April 2012

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Volume 1 Issue 10 April 2012

you t h incorporated www.youthincmag.com

Editorial Editor-in-Chief NITISH SHAH

Editor's

note

Executive Editor SHRADDHA KAMDAR Managing Editor MINAL PATODIA Sr Correspondent BEVERLY PEREIRA Fashion Contributor ANU CHOWDHARY Contributors ANKITA DEURI TANAYA RAMYANI

Art & Design

BIPIN BALAKRISHNAN MOULVI ABBAS HASAN

Ad Sales

NIKHAT ALI

nikhat@youthincmag.com

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Marketing

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Circulation

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FATEMA BISMILLAH Printed and Published by Nitish Shah on behalf of Splash Publication Pvt Ltd Published at: 9 Forjett Hill, British Express Bldg, 2nd floor, Mumbai 400036.

Editor: Nitish Shah

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For Advertising, Subscriptions and Circulation email: mail@youthincmag.com call (91 22) 23516622/6609 All content in print and online is owned by Splash Publication Pvt Ltd under international copyright laws. No part of the content can be reproduced in any form without the prior written permission of the publishers. Publishers will not be held responsible for the content of the magazine including accuracy and effects. All disputes subject to the jurisdiction of competant courts in Mumbai only.

I distinctly remember my backpacking trip across Europe just after getting out of high school and always recall it as one of the best times of my life.

The entire two months travelling across six countries, getting each visa and understanding each currency were great learning experiences in themselves. Just the thrill of waking up in a new place, meeting all sorts of people and doing different stuff still gets me high. Living in youth hostels and spending days sightseeing or hanging around were times of total abandon during which I made some life long friends. So as most of you must be planning your holidays soon, we present to you our travel special.

This issue covers the great Indian Backpacking Bucket List for all the places that you need to see in the country. Also, check out our travel tips and ideas shared by the producer of your favourite travel show, the Travel Bug. I am a bit tired of people constantly comparing India with China. I personally believe that there can be no definitive comparison between the two countries; while India is a happier place, China is way more technologically advanced. Nonetheless, we bring to you a fair analysis of the India-China comparison in light of the Prime Minister’s statement about our lag in scientific research. We ask the stake holders for the reasons.

Alumni Associations are given tremendous importance worldwide. We are now beginning to see Indian institutions giving greater focus to their own alumni. We all know that a great way to find jobs is by networking with the alumni. The most important role alumni play today is raising funds to add to the institution’s endowment. There is an instance of a whopping 18 crore donation bequeathed by an alum to University of Madras. That is the power of a strong alumni association.

Everyone suffers from Monday Morning Blues after a particularly exciting weekend. One wants to linger in bed to prolong the weekend. This is especially hard for those of you who have just started working after those lazy years of college life. Read our tips on how to get through the most difficult day of the week.

An issue that I feel strongly about is awareness about smoking. It pains me to see our young minds being clouded by smoke. We have tried to bring to you some innovative ways to Quit Smoking. Live healthy and have a great holiday!

Nitish Shah APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated

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contents APRIL 2012

Also on the

12

COVER

SEAMLESS CONNECTIONS

A look at the trend of alumni associations in India

16

NAME=QUALITY

With the establishment of so many IITs without suitable infrastructure, will the brand live up?

20

MONDAY MORNING BLUES

Sure-shot ways to glide through the most dreaded day of the week

24

CONNECT THE DOTS

Top global media and communication institutes

34

THE GREEN GROWER

Pursue horticulture to nurture your green fingers

64

PAGE

50

BEAT THE BUTT!

Want to quit smoking? Here’s how you can

76

FIGHT CLUB

Get acquainted with the mixed martial arts culture in India

Cover Story

THE TRAVEL SPECIAL

Want to travel, but are unsure?

Don’t be; travel teaches you things you might not learn otherwise. Youth Inc’s bucket list of backpacking destinations within India will put you on track to get started with your travels. Travel show producer David Byrne, talks about his experiences during his journeys around the world. Read on and start planning for your next trip!

2

(Educate) SPECIAL FEATURE Chandni Chowk to China

10

Enrol for an online programme from wherever you are

All you need to know about the upcoming AP tests

AWARENESS The English Patient

28

Ways to maximise your productivity at the workplace

FOREIGN SHORES From a distance

22

27

Why is India lagging behind China in scientific research?

WALK OF LIFE The two-hour workday

18

EXAM FEVER One step ahead

Problems faced by students of vernacular schools due to a language shift in college

OUT OF THE BOX Flower power!

36

Explore the creative field of floral designing

Youth Incorporated ║ APRIL 2012

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CAREER WATCH Do the math!

37

Opt for math and statistics to make your career count

WIN

FREE EXCLUSIVE

FASHION Art and fashion meet with no boundaries

GIFTS

68

An Indian fashion label that is like an artist's canvas

by

GATSBY

IN CONVERSATION Details and delegation

40

See page no 88

Business leader Paul Murphy on the art of effective team management

71 INSIDE DOPE Jai Hind College

42

An FYBCom student talks of his spacious city campus

69

Brave the sun!

Make sun protection part of your daily beauty routine

Gadget fashion!

The funkiest cases for your phones, tablets and laptops

PRODIGY The great Indian dream

44

Entrepreneur and path breaker Gautam Shiknis on believing in your self to overcome challenges

STAPLEdiet

STUDENT SPEAK Rock on!

46

BMM student Aarish Daruwala lets Youth Inc in on how he doubles as a DJ

(Entertain) RELATIONSHIPS To look or not to look?

62

Has the case of the wandering eyes crept into your relationship?

ECOWATCH Seeds of change

67

4

Kavita Mukhi speaks about the idea behind the farmer’s market

EDITOR’S NOTE…1

70

Beachwear trends for Spring Check out the swimwear trends for 2012 before your holidays

EDITORIAL CONNECT…6 AROUND THE WORLD…8 EVENTS DIARY…30 COUNSELLOR Q&A…32 WORD ZONE…48 MODEL WATCH…72 DR GOOD SKIN…73 REFRESH… 74 RISING STARS…75 DROOL OF THE MONTH…80 IMHO…82 RESTOMETER…84 CELEB TADKA...85 HANGOVER…86 STAR STRUCK...87

Youth Incorporated ║ APRIL 2012

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editorial connect FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS!

As an Indian, I don’t think the culture of enjoying an intimate relationship with a friend is popular. I didn’t really connect with the article titled 'Friends with Benefits', simply because of this.

While the ‘friends with benefits’ culture is rampant in other countries, I feel that we don’t really walk that path here. Maybe it is because of our culture, upbringing and closely knit families that keep youngsters away from going all the way with their friends. On the whole, I feel that just about everyone is looking out for their true love. That's why such practices don't work at all. All the same, this article was quite an interesting read for someone like me who has never encountered such experiences.

Kiera Fernandes Student, Mumbai

EDUTAINMENT? Even though this is an education and entertainment magazine but I was expecting something a little more fun to read. The educational stories are interesting but I figured that I could get the same information from just about anywhere, even from the Internet. I love keeping abreast with the education scene in India as I am a professor. It would be good if the magazine featured articles on trends, debates and hot topics that are relevant to students.

The entertainment section has few interesting articles. The reviews on restaurants and night spots are good recommendations.

Girish Rane Professor, Delhi 6

Youth Incorporated ║ APRIL 2012

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Write to us at mail@youthincmag.com

SPOOKY TALES

I just spent the last one hour ignoring my work and engrossed in the new issue of Youth Incorporated. But that wasn't a bad thing since I enjoyed reading the article on supernatural elements. It sent shivers down my spine, but I still couldn’t get myself to stop reading it! I believe that spirits do exist. Yes, I’m a believer! I think the writer explored this topic in a very mature way, given that science has not yet proved the existence of the supernatural world. We are fascinated by all things morbid. If the magazine has more such articles, I will definitely be a loyal reader!

Anand Bakshi Graphic designer, Mumbai

THE RAT RACE! The article on competitive exams in India was useful. I had studied for the Olympiads and understand the importance of these exams in a country with such a large population and lack of jobs. The article on the reservation system in India made me want to go on reading. However, I don’t agree with the writer’s point of view in the article about women empowerment. Is it not true that women are still getting mentally battered? Is society fully open to the idea of a woman doing whatever she pleases? I really don’t think so, looking at the recent spurt of violence against women. But I do applaud Youth Incorporated for choosing to highlight the importance of a woman!

Jahnvee Singh Student, Bangalore

CAREER CAPERS I am at the crossroads of my career.

There couldn't have been a better time to have fallen upon this magazine.

I have been in the field of graphic designing for the better part of my life. But I always felt like there was something more to expressing my creativity. Architecture crossed my mind a couple of times since I also have majored in math. Call it a coincidence, or whatever you may, but I found the article on changing career paths to be very helpful. It gave me the confidence to switch my career path. I took this as a sign! I’m now exploring my options.

Sangita Hangal Graphic design, Delhi

SOCIALLY YOURS:

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09-03-2012 12:23:45

yi

educate Interested in majoring in global communication?

Check out the best international colleges on page 24

The Hall at Northwestern University

K E E PI N S I D E яГо

Pg10 Pg12 Pg22 Pg34 CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA IS CHINA BETTER THAN INDIA IN SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH?

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SEAMLESS CONNECTIONS TRENDS OF ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS ARE PICKING UP IN INDIA

ONE STEP AHEAD BENEFITS OF TAKING THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT EXAMS

THE GREEN GROWER A LOOK AT CAREERS IN HORTICULTURE

14-03-2012 19:44:19

NewsNewsNews New News _EDU NEWS

Around the World CBSE-International curriculum to be introduced in India

T

he Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced its plans to introduce the international curriculum (CBSE-I) in select CBSE schools across India.

This curriculum has already been adopted by 30 schools in nine countries. Scheduled to be implemented from the next academic session (April or July 2012-2013), the CBSE-I curriculum aims to promote critical and creative thinking skills, effective communication skills, interpersonal and collaborative skills as well as information and media skills. The international curriculum, available to students from Class I to XII, will be taught through e-books. The CBSE-I students would have more foreign language options and a totally different syllabus for other subjects. Schools will have to undergo an orientation programme, after which they can apply to the CBSE board to obtain a grant for the same. The board will also offer teachers’ training programmes, teaching materials and self-guide modules. Students will be evaluated on the basis of the Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation system (CCE). The CBSE-International curriculum is known to provide a more learnerfriendly, stress-free and skill-based approach to studying. The annual course fee is expected to be approximately `1.5 lakh.

COLLEGE DEGREE IN VOCATIONAL EDUCATION SOON TO BE INTRODUCED IN INDIA

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bachelor’s degree in vocational education (BVoc) will be introduced in institutions affiliated with the University Grants Commission (UGC). The UGC formally approved this proposal only recently, which requires a final nod from the commission. Once approved, students will be able to get a bachelor’s degree in vocational education. This will boost employment for graduates. Students will need to choose a sector as well as a specific specialisation from each sector. The proposed sectors include construction, tourism, printing, telecom, IT, mobile and communication. Each sector will have a maximum of 100 students, which means that a college can accommodate 500 students for vocational education. Under the entertainment section, students will be able to opt for a specialisation in theatre or western classical dancing.

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REVISED COMPANY SECRETARY FOUNDATION PROGRAMME TAKES OFF

I

n February 2012, the Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) launched a new syllabus for the company secretary (CS) foundation programme. This new syllabus was effective from February 1, 2012, while the examination under this syllabus will take place in December 2012. As per the new syllabus, Optical Marks Recognition (OMR) will be conducted.

An OMR-based examination includes an objective-type, multiple-choice question format. The CS foundation programme comprises four papers namely business environment and entrepreneurship; business management, ethics and communication; business economics and the fundamentals of accounting and auditing.

K C Mahindra offers scholarships to study abroad

A

pplications for the K C Mahindra Education Trust 2012 scholarships are now open. The interest-free loan scholarships are offered only to Indian nationals who are keen on completing their postgraduate studies outside India in a host of different fields. The maximum amount for the K C Mahindra scholarship has been fixed at `2 lakh per scholar, while the K C Mahindra Fellow Scholarships amount to `8 lakh per scholar.

Those who wish to apply for these scholarships must possess a first class degree or an equivalent diploma from a recognised Indian university. They must also have secured admission to, or have already applied at a reputable foreign university for courses that begin from September 2012 onwards, but no later than February 2013. The interview is scheduled to take place during the month of May 2012. Visit www.nanhikali.org for more details.

Youth Incorporated ║ APRIL 2012

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NewsNews

News NewsNews

News

Jindal teams up with US law schools to provide dual degree in law

T

he Jindal Global Law School (JGLS) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the US-based Maurer School of Law at Indiana University to provide dual degree programmes in law. This new move will allow students to obtain a Juris Doctorate (JD) from Maurer School of Law along with an LLB degree from Jindal Global Law School. The JD happens to be the US version of LLB and is the qualifying course required to be able to sit for the US bar examination. The BA LLB degree from the Jindal Global Law School with a Juris Doctorate from Indiana would last a total of six years and a summer term, whereas the LLB from the Jindal Global Law School with a Juris Doctorate from the Maurer School of Law would take four years and a summer term to complete. Generally, the BA LLB and the LLB programmes would last for a total of five and three years respectively, while the JD takes three years to complete. Both of the joint degree courses happen to be the first of their kind in India. The threeyear Maurer programme generally costs $43,000 (`21 lakh) per year for non-US residents, whereas Jindal’s five-year BA LLB and three-year LLB programmes cost `6.5 lakh and `7.5 lakh per year respectively. The MoU was signed by the two schools on February 19, 2012.

Over 65 Indian B-Schools to shut down

M

ore than 65 business management colleges across India are planning to shut down. It has come to be known that these institutes no longer see business sense in offering MBA courses. Reports claim that the institutes would prefer to allocate the land for a more lucrative venture. As per reports, many B-Schools lack an adequate number of students, most of whom are simply not keen on applying to lesser-known institutes in remote areas of India. Such institutes also lack decent faculty and fail to offer placements to students after graduation. This comes as a major setback to the education industry in India.

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UK UNIVERSITY COURSE TO STUDY HAZARE’S ANTICORRUPTION MOVEMENT

S

tudents at the Centre for the Study of Corruption of the University of Sussex will soon study about social activist Anna Hazare’s anticorruption movement. The University of Sussex only recently announced the creation of the new research centre called the Sussex Centre for the Study of Corruption, which will offer a oneyear Masters programme starting in the 2012-2013 academic year. The head of the Centre, Dr Dan Hough, said that the MA programme will examine the effectiveness of Hazare’s campaign.

The Centre was founded in 2011 with the aim of analysing what corruption is, where it thrives and what exactly can be done about it. Besides political corruption, the centre will also focus on corruption in the field of sports.

APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 9

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_SPECIAL FEATURE

CHANDNI CHOWK TO

CHINA

PM MANMOHAN SINGH RECENTLY NOTED THAT, THOUGH INDIA HAS GAINED POPULARITY IN THE IT SECTOR, IT IS LAGGING BEHIND CHINA IN TERMS OF RESEARCH. WHAT COULD BE THE REASON, AND WHAT IS THE SOLUTION? YOUTH INC FINDS OUT

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or a few years now, the world has been especially cognisant of two developing economies: India and China. However, a claim by one of our highest authorities that our neighbour to the north is superior to us in science, has inspired quiet unrest in academic circles. India has always come out on top in computer science and IT. Actually, not quite, now! China has taken over as the leader in computer sciences among developing countries, despite the fact that India’s trade volume in IT comes in to be at a whopping $63.7 billion. In the past few years, Indian scientists have published about 25,400 academic papers on the subject, while the same figure for China is an intimidating 2,22, 900! These numbers have been collated from the 2006-2010 data from SciVal Spotlight, a research tool developed by scientific publisher Elsevier.

Emotions were further stirred when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh commented that “India’s relative position in the world of science had been declining and we have been overtaken by countries like China,” at the 99th Indian National Science Congress in Bhubhaneshwar earlier this year. Though intended to laud the scientific advances of our country, Singh's inaugural talk at the congress came interspersed with hard facts and subtle hints as to why research in India lags behind that in the other parts of the world.

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“As far as resources are concerned, the fraction of GDP spent on R&D in India has been too low and stagnant.

We must aim to increase the total R&D spending as a percentage of GDP to two per cent by the end of the XII Plan Period from the current level of about 0.9 per cent,” he said.

The news, though not very surprising has created a feeling of disharmony in academic circles, since many are trying hard to reach global levels. Youth Inc asked those in the education sector for possible explanations and solutions.

“It is simple. The reason is that all R&D efforts by the Indian industry, whether in the private or in the public sector, are just mere ways of using the tax payer’s money to their own advantage. They do not want to find any conclusive results as such,” says a disgruntled Sukumar Sharma, who was cheated by not only his guide, but also his institution, while he was pursuing his PhD.

In fact, that is the reason why the PM had to acknowledge that India is lagging behind China and many other countries, and that during the last decade or so there has been no increase in spending towards R&D. “This statement that comes straight from one of the highest authorities of the country becomes a matter of concern. Especially since, as a country, India has always been popular in science, and is way ahead of most of the world in information technology,” says computer science graduate and entrepreneur Nirav Shah, who taught a few courses at a polytechnic last year.

Many feel that as long as the GDP for education is not increased in the budget, we as a country will certainly lag behind in the development of education and research. This will particularly happen in the case of fundamental research in science as it requires the latest technologies for

Indian colleges and universities have a long way to go before they can produce graduates that are employable empirical research. It is certainly not surprising that we lag behind many nations in the field of education.

“Indian colleges and universities have a long way to go before they can produce graduates that are employable. The issue is not just money, but also freedom. I think there are numerous administrators who are capable of taking their institutions to the next level. However, they have neither the incentive nor the mandate to work

towards it. Freeing the institutions from such redundant regulations will help them seek their own path,” says a professor of computer engineering.

Many note the importance of financial resources from the government to help establish India's own world-class institutions. India is caught between the goal of educating its masses and being a world leader in higher education, but it does not have to choose between them. “The government has spent a lot of money to set up the new IITs, but the step is too little too late. The focus should be on improving production, quality with lesser cost,” says Dr Anshul Kundaje, who completed his doctoral studies in computer science and now teaches.

The last word, however, comes from a student: “I think it is because of the lack of good universities, infrastructure, salaries, facilities, work culture and fun. Most of the bright minds, including those in physics, engineering, math, economics, medicine or law want to go to reputed universities like Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford, Cambridge, Oxford, and the likes for higher education. Very few, if at all, come back.” India is not capable of retaining the best minds because our country cannot provide either the infrastructure or the funding that developed countries like the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, offer.

Apart from academic infrastructure, these countries also provide better living conditions, opportunities for pleasure, freedom and liberty, competitive salaries, and more or less hassle-free societies. This leads to a sense of responsibility towards the nation. What does India provide?

Communal unrest, most likely politically motivated; reservation based on castes and class, misappropriation of hard earned tax payer money, even when one has to fight for electricity and clean water, and an assurance that you are on your own when in trouble.

Not happening, sir. Just seeding more money will not work. It has to be complemented with many more things.

Just think about it. yi APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 11

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_FOCUS FEATURE

Seamless connections Alumni associations have been a factor for institutional growth the world over.

Youth Inc looks at the trend picking up in India

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f you haven’t yet, do go online and read the most popular version of the founding of Stanford University. Whether it depicts the truth or not is questionable, but the tale of two bereaved parents, dressed in rags, hoping to dedicate the construction of a new building at Harvard University in memory of their only son (a Harvard student), is certainly moving. And in modern times it gets one thinking - what’s the importance of alumni for an institution?

The world over, there have been instances galore where alumni associations have networked hard and long for the benefit of the alma mater. The spirit of giving back is a feeling that every student should experience in his or her lifetime, but of course it depends on several factors, including cultural influences. In western countries, the traditions and ceremonies surrounding events like graduation help to inculcate a sense of pride in one’s college or university.

This extends well beyond graduation, and in turn, inspires alumni to stay connected to these institutions through out their lives.

For some reason, this culture has not developed in India, even after 65 years of independence. Here, students get admitted, spend their time at the college, graduate, and become busy with their personal and professional lives. The college he or she attended is forgotten! What remains, is attending the annual dinners and events hosted by the alumni association with the same friends, year after year. There is no affinity for the college, no incentive to donate, or even raise funds for the betterment of the institute.

Recently, though, the trend seems to be changing for the better. Prime institutes like the IITs and IIMs have a stronger alumni network than most institutes in the country and are trying to make a difference. IIT Madras has started a new trend of providing current students a chance to meet alumni and share views about

career opportunities in the present work climate.

At many management colleges, distinguished alumni come back to lecture the students and share their expertise with their junior counterparts. It may not directly translate into any monetary benefit, but at least it’s a start. “I know that we need to do more,” says IIT Bombay alumnus Mandar Joshi, who graduated from the institute back in 2001. Still, he finds himself associating with it through seminars, alumni networking and other activities. “Unfortunately, we are not that equipped as to raise huge sums of money, and frankly speaking,

of facilitating the collection of such donations to their corpus funds. The returns have been so great that even the IIMs are finding it difficult to keep up. This could be attributed to the fact that the engineering institutes have created a breed of techno-entrepreneurs, many of which a based in the Silicon Valley. The management institutes have had no such luck. Donations converted from foreign currencies have the additional advantage of the high exchange rate!

Of course, that does not mean efforts are not being made by the IIMs as well.

IIM Bangalore’s alumni association hosts Anusmaran, an event for

The world over, there have been instances where alumni associations have networked hard for the benefit of the alma mater.

The spirit of giving back is a feeling every student should experience devotion of time is an issue too,” he explains. That said, he is very optimistic that sooner or later, even if a decade or two down the line, the situation would have improved. He is quick to add that ten or twenty years is a very short period of time for India to catch up with stalwarts like Harvard or Oxford, but he’s quite positive that we are at least moving in that direction.

In fact, if there is any institute that has benefitted from donations of its alums, it is IIT Bombay. The alumni association has a GO-IITB Campaign each year, which enables it to raise funds to undertake many projects for the benefit of its students and faculty. The collections over the years have funded numerous scholarships, research grants and infrastructure projects on campus. In fact, the IITs have always been on the forefront

alumni worldwide, and in 2010, saw a Chicogo-based graduate from the year 2000, pledge ` 1 Crore towards a unique institute initiative called the Center of Open Knowledge or COOK. It was to follow the broad principles of Open Courseware concepts developed at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), but use the innovations developed at Stanford University to ensure wider dissemination, engagement and monetisation of the knowledge that is being created at IIMB. In other cases, alumni have made efforts to maintain the reputation of their college. Several members of the Jai Hind College Alumni Association attended an event set up by the college with The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC) to share their positive experiences and help the college get a good grade in its APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 13

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accreditation. “It is imperative that the accreditation council received a holistic 360 degrees picture of the college and hence we had this interaction. I am proud to say it went very well, and we were awarded A grade,” says Hetal Kotak who used to work for the alumni association of the college.

All the efforts mentioned above, although have resulted in some of the largest donations, they are in no manner comparable to donations made regularly to universities abroad.

It is a matter of contention that how can India come up to be at par with the rest of the world when Indian biggies give away their donation funds to non-Indian universities?

Heavy-weights like Anand Mahindra, Ratan Tata and NR Narayana Murthy have all gifted money to Harvard University. In fact, when Tata made a $50 million donation to fund a campus building, it was “the largest international donation in the Ivy League university’s history.”

There have been instances galore of single donations, but the work of a network is something that India still needs. Well, at least, the process has started! yi

FOR THE JOY OF GIVING SOME NOTEWORTHY ALUMNI DONATIONS IN INDIA: 2012: A US-based Indian IT entrepreneur, and an alumnus of the 1969

batch of Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B), Romesh Wadhwani, generously gifted US$5 million to set up the Wadhwani Research Centre in Biosciences and Bioengineering (WRCBB) earlier this year.

2012: The specially invited batches of 1962 and 1987 at IIT Kharagpur at the annual alumni meet each committed `50 lakh towards founding an endowment fund for the Institute.

2011: An alumnus of the IIT-B made a generous donation of ` 2.5 crore to the institute on the occasion of Christmas.

2011: Arjun Malhotra, co-founder of HCL Technologies and CEO at Headstrong, an IT consulting firm, donated around ` 5 crore to his alma mater, IIT-Kharagpur, for the establishment of the G S Sanyal School of Telecommunication, named after the former IIT director and faculty member.

2010: An alumnus of the University of Madras, Dr Rajasekar Sham,

bequeathed half of his property, worth over ` 18 crore to his alma mater.

Dr Sham was a student of Medical Radiology. Upon his death in 2008, the university received the funds.

2010: The University of Mumbai received its largest private donation

from an alum in the city. Commerce graduate from Poddar College, Asit Koticha, who is chairman and founder-promoter of the ASK Group, gifted the university a generous ` 32 crore to set up an international convention centre and a school of philosophy.

2005: Seven years ago 63-year-old NRI Ashok Patel from the United

States, donated ` 3.25 crore, which helped to establsih a state-of-the-art biotechnology institute in New Vallabh Vidyanagar. He had graduated years ago from Vidyanagar.

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SOME OF THE STRONGEST ALUMNI ASSOCIATIONS IN THE WORLD UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA

Any university that has Donald Trump and Warren Buffett (he is the the third richest man in the world!) has to call its alumni network powerful! UPenn has got it all – nine Nobel Laureates and several holding powerful offices in the world.

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY

Another Ivy League University, Princeton, has seen three US presidents in its classrooms. The founder of Amazon.com, Jeff Bezos, graduated from Princeton among many other business leaders. Princeton has had a long association with Nobel Prize winner John Nash, and award winning writers like David Remnick, Toni Morrison, Joyce Carol Oates and F Scott Fitzgerald.

HARVARD UNIVERSITY

Seven US presidents have held degrees from Harvard including Barack Obama, who studied law here. The alumni include political figures including presidents and prime ministers of countries like Israel, Taiwan, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Canada, and Mexico among others. Harvard has also played home to many Hollywood names, and of course Facebook creator, Mark Zuckerberg. Harvard's reported endowment for 2010 is $27,557,404,000.

YALE UNIVERSITY

Three living US presidents attended Yale, namely George HW Bush, George W Bush, and Bill Clinton.

With three current Supreme Court justices as alumni, Yale has the competitive advantage in the political scenario, not to mention the former presidents of the Philippines, Mexico and Germany. Some extremely powerful Hollywood personalities have also passed through Yale’s hallowed walls, including Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Claire Danes, Sigourney Weaver, Edward Norton, and Paul Giamatti.

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

As the fifth oldest university in the country, Columbia has racked up an impressive number of Pulitzer Prize, Nobel Prize, Academy Award, National Medal of Science and other award winners and members.

In fact, this university has the highest number of Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize winners.

Several senators, governors and Supreme Court Justices went to the university as well.

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_FOCUS FEATURE

NAME = QUALITY? ( ( O DESPITE THE NUMBER OF IITS MORE THAN DOUBLING IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, ASPIRANTS STILL FAVOUR THE SEVEN ESTABLISHED INSTITUTES OVER THE EIGHT NEW ONES

ver 4.5 lakh students take the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) for entrance to India’s most prestigious institutes, the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). Despite the fact that over the last three years eight new IITs have been set up, the ratio of admission to the IITs is at 1:61.

This, not withstanding the fact that

Outlook IIT Kharagpur IIT Delhi IIT Bombay IIT Kanpur IIT Madras IIT Roorkee IIT Guwahati

1 4 2 3 5 6 -

some of the newly set up IITs (in 2008-09) do not have their own campuses yet, and function out of the campuses of the mentor IITs. With the establishment of these new institutes without adequate infrastructure, the favouritism towards the old and established IITs (See box) is ever increasing.

“The situation is such that it creates a sort of hierarchy India among the IITs itself,” opines Mohit Goel, Today who completed his 3 BTech in electrical engineering from IIT 2 Bombay in 1994. He says that a similar situation occurred when IIT 1 Guwahati and Roorkee 4 were started. Aspirants preferred the five existing 5 institutes to the new 10 ones. Now these two have

joined the ranks of the older institutes and the new ones are ‘less preferred’.

The rankings of the established IITs (see table) are always very high (among the top 10 engineering colleges in India). It will be a Herculean task for the new ones to catch up quickly.

Do these factors, then, dilute the value of that coveted IIT degree?

“Until the newer IITs get their infrastructure and other facilities in place, temporarily the brand may be diluted. That said, there is a need to offer the IIT world-class education to a larger number of people without having to rebuild the branding of the world-class institute,” says Pranjal Pathak and alumnus of IIT Kanpur, electrical engineering, 1996.

According to Pathak and others, with a population over one billion, India can sustain a large number of IITs. However, it is imperative that

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standards be maintained in the new IITs by ensuring funding, attracting top talent to participate in the individual institute’s development and ensuring that operating processes and academic rigour are maintained with integrity, openness and honesty.

From this perspective it seems plausible that the new IITs will pull their acts together, and in a few years will offer the educational facilities at par with any of the established institutes. Until then, however, most aspirants want to be a part only of the first seven IITs and would prefer other premier institutes, like the National Institutes of Technology (NITs) and Birla Institutes of Technology (BITS), to the newer IITs. Says fourth-year civil engineering student at IIT Bombay, Neeraj Kookada, “I really didn’t care which branch I got, I just wanted to get into IIT Bombay.

My branch preference was electrical engineering but I got only civil, so I made the choice of institute over branch.” He adds that when students look for job opportunities after graduation, they definitely feel the difference in market reciprocation.

“From the market perspective, recruiters are already aware of the quality of students from the established IITs and hence they know what to expect and offer.

With the new IITs, they will still be testing ground, and the first few batches of graduates from these new IITs will definitely feel the pressure,” Kookada adds.

This is also the opinion of HSC science student Anuj Mahanta, who will take the JEE this year. “I am very sure that if I do not get IIT Bombay or Delhi, I am going to opt for another institute. My parents do not want me to take a chance with my career. Had the newer IITs already established themselves well, I would have thought about it,” he says.

Shashikanth Sooryanarayanan, Professor of mechanical engineering at IIT Bombay, feels that from the student’s perspective, the established

institutes have more to offer. “With the newer institutes, it is just not the same disposition. At this moment, of course, students may not opt for the newer institutes as they want to move to bigger things in life.

But over a period of time, it doesn’t matter which IIT you go to, you have an IIT degree for life!” he says.

Rajesh Patnaik, who graduated in mechanical engineering from IIT Kanpur in 1994, also went on to pursue his MTech there. He strongly believes that if the IITs want to cast their nets wider, the average standard of students coming out of the IITs will go down until the new institutes raise their level. “Having a brand name does not place an institute at par with the established ones. What is required is a sensible plan of investment, maybe innovative ways of self-funding, and a threshold for standards that should be attained in time. These include infrastructure, quality of student output and most importantly, quality of faculty,” he says. According to Patnaik, once the matrix of measure is set and achieved, there should not be a problem of bias at all, though, for now, it remains a chicken-and-egg situation.

“To have a brand name, you need quality students and faculty…but to have that, you need a good reputation!

I think the way out for the new institutes is to just push themselves and market themselves,” he adds. He also feels that the one thing going for the new institues is that there is no challenge of legacy, so they can build their own character the way they want.

Brand value aside, the one thing that is common across the board is the experience one gathers by being part of an institution like the IIT. “Hostel life and the class experiences are the same, no matter which IIT you choose,” says Kookada. Patnaik adds, “Going through such an institute, the sheer brilliance of the people you meet there, adds to your own intellect.

And if you follow their progress after getting out, you feel proud to be associated with such ‘geniuses’.”

IIT LOCATIONS IN ORDER OF FOUNDING Kharagpur - 1950; as IIT in 1951 Mumbai - 1958 Chennai - 1959 Kanpur - 1959 Delhi - 1961; as IIT in 1963 Guwahati - 1994 Roorkee - 1847; as IIT in 2001 Ropar - 2008 Bhubaneswar - 2008 Gandhinagar - 2008 Hyderabad - 2008 Patna - 2008 Jodhpur - 2008 Mandi - 2009 Indore – 2009 Considering that only one from every 61 applicants can get into an IIT, there is no way that any of the IITs will see a shortage of applicants any time soon. It is just a matter of time until the new institutes catch up. Kedar Shiroor, who graduated in civil engineering in 2002 says, “I really think this gives so many more smart people the opportunity to graduate from an IIT. With the market growing in India by the day, and brain drain becoming less of an issue, more IITs will help improve the quality of education in India.”

He leaves us with a bit of food for thought: “With our growing population, why have only four or five premier engineering schools? Take the US, or some countries in Europe, for example - they have tons of great schools with amazing facilities, which only leads to a great future for so many kids. Why can’t we create such an ecosystem within India?” yi APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 17

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_WALK OF LIFE

The

TWO-HOUR WORKDAY MINAL PATODIA GIVES YOU THE SKINNY ON HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR PRODUCTIVITY AT THE WORKPLACE SO YOU CAN ENJOY YOUR TIME MORE!

W

e all want to work less and enjoy our time more. Well, with a little help from us, you can! Finding ways to maximise your productivity means that you will have time to do the things you really want to do. After all, all work and no play makes you a very dull person.

1

THE 80/20 PRINCIPLE The 80/20 principle helps you to maximise your productive time by finding out what you are most efficient at doing. This means you need to figure out the areas in which you can accomplish 80 per cent of your goals in 20 per cent of the time it would take another person. We all develop specialised skill sets over the years that allows us to do some things more easily than others. Whether they be in repetitive work or brainstorming for a new ad campaign, there are some skills that make us exceptionally good at our work. So find your 20 per cent work niche and try to maximise the

time you spend doing this kind of work. Then you can explore your other interests and hobbies at leisure.

2

KEEP YOUR MIND AND BODY ACTIVE Create a mental gym for yourself where you can ‘work out’ every day.

Your mind needs a workout as much as your body does. Using things like stimulating debates and conversations, readings on politics and social change, literary classics and even braintraining games, take the time to work out your mind. Keep certain activities or games on hand for times when you start to feel dull and sluggish. Keeping your mind awake and alert will help to tone your efficiency at doing certain tasks, improve your reaction times, improve your memory and problemsolving skills and improve your concentration as well. Moreover, they will help to keep your mind healthy.

For best results, you also have to look after your body by eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly.

3

TAKE TIME OUT More important than spending time to train your mind to be faster at certain activities is making relaxation an essential part of your day. Find time, sometimes in the middle of your work day, to close your eyes and just blank out. We have so many unnecessary thoughts clouding up our minds, it’s necessary to work consciously at prioritising the ones that matter. This will also help you manage your thoughts and return to the frenzied concentration of your job with more clarity and increased productivity. Also, balance your work in such a way that you

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can spend maximum time with your family and friends, the people who inspire you and keep you going. Inspiration is the root of all productivity after all!

4

EMAIL Is email the bane of your existence?

Most office workers spend vast amounts of their day just reading emails and replying to them. This is not productive work, although it may seem like it. Moreover, the interruption often eats away at your concentration. The most productive people across the world switch off their email notifications for the

majority of the day and only check it at designated points of time – often once in the morning and once at night.

If you are spend hours of the day just going through your inbox, then consider adopting a more efficient way of tackling this time-consuming distraction so that you can be more productive at your work.

5

NOT-TO-DO LIST A lot of people find it difficult to identify the areas where their input is not crucial. One of the easiest ways to increase your productivity is to make a not-to-do list. List the things that waste the most amount of time

in the day – from managing your schedule and arranging meetings to communicating work tasks to the rest of your team. Delegate these tasks wherever possible and find more efficient ways to complete the work that you are already doing. The more people succeed, the more they attract additional responsibilities. But there is only so much energy and time you have in a day. Your not-to-do list should include all tasks that are not part of your job description. Once you remove these unnecessary tasks from your day, you will be surprised at the amount of free time you have to yourself. yi APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 19

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_WALK OF LIFE

MONDAY MORNING BLUES

YOUTH INC TELLS YOU HOW TO GET THROUGH THE MOST AWFUL DAY OF THE WEEK AT WORK

S

o, as a young, gorgeous, single person in your early twenties, your weekends are usually spent with other young, gorgeous, single twentysomethings, living up their youth while they have it. This works great during college life, when, after an especially long weekend, you can hear the soft snores of students recovering in the back rows of a dull lecture.

Once you start working, however, you can’t really fall asleep at your desk with your work piling up next to you.

“Monday morning blues” occur when you come down from your weekend high, your energy levels are at their lowest, you can’t find the humour in anything, and you are generally a grumpy, grouchy misanthropic Scrooge.

Sound familiar? Chances are, you’ve been there – and we know we certainly have. Even if the physical hangover affects may not hold, the psychological ones do. You may begin the day with a burst of reserve energy from the weekend. Come lunchtime, however, you’ve realised you need to keep going for the rest of the week.

The psychological warfare that ensues is enough to make you cower in a dark corner for the rest of the day. Worry not, we will show you not just how to get through the day but also how to do so while impressing your colleagues and seniors with your determination and endurance.

1

Drink (water) like a fish

One of the main reasons you feel like shyte after the massive weekend you’ve had is probably that you are just not hydrated enough. It’s amazing what a few glasses of water can do to affect your mood and uplift your spirits.

If you are even mildly dehydrated, then you consider tasks to be much

harder than they actually are. Also, dehydration may cause you to become more pessimistic than you are when well-hydrated! Researchers from Tufts University have found that dehydration has a direct correlation to your mood. Even actress Jennifer Anniston famously said last year that not drinking enough water can make you ‘cranky’. Drinking a lot of water has been a homeopathic remedy for depression for centuries, and now it seems there is finally proof for it.

Just knock back those glasses with the same enthusiasm you did over the weekend!

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says, “When I feel like falling asleep at my desk, the only thing that keeps me sitting upright at my computer is that little blinking blue box that tells me I have a message. It motivates me to keep working if I’m not feeling too isolated or cut off. I actually become much more productive that way. If you are alone in a little cubicle, it’s really difficult to keep yourself motivated.

Human beings are social creatures and are not meant to be cut off for eight hours a day staring at a computer!”

If your workplace disapproves of you sending personal emails or chat messages, then step outside for a quick call or invest in a smartphone!

2

Pump that playlist

A fantastic way to just get going with your work is to listen to some dance numbers while you are going through routine tasks.

Phase out and reminisce about the good times you’ve had, and remember that they aren’t over yet! Let the music carry your blues away. How can you feel tired and grumpy when you’re all charged up while listening to your favourite tracks? We recommend investing in some good headphones to shut out the noise of the outside world as you enter another one in your head.

4 3

Talk to the people who keep you going

The only way to get through a day of work when you are in the doldrums is to dig deep into your reserves and find that little bit of energy that keeps you going. We think it helps to send emails, chat or just call those people who keep you energised when you feel your energy flagging. Maria Fernandes

Take time out!

Your mind needs some time off to function effectively. Some like to fill in crosswords or Sudoku puzzles to relax, while others like to just stare at the sky. Reading the paper, playing a game, clearing out your desk or just chatting with your friends by the water cooler – it doesn’t matter what.

You need to take frequent breaks – five to ten minutes for each hour of work at least – in order to keep going.

After all, sustained exposure to any sensory feeling will make you numb to it after a while. The same happens with some ideas. If you pay too much attention to one thing, your focus is likely to wane. Smokers have an inbuilt ‘break’ mechanism, but perhaps you could look for some healthier break options.

Keep these ideas going through the entire week and you’re sure to become more productive. Then you can balance out your work evenly and have a great start to the week! yi APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 21

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_FOREIGN SHORES

FROM A DISTANCE FOR THOSE WHO CANNOT RELOCATE FOR ACADEMICS, ONLINE PROGRAMMES PROVE EXTREMELY USEFUL. YOUTH INC OFFERS POINTERS FOR SELECTING A PROGRAMME THAT FITS YOUR NEEDS

T

he advent of technology has revolutionised higher education across the world, and India is no exception. The rapid progress of telecommunication systems has made it possible for students can pursue a degree from a foreign university without even leaving their rooms.

Each of these programmes has special qualities to suit individual students’ needs. Colleges and universities make sure to facilitate the smooth

functioning of the classes, to make the process as stress free as possible for the student.

Like every other student, Kunal Aggarwal was in a dilemma while making his choice. He had narrowed down his options and by carefully studying the programmes, electives, core classes and the requirements, he made his decision. He chose IE Business School to do his online degree course. The key factor in his decision was the concentration

of international students at the university, which was over 50 per cent.

“The exposure I will get through the programme, with its global outlook, will make my education at IE Business School invaluable,” he says. According to Aggarwal, the skills and abilities he will build during the course are teamwork, leadership and analytical ability.

“Choosing an online programme is no different than choosing a regular programme,” says Nahida Coelho, who pursued her course in Early Childhood Education Level 5 from New Zealand Tertiary College.

Consequently, the aspects to be considered while making a decision are the same. She adds, given the investment necessary to complete a degree, it is in the student’s best

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E

interest to be sure that he or she is getting what he or she wants.

According to experts, self-analysis is an essential skill for determining what you want out of your education. Some questions to ask yourself are: 1. Is the duration and structure of the programme most suitable for me?

2. Is the course content what I am looking for? Does the programme offer the exact specialisation that I want?

3. Will this programme prove to be a stepping stone for all the career goals that I want to meet?

4. What will be my job prospects after I graduate?

5. Is this programme accredited, and will it be recognised in India?

Needless to say, while making the decision, your primary consideration has to be on your field. For instance, a lot of business programmes lay more focus on general management, while there are others which offer different specialisations like finance, accounting and international business among others. There are still others geared towards upcoming entrepreneurs, and others looking specifically for human resources.

In-depth knowledge of the business world, and the ability to constantly update your skill set will prove very fruitful in the dynamic business environment of the present. Choose a programme that is periodically updated for course content and curriculum. If you opt for a programme in psychology or biotechnology for example, you obviously will need to emphasise core science classes.

Many students who have participated in online programmes caution that porspective students should not forget to consider teaching methodology. “Students should understand the teaching methods in foreign universities, since they are different from what we are used to in India. Distinguishing between the case-study approach and the ‘theoretical’ approach is essential,” says Coelho. Then again, some

A WORD ABOUT RANKINGS Several agencies or media publications come out with different rankings. Some of the most popular ones are US News & World Report, Businessweek, The Financial Times and The Wall Street Journal. There is no doubt that students consider such rankings while making their decisions, but counsellors add a word of caution: These rankings should be used only as a subjective criterion, and not as an ultimate measure of whether or not to opt for a particular school.

programmes have regular, rigorous exams, while in others evaluation is through assignments and academic papers. You’ll need to decide which you prefer, and whether you’ll have the time and motivation for what you choose.

At the masters level, programme directors assume that candidates are pointedly focussed on their career objectives, and have a clear cut idea about what they expect from their

programme. “We are looking for students who are committed and know why they are in a particular course of study,” says a representative from IE Business School, Spain.

Many programme directors advise going straight to the source for additional information and precise details. Most directors are accessible via email, and prompt in their replies.

Other important sources for getting critical evaluation about any aspect of the college are the alumni and current students. Be sure you ask a variety of people to get a better picture.

Before you get down to collecting all the data, chart your career path by narrowing down your choices, and be sure to know which industry you would like to work in. You need to realistically ask yourself if you (or your family) can afford the investment.

There are many factors to consider in selecting your programme, but the principal consideration should be how well the programme fulfils your needs.

Anything you take up will change your life one way or another. Choose your path wisely! yi APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 23

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_FOREIGN SHORES

Connect the Ankita Deuri gives you an inside view of the top institutes to study media and communication across the world

COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY, NEW YORK, USA www.columbia.edu If you want to attend one of the best communication and media courses in the world, then Columbia University is what you should aim for. Columbia offers both Master of Science and Master of Arts programmes in media and journalism and a PhD in communications. Apart from being highly prestigious, these courses are intensive and rigorous. Established by renowned journalist, Joseph Pulitzer, in 1912, Columbia Journalism is among the best-regarded media institutions in the world. In addition to distributing the highly coveted Pulitzer Prize, Columbia’s J-School, as it is known on campus, trains recent college graduates as well as seasoned journalists. The MSc and MA programmes both run for approximately one academic year, while the PhD programme typically takes a minimum of three years. Add to this its location in the heart of Manhattan, and you've got one of the best places on earth to become a media mogul.

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UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (USC), LOS ANGELES, USA annenberg.usc.edu USC's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism is a platform for showcasing innovation and information in communication technologies. Since 1970, the school has been providing quality education to students keen on gathering a better understanding of communication in this fast-moving world of new media. Besides a bachelor’s degree programme, Annenberg also offers master’s and PhD programmes. The school building is in the heart of the USC campus and boasts state-of-the-art computing, online publishing and multimedia classroom facilities.

Students with diverse educational and cultural backgrounds come here to pursue their studies and the multicultural atmosphere is creative and exciting for media students. The academic degrees are flexible enough to allow students a wide degree of latitude in designing their programmes of study. Ranked in the top five communication schools by Newspro, the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism has lived up to its name for topquality learning.

KING’S COLLEGE, LONDON, UK www.kcl.ac.uk Part of the highly respected University of London, King’s College offers various courses to its students.

The College was established in the year 1836 and has been serving in the top league of quality education since. King’s College is one of the top 30 universities of the world, according to the QS international rankings.

It has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law and sciences. Communication studies aspirants can choose from a wide forum of courses in culture, media and creative industries. The university offers a postgraduate programme in communication as well. The programmes combine an analysis of the arts and cultural sectors at international, national and local levels. If you are keen on grasping the kind of knowledge that will stay with you forever, then King’s College is your retreat.

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_FOREIGN SHORES

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY, CHICAGO, USA www.northwestern.edu Situated in the largest city in the American Midwest, Northwestern University is a place where you get ‘whatsoever things are true,’ according to the school motto. Founded in 1850, this is one of the most respected institutions in the region. The Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern provides master's courses in Communication Sciences and Communication Studies as well as courses on radio, television and film, performance studies and theatre. The Department of Communication Studies provides some outstanding facilities to its students and an experienced permanent and visiting faculty. Facilities and organisations on campus like The Theatre and Interpretation Centre, Cahn Auditorium, Fisk Digital Media Studio and The Media Service Group help to nurture the students’ academic needs.

Northwestern is also home to the Medill School of Journalism, considered one of the best journalism schools in the country. The combined powers of the two schools make Northwestern's offerings in communications and media among the most diverse available anywhere.

UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA, NORWICH, UK www.uea.ac.uk Established in 1963, the University of East Anglia is located in the beautiful city of Norwich. Though the university does not offer a concrete communication or media course, it does provide courses on film and television studies. Their courses inspire students to explore the diverse aspects of our media-saturated society. There are undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD programmes to which one can apply. The school of Film and Television has a very good international reputation in high-quality research and scholarship. The master’s course in Film Studies admits around 20 students each year with a further 10 for a different specialisation. The PhD programme admits students with excellent research proposals to work with members of the lecturing staff, who are widely published and very active in their respective fields of research. The school is renowned for its high-quality research, gaining the maximum grade of 5* in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise. Less expensive than its American counterparts, the UEA will give you more for your buck than any other institution on this list!

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_EXAM FEVER

The Advanced Placement Tests are going to be administered in India for the first time in May. Youth Inc provides the details

One step AHEAD

A

set of tests, popular across the globe, have come to India. The Advanced Placement Tests are going to be administered in India by the United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF) in May 2012.

Here’s the skinny on the AP tests:

WHAT? The AP tests are essentially taken by secondary school students to test their abilities with respect to college level coursework. In any given discipline, students undergo college-level training for the AP test, the exam being the final point of the training. The courses are designed to be on the rigorous side and are developed by committees of college and high school faculty members. The exams are not ‘exams’ in the traditional sense, but rather test performance. The students set the grading parameters themselves and scale for the grades of each exam.

Internationally, there are 34 subjects

The AP tests are conducted in the following subjects:

• Biology • Calculus (AB and BC) • Chemistry • Computer Science • English Language and Composition • French • Physics B • S tatistics you can choose from, including language and culture, environmental science and psychology. Not all of these, however, will be available in India.

WHERE? The USIEF has provided various centres this year, and is likely to add more names to the list.

WHY? There are several benefits of taking these exams. Of course, hard work has to be put in too!

• The AP tests enable students to get an edge prior to college.

• These students stand a good chance of earning college credits at mosy four-year colleges in the US, and participating colleges in over 60 countries internationally.

• Students also get a chance to learn from some of the most accomplished, devoted and motivating teachers across the globe.

• AP courses help to inculcate or polish skills that are required to do well in college.

• There will be a chance to hone writing skills, improve problemsolving abilities and instill discipline required for college semesters.

HOW? Most AP tests are a combination of multiple-choice questions and a response section which could either come in an essay or problem-solving form. In India, there is no formal training available for the tests, so it is up to the students to acquire the materials and study on their own.

Students who are interested in taking these exams can log on to the USIEF website: www.usief.org.in for further information and registration details. yi APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 27

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_AWARENESS

The

ENGLISH PATIENT A WHEN STUDENTS FROM REGIONAL SCHOOLS MOVE TO COLLEGE, THEY FACE ONE MORE ADJUSTMENT COMPARED TO THE OTHERS THAT OF COPING WITH ENGLISH AS THE FIRST LANGUAGE. YOUTH INC DIGS DEEPER

bout two decades ago Amitabh Bachchan won accolades for his famous “I can walk English, I can talk English, because English is a very funny language,” from the film Namak Halal. In fact, even today, the dialogue wins a laugh or too from GenX. But there’s a part of GenX that hardly finds the situation funny, since they haven’t been educated in English throughout their school life, and college opens news doors to life in more ways than one.

Taking from the Bachchan

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during their schooling, often find it difficult to cope within the four walls of a college classroom. “What is even more surprising is that they don’t take adequate steps to equip themselves with the necessary skills,” says English teacher B Geeta. The comment is reinforced by the example of Kusum Kothari, who did very well at her SSC exams a few years ago, albeit from the Gujarati medium. “I got admitted to Jai Hind College in the science stream alright, but once college began, I could not understand head or tail of what was going on in class. After a fortnight of attending seriously but getting nowhere, I asked my neighbour to help. He showed me the topics and then I’d just cram the lessons, but not understanding them. It was only two months later that I worked on the root cause: my lack of knowledge of English. Once I worked on that, I’ve never faced a problem,” she narrates.

comment, be it funny or not, English is definitely very essential language, with it emerging a medium of global communication. So while the political powers still have to recognise its significance over regional languages, it’s definitely the medium of instruction at most institutions of higher learning. This makes it imperative for a student to know the language, and know it well.

It’s hardly surprising that students, who clear their board exams from vernacular mediums, and who have not studied English as a first language

The problem These students are exposed to English as a language only during their English classes. Though these students’ marks in the class 10 state board exams are good and they are as intelligent as their classmates from English-medium schools, outside of class, they are not used to communicating in English.

“Though they are able to comprehend lectures in English, they have difficulty in understanding technical phrases. They also find it difficult to understand when the lectures seem fast, or when they come across words that they are not familiar with in terms of pronunciation and usage.

As regards reading, they are able to understand texts in simple English, but when they come across jargon, very long sentences, and complex passages, they have difficulty,” says Geeta.

As a result of being unacquainted with the language students from these schools are uncomfortable in using English as a medium of communication in their day-to-day life situations. This leads to a further dip in confidence, leading to loss of motivation to learn as well. They

hardly socialise with classmates from English-medium schools. If one were to observe a new class in a college, there is a distinct demarcation between students. And mind you, it works for both groups. Those with English as their first language are happy with their own set of friends, and those from vernacular mediums are also not interested in hanging out with the others. “In such a situation, it is essential for the English teacher or the communication teacher (or for that matter any concerned teacher) to adopt the role of a motivator. If necessary, let him or her double up as a counsellor, taking to a timid kid is not rocket science,” says Geeta. Thus, the teacher should make some time for these students and help them shed their inhibitions. The unfortunate part is that most of them shy away from trying also, due to the fear of making mistakes and facing humiliation.

This is the story of many city students, who need to realise this, and work on it to improve their performance. “People are confused between English language and literature. At the class 12 board exams, especially in the science papers, the language of the students is not given any importance over the content that is they don’t lose marks over grammar and syntax. Even then, they have to know English to understand their subjects, and the questions that are asked,” says Physics professor Dheer Singh.

This however is not just the question of knowing English.

“Students from the vernacular mediums are eaten up more by the lack of confidence rather than the lack of knowledge of English,” says consulting psychologist Dr Chhaya Sheth, adding, “they need to work on over all personality, rather than just language skills.”

There are many ways to get over the problem, but they have to stem from within. There has to be a strong internal motivation to make the change for yourself, and that’ll be the kick start one wants. yi APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 29

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e

s t n e v

d

CROSSROADS

– A SUCCESS FOR SHRI RAM COLLEGE OF COMMERCE

F

ebruary 15th to 18th saw all Delhi roads converge at the same crossroads. Lipton Ice Tea ‘Crossroads’, the annual cultural festival that was organised by the Students’ Union of Shri Ram College of Commerce turned out to be a magnum opus. It featured the perfect blend of magical music, death defying stunt shows, fashion shows and celebrity stand-up comedy shows.

With a footfall of over 50,000 students across the festival’s four days, this year’s Crossroads became India’s largest college festival! Celebrities like Zarine Khan, DJ Suketu, KK and Vishal Shekhar rocked the festival with their performances. Celebrity performances alike, Crossroads was inaugurated by PRAYAS, which is a social initiative in which 20 underprivileged children were taken for a historical tour of North Delhi. They were then treated to an entertaining yet educational puppet show. Interestingly, every aspect of the festival was taken care of in a very orderly fashion. The Students’ Union deserves a feather in their cap for excellent crowd management as well as for taking care of visitor’s requirements. The Crossroads website was well updated with all sorts of information that would have been required including ample information and details about the food stalls at the festival! Another notable aspect of the Union’s excellent management was the well-designed entry-exit plan. All sponsors were also taken care of very well including AOL CoolAge, which happened to be the festival’s online partners and Punj Lloyd, the festival’s development partners. The festival broke away from the notion that all Delhi university festivals tend to be unorganised and messy affairs. All in all, Crossroads turned out to be a grand success with loads of fun and great memories for each and every visitor that dropped in.

iary FUN AND FROLIC AT TERNA MEDICAL COLLEGE

AAKANKSHA

W

ith MBBS being declared as one of the toughest professional courses, when one thinks of a medical student, all that comes to mind is books, books and books. However, a sense of excitement overtakes every other emotion Terna Medical College when students are all geared up for the organisation of Aakanksha.

In its 12th year, Aakanksha, comprises of Lakshya, the sports event; and Paranoia, the cultural event.

Inaugrated on by Dr A D Deepak, teacher in-charge and Dr Pradeep Pawar, cultural in-charge, Lakshya went on for two days as students put on their sporting hats to test their talent at cricket, night football, throwball, volleyball and so on. An equal enthusiasm was shown for the indoor sports which included badminton, chess, carrom, table tennis etc.

This year’s theme for Paranoia was ‘Carnival’. The lighting and colourful decor transformed the boring white washed college building into a bright carnival scene. The three-day cultural fiesta was kick started with an intra-college quiz, followed by a seminar by Dr Nilesh Shah, HOD Psychiatry - Sion Hospital on life, aatma, and reincarnation. The evening saw various performances by Ternaites as well as participants from other colleges. The events continued for two days with indoor events like T-shirt painting and mehendi, followed by the Teachers Fiesta. The teaching and non teaching staff participated. The evening ended with the band event, where members of celebrity band Rang served as guest judges, who also enthralled the audience with their music. On the last day, indoor events including face painting and sketching led to the grand finale.

Song and dance sequences, fashion shows and skits, all made for a fun-filled masala night, with chief guests, Dr Omprakash Tavri and actor/ model Ameet Gaur (Force).

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Y TECH FUN AT NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY - PRAGYAAN

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he latest edition of Pragyan, the International Techno-Management festival of National Institute of Technology – Trichy, was launched from 23rd to 26th of February. The 8th edition of Pragyan saw the participation of over 10,000 individuals from over 300 different technical and managerial institutes.

Pragyan had events of every genre. To add to the 40+ competitions with prize money of over 25 lakhs, there were a host of online events like the hacking competition, a science and technology quiz, an adventure hunt game and an online mock stock market event. There were races held on three elements of nature: NFS Aqua, a remotecontrolled boat race in water; Skydive – models of remotecontrolled aircraft flying in air; and NITTro – a wireless remote-controlled car competing in off-road track.

The highlights of Pragyan were the guest lectures.

This year also featured workshops in Bipedal Autonomous Mobile Robot, IC Engines, Light Painting and Introduction to Stocks and Investments where participants got a hands-on experience of technology.

Crossfire, an intense panel discussion on the topic “It is not about the degree. It is about the passion,” presented both sides of the case with a number of live examples to assist students (and the even more concerned parents) as to what is the best choice for them, the time to take the all-important decision and why they should stick with it till the end.

Infotainment, a series of mega-shows that deliver technology-fuelled fun, offered a chance to unwind and let go. Pragyan saw Sky Lantern on the inaugural day, LASER show and LED Show on the valedictory day which was performed by STIGMA group from Russia in three acts – Led Sticks, Mirror costumes, and LED embedded Cape costumes.

On the whole Pragyan 2012 was a fun-filled techno-management festival about sharing and celebrating together!

SYMBHAV -EXTRAVAGANZA

AT SYMBIOSIS LAW SCHOOL

S

ymbiosis Law School (SLS), Pune concluded its annual sports-and-cultural-extravaganza Symbhav in association with Hanjer with performances from three Indian Rock bands Agnee, Avial and Advaita at Raga Lawns, Koregaon Park. The previous evening was no different. The Symbiosis Law School Campus hosted renowned flutist Naveen Kumar, who is a part of the AR Rahman’s troupe. Kumar and his group played songs ranging from the classic Roja to latest Bollywood numbers like Nadaan Parindey and Sadda Haq. Before the performance the crowd was entertained by Ablaze, the Symbhav fashion show. Day one saw an equally electrifying performance by Alternative Rock band Cyanide.

Not just about fun, the Symbhav Conclave discussed the very popular topic ‘Trial by Media’ by a panel comprising of Advocate Ram Jethmalani, Eminent lawyer and member of Rajya Sabha; Justice (Retd) Manmohan Sarin, Lokayukta, National Capital Territory of Delhi; Krishna Prasad, Editor-in-Chief, Outlook magazine and Ashok Bhagaria, Chief Legal Correspondent, CNNIBN. The session was chaired by noted journalist Dilip Padgaonkar who is also the RK Laxman Chair Professor at Symbiosis International University. The brainstorming address by Harsha Bhogle at the inaugural function had the audience in loss of words of appreciation.

The fun continued with a multitude of competitions such as group dance, solo dance, rock, western solo, Hindi solo, mad ads, spot acting, dumb charades, classical singing, photography, face painting, business challenge, mock parliament, negotiation and client counselling, quiz, debate, extempore moot and so on. Well-known personalities such as Omi Vaidya, Mrinalini Sharma, Kulraj Randhawa, Tushar Kapoor, and Gul Panag dropped in at the fest, making it an even bigger hit.

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_COUNSELLOR CONNECT

JAYANTI GHOSE

Jayanti Ghose is a career and education consultant. She holds an honours degree in economics and a degree in education. Her research in career counselling and guidance spans more than 25 years. She pioneered the concept of career counselling and career writing in the print media. She is actively involved in personal and group counselling.

For queries email studyindia@youthincmag.com

POSTGRADUATION IN FASHION Q: Which colleges in India offer PG in fashion communication and fashion designing?

Reena ANSWER ANSWER

Higher education related to fashion is offered by NIFT (www.nift.ac.in), Pearl Academy of Fashion (www.pearlacademy.com), SNDT Women’s University (www.sndtcet.in), Institute of Apparel Management (www.iamindia.in), and Army Institute of Fashion & Design, Bangalore (www.aifdonline.in).

Indicative examples

ANSWER ANSWER

ANSWER ANSWER

There is potential for employment after pursuing an MSc Environmental Sciences especially in organisations undertaking activities that have a significant effect on the environment including those involved in construction, waste disposal, forestry, energy supply and tourism, as also in the government, NGOs, in media, teaching and consultancy. Expect strong competition from BE/ BTech or MTech/ME Environmental Engineering for industry related jobs. In academia, prospects would be better after a PhD. It would be ideal if you could join a university for MSc/ PhD with provision of placement from campus. You should have strong commitment, passion, enthusiasm, a consistently good academic record, and keen interest in research-academia jobs if you wish to take up a career in the environmental sciences and allied fields. Good communication skills (oral and written) are important for a scientist –in industry or academia.

PHOTOGRAPHY Q: I would like to enter the fascinating field of photography. Will I be able to get a well paying?

Which institutes offer a photography course?

Mohana A strong portfolio to demonstrate your capabilities and range would be the basis for a job search.

Professional training provides strong credibility. Many prominent photographers are self-trained, while others have a mix of training, and self education through varied experiences. Shari Academy of Professional Photography and Digital Imaging, Chinchpokli Mumbai (www.shariacademy.com), Light & Life Academy International Institute of Photography, Ooty (www.llacademy.com/), Jawaharlal Nehru Architecture and Fine Arts University, Hyderabad (http://www.jnafau.ac.in/), and National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad (www.nid.edu) offer full time programmes. Symbiosis School of Photography Pune (http://www.ssp.ac.in/welcome.html) is to offer BFA Photography. Many art colleges offer photography specialization in BFA degree courses. Indicative examples.

CAR RACING Q:What could be the careers in the F1 race circuit?

Riten Motorsport is an emerging opportunity in India.

Among the jobs associated with the race circuit are being part of the crew changing tyres or refuelling the car, or a welder/ fabricator, mechanic, engineer, or working as an accountant, marketing professional, public relations expert, secretary or racing car driver. Assess what role would suit your abilities, personality and aspirations. You could approach an automobile/ tyre company, or a business or sports management company supporting motor sports or managing a motorsport event to find out about jobs. Examples are indicative of the possibilities

ANSWER ANSWER

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Q: I am really interested in the environmental sciences, but I am not aware of the career opportunities after. Could you tell me the options after MSc in environmental sciences?

Mitali

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PERVIN MALHOTRA & ZUBIN MALHOTRA

Pervin Malhotra has helped students for over 15 years to make educational and career choices by providing them with information and guidance on the options available.

Zubin Malhotra is a management graduate and journalist by training. He is an alumnus of IIM Kozhikode where he majored in marketing and finance.

For queries email studyabroad@youthincmag.com

Fed on a healthy diet of Bollywood tamasha and International gloss, Indian weddings have gotten louder, bigger, exotic and not to mention upscale, lavish lifestyle ‘events’. The wedding industry in India is pegged at massive 190,000 crores, and continues to grow 20 per cent annually, seemingly unaffected by the dark clouds of double-digit inflation and global recession.

Given your current work experience, I wouldn’t recommend a formal course – short-term or otherwise. Most of the courses abroad that I came across are meant for beginners, introducing basic elements and concepts of event management. Then too, many of these courses are offered as online courses. Surely, that’s not what you are looking for.

Depending on your future plans in the event management/ wedding planning sector I would suggest the following. If your aim is to specialise as a wedding planner, then instead of course, choose to ‘intern’ with an reputed wedding planner in the US or UK. This will give you real-life exposure and experience, and also plenty of ideas to bring back and use here.

If on the other hand, you are looking to move towards corporate events, product launches, ground promotion and marketing – then you may be better off looking at doing a short-term programme in marketing or public relations to give you the requisite know-how and understanding when planning events for companies and industry associations.

A brief list of international event management and wedding planning programmes:

The International School of Hospitality, Nevada, USA (www.tisoh.com) offers 12-week, five-week and online certificate programmes in wedding coordination and design; and conference design.

The George Washington University, Washington DC, USA (www.gwi-aqe.org) offers and online and classroom-based certificate programmes in event management.

There are several online wedding planning certifications in the US and UK such as Fitzwilliam Institute (www.fitzwilliaminstitutegroup.com); The UK Academy of Wedding & Event Planning (www. weddingplanningacademy.co.uk); and The Wedding Planner School (www.weddingplanningschooluk.com).

Do make sure you thoroughly check their credentials before signing up.

LAW ACROSS BORDERS Q: I have pursued law in the UK. I am relocating to India shortly, and I want to know if I am eligible to practice law in India?

Charu Tripathi As far as law degrees go, there is certain reciprocity between India and some foreign countries. This means that similar academic qualifications are considered to be equivalent and therefore acceptable for professional practice. I suggest you review the details of the foreign universities whose law degrees are recognised by The Bar Council of India (BCI). This information is available on www.barcouncilofindia.org.

If your college is included in BCI’s list, you can certainly practice law in India. Depending on when you completed your law degree, you may be additionally required to clear a qualifying exam.

Students who complete their LLB from nonrecognised universities must apply directly to the Bar Council of India for registration. These applications are considered on a case-to case basis. You can also explore the option of working in the legal department of large corporate houses.

ANSWER ANSWER

ANSWER ANSWER

THE WEDDING PLANNER Q: I am working at a leading event management company with the wedding planning and production team. I have had a great deal of exposure of planning weddings with different parameters. I want to go spend the summer studying more about event and wedding planning. Please suggest schools in the US. Chandni Shah

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_OUT OF THE BOX

The

green grower ARE YOU FASCINATED BY FLOWERS AND PLANTS? THEN NURTURE YOUR GREEN THUMB AND PURSUE A CAREER IN HORTICULTURE prospective horticulturists need to have a good deal of patience as well as the ability to put in long hours that are most often in the outdoors and in a range of climatic conditions.

One should also possess qualities like perseverance and dedication. This is because in this field, time reaps benefits.

K

itchen gardening has moved out of the house and has grown into a fullfledged career. Known as horticulture, this practice is a facet of agricultural science that primarily focuses on the science of growing plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables.

It is a suitable career choice and is fast gaining popularity in India. Even though horticulture is an underexplored career, it can be as rewarding as any other mainstream profession.

So if you are want to look beyond

traditional fields, it’s a good idea to opt for this rewarding career.

GREEN FINGERS Horticulture is a diverse field. A horticulturist may conduct research in various areas such as plant cultivation, plant breeding, genetic engineering, plant biochemistry and plant physiology. One needs to have adequate knowledge about the different species of plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables. Aside from a formal education in horticulture,

GREEN COURSES Those who wish to embark on a career in horticulture should choose a full-time undergraduate (Bachelor of Science) or postgraduate (Master of Science) programme. Those who have passed class 12 with science as their stream are elible for undergraduate courses. Postgraduate diplomas as well as part-time certificate courses are also conducted by a number of colleges or universities that offer horticulture as a subject. Graduation in a relevant stream from a recognised university is necessary to be eligible for any of the postgraduate courses in horticulture.

A degree course will teach you the different aspects of horticulture that range from fruits, flowers, bees, soils, climate and horticultural instruments, right up to business prospects and landscaping. Other interesting subjects that are a part of horticultural programmes include food processing, irrigation, nutrition and pests.

Postgraduate courses are more

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specialised in the sense that they comprise more of an in-depth study of the different facets of horticulture, such as fruit sciences, vegetable sciences, floriculture, landscaping, bio-technology and post-harvest technology. You can expect to learn about the properties of medicinal and aromatic plants too. Lastly, postgraduate diplomas are perfect for those who want to get a deeper insight into subjects as specialised as precision farming, wine technology, nursery management, seed production and value addition. For an MSc in horticulture, one must have a BSc degree in agriculture or any related subject.

GREEN BENEFITS The range of careers that horticulture offers is wide. In fact, career opportunities are only expected to grow over the next few years.

Horticulturists are employed to work in universities, luxury hotels, schools, buildings, parks, gardens,

WHERE TO STUDY? • College of Agriculture, Pune, Maharashtra • College of Agriculture, Hebbal, Bangalore • Rev. Carey Institute of Horticulture, Kolkata • College of Horticulture, Bidar, Karnataka • Dr YSR University of Horticulture and Forestry, Himachal Pradesh

horticultural institutes, farms and orchards. In recent times, there have been a large number of horticulturists who start their own ventures, offering customised horticultural solutions to their clients.

The starting salary of a horticulturist is `12,000 per month, and can increase to approximately `50,000 at a top-level position. Those who have a degree in horticulture tend to enjoy increased earnings because of added experience and exposure in the field.

Monetary benefits aside, horticulture lets you remain in close proximity to nature. You'll never get bored of your job since in all probability, you'll be working on many projects at a time. Besides, the work environment is extremely pleasant especially if you enjoy working with plants in gardens, parks and greenhouses. Lastly, the job is highly fulfilling as you help beautify places on the whole. So get out there and let it grow! yi APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 35

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_OUT OF THE BOX

FLORAL DESIGN BY MARRY ME- THE WEDDING PLANNERS

FLOWER POWER! OPTING FOR A CAREER IN FLORAL DESIGNING IS IDEAL FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO EXPLORE THEIR CREATIVITY, FINDS BEVERLY PEREIRA

A

lot of people like to stop and smell the roses. If you want to do more than just please your olfactory senses, then a career in floral designing might just do it for you. A floral designer is one who specialises in the art of creating floral arrangements.

Required in a host of shapes and sizes, and designed using fresh and artificial flowers alike, these floral setups can range from a single bouquet of flowers, to the entire floral décor of an event.

Privately owned florists have inhouse designers that cater to small orders such as birthdays and to larger orders like weddings. You could also choose to be a self-employed designer and run your own business, the responsibilities of which include sourcing and selecting the required flowers, creating different kinds of setups and at times, delivering these pieces to the destination.

High prospects Flowers are perishable items, and thus arrangements need to be created as close to the delivery date as possible.

You might find yourself working long hours through the night and on weekends too. The work atmosphere is

generally comfortable. But you might have to stand for long periods at a time when you create your arrangements.

You might even have to travel long distances to event sites to set up or deliver floral arrangements. Frequent trips to flower vendors and wholesale suppliers also form a part of this profession.

Qualities A keen eye for detail, a good deal of imagination, speed, patience, flexibility and top-notch timemanagement skills are the basic attributes that one needs to be a successful floral designer. Your problem-solving abilities and communication skills should also be well in place. Lastly, the ability to work under pressure is a must in this field.

Fruitful or not?

Flowers are used as décor at almost every type of event right from weddings, bridal showers and funerals to birthdays and holidays such as Valentine’s Day. Nowadays, exotic flowers are flown in on a daily basis, giving floral designers the chance to incorporate more creativity. Thus, a

career in the field of floral designing is a very lucrative option especially for those who are looking for a creative outlet.

Where to study?

Even though most floral designers learn from on-the-job experience, formal education is an added benefit for this profession. Short-term courses offer one the chance to learn design techniques of floral arrangements.

One also gets an insight into the different trends, and exposure to flower varieties and their colours and textures, methods of handling flowers, techniques of cutting and pricing.

The Institute of Floral Design (IFD) has tied up with the famed Instituto Mexicano Técnico Floral (IMTF) to offer a three-semester floral design diploma, a course that costs `18,000.

Since there are not many formal floral designing courses in India, opt for an Ikebana workshop to encourage your creativity. A course might seem like a grand investment, but be assured that the returns are equally grand.

The demand for floral designers is at an all-time high and it's thus a great time to get started. It's time you get out there and let your career bloom. yi

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_CAREER WATCH

THE

DO MATH! MAKE YOUR CAREER COUNT WITH A SPECIALISATION IN MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS, TWO INTERDEPENDENT SUBJECTS THAT CAN OPEN THE DOOR TO A HOST OF OPPORTUNITIES IN ALL WALKS OF LIFE

A

re you good with numbers? Have a knack for solving problems? Maybe you simply enjoy compiling and interpreting data. If you, like many others, have realised the importance of subjects like mathematics and statistics, then why not turn this affinity into a profession?

Statisticians and mathematicians play a major role in areas as diverse as commerce, insurance, finance, medicine, law, education, economics and social research, in private and government sectors alike. If you simply enjoy mathematics and find a deep satisfaction in the beauty and simplicity of the subject’s order and complex structures, then it’s time you explored a career in this field.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE MATH Mathematics is applied on a daily basis in practically every walk of life, from the calculation of money, right down to the measurement of ingredients in a recipe.

In fact, mathematics is one of the most ancient sciences that we know of. In India itself, mathematics has its roots in the 4,000-year old Vedic literature, which gave rise to the concept of zero.

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_CAREER WATCH

Mathematics is also known as the language of science and technology, and, as we progress in these highly technological times, it has become increasingly important to be able to use it. Mathematics encompasses several fields of study in which calculations are used, including applied mathematics, which uses the principles of mathematics to good effect in other fields, and pure mathematics, which explores mathematical concepts for their own sake. Students of mathematics will need a thorough understanding of basic arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus. Applied mathematics comprises sub-disciplines such as fluid dynamics, probability theory, game theory and statistics.

Opting to study math teaches one to reason, draw on previous knowledge, look out for patterns, use models, develop novel approaches, and formulate logical conclusions. One of the benefits of studying mathematics is the variety of career paths that it opens up. When studied practically in conjunction with statistics, the opportunities are limitless.

THE SCIENCE OF STATISTICS Statistics is a branch of mathematics that centres around the collection, analysis, interpretation and presentation of clusters of numerical data. The job of a statistician is to collect, verify and interpret data that can be used to solve problems. Almost every field, from private companies, government offices and banks, to the armed forces, require statisticians.

In fact, the application of statistics is vast and covers areas such as census statistics, ecological statistics, crime statistics, medical statistics, recruitment statistics, labour statistics, tourism statistics, sports statistics, election statistics and education statistics, amongst others.

Statisticians use a number of different methods to quantify data.

Methods that are used in statistics usually include questionnaires, surveys and diagnostic tests. For these, data

is collected from reliable sources, evaluated using the aforementioned methods and other statistical tools, and is finally presented in the form of graphs, tables and charts. It is the job of the statistician to suggest potential applications of the results, with the aim to find solutions for the problem or decision at hand.

STUDY If you wish to pursue your higher studies in statistics, you will need to opt for maths and statistics at the class 12 level. Undergraduates who are pursuing science or arts can then opt to major in statistics or mathematics.

Those who wish to specialise further in these subjects can choose to pursue a two-year master’s degree course in statistics or mathematics.

Besides a strong foundation in mathematics and statistics, one also requires to have the innate ability to interact with people from various fields in order to understand a problem or issue that needs to be addressed. One also needs to be able to think logically and comprehend important facts that will eventually lead to solutions. Other attributes required include versatility to solve problems and appraise results, and the desire to stay updated with the latest statistical software.

CAREER OUTLOOK Actuarial science is the application of mathematics, mainly statistics and probability, to the insurance industry.

One can also choose to become a research analyst, a job profile that

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JOB PROSPECTS

• Financial analyst • Quantitative environmental research analyst • Professor • Actuarial analyst • Economic statistician

includes researching compensation trends, and problems internally and externally. Research analysts also perform statistical analyses and predictive modelling on current and proposed compensation scenarios, model and track incentive and bonus programmes, and determine the economic impact of situations on the company and the individual.

Quantitative mathematics is the application of mathematics for financial derivatives, stock market analysis and mortgage backing.

Quantitative analysts tranform raw data into business strategies.

Choosing to teach mathematics is yet another lucrative option, with the need for math teachers at all levels expected to grow in the future.

Computer science is the study

SPECIALISED MATHEMATICS AND STATISTICS INSTITUTES IN INDIA • Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai • Tata Institute of Fundamental Research,Mumbai • Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Bangalore, Calcutta and Delhi • The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Madras • Mehta Research Institute of Mathematics and Mathematical Physics, Allahabad

• Actuarial Society of India, Mumbai

of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. Mathematicians, with their training in logical and precise thinking, are highly prized in this field.

Mathematical biology or biomathematics is an interdisciplinary field of study. It models natural and biological processes using mathematical techniques and tools.

Results have been applied to areas such as cellular neurobiology, epidemic modelling and population genetics.

JOB SATISFACTION While jobs in this field may appear boring or monotonous to an outsider, it is not so. Some amount of work may require a proper office environment, but in some cases fieldwork may be required, involving a lot of travelling for collection of data. Interestingly, the job satisfaction of mathematicians, actuaries and statisticians fall in the top three slots based on criteria such as job environment, pay scale, physical demand, career outlook and stress.

Your salary can vary significantly depending on your level of experience, the level of acquired education, and the size of the company you work for. You will need to perform highly and develop years of experience at a respectable company to be able to earn a very high salary.

Choosing to study mathematics and statistics will open many new opportunities. Earning a degree in mathematics may prove to be a challenge, but it is worth it.

Mathematics provides an excellent means for developing strong analytical and critical thinking skills, which are applicable in a wide range of highly rewarding careers. To sum it all up, as more of the world's information is pooled into mathematics, the scope of numbers has become indispensable.

It’s a great time to study mathematics and an even better time to embark on a highly rewarding and challenging career in this field. yi

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Delegation

_IN CONVERSATION

etails and

W

hen I first started managing a team, I was advised to become effective at delegating, removing myself from the details, and to not take on too many problems directly.

It was something I never felt comfortable with and I didn’t necessarily aspire to ‘be’ the people giving me this advice.

So, I started observing what other managers around me were doing. I was surprised to see entire layers of ‘successful’ middle managers do little more than handle basic administrative tasks and people-management overhead.

As I started getting more senior at Microsoft, I noticed something interesting about leaders at the top - they had a deeper understanding of detail then managers two or three levels beneath them. What was more impressive is they carried that detail across multiple business units.

My conclusion is that the link between successful leaders and attention to detail is about causality. It’s not that the senior leaders I worked with were smart (they were); they were at the top because they understood detail. Great team members are the same - they understand in detail what’s going on, can spot opportunities that others don’t, and therefore become tremendously successful in their job.

The lesson I took away from this is it pays to understand

PAUL MURPHY, BUSINESS LEADER AT AVIARY, A US-BASED TECHNOLOGY STARTUP, TALKS ABOUT THE ART OF EFFECTIVE TEAM MANAGEMENT

the details of your business or product, no matter how junior or senior you are. Contrary to the advice I was given early on, aspiring leaders should immerse themselves in the detail and avoid heavy delegation at all costs.

While delegation certainly has its place at work, it’s often abused. It’s possible to be a great leader without delegating everything. The best leaders I’ve interacted with let delegation happen naturally by driving accountability, rewarding success, and consistently trimming fat. When it’s clear to a good employee that he or she is on the hook to make something happen, he or she will get it done and ask for anything that’s relevant. A leader might get stuck feeling like they’re overwhelmed with work, needing to pass menial tasks off to their minions, but that’s a signal of a different problem. Your entire organisation is overworked, you’re not effectively driving accountability, or you’re allowing your team to delegate up.

If you feel like you’re stuck in this trap, here are a few strategies I’ve seen work well: • REGROUP: If your business is growing, it’s likely that the way you set up last year is no longer adequate. If you don’t figure it out, not only will you be one of these unfortunate leaders I'm complaining about, but you’ll also be a bottleneck for your team. This is why so many small organisations have a hard time scaling up. They assume they need to start training leaders how to delegate, but that’s exactly the wrong thing to do. You might think about resizing the team or clarifying individual responsibilities.

• REFLECT: There’s a possibility you’re no longer the right guy/ gal for the job. Your group may have scaled up beyond your means as a leader, or shrunk to the point that you’re expected to be more of a subject matter expert (a job for which, you may no longer be qualified). In both cases, it’s easy to see how you might settle into a role delegating versus doing. Do yourself and your team a favor and get out of the way, find a new role, or re-train yourself to be a more effective individual contributor.

• ADDRESS DEFICIENCIES: If part of your organisation is ineffective, while another part takes on every task you put in front of it, don’t delegate the weaker team’s responsibilities to the high performing group. There are so many obvious reasons not to do this. This is classic organisational fat in need of trimming.

I’m sure there are other approaches, but my suggestion is to try something. Delegation has a role in business, but it should happen organically if your team is properly designed. Don’t just assume heavy delegation is a natural part of becoming a more effective leader. yi

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TEB.indd 13

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_INSIDE DOPE

JAI HIND COLLEGE, MUMBAI FYBCOM STUDENT SAGAR SHAH TALKS FONDLY OF HIS CITY CAMPUS – ONE THAT IS SPACIOUS, HAS AN OPEN AIR CAFETERIA AND STADIUM STEPS SPECIALLY BUILT FOR STUDENTS TO HANG OUT

J

ai Hind College is a landmark that probably every Mumbaikar will know. From the taxi driver to the bus conductor, and from the academic circles to the celebrities. Being one of the most celebrated colleges in Mumbai, Jai Hind perhaps offers everything a student would ask for. Incepted just

after the Indian independence, the college was established by a group of teachers in 1948 to pay back to the country they felt they owed a lot to, for providing them refuge, security and shelter. These were real men, men who had a motive in life. They wanted to impart their knowledge and skills to young India and let the country achieve greater glory.

Hence ‘Jai Hind College’ was born.

All round development is one thing that this college can promise to every student. Offering degrees in all the main degree streams - commerce, science and arts, the college can boast of a mix of wacky, interesting, talented and geeky students, all under one roof. With one of the larger campuses in Mumbai city, Jai Hind is all set to unveil its extension building in the near future.

Like any other ‘regular’ college, at Jai Hind too, you can find a student in one of two places: either in the classroom making up for lost attendance, so as to steer clear of the defaulter’s list; or in the canteen, satisfying his/ her hunger and taste buds. Any Jai Hindite would love to brag about the delicious fare that the canteen workers dish up day after day. From the famous dosas, to the Chinese feasts; and from sandwiches to samosas; the canteen has it all. A paragraph about the Jai Hind canteen would be incomplete without a mention of ‘John’, the most popular waiter at the canteen, even if he might be written about a lot. Popular why, you ask? Well, a long story cut short, he has been serving food in this canteen since those days when poster boy John Abraham, then one

Enjoy your cuppa chai at the open air cafeteria

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of the many students at the college, loved this waiter. Once the student earned celebrity status, the waiter rechristened himself with the same name. So much so, that whenever the star comes back to college to judge various competitions, the first thing he does is drop in at the canteen so say ‘hi ’ to his favourite waiter. And oh, no one knows his real name, since he wants to be just John!

When the students are prepared for their academic pursuits they would be in the canteen exchanging notes on missed classes and filling each other in on the assignments to be submitted; or making a plan for the next movie they are going to watch. On other days, when exam prep is at its peak, students can be seen doing rounds of the staff room trying to get last minute guidance from the some of the most experienced faculty members in the city.

Degree college brings its own charm. Be BCom, BAF, BMM or BMS, each course has its own intercollegiate fest, with participants from across the city fighting it out to impress the celebrity judges who decide the winners of the evening. The effort shown by the teams of the co-curricular bodies makes these fests a huge success.

Be it Malhar, Kaleidoscope, Mood Indigo or any other in the city, Jai Hindites are up for it!

Jai Hind College is home to a large number of extremely talented students, and the college is a great ground for the students to hone their talents. A huge number of communities in the college help students to explore their individual interests, and gives them an exposure a whole lot of like skills, like planning, teamwork, marketing and organisation. Some of the more known communities at Jai Hind are the Rotaract Club of Jai Hind (RCJC) and the Social Dramatic Union (SDU); among others like the Gujrati Sahitya Mandal (GSM), Hindi Parishad (HP), French Club and the Student Council. Each club has its individuality and teaches students a whole lot. It is a must for a student entering Jai Hind College, even if for a year, to be a part of at least one such community.

Each of these also has its intracollege competitions to enable students to get acquainted to others from their classes and college. The most eagerly awaited intra-college competition is SHOUT organised by the SDU to showcase dancing, drama and singing talent.

Anyone who enters the college for the first time is overwhelmed by the size of its quadrangle, and the huge stadium steps built during the tenure of former principal and now director N W Shivdasani. It is a space where students sit back to study, to hum a few notes on their guitars, or to just sit and chat over a cup of coffee in between classes. (Ok, officially I am not supposed to tell you that they sit here even when they are missing classes or ‘bunking’) And hey, they do not have to go as far as the canteen (which is on the other side of the campus, inside the building), since there is a relatively new open-air cafeteria in the quadrangle. Students can indulge in a cup of coffee or a cola to go with the roll or the puff they just got here.

Apart from fulfilling comfort needs while indulging in gastronomic delights, these steps serve many purposes. Many have found life-long friends, and some have found life partners. But most of all, students have found a sense of freedom while sitting on these steps and experiencing a feeling of reclaiming their lives. And that’s what Jai Hind is all about - about being yourself.

Going to Jai Hind College would be one of the best things that would have happened to me. yi

Choose your club: The display board for the SDU

A walk through the corridor takes you to the gymkhana

APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 43

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_PRODIGY

The Great

INDIAN DREAM

Gautam Shiknis, author, founder of Palador Films and World Movies, and CEO of mChek, talks to Minal Patodia about believing in yourself to overcome any challenge

G

autam Shiknis looks tremendously successful and relaxed in a sharply cut Savile Row business suit and incongruous Vibram FiveFinger shoes at an upscale lounge in Mumbai. One would hardly think that at one point in his childhood, he lived in a chawl in Mumbai. He says, with a small smile, “For two years from when I was four, I would sell mojris on the street to cars while standing on tiptoe to reach the windows.” Living with his grandparents and two siblings, Shiknis was exposed to the dark side of humanity at a young age, witnessing frequent beatings of children, violent disputes between neighbours and a constant struggle for survival. Perhaps this was part of the inspiration for his collection of short stories about the dark side in people, Meet Moriarty, that was published to critical acclaim in 2004. When asked what drove him to achieve what he has in life, he answers emphatically: “A constant

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hunger for knowledge and education.

I don’t believe in this culture of needing a ‘break’ to make it, to get a step ahead. You only need to believe in yourself to achieve what you want.”

At the age of six, Shiknis was admitted into the Barnes School in Devlali thanks to his mother’s determination. She sat outside the Principal’s house every day, requesting him to meet her children until he relented. The three of them were admitted on a full scholarship. Shiknis says with understated confidence, “I never stood second in class ever since.

I still hold the record in my school as the highest mark earner.” After college at Symbiosis University, Pune, and an MBA at NMIMS in Mumbai, he went on to join advertising agency Saatchi and Saatchi. Even though he was one of the fastest rising stars of the company, earning himself rapid promotions, he quit after only four years. He started Theory M, India’s first CRM (Customer relationship management) company to address the lack of customer intervention in India. He began by sending mobile alerts to consumers on behalf of Star TV and sending messages to customers of Shoppers Stop, a means of communication with consumers that had not yet hit India shores.

This was of course, not Gautam’s first brush with innovation. In 1997, six years before Shaadi.com, he tried to start a matrimonial website called Netrimonials.com. Due to lack of faith in the idea that people would get married through the Internet, he failed to find any investors for the website. The same happened with his next e-commerce website, Dukaan. com. Shiknis says, “I had faith in myself, in my ideas, but people laughed when I suggested it. I failed to gather investor capital of `70,000 to begin these websites. For a guy who made it through college waiting on tables, it wasn’t possible for me to put in the money myself. Still, I knew that belief in yourself is all you need to make a success.” His next venture, Palador Films, is another great example of

I don’t believe in this culture of needing a ‘break’ to make it, to get a step ahead. You only need to believe in yourself to achieve what you want.”

dreaming big and innovation. Shiknis was the first man who attempted to legally bring foreign cinema to India, having faith that the market was there, that people would pay to buy high quality prints of the movies they loved.

When he went to Japan and Sweden in 2004 to buy the licences for Kurosawa and Bergman films respectively, he was turned away with disbelief and condescension. License distributors in the two countries thought that there was no market for world movies in India, and that Shiknis was some sort of bootlegger of movies. He was asked, “Why has no one else ever approached us from India?” Shiknis returned to the Cannes Film Festival in 2005 with several smaller films under his belt; after that, he says, “I was like a kid in a candy shop. All the licences for all these great foreign films were available, as no one had ever bought them for India!”

Shiknis is currently working on his screenplay for his own film based on

the Godhra riots. He says, “The movie that really changed my life was Stalker

by Andrei Tarkovsky. He was the filmmaker from whom I understood what cinema could do. Cinema could be intellectually meditative as well as a challenge to interpret. It could change your life.” Changing lives is what he is working on, teaching a semester at the Mass Media Master’s programme at Symbiosis University since 2004.

“Inspiring students and helping them to see the world differently has been quite rewarding.”

Breaking new paths in India’s booming economy seems to come naturally to Shiknis. In 2007, he entered the world of mobile payments with mChek, which has gone on to become the world’s largest mobile payment service company. Shiknis reminisces on his inspiration, “I wanted to open a back account for people who couldn’t go to the bank.

The idea came about when my maid said that her husband took her money.

I saw the possibility of change, real change, rather than a measure of money I could make for myself.”

When asked how he manages to keep his fingers in so many different pies, Shiknis replies, “You need to be a master of your subject when you do different things. You need to know each subject thoroughly. I can discuss the non-linear construction of Bergman’s films with as much ease as the intricacies of bank account payments and charges.” Not an easy feat to accomplish by far; but we are certainly inspired to believe in our dreams from this achiever. yi APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 45

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_STUDENT SPEAK

BMM student Aarish Daruwalla talks about his experience as a professional DJ while he mixes music and study

W

ROCK ON 46 Youth Incorporated ║ APRIL 2012

46 student speak.indd 46

!

hen others his age were busy playing hide and seek, he was thinking about what he wanted to pursue as a career. “It’s not like that!” he is quick to correct me, “I did play as well, but I used to think about my career moves as early as sixth grade.” He had focussed on two possibilities - being a flight purser or a disc jockey (DJ). Even though he has come a long way from those days, 18-year-old Aarish Daruwalla has not lost the pointed focus. He is an extremely successful DJ, playing gigs across the country, and yet making time to pursue his Bachelor’s in Mass Media (BMM) at MD College, Parel.

He’s also certain that he will move to Australia after his BMM to pursue sound engineering and eventually to become a music producer.

“I not only want to be qualified, but also good at whatever I pursue,” says Aarish. He draws his motivation to do well at academics from his success as a DJ. His is a unique position, where his parents don’t pressurise him to study. “They never did. They are very supportive of my decisions. In fact, it was my father who gifted me the state-of-the-art equipment with which I started working,” he says. So, it is not

09-03-2012 13:14:36

He is an extremely successful DJ, playing gigs across the country, and yet making time to pursue his Bachelor’s in Mass Media (BMM) at MD College, Parel surprising that everyone this diligent boy encounters is supportive. His teachers also provided all the support he needed, guiding him through the university rules on attendance and asking him to fulfill the same.

But what happens when work clashes with something as important as an exam? “I have to be prepared for it in advance. Once, I had exams running non-stop, with a break only on Sunday. That very Sunday, I had to work in Daman. I left for Daman

on Saturday after my exam, set up my stuff, finished the party post-midnight on Sunday, and was back in Mumbai on Monday in time for my paper at 8 am.” He adds that these situations don’t happen often, so he gets by.

Fondly remembering his first gig a few months after he cleared his class 10 board exams, Aarish goes on to reminisce about the work that he bagged through his own contacts. “I felt proud when after a few months, some of my father’s contacts approached me… that was the day I felt I made it big!” He hasn’t look back since, in fact he has a team of six people working with him and has constantly strived to upgrade is equipment, to be the best. Even with a large team, there are times when he has to refuse work, since the clients demand him only.

“It works both ways sometimes I refuse a gig due to prior commitments, but I’ve

also seen clients change their event date to accommodate my schedule,” says Aarish. He adds, “My philosophy is clear - everything that comes my way, I will grab with a smile… what I can’t, I will let go.”

This philosophy has landed him with broad experience, catering to smaller birthday parties to larger sangeet and wedding reception parties, to the ultimate - new years eve, where he played for over 2,000 people last year. The other big event in his kitty is playing for Tata Consultancy Services at the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon this year.

So how is it that none of this success has gone straight to his head?

“That credit goes to my father. He did a great job mentoring and grounding me,” he says. Even with the success and the ability to rise faster than one can think, Aarish is far from complacent. He keeps up with his field by reading prominent blogs and sites about the same. According to him, his greatest strength lies in judging the crowd much faster than his contemporaries, and catering to its wants. But it’s not always study in the day and work at night. Like every other boy, he is crazy about cricket.

He does, however, admit that he’d rather stay up watching a DJ concert than a football match… well, that’s permissible! With this stupendous success and more ahead of him, Aarish wants only one thing at any point of time - “I am full of life and that’s how I’d like to be!” yi

APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 47

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_WISE UP

- By Niloufer Gandhi Choose the option that is closest in meaning to the highlighted word and complete the sentence.

1. trepidation (trep-i-dey-shuhn) -

The villagers were overcome with _____ as they experienced tremors of yet another earthquake. (a.contentment b.anxiety c.dishonesty)

2. bedlam (bed-luhm)-

When the multinational bank announced its bankruptcy, ______ broke loose throughout the country. (a.pandemonium b.equanimity c.appreciation)

3. pedagogue(ped-uh-gog) –

A relaxed and experienced ______, Jane concealed her nervousness in front of the new students. (a.iconoclast b.teacher c. bigot)

4. academician (ak-uh-duh-mish-uhn)-

Bob, a renowned ______, represented his college at the national science contest. (a.boor b.dotard c.savant)

5. assiduous (uh-sij-oo-uhs) –

The _____ accountant worked all night to finish his assignment. (a.lax b.sedulous c.vociferous)

6. recapitulate (ree-kuh-pich-uh-leyt) -

The teacher tried to _____ the main points of the lecture at the end of the class. (a.summarize b.disseminate c.dupe)

7. alacrity (uh-lak-ri-tee)-

Impressed by Susan’s ______, the manager praised her at the team meeting. (a.apathy b. nostalgia c.enthusiasm)

8. enervated (en-er-veyt-ed)-

Studying through the entire night ______ Sam and he fell asleep during the exam. (a.invigorated b.propitiated c.exhausted)

9. dilatory (dil-uh-tawr-ee)-

The murder case remained unsolved because the detectives had been _____ in their investigations. (a.attentive b.procrastinating c.belligerent)

You know it’s coming near, when your heart fills with strange fear, Time to bid social networking farewell , lest you may not do well, Time to pay attention to the lectures and by heart the portion, For it’s drawing close to the final examination.

Well, let’s start with a few basic words that you can use in your day-to-day conversation.

10. interminable (in-tur-muh-nuh-buhl)-

The exam syllabus always seems ______ to those who open their books at the last minute. (a.immeasurable b.finite c.unauthentic )

Answers: 1. B 2. A 3. B 4. C 5. B 6. A 7. C 8. C 9. B 10. A

48 Youth Incorporated ║ APRIL 2012

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yi

entertain

Trying to kick the butt?

Flip inside for some sure-fire ways to give up the cancer stick

SMOKING IS INJURIOUS TO HEALTH

K E E PI N S I D E яГо

Pg60 Pg62 Pg67 Pg76 THE TRAVEL BUG TRAVEL SHOW HOST DAVID BYRNE LETS US IN ON HIS EXPERIENCES AROUND THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN BETWEEN

49 ent sec.indd 13

TO LOOK OR NOT TO LOOK? IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP AFFECTED BY THE CASE OF THE WANDERING EYE?

SEEDS OF CHANGE KAVITA MUKHI SPEAKS ABOUT THE FARMER'S MARKET, A HAVEN FOR THOSE WHO LOVE ALL THINGS ORGANIC

FIGHT CLUB! GET TO KNOW ALL ABOUT THE RAGING MIXED MARTIAL ARTS CULTURE, A SCENE THAT HAS RECENTLY EXPLODED IN INDIA

09-03-2012 15:42:13

k c a p k Bacst-haves mu lm,

_COVER STORY

ba keep me p i l , d o P i ething to and som , a diary warms bo o k

you'll GO!

oh the places

Want to travel but unsure? Abhik Bhattacherji takes you on a journey exploring what travel teaches you It's opener there, in the wide open air.

Out there things happen, and frequently do, To people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don't worry, don't stew.

Just go right along, you'll start happening too!

Oh the places you'll go!

- Dr Seuss

M

y earliest recollection of the concept of ‘travel’ was through my favorite book as a child, The Magic Faraway Tree, by Enid Blyton where four children living on the brink of a sinister forest find a portal to fantastical lands. The extraordinary Land of Birthdays, Land of Goodies, Land of Dame Slap and the Land of Take-What-You-Want opened my eyes to the unfathomable possibilities

that existed both in my imagination and in the world around me. I think it was those moments of wonderment and joy that led me to be passionate about finding and discovering new places. And this led to a modern day excitement for travel. As an adult my wanderlust was probably inspired by watching Michael Palin's 80 Day's Round the World and the Rough Guide to the World. The world has never been more connected in its history and the dream of going places is more real now

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: s e c a l p e Favorit t Asia,

South Eea, sUttaranchal F lorenc

e t i r o v a F vel writer tra Bill Bryson,

er, Pico lITyheroux Pau

than it ever was. We don’t need to wait for people to discover; now, we can set off on adventures of our own.

“There is wisdom in turning as often as possible from the familiar to the unfamiliar; it keeps the mind nimble; it kills prejudice, and it fosters humor.” George Santayana, the Harvard philosopher, wrote in his fascinating essay, “The Philosophy of Travel.” We travel sometimes to lose ourselves, and sometimes we travel to find ourselves, but most of all we travel to awaken our senses, to open them up to the wondrous things that books and television and newspapers can never show us. We thirst for beauty and hence we go in its pursuit.

And isn’t it fascinating to leave your certainties, your familiar beliefs and your deep-seated traditions to travel to places where they are challenged, to see everything around you in a different light, at a crooked angle?

When I ask young people around me why they travel, their answers range from, “I travel to discover life beyond the limits I grew up in,” to “I travel to learn more about the people around the world,” to “I travel to escape my banal existence and enjoy the cultural and physical displacement.”

Recently, a young gentleman of cheerful disposition was telling me how anxious he has been with the decision between going to a business school and travelling the world. I emphatically exclaimed, “Travel the world of course,” to which the dreaded reply was…“but.” Never were more fatal words spoken.

But… what about debt and my job and my family (or dog or car or whatever). This ‘but’ is destructive.

It makes you sound like you have the best of intentions, when really you are nothing but plain scared to do what you should do. Unfortunately, there is no nobility in being a coward.

You are young, you are empowered, you should be living the life you’ve always wanted now. As you grow older and gain new responsibilities, you won’t be able to be foolish and impulsive. So if you have a reasonable amount of control over your situation, you should do what really matters.

So, young person, go travel; wide and far and bravely, with exhilaration and abandon.

A lot of people ask me when I plan my travels, “Aren’t you afraid?” Of course I’m afraid: afraid of mediocrity and afraid that I won’t live up to my potential. But afraid of travelling? No,

I’m not. Well, I do have my monsters every now and then, but more often than not I find ways to overcome them.

And then comes the supremely rhetorical question, “How can you afford to travel?” To which I say, “How can you afford not to travel?”

Stop buying rubbish and sitting and watching television in your airconditioned cocoon, stop wishing the gods and the lottery machines to deliver something that is only in your hands to create, stop wishing the week away and blaming your boss and the traffic. Get up, save up and go see the world. It isn’t as tough as you imagine it to be.

So don’t ask, “Why I should travel.”

Ask rather, “Where and when should I travel?” Travel teaches you some fundamental qualities needed to navigate through life. You imbibe resilience for adventure, you learn how to let go, take risks, stop waiting, and you learn how to overcome fears.

You learn to challenge your limits and prejudices; you learn the beauty that rests in diversity. Travel also to encounter compassion; in your youth the choices you make stay to define you. The habits you begin in your youth journey with you. When you travel you will find yourself in places that will force you to care for issues larger than you. Encounter the slave trade in South East Asia, experience poverty and hunger in India, religious persecution in the Middle East, the aftermath of war and genocide in Germany and Europe, the devastation wrecked by nature in Japan and Haiti.

Your heart will break. You will begin to understand that the world is both a big and small place. You will have a new-found respect for the pain and suffering that over half of the world takes for granted on a daily basis.

And you will feel more connected to your fellow human beings in a deep and lasting way. You will learn to care. Travel to get some culture.

Reading about culture and history and watching television doesn’t come close to being there. yi APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 51

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09-03-2012 19:11:55

_COVER STORY

en I a m at h o m e w h g lin e fe e lik “I dis erna rd Sha w – George B

a broad.”

“All t bett ravel ha e r fortu count s its ad – Sa ne ca rri ries, he va ntage mue es hi may s. If th l Joh m to le nson wors a rn to i e passe e, he mpro nger may ve his visits lea rn own to e n . A n d joy i i t.” f

The Backpacking Bucket List “Living trip a r on Ea rth is e ou nd t he su n xpensive, bu t it every y ea r.” – does includ Unk no e a fre wn e

YOUTH INC BRINGS YOU THE PLACES ON OUR BACKPACKING BUCKET LIST IN INDIA. THESE AFFORDABLE DESTINATIONS HIGHLIGHT THE DIVERSITY OF OUR VAST COUNTRY. SO PICK A SPOT, GRAB A BAG AND EXPLORE!

52 Youth Incorporated ║ APRIL 2012

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o not tra those who d d n a k oo b a “The world is – St. Augustine ” e. g pa e only on

“I trav el – Rob for travel’s s ert Lou a is Stev ke. The grea t affair e nson

is to m

ove.”

vel read

oe s ravel d t t o n o do e s erb “He wh Moorish prov men.” –

52 Coverstory.indd 53

f value o

“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac

“Do not follo ww leave a trail” here the path may lead.

– Ralph Wa Go instead w ldo Emerson here there is no path a

F

w th e n ot k n o

nd

rom the mountains to the beaches, riverside pilgrimage spots to dense forests, the diversity of locations to visit in India astound travellers. Backpacking across India is one of the most entertaining, frustrating, enlightening and rewarding journeys you can take. Expats often ask, “So, did you find

narrowe, bigotry, a nd ic ud ej pr to l “Travel is fata in – Mark Twa mindedness.”

yourself in India?” The journey is as much an inner process of growth and learning as it is an external movement. When you are young, you can travel with eyes wide open to new experiences and adventures that shape you as an individual. So check out our bucket list of places that you must visit.

APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 53

09-03-2012 15:55:37

_COVER STORY

LEcH ket Bu ist L

• Get a gorgeous hand-woven Kashmiri silk carpet • Climb up to the Shanti Stupa at the break of day • Visit the donkey sanctuary – possibly the only one in India

LEH M

y first impression of Ladakh was dizzying. I was on a small plane flying over icy white snowcapped mountains that were reaching up to pierce the sky. When I landed in Leh, the highest airfield in the world, I felt glad to have made it to this remote area. In many ways, it hardly feels like India; a regular influx of tourists means that café’s serve a mix of Israeli, Italian and German bakery goods. More alienating is the Mordor-like landscape, with stark reddish mountains on all sides, and lush green river valleys that rival any movie scenes shot in Switzerland.

The population is also quite sparse in Kashmir, and I wondered if this was due to several years of unrest, or the harsh winters. Leh is considered to be rather safe compared to other areas of Kashmir, and has not suffered from terrorist attacks like Srinagar has.

The local guesthouse I stayed in was unaccountably friendly and welcoming. After a day, I felt as if I were visiting a distant family member.

After adjusting to the high altitude with a night of rest, I stepped out to explore the town. The bazaar drew me in with its line of shops selling stunning antiques, silk carpets, embroidered bed sheets and other curios. We explored the things to do in the area – from white water rafting on glacial rapids to going on a trek through the valleys – while sipping

mint tea overlooking the gorgeous Himalayas. Even if you are not the adventurous, sporty type, Leh is a great place to visit with friends, with its frequent musical concerts and laidback atmosphere.

PUSHKAR PUS

R HK A

et Bucikst L

• Check out the sunset at the Sunset Café • Watch the monkeys playing around at the ghats • Eat at the Pink Floyd café for the décor and music

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DHARAMSALA B

DHARMSALA Bucket List

• Go to the Kangra museum • Visit the nearby Bhagsu Nag village for its freshwater springs • Check out the Gyuto Monastery

ackpakers and international travellers flock to Dharamsala.

It is a sight to behold, the mountains rising suddenly from the plains as the road winds around the hill to three villages. This Himalayan foothills are covered in dense forest, and there are numerous treks to waterfalls, remote villages and the nearby Dhauladhar mountain range. The breathtaking beauty is the main attraction of this Buddhist village, apart from the fact that the Dalai Lama and exiled Tibetan government have sought refuge in here. Tibetan Buddhism provides the sense of calm and serenity that one looks for with beauty. Just up from Dharamsala, you have a string of restaurants to sample the Tibetan delights, guest houses to bunk in, and boutique shops. Even if it seems non-descript, the place has been transformed into a Buddhist Mecca of sorts. There are a few things to do, like going to the Dalai Lama’s temple and visiting the Tibet Museum.

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estled around an ancient holy lake lies the town of Pushkar in Rajasthan. The serene town seems to have a different pace of life compared to the rest of India.

Cars are not allowed in the narrow, bustling streets, so travellers have to walk into town to reach their hotels. Arriving at night may not be the best idea, as the streets are uneven and labyrinthine. Friendly locals directed us to our hotel, the Pink Floyd Guesthouse and Café, which was hidden in a narrow alleyway inside another narrow alleyway. There is no alcohol or non-vegetarian food allowed inside the holy town, so it is rather quiet at night. Special lassi and cakes made of bhang are readily available at almost every café in town, though.

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• Visit Panchganga Ghat

I down the River to Assi NAS • Walk Ghat, or even to Benares VARucket B ist Hindu University L

• Do the early morning Ganges boat trip: Fair warning – you might spot a dead body or two floating in the water

VARANASI W

hen Mark Twain said “Benaras (now Varanasi) is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together!” he was not wrong. What he did not add is that more than ‘being old’, the city is known for its soul. Varanasi is known for its Ghats – the longwinded staircases that lead to the Ganges. There are several things that could be on your must-do list – take a morning boat trip on the river, or try a glass of lassi while you are still trying to find your way on the narrow streets; or go for the best – roam the Ghats on a lazy afternoon.

Each Ghat is unique in two ways – aesthetic and spiritual.

Sprawling and bustling with its share of pollution, this is the city where you actually experience the change from the ancient to modern... especially when you are approaching the river.

Long unwinding streets that change to a maze of narrow alleys, teeming with shops, guesthouses and eateries, form the second dominant characteristic of the city, after the Ganges. The most serene experience that you can have is to touch the bank of the Ganges.

Bathing in the morning Sun, amidst all the action, brings a great sense of tranquillity. You can wander or sit by the river reading, or just brooding. It is a place that teaches you how to be one with yourself and nature, despite all the activity.

RISHIKESH O

n reaching Rishikesh, you will see the Ganges as it emerges from from the Himalayas. On getting closer, you will find the streets lined with sadhus, food carts, cows and what an Indian might call general everyday stalls! For all you adventure bugs, the highlight is the white water rafting. Like Varanasi, Rishikesh offers the option of roaming around the Ghats.

Spend a beautiful morning feeling the gentle breeze on your body and perhaps your soul as you walk along the river. While you’re at it, you could listen to a song or two by the Beatles, who helped the city gain international popularity when they visited an ashram here. To extend

the experience, go to Ram Jhoola, the hanging bridge over the Ganges.

The tourist traffic here comes from several channels – the backpackers looking for serenity;,the god fearing souls for whom the city provides the gateway to the popular Char Dham Yatra, those who want to partake in a yoga camp and those who want to indulge in a few days of adventure fun.

It can be a city where you sip a beverage by the Ganges on a sunny morning, or learn the surs of a sitar on a balmy evening.

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GOA

G

GOckAet Bu ist L

RISHIKESH Bucket List

• Have a cocktail made with Fenny, local liquor made from coconut water • Visit the gorgeous Aguarda fort for stunning sea views • Visit the Infanteria café for a hangover breakfast and a beer

oa is famed world over as a beach haven, and why not? With its sandy beaches, gorgeous coastline, beach parties and nightlife, unique local culture and fresh seafood, a few days here makes you want to linger for as long as you can. The green, leafy streets by the glittering shore are great fun to meander through on a scooter or a bike, which will be cheaper than taking taxis wherever you travel.

The flea markets are also a shopper’s paradise. Intricate jewellery, handcrafted leather shoes in innovative designs and bohemian clothes will certainly make your bag a few kilos heavier. The beach parties of Goa are infamous across India and great fun to experience, but if that’s not your scene, head to Tito’s at Baga beach, which draws crowds with popular music or to Café la Musica next door for some fantastic live music.

While in Panaji, try out Upper House, serving a mix of Goan and Continental food. Live bands play often as well. Another must-visit is Mum’s Kitchen, which serves authentic, fresh Goan food. On Saturday, head to Arpora to see the Saturday Night Market that features a lively flea market, live performances and stalls with a great variety of delicious food.

• Go white water rafting!

• Take a Vikram to Ram Jhoola • Stand for the famous Ganga Aarti • Soak in the camping experience

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COORG

RG COOcket Bu ist L

• Enjoy an early morning stroll in the mist-filled coffee plantations for a breath of fresh air and more; there’s birdwatching to be done too • Visit the Nagarhole National Park to see the park's healthy tiger, Indian bison and elephant populations • Go quad biking in and around the coffee plantations

W

elcome to the land of Coorg, where the weather is very English (in the best way possible), with the ever-so-often downpours. The views are infinitely lush, pastoral and green, and the aroma of coffee lingers in the air. Perhaps the best way that one can fully savour Coorg is by staying at a ‘home stay,’ set in the midst of coffee plantations, where you can choose to share a home with the resident family or check into one of the independent bungalows.

Expect to be put up in cosy, wooden-tiled Coorg houses that offer experiences far from what the usual cookie-cutter tour packages would. Staying at such places offer you an unparalleled experience in terms of food and opportunities to get closely acquainted with the culture. Traditional Coorgie dishes include well-cooked pork, chicken and eggs in a melange of spices. Vegetarians, don't fret as you’ll be eating plenty of freshly picked mushrooms, bamboo shoots, spicy mango sambhars and dosas here. Sightseeing is not just limited to plantation walks; just a short drive away can lead you to gushing waterfalls, perfect for a magical afternoon. If adventure runs through your veins, get your adrenaline rush for the day with a white-water rafting experience. Don’t forget to visit Bylakuppe, known for its Tibetan settlement and the famous Golden Temple that happens to be the largest monastery outside Tibet. After this blissful time, indulge the shopaholic in you and get good buys in the form of jewellery and colourful Tibetan flags. Stop by at one of the restaurants in the area for a portion of steaming momos.

GOKARNA

• Check out Om Beach from a height,

shaped like the ‘om’ symbol NA KAR • Buy a sturdy, locally made cloth t e GOB k uc t hammock in bright colours Lis • Take a boat ride and enjoy the colours of the sunset

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MUNNAR Y

ou know you must be in Munnar when you find yourself surrounded by cascading waterfalls, long, winding roads and landscaped (read: well-manicured) tea gardens.

As if the atmosphere itself doesn’t make you feel like you are taking a walk in the clouds, the fresh mountain air takes you higher.

Located in the Idduki district of Kerala, this beautiful hill station is located at around 1500 m above sea level. Rubber, coffee, spice and tea plantations are abundant, and exploring these lush zones can offer you a refreshing and highly sensory experience. lsewhere in Kerela, take a boat ride in a house boat and experience the blissful backwaters; drive around the Eravikulam National Park to get glimpses of elephants, tigers, leopards, squirrels and deer; or if you enjoy trekking, come to Munnar. Writers, artists and photographers have been known to be attracted to Munnar. It’s enchanting and inspiring all at once.

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MUNNAR Bucket List • Don't miss the Neelakurinji- a plant that flowers once in 12 years • Sample flavoured teas as exotic as chocolate • Visit the Tata Tea Museum to get a taste of the colonial era

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alf a day's bus journey away from bustling Bangalore, lies heaven. Gokarna, which is a famous Hindu pilgramage hub, attracts backpackers and beach bums alike. Hills form the backdrop of most of the pristine beaches, offering a scenic view as you soak up the sun and take in the laidback atmopshere.

The main beaches are Om Beach, Kudle Beach, Half Moon Beach and Paradise Beach, the latter two of which are only accessible by foot or boat. Gokarna is one of the best places to gorge on seafood to your heart's content! However, just like every other place on the hippie trail, you will also be spoilt for choice with a range of multi-cuisine options, including lasagne and Nutella pancakes!

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DAVID BYRNE, AN ACCOMPLISHED ATHLETE AND PRODUCER OF ‘THE TRAVEL BUG’, A TRAVEL SHOW THAT HAS BEEN ON AIR FOR A YEAR NOW IN INDIA, TALKS TO YOUTH INC ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCES TRAVELLING AROUND THE WORLD Could you suggest some tips for travelling to make any journey a little smoother?

Less is more! The lighter and smaller your bag, the easier it is to travel with.

Pack small gifts from home to give to people you meet in your travels. A small gift can have a huge impact.

Take a photocopy of your passport and any visas you have and travel with one copy and leave another copy at home with family. They can save your day if these valuable items are lost or damaged.

Take a ‘Travel Diary’ on the road.

You can get people you meet along the way to sign it with a special message, as well as leave their contact details so you can stay in touch.

Learn the local terms for hello, goodbye and thank you. It’s amazing the impact a little effort like this can have on the people you meet on the road.

Take a simple toiletries kit and change of clothes as part of your inflight baggage. If your bags get lost in transit, you’ll be better equipped for a day or two without your things.

Local knowledge is invaluable! Talk

. . . . . .

to the local residents about what to see and do in the area you’re visiting. They generally know a few off the beaten track places that tourists tend to miss.

What are the essential things you always carry in your backpack?

A camera so I can capture special moments.

A bottle of water is a must. It’s surprising how you forget to stay hydrated when you’re having fun exploring a new destination.

Hand sanitizer is always close at hand, especially when I’m traveling in third world countries.

Headache tablets! They come in handy when you have a hangover.

Mints. It might sound simple, but I find they’re great for minimising travel sickness when flying or on a boat, plus if you’re eating unusual food in a foreign land, mints can get rid of the bad breath or horrible taste!

. . . . .

What's the most important thing you learned while travelling?

Being open minded is probably the most important thing I’ve learnt in my travels. If you are open to new

Icefields Parkway in Canada

experiences and understanding of different cultures, a holiday becomes so much more enjoyable and immersive.

You can find yourself pushing beyond limits you previously had or having lifechanging experiences.

What's the best part about backpacking over luxurious holidays?

Backpacking might be inexpensive, but it doesn't mean you have a ‘Poor’ experience. Generally you stay with other travellers and learn from their travels. You also meet people that you end up spending a few days, or even weeks, with! Luxury holidays can be pretty amazing, but it’s generally the simple and inexpensive things you encounter on a holiday that give you the best memories.

What's the craziest experience you've had while travelling?

The craziest experience I’ve had while travelling is diving with a tiger shark in Fiji. It was one of the most exhilarating things I’ve ever done and I love telling people about the moment the fivemetre shark pushed against me looking for food before turning away as one

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Glacier kayak in New Zealand Diving with a tiger shark in Fiji

Matsumoto Castle in Japan

of the dive masters fed it a tuna head.

This encounter with a wild animal in its domain was pretty unique and something I would love to do again!

What's the place you would want to go back to and why?

There are so many places I’ve been to that I’d love to visit again, but probably at the top of the list would be Tahiti.

It’s the most beautiful place I have had the pleasure of traveling through and the people there are so friendly and relaxed. It’s a genuine fusion of the chilled out tropics and comforts of a European-settled Pacific paradise.

What's your advice to people who don't have the 'travel bug'?

Travelling to foreign soil, or even exploring your own backyard, is more than just a means to get away from

work. It can be a life-changing journey that teaches you about yourself and the diversity of the world around you. The travel bug bit me when I was a teenager, and in the years that have passed, I have had many special experiences, people I’ve met and challenges I have conquered to thank for getting me to the place I’m in now. Travel is a means by which to grow and learn through practical experience.

What's on your current reading list and playlist? Do you have a specific 'travel song'?

I’m a huge fan of the band Muse, as well as Florence and The Machine. But, on top of the travel play list at the moment is an oldie but a goodie: Jeff Buckley, 'Last Goodbye'.

In terms of books, I’m a fan of sci-fi and fantasy novels and am in the process of reading JRR Tolkein’s ‘The Silmarilion’ for the third time!

Do you think you have the best job in the world?

I love my job and am very lucky to have it. I wouldn’t go as far as saying it’s the best job in the world, because despite how good it sounds, it’s actually pretty tough. The days are long and the pressure is very high, plus I miss my family when I’m away. I spend about 150 days a year overseas, so I miss out on a lot when I’m away. But hey, It’s pretty awesome when I get to see the world and stay in amazing hotels! Then of course, there’s the incredible food, great people and adventures I get to have. I really should stop bragging!

What's the one place you are dying to go to and why?

Antarctica is the one place I have dreamt of visiting for years. It’s so different to anywhere else and is such a pristine environment. The wildlife is unique and diverse, plus I love the challenge of the harsh landscape. I really want to get there before the ice melts.

What's your Indian journey been like so far?

So far, India has been one of the most amazing places I’ve travelled to. The cities are alive with energy, and everywhere you turn there’s something interesting to see. The food is incredible, the people are friendly, the landscapes are diverse and, above all else, it’s unlike anywhere on the planet!

I’ve seen the clichéd parts of India, now it’s just a matter of heading off the beaten track a little to see some of the more remote and rural areas. yi APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 61

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_RELATIONSHIPS

To look or

Not To look

DO WANDERING EYES TAKE ANYTHING FROM YOUR RELATIONSHIP? RITIKA RANJAN CONSIDERS THE PROS AND CONS

A

s soon as the dating phase heads down a more serious route, the conversation of exclusivity props up.

Apart from the magical connection that binds a couple, exclusivity is an over emphasised, and often reiterated, concept of a relationship. So what can people do when they come across someone who makes their heads turn, even when they are in a relationship?

“Well, I still check out girls. I’m a guy,” said Shiv Sharma, a committed boyfriend. “It’s not I have turned hostile against beautiful creatures, but I appreciate them from a distance.”

Sometimes, for people in love, checking out other hot people adds an element of fun to the relationship. It’s harmless and is often regarded as a joke.

“We were sitting at the Carter Road promenade when this girl walked by in her teeniest of shorts, with her dog.

Both my partner and I were gaping her as if an angel fell down from the sky,” said Zara Khan, a programmer by profession. “You have to be normal, be yourself, even if you are in a relationship.” Most couples interviewed for this article thought it was harmless to check out other people; in fact, they did it together, too.

But how do people treat this distraction? Abhi Dhusia says, “Ah! I’m taken, but if a hot girl comes into my life, I pass. It’s a like a bright Sunday:

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it comes and goes. I won’t make too much out of it.” What if the girl wants more? “Umm, I guess I’ll tell her that I am seeing someone and chuckle in joy that I still have it in me.”

But, is this how all couples feel when they are in a relationship? Sharma says, “My girlfriend’s colleague is quite attractive and she seems to get along with him. She often talks about him and I feel they have a flirtatious vibe. It makes me a little insecure sometimes.”

It is not unnatural to feel jealous or threatened by a friend or a colleague but if that jealousy turns into suspicion, that’s when the relationship can turn ugly.

Sometimes, it’s better not to duck these uncomfortable questions, but rather to talk it out. Khan recounts, “My boyfriend hung out with this girl he barely knew till late at night, and I was uncomfortable with that. But when I confronted him, he empathised with my situation and apologised.”

It is a mature way of dealing with and weeding out problems, says Christopher Mendes, who experienced a similar situation. His girlfriend went out to a club with her friend’s cousin who had come to India on a vacation.

“We had our arguments but in the end, we decided it was best for us to not put ourselves in a situation where we can drunkenly kiss other strangers,” he says.

Since all couples will go through

situations like this, what’s the best way to avoid embarrassing moments?

“In my profession, I meet lots of new people every day,” says Karthik Raman, a fashion photographer. “There are tempting moments, but I love my girlfriend and don’t want to cheat on her, so I casually mention her if I know the other person is getting too interested in me.”

Temptation can be too difficult to resist for some, so what do they do?

Dino Wadhwani says, “I cave in. A one night stand is all right. It doesn’t alter my feelings for my girlfriend, but it’s something that keeps me going.” Cases of occasional offenders are abundant; for most, it is a momentary lapse caused by lust, alcohol or just plain desire, and they don’t think too much of it. “This guy I met in a club convinced me to kiss him and I thought what’s in a kiss.

But we went all the way. He told me I will forget this incident in a few days and I really did,” narrates Mandira Sharma.

Some even romanticise it and call it summer love. “I was travelling for work in Europe and I bumped into Sally, a Hungarian girl. We met later for coffee and things took a different turn,” says John Francis. Was it just a holiday fling? “Yes! and I have never cheated on my girlfriend again.” But is there any guilt? “There is; I sometimes do have the urge to come clean. But some secrets better be taken to the grave.”

It is a difficult dialogue and can scar the relationship forever. “I cheated on my girlfriend and I told her. We hadn’t had sex for three months and I just couldn’t handle it. The relationship broke up but I think it was for the best,” says Jameel Sayed. In situations where the couples have drifted apart, it doesn’t take long to drift physically, and break ups are a blessing in disguise.

Yet perfectly happy people also err, and sometimes, deliberately err.

“We were together for seven years and about to get married. I had never had sex with another man. I just wanted to experience someone else,” says Niharika Hariharan, who decided to ditch the exclusivity agreement for an experience right before her marriage.

“For me, it was just a one-time thing I had to do.”

Megha Somaiya, a relationship expert, says it is not uncommon for people to develop cold feet before marriage and to do something crazy.

But guilt and betrayal, more often than not, paves the road to misery and eventually, causes relationships to fail.

Of course, there are times when you're both completely smitten by a third person. What then? As Johnny Depp says, “If you love two people at the same time, choose the second one, because if you really loved the first one you wouldn’t have fallen for the second.” Love, like other drugs, has a shelf life. yi APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 63

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_YOUTH ISSUES

Beat Butt! the

A YOUTH INC CORRESPONDENT TALKS ABOUT HER EXPERIENCES WITH SMOKING AND TRYING TO STOP ALTOGETHER

I

was 12 when I had my first cigarette. We were a bunch of school-going girls, awkwardly entering our teenage years and exploring new things in life.

The forbidden nature of smoking made it all the more attractive to our rebellious natures. One cigarette was furtively passed around between four girls, each quickly inhaling and exhaling short puffs, trying desperately not to cough. Proud of this milestone crossed off the adolescent charts, we felt rather grown up.

Over the years, I’ve heard similar stories from other smokers about why they smoke. The most common answer, of course is, “Because I like it!” As someone who’s struggled not to smoke for several years and stopped successfully (with some occasional relapses), I look quite jealously at those who have never tried that fateful first cigarette and never been tempted to.

Frankly, once you are hooked, it’s

next to impossible to let go. Here are some tried and true “out of the box” methods to stop smoking, by yours truly.

USE YOUR BAD HEALTH TO YOUR BENEFIT One easy way to stop is, of course, by falling sick. At times like these, it’s pretty much impossible to continue your habit, however much you may want to. By sick, I mean a cold, the flu or a cough, and you don’t have to snog the first germ-infested partner you can find. Chances are, if you are a smoker, your immune system has been damaged enough that you are more susceptible to germs than most. So, when you have an inbuilt bodily function that makes you feel sick when you smoke instead of

giving you the instant gratification of nicotine entering you lungs, take the opportunity to stop. Certainly don’t smoke when you are sick – only the most masochistic smoker would do that. And when you do get better, remember how sick you felt whenever you want to smoke. With some practice, you will automatically associate smoking with falling sick.

GO RUNNING/TREKKING IN HIGH ALTITUDES So flying to Ladakh may seem a bit extreme as a way to stop smoking, but trust me, you need to take some deep

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ALTERNATIVE NICOTINE

There are a number of cigarette replacers readily available in the market. These work by giving you some nicotine in a manner where you are not breathing it with tar and other harmful chemicals in cigarettes.

These can help you to break the habit of smoking, but you still have to battle the physical addiction to nicotine. Here’s a lowdown on the different items that can help you to stop smoking.

Nicotine Chewing Gums These foul tasting chewing gums are so revolting to taste – it’s like chewing a minty ashtray – that it’s certainly incentive to lessen your intake. Using these is a good way to slowly wean yourself off smoking if you can’t go cold turkey. The gums come in different doses depending on how heavily you smoke. Once you replace smoking with a nicotine chewing gum, you can try to replace that with a normal, whitening gum to reverse years of damage to your stained teeth!

Nicotine Patches The patch helps to curb cravings by slowly introducing nicotine to your blood stream over a long period of time. Like nicotine chewing gum, it comes in different doses so you can slowly reduce the amount of nicotine your body needs before getting jittery. These are also popular for business travellers on long flights when they can’t smoke. A patch can double your chances of quitting!

Electronic Cigarettes E-cigarettes are meant to reduce the harmful effects of smoking, rather than help you stop altogether. They release steam or vapour that one inhales with added flavour and nicotine. It helps to simulate the experience of smoking, but the electronic cigarette is pretty expensive to use if you are not planning to quit altogether.

breaths when walking in thin air. The

As a smoker, your altitude in the mountains means that you just don’t get as much air in your lung capacity is lungs as you usually do. As a smoker, much less than it your lung capacity is much less than it is for others, so when you begin to is for others, so hyperventilate at high altitudes or when you begin to wheezily breathe, it gives you a great of how you will feel twenty years hyperventilate at idea later if you continue to smoke. The high altitudes, it same holds true if you push yourself run a marathon or do any other gives you an idea tostrenuous activity. After a point, you of how you will feel need to be at your peak fitness levels. just destroys your physical twenty years later Smoking capacity for excellence.

DON’T EMPTY OUT YOUR ASHTRAY… EVER This is a great way to motivate yourself to stop smoking – and that’s exactly what you have to do all the time when you are quitting. It’s a constant battle between your addiction, your need to have just one drag and your will power. So, if you’re not one to listen to tapes and brainwash yourself, then get an open ashtray and just watch the cigarettes pile up. The sight and smell of an ashtray first thing in the morning is psychologically enough to motivate some people to quit. And you can even get a wonderful lung shaped ashtray for additional motivation.

When you stop smoking, then you can throw your ashtray, with all your dead stubs, away! yi APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 65

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“What would you say or do to get your friends to stop smoking?”

YOUR

VOICE Hamza Mirza

22, Model

To help my friends to quit, I would recommend them to chew gum or eat any wafer whenever they feel like smoking. Smoking is more of a mental addiction; your mind keeps reminding you about smoking. If you want to stop it, you will just stop. You don't have to think about it.

Ashutosh Bisani 19, BMS student

Everybody does what they want to, though I can definitely get them to reduce the amount. The only option left for me would be to blackmail them emotionally.

I would try my level best but people should be willing to help themselves.

Aashna Parik h

19, BMS student

I will try to explain how messed up smoking can be and how it can ruin your life in the long term. If they doesn't listen, then I would inform their family members so that they can help me to stop my friends from smoking. Whenever they would be with me, all their cigarettes would either be thrown away or crushed. So they wouldn't dare light up one in front of me.

Chaitanya Bayanwala 20, Engineering student

I would steal their cigarettes and throw them away; nobody has unlimited cash. Of course, I would ensure NOT to give him or her any loans. Once they cut back, it’s easier to coax them into stopping altogether.

Priyanka Dhawan

22, PR professional

I would advise them to use Nicorette, a chewing gum with nicotine; however, I genuinely believe there are people who will not listen at all. They will only quit when they want to.

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Seeds of

Change

_ECOWATCH

MARIE-LOUISE GRAY TALKS TO KAVITA MUKHI, ORGANISER OF THE FARMER’S MARKET, ON THE ORGANIC MOVEMENT

T

he term ‘organic’ now greets us everywhere, from supermarket aisles to magazines and TV adverts.

Appreciation of the actual benefits of organic food for our bodies and our planet is not fully understood.

The buzzword does require certification to the highest standards of environmentally friendly farming.

At the Farmer’s Market in Mumbai, the community buzz is evident and delicious smells saturate the air. I met with Kavita at the market cafe, eyeing the plates of organic fare I passed.

What initially motivated you to organise the event?

Following the birth of my son, I was confused by all the information available on nutrition, so I studied and then taught the subject. However, I felt that people really needed someone to be proactive, so I founded a store that sold organic dried goods. I then branched out to fruits and vegetables and started the market, which has now been running for two years.

Recently, my main motivation has been to resist and petition against the Genetic Modification of foods and seeds in India. I also strive to aid farmers in getting the right price for their produce, to encourage farming families to pass on their valuable skills to future generations before the knowledge disappears forever.

What hurdles do you face now?

I work in partnership with 2000 farmers; however, I can only have 20 per event. There is the potential to organise many more markets, but as space is at a premium in Mumbai, the main hurdle will always be the cost and availability of appropriate

spaces. We do receive sponsorship from a few companies, but not enough to grow at present.

Have you noticed a shift in attitudes toward organic food?

Absolutely. People want organic food; however, they do initially find the price high. I often explain that when you buy organic, you are not just paying the price of a potato, you are supporting someone's livelihood. We are so used to paying ridiculously low prices for food that farmers simply cannot afford to survive. We are losing the next generation of rural farmers to other professions. With that, we lose a part of our heritage if we don't change our behaviours and priorities.

People are prepared to pay a premium when they go out to eat, yet refuse to pay slightly more for basic foods, irrespective of their quality.

What encourages me however is seeing people at the market who are happy in the knowledge that they are taking home safe food to their families.

What else should people be aware of to spend more on organic food?

Firstly, the produce is all very fresh as it is harvested every Saturday and brought to the market Sunday morning. Secondly, all the money that is made from selling the produce goes directly to the farmers. Thirdly, and most importantly, the taste of the food is superior.

The market provides a place to engage socially with likeminded people. People bring their own

PHOTO CREDITS: PAUL CLARK

bags and we try to arrange some sort of cultural activity every week.

Additionally, all the waste from the market is taken back to the farms to be used as compost.

Some think eating organic food is a status symbol. What is your take?

We consciously attempt to educate people on the real benefits of eating organic produce through leaflets at the entrance. I would agree that a fundamental shift is only possible if the majority of people are on board, including those in a position of influence like celebrities. What people fail to realise is that organic food is not a new concept, but rather a rebirth of traditional farming methods.

Maintenance and support is required in order for it to continue. Today, shoes are sold in air-conditioned shops and fruit and vegetables at the side of dirty roads. This is our opportunity to change that.

It's refreshing that, in a busy world of convenience, there are people who still make time for the simple things.

So, whether you want to learn more about organic food, or simply want a place to eat lunch on a Sunday, pop along to the Bandra Farmers' Market for a truly organic experience. yi APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 67

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09-03-2012 13:32:22

ART AND FASHION meet with no boundaries

_FASHION FEATURE

YUTI SHAH TALKS ABOUT HOW SHE WAS INSPIRED BY NATURE TO CREATE DESIGNS FOR HER NEW LABEL

Y

Yuti Shah and Atul Edward

uti Shah was working a regular job as a graphic designer just a few months back. When her husband Atul Edward suggested she use her drawing skills for something more serious, they started their very own fashion brand. Yuti recounts their journey, "Travelling back and forth to work every day in crowded trains, the never-ending work hours and the tight deadlines were my biggest nightmares. My husband and I often set out for weekend rural trips to get in touch with nature, our inner calling. On all our trips, I always kept a small notebook where I would get inspired by the textures of nature and doodle. On one of our trips last year, while sitting on a friend’s farm, my husband casually asked me to pursue my doodling more seriously."

Atul's confidence in Yuti's creativity led to her quitting her job and exhibiting her work at her own art show. After the success of the show, the natural progression of things led Yuti to merge her artistic sensibility with her design knowledge and make her artworks accessible to a wider audience.

UDD is an artist's canvas with a slight twist. Yuti designs saris, skirts

and stoles that you could choose to wear or hang up in your living room for guests to admire. Vibrant and dramatic, these yards of fabric can only be attributed to the playful meanderings of an artist's brain.

Yuti says, “UDD is based on the idea that original art works are converted into happy prints, which you would want to flaunt!” The brand has a very Indian visual vocabulary - the motifs are reminiscent of Madhubani art, pagan gods and tribal drawings. She continues, "We want to create something that would be relevant to the youth. The sari is a beautiful garment and we see a huge gap in the market when it comes to more a more youthful audience. That is the void we want to fill."

So what’s the story behind the brand’s name? “UDD was a name that came very naturally to both of us as it

denoted freedom - the nature, the sky and no boundaries!”

Yuti now wants to involve other artists in UDD and promote their art. She says, “We already have three artists on board. One mixed-media artist makes a line of accessories called ‘Bead Its’ for us, another UK-based artist recently created motifs for our UDD Panchhi line and a potter designed a stunning mirror for us using our fabrics.”

UDD is reaching out to local women as well. Simple accessories like ‘latkans’ and drawstrings are given to women from nearby homes to make by hand, providing employment opportunities to local artisans.

The couple sum up their design philosophy - “We want to create a brand for people passionate about life itself. It’s the love for art, design, fabric and bold Indianness!” yi

68 Youth Incorporated ║ APRIL 2012

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09-03-2012 15:06:44

Gadget Fashion!

IF YOU’RE AS TIRED OF BORING BAGS AND CASES FOR YOUR AWESOME GADGETS AS WE ARE, THEN YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT THESE COOL NEW ACCESSORIES TO ADD A LITTLE FUN TO YOUR GADGET WARDROBE. OPT FOR SOME COLOURFUL AND CHIC BAGS AND CASES TO CARRY YOUR LAPTOPS, TABLETS AND PHONES IN.

Music Blunder Laptop Sleeve `799 Available at www.craftila.com

Laptop messenger bag from Belkin `1,499 Available at www. belkin.com

Faux Snake Skin iPad case `1,200 Available online at www.junglee.com

mKeeper Sleeve Coat for iPads `2,666 Available at www. mygadgitude.com

mKeepeer Sleek Yellow Case for iPads `2,129 Available at www. mygadgitude.com

Laptop Sleeve from The Elephant Company `1,350 Available at The Bombay Store

Chumbak Auto Raja Phoner Cover `250 Available at Loose Ends, Bandra

Chumbak Elephant Phone Cover `250 Available at Loose Ends, Bandra

Neoprene Sleeves for Notebooks `1,499 Available at www.belkin. com

Knitted iPad sleeves `1,999 Available online at www.gadgets.in

68 FASHION.indd 69

Vintage Art iPad Case `1,200 Available at Wasabi Designs Inc on Facebook

Quilted Crossways Sleeve for Laptops from Belkin `1,799 Available at www. belkin.com

Cupcake Print iPad Case `1,200 Available at Wasabi Designs Inc on Facebook APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 69

09-03-2012 15:07:20

_TREND UPDATE

BEACHWEAR

trends for SPRING T

Benetton beachwear

Versace Mens Spring 2012

Luxe by Lisa Vogel at the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

he swimwear trends for 2012 offer something for everyone. Swimwear designers are using solids and prints in a variety of combinations to celebrate the season. Black is always the easiest color to wear and also the most slimming. But try out some bright solids as well: everything from hot red to saturated orange to tropical turquoise is in.

Prints for men and women range from tropical motifs like pineapples, parrots and tropical plants to exotic animal prints and tribal ethnic prints. Designs feature one large motif or complex intricate prints. For petite frames, choose prints that are not too overwhelming. While selecting a swimsuit, keep in mind that the eye will be drawn to where the print is; so choose wisely and be sure you want to call attention to that part of your body.

With the variety of cuts available, everyone should find the most flattering shape for their body. Wear darker, solid coloured bikini bottoms with a top in a lighter colour to de-emphasize the hips. To emphasize the bust do the reverse. If you have a rectangle-shaped figure, try colour-blocking with a dark colour in the midriff area. And if you’re feeling conservative and don’t want to try on a teeny weeny bikini, try a high-waisted bikini.

Sheer kaftans, beach skirts, maxis and big shirts to are always a good choice to cover up in.

And this goes without saying; don’t forget to accessorize! Bring out your sunglasses, sunhats, bandanas, colourful flip flops, beads and big, bright bags to put suntan lotion in!

Leopard Print swimsuit by Lanvin

Benetton Kaftan

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Fluroscent leather sandals from Browns

Cecilia De Bucourt Fringed Tribal Sarong

Bright Bamboo Bag

River Island Kaftan

12-03-2012 16:28:56

Brave the sun!

...and look good doing it!

The hot summer is here and we all know what the sun’s UV rays can do to our skin. The best way to protect your skin from any dangerous effects is to make sun protection part of your daily routine. Cosmetics that contain alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) may increase susceptibility to sunburn. Use a broadspectrum (protecting from both UVA and UVB) sunscreen with SPF of 15 or greater. Don’t ignore your lips, ears and hair and protect your eyes from the sun’s glare with sunglasses!

1

4

`160

Nivea Fruity Shine Pink Guava Lip Balm with SPF `129

6

Banana Boat Sport Sunscreen SPF 100 `1,200

Kerastase Soleil Sun Protection Hair Spray `1,799

9

Fabindia Vitamin E Sunscreen SPF 15 `210

7

Biotique Bio Carrot Face & Body Sun Lotion SPF 40 `199

8

Lotus Herbals Safe Sun UV Screen Matte Gel PA+++ SPF 50 `175

11

Banana Boat Sunscreen Lip Balm `240

Celeb

Secrets

Asian pop, soul and R&B singer Ash King is a London born artist. He has sung several popular Bollywood songs such as 'Te Amo', 'Suno Aisha' and most recently, 'Aunty ji'.

Skin care regime

I like making sure my skin isn't greasy and always use antibacterial soap (some say I have slight OCD).

Hair styling tip

Hair should look effortless and not desperate, also get it cut according to your own hair type. What works for someone else might not for you.

5 cosmetic products in your travel kit

12 13

2

10

Just Herbs Sun'nil Moisturising Sun Protection Lotion `395

Kara Sunscreen Wipes - Plum & Aloe Vera `140

Lakme After Sun Face Mask `150

Clinique Sun Protection Face Cream `1,360

Lakme Perfect Radiance Intense Whitening Compact SPF 23

5

3

Lakme After Sun Gel `145

Hand cream, lip balm, lens solution, sanitiser, electric beard trimmer

Favorite fragrance

1 Million by Paco Rabanne

Grooming faux-pas

Don't overdo your eyebrows and be careful how you style your sideburns.

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09-03-2012 15:09:09

Model watch

H

ey guys! This is a new platform for models and actors and for those who have always wanted a break in the glam world. Send your portfolio pictures to us and if you are selected by our team, we will send your images to leading production houses in the country.

Interests: Fi training, music, cr tness volleyball, skating, icket, horse riding, driving

Interests: Dan cing, travel, music

Kashmira

Works as a profe Menon ssio for print and T Vnal model ad s

Abhishek Working on a mu Patel si and training in mcal theatre play artial arts

Interests: usic, Da ncing, m ing, swimm work ing basketba ll, out

[

Send your images to modelwatch@youthincmag.com No phone calls will be entertained.

Disclaimer: Youth Inc is only a platform to share your pictures. Youth Inc will not be responsible for any decisions made by you or any sort of contract signed between you and the production house. Send your pictures at your own risk.

Ankit Raj

ramp Models for print and TV ads, shows and anchors events

72 Youth Incorporated â•‘ APRIL 2012

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14-03-2012 20:16:18

_FOCUS FEATURE DR MALAVIKA

KOHLI

A renowned dermatologist, she has made her mark in aesthetic dermatology in India for over 15 years. Send your query to skin@youthincmag.com.

Dr Good Skin

Due to the heat, I had developed a rash under my arm, for which I consulted a doctor. His medication got rid of the redness, but I still have mild itch in the area. What can I do?

Meeta Jain, Pune A rash under the arms can be because of fungal infection, allergic reaction to chemicals in deodorants, perfumes or creams or heat rash. If there is persistent itching, you can use antifungal dusting powder on a daily basis. If it still doesn’t improve, you need to see your doctor again.

I have dry skin and have been advised to use a moisturiser, even in the summer. However, in the summer, it is sticky and causes a lot of problems while I’m out. Can you recommend a medicated moisturiser, which is not so sticky?

Mona Singhani, Mumbai There are new moisturisers available in the market now which are very light and water-based. They hydrate the skin and are not very sticky. You have to look for a hypoallergenic moisturiser meant for normal to combination skin.

My ankles have become really rough and dark due to sitting cross legged on the floor for many years. As a temporary solution, I bleach that part, but is there anything better I can do?

Sushila Menon, Ahmedabad

Summer hair

Sitting cross legged on floor causes friction and that leads to thick, dark and rough skin over the outer skin of the ankles. To treat that, avoid sitting cross-legged, moisturise the area well (about three-four times a day) with a moisturiser containing urea, glycolic acid and salicylic acid for reducing thickness and roughness of the areas.

I have recently started shaving my face and due to the awkwardness of the strokes, I have many razor cuts.

I did apply an antiseptic, but the cuts have left some marks. How can I get rid of them?

Pratik Menon, Nagpur You can apply creams containing kojic acid, arbutin, vitamin C, hydroquinone or azelaic acid to lighten the post-inflammatory marks and use a good sunscreen lotion with a minimum 30 SPF. I have very dry elbows and knees and they are several shades darker than my other skin. Is there something special that I can apply to these areas?

Nishi Mehra, Hyderabad In all normal individuals, skin over the joints is always darker than the rest of the body skin. This darkness can get accentuated due to dryness and constant friction. So try to avoid friction at those areas and moisturise them properly.

You can use a moisturiser containing urea, lactic acid, glycolic acid etc, as they help to retain moisture in the skin and to reduce pigmentation.

Summer is the time for vacation – beach visits, swimming, surfing etc, but all these can cause damage to your hair, if it is not protected. Dry, lifeless, frizzy hair, split ends and dandruff are some of the problems that give you sleepless nights. But these problems should not deter you from enjoying the summer.A combination of heat, humidity and pollution can clog the pores, so cleaning the face with an antibacterial face wash is essential.

Here are a few tips for protecting your hair: • The most important thing is to trim your hair regularly during the summer, which will eliminate most split ends.

• To avoid dandruff, you must keep your hair clean. Usually, shampooing twice a week is enough. If you have an oily scalp and tend to get dandruff, then you may shampoo daily. You might also use anti-dandruff shampoo containing anti-fungal twice a week.

• To add moisture and shine to hair, make sure that you use a conditioner after shampoo.

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• Drink plenty of water this summer to keep roots and strands flushed with fluids.

• What you eat has a tremendous effect • • •

•

•

on how your hair looks. Remember to have a healthy diet.

If you need to go out in the sun, cover your hair with a hat or scarf.

Before stepping out, spray your hair with a hair care product that has SPF in it.

Water in swimming pools contains chlorine and the sea is full of salt, which may wreak havoc on your hair. Use a protein- rich conditioner before you step into the pool or sea and wash your hair after swimming.

If you use hot styling tools regularly (blow dryers, hot irons, rollers), give your hair a rest during the summer. Air dry whenever possible or opt for easy chic styles. If you still want to blow dry, apply a leave-in conditioner before doing so.

As hair tends to be moisture deprived,

limit use of hair chemicals (bleach, hair colour, chemical straighteners) as much as possible Following these natural hair care tips will help you maintain healthy and beautiful hair throughout the summer.

APRIL 2011 ║ Youth Incorporated 73

09-03-2012 13:18:12

refresh} _MAKEOVER

Marilyn Bothello goes chic and glam, courtesy of Hemant Naibagker of The Orange Tree Studio

MARILYN BOTHELLO

“I Just love my new look. The hair colour is very natural and not one bit loud. It all totally adds up and the look is very international too. It’s glamorous all the way!”

( HAIR ) PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROHAN FERNANDES

• Gave Marilyn’s hair a trim to give it a very healthy look and feel.

• Applied Light Brown Mahogany global hair colour and topped it off with Dark Blonde highlights.

• Blow dried her usually curly hair straight for a sleek look.

• Styled Marilyn's hair to the side, making it manageable, yet chic for the night.

( MAKEUP )

• Used a bit of compact powder to give her face an overall smooth look.

• Highlighted her eyes with kajal.

• Used light purple eye shadow, giving her the perfect night look.

• Used a light, frosty pink lipstick.

Vishal Adnani gets the clean cut British Wave look from Catherine Awungshi of ASIF – The Salon and GATSBY

VISHAL ADNANI

“I had no choice but to leave my hair unkempt and unstyled since there was no hair product that could hold my hair down and give me a formal look. The Loose & Flow wax is a great product that I can now count on.”

( HAIR )

• Blow-dried for better control on Vishal's hair.

• Used a hair iron to straighten the curls in the front.

• Applied GATSBY Loose & Flow Hair Styling Wax, apt for the British Wave hairstyle, along with GATSBY Extreme Hold hair spray to perfectly set his hair.

CATHERINE AWUNGSHI

Top stylist, Asif – The Salon

“This dude really needed help with his hairstyling. Thus, he always stuck with his wavy look. The Loose & Flow variant of Hair Styling Wax from GATSBY worked great for the British Wave style on the sides and the retro look in the front.”

Send your photos to Youth Inc to get a makeover and transform your look! Email us at makeover@youthincmag.com 74 Youth Incorporated ║ APRIL 2012

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09-03-2012 13:19:00

_WATCH OUT FOR

Rising

STAR Youth Inc touches base with Gowri Jayakumar and finds out all things interesting about this groovy musician

QUICK PICKS

G

owri Jayakumar, the quirky, young singersongwriter, has definitely got the blues and all that jazz! She works as the net editor for a popular travel magazine by day, and is a musician by night. Her life philosophy to ‘wait and watch’ has made it apparent that the wait (if there was any wait at all!) has certainly been worth it, for today Gowri has a couple of self-composed songs to call her own. She continues to gig across Mumbai and Bangalore. Earlier in 2009, she was awarded the Resonate Music Award. Her style as a solo artist is recognisable from a distance– acoustic with a hint of country, a sprinkle of folk, and a whole lot more. But for Gowri, genres are not very relevant. And why should they be? With lyrics that speak from the soul, and guitars that come from within, the result is beautifully eclectic.

A band/ artist you love: Nick Drake, Tom Waits, The Be Good Tanyas, Devendra Banhart A musician you’d love to jam up with: Kaki King In-bag essentials: Wallet, keys and sun glasses Best holiday experience: So far it has been in Nepal.

A memorable moment in your career: With regards to journalism, when I got my current job; as for music, it has always been really memorable for me!

Inspirational musicians: Tom Waits, Madeleine Peyroux, Stereolab and Nick Drake Favourite cuisine: South Indian food.

I can’t seem to get enough of raw mangoes with salt and chilli, and Nick Drake.

A song that you can hear on repeat: Fruit Tree by Nick Drake Memorable movie character: Selma Jezkova/Bjork from Dancer in the Dark Your idea of a fun evening out: Beer, music and friends Mountain or beach person?: Mountains when I’m alone, and the beach when I’m not.

Passions: Vegetating and sitting idle for major portions of the day. I could do that all day and all night!

Fragrance of the moment: None at all Your source of inspiration: Selfdeprecating humour, preconceived depression, and time.

Your philosophy: Wait and watch!

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_SPORTS

THE MIXED MARTIAL ARTS CULTURE HAS EXPLODED IN INDIA, OFFERING A PLATFORM TO YOUNG FIGHTERS AND ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE SUPER-CHARGED CROWD, FINDS BEVERLY PEREIRA

B

oth eyes are locked on target. Fists are clenched.

The two fighters and one referee take the centre of the ring. Round one begins, with two more to follow. The fighters give it all they've got – grappling, punching, kicking and wrestling their way through the round. The crowd cheers as one of the fighters takes the other down. And, then suddenly there is one left standing– the winner of the evening. The crowd applauds again.

Mixed martial arts (MMA), a raging spectactor sport worldwide, has taken India by storm and how!

The dope on MMA Mixed martial arts is a full-contact combat sport that combines the use of different fighting techniques, ranging from a mixture of martial arts traditions as well as non-traditions.

It allows the use of grappling and striking techniques, both standing and on the ground.Techniques such as

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09-03-2012 13:21:37

boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, muay Thai, karate, judo and taekwondo all find a place in the sport.

The evolution of MMA The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be traced back to mixed-style competitions that took place across Europe and Japan in the early 1900s.

The combat sport known as Vale Tudo that was conceived in Brazil around the 1920s, was only brought to the United States in 1993. It was at this time that the Ultimate Fighting Championship was founded. In time, the more dangerous Vale Tudo style of fighting employed in the early UFCs was made safer with the addition of new and improved rules. This resulted in the evolved MMA techniques that one sees today.

Skills to kill This combat sport requires a certain level of strength, endurance, stamina, precision, intelligence and conditioning. Fighters undergo years of demanding, gruelling, intense and disciplined training. They hone their skills in different forms of martial arts, all the while sharpening their instincts and alertness levels. As per the rules of MMA, moves such as head-butting, stomping, fish-hooking, eye-gouging and elbow striking are prohibited MMA fighters are required to wear gum and groin guards along with halfcut MMA gloves.

While MMA may look brutal to some, it is, in actual fact, not as risky as other contact sports. In fact, boxing is said to have led to approximately 1,600 deaths over the past 15 years, whereas no deaths have been associated with mixed martial arts so far, although broken noses and bones are commonplace in this sport.

Recognise some MMA moves Arm triangle choke: A submission move that occurs when an opponent is strangled between his own shoulder and arm.

Gogoplata: It is usually executed from

the guard or rubber guard, when the legs are held high against the opponent’s upper back. One foot is placed in front of the opponent’s head under the chin and the hands are placed behind the opponent’s head.

The opponent is choked by pressing the shin or foot against the trachea.

Keylock: An armlock is applied by the fighter on top, with the bottom fighter's arm bent at a 90° angle. The wrist is held while the other arm wraps underneath and is lifted to apply pressure to the shoulder.

MMA in India Gone are the days when one had no choice but to stay at home to catch MMA championships on television.

Today, things have clearly changed.

Earlier in March, the Super Fight League (SFL), a professionally organised MMA venture was kicked off by Sanjay Dutt and Raj Kundra, the first season of which pitted six of India’s best fighters against six international MMA fighters. This was followed by the evening’s main show: a Super Heavy Weight Fight between MMA biggies Bob Sapp and James Thomson.

The MMA rage however, goes back to 2009, when Prashant Kumar, an advertising filmmaker who was passionate about martial arts, launched India’s fight nights, organised by his martial arts company, Full Contact Entertainment. Known as Full Contact Championships, they continue to be super-charged nights, as you can imagine, and take place at various venues across Mumbai. Kumar, a mixed martial arts expert participated in Free Style Fighting in Mumbai between 1989 and 1992.

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_SPORTS

While MMA may look brutal to most, it is in actual fact not so risky as other contact sports.

Boxing is said to have led to around 1,600 deaths over the past 15 years.

No deaths have been associated with MMA. Broken noses and bones are of course commonplace in this sport.

Train to be an MMA fighter

Tiger Gym India, Nashik Xtreme Fight Federation, Mumbai Shootfighters Gym, Bangalore Sanshinkan Karate India, Gurgaon

The Super fighter Daniel Isaac, a 3rd generation martial artist, and the COO of the Super Fight League says, “My father, Solomon Isaac, has been my constant mentor and role model. He was ex-Indian navy and the bodyguard trainer for many foreign and Indian personalities, including Rajiv Gandhi.”

Daniel Isaac’s family pioneered the hard contact style of martial arts in the country. Growing up in this atmosphere, it was only natural that he was exposed to the old-school style of training. Isaac officially began his martial arts training at the age of five and after years of rigorous training, he won a series of martial arts events and championships, both nationally and internationally, including the World Kickboxing title sanctioned by the World Kickboxing Council in the flyweight category. In 1994, Isaac won the gold medal at the WAKO Kickboxing Olympics, making him India's first World Champion in kickboxing.

He has also trained national teams, MMA athletes and students in the UK and USA, as well as Indian Army officers. In 2007, he was invited by the Iranian government to train over 200 top kickboxing athletes.

With regard to the skills and

qualities required by professional MMA athletes, he explains, “MMA is the next generation of combat sports. If you put an Olympic-level wrestler against a pro-level boxer, or even an Olympic Judo artist versus a Taekwondo fighter, you still won’t see the level of skill and endurance that one generally sees first-hand in an MMA fighter.” Training consists of a six-hourday for six days each week, he says.

That is, only if you want to become a professional fighter. Isaac is quick to add that in order to reach a professional level, one needs utmost dedication and a lifetime of training and dedication too.

“The Super Fight League is here to stay,” says Isaac, who finds Raj Kundra (the founder of the Super Fight League) to be an excellent businessman who has top-notch skills in business and other aspects. “Talented sportsmen will be given opportunities with the launch of the Super Fight League. What’s more, he even looks after fighters personally, right from their medicals, salaries and international-level training,” adds Isaac. When asked what he feels about the explosion of the MMA culture in India, Isaac says, “I attribute this to the Internet. There have been a large number of international fights available online for the last six or seven years. As it is, for years now, people have been exposed to staged fights that lack the reality aspect of it all, and are notched up with big athletic-looking men and pyrotechnics. But when it comes to MMA, one can expect nothing but excitement, competiveness and real fights.”

“Even though cricket is India's most popular sport, MMA offers the audience something else. Where cricket ends, MMA will begin,” he concludes. The prize money at stake is huge. The fights are intense and the fighters fully charged as they take on their opponents. The audience is electrified with this flow of raw energy.

After all, who can really resist a good dose of energy-driven action? This could perhaps be one of the major reasons why mixed martial arts is truly 'sportainment' at its best yi

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IE Bussiness School.indd 13

09-03-2012 13:50:58

o Dr ol FOR TECH LOVERS 

of the MONTH

 GI RASTA HEADPHONES (`3,500)

This awesome pair of headphones from Skullcandy is good enough to blow your mind with its rich sound. With features like noise isolation, along with substantial bass and treble, this funky pair is quite a steal given that it carries an affordable price tag. Quite sturdy on the whole, Skullcandy’s latest offering won’t put you through a round of worries even if it falls down a couple of times. Though you will have to compromise a bit on comfort, the quality and the clarity of the sound make it a value-for-money product. The cool, colourful and funky look, which has been a trademark of this brand, has yet again lived up to expectations. Expect a couple of heads to turn while you are on the road grooving to your favourite track! And just in case you are in dire need of a bottle opener, your G I Rasta headphones will come to your rescue as they sport a hidden bottle opener! On the whole, we suggest you go get yourself a pair of these über-cool headphones.

 TABPLUS RIO (`9,990) Looking out for an inexpensive tablet that is loaded with all the good features you could possibly want? Then the tabplus Rio could be your answer! It is powered by a 1 GHz Cortex A9 processor that will serve you well if you are a multi-tasker! It runs on Android 2.3 OS. With its 7-inch screen that displays rich HD quality graphics, you are sure to enjoy watching movies on the go! The touch screen is highly intuitive and responsive too. You can enjoy gaming on this tablet with super-crisp graphics. It comes with a memory capacity of 512 MB DDR2 and storage up to 32GB via Micro SD. Useful features include the ability to upgrade with additional storage options, wireless Internet connectivity, flash support, 3G via USB dongle and many multimedia functions. And if these features don't impress you enough to go out and get yourself a tabplus Rio, then perhaps the fact that it weighs just 350 gms will. This tablet is an excellent choice for students. It's competitively priced among the the influx of tablets of all shapes, sizes and prices appearing in the market these days. It’s time to get tabbing!

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09-03-2012 13:28:29

_TECHNOLOGY

 PLAYSTATION VITA (`24,990) The PlayStation Vita claims to be the most advanced portable gaming system ever made, with amazing visuals on its 5-inch OLED touch screen that almost look as good as the PS3 graphics. The Vita's operating system is smartly designed, easy to use and ultra-responsive too. The unit feels great to hold and has excellent standby battery life, a plus point for hardcore gamers. Of course, there are also some drawbacks to this exciting gaming experience. For instance, it requires the purchase of a separate memory card to play a number of games and to use most apps, resulting in an added cost. The battery cannot be changed and, God forbid, if something happens to it, you'll need more than luck on your side. It doesn't have video output so you cannot really sit back and enjoy a big screen gaming experience. Then again, it is meant for a fun, portable gaming experience. It's also unclear how much storage the Vita has on board. What we do know is that it will cost you more money for bigger capacity Vita memory cards.

While the price is deceiving because of several hidden costs, gamers are getting an impressively complete package right out of the gate! While the Wi-Fi + 3G model is more expensive ( `24,990), the Wi-Fionly model comes at a cheaper price of `19,990.

APPS

of the

MONTH TRIP JOURNAL (PLATFORM: IPHONE AND ANDROID PHONES)

`149

Keep note of your journey in this fantastic travel app, which allows you to document your experiences in words and images. Never be late for your bus or flight with the app’s itinerary feature and have your trips geo-tagged, complete with visited destinations, photos, videos, comments and blog entries. Now your family and friends can keep track of your travels in real time, without you having to put in much effort!

LOOPY HD (PLATFORM: IPHONE) This music creation app is user friendly and extremely useful for musicians who are looking to create loops on the go. Loopy HD `149 offers a number of well-rendered loops, as well as features such as volume, pan, tempo, track merging and the ability to import MIDI files over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. You can also keep good time with the built-in metronome, record your performance, upload it on the Internet or transfer loops to your computer. Loop master Dub FX tested this app out and loved it!

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iMHO {

SO MANY FUN THINGS, SO LITTLE TIME! HERE'S THE SCOOP

I N

M Y

H O N ES T

O P I N I O N

THE THREE STOOGES

STARRING: Sean Hayes, Will Sasso, Chris Diamantopoulos, Jennifer Hudson Moe, Larry and Curly return to the big screen.

In the film, they inadvertently stumble upon a murder plot while trying to save their childhood orphanage. Eventually, they find themselves starring in a reality movies TV show. Expect a good deal of slapstick humour, as in previous films, except that this one is set in a modern-day environment. The film has a great cast too.

Fans of The Three Stooges are eagerly awaiting this film that has been in development for years.

AMERICAN REUNION

Movies / Music / Books

{

THE KONIAC NET- ONE LAST MONSOON

Few Indian bands take the path less trodden, let alone manage to emerge with a fantastically composed and well-produced album. One Last Monsoon is the product of one such band and is a soul treat for those who dig indie rock. The opener '(It’s alright) Farewell' takes the album up a beautiful path with its catchy guitars that linger in your mind. 'Divine Submersion' is one of those songs that can fill the deepest of voids; the well-panned vocals will send you to bliss. A music favourite has got to be 'Maggie (For Brad)', a guitar-driven track with tantalising hints of musical progression. The lyrics add an interesting element to the already heavily layered songs. The album is heavily influenced by Swervedriver, Matt Pond, Noel Gallagher and Stone Temple Pilots, but not without the injection of the band's own spontaneously generated, unforced sound. You will get a good deal of aural pleasure that is only notched up by the super-tight production.

STARRING: Jason Biggs, Alyson

Hannigan, Seann William Scott, Mena Suvari Jim, Stifler and friends return, after a little more than a decade, to East Great Falls to attend their highschool reunion. In what turns out to be a long-overdue weekend, the American Pie characters discover what has changed (Kevin and Vicky said goodbye; Oz and Heather grew apart), what hasn’t (Finch still longs for Stifler’s mother) and that time and distance can never break the bonds of friendship. These lifelong friends have come home as adults to reminisce about, and get inspired by, the hormonal teens they once were. Fans of the American Pie franchise are in for a treat with this one!

HOUSEFULL 2

Starring: Akshay Kumar,

Asin Thottumkal, John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez, Shazahn Padamsee The sequel to the 2010 movie of the same name, this film is highly awaited by Bollywood fans. With a killer star cast and music by Sajid-Wajid, you can expect this one to be a banger. Malaika Arora Khan is also said to feature in one item song. Apparently, Akshay Kumar’s character is supposed to be comically inspired by James Bond! The film was partly short in London and Peterborough.

ANOUSHKA SHANKAR- TRAVELLER

The adept sitar player has come out with an album rightly called Traveller. Just like most of her solo performances sans her maestro father, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Anoushka edges toward the experimental in this album.

Expect to groove to the effortless fusion of Indian classical and Spanish flamenco. With ace producer Javier Limon, the Flamenco elite and Shankar’s unmatched sitar work, this album is an exceptional one. It is apparent that the musicians involved in this album are fluent with their own style of music.

Whether it is the passion-fuelled singing, vibrant percussion or fantastic piano rolls backing up the sitar virtuoso, the album spells nothing but originality for those who are serious about their music and who like their music serious. The initial songs can be a bit of a drag, but once you’re past that, it’s only uphill from there!

FERRARI KI SAWAARI

Starring: Vidya Balan, Boman

Irani, Sharman Joshi

This sports-genre film stars Sharman Joshi. In this heartwarming tale of unconditional love between father and son, the pursuit of an Indian cricketing legend's Ferrari makes a young boy's dreams of playing cricket at Lords a reality. This movie comes out right in the midst of the much-awaited IPL matches.

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BEHIND THE BEAUTIFUL FOREVERS

9

`49

books

yi

READING LIST

Author: Katherine Boo Pulitzer-prize winning journalist Katherine Boo’s debut book is a riveting account of her time in Annawadi, a slum near the Mumbai airport. Her portrayal of characters is masterful; reaching past the poverty and deprivation of living between the city’s international airport and the Hyatt, Boo describes the residents’ ambitions and dreams in vivid, concise prose that escapes any sentimental pathos. From the fgarbage sorter Abdul’s aspirations to lift his family out of the slum by putting down an installment on a plot of land in Vashi; to sweet-tempered Manju’s worries about marriage as Annawadi’s only college-going girl; her mother Asha’s ambition to gain enough political power by whatever means possible to situate herself as the slumlord, the characters come across with the vivid brilliance of Boo’s understated insights. One of the best non-fiction books to be written about India in recent years, this is a must-read for all interested in development, social equality and urban life.

PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY by Oscar Wilde is a gripping horror about an ageless, handsome and charming Victorian man who has a painting that shows his true nature as a corrupt, old and lecherous monster.

THE MINE

Author: Arnab Ray In this book, Arnab Ray, popularly known by his blogger alias Greatbong, explores the horror genre with a cinematic, spine-chilling portrayal of events.

Ray explains, "It is a genuine dark psychological thriller and not the comedy horror which we generally see in the Hindi movies. The book is exploratory in many ways, where the monster is within the man." At a secret mine in Rajasthan, a hidden place of worship is discovered. Ray explores the horror from our daily lives, the horror that lies within, as five men confront the events of their past. The book is written like a screenplay, and will undoubtedly make a thrilling Bollywood film soon with its dramatic and crisp dialogues. Different threads of the story are opened that he ties together in a brilliant way. The day-to-day insecurities and paranoia that lie latent within all of us are exaggerated to such an extent that they return to haunt you. You are forced to ask yourself what your reaction would be in a similar situation. All in all, this is a thrilling book that you won't be able to put down till you have finished the last page.

THE DREAMERS

yi

PICKS

This film, set against the 1968 riots, follows a young, modest and conservative American studying in Paris who strikes up a friendship with a French brother and sister. The siblings, who are film buffs, take the young American on a sensory trip.

5

`19

REBECCA by Daphne Du Maurier is a sound warning for young ladies who fall into impetuous marriages with widowers. The ghost of Rebecca, haunts the narrator in her new home.

MOHABBATEIN

In a college atmosphere, where the expression of love is prohibited, three students follow their hearts and fall in love.

This movie is about rebelling against draconian authority and rising above it all.

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12-03-2012 12:34:23

_RESTAURANT REVIEW

Resto/Meter MUM’S KITCHEN, GOA

THE BEST NEW FOOD SPOTS IN T O W N ////////

`600 -1,00rs0on

per pe

This typically Goan restaurant serves food that really feels like ‘Mom’s Kitchen’, assured a local.

On the first afternoon I arrived, the place was heaving with foodies, and tables were spilling over with mouth-watering dishes. Latecomers patiently waited for a table in the small garden outside. After judiciously taking a reservation for the next day, we arrived early enough to beat the hungry tourists and locals to the tables.

The starter we had consisted of spicy mussels with peri peri sauce and coriander. The blend of spice and salty freshness of the mussels was a great combination, if a little hot for my liking. Then followed a main course: a sour Kingfish curry made in coconut milk with tamarind and served with thick Goan rice. This was accompanied with a delicately spiced sausage curry. Although the meat had quite a high percentage of fat, the sauce was still a treat with fresh ciabatta. Mum’s Kitchen has a homey feel thanks to its huge windows that look out onto a small, serene garden. This is the place to sake a craving for authentic Goan food.

JAMJOJI, MUMBAI

`650 0 -1er,0p0 erson p

In case you aren’t in the know, ‘Jamjoji’ means ‘Let’s go eat’ in Gujarati. And that is exactly what you’ll be doing at this Parsi diner tucked away in a Reclamation by-lane. The décor is sparse, with walls adorned with framed pictures of eminent Parsi personalities such as Persis Khambatta, Freddie Mercury and Sam Manechshaw. In true Parsi style, the restaurant also has the ‘Faravahar’ – a tray of sandalwood sticks – the symbol of the winged God. The dishes have been named after the owner’s friends and family; you’ll see a Piroza Aunty’s Chicken Sticks as well as a Zenobia Zorabian’s Lagan Nu Custard on the menu. For starters, the chicken sticks are a great pick; the boneless chicken marinated in spicy green chutney is absolutely delicious and served in a generous portion. We moved on to the spicy, but oily Akuri.

The Patra ni Macchi is a must for the main course. Even though I don’t eat fish, the person with me who did said the green coconut and coriander chutney on top was to die for. A surprise for the taste buds has got to be the mutton biryani, which incidentally does not appear on the menu! We ordered it at the suggestion of our server, which was a great idea! With our tummies filled with delicious fare, we could not leave without topping off the meal with the Lagan nu Custard. Little did we know that it would turn out to be overly sweet and lacking in the fluffiness characteristic of this Parsi treat.

84 Youth Incorporated ║ APRIL 2012

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In a

_CELEB TADKA

Jiffy

S

aransh Goilla was born and brought up in Delhi and holds a degree in food photography. He aspired to be an actor and pursued training at Barry John’s institute. Goilla is well versed in various international cuisines, but has limited knowledge about Indian cooking. The youngest professional chef in the country to have earned a celebrity status, it is little wonder that Goilla has Thomas Keller as his role model and inspiration. He loves to bake and make desserts and believes that challenge and innovation are the two pillars of his kitchen.

INGREDIENTS

KAJU AUR CHOCOLATE KE LADOO

1 cup cashew nuts ¾ cup sugar 2 tablespoons rose water 1 tablespoon water ¼ teaspoon cardamom (elaichi) powder ¼ cup melted ghee ¼ cup chocolate nibs

METHOD •• Dry roast the cashew nuts and allow them to cool for some time.

•• Once they cool, grind them in a mixer to make a coarse powder.

•• Heat a pan, add rose water, water and then sugar.

•• When it reaches a one string consistency and bubbles rise up, the syrup is ready.

•• Then add cardamom powder, cashew nut powder and ghee. Mix well in the sugar syrup.

•• Turn off the gas.

•• While the paste is warm, make small balls with your palms.

Grease your palms with a little ghee when necessary. Refrigerate to cool.

•• Coat them with chocolate nibs.

•• Wait no more, just dig into one and savour it right away!

ONE-STRING CONSISTENCY OF SUGAR SYRUP

F CNHOE TES

To determine the right consistency: Test the syrup between your thumb and forefinger when it starts bubbling. If a long, thing string forms, you have it spot on.

If the string forms and breaks away too quickly, continue to boil till you get the right consistency.

APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 85

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09-03-2012 13:34:30

_AFTER DARK

REHAB, MUMBAI

hangover  

OVER THE WEEKEND HANGOUTS LED lights in hues of pink, blue and purple light up the ceiling of Mumbai’s new lounge-cum-nightclub. Rehab can accommodate approximately 150 people at a time, leaving ample space for those who wish to lounge about to dine and enjoy their drinks, and for those who are really looking to shake a leg. The cocktails are well made, but are priced a bit on the steep side (`600 plus tax). Try out the mojito or the caipiroska, with their respective ingredients in perfect proportions. Munch on an appetiser or two to take your Rehab experience up a notch. The eggplant and mozzarella fritters are worth a try, complete with delicious citrus mayonnaise. The best thing about Rehab is that, even though it may come across as a nightclub (the weekends come alive with party animals!), it is also one of those places that allows you to enjoy a fine dining experience. Interestingly, each of the tables, standing apart from the dance area, has a carved wooden base that spells out a word such as ‘LOVE’, ‘LUST’, ‘SANE’ and ‘INSANE’. In keeping with the ‘rehab’ theme, the waiters sport t-shirts with images of nurses asking if you need a check-up! You won’t have to shell out an entry fee, but you are sure to exit with a much lighter wallet if you plan to enjoy a few good drinks. Most importantly, the music played here spans a good variety of hip hop, electronic and pop genres.

Linking Road, near National College, Khar West

-RAHUL DAVE

THE BLUE BAR, DELHI

Located at the Taj Palace Hotel, The Blue Bar is adjacent to the famous Vietnamese restaurant, The Blue Ginger. The Blue Bar, unlike its name, has nothing blue about it. The ambience of the place draws you and soaks you in its energy. The bar is very elegantly done up, with chic interiors and bright purple lighting. The place has both inside and outside seating areas. If you prefer to have your drink standing, you can enjoy it by the long bar while admiring the finest range of liquor, or you can enjoy sipping your drink on the comfortable couches. The inside section has a DJ console placed at the right height for playing house music. The outside has an alfresco seating area, providing a view of the lawn, and a pool for all those who just want to enjoy a conversation. One must try The Blue Bar’s signature cocktails, prepared by bartender Nicholas Hawkins, such as Leftfield which has Tanqueray gin and aged balsamic vinegar with elderflower cordial. If you are experimental enough, you should try Open Sesame, a combination of sesame seeds muddled with vanilla sugar, honey and fresh pineapple, shaken with Makers Mark bourbon. Nick also provides some unique flavors with his Cigar Infused Woodfords Reserve Manhattan.

If you want to hit the weekend with the right mood, try visiting The Blue Bar. Taj Palace Hotel, Sardar Patel Marg, Diplomatic Enclave

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-PRIYANKA DHAWAN

09-03-2012 13:35:58

AQUARIUS/JAN 21 - FEB 20 Your workplace may seem challenging and you may feel plagued by a desire to do too many things. Proper delegation of important tasks will yield better results. Planning something special for your partner will help in strengthening bonds. It may also be time to encourage people for their sense of purpose.

Don’t resist if new ideas mean new directions.

Lucky Numbers: 4, 7 Lucky colour: Pink Love Dates: 16th, 20th

PISCES/ FEB 19- MAR 20

AJAI RAI MADAN Astrologer, Numerologer & Aura reader

STAR

STRUCK

CANCER/ JUN 22 - JUL 22

It is likely to be an extremely busy time, as you could face some unexpected hurdles.

Pushing matters will only alienate colleagues.

Patience will ensure compliance. Be flexible when it comes to dealing with associates. A strong fixation is undesirable in a long haul.

Your sense of humour will ensure that you mingle well at social events.

Lucky Numbers: 2, 5 Lucky colour: Brown Love Dates: 10th, 30th

Your ability to handle abstract concepts will be heightened and lead to insights. Your vitality will draw people to you. Don’t make decisions if you are not convinced. Being patient and applying practical solutions will help you at work. Romantic relationships will be intense. Focus on enhancing your financial security by restructuring your investments.

Lucky numbers: 4, 6 Lucky colour: Blue Love Dates: 13th, 26th

ARIES/ MAR 21 - APR 20

LEO/ JUL 23 - AUG 23

A popular Bollywood vedic astrologer takes you through your starry forecast this month

SCORPIO/OCT 24 - NOV 22

This is a great time to enjoy life. There will be a welcome increase in finances and advances at work. Find ways to build a consensus with influential colleagues as this will help you to get your ideas the consideration they truly merit. You may plan a holiday to take a break from work and nurture close ties.

Lucky numbers: 1, 5 Lucky colour: Indigo Love Dates: 12th, 21st

Your efforts will be recognised by colleagues and this could open new avenues. Do not let unimportant matters take up most of your energy. Be discreet if you have doubts about a certain ticklish situation till you have more information. Astute networking and communication will help you establish relationships which will be beneficial.

Lucky numbers: 2, 5 Lucky colour: Black Love Dates: 17th, 27th

TAURUS/ APR 21 - MAY 21

VIRGO/AUG 24 - SEP 22

SAGITTARIUS/NOV 23 - DEC 23

This is a very good time for job-related events. You may find that someone close to you is supportive of your ideas. You may shine in your particular job or find that promotion or practical insights will come with ease. Don’t be satisfied easily and demand the best. You will be able to use your convincing power to get your message across.

Lucky numbers: 6, 9 Lucky colour: Yellow Love Dates: 14th, 20th

A little discontent and lethargy may cause reluctance to take decisions. Watch out as laziness, indolence and over-confidence will undo what you have achieved. Keep your channels of communication open. Spending quality time with your partner discussing issues that are on your mind could lead to great insights and pleasant conclusions.

Lucky numbers: 5, 9 Lucky colour: White Love Dates: 15th, 22nd

Focus on achieving set targets as this will open the doors to faster career growth.

A responsible attitude will enable you to anticipate and resolve domestic or romantic problems. Honing your people skills will also give you an edge over the competition. It may not surprise you that you are receiving many positive responses.

Lucky Numbers: 7, 9 Lucky colour: Green Love Dates: 18th, 23rd

GEMINI/MAY 22 - JUN 21

LIBRA/ SEP23 - OCT 23

You may find it difficult to accomplish certain items on your agenda. In-depth discussions will help smoothen relationships and foster better understanding. Practical decisions come easily when you find yourself working in problem-solving groups. Also, have faith in your own abilities.

Lucky numbers: 2, 7 Lucky colour: Red Love Dates: 11th, 24th

There is a collision of powerful energies spilling into your life in unpredictable ways.

Understand the needs of those near to you quickly enough to prevent things from going out of hand. This is also an excellent time to weigh the possibilities for advancement or a career change. Certain timely initiatives will bring recognition and success.

Lucky numbers: 3, 8 Lucky colour: Orange Love Dates: 19th, 28th

Reaching out will be your mood this month.

The forthcoming period indicates warmth, give-and-take, caring and sharing, and love.

A willingness to put your heart into other people’s problems and lending a willing ear will endear yourself to them. Trust your instinct, and avoid speculation as it could lead to disappointment.

Lucky numbers: 3, 7 Lucky colour: Crimson Love Dates: 16th, 25th

CAPRICORN/DEC 24 - JAN 20 Optimism sets the tone for the period ahead.

You will have new experiences and meet new people. Your life will also take on a new direction with new relationships and creative endeavors. Loved ones may be disappointed if you are unable to make time for important obligations, but will understand that you have to prioritise work. Work will be hectic.

Lucky Numbers: 1, 4 Lucky colour: Grey Love Dates: 14th, 28th APRIL 2012 ║ Youth Incorporated 87

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