SESHADRIPURAM FIRST GRADE COLLEGE POST GRADUATE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE AND MANAGEMENT No.26, Yelahanka New Town, Bengaluru - 560 064
Pravartana NEWSLETTER VOLUME - 2
Messages From the Director’s Desk The Post-Graduate Department of Commerce and Management at SFGC, works thoroughly to achieve excellence in not just academics but at every single aspect of education that would bring about an overall development of a student. The staff and students of the department keep their calenders filled with events and activities that add a whole lot of value to the Post-Graduation that the students earn at the end of two years. We are proud to present Volume - 2 of “Pravartana” which is a window through which we wish to show the world, the journey of our department in the previous academic year.
-Dr. Vatsala G. Director, P.G. Dept. of Commerce and Management, SFGC
Editor’s Note At the outset it is my sincere expression of gratitude for the continuous support and privilege given by the Post Graduate Department of Commerce and Management under the roof of Seshadripuram Educational Trust towards the progress of the department and students. The Department has involved the students in a continuous learning pattern along with regular academic curriculum. The series of events promoting academic, research, culture, sports and other departmental activities conducted is being captured and showcased in the present volume. My sincere thanks to the head of the department and students’ editorial members for bringing this Newsletter Volume-2 in a beautiful e-format as planned on the scheduled date and time. The fact that this newsletter is being released at the inauguration of a fresh batch of M.Com and M.Com (F&A) is an added feather to the pleasure cap.
-Dr. Soumya S. Associate Professor, P. G. Dept.
Student Editor “Pravartana our annual newsletter showcases the initiatives taken up by the department and students of M.Com & M.Com (F&A) in the respective academic year. The newsletter throws light on the Workshops, Conferences, SSR Activities, Industrial Visits & Other Events that the students have actively piloted. Each issue of Pravartana sets a benchmark for the following year, encouraging us to strive, work and achieve better.”
- Harshitha S. and Team
From the Department A New Journey Begins: A fresh batch of M.Com students were welcomed to the institution on the 29th of August 2017 when the classes for the first years officially commenced. The course M.Com (Finance and Accounts) was also kick started from this academic year in the department with a humble number of students as the pilot batch.
The Happiness Program
The Road AheadA Career Planning Session On the 6th of September 2016, the first year M.Com students had a session on Career Planning that was conducted by Mr. Ram Mohan who is a full time faculty of the MBA department at Seshadripuram Institute of Management Studies, Yelahanka. Being a renowned individual in multiple fields, Mr. Ram Mohan showed the fresh Post-Graduate crowd as to what is waiting ahead of them post their tenure in the present course. Beginning from lucrative careers in the Armed Forces of the country to the various opportunities available in both government as well as private sectors students saw the numerous doors that they can knock on so as to make a career. The session was not just an informative lecture but also a very different type of career counseling where a large platter of job openings was shown to us along with a map of the effort required which proved to be an eye opener for many.
An Art of Living Initiative Modern day students’ life is one full of stress and mostly unwanted mental turbulence. It is in this jumbled mind state that life is approached with which eventually drops the graph of the student in not just academics but with respect to every aspect of one’s life. The Happiness Program which is also known as YES+ (Youth Empowerment Skills) was thus conducted by an Art of Living teacher for the first year M.Com students at Seshadripuram First Grade College campus in Yelahanka as a part of an inaugural training program in the month of September. The teacher Mr. Ram helped the students to imbibe a fitness regime in the form of Yoga as well as aided in cleansing a cluttered mind in the form of meditation, patterned and rhythmic breathing techniques as well as the renowned “Sudharshana Kriya” in the program that lasted in its full swing for a whole week. Redeeming one’s own mind to act in a peaceful and organized manner at all situations was a marvel that most of them experienced in this one week of the program. The final phase of the program witnessed all students being taken to the Art Of Living Ashram in Kanakapura Road, Bengaluru to merely experience the gravity with which the volunteer based organization piloted by Shri. Sri Sri Ravishankar, is working to bring in world peace and to accomplish the motto of “One World One Family”. Despite being a week long break from academics, the amount of value addition that was done in the one week of the program was immense with its positivity sure to reverberate in everyone’s life for a long time to come.
Golden Rules of Communication A Workshop: Communication is the heart and soul of all human activities without which no task of an individual would be complete. Being students of Commerce, a sound sense in communication becomes a basic necessity and this is the same feature that many students do not have a command on. In order to break this taboo, the Post-Graduate Department of Seshadripuram First Grade College organized a half day workshop on “Golden Rules of Communication” that was conducted by a renown resource person in the industry Dr. Bharthi Parek on the 19th of September 2016. A very precise and beautiful session was carried out where students were made to sit in groups of ten members each and given specific tasks to be performed which were based on the seminar that was delivered, all with regard to the development of a sound communication skill. The session proved to be a very fruitful one as students were given an insight into corporate as well personal communication skills in a very simple, brief and organized manner that reached each and every person in attendance.
Indian Banking Industry One Day National Conference Banking industry serves as the back bone of any economic system. There is hence a great need for students in the commerce and business streams to understand the varied dimensions of the sector which can be best illustrated by the experienced hands of banking professionals. Such a conglomerate of professionals was successfully brought about on the 19th of October 2016 in the form of a one day National Conference where eminent personalities from the sector were invited to hold panel discussions and presentations on topics such as Agricultural Financing, Non-Performing Assets, Rural banking, Credit Rating and Future of Indian Banking. Research papers from both faculty as
well as students were invited from different institutions apart from in house participants. The research papers were well presented by the students who brought out varied perspectives on the industry that added more dynamism to the theme of the day. The best papers were adjudged and awarded with certificates and cash rewards. The bonus however was the fact that the research papers that were awarded were also forwarded for publishing in an ISBN acquired journal. The conference hence provided the much needed practical picture of the industry to the students as well as became a first step for one and all in gaining a greater knowledge edge in the field of Banking.
From the Department Essay Competition by EPFO
Industrial Visit Sandal Oil Factory & Karnataka Silk Factory
Vigilance Awareness Week was observed by all Government departments from the 31st of October to the 07th of November 2016. As a part of this initiative the Employees’ Provident Fund Organization’s Sub Regional Office in Yelahanka held an essay competition in Seshadripuram First Grade College for Post-Graduate Students on the topic “Public Participation in Eradicating Corruption and Restoring Integrity. Being a topic that has millions of words insufficient to bring out its wholesomeness especially in a country like India where corruption is the burning issue of the day, students were enthusiastic to participate and put down their thoughts and perspectives on the issue.
Officials from the EPFO office conducted the competition in the campus and announced the results a couple of days later. Five prizes were awarded to the students who were felicitated with cash prizes, gifts and certificates at the valedictory function of the ‘Vigilance Awareness Week’ which was held at the EPFO Sub Regional Office in Yelahanka on the 07th of November 2016. The initiative proved to be a great platform for students to voice out on a phenomenon that is hampering the progress of a nation which has great potential for development that is now slowly surfacing into reality.
The students of I Semester M.Com were taken on an industrial visit in the first week of December to Karnataka State owned Sandal Oil Factory as well as Silk Saree Weaving Plant, both located in Mysore which is one of the heritage cities of Karnataka state. The sandal oil plant has its roots tapping way into the period of the legendary civil engineer Sir. M. Vishweshwarayya who was the designer of the plant. Our guide at the industry gave us a host of information regarding the functioning of the Plant. A few highlights are as follows: Sandalwood is procured from plantation owners from
different states by means of auction. The wood is processed in different stages like
powdering, steaming, distilling, condensing and oil extraction all of which are methodically carried out by the well trained staff of the organization. The
sandal oil that is extracted is sent to the plant in Bengaluru where soaps and other products are made. Since
the raw material is quite exquisite and the process involved is very tedious, the sandal oil is priced very high. (Close to Rs. 5000 for 5ml) There is an acute shortage of raw material or sandalwood at the moment in the state which has slowed
Gandhi Vichara Sanskara Pariksha Mahatma Gandhi, an iconic personality who played a pivotal role in bringing freedom and democracy to the world's largest democratic country following nothing but methods of peace. Gandhi Research Foundation's initiative of distributing Mahatma Gandhi's Autobiography in the abridged format and conducting an evaluation exam to test students' knowledge about the historic personality was a new and refreshed venture for the students. It helped them to gain valuable information on the life and timeline of the Father of the Nation which is definitely bound to beneficial in the long run for those ideologies and practices have a very long time span in store as longevity even in the modern tech oriented world.
down the production of the plant. Post the Sandal Oil plant, we proceeded to the silk weaving plant which weaves out one of the most luxurious piece of fabric in the country, the Mysore Silk Saree. The factory has a very large floor space that is divided into various sections for Coning, Weaving, Spinning, Dying, Washing and Final Dispatch. Every saree is a work of art as craftsmen carefully weave every single thread with utmost care and expertise. Signature sarees featuring gold borders and silver threads are also woven here at the plant under a secured space. The tour inside the plant which lasted for a whole 45 minutes proved to be an eye opener to many who always wondered why the sarees were priced on the upper scale. This industrial trip was a very exclusive learning experience for the students who had an opportunity to look into the real time processes and have hands on perspective of two of the most exclusive industries in the state. Being a perfect blend of fun and learning, the industrial tour was indeed a very successful one and achieved the ultimate objective of practical knowledge attainment.
Industrial Visit Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM) Toyota - a company that is looked up to and respected globally for not just being the largest automobile manufacturer in the world but for also being an organization with one of the most meticulously drafted and implemented organizational structure and work culture. An industrial visit to such a company would be a dream for any student pursuing a course in both sciences as well as commerce discipline. Such a dream came true to the second semester students of M.Com, Seshadripuram First Grade College when the gates of Toyota Kirloskar Motors in Bidadi were opened for us. From the very step inside the industrial perimeter one could feel the enormity of the activities that are carried out inside as well as the discipline and ethics with which they were carried out. Walking by the massive structures set up for various operations within the industrial campus, we were led into an exhibition centre that had its walls carrying pictorial and textual description of the legacy that stands as a testimony to Toyota's massive success over the past century in the world.
A presentation was then delivered by Mr. Gopinath of TKM who gave us a crisp introduction of the organization and took us on an audio visual tour inside the Pressing, Welding and Painting sections of the unit where every single Toyota car running in the country takes its birth. Post the tour, the students were given refreshments before being taken in a bus to 'Plant 2' where the assembly of Toyota's Etios, Liva, Etios Cross and Corolla Altis take place. Having a production capacity of 2.10 Lac units per annum, this plant left every single visitor inside spell bound. Every single process and every single personnel is very well coordinated and weave into the production process which manages to churn out one car every 4.05 minutes once. Precision and Perfection are two words that can perfectly describe what the industry is all about. Toyota as a company has so much to offer in terms of knowledge to any outsider and such an ocean of knowledge can be imbibed throughout one's lifetime. Safety ethics and practices is yet another major factor that Toyota strictly practices. Every single member entering the unit is provided with safety gear as per the plant's requirements and is expected to abide by the stringent rules in practice.
Toyota also has a Gurukul inside the industrial campus where new recruits as well as existing employees are put through an on-going training process which would help them to improve their skill sets and move up the hierarchical ladder. New recruits are mostly hired from rural areas which also indicate the company's sense of social responsibility. All in all, Toyota ensures a wholesome development of not just the organization but of each and every individual working in it who are all viewed by Toyota as
assets. The visit that lasted for 3 full hours left all the students spell bound and speechless. Along with numerous other lessons, one strong takeaway for all the students was, if in life, everything is in place and there is a place for everything just like in Toyota, one can be sure of succeeding in any venture undertaken.
Lazza Ice Creams (Jojo Foods Pvt Ltd) The students of II Semester M.Com were given an opportunity for an industrial visit to Jojo Foods Pvt Ltd which is the plant that manufactures ice creams that sell under the brands of Lazza and Skei. Situated in the far outskirts of Bengaluru, in Bidadi, the factory has been in business from the past two and half decades. The personnel there were kind enough to take us on a guided tour inside the plant premises and explained each and every process that goes into churning out the tastiest of frozen desserts. Starting from the milk sterilization process to the adding of the flavors and colors and the final packaging, the whole cycle of events were explained and shown to the students who were also later taken into the cold storage room of the plant where all the finished products are stored and dispatched from. Post the tour, students were also allowed to make direct purchases from the stores of the plant which had fresh ice creams in stock. Not only did the visitors have an amazing treat to their taste buds but the entire visit proved to be a wonderful learning experience for all of them as the practical dimension of a medium scale enterprise was shown in full scale during a time of peak production. The students left the plant premises with greater knowledge and satisfaction.
Seminars Seminars & & Workshops Workshops Seminar on Goods by CA Shashi Kumar
and Services Tax (GST)
Goods and Services Tax Bill is a legislation that has been in the pipeline since almost a decade now and finally the ray of hope of its implementation has dawned in the country. With July 1st being the tentative date from which the tax would be in practice, students of commerce are in dire need of a birds’ eye view of the proposed system at the least if not an in depth study. This need was more than satisfied on the 22nd of April 2017 when the Post Graduation Department of Commerce and Management of SFGC organized a three hour seminar on the same topic that was delivered by CA Shashi Kumar, a practicing Chartered Accountant. The three hour seminar was a very well structured one with the start being given from the basics of indirect taxes and slowly building on to the evolution of GST. Not only did the resource person for the day covered the basics of GST but topics like ‘Industry Expectations from GST’, ‘Government Benefits’, ‘Scope and
Champions Of Change Conclave Current Indian Economic Scenario has a great pedestal set up for entrepreneurship development which aims at building more in house business concerns within the country. One major sector that encourages budding entrepreneurs is the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Sector (MSMEs) that has the complete support of the Government for growth and development.
Limitations of GST’, etc were also very well covered which gave the students a wholesome picture of the new legislation to be implemented. Being a bill that was given a form from the time of P.Chidambaram’s tenure as Finance Minister, the GST has taken many forms and amendments before it was passed through in the Lok Sabha in the year 2016 under Arun Jaitley’s Finance Ministry. With all said and done, GST is sure to be a revolution in the way indirect taxation system functions in the country. Being the largest source of revenue for the central exchequer, indirect taxation did need such a welcome change at a time when the entire economy is undergoing major metamorphosis in terms of working patterns. This seminar did prove to be well timed and well packaged with the students getting enough impetus to move academically and practically forward in their study of taxes.
IFRS Workshop by Mr. CA Vinayak Pai: 18 May 2017 International Financial Reporting Standards is one of the most dynamic spheres in the 21st century business world. Being students of the commerce discipline, knowledge of IFRS is indispensable. This knowledge to us was served on a silver platter in the form of a workshop that was organized by the Post Graduate Department of Commerce and Department, SFGC. The resource person called was Mr. CA Vinayak Pai, who has a long list of academic accomplishments and an even longer list of corporate achievements under his name. Being an industry expert in IFRS concepts and implementation, Mr. Pai delivered a three hour session on the same simplifying the core of IFRS as much as possible thus reaching the most naïve of minds in the crowd. Beginning from the need for IFRS, Mr. Pai substantiated the difference between IFRS and the present accounting standards being followed by Indian Companies. The need and importance of Ind AS was also briefed well by Mr. Pai. At the end of the day, this was a session that proved to be an eccentric signature to the workshops conducted in the even semester by the PG Department where a whole lot of faculties and students from other institutions took an active part along with in house faculties and pupils.
A conclave for MSMEs was held in the campus of SFGC, Yelahanka that was organized jointly by the Post Graduate Department of Commerce and Management and Bio Design Farm. The agenda was neatly drafted up and executed which consisted of an address by Mr. Anadi Charan Sahu, General Manager of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and Mr. Anand Kumar, Senior Manager at Small Industries Development Corporation. Both their addresses threw a whole lot light on the subject matter of MSMEs as well as how the student community can access these funding corporations to set up their own units to incubate and bring up their own venture. Industrialists from the sector were also present in the gathering for the day which also had a panel discussion on the topic in the agenda. The conclave was a program that had students and faculty members of PG Department on their toes for a week. It was indeed a commendable result that the efforts received at the end of the day which again goes down as another milestone in the history of SFGC.
IoTNEXT Global Summit Internet has revolutionized the very functioning of the world. Starting from our daily routine to the industries that operate in the economy, internet is omni-present. A phenomenon as this needs numerous platforms to be showcased with respect to its applications and development which are ever progressing. Such an initiative was the IoTNEXT Global Summit that was organized by TiE Bangalore and IESA at the Sheraton Hotel on the 9th and 10th of November. Three students and one faculty member attended the event on behalf of SFGC. The event had global software giants like IBM, Microsoft, Samsung, Analog Devices, Accenture, etc coming together to showcase their latest developments in cloud computing and automation technologies as well as present scenarios that are currently prevailing in the industry. Keynotes from the cream personalities of the industry gave greater impetus to the contemporary situations and innovations on varied spheres like smart cities, automated agriculture, security of the virtual world, etc. Workshops on different software platforms were also held simultaneously which drew a major amount of professional crowd. The panel discussions, keynotes and award functions saw a tremendous attendance from the start up ecosystem too. The summit was a great learning experience to the attending members who got a precious opportunity to network with industry experts and have a platter of knowledge offered to them in their home turf.
Off Campus Ventures NITTE Meenkashi Institute of Technology (NMIT): Anaadyantha 2017 NMIT’s most coveted fest named Anadyantha is held every year in the month of March. This year the fest’s invite reached the PG Department of Commerce and Management, SFGC a couple of days before the event. With a boost of motivation from the Director of the Department as well as the faculty members, a team of students from I Year M.Com and M.Com (F&A) reached the venue on the 9th of March 2017 to test their skills in events like Best Marketer, Best Manager, Best HR Manager, Finance and Business Quiz. The fest had participation from colleges across the state with major share of students coming from branded institutions in and around Bengaluru. Cut throat competition and an ocean of knowledge is what the students experienced in all the events. Despite the adrenaline pump, students of SFGC put up a commendable show with the Business Quiz first position being the icing on the cake. Exposure to practical dimensions of modern corporate world is what such fests offer in plenty and the students of M.Com in SFGC are never denied of any such opportunities. The dusk saw students return home with lots of new knowledge, memories and of course, eagerness to participate in more of such events to come.
RV Institute of Management: Vidhyarthi Adhiveshanam 2017 RV Institute of Management held its annual post graduate level conference and paper presentation event Vidhyarthi Adhiveshanam on the 11th of May 2017 with the main theme of the day being “Transforming India”. Offering close to 25 sub themes on the main topic, the institute had invited papers from all over the state. Two students from the PG Department of Commerce and Management, SFGC formed a team and participated in this upscale event that had 85 papers being presented. Numerous scholars along with academicians and corporate personalities like Mr. Sunil Bangalore, CEO, New IT Initiatives, Hinduja Group, Dr. Sheshamurthy, Director, Vasavi Group of Institutions, etc took forward the plenary and technical sessions for the day which opened new doors of knowledge for the students at the venue. Hot topics of discussion included Digital India, IT Initiatives, Competitive Cultures, Transformation strategy and so on. The students of M.Com SFGC presented a paper on “Future of Indian Banking: Personalized Pocket Banker” which also bagged the second prize at the end of the day. The event being exclusive for post graduate students was organized in an impressive manner that had a professional touch in every single element. With a massive quantum of knowledge imbibed, the students left the venue at the end of the day bearing a hope to get back to the 2018’s edition of Vidhyarthi Adhiveshanam.
MLA Academy of Higher Learning: Aspirations 2017 MLA Academy of Higher Learning (MLA-AHL) hosted its commerce fest “Aspirations” for the year 2017 on the 27th of April. The fest had a host of events organized by the students and faculty of MLA-AHL which included ‘Paper Presentation’, ‘Business Quiz’, ‘Portfolio Management’, ‘Corporate Treasure Hunt’, ‘Business Proposal’ and ‘Best CEO’. A team of students from the Post-Graduate Department of Commerce and Management, SFGC participated in the fest. With a minimum of a single entry into every event, the students of M.Com first and final years gave their best in every single event that saw cut throat competition from students of various other management institutions. All events were very meticulously organized and had judges invited from the industry all of whom did maximum justice to the results with the most deserving students being honored with the accolades. Participants from SFGC bagged the first prize in “Portfolio Management” event and Runners up at “Business Quiz”. This fest like all other commerce fests gave the participants a great deal of exposure to a huge amount of knowledge which brought in a sense of immense satisfaction in all of us at the end of the day.
Student Social Responsibility (SSR) Initiative: 10 May 2017 Social Responsibility occupies a very important part of students’ life in modern day society where there is no dearth for sections that need help and care. This academic year, the faculty and students of Post Graduate Department of Commerce and Management headed to an orphanage and old age home that is rightly christened “Ray of Hope”. Situated a little off Hennur Main Road, this shelter was started and is being operated by a humble family who are now the care takers of more than 30 children most of whom are unfortunately destitute. A few socially ignored senior citizens also are sheltered in this home. The children there performed welcome songs and dance for the students and faculty as we reached the home which gave the day a beautiful beginning. The students had contributed a small sum each and had gathered enough funds to purchase two dozen mattresses and a month’s requirement of groceries for the home. More than the materials that were given, it was the time spent there by the students organizing small games for the children and distributing prizes too for the same that brought elation in both the children’s as well as the students’ hearts. With quality time spent and a good deed done the students and faculty bid a heavy hearted farewell to the children who definitely do have something that is much needed to keep life going on positively, A Ray of Hope!
Alumni Meet 2017 One of the best assets that any educational institution possesses is its Alumni. Students who have been a part of the institution in the past continue the association with their alma mater in the form of annual Alumni meetings. The Po s t G ra d u a t i o n D e p a r t m e n t o f Commerce and Management at SGFC held its pilot Alumni Meet on the 1st of April 2017 where students from batch 2014-16 which also happens to be first batch of the department were congregated at the college auditorium for the official formation of the Alumni Association: Ayush. The program which was well planned and set by both the students and faculty of the department had a wonderful beginning with an invocation song rendered by Harshitha S. of II Semester M.Com followed by a welcome address by the Director of the Department Dr. Vatsala G. All members of the Alumni were then officially administered their oath by Mr. W.D. Ashok, Trustee at SET. An address by the Alumni Association Secretary Mr. Sumanjan and the chief guest for the day Mr. Avinash Loganathan fulfilled the official agenda for the day. Followed by the official program was a set of cultural events that was planned and well executed by both the 1st and 2nd year students of the PG Department. With videos bringing in nostalgia and moments recollected and cherished, the first gathering of Ayush drew its curtains with a high tea and networking session.
Graduation Day Graduation day is like an icing on the cake that every student looks forward to at the end of an academic journey in an institution. This year, the Post Graduate Department of Commerce and Management, SFGC had organized a graduation ceremony for the outgoing batch of students in association with its counterpart at Seshadripuram Degree College as well as Seshadripuram Institute of Management Studies on 31 May 2017. The Chief Guest for the day was Mr. Mittur Jagadish, the head of Biotechnology Cell working under Government of Karnataka. With other dignitaries from Seshadripuram Education Trust gracing the occasion, the graduating students were all honored with their degree certificate post which the guests on the dais delivered inspirational talks. The formal function was followed by a photograph session where all students sat together as classmates for one last formal class photograph. Lunch was served and thus ended yet another graduation day where students took another step forward into their future.