPMG-Google study estimates. Some companies are already preparing for this. Chinese giant Alibaba’s UC browser, available in over 13 Indian languages, is more popular than Google Chrome and other browsers. Over 60% of UC’s Indian users have opted for Hindi as their preferred choice, Arvind said. In April, Google Translate launched neural translations between English and nine

“Just because someone does not speak English, he/she should not lose out on opportunities, if they are otherwise skilled/ qualified for the role,”

However, Reverie says it is the only company using machine learning and artificial intelligence for translation, search, and data mining for complex Indic scripts. Its clients include ecommerce platform Snapdeal, the HDFC Securities app, Ixigo, the Indian Rail Train PNR Status app, Abhibus, and the government of India’s eNAM portal for farmers. Reverie recently helped localise the government’s digital payments app, BHIM, in eight languages. However, mere translation can’t solve all problems. Some need a design overhaul. For instance, the image of a shopping cart on websites can leave many Indian language users clueless. Some local words or phrases, like, say, in Malayalam, can be 1.5-2 times the length of their English versions, and a Hindi phrase 1.6x of its English equivalent, vertically. Besides, users must also have access to Indian language content in inexpensive, lightweight apps. Companies can’t do all this alone. The government must also lend a hand. For instance, jobs can be advertised or listed on non-English language sites, too. “Just because someone does not speak English, he/she should not lose out on opportunities, if they are otherwise skilled/qualified for the role,” says Arvind. “Eventually, all businesses operating in India need to ask themselves: How Indian are they?”

INCENTIVES

IT PAYS TO SLEEP: INNOVATIVE EMPLOYEE WELLNESS PROGRAM THE ONLINE MATTRESS-MAKER CASPER SPECIALIZES IN SELLING CUSTOMERS A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP. BUT CASPER EMPLOYEES CAN ACTUALLY MAKE MONEY IN EXCHANGE FOR GETTING SOME MUCH NEEDED WORKOUT AND SLEEP!

long with a growing number of companies, Casper is looking for ways to incentivize employees to exercise and get enough rest. But rather than offering a traditional gym discount, Casper gives employees cash rewards for working out—wherever, and however, they please. The goal is to promote healthy habits among employees, and drive down healthinsurance costs in the bargain. But the program also raises an important question: How much information should employers have about what workers do when they’re off the clock? Casper co-founder Neil Parikh explains that employees track their exercise and sleep via IncentFit, a fitness-reward app

designed for company use. They use the app to “check in” at their desired gym or fitness facility. (Location-based algorithms ensure that you really are at SoulCycle, not on your couch.) IncentFit also rewards running, walking, or biking milage tracked via fitness apps or devices like Fitbit. Payment is distributed monthly: $20 per fitness facility/class visit, $0.20 per mile walked, $4 per mile ran, $2 per mile biked, and $50 per race completed. The startup has also extended the benefit to rest, encouraging employees to track nightly sleep via IncentFit for $2 per night. Through IncentFit, Casper employees can earn a monthly maximum of $130 for exercise and $60 for sleep—a $190 cap set by Casper’s leadership. As context, in New York City, this is enough to fully reimburse an all-access pass at gyms like Crunch ($120 per month) and Planet Fitness ($20 per month), four SoulCycle classes, or six Pure Barre classes. And, if you sweat it out enough, you could make a serious dent in upper-crust gym Equinox’s $240 all-access monthly fee. “When a startup comes to us and says, ‘Hey, we have a cool product to help your employees’ health,’ we’re almost always the first in the industry to pilot,” says Parikh, who adopted Incentfit shortly before Casper launched in 2014. Today, more than half of the company takes advantage of the fitness and sleep rewards, and in the past month, 69% of employees registered with Incentfit earned money. Casper is not alone in offering such

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benefits. A handful of health insurance companies now offer financial discounts for hitting exercise goals, which they usually market to employers (not individual customers), incentivizing them to encourage their team to wear Fitbits or Jawbones. At Clif Bar & Company, employees are encouraged to workout for 30 minutes a day on the company’s dime. If they skip the 30minute break and put in nine-hour days for nine work days in a row, they can instead take a full paid tenth day off— which they’re encouraged to spend actively. Hootsuite, the social media managing platform, also suggests employees block out some paid work time for exercising at their in-office gym and yoga studio. And a 2013 study in the journal Translational Behavior Medicine found that when given the choice between paying 20% more for health insurance or exercising more, the majority of people picked fitness. The Incentfit program is “about motivating people to be healthier,” says Parikh. “We’re always trying to find ways to quantify and motivate people to take positive social behaviors. We can provide a gym membership, but so often it just sits on the shelf. Financial rewards actually motivate behavior.” While studies have yet to determine whether fitness trackers change inactive people’s long-term habits, research does show that trackers provide people with accountability and motivation. But critics warn there are risks to allowing companies to monitor their employees’ activities. “Helping people become more selfaware about fitness and wellness habits is very brand consistent for Casper, given their focus on sleep, and very much tethered to how the modern employer thinks holistically about healthy employees,” says Liane Davey, an organizational psychologist and author of You First: Inspire Your Team to Grow Up, Get Along, and Get Stuff Done. “But as an employee, I’d be very nervous about this benefit, particularly who has access to sensitive exercise and sleep data.” It’s impossible to prevent implicit bias

from slipping into our decision making, Davey says. So if an employer’s bias is that people who work out are more driven, more responsible, or healthier, the company may start to think that regular gym-goers are more suitable for management or have better stamina. If an employee is exercising a lot and sleeping little, implicit bias may lead an employer to view the worker as obsessive, less focused on work, or— especially at a sleep-focused company— harming their own productivity. If the same HR person or manager with access to your exercise and sleep intensity is also evaluating your merit and eligibility for a promotion, such implicit biases will almost certainly be at play, says Davey. This ought to worry both employees and leaders who care about equality. At Casper, management does not have access to individual employees’ exercise and sleep data— only employees can see their own records. However, management can see how much each employee is paid through the Incentfit program monthly, which is indicative how much each employee hit the gym. Even if employers aren’t monitoring workers’ data, there are other downsides

to such programs. At Casper, Parikh says that the exercise benefit has inspired many employees to work out together— a great way to build camaraderie. But for those who physically cannot exercise, don’t want to exercise, or simply aren’t at the fitness level of their peers, this phenomenon is a breeding ground for bias, says Davey. If you keep passing on yoga after work, your peers may start to think of you as lazy, unhealthy, unfriendly, or unmotivated. Parikh, however, emphasizes that the program is entirely optional. “We don’t force anyone to participate,” he says, “it’s about individual empowerment, and that has to come from within.” In the long run, the benefit will likely incentivize those who already work out

Wto determine hile studies have yet whether

fitness trackers change inactive people’s long-term habits, research does show that trackers provide people with accountability and motivation.

frequently and have little impact on the behavior of those who don’t, according to Davey. That means it’s better for a company’s brand than for lowering health-insurance costs or increasing productivity. She suggests that companies would do better to think holistically about their employees’ health—and to avoid tracking it. The best option is to pull healthy activities into the office, during the work day. Activities like meditation, group walks, or stress-management during lunch, coupled with leaders encouraging employees to take a break and participate, are far more likely to spark positive peer pressure and engage those who opt out of post-work wellness, she says. Plus, getting active during the work day speaks volumes about management’s belief that a healthy mind and body is just as (if not more) important as your 5 pm deadline. “You’re never going to have perfect exercise or wellness policy,” says Davey, “and Casper deserves praise for encouraging values and behaviors they believe in.” But it’s worth sweating over the details of even the most alluring benefits. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

PAY TIME

SALARY SALARY GAP GAP OF OF INDIAN INDIAN PUBLIC PUBLIC AND AND PRIVATE PRIVATE SECTOR SECTOR BANK BANK CEOS CEOS WILL WILL LEAVE LEAVE YOU YOU SHOCKED! SHOCKED! It was always known that private sector bank CEOs in India take home a sizeable salary compared to their public sector counterparts. However, even with the range of benefits accrued to them, the salary earned by public sector lenders is far more disproportionate than once believed. ndia’s government-led public sector bankers are a poorly paid lot, at least compared to their private sector counterparts. Take for instance Arundhati Bhattacharya, chairperson of State Bank of India, the country’s largest publicsector lender, which is among the world’s top 50 banks. The company commands a market share of 23% in deposits and 21% in advances, higher than any other bank in India. Yet, in 2016-17, Bhattacharya took home a salary of Rs28.96 lakh, a little less than 5% of the amount paid to ICICI Bank CEO Chanda Kochhar, who helms India’s largest private-sector bank. Kochhar earned a total compensation of Rs6.09 crore in the same period. The disparity becomes even more glaring when Bhattacharya’s pay is

Arundhati Bhattacharya SEASONAL MAGAZINE

stacked against the salary of Aditya Puri, managing director of HDFC Bank. Puri, India’s highest-paid banker, bagged a princely sum of Rs10.05 crore in 201617. And SBI is not an isolated case. Even at Punjab National Bank (PNB), another large public-sector bank (PSB), former CEO Usha Ananthasubramanian earned a salary of just Rs 30.45 lakh. Other honchos like Yes Bank’s Rana Kapoor receives a remuneration of Rs. 6.87 crore, compared to Bank of Baroda’s P S Jayakumar and Dena Bank’s Ashwani Kumar who pocket just Rs. 30 lakh and Rs. 27 lakh respectively.

RAJAN HAD ADVOCATED FOR THE NEED TO INTRODUCE OTHER BENEFITS, SUCH AS EMPLOYEE STOCK OWNERSHIP PLANS (ESOPS), TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL COMPENSATION STRUCTURE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR.

Chanda Kochhar

While top bankers at PSBs are entitled to a number of allowances and perks, experts say these hardly minimise the salary disparity. “As compared to private banks, the CEOs of PSBs enjoy multiple benefits– (a) car, driver, house at a prime location, reduced rate of interest for loans etc. As you move up the ladder, the benefit magnifies,” Ajay Shah, head of recruitment services at Teamlease, a human resources service company, said. “But even after taking the fringe benefits into account, the income gap is still disproportionate.” Even former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan once said, jokingly, that he felt underpaid. Before he stepped down from his position last year, he drew a monthly salary of just Rs2.09 lakh and had highlighted the fact that the relatively lower earnings made it hard for India’s state-owned banks to attract talent. “One of the problems, of course, is that as with all public sector entities, you overpay at the bottom and underpay at the top…” he had said. “Yes, you feel that you are doing the job for the broader public but you just make it harder to attract top talent.” Rajan had advocated for the need to introduce other benefits, such as employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), to improve the overall compensation structure in the public sector. The Banks Board Bureau, a committee set up by the Indian government, has also recommended introducing ESOPs and performancelinked incentives to improve the governance of PSBs. In the private sector, top employees rely heavily on stock options to boost their earnings. HDFC’s Puri, for instance, liquidated ESOPs worth Rs57 crore in the last fiscal year. For comparison, it would take SBI’s Bhattacharya close to 200 years to accumulate this sum at her current salary. India’s PSBs are in the midst of a bad loan crisis, and the shortage of quality talent is compounding their woes. But with such low salaries, it’s no surprise that employees are more interested in the private sector instead.

CAREER

By Debjani Arora

A VIRAL TWEET PUTS MENTAL HEALTH IN CAREERS IN GLOBAL LIMELIGHT

Woman’s tweet on mental health goes viral, in India we are far from tackling the situation with such ease. Will employers in India be more reciprocative towards employees who suffer from mental health problem? esterday when I was at the hospital, I saw that my social media timeline was abuzz with the news of a woman’s tweet about her boss’s positive response to her leave application, urging for a leave to take care of her mental health. This old tweet (tweeted in June) suddenly garnered attention and was retweeted some 12,000 times. I was wondering why so much fuss over an old tweet and then I realised that the retweets are proof enough that people have finally started appreciating an open dialogue, communication about mental health. Here are eight modern day signs of depression everyone should know. The tweet was from Madalyn Parker, a Michigan web developer at live-chat platform Olark, who suffers from depression and anxiety. Her boss thanked her later for being so open and frank about her condition. In a social set-up where we are globally fighting this stigma attached to mental health, such occurrence is rare. Read to know what happens to your brain when you suffer from depression. When the CEO responds to your out of the office email about taking sick leave for mental health and reaffirms your decision. pic.twitter.com/6BvJVCJJFq madalyn (@madalynrose) June 30, 2017 In India, we still keep mum about mental health issues as it raises eyebrows and question one’s wellbeing in the context of being productive, creative and also a stable enough to get along with life. In a bid to stop discrimination and apathy towards people suffering from mental health problems the mental healthcare Act, 2017 was brought to action. However, this is just a small step in fighting the stigma that has clouded our thoughts and opinions about people suffering from mental health problems. Why we don’t talk Just a few days prior to World Health day on 7th April 2017 WHO had released data which states that over 300 million

healing. Since we stay quiet and most times don’t know how to react to someone who is suffering from such troubles, the problem escalates and then we face the consequences. Probably this is the reason why the social media goes crazy when someone takes things positively pertaining to mental health problems; this is the reason why such tweets go viral.

people are living with depression. The number of people with depression increased more than 18 per cent from 2005 to 2015. Depression is an important risk factor for suicide, which claims hundreds of thousands of lives each year, says the report. It is not surprising that we wake up to news of people committing suicide without reaching out for help. Often people suffering from depression don’t talk, because there is a culture prevalent among us that provokes inaction more than action, about not only depression and mental health matters but also other social issues like molestation, sexual harassment and rape. However, these days we are making the right noise about mental health with campaigns, slogans and help lines for those suffering from depression. But it is still a long way till we make a person suffering from depression capable enough to fight the stigma, come out in open and ask for help. What we should do We need to be vigilant and reciprocative towards mental health patients. Probably the more we say, ‘It’s ok,’ ‘Let’s get help,’ ‘I understand,’ ‘I am with you in this,’ these statements can have a positive effect on people who are suffering from depression and instil a culture of help and

In India, where it’s difficult to procure maternity-paternity leaves or medical emergency leaves from employers, seeking leave to get mental health help is a far-fetched reality. Many organizations don’t even have the provision for sick leaves and people have to do away with their privilege leaves during an emergency. Stress, competition and peer pressure makes most of us prone to depression and anxiety, but we hardly see any steps taken to counter this. This is the reason why many suffer in silence, leading to consequences that aren’t very heartening. Recently there have been enough noises and changes happening to address issues related to woman’s health like extending the maternity leave from three months to six months and organisations coming out in open offering paid leave for women during their first day of periods, we are hopeful that even mental health would get its due. With such tweets making the rounds, we can be hopeful that in our country too a leave application sent to address mental health issues will be reciprocated positively by employers, even if the news goes viral or not. Our take home lesson Rather than being apathetic, being empathetic towards people who have the courage to come out and talk in open will make a huge difference. Even if we don’t tweet it out to support a person suffering from mental health problems, a hug, a reassuring pat or even a smile can help them fight the prejudice and come out victorious while fighting their own demons. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

SRM University

HIGHER EDUCATION

SRM TO DOMINATE

HIGHER EDUCATION SCENE IN AMARAVATI

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s SRM University turns the page on a new chapter in its prolific history, there are very few of its counterparts that can match up to its steady progress. Amaravati, the new capital city of Andhra Pradesh, welcomed its first varsity – SRM University, AP - recently with a splendid inauguration ceremony graced by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, N Chandra Babu Naidu and Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, M Venkaih Naidu. The Chief Minister reiterated his commitment for the comprehensive development of Amaravati and heaped praise on SRM University’s contribution to the same. “I am sure within a span of five years, SRM University with 10,000 students would be a top ranked world class university, with multi stream research in the fields of engineering to management, liberal arts & humanities to law, medicine to health sciences to make Amaravati recognized by foreign countries as the best educational hub of the globe”, said Mr. Naidu.

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Perkins and Will, American architects who have designed some of the leading universities in the world, are the architects for this new institution.

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SRM University

is focusing on establishing a multi-stream research University having the faculties of engineering and technology to start with. The new campus has reportedly enrolled 240 students to its various engineering courses. From engineering to medicine and from liberal arts to management, SRM has an ambitious plan to be in the top world class universities in ten years with

20000+ students and 1500 faculty members. The campus is based in sprawling 200 acres of land and it will be globally connected whilst being regionally transformative. With SRM University's long-term goal of achieving a pan-India presence picking up steam, the future of self-financing private institutions in India seems promising. Perkins and Will, American architects who have designed some of the leading universities in the world, are the architects for this new institution. Perrett Laver and Society, global search firms from UK, are involved in the recruitment of senior leadership roles and faculty. When it comes to professional development of students, SRM University, Amaravati is presently setting up partnerships with world renowned universities especially from the US, the UK and Singapore. This isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t anything new at SRM University as it is already renowned for its semester abroad, dualdegree and twining program with major universities in the world. Under the semester abroad program, the students are allowed to take-up a few courses and/ or a Major project in reputed foreign universities for ONE semester. For its dual-degree programs, SRM has partnered with some of the leading engineering and MBA colleges from across the world including, University of Dayton, University of Warwick, Missouri State University, University of New South Wales etc. The objective is clearly to evolve into a top ranked University with global connections offering relevant programs aimed at societal impact. The university has been one of the pioneers of research-based education and flexible curriculum thereby fostering a conducive environment for entrepreneurship and innovations. In pursuit of developing this culture of excellence, SRM University AP - Amaravati has forged collaborations with the world's best universities, MIT and UC Berkeley College of Engineering, U.S., launching new program with design, innovation, and entrepreneurship focus for the first time in India. SRM has partnered with UC Berkley College of Engineering, California, U.S., to enable bi-directional information exchange in the areas of engineering education. SRM will also be a global partner of the Jacob's Institute for Design engineering and the Sutardja Centre for Entrepreneurship and SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Technology (SCET). This partnership would establish centers of design, innovation and entrepreneurship at SRM, which would embrace the study and practice of "technologycentric" innovation bringing together technical depth, design methodology, and a focus on societal impact. SRM students and faculty will be provided the opportunity to travel to UC Berkeley to imbibe these ideas. Every year, 20 undergraduate students will be given the opportunity to go to UC Berkeley for a semester to study engineering at Berkeley with a defined set of concurrent enrollment and bootcamp courses.

"We aim to bring a confluence of international ideas, technological innovation, and social impact, creating an ecosystem of meaningful creation originating at Amaravati and impacting the entire state, nation, and the world.", says Dr. Sandip Tiwari, Cornell University, U.S., and newly appointed Vice Chancellor of SRM University, AP – Amaravati. The university will also establish centres of Excellence in Renewable energy, Satellite technology, Internet of Things (IoTs), Blue Economy, Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Machine Learning, Rolls Royce – SRM Corporate laboratory, Jal – Janak Rail

energy, and CRISPR for pushing the frontiers of modern technology. “Semester abroad programs and company internships across the world would also be present to create innovators and global leaders.” says Dr. Narayan Rao, Pro – Vice Chancellor of SRM AP. The new institute is also offering competitive scholarships to the most meritorious and deserving students in its debut academic year. Students getting an aggregate of 90 percent and above in PCM subjects in CBSE or an aggregate of 95 percent and above in PCM subjects in any state board would be given a 50 percent

SRM has partnered with UC Berkley College of Engineering, California, U.S., to enable bi-directional information exchange in the areas of engineering education.

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Ravi Pachamoothoo Chairman

tuition waiver. Students above 95 percent aggregate in CBSE in the 12th standard are eligible for the Founder's Scholarship which would include a full tuition and hostel fee waiver. Having been placed in the highest "A" category by the Ministry of Human Resource & Development, SRM University finds itself regularly featured in India's most reputed ranking lists and acquiring accreditation from official bodies. With accreditations from both the Engineering and Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET and 'A' grade by NAAC, it is only natural that SRM's engineering and IT programs are a major attraction to its prospective students. At over 33,000 students, his SRM University is one of the largest selffinancing private universities in the country, ahead of even single-campus wonder Lovely, and next only to multi-campus phenomenon Amity.

Perhaps what should excite prospective students the most is the tie-up with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA in the design and development of its curriculum through the use of MITx and MIT OpenCourseWare (OCW) course material with relevant local content into the courses offered. The SRM faculty will take part in annual design camps to learn techniques to blend MIT course material with relevant local content. This will mainly be for subjects like calculus, electromagnetic theory, classical mechanics and computer programming. These courses will incorporate the concepts of hybrid learning by utilising both traditional and technologically enabled teaching methods. Students would relish the absolute scholastic advantages being a SRMite. â&#x20AC;&#x153;SRM is embracing a new method of learning, not before seen in India. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

We will emphasise practical and application oriented learning via projects and lab courses rather than monologues that are the typical feature of our classrooms. We would like to create a world class environment for our students here at SRM University and we want to help them create tomorrow. The faculty recruitment has followed a similar strategy with over 90% of the faculty having international academic exposure and all faculty members having PhDs from foreign universities, IITs or IISc. Around 30 faculty members have been appointed across different disciplines and over 20% of the faculty recruited are foreign nationals” said P. Sathyanarayanan, president of SRM University.

The university has also signed a MoU with EFREI, one of France’s leading specialized engineering institution, for student and faculty exchange. It is also establishing centres of excellence (CoE) in renewable energy (solar and wind), space technology, Internet of Things (IoTs) and CRISPR. The Centre for Blue Economy, being established at the Amaravati campus, is a one-of-itskind CoE in the country. Prospective students will get an opportunity to be involved in ambitious projects such as the “Mission to Moon”, “JalJanak Rail (Hydrogen Powered Train)” etc. “We live in an increasingly interconnected world that faces challenges and complex problems on a global scale. At the start of the

21st century, SRM University is uniquely prepared to tackle these challenges through its breadth of scholarship; its entrepreneurial heritage and pioneering faculty. The era of globalization means many things to SRM: undertaking research and real-world approaches on issues relating to science and technology; exchanging ideas and collaborating with global universities; and providing overseas opportunities for undergraduates and staff alike” says Dr P. Sathyanarayanan. With Amaravati being refashioned along the lines of a global city with a capital infusion of Rs. 50,000 crores, there is no doubt that it will be a prime investment destination and industrial hub. This will stand to benefit SRM University students who

The university has also signed a MoU with EFREI, one of France’s leading specialized engineering institution, for student and faculty exchange.

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can find ample opportunities to work as interns in nearby companies. This should ensure an easier gateway to find placements with global companies.

Dr. P. Sathyanarayanan President

SRM group of institutions began its journey in 1969 with the setting up of primary school and then upgraded to the status of Matriculation Higher Secondary school in 1981. SRM swiftly expanded its wings to grab the most aspiring disciplines of collegiate education in the fields of engineering, medicine and health sciences, management, pure science, liberal arts and Law. By 2015 SRM was made up of three separate Universities: SRM University Chennai, SRM University Haryana and SRM University Sikkim. Now SRM has launched its fourth institution: SRM University, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. If money can create a great educational enterprise out of nothing, it is SRM. Its main Kattankulathur Campus in Kancheepuram near Chennai is a 250 acres affair. A central library with vast resources, air-conditioned auditorium that can accommodate over 4,000 people, IT and knowledge management system supporting over 5,000 computer systems and IT applications of the University, 32 megabytes per second internet connection, modern lecture halls & "smart classrooms", wirelessenabled lab and campus, language lab - specializing in English, German, Japanese, French & Chinese, are only some of the academic facilities. Support facilities include around 40 Buses - AC & non-AC - that ply regularly between the college and the city, 15 canteens - from fast-food to full-fledged cafeterias spread throughout the campus, retail outlets - Higginbothams book store, Airtel phone booths, Reynolds teller

Its main Kattankulathur Campus in Kancheepuram near Chennai is a 250 acres affair. machines, super markets, Reliance Webworld with Java Cafe - all within the campus, a 3-Star SRM Hotel, and prayer halls for all major religions, are only some of the outstanding features of this 42-block masterpiece design. Though the other campuses at Ramapuram & Vadapalani (both at Chennai), and at NCR are relatively smaller, they too are not behind in offering state-of-the-art amenities. SRM also has extensive and modern hostel facilities, complete with not only South Indian and North Indian cuisine, but with Chinese, Thai, & Continental cuisines for catering to the tastes of its international students. Apart from the modern infrastructural facilities, there cannot be a better

marker of an institution than its academic excellence and quality of faculty. This was perhaps well reflected in SRM's case when it became one amongst the 31 Indian universities that made it to the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Ranking. In the Times of India Engineering Institutes Ranking Survey, SRM University is ranked no.1 among the top 75 private engineering institutes in the country. It achieved a stellar no. 5 ranking in the top 150 engineering institutes list and the no. 1 position in the region-wise (South) ranking in the same survey. The university also came 7th in The India Today-Nielsen Survey in the top 10 engineering institutes category. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

SUCCESS

How To Develop A Successful Morning Routine Dr Travis Bradberry, best-selling author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, is an early riser. But what really is the secret of his and countless other people’s success? Here he takes us through his daily time table and why it’s essential to start early to be well ahead of the curve. tarbucks continues to grow relentlessly, with CEO Howard Schultz planning to open 500 new stores a year over the next five years. Much of this growth will happen in China, where Schulz is undeterred by the recent economic slowdown. While many factors contribute to Starbucks’ immunity to economic trends, most are driven by Schultz. Starbucks’ massive size hasn’t stopped him from realizing his vision of creating a company that’s about much more than making money selling coffee; Schultz is committed to selling an experience and a lifestyle, both of which are inspired by a trip to Italy as a child, where he was drawn to the cafe scene. Schultz is fiercely loyal to his values. When asked how he balances his values with strategic thinking, he said, "Unfortunately, we live in a sea of mediocrity in all walks of life. We live amid a fracturing of civility. Everywhere we go as consumers, we’re getting people who don’t want to reach into our hearts or know who we are; they want to reach into our wallets and get some money. The only way we can succeed and sustain growth is linked to the basic elements of one cup of coffee, one customer, and one barista at a time." Schultz views company strategy and his personal values as one and the same. To this end, he has put massive amounts of money into healthcare for Starbucks’ employees (even those who are part time), into free college education for all employees, and into campaigning for human rights. Schultz's loyalty to his personal values starts every morning at 4:30 a.m. He rises early to make time for his SEASONAL MAGAZINE

employees, his family, and himself. He starts his morning by sending motivational e-mails to his employees, and then he exercises by taking his dogs for a walk, before disconnecting from technology to eat breakfast and drink French Press coffee with his wife. Few of us have hundreds of millions of dollars to invest in our values, but we can all develop the same discipline that Schultz demonstrates each morning— and it isn’t just a morning thing; it pays dividends all day long. Research shows that early risers are more proactive than night owls, they’re more agreeable and conscientious, and they’re happier than people who sleep in.

There are many ways to utilize the early morning hours effectively, but some of the best ideas come from ultra-successful people like Schultz. Here are eight of my favorites. Drink lemon water Drinking lemon water as soon as you wake up spikes your energy levels physically and mentally. By improving nutrient absorption in your stomach, it gives you a steady, natural energy buzz that lasts the length of the day. You need to drink it first thing in the morning (on an empty stomach) to ensure full absorption. You should also wait 15–30 minutes after drinking it before eating

(perfect time to squeeze in some exercise). Lemons are chock full of nutrients, such as potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants. If you weigh less than 150 pounds, drink the juice of half a lemon (a full lemon if you’re over 150 pounds). Don’t drink the juice without water because it’s hard on your teeth. Exercise It’s not just Schultz who exercises early in the morning; Richard Branson, Tim Cook, and Disney’s Bob Iger all wake up well before 6:00 a.m. to get their bodies moving. While their ungodly wake-up hours and exercise routines may seem crazy, research supports the extra effort. A study conducted at the Eastern Ontario Research Institute found that people who exercised twice a week for 10 weeks felt more competent socially, academically, and athletically. A second study conducted by researchers at the University of Bristol found that people who exercised daily had more energy and a more positive outlook, which are both critical for getting things done. Getting your body moving for as little as 10 minutes releases GABA, a neurotransmitter that

makes your brain feel soothed and keeps you in control of your impulses. Exercising first thing in the morning ensures that you’ll have the time for it, and it improves your self-control and energy levels over the course of the entire day. Disconnect While Schultz starts his day with a motivational e-mail to his employees, after this, he disconnects and dedicates his time to exercise and family. When you wake up and dive straight into emails, texts, and Facebook, you are far more likely to lose focus, and your morning succumbs to the wants and needs of other people. It’s much healthier to take those precious first moments of the day to do something relaxing, which sets a calm, positive tone for your day. Eat a healthy breakfast Eating anything at all for breakfast puts you ahead of a lot of people. People who eat breakfast are less likely to be obese, they have more stable blood-sugar levels, and they tend to be less hungry over the course of the day. And these are just the statistics for people who eat any breakfast. When you eat a healthy breakfast, the doors to a productive day swing wide open. A healthy breakfast gives you energy, improves your shortterm memory, and helps you to concentrate more intensely and for longer periods. Practice mindfulness Mindfulness meditation has become increasingly popular among highly successful CEOs. Its growth in the business world is largely due to the huge dividends it pays in productivity and overall well-being. Research shows that mindfulness fights off stress by reversing the fight-or-flight response, improves your ability to focus, boosts creativity, and increases your emotional intelligence. Set goals for the day Benjamin Franklin was obsessive about planning his days. Each morning, he

would wake up at 4:00 a.m. and meticulously piece together a schedule. There’s a clear message to take from Franklin’s habit: prudent goal setting pays dividends. When you plan out your day as carefully as possible, your chances of successfully accomplishing your goals skyrocket. I like to set my daily goals after my mindfulness practice, because the added calm and clarity help me to set effective, specific goals. Make certain your goals are realistic There’s no point in setting goals if they aren’t realistic. Take the time to ensure that your schedule for the day is doable by assigning times to your to-do list. A good rule of thumb is to make your day as top heavy as possible. Think about the things that have the ability to advance your career, no matter how daunting the tasks, and schedule them first. When you complete difficult tasks first, you carry positive energy and a feeling of accomplishment into the rest of your day. Vague goals such as “I want to finish writing my article” are counterproductive, because they fail to include the “how” of things. The same goal re-phrased in a more functional way would read something like this: “I am going to finish my article by writing each of the three sections, spending no more than an hour on each section.” Now, you have more than simply something you want to achieve—you have a way to achieve it. Finally, say no No is a powerful word, which will protect your precious mornings. When it’s time to say no, avoid phrases such as “I don’t think I can” or “I’m not certain.” Saying no to a new commitment honors your existing commitments, and your morning time is an important commitment. Research conducted at the University of California in San Francisco showed that the more difficulty that you have saying no, the more likely you are to experience stress, burnout, and even depression. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

INVESTMENT

Can Saudi Arabia pull off Aramco’s 2-trillion dollar IPO? SAUDI ARABIA PLANS A PUBLIC OFFERING OF 5% OF ITS NATIONAL OIL COMPANY, ARAMCO, SOMETIME IN 2018. AS THE WORLD’S LARGEST ENERGY PRODUCER AND WITH THE LARGEST PROVED RESERVES, SAUDI ARABIA BELIEVES THAT THE CAPITAL MARKET WILL VALUE ARAMCO AT SOME $2 TRILLION, MAKING IT THE WORLD’S MOST VALUABLE PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANY. he proposed sale of 5% of Saudi Aramco is not just likely to be the biggest initial public offering (IPO) of all time. “It’s like Gibraltar selling the rock,” as one expert on Saudi Arabia’s oil policy puts it. The world’s biggest oil company keeps the House of Saud in power, bankrolled 60% of the national budget last year, and is a paragon of efficiency in an economy otherwise mired in bureaucracy. The elevation on June 21st of Muhammad bin Salman, the 31-year-old architect of the IPO, to crown prince is likely to add more momentum to a sale planned for the second half of 2018. The news will further sideline domestic critics of the IPO, some of whom wonder whether it would be better to borrow the money than sell the family silver. But the success of the IPO is not guaranteed. The tendency of MBS, as the prince is known, to micromanage the listing runs counter to the spirit of openness and liberalisation that he says he wants for Saudi Arabia. That could backfire on the IPO itself. The more he interferes, the less keen investors will be to buy shares. Aramco’s role underpinning the Saudi economy is an even bigger challenge in valuing this IPO than the firm’s immense size. On the one hand, advisers say, its low costs and lean workforce make it comparable to bluechip oil supermajors such as ExxonMobil and Royal Dutch Shell. On the other, the risks of political interference mean that it is likely to suffer from the stigma associated with being a national oil company (NOC). Many NOCs, such as PetroChina and Brazil’s Petrobras, have come to market amid the sort of fanfare that Aramco is generating. In a decade, they have SEASONAL MAGAZINE

destroyed more than $500bn-worth of value compared with their private peers. As an oil company, the selling-points for Aramco are strong (provided the oil price is high enough). It has a concession for 12 times more oil and gas than ExxonMobil and 27 times more than Shell. Its production levels are several times higher. It has fewer employees, higher debt-adjusted cashflow per barrel, and decent margins in its refining and petrochemicals businesses as well as upstream. By the time it lists, its advisers hope it will have a board structure similar to that of the supermajors, and will be comparable on a number of parameters, including dividend projections, that will enable investors to value it accordingly. “The

day this company goes public, it will look like one of the top blue-chip oil companies,” one says. The trouble is, MBS has already stated what he thinks the valuation should be, and at $2trn, it is punchy enough to make even a Silicon Valley boss look bashful. To achieve it, a 5% sliver would be worth $100bn—four times the biggest IPO to date, that of China’s Alibaba, an e-commerce firm, in 2014. According to an analysis by Sanford C. Bernstein, a research firm, at $2trn its value per barrel of oil equivalent coming out of the ground would be about 60% higher than that of its blue-chip peers. A valuation at or below $1.5trn would be closer to the mark, but risks

disappointing the new crown prince. “He may have to make a choice between selling cheap and pulling the plug on the process. Either case would be a loss of face,” says Steffen Hertog of the London School of Economics, a writer on the state and oil in Saudi Arabia. To get closer to his target, the kingdom recently slashed tax rates on Aramco, from 85% to 50%. That brings them nearer to international norms for oil firms and will appeal to investors: lower taxes mean the company can pay out higher dividends. The country also has a plan to wean its people off some of the world’s cheapest energy by 2020, which would bolster Aramco’s profits. According to Jim Krane, of Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, about a third of Aramco’s output is sold for domestic purposes, with power generation, for instance, enjoying discounted prices of under $6 a barrel—a “massive opportunity cost”. But investors would be wise not to view issues like taxes and subsidies in isolation. Some analysts express worry that dividends are unstable, and that the kingdom would have to unwind the tax cuts on Aramco if the state needed the

money. The introduction of more realistic pricing could also have political and social ramifications, since Saudis are some of the world’s biggest consumers of cheap energy. Another worry for investors would be if MBS continues to use Aramco as a tool of global oil policy on behalf of OPEC, the producers’ cartel. The kingdom may believe that OPEC serves as a stabilising force in global oil markets, which benefits Aramco. But its latest attempts to play puppet-master with the oil market have been counter-productive. On June 21st global oil prices fell to their lowest level since August, despite an agreement by OPEC and non-OPEC producers to cut output until next March. As a result, Aramco is not only losing income, it is losing market share to rivals not bound by the cuts. Last, as his global stature grows, the prince may be tempted to mix up geopolitics and commerce. Anecdotal evidence of this emerged during President Donald Trump’s visit to Riyadh in May. Even as Aramco was supposedly disentangling itself from the myriad noncore activities it carries out on behalf of the state, the firm was on extra-curricular duty. At breakneck pace, it built the Global Centre for Combating Extremist Ideology in Riyadh, where Mr

Trump and MBS’s 81-year-old father, King Salman bin Abdel Aziz Al Saud, performed a weird inauguration ceremony involving a glowing globe. The reason for Aramco’s involvement: no other body in the kingdom could do it half as quickly. Such strategic considerations may also be influencing the decision on whether to list the non-Saudi portion of the IPO in New York or London (a small slice will be listed on Tadawul, the local bourse). Aramco’s lawyers are more comfortable with a London Stock Exchange (LSE) listing, on the ground that it would spare the company the real risk of class-action lawsuits related, for instance, to the terror attacks of September 11th 2001, of litigation from tree-hugging attorneys-general, and of other claims on its assets that it might face on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). But MBS is believed to be leaning more towards New York. This may be because of liquidity: listed companies on the NYSE have a combined market capitalisation of about $20trn, versus $4trn on the LSE. The NYSE also has more prestige; the big peers Aramco wants to be judged against are listed there. Yet he is also understood to have been under pressure from the White House for a New York listing, and is keen to cement ties with Mr Trump. If that were to sway the final consideration, investors might not thank him for it. Many will shrug. The chance to buy shares in one of the world’s most resilient oil firms will be hard to resist. Moreover, sovereign-wealth funds may well be keen to become “anchor tenants” of the IPO, to deepen their own countries’ relationships with Aramco and the new crown prince. But MBS’s leapfrog towards the throne will not silence the questions that still swirl. What will happen to the money raised? Will the listing plug a budget gap of 8% of GDP? Will it fund domestic industries such as mining, defence and tourism? Or will it become a “magic money tree”, promising all things to all people? The original goal of the IPO was to bring more transparency and stronger market forces to Saudi Arabia—creating a sort of Thatcherite oasis in the Arabian desert. If that is truly what MBS wants, he should learn to leave well alone. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

HEALTH

FOOD FOR THOUGHT, GOOD THOUGHTS

DEPRESSION IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY CAUSES OF DISABILITY IN THE WORLD WITH THE MAJOR CHUNK OF SUFFERERS FALLING UNDER THE AGE OF 25 YEARS. ADOLESCENCE IS A PHASE MARKED BY UTTER CHAOS, NOT ONLY IS THE TEENAGER BATTLING WITH PHYSICAL AND HORMONAL CHANGES BUT PSYCHOLOGICAL ONES TOO. A RECENT STUDY CONDUCTED BY THE EXPERTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE NOTES THE FACT THE GIRLS AND BOYS REACT DIFFERENTLY UNDER DEPRESSION. he study was published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry and noted girls to be twice as likely to suffer from depression at the age of 15 as compared to boys. It was also found that while boys are more prone to experiencing long-term depression, their female counterparts may experience it in bouts. Also, men are more likely to face severe consequences of depression as compared to women. The findings led to examining how certain regions in the brain react differently in men and women under stressful situation or depressive spells. Experts therefore called for more sex-specific treatment and preventive measures during early adolescence. While your diet can play a major role in making you feel better, experts note that certain food items may also go a long way in reducing or checking inflammation in the brain that can cause mood swings or depression. Your gut health is also closely related to how you feel. 'Leaky gut' or persistent indigestion or stomach discomfort may also send signals to the brain that may make you more susceptible to stress. We list down

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few ingredients that are easily available and may help you mitigate stress and stave off depression.

Fluids There is nothing like 'fluid therapy', starting from H2O to your regular lemonade, coconut water or spiced buttermilk - ensure that you go natural and not bank on packaged, sugar-laden, fizzy drinks.

Berries and green veggies The more colour you add to your diet, the better it is for your physical and mental health. Berries can be had anytime of the day. These come packed with essential micronutrients, and antioxidants that help in reducing the oxidative stress on your brain. "Berries and fruits like cherries and grapes along with dark green vegetables are loaded with antioxidants, these can really help uplift and maintain your mental health," noted Dr. Simran Saini, Nutritionist at Fortis Hospital, New Delhi.

Carotene rich foods Basically, all orange-yellow coloured foods are loaded with carotene and are excellent for tackling depression and other mental ailments.

HEALTH

RESEARCHERS MOVE NEARER TO A HIV-1 VACCINE According to a new study, researchers have discovered a process protecting the body from autoimmune disease appears to prevent it from creating antibodies that can neutralize the HIV-1 virus, a finding that could possibly help lead to a vaccine that stimulates production of these antibodies. The team sought to better understand how the body’s own immune system might be getting in the way of neutralizing the HIV-1 virus. The group knew that some patients infected with HIV-1 developed what are known as ‘broadly neutralizing antibodies,’ or bnAbs, that can protect against a wide variety of HIV-1 strains by recognizing a protein on the surface of the virus called Env. But the patients only develop these antibodies after many years of infection. Because of shared features found in a number of HIV-1 bnAbs, scientists suspected the inability or delayed ability to make these type of protective antibodies against HIV was due to the immune system suppressing production of the antibodies to prevent the body from creating self-reactive antibodies that could cause autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus. At the same time, patients with lupus showed slower rates of HIV-1 infection. Scientists believe that’s because these autoimmune patients produce self-reactive antibodies that recognize and neutralize HIV-1. The process by which the body prevents the creation of antibodies that can cause autoimmune disease is known as immunological tolerance. Torres wanted to break through that tolerance and stimulate the production of antibodies that could neutralize HIV-1.

“We wanted to see if people could make a protective response to HIV-1 without the normal restraint imposed by the immune system to prevent autoimmunity,” shared Raul M. Torres, PhD, professor of immunology and microbiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. The researchers first tested mice with genetic defects that caused lupus-like symptoms. They found that many of them produced antibodies that could neutralize HIV-1 after being injected with alum, a chemical that promotes antibody secretion and is often used in vaccinations. They treated normal mice with a drug that impairs immunological

Scientists believe that’s because these autoimmune patients produce self-reactive antibodies that recognize and neutralize HIV-1.

tolerance and found that they b e g a n producing antibodies capable of neutralizing HIV1. The production of these antibodies was increased by alum injections. And if the mice were also injected with the HIV-1 protein Env, they produced potent broadly neutralizing antibodies capable of neutralizing a range of HIV-1 strains. An every case, the production of these HIV-neutralizing antibodies correlated with the levels of a self-reactive antibody that recognizes a chromosomal protein called Histone H2A. The researchers confirmed these antibodies could neutralize HIV-1. Torres explained, “We think this may reflect an example of molecular mimicry where the virus has evolved to mimic or look like a self protein.” Read more about the factors that increase your risk for HIV Torres suggested that the difficulty in developing a vaccine against HIV-1 may be because of the ability of the virus to camouflage itself as a normal part of the body. “But breaching peripheral immunological tolerance permits the production of cross-reactive antibodies able to neutralize HIV-1,” shared Torres. Since the research was done on animals, scientists must still determine its relevance for HIV-1 immunity in humans. “The primary consideration will be determining whether immunological tolerance can be temporarily relaxed without leading to detrimental autoimmune manifestations and as a means to possibly elicit HIV-1 bnAbs with vaccination,” he concluded. The study was published in The Journal of Experimental Medicine. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

TECHNOLOGY

Meet World's First Wireless Charging Laptop DELL IS ONE OF THE LARGEST PC MANUFACTURERS IN THE WORLD, AND IT HAS SOMETHING THAT WILL MAKE YOU FALL IN LOVE WITH LAPTOPS AGAIN. IT IS WIDELY BELIEVED THAT THE DEMAND FOR PCS IS DECLINING AND PEOPLE ARE GOING MORE MOBILE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; THANKS TO THE POWER-PACKED SMARTPHONES THAT OFFER PC-LEVEL COMPUTING ON SMALLER SCREENS. ut reliance on PCs cannot be wiped off entirely as there remains a large community depending on laptops and computers for their day-to-day activities, especially the innovative 2-in-1s that witness skyrocketing growth, according to IDC's 2017 Q1 Personal Computing Device Tracker. Owing to that majority, Dell's latest introduction will set the pace for the ailing PC category. Innovations in the PCs is not as rapid as in the smartphones' area. But Dell's latest effort is worthy of applause. Introducing Dell Latitude 7285 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the world's first laptop with wireless charging support that defies the notion

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of plugging in every few hours. The laptop was unveiled earlier this year at the CES, but consumers can now get their hands on the one-of-a-kind 2-in-1 laptop. Dell's Latitude 7285 uses WiTricity's magnetic resonance technology to wirelessly charge the hybrid laptop, which supports charging from a distance. "Dell's extensive knowledge of its customers and vision for a wireless workplace allowed us to uniquely collaborate and make convenient wireless charging a reality. The Latitude 7285 will allow users to experience freedom and efficiency in the work environment while

catalysing the wider adoption of wireless charging 2.0," Alex Gruzen, CEO, WiTricity, explained about the new technology. Dell Latitude 7285's 12-inch detachable display isn't the one with wireless charging capabilities. There is a separate attachable wireless charging keyboard and wireless charging mat that does the trick. Both accessories are sold separately, which shoot the price of the laptop through the roof. The Latitude 7285 is on sale on the company's official online store starting at $1,120, which has an Intel Core i5-7Y54 with 128GB SSD and 8GB of memory. Be prepared to shell out additional $550 for the wireless charging keyboard and the mat.

OF STUDYING AT Chandigarh University

Still to Emerge in Research In recent times, it is hard for Chandigarh University to not elicit eyeballs going by its spectacular progress. The Mohali-based varsity constantly strives to be a nose ahead of its competitors in the placement category. The 2016 batch saw some big names such as Google, Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, Hewlett Packard offer dream job packages to its graduates. A record number of 4950 students were selected during the placement season in which more than 465 multinational companies participated. It is also no surprise that the highest package offered to

graduates has crossed the Rs. 20 lakh barrier over the last 2 years. Chandigarh University is also home to IBM’s first software emerging lab in India and Microsoft’s first innovation centre in North India. Hewlett Packard Enterprise has established North India’s 1st HPCentre of Excellence (CoE) here,

giving the university an edge in the industry-academia linkage. The university is still hoping to ramp up its research credentials among its faculty to compete amongst some of the best in the country. Chandigarh University was awarded the Top Private University in Chandigarh Area for Placements by Seasonal Magazine in 2015.

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OF STUDYING AT Sharda University

Needs to Work at Better Student Relations ver since Greater Noidabased Sharda University launched a mobile application to record attendance of its students, many believed it would go a long way in assuaging concerns following the Sushant Rohilla suicide case where the victim killed himself after he was denied to give exams over shortage of attendance. While it helped to reduce paperwork, the need of the hour was for the university to bridge the trust deficit it had with its students over the incident. However, the university went one step further to exacerbate tensions by charging Rs 10,000-Rs 30, 000 for those whose attendance was less than 75 per cent for getting their admit card. Moreover, the notice citing admit card rules also specified that the student should have no objection â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;if the deposit on this account, NOT refundable

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in due course, is transferred to the "Students Benefit Fund" and is used solely for helping students if financial need or any students' sponsored welfare activityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The ensuing protests by around 300 students of the varsity got the support of various political parties and soon the police were forced to play the mediatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s role to control the situation. Some alleged that even as the attendance is supposed to be taken through the mobile app which automatically detects the presence of the student, some professors would take attendance physically. In yet another incident that undermined the student-university management relations, an alleged exam paper leak prompted the cancellation of 6 papers only for the varsity to later withdraw its decision. Even without a shred of plausible evidence, the university

has gone ahead and ordered an internal investigation to find out whether the question papers had been leaked or not. These unsavoury situations have made Sharda University undergo a lot of damage-control in recent months as it has surely dent a blow to its hopes of achieving its yesteryear dream of providing a studentfriendly atmosphere.

OF STUDYING AT

G D Goenka University

Still to Emerge as a Leader in NCR

ndian businesses and businessmen seem to have cottoned on to the view that education is one of the best legacies to leave behind and that this is perhaps the single biggest contribution they can make. This may have been the driving force behind AK Goenka’s educational initiatives. The size of the G D Goenka Group is massive, with a large network of schools and coaching institutes in its name. However, its foray into the private university space has been relatively recent. Since its inception in 2011, G D Goenka University has had its task cut out with seasoned competitors like Jaypee University and SRM University breathing heavily down its neck. Given the cut-throat competition, the university had no choice but to spend aggressively on advertising with little investment in hiring world-class research faculty.

As the university continues to live under the shadow of its older rivals, the biggest concern would be to secure collaborations and tie-ups with foreign universities having renowned research credentials. With difficulties pertaining to UGC regulations for the group’s G D Goenka World Institute, which hasn’t been recognized as a university, it would be far more appropriate for G D Goenka university to leverage tie-ups with Lancaster University instead. Moreover, the World Institute doesn’t have NAAC accreditation and for the degree to be valid, the students should appear and pass examinations conducted on the campus of the foreign university in its home country. These issues highlight the urgent need for the G D Goenka Group to prioritize its vision for it to sustain a real challenge in an ever-expanding sector. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

OF STUDYING AT Raffles University

Needs to Break Ground in Scholarships affles University’s preeminence as a topnotch Law school was never in doubt. The Neemrana-based varsity is also making promising strides in fields like engineering, applied sciences and social sciences with dedicated schools to cater to the same. Since achieving the status of a private university, the overwhelming thrust has been to focus on providing the ideal environment for its students to hone basic skills required in the

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respective industry. In this regard, Raffles University has organized and participated in various moot court competitions in the country, making it an exciting prospect for law aspirants. The university also provides many slabs of scholarships for inviting the meritorious candidates and assisting the needy students. Raffles University’s School of Law has a MoU with Lisbon University of Portugal for student & faculty exchange. A tie-up with the University of New Hampshire’s Franklin Pierce Center for Intellectual Property has provided Raffles students with a leg-up in this emerging area of law studies. Given its relatively recent entry into territories like engineering & humanities, there is still a lot of ground to cover in the years to come. Raffles University was

awarded the Top Emerging Private University in Rajasthan for Law & Management by Seasonal Magazine in 2015.

OF STUDYING AT NIIT University

More Needs to be Done for Affordability eing a relatively recent entrant in the higher education segment, NIIT University was always going to find it difficult to break free from the shackles of its ‘self-financing’ image, even with its not-for-profit credentials. This should be of little surprise as the IT coaching leader had initially struggled with regulators like UGC for promoting programs like GradNIIT which was marketed like a degree. It was only a couple of years back that Seasonal Magazine had foreseen what has now turned out to be NIIT University’s biggest challenge: how effectively it can leverage its strength in content development & teaching to make the programs affordable. Affordability continues to be a major sticking point for the university to attract the brightest talents. The 100% scholarship opportunity, one of its most inviting features, comes with several riders. For one, it is given only for one academic year and can only be continued if one manages to get a CGPA of 7.5. Following the scholarship withdrawal, what then awaits the student is the rude shock of one of the most exorbitant fees among private universities in the country.

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OF STUDYING AT

Karunya University

Caught in a Legal Tangle? ime seems to be running out for Karunya University, with legal tangles and delayed approvals meaning the Coimbatore-based varsity has constantly been on the back-foot. The site of the university’s proposed construction is said to encroach on the elephant corridor, which also contains wetlands and several water sources of river Noyyal. This also includes buildings having a built-up area of more than 300 sqm that needed clearance by the Hill Area Conservation Authority (HACA). Though Karunya was founded in 1986 by late evangelist DGS Dhinakaran, rampant construction began in 2005, after it was awarded the deemed university status. The university, however, is quick to

dismiss off any prevailing claims by the authorities, environmentalists and local communities citing the possession of necessary records of building approvals. With the demolition notice reaching the AICTE’s regional office, UGC Chairman and VC of Anna University, there is little doubt that the worst is yet to come for Karunya University, which is still only with a NAAC ‘B’ grade. The varsity has also launched city campuses at Puliyakulam and Periyanaickenpalayam. While the former will offer MBA, BBA, B Com, BCA, BSc (IT), BSc (viscom) and part-time B Tech and M Tech courses, the latter will cater to those interested in Arts, Science, Humanities, Law and Paramedical programs. Meanwhile, there are also plans to start a campus at

Amravati but with the LoI for the same still under process, the university might have to defer its plan. With the recent setbacks, it is surely going to be a bumpy ride from here on unless drastic steps are taken.

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“While our words are Make in India, our taxes say Quit India” Arvind P Datar With the nation set to welcome the historic GST system, the uncertainties surrounding its implementation is not lost on anyone’s mind. However, Arvind Datar is sceptical of its usefulness and believes the challenges are only going to compound for tax administration in India. he Goods and Services Tax (GST) system should first be implemented in select industries and service sectors to test it before rolling it out on a full scale across the nation, says Mr Arvind P Datar, a top tax and corporate lawyer.

has to file three returns on the 10th, 15th and 20th of every month – that is 36 returns per year. In addition, the diagnostic centre has to file 12 tax deducted at source (TDS) returns and one annual return. From two returns per year, the service provider has to submit 49 returns – all online. The load on the system will be high as returns will have to be filed on the same day, Datar said.

"It is not known whether the software has been tested. In order to avoid chaos, the GST regime should be implemented in phases. It should be first implemented for select industries and then expanded further," Arvind P Datar. According to him, there should be an extensive trial run so that glitches could be sorted out. Datar said it is not known whether the GST server can take the load as a huge number of returns will be filed on a single day across the nation by various business entities. Terming the GST in the current form a terrible thing waiting to happen to the country, Datar said, “The world over GST is VAT (value-Added Tax). But in India GST is not real GST.” He said he has no issues with the GST if there is ‘one nation, one tax rate’ but adding up various rates and calling it GST is not actually GST. He said State GST law in various states may or may not be uniform. According to him, Article 246A of the Constitution permits states to levy taxes on goods and services, and hence there is nothing to prevent the states from levying additional GST. Citing the example of Singapore, Datar said, a flat seven per cent rate is charged on all products. He added that uniform SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Further, the Rs 20 lakh threshold for GST will result in mushrooming out-business entities to avoid tax and our country is not suited for national GST, Datar argued. lower tax rate would actually widen the tax base as it will be a disincentive for evasion. On the other hand, a high rate will incentivise evasion. "Bill-less purchase of goods and availing of services will continue to happen under the proposed GST system," he added. He said the proposed GST system will increase the number of returns that a businessman has to file from two to 49. A service provider, say a diagnostic centre, now has to file two service tax returns per year. But under the GST, he

"IT IS NOT KNOWN WHETHER THE SOFTWARE HAS BEEN TESTED. IN ORDER TO AVOID CHAOS, THE GST REGIME SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED IN PHASES. IT SHOULD BE FIRST IMPLEMENTED FOR SELECT INDUSTRIES AND THEN EXPANDED FURTHER,"

Datar said the existing system is good and the problem is in its implementation. According to him, several consultancy firms and professional organisations are gearing up to make money out of consulting on GST. He said the way the GST law has been drafted shows that the industry or the professionals like the lawyers were not consulted. “The Indian tax system is highly complex and toxic. The tax administration is aggressive and unfriendly as it is target-based. There should not be target for tax collection” He reiterated that taxes are a by-product of economic growth. The tax lawyer said that while many other central government departments have turned people-friendly, the taxation department, owing to its target-based functioning, has not changed to being people-friendly. Investors are bothered about the tax laws and how the provisions would be interpreted by the tax officials.

Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya (SCSVMV University)

FORGING AHEAD ON APPLIED LEARNING Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya (SCSVMV University) has been forging ahead in the higher education scene with a highly proactive culture of applied learning through international and national conferences, seminars, and workshops on diverse subjects. Through such professional events, students get to learn next-generation trends like Automation, Big Data, Digital Image Processing, Smart Manufacturing, Open Education Resources, and much more. SCSVMV has been recently reassessed by NAAC and accredited with A Grade. This has come as a shot in the arm for the deemed university when the new academic year has just started here are no marks for guessing the greatest threat to employment generation in the coming years. Every student, or at least every engineering student, knows it is automation which is taking the manufacturing world by storm. But at SCSVMV, rather than being bogged down by that challenge, experts are finding ways and means to exploit this new trend to get their students ready for jobs in the automation field.

Resource Person for the workshop was an internationally renowned subject matter expert, Dr. Ravindra Thamma, Professor of Robotics and Mechatronics, Central Connecticut State University, Hartford, USA. SCSVMV Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s radar is tuned to pick up signals from all emerging areas that are prospective for Indian industry,

SCSVMV's Department of Computer Science & Engineering has organized a 2-day National Workshop on Smart Manufacturing Automation on 6th & 7th July 2017. Participants got to study various components used in modern dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s automation system, programmable controllers, machine vision, robotic arm, sensors, actuators, and drivers. Also included is the application of automation components principles to design and facilitate integrated smart manufacturing workcell that includes mistake proof and autonomation. The SEASONAL MAGAZINE

Prof. Dr. S. Jayarama Reddy

Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamiji Pontiff of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam

and therefore its students. Such a focus is helping the university to focus on such a field, Digital Image Processing. SCSVMV is conducting the Second National Conference on Digital Image Processing 03rd and 04th August 2017. National Conference on Digital Image Processing (NCDIP-2017) will be a forum for presenting new advances and research results in the fields of Digital Image Processing. The Conference will bring together leading researchers, engineers and scientists in the domain of interest from across the country. The scope of the conference covers all theoretical and practical aspects of Digital Image Processing. While the university has been conducting such events off and on since

its inception, it is in recent years, and especially 2017 that this has gathered momentum. Students learn the best when classroom study is complemented by industry interactions, and these conferences, seminars, and workshops precisely aim at this effectiveness. During April, the university held the 2nd International Conference on Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (ICMME-2017) organized by Department of Mechanical Engineering. The conference provided a common platform for researchers, industry personnel, academicians, students and participating professionals to interact and discuss about the advances made in the various areas of Mechanical Engineering. Special invited lectures by scientist and

experts from foreign universities, leading Institutions, Research organizations and Industries were conducted in addition to paper presentation. The conference focussed on today's technical challenges, research updates and breakthrough innovations that are shaping the future of mechanical engineering. The Conference brought together engineers, scientists and technologists for the purposes of exploring solutions to global challenges and for the advancement of mechanical engineering worldwide. Cutting-edge higher education is getting democratized across the globe, and access to such best resources will be a life or death issue for tomorrow's professionals. In 2001 MIT announced its OpenCourseWare initiative, and

Students learn the best when classroom study is complemented by industry interactions, and these conferences, seminars, and workshops precisely aim at this effectiveness.

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since then many reputed institutions have followed suit. SCSVMS’s Department of Computer Science and Applications conducted a International Workshop on Open Educational Resources during March 2017. The workshop educated the participants on Open Content / Open educational resources (OER) / Open Courseware etc which are educational materials which are discoverable online and openly licensed that can be redistribute, shared freely, adapt / repurpose / improve and used by academicians, educationalists around the world. The workshop shed light on learning and research materials in any medium, digital or otherwise, that reside in the public domain or have been released under an open license that permits nocost access, use, adaptation and redistribution by others with no or limited restrictions. Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswathi Viswa Mahavidyalaya (SCSVMV University), Kanchipuram is unique in that it has designed its curriculum with emerging requirements in the market. Right now university is offering courses in 14 different disciplines including Engineering ( B.E - EEE, ECE, CSE, Mechanical, EIE, Mechatronics,

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Manufacturing, Civil, Civil & Structural and B.Tech I.T) both at Undergraduate and Post Graduate levels, Sanskrit, Ayurveda, Computer Applications, Management, Education, Science, Humanities and others. No wonder then that SCSVMV students are getting selected in various organizations like Dr. Reddy’s laboratory, Wipro, Aditya Birla, TCS, ICICI, Ramco, Shriram Group of institutions etc. But that is only one among the several factors that makes this university unique. Our ancient India is a treasure house of all arts and all varieties of education. If you look into education history of India, four places were recognised as wonderful universities – 1. Kanchipuram, 2.Nalanda, 3.Thakshasila, 4. Varanasi. Out of all these four places, Kanchipuram has got a very special significance. In case anyprofessors in other universities gets a doubt, they used to come to Kanchi and write their doubts on palm leaves and use to keep these palm leaves in earthen pots in specified places. The professors of Kanchi used to write answers for the doubts as and when they are at leisure and used to put the answers in the same pots. That’s why people use to call the University of Kanchi as “Ghatikhasthan”.

Prof.Dr.V.S.Vishnu Potty

To establish a university in such a pious place is the vision of walking God Sri Sri Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal. He lived on the earth for 100 years and his vision was brought into reality by his disciple and present reigning pontiff of Sri Kanchi Kama KotiPeedam Sri Jayendra Saraswathi Swamigal. Initially, this institution was started as law college in Sanskrit and gradually grown into deemed university in 1993 and is named after Sri Chandrasekarendra Saraswathi Swamigal. One can find variety of significant events in the progress of this university.

Prof.Dr.G. Srinivasu

The most significant characteristic of this university is providing education in the latest courses of engineering and technology which are absolutely necessary for modern generation along with ancient science, culture and values. In one way, it is a blend of sciences of modern and ancient times. The study imparted to a student in this university not only makes a student to concentrate on earning but also to learn Indian culture and values. So, the courses in this university were designed insuch a way that whoever enters in to the portals of this university have to learn Indian ethos, Culture and Sanskrit language. Based on the indication given by “Paramacharyal” that the ability of a student will enhance specially after prayers – the students of this University will go to classes after prayers every day. In ancient education system, education is not a commodity available in the shop. Without giving any concern and importance with the financial position of a student, professors of olden days used to give education according to the interest and capability of the student. In keeping the same thought in view, without anticipating and expecting any profit, without taking any money in the form of capitation and donation and without making a student to have burden on his finances, university is collecting only a cost based fee and giving quality education. In future, University is aiming to give education even without collecting this much of fee and without compromising on standards.

Here a student gets admission only through merit. There is no entrance examination except for MBA. Based on the marks secured in the qualifying examinations, a student will be selected for BE, B.TECH, MCA, etc.., and other related courses. Ayurveda, Shilpasasthra, Vasthusashtra, Vyakarana, Nyaya, Literature and Sanskrit are other ancient courses taught under the supervision of experienced and expert professors. Based on the merit of student, on the financial status of the student, and on the worth shown on sports by students, scholarships will be provided. Similarly preference to students who secured ranks in National level Examinations like AIEEE, TANCET, MAT, CAT etc at the time of admissions. SCSVMV University is giving importance to research. Along with all science subjects, research is taking place in Sanskrit in the form of fundamental and applied research. Another significant point of this university is protecting the books written on palm leaves. These books werecollected by Mahaswamy in 1000’s from different corners of the country and preserved. Presently these palm leaves are being protected continuously through chemical treatment and process of digitalization is in progress. Printing these ancient palm leaf literature in the form of books

SCSVMV's Department of Computer Science & Engineering organized a 2day National Workshop on Smart Manufacturing Automation. The Resource Person for the workshop wass an internationally renowned subject matter expert, Dr. Ravindra Thamma, Professor of Robotics and Mechatronics, Central Connecticut State University, Hartford, USA.

and giving it to future generation isone of the missions of University. To this mission National Manuscript Mission is giving a helping hand. To any university greatest treasure is books. In SCSVMVUniversity, international library contains several thousands of valuable books. This library is the biggest attraction for the University. This building is constructed in the shape of “SHREE CHAKRA” and standing as a symbol of engineering excellence. Services of placement and people involved in placementare doing a wonderful job for the benefit of students. Experts and eminent people selected from various disciplines both from national and international zones will interact with students through seminars, conferences, workshops and personality development programs. This experience is a beacon of light giving directions to students in selecting their career. Students are also getting an understanding how to conduct themselves in executing the assignments given and thereby shaping themselves in such a way that they are in no way lesser to the students from metros. Our students are getting selected in various organizations like Dr. Reddy’s laboratory, Wipro, Aditya Birla, TCS, ICICI, Ramco, Shriram Group of institutions etc. Based on the dedication, efficiency, excellence shown by our students in their workplace, organisations of repute are coming back to our University again and again to recruit our students. Alumni who are staying in different places and workingin different organisations are continuing their association with the University. They are acting as a bridge between industry and University and bringing experts to the University. Not only that, they formed as an association and trying to help the students by providing projects, placements and scholarships. This University possess modern labs, internet facility, hostels for boys and girls separately, transport, play ground, and bank ATM etc. Aiming to become a premium institution of the country this University is employing all its efforts, in the right direction. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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IPO

10 WAYS

COCHIN SHIPYARD IPO IS COMPELLING

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ochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL), the largest shipyard in India by dock-size and the second-largest by revenue is all set to launch its IPO on August 1. The only consistently profitable shipbuilder in the country, CSL is set to raisearound Rs. 1470 crores through the IPO that closes on August 3. On completion of the successful IPO, CSL will become the first of five state-owned shipbuilding companies to be publicly listed. CSL has fixed a price band of Rs 424-432 per share for the IPO, which comprises a fresh Issue of 2,26,56,000 shares and an offer for sale (OFS) of 1,13,28,000 shares by the Ministry of Shipping. Of the total Rs 1,470 crores, around Rs 979 crores would come through the fresh issue and around Rs 489 crores would come through the OFS. “We will utilise the net proceeds for setting up a new dry dock and an international ship repair facility (ISRF) at Cochin Port Trust area and for general corporate purposes. For these two projects, we are putting in Rs 2,800 crore and the fresh issue part of the proceeds would be used for them,” Madhu S. Nair, Chairman and Managing Director of CSL said. SBI Capital Markets Ltd, Edelweiss Financial Services Ltd and JM Financial Institutional Securities Ltd are the book running lead managers to the issue. Link Intime India Pvt Ltd is the registrar to the issue. The company’s shares are to be listed on the BSE and the NSE. Seasonal Magazine takes an inside look at the strengths of this shipbuilder and it’s IPO.

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Rare Capabilities Cochin Shipyard has been building India’s first aircraft carrier INS Vikrant for the Indian Navy. No other shipyard in the public or private sector has ever been commissioned for such a work by India or foreign countries. Only four countries have ever been able to build an aircraft carrier on their own - USA, UK, France, & Russia. India is joining this select club thanks to the expertise of Cochin Shipyard and Indian Navy. The 262 metre long Vikrant has been launched into the waters 3 years back, and is now at phase-II of construction. Countries needing aircraft carriers is on the rise, and growth potential is huge as only 12 countries own such carriers now.

Market Leadership Cochin Shipyard is the only major shipbuilder under Ministry of Shipping. All other major PSU shipbuilders come under Ministry of Defence. In the private sector, there are around 5 to 7 major shipbuilders including new projects that have come up in later years. Cochin Shipyard is India’s largest public sector shipyard by dock capacity, and reflecting this market leadership government has decided that CSL should be the first of five state-owned shipbuilding companies to be publicly SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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listed. By business size or revenue, CSL is the second largest shipyard in India, next only to Mazagon Dock which comes under Ministry of Defence.

Wide Portfolio of Products & Services

Cochin Shipyard’s portfolio of products and services encompasses all the four major operations at a modern ship making yard, which are commercial ship building and defence ship building, and commercial ship repairs and defence or naval ship repairs.CSL can build practically any kind of vessel, including complex vessels for the oil & gas sector, and if the sector again witnesses an increase in demand due to rising crude prices, CSL will stand to gain. The PSU shipbuilder has time and again proved that it can rapidly meet demands for more and more specialized customizations that shipping companies demand these days.

Consistent Profitability Cochin Shipyard is the only shipbuilder in the country – both in the public and private sector – that has been consistently profit-making during the past five years. It is a commendable achievement as during this period, international and Indian

shipping industry has been severely hit due to the double whammy of global financial crisis and the later rout in oil prices. Cochin Shipyard has maintained its profitability by tweaking its product-mix as well as by tightening of internal controls. It will be heartening for the market to know that even in a bad market for shipping industry this shipbuilder has been able to squeeze out the last drop to get results.

Steady Growth Cochin Shipyard’s revenue or top-line has grown at a compounded rate of 9.25% per year from FY2011-12 to FY2015-16, as per draft papers. Its profit has grown at a CAGR of 16.47% in the same period. Cochin Shipyard’s current order book is around Rs. 4500 crore now. Cochin Shipyard is focused on delivering the maximum within deadlines, and by continually refilling the order book. Favourable market trends for CSL include Central Government’s Make-in-India program and the focus on Defence infrastructure. The fastest growing segment for Cochin Shipyard is ship repairs on the defence or naval side.

Professional Management Cochin Shipyard Ltd is a Category 1

builders, managers, and support staff at Cochin Shipyard Ltd (CSL). Madhu S Nair, CMD, has been a CSL veteran for the past 28 years, having headed its marketing operations in Europe too.

Impressive Expansion Plans

Miniratna PSU under Ministry of Shipping headed by Minister NitinGadkari, and it has has a 170 acres campus at Kochi, Kerala. Cochin Shipyard Ltd is headed by Madhu S Nair as Chairman & Managing Director. A postgraduate naval architect from Japan’s Osaka University, which is incidentally topranked for this niche subject, he currently heads a 1800-people strong team of ship designers, engineers,

Part of the IPO proceeds, that is from the fresh issue of new shares, will go for part-funding two major expansion plans of Cochin Shipyard - a larger third dry dock, and a new international ship repair facility (ISRF). The planned larger dry dock will open up segments like LNG vessels, new Suezmax / Aframax vessels, jack-up rigs, submersible repairs etc. It is a dock that will be 310 metre long, and it is a step dock with 75 by 60 metres, able to handle ships that are up to 40% bigger. The ISRF will have its own berthing spaces, six workstations on a ship-lift, and every modern facility, and will position Kochi as a major ship repair hub.

Admirable Labour Relations While some trade unions continue to agitate against Cochin Shipyard’s imminent IPO, it needs to mentioned that despite being in traditionally leftist Kerala, CSL has enjoyed

excellent labour relations. There has not been a single day of strike during the past thirty years by CSL’s own workers. This is a record, especially in a state like Kerala. Cochin Shipyard appreciates the contribution of its employees and the company has set aside 8.24 lakh shares for its 1800odd employees in the IPO. As per the regulatory filings, the IPO will also offer a five per cent discount on the final price for the shares offered to employees.

New Exciting Products Cochin Shipyard has recently entered the Ferry or passenger ships segment. They have been contracted for making four ferries for the Andaman. Two of them will have passenger capacity of 1200 and two are of 500 capacity. While CSL will do the design side, some strong European companies are also partnering with the shipyard in this contract. Once these vessels come into the market, industry is sure to notice the quality of CSL products. Around 90% of the world ferry market is in Europe, with the rest scattered elsewhere. With this order CSL is opening up the ferry market for India.

Favourable Trends Union Shipping Minister NitinGadkari has been a strong promoter of coastal and inland transportation. Coastal transportation using ferries is one such area. If such systems come in India, people can travel from, say, Kochi to Mumbai in around 36 hours, enjoying the best of a sea voyage, yet at very reasonable cost. There are these roll-on / roll-off or ROPAX vessels in Europe, where passengers can even drive in their cars or SUVs, use the same for local travel at our destination city, and come back in that ferry the same way. ROPAX vessels are also intended for cargo like transporting new cars etc and this has recently reached Kochi port too. Such trends are favourable for Cochin Shipyard’s future growth. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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HIGHER EDUCATION By Carl Jaison

GALGOTIAS LEADING IN PLACEMENTS ACROSS INDUSTRIES easonal Magazine recently met Dhruv Galgotia, CEO, of Galgotias University, to unravel how effectively this leading private university has been coping up with the dynamic changes happening across industries as well as higher education. The clear lull in campus recruitment this year, has not affected the Galgotias University campus so far. One reason for this outperformance in placements is that GU had been working hard to bring in companies from a diverse stream of sectors, and relying not just on the IT sector companies. This is despite GU being a leader in delivering IT courses with many super-specializations. For instance, GU has moved forward unfazed in spite of the lethargy shown by e-commerce giants like Flipkart and Snapdeal, and focused on a new breed of start-ups that have been doing very well for themselves. Also, the Computer Science students of GU continued to excel in placements, thanks also due to their super specialization in emerging domains like automation, robotics, cloud computing, and social media management. Incidentally, this superb performance in placements has readily translated into good admission rush at Galgotias this new academic year, across the spectrum of courses including engineering, management, law, hotel management and more. Still, the university takes care to provide merit based scholarship to students according to their performance in the Board exams. The private university is also noted for providing scholarships based on sporting performance at state and national levels. Chancellor Suneel Galgotia and CEO Dhruv Galgotia regularly tour developed nations especially USA to visit the finest universities, and implement the best practices they find interesting there. Under CEO Dhruvâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visionary direction, GU has also forged several ties with leading US universities that is now helping the university come up in frontier fields like research, apart from student and faculty exchanges. The father-son duo managing GU are sticklers for quality, and is currently ruling out any geographic expansion for fear of compromising on quality.

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Many private universities are struggling this year to get adequate admissions, especially for courses like BTech & MBA. What is happening according to you, what is getting wrong with these once popular courses and what is the situation at GU? This year has been fabulous for us. The reason why we are getting students is because our previous placement record has reached 100%. Every student is getting placed and that too not just in engineering, but law, paramedical courses, computer science etc. In the hospitality department, we have been able to achieve cent per cent placement continuously for the last 3 years. The word of mouth has spread quite a bit. We have got a phenomenal response this year also with 4000-5000

admissions already. All of this is because of the placements and that is the key point we are trying to focus on. In spite of unfavourable market conditions, we've been able to attract around 350 recruiters. The slowdown has not affected us even 1%. We have one of the highest placements in the region. Agreed, our students used to

get Rs. 20-25 lakhs as the highest package, this has maybe come down to Rs. 10-15 lakhs. But otherwise they have been placed in some of the best companies. Apart from the usual big recruiters like Cognizant, Infosys and TCS, there have been many new companies that have shown interest. In our engineering stream, especially for CS as it is the most popular choice, the placement has been going well for so many years. But, there is a growing trend in many colleges where non-CS students don't get good placementsâ&#x20AC;Ś That is certainly the case with many colleges who only bring IT companies and leave out the rest. We have done exceedingly well in the CS, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electronics and communications streams and others. This has been very encouraging and that's the reason why students keep coming here. No amount of advertisements will get you students, it is only by the word of mouth. We have been following quality processes and ensuring that students get placed. There are also a lot of new technologies we have brought into the classroom with respect to learning. Automation has become one of the most aggressively taught module, then there is classroom monitoring etc. We are focused on enhancing the experience of the student to the extent that his skills meet the industry needs. The student invests hope and trust in us and the return is SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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the package that he gets so that he can repay the loan he's taken for the admission. That's why most colleges are blaming their low placement record to the slowdown as they haven't been able to provide experience to their students. Only if the academic life cycle of the student is great can there be a good placement he can look forward to. Galgotias University is also very aggressive in its scholarship provision to its students. Are there plans to attract more students using this leverage? Scholarships are given to students who are meritorious. For example in our BTech programme, the criteria is 93% and anybody securing above 93% in their Boards will be eligible to some amount of scholarship. I believe that money shouldn't be a bar to getting good education. If the student is financially not well off, we go all out to help him or her. Second criteria is with respect to sports so if they are national or state-level champions, they will get the necessary financial aid to pursue their education. GU has signed MoUs with several US Universities. What are the broad features or benefits from these arrangements? The reason why we tie up with foreign universities is that they are very good at research. They are much ahead of Indian universities. Recently I visited some of the best colleges in the US and what I found was that research was the only element missing in our universities, compared to theirs. If you take a look at the top 100 universities in the world, almost all of them are research-oriented. It's important to create an environment which enables innovation and sparks curiosity among students. The benefit of tie-ups is that we can avail of this culture in these universities. We have student and faculty exchange programmes. There are about 10-12 universities with which we have various collaborations SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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in the US, UK, Germany etc. There was a big furore due to the likes of Flipkart,Snapdeal and several IT companies postponing the intake of even students from IITs and IIMs. Do you see this disturbing trend affecting private university placements too? There are so many start-ups coming up as part of the Make in India and Digital India initiatives. So I don't think one or two big companies slowing down will affect the market or industry in general. I don't think there'll be a dearth of placements from start-ups. A huge number of smaller start-ups were expected to fill the gap left by IT majors going slow on intake. Are you seeing the trend in GU and approximately what percentage of GU students were placed by startâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; ups this year?

I don't think one or two big companies slowing down will affect the market or industry in general. I don't think there'll be a dearth of placements from start-ups

Well, I would agree that the approach towards start-ups has been fairly cautious. But by and large the start-ups that come in for placements are doing very good. The flip side to this is that a few bad start-ups who don't provide promised jobs have been grabbing the headlines of late. We have blacklisted these companies that make false promises. I don't think this should deter most of the well-meaning companies that are doing very well for themselves. We try to be selective in our process of identifying the best fits and do our due diligence before inviting them over. During last year India generated the least number of jobs since 2009. To what do you attribute this trend and do you think innovative courses in sunrise sectors and super specializations need to be created to better address the emerging economic situation? Are new courses being launched by GU this year? This is a very important point that we are taking very seriously. Universities have to be completely aligned with what the industry wants. There are several courses being designed by industry experts and through official tie-ups with companies. If you take industry inputs, it will also help in the placement process as ultimately it is the companies that require the skill sets

of students. It helps cut down the investment and learning or training time given to students after they have passed out. So companies use the university as a training ground right from 3rd year onwards. This has not been practised much in India. Most global universities have compulsory internships for their students where they also have to submit project reports. By the time he graduates, he'll have the necessary exposure. We have tie-ups with IBM, KPMG, Infosys etc. There is constant feedback taken from such companies. Like I mentioned earlier, we have been providing inputs for upcoming sectors like robotics, automation etc. Our students can now learn 11 specialised courses in computer science itself like cloud computing, social media management etc. Also these aspects are constantly evolving and one has to be proactively

Our students can now learn 11 specialised courses in computer science itself like cloud computing, social media management etc.

open to feedback and trends emerging in the industry. Are you planning geographic expansion like how many leading private peers are doing now? Our policy is not to create campuses where quality is compromised. There are some other universities which have

opened their campuses in 8-9 states where the quality has been compromised. We want to make ours a world class institution where students from India and all over the world converge and share their ideas. The aim is to become a centre of excellence. Take Harvard for example, which could have opened numerous campuses and attracted students given the amount of funds they have. They had given themselves a full year to decide whether they should go in for distance learning courses. None of the best universities in the world have too many campuses. As higher education isn't a product that you can sell by opening a shop anywhere you like, there needs to be a strong foundation. We don't want to expand because the quality might get diluted.

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KALASALINGAM UNIVERSITY

THE WAY TO SHAPE YOUR FUTURE Dr. S. Shasi Anand, Director

alasalingam University (Kalasalingam Academy of Research and Education) was established as Arulmigu Kalasalingam College of Engineering (AKCE) in 1984 by Kalasalingam and Anandam Ammal Charities at Srivilliputtur, down south of Tamil Nadu. It was upgraded to the status of deemed University in 2006 (under Section 3 of UGC Act 1956). It spans over a total area of 65 acres and with a built-in area of 21, 59,274 sq metres. The high end equipments and other advanced technology/facilities created in rural setup is a very unique feature of KLU. This has been appreciated by many distinguished visitors to the campus, including the NAAC peer team committee who recently visited and re-

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accredited the University with “A” Grade (3.11 out of 4) in the year 2015– 2016 and ranked 52nd among top Universities in India by NIRF-MHRD 2016. Kalasalingam University offers 31 UG Engg, Arts and Science programmes, 23 PG programmes, M. Phil, Ph.D programmes and it is the first institution in India to offer the special B.tech program for the speech and hearing impaired persons. A special B.Ed (hearing impaired) for teaching speech and hearing impaired students, approved by RCI, is also offered. Besides, from this academic year, B. Voc (Bachelor in vocational for 3 years) (with full of practicals in industries and the following branches - automobile Mechanism and Maintenance, Software Development, Maintenance of Electrical

and Electronics Equipments, Farm Equipments and Machinery, Medical Lab – have also started. Three of the UG programmes (B.Tech – BioTechology, Computer Science and Engineering and Electronics and Communication Engineering) are accredited by NBA under Tier – 1. Towards its commitment to impart skill based education and experiential learning, KLU has introduced many unique features in its curriculum viz., one credit course through industry experts, theory courses with practical components and laboratory with mini projects. A compulsory course on Community based Project for B.Tech students is offered with the idea to involve students to get a feel of the societal problems and be a part of the solution. Students can take courses through online sources such as NPTEL/Coursera etc which increases their competency and exposure to learn from experts outside the campus. Innovative M.Tech programmes are introduced such as M.Tech (VLSI Design, Test and Manufacturing) in collaboration with Tessolve, Bangalore, M.Tech (Manufacturing) specially designed for the employees of Tractor and Farm Equipments (TAFE), MBA (Actuarial Science), M.Arch (Habitat Design) and M.Tech (Industrial Safety Engineering) recognized by Government of Tamil Nadu. Kalasalingam University has signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 21 International Universities for collaboration in academic and research activities and 13 industries for establishing “Advanced Industry Standard Laboratories” in Advanced Technology. The university also offers certificate and diploma programmes in Fine Arts under the banner of Kalasalingam School of Fine Arts in various branches like Vocal, Veena, Violin, Mridangam and Bharathanattiyam. An in-house IAS academy is also established to offer training to students aspiring for Civil Services. Kalasalingam University has a full-fledged Entrepreneurship Cell actively functioning which is focusing on creating future entrepreneurs. KLU is also continuously strengthening

its connection with industries of international repute, with a view to set up many research labs. Cisco Systems have set up Routing and Switching Lab & Wireless Network Lab, IBM has supported the IBM Software Centre for Excellence, ABB has setup Power Systems Automation Lab. Kalasalingam University has invested Rs.1.5 crore in establishing National Instruments - KLU Innovation Centre through which students and faculty members are trained for obtaining CLAD certification and undertake research projects. In the research front, Kalasalingam University is ranked 7th among all the engineering institutions in India in terms of research by SCIMAGO Institutions Ranking for the year 2014. A total of 15 on-going projects worth Rs.4.4 core from different funding agencies from India and abroad. A total of 43 patents have been filed in the last 2-3 years and total 7 patent rights certificates received in the university. National Centre for Advanced Research in Discrete Mathematics (nCARDMATH), with the funding of more than 3.50 crores with DST is unique, one-of-a-kind centre in the whole of India which has more than 30 collaborators in India and 22 collaborators across the globe. The university is ranked 5th for green environment, awarded by Indonesia International survey. TIFAC-CORE in Network Engineering (TCNE) with the DST funding of Rs. 16.4 crores under MISSION REACH programme is a unique centre in India to conduct research in networking. The International Research Centre (IRC) is created at an investment of Rs. 2.5

crores to foster interdisciplinary research among all the departments on campus with their counterparts within and outside India. National Cyber Defence Research Centre in association with National Cyber Safety and Security Standards. KLU has initiated research fellowship schemes for full time Doctoral Research with a stipend of Rs. 10,000 to 14,000. In terms of infrastructure facilities, Kalasalingam University stands in the forefront with many special features. Kalasalingam University has 24x7 fully Wi-Fi-enabled campuses. It has 4 Men’s Hostels and 3 Ladies Hostels which are well furnished with facilities of attached bathrooms. The Central Library named after Bibin Chandra Paul is housed in a spacious two storied 101,822sq.ft. airconditioned building with a seating capacity of 500. Video conferencing facility is also added with 150 seating capacity. Kalasalingam University has wonderful sports facilities which include international standard track with 8 Lanes, indoor stadium built up with residential facilities for sports persons, modern gym for both men and women students and an Olympic standard size swimming pool. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW By Jaison D, John Antony, Carl J

RECREATING KOCHI’S WATERWAYS TO GLOBAL STANDARDS om Jose, IAS is one of the senior most bureaucrats in Kerala. As Additional Chief Secretary (Labour & Skills), in Government of Kerala, and Chairman & Managing Director of Kerala Shipping & Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC), which is a state PSU, he has his hands full. In fact, the state government seems to have handpicked this successful IAS officer with an excellent track-record for heading these two responsibilities at a crucial time. Because, under Central Government’s directive, each state has been establishing its own State Skills Development Mission (SSDM) to take on the challenge of skilling head on. Under Tom Jose’s leadership, Kerala SDM has also created a company named Kerala Academy for Skills Excellence (KASE) which is working as the nodal agency for all skilling activities in the state. An avid reader and traveller who keeps abreast of all key national and international developments across sectors, Tom Jose’s expertise is coming in handy for Kerala when it plans for the future skilling needs according to emerging trends in industry like artificial intelligence, automation, electric cars, solar power, driverless vehicles etc. In his other role, as the CMD of KSINC, he has been spearheading an ambitious project to reclaim and rejuvenate Kochi’s ancient canal and waterways system. Costing around Rs. 1000 crores and initially being funded by KIIFB, the project aims to recreate Kochi’s waterways according to international standards as seen in Venice and Amsterdam. With his two offices situated at Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi respectively, he splits his time between these two cities. Seasonal Magazine caught up with this hardworking officer noted for his innovative achievements, to get the latest information about the projects he has been heading in his twin responsibilities.

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SEASONAL MAGAZINE IN CONVERSATION WITH TOM JOSE, IAS, ADDITIONAL CHIEF SECRETARY (LABOUR & SKILLS), AND CMD OF KSINC. You have two broad responsibilities, of being ACS in Kerala Government in charge of Labour & Skills, and heading KSINC as its CMD. Which occupies your time more, how do you split it? Being in the government is certainly more time-consuming. KSINC is a small company and its activities are limited, although we are trying to increase it. Moreover, this is a business organization whereas the government function is more regulatory in nature. KSINC is owned by the government except for a few private shareholders holding negligible ownership. This organization has been merged with the formerKairali Shipping. I normally spend my weekends and Mondays here and the balance time I am in Trivandrum. With the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in the Indian higher education

system being only 20%, what have been your initiatives in furthering skills training to the majority of youth who are not opting for a degree, diploma, or other higher education? This is an area where there hasn’t been much focus. It is true that the numbers are worrying. In the case of Kerala, the percentage would be higher. However, for jobs at the intermediate level, I would say there are possibilities. But, there aren’t sufficiently skilled personnel available in those areas. For example, one doesn’t require an engineering degree to execute services like plumbing or electrical work. But if you look at the availability of personnel in these sectors, it isn’t commensurate with the demand. Also, the people who are available do not have the necessary qualification and skills. Nowadays, a plumber can easily charge around Rs. 1000 a day, which is much more than what a graduate engineer can earn. A fresh engineering graduate earns about 7000-8000 rupees per month and I have come across plenty of them who are willing to work for that sum. But how many are geared to become skilled as a plumber, and a good one at that? Are there any studies that have gone into this issue? This is something we need to look into because currently we don’t have an exact idea about how many job vacancies are out there in the job market. The data is unavailable and no serious study has been done in this regard. We had a study conducted by PwC which concluded that 95-97% of the youth in Ernakulam and Calicut prefer to have some kind of a job, which means they do not want to become entrepreneurs or be self-employed. This being the aspiration, the question still is whether are they skilled enough to cater to the industry needs. Secondly, are there enough jobs available in the market to satisfy the demand? Even in Middle East, where a lot of Keralites go in search of jobs, apart from word of mouth, we don’t have actual data pertaining to which all sectors have vacancies available and so on. A lot of them go there just because their relatives and friends stay there, and

want to try their luck. Sometimes, they end up in jobs that they don’t like or in lower-paying jobs. What is the Government doing in this regard? The Government of India and the state government are trying to ascertain where the jobs are to begin with and the areas where the priorities need to be made for skilling people. We are also undertaking the task of telling people that blue-collar jobs are cool jobs, just like white-collar jobs. The perception is that these are sort of menial in nature and without any societal status, which is an understandable concern. But, we believe that these social perceptions have to change. The third aspect we are looking at is in the future where the jobs are going to come from. We are now asking ourselves if jobs like plumbing and masonry will exist in another five years. We also need to find out which are the sectors that would come up with greater job opportunities. With dynamic changes in various industrial sectors including manufacturing, how are the government initiatives coping up? Yes, I will answer this with an example. We had set up a Centre of Excellence for Skilling in the oil and natural gas sector for students. Oil technicians have been in huge demand, especially in Middle East countries. In Angamaly, we have this training institute which has been set up in a PPP model and we have managed to find them good jobs abroad. But what will be the future of jobs in the petroleum sector? The prediction is that all the vehicles on roads, by 2025, will not be petrol or diesel vehicles instead they would be run on electric power or battery. In fact, a few days back, Volvo cars announced that they will not manufacture any more petrol or diesel cars from 2019 onwards. This means that all the internal combustion engines are going to be replaced by electric motors and batteries. Therefore, all those people who have got themselves skilled in manufacturing or servicing of internal combustion engines are going to be out SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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of jobs. Also, another new phenomenon has been the advent of driverless vehicles. It is being said that in United States alone around 2.5 million truck drivers will go out of business in the next couple of years. This is the reality in which we are living. So we need to find out which are the sectors that are opening up. These would include robotics in the field of servicing, engineering, management, just to name a few. Artificial intelligence is another area where considerable action is seen. Solar panelling and instrumentation will also get an impetus as it is the future source of clean, cheap and renewable energy. Today, it costs just Rs. 3.5 per unit compared to Rs. 4 to Rs. 4.5 per unit that people pay for electricity. Solar energy will take over on a large scale and many new jobs will be connected to this sector. The government is looking to invest more time, money and effort into skilling people in those sectors that hold much promise in the future. Is the government willing to adopt the PPP model for such initiatives? At this stage, when it comes to skilling, private partnerships are a necessity. Who are the people who are going to use the skills of these youngsters? India has one of the largest young populations and the private sector will no doubt be a major jobs creator. It would be impossible for the government to absorb the entire workforce. Therefore, we will require more and more business houses and entrepreneurs to come forward with viable proposals. If they require a given number of technically qualified workforce, we would be in a position to provide them with that. So, tie-ups with private businesses should be a must. The Central Government has been pushing Skills Development in a big way. Do you think this has made grassroots level changes in a state like Kerala on the skills front? Yes, I would like to think so. The Central Government had mooted the idea of a skills development mission (SSDM) in every state. In Kerala, we call it Skill Development Mission of Government of Kerala. Under SDM we have now set up a company called Kerala Academy SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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for Skills Excellence (KASE), which is designated as the nodal agency for all skilling activities in Kerala. With this, we are trying to bring together skilling activities of various departments under one umbrella. Under the auspices of KASE, we have facilitated setting up of new businesses which require specialized skills. For example, KASE has come up with a nursing academy which is basically for nurses who have passed out from their respective colleges, to help them with skills in documentation, in understanding the culture and language of different countries and all the other finer skills required in nursing. Any other areas where such skills training is being imparted? Another potential area is the security services, which you will find staffed by mostly retired people and who aren’t certain about what the job entails. Security services actually provide an important function in the sense that it is just a couple of levels below policing.

“For example, KASE has come up with a nursing academy which is basically for nurses who have passed out from their respective colleges, to help them with additional skills.”

There is some amount of documentation involved, liaisoning work, ability to study CCTV footage, politeness, alertness etc, which are important aspects of security service personnel. We have also setup a centre for training in electrolysis, which is removal of unwanted hair from the body. This market is now more widespread for men than it is for women. When we had helped a couple to set up this business, even we weren’t fully sure about it’s potential. But this skill is in huge demand today. We have given accreditation to such centres also. The reason why I gave this example is because we are still in the process of finding out where the emerging jobs are. The opportunities are certainly not going to be in the traditional sectors. In collaboration with the government of India, we are looking to provide accreditation to whoever approaches us with a viable business proposal. There is a view that Central Government’s manufacturing push or Make-in-India program has largely failed to create jobs so far, largely due to a huge gap in skilled workforce in India, compared with countries like China. How far is this view true? Well, it could be true but I don’t have the hard data with me to prove or disprove this point. However, it is undeniable that skilling is an area where there is a gap. Industry and business leaders are always telling us that the

students who pass out from universities are not in a position to handle current jobs. Without giving them additional training for about 6 months, the skills gap is bound to exist. We are looking to enter into a tie-up with the Embassy of Germany because this is a country where skilling is given utmost priority. In India, we need a similar system where linkages with job providers are encouraged. For example, when we set up courses, we generally donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take feedback from companies who will ultimately hire these students. Then, there is also the issue of educational infrastructure. How many engineering colleges have a decent laboratory facility or centres where hands-on experience is imparted to the students on how to operate machinery? When the syllabus is being designed, I believe it is important to take into consideration the views of the industry. But do you think industry is willing to chip in with inputs? Yes, that is a point. The industry isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t

ready to give a chance to students to get sufficient shop-floor experience. For example, I will tell you the reality of what goes on with interns. The people who hire them have absolutely no idea about what work to give them. They are asked to shuttle between various managers in the company and finally get very limited exposure. I feel that the HR department should draw out a schedule in order to accommodate interns better and familiarize them with the various departments of the company. They should also be given a tour of the facilities. Above all, interns need to be given problem-solving tasks. It is a huge challenge because there are many lakhs of students who graduate from colleges but do not have specific skill sets. This disconnect certainly needs to be addressed. We are also planning on a tie-up with BPCL and I have agreed to give them some land in Ettumanoor for setting up a skilling institute to train students who will later on be employed in their refineries.

Heading the Labour Department as the ACS, do you think labour relations in Kerala have improved a lot during the last 10 years or so? To what do you attribute this phenomenon? I certainly think so. However, I am not claiming that everything is 100% okay. Yes, we are planning for a new labour policy that takes into account the needs of the labour force and the job providers. Earlier, during the 1980s, the labour movement was very militant in nature. I remember that we used to have strikes and demonstrations on a regular basis. In the 1990s, we had a lot of objections to computerisation of jobs. Today, we have various mechanisms in place, labour courts in place etc. Currently, there is a strike going on among the nurses. Still,the labour situation in Kerala has considerably improved from what it was 30-35 years ago. Coming to KSINC, it has been formed by the amalgamation of Inland Navigation and Shipping Corporation. Which of these broad verticals have been faring better? Yes, we have been building different capacities of vessels under KSINC. These vessels are mainly used for carrying oil, for bunkering service etc. We also carry various kinds of vessels for fertilizer, ammonia, acids etc required by various industries. We are also now looking to operate cruise boats which havea trip duration of about 2 hours. This is very popular among students and families. Now, we are SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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building a bigger vessel with a 200 passenger capacity. We are going to launch this in the months of DecemberJanuary. This will operate in the high seas. Kerala has got a very long coastline but so far we haven’t tapped this potential. Many people haven’t actually seen the seas. Currently, there are no vessels in Kerala capable of traveling into the sea. This particular vessel will be built according to the due specifications so that people can experience the joys of cruise travel. We are also looking to build some fast ferry boats because the ones we currently have are quite slow. We have done the trial runs for this fibre glass boat to carry about 100 passengers which can go up to a speed of 12 nautical miles. This is poised to be the fastest ferry boat in Kerala.But, our biggest project really is to utilize the canal and waterways system in Kochi. It sounds interesting. Can you explain in detail? You might have heard of the water metro project of KMRL. When I was the founder MD of Kochi Metro, when we brought up the concept of water metro, it included all the canals of Kochi Corporation. Ultimately, since the canals couldn’t be renovated, what is now being mooted is only a portion of it. This will be confined to the backwaters with mini ports and boat jetties. To complement this, the government has approved a project and we are in the process of preparing a DPR. We are looking at renovating the 5 major canals within the city. It will be a Rs. 1000 crore project. Right now, no water service is possible in these canals. The total length of the canals will be about 35 kms. One of them is for only a single km while the longest is of 13 kms(Edapally canal). These canals actually zigzag within the city but nobody has seen them because one can’t get where all these canals reach. They aren’t navigable because for the last 50 years, waste is being dumped in these canals and all the canal banks are encroached. We have more than a 1000 families that have encroached on these banks. The toilets of all these shanties or slums flush out into the canal. They have become a dump-yard of waste in Kochi. We want to rehabilitate all these SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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The two cities of Amsterdam and Venice can be emulated by Kochi if the right systems are put in place. Cochin is probably the only city in India itself which has got such a unique canal system.

people and provide them with alternative places within the city. After relocating them, we will dredge the canals, remove the entire waste, treat the water and construct higher vertical bridges by demolishing the older ones. According to national waterways standard, the height from the water level to the bridge has to be 6 metres which will be calculated at the high tide level. The land which is redeveloped adjoining the canals can be made into a single track for residential compartments, malls etc. The two cities of Amsterdam and Venice can be emulated by Kochi if the right systems are put in place. Cochin is probably the only city in India itself which has got such a unique canal system. How will this mega project be funded? KSINC has been given the mantle to undertake this project. We have finished with the preliminary studies and collated data. The DPR for this should be ready in 3 months’ time. KIIFB has promised to fund us. I am also toying with the idea of an annuity structuring in the sense that once you have the DPR in place, we can actually tender it out. There are companies which specialize in rebuilding cities and these organizations can spend money

initially while the contract will be over a longer time period of say 25 years. This is the same model we adopted in Trivandrum for the city road development programme. The original outlay was for about 100-120 crores. Over a period of 19 years, we said that we would give a payout of about 500 crores. This is done so that the government needn’t spend the money in one go. The interest accrues on the capital every year which will continue for the next 25 years. We are looking for various places in the city for rehabilitation. We want to definitely build the houses first as otherwise relocated people would be sceptical. We are thinking of atleast about 500 sqft per family. This is the biggest project we are working on right now and we hope to wrap it up in the next 3-4 years. Once the rehabilitation process starts, then the engineering solutions are fairly easy. The DPR is being prepared by NATPAC and they have setup their GPS systems already. In some places the breadth is too narrow while in certain places it can be almost 200 metres. Within the city, the smallest is about 14 metres. We are looking at 2 options currently like 14 metres and 22 metres depending on how much land is available. This is a state government project primarily but we are hoping to get the central government into the picture. Unless I have a viable DPR, nobody will want to look into it. This is a very unique project comprising of many components like rehabilitation, tourism, waste disposal systems, residential space etc. I am anticipating about Rs. 1000 crores initially but we are confident of raising more funds.

INDIA PREPARING NEW WAGE CODE The Union Cabinet is likely to give approval to the Code on Wages Bill that seeks to mandate minimum wages as a right for all employees. According to a report in Financial Express, the code will then be open for discussions in the Monsoon Session of the Parliament. This move is being viewed as one of the first steps taken by the Labour Ministry to embark on a series of labour reforms in the country. The bill which seeks to create transparency in the labour sector has been approved by an interministerial panel on labour, headed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. Here are five things the Code on Wages seeks to change: It aims at reducing disparity in minimum wages across states. The Centre will set a minimum wage across sectors and states would have to comply with that. However, states can provide for higher minimum wage in their jurisdiction, over and above the wage fixed by the Centre. Currently the minimum wages provision is only applicable to scheduled industries or establishments. The Code on Wages seeks to ensure universal minimum wage for all industries and workers.

INDIA DONATES TO PHILIPPINES TO TAKE ON ISIS Joining hands in the battle against the Islamic State in the city of Marawi, India has rushed financial assistance of $500,000 (approx. Rs 3.2 crore), in the troubled Mindanao province, 800 km south of Manila, says a Times of India report. This is the first time India is sending financial aid to another country for relief and rehabilitation from deadly terror groups. The moves follows a conversation between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Philippines’ foreign secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on July 6. Swaraj had expressed “sympathies and condolences for the tragic loss of life in the Marawi city”.

Jolted by an attack on Marawi on May 23, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines have launched joint patrols to control the movement of militants across their archipelagic region. The fighting has claimed the lives of at least 90 soldiers, 380 terrorists and dozens of civilians, according to reports quoting the local police chief. Almost the entire population of about 200,000 have fled but it is understood that there are still hundreds of civilians who cannot escape. With this financial aid, India is now the largest donor for the crisis. China, which is Philippines’ new best friend, donated 15 million pesos (approx. Rs 1.9 crore).

It will also cover those workers who are getting monthly pay of higher than Rs 18,000. The Centre will also revise the minimum wages from time to time to ensure they are relevant to the times. The Code on Wages will subsume the Minimum Wages Act of 1948, the Payment of Wages Act of 1936, the Payment of Bonus Act of 1965 and the Equal Remuneration Act of 1976. In fact, 44 labour laws will condensed into four codes-- wages, industrial relations, social security and safety, health and working conditions by the Labour Ministry. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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SIKSHA 'O' ANUSANDHAN UNIVERSITY (SOA)

A LEADER BY DESIGN hubaneswar based Siksha 'O' Anusandhan University (SOA), a Deemed University has been making its presence felt since the past few years by coming up top in NIRF rankings. SOA University also impresses the prospective student community by its size. The university is structured as separate institutes or departments that have their own campuses and infrastructure. The prominent institutes or departments at SOA include engineering, business, medicine, hotel management, nursing, dental, and pharmacy which also includes a biotechnology centre. SOA has systematically delivered also on the research front, with its researchers often attracting the limelight not only nationally but internationally. Many of SOA's research findings have also been of high social relevance. SOA has over the years also become an excellent host for industry interactions. The University spreads across 125 acres of land and houses 33 distinct buildings for different institutes and research centres with 16 conference & Seminar Halls and 2 auditoriums specially equipped with modern facilities. The faculty members and students of the university enjoy 1Gbps internet connectivity and fully Wi-fi Campus and have access to 1,81,806 books and 14,897 e-Journals. SOA was founded by Prof. Manojranjan Nayak, an eminent educationist and humanist. The university is led by Prof.(Dr) Khageswar Pradhan as its Chancellor and Prof. (Dr.) Amit Banerjee, an ace surgeon and medical educator as its Vice-Chancellor. The University has been re-accredited by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) with grade 'A' for its overall performance. The university is slowly coming out of a placements fiasco that happened during the past academic year, in which it was duped by a fraudster. Seasonal Magazine in conversation with Prof. Amit Banerjee, Vice-Chancellor, SOA, on the various initiatives at the campus.

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What would be the approximate student strength at Siksha 'O' Anusandhan University? What would be the split-up of students across institutes and which is your biggest contingent? The approximate strength now is about 9000 students. Our biggest contingent is the engineering students. The total admission in the ITER, our oldest constituent institute and engineering college, if you include the undergraduates, post-graduates and post-doctoral students, comes up to about 1600-1800 students. Since you are in charge now, being a renowned medical surgeon and health sciences educator yourself, are there any plans to augment student strength in the medical side? At this point, the strength of our medical department is 150 students. We want to stabilize this number in the next 1-2 years. We offer MBBS and postgraduation like MD and MS in all subjects. Including this number, it comes to around 184-190 students in total. 150 seats are for the undergraduate students, while the remaining 30-35 are pursuing postgraduation. Usually at SOA there used to be very high placements, including in 2015 when almost 90% students were recruited. What is last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

in some of these print media rankings. But we knew that the government framework was beneficial to us. We even hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t separately applied as an engineering or pharmacy institute but only as a university. Out of all the private universities in the eastern and north eastern regions, we are the No.1, and not just in Odisha. Therefore, some conspiracy had been hatched and we were unable to see through this conspiracy.

Prof. Manojranjan Nayak

placement statistic after the placement fraud by an operator surfaced? Yes, the placement became an issue this year and we had an unpleasant experience. Generally our placements are more than 90%, but the unfortunate turn of events was owing to either bad luck or even as a result of a major conspiracy to defame the institution. But who would want to hatch a conspiracy against SoA? Our university was established in 2007 and if you take a look at the top 20 universities under the NIRF rankings, we are the youngest. You would have also noticed that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t participate

How did your due diligence systems fail to catch this fraud? When many recruiters come over for placements, it becomes difficult to handle all of them and also look into day-to-day work. Due to this, we roped in a consultancy agency. Let me tell you something more about the conspiracy theory through the example of a recruiter that was conned, namely Intel. These people crept into the system in such a way that our officers got a call from the Intel landline number. We were pained by this as the accusations were that of mismanagement by the university which were not true. If we had anything going against us, I would have simply kept quiet. I insisted that we should be able to make our position clear in the public forum. We also immediately compensated those students who had been cheated with an allowance of Rs. 20,000 per month. It is a very shattering experience.

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But did this consultancy represent all the recruiters or was it only a select few? No, not all the companies. Upon realizing the situation, we immediately filed an FIR and now the person responsible for this unfortunate event is behind bars. But the police will file an FIR for the crime and not the criminal as otherwise if the criminal is known there is no need for an investigation. Accordingly, the police had to take some action so they put our placement officer under custody. We also have complete proof and documents to substantiate our case. Also, I should add that in our history we have not charged a single penny from students for placements. We have always tried our level best to ensure every student is satisfied with their jobs. At the same time, if we havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t charged any money then what really is our vested interest in cheating them? The placements are still going on but as far as I know around 20-25% have been placed and those who got cheated will also be duly accommodated. We want them to get a job according to their merit. Your universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name shows a focus on research. Can you explain this focus?

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Prof.(Dr) Khageswar Pradhan

We are totally committed to education and research. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where our thrust lies. The reason why we did well in the NIRF ranking was because our research element is very strong. What about the publications and citations of SOA? We have around 2200 publications, out of which 1700 are journal publications, 450 are conference papers etc. We also have a number of laboratories and centres of excellence, including one for the nanosciences and nanotechnology. We also have centres for biotechnology

Prof. (Dr.) Amit Banerjee

and biomedical sciences. We are also trying to setup a biomedical centre here along the lines of the one situated in Thiruvananthapuram. We have a fantastic centre for theoretical and mathematical sciences. We also do a lot of hand-holding in terms of research. We receive funding from the department of science and technology, CSIR, ICMR and this year we are planning to get from the ministry of information technology and electronics. We are expecting more government funding to come our way.

What about recent seminars and conferences hosted by SoA? This happens on a regular basis. For example in the medical college, we have got a staff academic seminar every month. It is almost like a faculty development programme. Then we also have the inter-disciplinary research council headed by the dean of research and development. Under his chairmanship, we have got one researcher from every region. Therefore, an engineering student would know what goes on at the pharma department and so on. The PhD students have to make a presentation before the VC here. There is a system by which we train our students to submit mid-reviews and reports. SoA also has a thrust on project based learning. Can you explain this? Normally, you have theoretical and laboratory classes as standalones. Here, we have tried to amalgamate the theory with practicals, especially for our engineering students. Skill and theory should go hand in hand. Therefore, when they do their project, there will be a proctor who helps them with the project. This way, whatever knowledge they are acquiring results in hands on experience by doing their projects. This is basically what project based learning is all about. After all, this is what Skill India and Digital India programmes are all about. So, to answer your question, we certainly go by the name of the university in letter and spirit. We have got regular guest speakers from various IITs and overseas institutes. One of our professors was a former member at the ISRO, while another senior professor

Our university was established in 2007 and if you take a look at the top 20 universities under the NIRF rankings, we are the youngest. heads the nanotechnology centre. What do you mean by a design-based curriculum? With engineering being a competitive sector, there is a need for being dynamic in the designing of courses. We also train them in soft skills so that when an engineering graduate gets a job at the IT field, he/she is well equipped. There are also regular mock tests leading up to placements. Gives us some details of your start-up or incubation centre? Yes, we do have an incubation centre which was opened only one and a half years back. This goes by the name ‘Soach’, which literally means ‘thinking’. It also incorporates our three letters ‘SOA’. We have just started with this with some of our students and some local support but we plan to involve other parties very soon. We organized a camp recently focusing on technology, innovation and entrepreneurship. They were required

to submit business propositions which were vetted by judges from outside the university and prizes were awarded to the most enterprising teams. I was present at the proceedings which encouraged other faculty members also to join in. What about the NAAC accreditation? We have been re-accredited with a 3.35 score. This is an A grade and we have improved on our score also. Which are some of the more dominant schools within SOA? We have a very old school of management sciences, pharmaceutical sciences which includes the biotechnology centre, faculty of hospitality and tourism management, faculty of nursing, law school, and agriculture school. The agriculture school is our most recent and we will have our first batch pass out very soon. You had conducted a ‘Talent Hunt’ in schools in 2016. Are you repeating it this year? Last year, we visited all the districts of Odisha and the talent hunt was conducted. It was basically a quiz competition in the schools and we had many students willing to participate. The successful students were given scholarships. There are also provisions for deferred payment or payment in instalments as education is primary, not its costs. But due to the setback that happened because of the placement, we were unable to organize the talent hunt this year. We are certainly trying to limp back into normalcy. SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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SKILLING

What is Ailing Skill India Program? INDIA’S GOAL OF SKILLING 400 MILLION PEOPLE UNDER THE NATIONAL SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 2015 IS TOO LARGE, UNNECESSARY AND UNATTAINABLE, A GOVERNMENT-APPOINTED COMMITTEE HAS FOUND. The previous goal of skilling 500 million people, set in 2009 under the National Policy on Skill Development, was also fixed without any basis, the report by the Committee for Rationalisation and Optimisation of the Functioning of the Sector Skill Councils, issued April 25 said. Sector Skill Councils are autonomous, industry-led, sectorspecific skill builders that ensure skills training meets employer needs. The government has missed its skills training targets for each except one of the last five years, official data shows. Why skill India? About 64% of India’s population is expected to be in the working age group of 15-59 years by 2026, according to Ernst and Young, a professional services consultancy. India is expected to have the largest workforce in the world by 2025, with an estimated two billion English-speaking people by the end of 2020. By the same year, the world is expected to face a shortage of 56.5 million skilled workers, while India is projected to have a surplus of 47 million, Indian government statistics say. Yet, 30% of India’s youth are neither employed nor in education or training, Bloomberg reported on July 7. Unless employed gainfully, India’s “demographic dividend” can turn into a socio-economic nightmare. For instance, 4.69% of India’s workforce is formally skilled, as against 52% in the US, 68% in the UK, 75% in Germany, 80% in Japan and 96% in South Korea. In fellow emerging economy China, skilled workers account for 24% of the workforce. This is noteworthy because the largest contributor to India’s economy, the services sector, requires highly-skilled SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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workers. Manufacturing, which the government is seeking to boost through its Make in India initiative, also needs trained workers. To address this imperative, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Skill India programme on World Youth Skills Day on July 15, 2015, announcing the aim to skill 402 million people by 2022. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship’s estimate for the number of people who needed skills training was more modest – 126.87 million people in 34 sectors across industries by 2022, its Annual Report 2016-’17 said. Of these, the top 10 sectors would account for 80% of the total requirement, it was estimated. Even as India struggles to provide basic skills to millions of potential job-seekers, it needs to address the challenge of automation and prepare to impart skills for jobs where humans will not be replaced by robots or algorithms. No less than 69% of Indian jobs are susceptible to automation, the labour ministry told the Lok Sabha on March 27. Automation is already affecting the manufacturing and engineering sectors; factory jobs are more vulnerable to automation than those in the IT companies, the Economic Times reported on June 28. Government steps in Mindful of the challenge, India issued a National Policy on Skill Development in 2009 with the aim of skilling 500 million people by 2022. The 2015 National Policy for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship issued subsequently estimated the need to skill 402 million people over the next seven years – to train 104 million fresh entrants and re-skill/up-skill the existing

298 million farm and non-farm sector workforce. However, the government has been unable to meet its annual targets – set by various ministries and departments – for any but one of the last five years. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship achieved 58% of its total skills training target in 2015-’16, while the remaining 19 ministries together met 42%, the committee which studied Sector Skill Councils reported. Key ministries responsible for sizeable employment generation such as human resources development, textiles, commerce and industry, and tourism have not been allocated the work of skill development, the report found. “Some ministries have been allocated role of ‘employment generation’ which, ipso facto, doesn’t mean that they will do skill development also,” the report said. The report pointed out numerous shortcomings in India’s vocational education and training systems, including: absence of nation-wide Vocational Education and Training standards, lack of an integrated on-site apprenticeship training, inadequate industry interface, insufficient financing of the Vocational Education and Training system, scarce training capacity, poor quality outcomes, and shortage of qualified trainers. It found that many ministries imparting skills training are short of infrastructure and qualified trainers, and hence impart substandard training. Sector Skill Councils, which are responsible for developing and conducting programmes as well as assessing trainees, were themselves established randomly, the committee found. One of the criteria for establishing an Sector Skill Councils – that a sector have 1 million existing workforce – was itself not strictly

followed. For instance, the Media and Entertainment Sector Skill Councils was created despite employing 400,000 people in 2013. The data used by the National Skills Development Council, which oversees Sector Skill Councils were based on a study “whose authenticity was difficult to establish,” the report said, adding that setting up of Sector Skill Councils created “confusion and mess” instead of resolving any issues. There are about 40 Sector Skill Councils covering high-growth sectors such as auto-motives, retail, healthcare, leather and food processing, and informal sectors such as beauty and wellness, security, domestic work and plumbing. Targets were overblown, loans went unpaid The committee said Sector Skill Councils proposed “huge physical targets” of training and certifying institutions and people – both trainees and trainers – on an “arbitrary basis,” without formulating a sectoral labour market information system and sectoral skill development plan. Fund allocation to Sector Skill Councils was based on achievement of these targets. Representatives of many Sector Skill Councils told the committee that these high targets were allocated arbitrarily by the National Skills Development Corporation and Sector Skill Councils were told to sign on the dotted lines so as to claim funding. As a result, the quality of training, assessment and certification suffered even as targets were shown to have been achieved, the report noted. The National Skills Development Corporation was set up in 2008 as a

public-private organisation to generate skilled manpower. It gave soft loans, equity and grants to private-sector training partners. Many of its initial loans of around Rs 1,500 crore – nearly equivalent to the cost of setting up an Indian Institute of Technology (Rs 1,748 crore) – were not paid back. “NSDC [National Skills Development Corporation] and the MSDE [Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship] have taken cognisance of this fact and are taking actions which are both supporting as well as penalising to ensure timely repayment,” Manish Kumar, CEO and MD, National Skills Development Corporation, told IndiaSpend. As of June 14, the total amount overdue to National Skills Development Corporation from its non-performing assets account stood at Rs 58.24 crore, he said. “NSDC Training Partners service the loan as per the terms of the loan agreement with NSDC. NSDC has a rigorous system for project appraisal and consists of independent due-diligence and multiple levels of approvals by investment committees,” Kumar said. (The National Skills Development Corporation’s complete response to IndiaSpend is here.) A revised estimate of the incremental human resource requirement during 2017-2022 is 103.4 million across 24 high priority sectors, as per the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship’s annual report 2016-’17. The Ministry of Skill Development and

Entrepreneurship has also distanced itself from the target of 500 m by 2020. “The figure of 500 million was a part of the National Skill Development Policy of 2009 which provided for a review after five years,” Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship told IndiaSpend in a statement. “The policy was duly reviewed and a new policy for skill development and entrepreneurship was launched in 2015, post the formation of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.” Kumar added that the 2015 policy identifies the challenge more clearly: the need to skill a huge workforce of which only 4.69% is formally skilled; and gives a clearer break-up – 104.62 million fresh entrants by 2022, in addition to 298.25 million existing farm and non-farm sector workforce. Funds lined private pockets The committee found that vocational trainers and assessing bodies were private entities who utilised government funds, but the youths who enrolled did not get proper training and were not placed. Nor were sector-wise skill needs met. The National Skill Certification and Monetary Reward Scheme or STAR launched in 2013 by the National Skills Development Corporation was “very ill conceived” and poorly implemented, and displayed poor placement outcomes, the committee found. STAR was a reworked version of the Skill Development Initiative Scheme SEASONAL MAGAZINE

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launched in 2007 with an outlay of Rs 2,000 crore. Both functioned in parallel, with the only difference being that the former was implemented by the National Skills Development Corporation, the committee report noted. Without evaluating STAR, the National Skills Development Corporation launched the Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojana in July 2015 with a further outlay of Rs 1,500 crore. This “ambitious scheme” too was “badly implemented with very poor employment outcomes,” the report noted. A programme called Recognition of Prior Learning – under which people with prior learning experience or skills were assessed and certified – was misused. People were certified “after giving 2-3 hours of training” in order to inflate numbers, the report noted. Without rectifying any of the problems with Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojana, the government launched “PMKVY 2.0” in July 2016, proclaiming an aim to skill 10 million youth during 2016-2020 and setting aside an outlay of Rs 12,000 crore. The professed aim was to overcome implementation challenges and “make it more effective, transparent and beneficiary oriented,” the ministry said in a reply to the Lok Sabha on March 15. Of the 1.8m people trained under Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojana during 2015-’16, 12.4% received placements; 8.5% of the 1.4 million people trained under STAR were placed, the committee found. “The unmistaken conclusion is that an amount of Rs 2,500 crore of public funds was spent to benefit the private sector without serving the twin purposes of meeting the exact skill needs of the industry and providing employment to youth at decent wages,” the report stated. Kumar of National Skills Development Corporation said, however, that low

placement figures belie the real employment picture. “The objective of STAR and PMKVY 1.0 Scheme was to encourage skill development of youth by providing monetary rewards for successful completion of training,” he said, “The actual numbers will be many times higher but since training partners were not mandated to report back, only a few have shared placement data…” He was alluding to the fact that under Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojana (2015-’16) it was not mandatory for National Skills Development Corporation’s training partners to report employment data, while Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojana (2016-’20) made it mandatory. Some action was taken against irregularities: five training partners and 11 skills training centres under Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojana 2015-’16 were suspended for violating marketing guidelines, making mass or fake enrollments and not adhering to Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojana branding, according to this reply to the Lok Sabha on February 8, 2016. Nearly 40% of the enrolled trainees in skill development centres in three states – Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Rajasthan – are ghost entries, the Hindustan Times reported on June 29. Following this, the ministry suspended allocation of new centres in these states, the report said. Not enough trainers The committee report highlighted that many ministries lack training infrastructure and impart substandard training. Some of the short-term courses offered are as short as eight hours and neither meet the skills needs of employers nor provide decent livelihood opportunities.

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“The NSDC and SSCs [Sector Skill Councils] made a mockery of trainers training by giving fresh diploma and engineering graduates 2-5 day training to become a qualified trainer,” the report said. India needs to train 20,000 skills trainers of various kinds every year, but currently has a capacity to produce 8,268, the committee reported, suggesting that trainers’ selection criteria include basic entry qualification, pedagogy skills and minimum six months’ industry experience. The way forward Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India the “skills capital of the world” seems a long way off. The committee has suggested a framework, though: “If we take it up as a national goal we can transform India into a developed country by 2040 and make it the “Skills capital of the world.” One of its key recommendations is implementation of “Reimbursable Industry Contribution” – 2% of industry’s annual wage bill be collected to create the corpus for a National Skill Development Fund. Small, medium, large public and private enterprises employing 10 or more workers contribute to promote in-firm training as per industry’s own requirement. The employers manage this fund through Sector Skill Councils, with their costs reimbursed depending on their annual training plans and performance. “With this effort, the enterprises will be able to train youth according to their requirement, and over a period of time, we can think of an India, which will have 100% skilled manpower,” the report said.