The tough have to get going!!!

“When the going gets tough the tough get going”.This hackneyed term has never failed to boost my confidence. There are so many impasse that life poses in front of us but then it is only winners who rise to the occasion and take the challenge. The recent terrorist attack in the country is the best example of the same. The coming together of the entire Indian population to raise its voice against the mass carnage and terrorism shows the undeterred strength of the citizens. Adversities only make us try harder. As small kids whenever we fell down, we never hesitated to stand up again, brush our hands and knees and continue walking. But as we grow older we tend to become more conscious of our surroundings and the small kid in us is suppressed or stopped from standing up after it falls. So does intellect or what we call maturity actually makes us think so much about our failures and make us so conscious of the difficulties that we refuse to look at the light at the end of the tunnel? That is not how a winner leads his life. One who is a winner, always believes that no problem is incorrigible, no trouble or task can ever be bigger than the biggest manifestation of God, MAN. This, I am writing for all my students who are a little disappointed and upset about their performances in the entrance exams so far. With only two major exams left, namely XAT and MH-CET, one should make sure that the morale is higher than ever. It doesn't matter if CAT did not click, the little time that is left should be spent in learning from our mistakes and working harder on our weak areas, instead of taking stock of what has happened so far. Moreover it is going to be the first exam of the new year so all of us can look at it afresh and with a new vigor. All the aspirants should remember that “You can be depressed if you don't succeed but you are doomed if you don't try”. So here's wishing all of you all the success in life.Happy New Year everyone

GD/PI Concept

The first things first — why
B-schools conduct GD/PI when students have already gone through an acid test. Isn’t clearing MBA entrance test enough to show that you are worth it? The simple answer is NO, because B-schools are simply not looking for walking dictionaries or logarithm books. They want candidates who can be trained and polished to be managers. The entrance test is just one stage where they see whether you have basic acumen to understand the course that will be taught during the MBA programme. In that too some parts of personality like ability to take decisions, ability to perform under pressure and analytical and logical thinking are assessed. But in order to get a complete idea of a candidate’s personality, B-schools go through this long process of assessing candidate’s personality.
There can be various ways of assessing an individual’s personality but group discussions and personal interviews are accepted tools to select a student because in a limited time they can give a fair idea to B-schools whether a candidate can become a manager or not. Students may argue that if this is the case, then knowing what B-schools are looking for and presenting yourself accordingly can actually help. Knowing what B-schools are looking for can actually help but not in preparing you for a superficial mask but to help you assess whether you have those traits which B-schools are looking for.
This brings us to other question: are managerial traits natural or can they be acquired? If they are natural, what is the need to do MBA? An MBA course teaches students how to achieve larger goals and it polishes those personality traits. But there are some basic traits that a candidate should have to go through the MBA process and to know that institutes conduct GD/PI.
Group discussion
A group discussion is generally a 20-to-30 minute process whose larger objective is to select those candidates who have the ability to perform in a team. Apart from this, the kind of topic given also helps panelists to know various traits of a candidate’s personality. In most of the GDs you are made to sit in a semi-circle and discuss a given topic. The topic can be as general as ‘Women make better managers’ or as specific as ‘India-US nuclear deal.’ What matters in group discussion is your stand on the topic, your ability to analyse the given topic, your awareness about the topic, and the way you present the topic. One person from the group is asked to introduce the topic, what follows is the discussion and the conclusion. The focus here is more on leadership and decision making, because in a GD you may or may not reach a consensus because the issues given to you are debatable. The end result of GD will not always be to reach a consensus but to assess your people’s skill.
Who wins?
Those who have:
Good listening skills: Listening doesn’t mean hearing. It means listening and understanding what the other person is saying. If you have good listening skills, you will be able to keep a track of where group discussion is moving. You will know different points that have already been raised and you have to bring in some new point.

Knowledge of the topic: Some years back content was the most important aspect of GD. Although content still holds its importance but in addition to that you are also weighed on how analytical and aware are you about your surroundings. Earlier it was just about discussing pros and cons of an issue but now knowledge gathered from various sources, analysed and presented in a structured form holds the key to success in GD. Reading newspapers, magazines, and going through Economic Survey would help in enriching the content of GD.
Confidence: You have all the knowledge and good listening and analytical skills, but you do not have confidence to assert what you are saying is right, may prove a negative point. In GD panelists do not know you personally; they would only be able to judge you from what you speak.
Introduction: Introducing the topic can make or break the situation. May be you do not speak for the next 10 minutes, but if you give a good introduction you are in. When the GD begins, everybody is speaking and you might not even be listened. But when you are asked to introduce the topic, you can take the situation forward. Explain the topic, don’t read what is written. Give brief introduction to the topic and what you think of it. People think that taking a stand in GD might to go against them. But there is difference in being assertive and in being rigid. You are expected to give your point of view.
Who lose?
Those who speak a lot: Of course not speaking in GD will not take you anywhere but speaking too much can also make you lose the GD. You have all the points and you can speak a lot on GD. But it is not a one-man show. It is a group discussion. If you try to grab the attention of the panelists, cut other person short, it shows that you are not a team worker. Also speaking a lot on the topic and just repeating one point will not be appreciated. You do not speak in the entire GD, but give valid points twice that can add value to the discussion, will be appreciated.
Those who become emotional: There are topics that involve some sensitive issues. You have all the valid points to support that women make better managers, but bringing in the element of argument and accusing other persons in the group will only help you in getting rejected.
Those who over-dominate: You are taking and managing the group discussion well, listening to the arguments, giving your point of view and letting everyone speak, everything is in your favour and suddenly you decide to be a godfather of somebody who has not spoken at all and who doesn’t have one single argument to present. Cutting short somebody who is making a valid point and asking the silent one to speak, can actually cut your points.
Personal interview
Your academic skills were checked in the entrance test, your people’s skills were checked in GD, now comes the turn of gauging you on your own standards. The B-schools want to know how much you are aware of yourself and how much you relate your goals to your personal self. Students spend most of the time in going through course books whereas 90 per cent of the interview questions are based on you. What could be better than answering questions on yourself? But answering questions on yourself can catch you in a tight spot. There can be some rules set when it comes to GD because there are certain expected etiquettes, but there can be no rules set for the interview because everyone has sui generis personality. The best way to tackle interview is to sit and know you in and out. Think why you want to pursue MBA. Think and make a list of your strengths and weaknesses. Not only will it help you analyse your personality, will also help you prepare many other questions for the interview. The most commonly asked questions are:
Why do you want to do MBA?
What are your personal goals?
Where do you see yourself 10 years down the line?
What are your hobbies?
What are your strengths and weakness?
Tell us about yourself.
Who win?
Those with:
Self awareness- You should be able to delve on each and every aspect of your personality, family background, the city you come from and the institutes you have studied in. If you are aware of your strengths and weaknesses you will be able to justify them, for example the panelists may ask you about your poor academic record. As long as you know why you under-perform you can prove that.
Goal clarity- You should know where the MBA programme fits in and how it will help you achieve your long-term goals. There might be different reasons for doing MBA for different people and even for one person there can be more than one objective to do MBA, but you should analyse it beforehand rather than doing it in front of the panel.
Ability to maintain calm- The real you comes up when you are under pressure situation. The panelist will try to grill you on your weakness or on the answers you are giving. They want to put you under pressure and see whether you lose your calm once put under pressure. Students at this situation become nervous and it starts showing on their faces.
Who lose?
Those who:
Give tutored answers- You have your own strengths and weaknesses. But while attending the mock interviews you were told how some students gave impressive answers and got selected. If you would try to give the same answers, you might be caught.
Lie to the panelists: They are very experienced people and can catch you if you try to bluff them on your academic record or on a fact-based question or when you try to answer the question even if you don’t know the answer.
Think that battle is over- The interview is not over till the last question is asked. The moment a candidate says, “I am sorry Sir, I don’t know the answer,” he starts coming under the pressure. There is no harm in accepting that you do not know what the population of China is. They might try to put you under pressure by asking you the population of Africa, once again you say sorry and the pressure starts mounting. The next question is of your interest, which book did you read last? You know the answer but since you have already come under pressure you might not be able to answer this question properly because you are nervous. A chain of events that might ultimately lead to getting rejected.

CALENDAR.

Dear student

Go through these the 10 bullet points to solve questions on calender.

1. 1st January 0001 was a Monday.

2. Calendar repeats after every 400 years.

3. Leap year- it is always divisible by 4, but century years are not leap years unless they are divisible by 400.

4. Odd days- remainder obtained when no. of days is divided by 7. Normal year has 1 odd day and leap year has 2 odd days.

5. Calendar moves ahead by number of odd days.

6. While checking leap year just analyze whether February falls in that period or not.

7. Century has 5 odd days and leap century has 6 odd days.

8. Take out net odd days.( add all the odd days and again divide by 7)

9. In a normal year 1st January and 2nd July and 1st October fall on the same day. In a leap year 1st January 1st July and 30th September fall on the same day.

10. 1st January 1901 was Tuesday.

We calculate odd days on the basis of the previous month.

Example – what day is it on 29th August 1982?

Method- As we know 1/1/1901 was a Tuesday now we take 1982 and 1901 - 1982-1901=81 years. - 81/4=20…. ( disregard decimal) - 81+20=101 - 101/7- remainder is 3, so 3 days from Tuesday is Friday. -Now check whether it is a leap year or not. In this case it is not a leap year. Therefore 2nd July will be Friday - Now we have to go month wise . 2nd august = 3odd days= so from Friday 3 odd days will be Monday so 29th August will be a Sunday.

Confronted with a new face of terror

What basically is terrorism, I sometimes wonder? The dictionary defines terrorism as “the use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce esp. for political purposes”. When I picked up the Thursday newspaper with my hot cup of chai (I always do that), I was in for a rude shock. The first page of The Times of India was splayed with pictures of the new face of terror ... “the terror attacks in Mumbai.”

Honestly speaking early in the morning when you are confronted with those visuals you can really think of nothing. Same thing has been happening since the beginning of this year. Lives lost, life scarred. Then after many days of lamenting and sadness, life moves on, not only for the people who aren’t affected but also for the people whose lives get permanently altered. What’s the point of such cowardice? Why do the terrorists always make the innocent people suffer? Is it just to prove a point? When will this amphigoric way of making innocent victims suffer stop? The common man on the roads taking the morning train or bus just to reach their work place on time is always apprehensive of whether he is going to return home or not. Be it Delhi, Hyderabad, Guwahati or Mumbai…Everyday this man wakes up takes the step towards his mundane life, doing what he does always and there comes a catastrophe like MUMBAI TERROR ATTCKS..

10 desperadoes completely jeopardized the lives of not only the common man but this time the who’s who of the high society were also sucked into the whirlpool of horror. 59 hours of blood shed and a small flicker of optimism coupled together with endless wait (at least that’s what it seemed.) people martyred, people victimized. The last few days were a combination of a huge drama of terrorism. Who could have thought that a stay or even being associated with TAJ could mutate their lives forever? The FATEFUL Wednesday and the following macabre tale of war that was waged between our heroes (ATS, Mumbai Cops, the army and the NSG) and the terrorists came to end on Saturday finally. We all mourn; we are covered with a shroud of fear. The question of ‘will I be the next one?’ always comes to one’s mind.

When will this end? When can we walk the streets again, having not to worry about death? I guess that would be an utopist world.

Just wanted to share my thoughts with you guys...about the MUMBAI MASSACRE..

Prime Numbers:

A prime numbers is a number greater than one whose factors are only one and itself. In other words, 4 is not prime, because its factors are 1, 2 and 4 (1x4, 2x2). But 5 is prime, because the only way you can get a product of 5 is by multiplying 1 and 5 (1x5). Composite numbers are those who has more than two factors. The number 1 is not prime OR composite because it has only one factor.
Here are all the prime numbers up to 500:
2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19, 23, 29, 31, 37, 41, 43, 47, 53, 59, 61, 67, 71, 73, 79, 83, 89, 97, 101, 103, 107, 109, 113, 127, 131, 137, 139, 149, 151, 157, 163, 167, 173, 179, 181, 191, 193, 197, 199, 211, 223, 227, 229, 233, 239, 241, 251, 257, 263, 269, 271, 277, 281, 283, 293, 307, 311, 313, 317, 331, 337, 347, 349, 353, 359, 367, 373, 379, 383, 389, 397, 401, 409, 419, 421, 431, 433, 439, 443, 449, 457, 461, 463, 467, 479, 487, 491, 499, ...
How to find big Prime Numbers:
Following is a somewhat celebrated result of Euler:
The function f(x) = x^2 + x + 41 is always prime for x = 0, 1 ,..., 39.
This quadratic was the record holder for centuries as a consecutive,
Distinct quadratic prime-producer for an initial range of input
Values. It is not, however, the new function is there that can give more range of prime numbers than Euler’s:
The Function:
f(x) = 36x^2 - 810x + 2753
Which is always prime for x = 0, 1, ... , 44.

ATMA 2009

Association of Indian Management Schools (AIMS)ATMA-2009 (AIMS Test for Management Admissions)
ATMA-2009 on Sunday, February 08, 2009 (2 p.m. to 5 p.m.) at 31 Centres
Issue of application kits starts from: November 22, 2008Last date for receipt of completed application forms: January 20, 2009
Eligibility: Bachelor's degree in any discipline. Students appearing for their final year examinations in 2008 are also eligible to apply.Price of ATMA kit Rs.850/- by cash, by post Rs.910/- in demand draft favouring "Association of Indian Management Schools" payable at Hyderabad. (Indicate offline or online application form, name, address, Tel/Mobile no. on the reverse of the DD).How to apply: Online: Students can apply online for the test. Online application kits are available at the following sales centers across the country. (i) Office of ATMA, Hyderabad (ii) AIMS member Institutes(10) (iii) Axis Bank (25) (iv) Cerebral Heights (5) (v) Career Launcher (123) (vi) Career Forum (13) (vii) IMS Learning Centres (55) (viii) PT-Education (50). The telephone numbers and addresses are available inthe ATMA website www.atma-aims.org.Offline: For students who cannot apply online. Offline applications are available. Exclusively at Office of ATMA, Association of Indian Management Schools H.No. 8-3-677/57 A, Plot No.57, Sri Krishnadevaraya Nagar, Street No.6, Yellareddiguda, Hyderabad-500073Tel: 040-23750247, E-mail: atma.secretariat@gmail.com Website: www.atma-aims.org
For details see Hindustan Times (HR Horizons) New Delhi - November 19, 2008 pg.3

We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly!

I asked for Strength......... And God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom......... And God gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity......... And God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage......... And God gave me Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love......... And God gave me Troubled people to help.

I asked for Favors......... And God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted ........ I received everything I needed!

So don’t worry even if you mess up with your CAT paper, God is just making you strong to Fly......

Here is overview of CAT and Expected cut offs for different Institutes:

CAT is finally OUT!

With limited access to CAT-related news in my hand, I thought the best way to help anyone interested in knowing about today's CAT test is to divert you to our mothership. Logon to www.careerlauncher.com for all the action.

All the best with the post-mortem :-)

Keep your cool!

I believe the most important virtue of the people who clear CAT is their ability to have a cool head. CAT is all about your ability to handle change and pressure.

I remember my high-pressure D-Day in 1996, when I was appearing for CAT. In the chilling December cold in Lucknow, when the temperatures go down to 5-8 deg C, it was an instant "hot" shock when we looked at the test paper. We were ready for a 4-section test with an open 2-hour period. Suddenly, we were told that we were supposed to do only English sections (Verbal and RC) in the first one hour, and then Quant+DI in the latter half. I, for one, was decided on spending only about 45 mins in English.

The change in CAT pattern inevitably results in lower cutoffs in the affected sections or the overall one. So I was pretty confident that I was not the only one who was in shock. The key was to get over the shock and come out a winner. So I did extremely well in the English with 15 mins extra. And since I expected the Math + DI cutoffs to be slightly lower, I did the right selection of questions, and maximized my scores there as well. I guess some people who were otherwise sharper than me, couldn't cope well with the pressure and got behind me. How else could I explain my IIM Seat when others, who were consistently better than me, couldn't!

I can relate to the situation better with a really motivating advertisement from Accenture. The inimitable Tiger Woods is shown trying to hit a ball stuck in deep pit with all his usual concentration. Many other players would have lost half of the game in this situation, but Tiger Woods' name is synonymous with Winning! The tag line puts it appropriately for the champion..."Conditions Change, Results Shouldn't".

So, while we start the countdown to CAT, don't forget that There Is But One Seat Reserved For You at the IIMs. You only have to make sure YOU get in it, NO MATTER WHAT!

Be A Winner!

Quantitative Ability – POINTS TO REMEMBER(Algebra)

Quantitative Ability – POINTS TO REMEMBER

1.If an equation (i.e. f(x) = 0) contains all positive co-efficients of any powers of x, it has no positive roots.
Eg: x^3+3x^2+2x+6=0 has no positive roots

2.For an equation, if all the even powers of x have same sign coefficients and all the odd powers of x have the opposite sign coefficients, then it has no negative roots.

3.For an equation f(x)=0 , the maximum number of positive roots it can have is the number of sign changes in f(x) ; and the maximum number of negative roots it can have is the number of sign changes in f(-x)

4.Complex roots occur in pairs, hence if one of the roots of an equation is 2+3i, another has to be
2-3i and if there are three possible roots of the equation, we can conclude that the last root is real. This real root could be found out by finding the sum of the roots of the equation and subtracting (2+3i)+(2-3i)=4 from that sum.

5.For a cubic equation ax^3+bx^2+cx+d=o
Sum of the roots = - b/a
Sum of the product of the roots taken two at a time = c/a
Product of the roots = -d/a

6.For a bi-quadratic equation ax^4+bx^3+cx^2+dx+e = 0
Sum of the roots = - b/a
Sum of the product of the roots taken two at a time = c/a
Sum of the product of the roots taken three at a time = -d/a
Product of the roots = e/a

7.If an equation f(x)= 0 has only odd powers of x and all these have the same sign coefficients or if f(x) = 0 has only odd powers of x and all these have the same sign coefficients, then the equation has no real roots in each case (except for x=0 in the second case)

8.Consider the two equations
a1x+b1y=c1
a2x+b2y=c2
Then,
If a1/a2 = b1/b2 = c1/c2, then we have infinite solutions for these equations.
If a1/a2 = b1/b2 <> c1/c2, then we have no solution.
If a1/a2 <> b1/b2, then we have a unique solution.

9.a + b = a + b if a*b>=0
else, a + b >= a + b

10.The equation ax^2+bx+c=0 will have max. value when a<0>0. The max. or min. value is given by (4ac-b^2)/4a and will occur at x = -b/2a

11.If for two numbers x + y=k (a constant), then their PRODUCT is MAXIMUM if x=y (=k/2). The maximum product is then (k2)/4.

12. If for two numbers x*y=k (a constant), then their SUM is MINIMUM if x=y (=root(k)). The minimum sum is then 2*root (k).

13.Product of any two numbers = Product of their HCF and LCM. Hence product of two numbers = LCM of the numbers if they are prime to each other.

14. For any 2 numbers a, b where a>b
a>AM>GM>HM>b (where AM, GM ,HM stand for arithmetic, geometric , harmonic means respectively)
(GM)^2 = AM * HM

15.For three positive numbers a, b, c
(a + b + c) * (1/a + 1/b + 1/c)>=9

16.For any positive integer n
2<= (1 + 1/n)^n <=3

17. a^2 + b^2 + c^2 >= ab + bc + ca
If a=b=c, then the case of equality holds good.

18.a^4 + b^4 + c^4 + d^4 >= 4abcd (Equality arises when a=b=c=d=1)

19.(n!)^2 > n^n

20.If a + b + c + d=constant, then the product a^p * b^q * c^r * d^s will be maximum if a/p = b/q = c/r = d/s

21.x^n -a^n = (x-a)(x^(n-1) + x^(n-2) + .......+ a^(n-1) ) ......Very useful for finding multiples. For example (17-14=3 will be a multiple of 17^3 - 14^3)

22.e^x = 1 + (x)/1! + (x^2)/2! + (x^3)/3! + ........to infinity
Note: 2 < e < 3

23.log(1+x) = x - (x^2)/2 + (x^3)/3 - (x^4)/4 .........to infinity [Note the alternating sign . .Also note that the logarithm is with respect to base e]

24.(m + n)! is divisible by m! * n!

25.When a three digit number is reversed and the difference of these two numbers is taken, the middle number is always 9 and the sum of the other two numbers is always 9.

26.Any function of the type y=f(x)=(ax-b)/(bx-a) is always of the form x=f(y)

The sum of first n natural numbers = n(n+1)/2

The sum of squares of first n natural numbers is n(n+1)(2n+1)/6

The sum of cubes of first n natural numbers is (n(n+1)/2)2/4

The sum of first n even numbers= n (n+1)

The sum of first n odd numbers= n^2

Test on numbers(10Q)

DIRECTIONS for Questions 1 and 2: Answer the questions on the basis of the information given below.
N is a natural number such that 300 < N < 750. P is the sum of the number N and the number formed by reversing the digits of N, even if upon reversing, it becomes a two-digit or a single-digit number. P is also equal to ‘K’ times the sum of the digits of the number N.

1. Find the minimum possible value of ‘K’.
1. 28.5 2. 32.75 3. 37.5 4. 40.25 5. 43.5

2. If ‘K’ = (96*4)/17, then find the remainder when N is divided by the sum of its digits.

1. 9 2. 12 3. 11 4. 5 5. 6

3. What is the product of all factors of the number N = 6^4 * 10^2 which are divisible by 5?
2^210 * 3^102 * 5^140
2^210 * 3^140 * 5^105
2^140 * 3^210 * 5^102
2^140 * 3^102 * 5^210
2^102 * 3^210 * 5^140

4 .If the product of four positive integers is 10! Then what is the smallest possible value their sum can have?

1. 180 2. 181 3. 175 4. 176 5 . 174

5. 3^36 – 1 = 1A009463A296999120, where A is a single digit whole number, then the value of A is

1. 1 2. 2 3. 8 4. 5 5. 6

6. Out of the 200 even natural numbers. How many even numbers exit having even number of factors?

1. 90 2. 10 3. 190 4. None of these

7. Let d1,d2….dk be all the factors of a positive integer n in ascending order including 1 and n. Supposed d1+d2+d1……..+dk = 72
Then the value of 1/d1 + 1/d2 + 1/d3……….+1/dk is

1. N^2/ 72 2. N/72 3. 72/n 4.d36/ n

8. N = 2^15* 3^7* 5^10 . How many factors of N are multiples of 360 but not multiples of 10800?

1. 402 2. 240 3. 204 4. 420


9. A = 626!-625! How many consecutive zeros would be there at the end of A?

1. 156 2. 160 3. 1 4. None of these

10. A = 4^86 – 2^171. How many digits would be there in binary notation of A?

1. 171 2. 172 3. 87 4. 88

EXISTENTIALISM SIMPLIFIED!

Well the mercury is rising everyone...CAT is just a month away!Lately I have been thinking that although we talk a lot about the reasoning and verbal section of CAT, we focus hardly on the most ubiquitous section in CAT English i.e.Reading Comprehension.We know different terms like eclectic reading ,nuances of reading,mind mapping et al but truly speaking hardly a few must have seriously done any of these.I call RC your best buddy in CAT because you can rely on it even if you have not put in a lot of effort. Over the years,CAT has had comprehensions from various realms like philosophy,history,religion,psychology etc.The passages based on philosophy are the eyesore of everybody as the pressure of the CAT environment doesn't let anybody concentrate and get to the crux of the matter.My suggestion would be to skip such passages but you should have a little insight on them , in case you have no better option.

Today one of my students asked me about EXISTENTIALISM.Though I had a preliminary idea about it and knew about Sartre,Kierkegaard and Nietzsche et al but then I wanted to simplify the entire concept....so Google came to my rescue.I read a few things which I wanted to share with all of you.Existentialistic ideas came out of a time in society when there was a deep sense of despair following the Great Depression and World War II. There was a spirit of optimism in society that was destroyed by World War I and its mid-century calamities. This despair has been articulated by existentialist philosophers well into the 1970s and continues on to this day as a popular way of thinking and reasoning.

Existentialism in the broader sense is a 20th century philosophy that is centered upon the analysis of existence and of the way humans find themselves existing in the world. The notion is that humans exist first and then each individual spends a lifetime changing their essence or nature. In simpler words, existentialism is a philosophy concerned with finding self and the meaning of life through free will, choice, and personal responsibility. The belief is that people are searching to find out who and what they are throughout life as they make choices based on their experiences, beliefs, and outlook. And personal choices become unique without the necessity of an objective form of truth. An existentialist believes that a person should be forced to choose and be responsible without the help of laws, ethnic rules, or traditions. Existentialism stresses that a person's judgment is the determining factor for what is to be believed rather than by arbitrary religious or secular world values.

An existentialist could either be a religious moralist, agnostic relativist, or an amoral atheist. Kierkegaard, a religious philosopher, Nietzsche, an anti-Christian, Sartre, an atheist, and Camus an atheist, are credited for their works and writings about existentialism. Jean-paul Sartre is noted for bringing the most international attention to existentialism in the 20th century. Each basically agrees that human life is in no way complete and fully satisfying because of suffering and losses that occur when considering the lack of perfection, power, and control one has over their life. Perhaps the most prominent theme in existentialist writing is that of choice. Humanity's primary distinction, in the view of most existentialists, is the freedom to choose. Existentialists have held that human beings do not have a fixed nature, or essence, as other animals and plants do; each human being makes choices that create his or her own nature. According to Sartre,choice is central to human existence, and it is inescapable; even the refusal to choose is a choice. Freedom of choice entails commitment and responsibility. Because individuals are free to choose their own path, existentialists have argued, they must accept the risk and responsibility of following their commitment wherever it leads.

Kierkegaard held that it is spiritually crucial to recognize that one experiences not only a fear of specific objects but also a feeling of general apprehension, which he called dread. He interpreted it as God's way of calling each individual to make a commitment to a personally valid way of life. The word anxiety (Angst) has a similarly crucial role in the work of Martin Heidegger; anxiety leads to the individual's confrontation with nothingness and with the impossibility of finding ultimate justification for the choices he or she must make. In the philosophy of Sartre, the word nausea is used for the individual's recognition of the pure contingency of the universe, and the word anguish is used for the recognition of the total freedom of choice that confronts the individual at every moment.

Existentialism is a vast and profound subject but I have tried to highlight the main points and the pillars of the philosophy. It is a very interesting area if you get into the details , nevertheless if you get a comprehension based on it,I am sure you will be able to sail through atleast a couple of questions.

Another topic of interest is the Civil Wars...so my next post shall carry some gyan on that.In the meantime all of you are free to ask about any other topic.Till then Happy Reading!!!

Difficult AR

Answer the questions on the basis of the information given below:
Atul and his four friends share a single room in a hostel. They have always been encouraged by their class teacher to develop their own interests. As a result, they boys started playing different games, studying different forms of literature and collecting different things. It is known that one of them plays cricket, one study poems and one collects coins. Following additional information is also available.

The boy who is studying stories collects Stamps.
The boy who plays football studies dramas.
Sachin collects buttons.
Mohit, who plays hockey, doesn’t study novels.
The boy who collects leaves plays tennis.
Raghu studies Autobiographies of the great leaders.
One Sunday, Deepak and the boy who collects pebbles went shopping together, the one who plays tennis went to practice, and the one who studies-novels remained in the hostel with the fellow student who plays Chess.

1. Who among the following plays Football?
a. Sachin b. Atul c. Deepak d. Raghu e. None of these

2. What does Deepak collect?
a. Leaves b. Stamps c. Pebbles d. Coins e. None of these

3. Which of the following statements is definitely true?
a. Raghu collects pebbles.
b. The boy, who collects coins, does not study dramas.
c. Atul plays cricket and studies poems.
d. The person who plays cricket studies novels.
e. Atul plays tennis.

4. Who among the following studies poems?

a. Atul b. Mohit c. Deepak d. Sachin e. Raghu

Some interesting Math facts...

1. If you join together the feet of the altitudes of a triangle, they make another triangle called the pedal triangle, and the orthocentre is the incentre of this pedal triangle.

2. The orthocentre, circumcentre and centroid are collinear (Euler’s line) and the centroid is two thirds the distance from the orthocenter to the circumcenter. The incenter is not on the Euler line except when the triangle is isosceles. When the triangle is isosceles, the Euler Line also passes through one of the vertices!

3. Take a triangle with vertices at A, B and C, and let H be its orthocenter. The orthocenter for any of the triangles formed from three of these four points is the fourth point. (4 points which satisfy this condition are called an orthocentric set.)

4. The distance from the orthocenter to a vertex is twice the distance from the circumcenter to the opposite side of the vertex.

One great math site that I love to visit frequently is www.mathforum.org and it is rich with all the knowledge that you will ever need!

Out-of-the-box methods for a few Mock-7 questions

Q=51- If you look at the answer options, you will understand the way in which the calculations were done to arrive at the answer. Basically, the two arc areas have been subtracted from something. They will add up to a semicircle with radius 5. Thus the amount to be subtracted is 1/2(pi*r^2) i.e. 12.5*pi. So, only options (1) and (5) can be correct. Now, if you just approximate the upper half of the figure as a rectangle of 10*6=60, and lower half as 10*5=50. you know that your first part must be about 110. The first option evaluates to approx. 95-12.5*pi, whereas the fifth option is only 60-12.5*pi. Hence correct ans is (1).

Q-53-In this question we have to find the perimeter, so I can say perimeter of trapezium ABDE is ab+bd+de+ae out of which we know the length of de=4, ae=8 so ae+de=12 and it is given that db=bc so I can say ae+de+ab+bc which implies 12+ac. Can I say that only the ans option 5 is written in the same form (integral part must be at least 12)?

Q-62-In this question the position of a circle is not defined so surely two cases are possible that means the option should contain combination which is not given in any option that means the ans has to be "cannot be determined".

Q-72 In this question polynomial is of the form (x-1)(x-2)(x-3)......................(x-51)+x, then only you will get the given remainders. When you put x=52, you will get f(52)=51!+52 and f(0)=-51! therefore the value of f(52)+f(0)=51!+52-51!=52.

So all you CAT aspirants, according to me the quant section was manageble and not difficult and the only thing you need to focus on is to be smarter than intelligent. While analyzing, the ideology is to identify where you went wrong and, yes-the important thing is if you got the right answer. Still look at the key and check what method they have used. It will definitely give you a new dimension to approach the question.

Cool Tech Ways to Understand Maths!

This one is for those of us who are a little perplexed with Maths Concepts. I believe that a lot of us belong to a breed of learners called "Visual Learners". You need to "see" something to understand, and an equation is surely not the most visually appealing thing!

So, I keep hitting some of the cool things on the web that help understand maths by hands-on approach. Try these out, and do let me know if it helped your understanding of the concept:

1. Centres of a Triangle: To understand how the centroid, orthocentre, incentre and circumcentre behave in different types of triangles, visit http://www.mathopenref.com/trianglecircumcenter.html.

2. Graphs: To get a hands-on feel of a cubic and quadratic function, visit http://www.mathopenref.com/cubicexplorer.html

3. To understand relationships between a central and inscribed angle in a circle, visit http://members.shaw.ca/ron.blond/Circle.Geom1.APPLET/index.html

There are a lot more interesting things on the web to be used for education and learning. I have found a useful way of accumulating all that information using delicious. If you don't yet know about delicious, google it out and start using it. You can view all my bookmarks that might be of use to you too.

IDIOMS-MORE IS LESS

I saw a very interesting question type in our MOCK-7 that dealt with the correct usage of Idioms.Well Idioms have always been the underdog in CAT preparation and have never been in focus per se but we should have a little insight on them especially since they do have considerable significance in SNAP and MH-CET.So here is a list of some uncommon idioms with meaning and usage that shall save you in case CAT catches you off guard.
Have an old head on young shoulders(To be wise beyond ones age)-Your brother has taken good care of the business after you fathers demise,he seems to have an old head on young shoulders.
Rest on ones oars(To stop working and rest for a while)-Having worked in the Food industry for several years,this old man is now resting on his oars.
To be in the wars(Hurt oneself)-My mother was shocked to see my condition,it was difficult to hide the fact that I had been in the wars.
By long odds(undisputably)-Pink Floyd is by long odds the greatest composers of all times.
To bid fair(seem likely)-He bids fair to rival his father as a director.
Within an ace of(almost on the verge of)-Rahul was within an ace of defeat at the carnival last year
Set ones face against(Oppose strictly)-As a primary school teacher, she set her face against the setting up of a shopping complex on the land alloted to the school.
Play fast and loose(say one thing and do another)-In todays time it is difficult to gauge who is playing fast and loose.
Take exception(object to)-Radha always takes exception to my opinions.
Into the bargain(in addition to,besides)-Nikhil spent a lot of time and energy for the GMAT preparation and invested a lot of money into the bargain.
Take heart(Cheer up)-Although he was disappointed with his results,he took heart and tried again.
Take to heart(Get deeply affected by)-He took to heart his wifes demise.
Gall and wormwood(hateful)-The ban on wearing scarves while riding bikes is gall and wormwood to the public.
Take to ones heels(Run off)-The thief took to his heels on seeing a policeman.
At sea(at a loss what to do or how to act,confused)-I am quite at sea with the job offers that i have received so far.
At Discretion(unconditionally)-The naxalites surrendered at discretion.
To the letter(exactly according to insructions to the details)-The boss preferred his instructions to be carried out to the letter.
Have many irons in the fire(engaged in too many enterprises at the same time)-The young lad may fall in trouble for he has too many irons in the fire.
At the first blush(at first sight)-The movie seemed worthless at the first blush.
Die in harness(Continue to the last in his/her business or profession)-My father constantly prayed to to die in harness.
A thorn in ones side(a source of annoyance)-His drunkard brother is a thorn in his side.
In Black and White(in writing)-I want the entire discussion to be in black and white to avoid any controversies in the future.
The long and short of it(the crux of the matter)-The long and short of it is that no one can sane you from failure if you dont work hard.
In the running(stand a good chance;have good prospects)-This year there are many students who are in the running for a 99 percentile in CAT.
Keep ones own counsel(To be reticent about ones opinions)-It is not always good to keep ones own counsel.
Stand to reason(a quite clear and undoubted fact)-It stands to reason that one who works hard shall definitely get good results.

So this is it from my side for now.Will keep you posted on some more unusual and unheard of idioms in my future blogs!

TSD

A car X starts from a town A and goes towards point C. At the same time, car Y starts from a town B(lying between A and C) and goes towards town C. X catches up with Y at a town M between B and C. A car Z starts from town A when the cars X and Y meet. The cars X and Z meet at a point N where CN=AB. The cars Y and Z meet at a point O where MO= 20 miles. Then the length of AB( given AC = 140 miles and BM = 20 miles) is

(a) 20 miles (b) 60 miles (c) 30 miles (d) 40 miles

Purpose of DI questions in CAT

Ask an MBA aspirant about the types of questions the Data Interpretation (DI) section of CAT contains and most will answer correctly that it contains graphs and tables. Ask them a follow-up to this question, viz. “What kinds of skills are tested by this section?” Most students will now flounder. Some will say that it tests your ability to read graphs, while others will opine that it evaluates your capability to make quick calculations. Their answers often lack an incisive understanding of the real purpose of this section.

Likewise, ask students how good they are in the DI section. Most will reply that it is an easy section (compared to the dreaded Problem Solving section or the Verbal Ability and Reading Comprehension for some) but it takes time to do calculations. This kind of answer indicates the faulty approach most students often take while dealing with this section.

Listening to feedback from students about their performance in this section soon after CAT, projects a new dimension. Most students will claim that they have done fairly well while the reality may be otherwise. They get a shock when they come to know about the actual answers and blame their bad luck for their appalling performance.

Such questions and answers give a clear indication that most students have not, unfortunately, understood the purpose of this section and the approaches to develop proficiency in this section. Without such an understanding, attempting DI problems is like embarking on a journey without knowing your destination and the means of transport.

This article aims to explain the purpose of DI questions.

Unraveling the Purpose of Data Interpretation
Data Interpretation section virtually puts a student in the shoes of a Business Manager, who is inundated with useful (and not so infrequently with useless) data and has to make some quick interpretation of the data to reach important decisions. Once presented with graphs or tables, the mental processor of a manager starts whirring at the top gear and selects, prunes, manipulates, and compares the data and reaches certain conclusions. Successful operations of these processes require that a manager possesses qualities like:
o An eye for detail,
o An ability to focus on key issues quickly,
o An ability to work on numbers in different ways,
o An ability to see a trend,
o An ability to identify exceptional situations,
o An ability to work with logical relationships and
o An ability to reach a conclusion using deductive logic.

PREPOSITIONS

I 've analysed several mock and real CAT papers, i 've seen that in terms of grammar, prepositions seem to be one of the most favourite area of Questions Setters. So guys here is some dope on Prepositions. Since i 've collated most of the importants points, you guys could definitely seal this forte after going through this post carefully.

A preposition may be defined as connecting word showing therelation of a noun or a noun substitute to some other word in thesentence (the squirrel in the tree; the preposition in shows therelationship between the squirrel and the tree.).Over ninety percent of preposition usage involves these nine prepositions: with at by to in for from of on

Prepositions cause problems because sometimes they can be usedinterchangeably (He sat on the chair: He sat in the chair), becauseprepositions are often combined with verbs to create phrasal verbs(to look after someone; to look down on someone), and because asingle preposition can be used to express several different ideas(He is tall for his age; I swam for an hour).

The most efficient method of study is to familiarize yourselfwith prepositions and prepositional phrases through practice andmemorization. This is particularly helpful for the bilingualstudent, who often seems to find preposition usage one of the mostdifficult parts of the English language.
Uses of Common Prepositions

Prepositions are used to express a number of relationships,including time, location, manner, means, quantity, purpose, andstate or condition. The following outline demonstrates the uses of common prepositions.

A. TIME

about: about noon (approximately)

at: at five o'clock at last (finally)

after: after the game after lunch after three

by: by midnight (no later than)

for: for an hour (duration)

of: a quarter of three (15minutes before)

in: in the morning in the fall in April in 1987 in six months (at the end of)

B. PLACE OR DIRECTION

around: She walked around the car.

at: They are at home.
down: They lived down the hall.

C. MEANS OR AGENT

by: He was hit by a ball. She came by train. He did it by hard work.

in: He takes pleasure in it.

on: They live on bread and water.

D. MANNER

by: By doing it yourself, you save time

in: He left in confusion The room was in a turmoil. You can do it in a day

on: I swear it on my word of honor

F. QUANTITY OR MEASURE

for: We drove for twenty miles We bought it for ten cents.

by: We bought them by the kilo.

G. PURPOSE

for: He bought it for an emergency. She went to the city for sightseeing.

He loved her for her thoughtfulness.

Uses of Prepositions after Certain Verbs
account for

agree on (something)

agree with (someone)

apologize to

apply for

approve of

argue with (someone)

ask for

believe in

belong to

blame (someone) for (something) blame (something) on (someone)

borrow from

call on (upon)

care for

compliment (someone) on

come from

consent to

consist of

convince (someone) of (something)

decide on (upon)

depend on (upon)

get rid of

hear about hear from hear of

insist on (upon)

invite (someone)

Uses of Prepositions with Certain Adjectives and in Idiomatic Expressions
according to

accustomed to

angry about (something)

capable of

composed of

content with

dependent on (upon)

different from (than)

disappointed in

due to

followed by

fond of

have respect for

in accordance with

to laugh at

So guys , let us try to cage this demon of prepositions :)

ALL THE BEST!!!!

PERMUTATION COMBINATION

Try to solve this question and will definately change your perception towards p&c.
Q-A set contains 5 natural numbers as {1,2,3,4,5}.what will be the sum of all the possible five digit numbers which we can make from the given set.

NMAT

NMIMS University, School of Business Management
Admissions Open: Master of Business Administration (MBA 2009-11)Two year full-time Post Graduate Degree Programme

For online application, please visit: http://www.nmims.edu/NMIMS UniversityV.L. Mehta Road, Vile Parle (W), Mumbai-400 056Phone: 91-22-26134577, 26143177, Fax: 26114512, E-mail: ftmba@nmims.edu
For details see Ahmedabad Mirror (Ahmedabad) September 7, 2008 pg.19

SNAP

Symbiosis International UniversitySNAP (Symbiosis National Aptitude Test)
Symbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP): 2008 Registration OpensSymbiosis National Aptitude Test (SNAP) is your only opportunity to get into one of the 12 reputed postgraduate institutes that offer 24 postgraduate specialisations under Symbiosis International UniversitySymbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) PuneSymbiosis Institute of Computer Studies and Research (SICSR)Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication (SIMC)Symbiosis Institute of International Business (SIIB)Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies (SIMS)Symbiosis Centre for Management and Human Resource Development (SCMHRD)Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management (SITM)Symbiosis Centre for Information Technology (SCIT)Symbiosis Institute of Geoinformatics (SIG)Symbiosis Institute of Operations Management (SIOM)Symbiosis Institute of Health Sciences (SIHS)Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM) Bangalore
Test date: Sunday, 21st December, 2008 (2 pm to 4 pm)
Last date for Registration: November 25, 2008
Register online at www.snaptest.org and follow the instructions. Test Fee Rs.1000Symbiosis International University Symbiosis Test Secretariat: Symbiosis Knowledge Village, via Sus Road,Gram: Lavale, Tal: Mulshi, Dist: Pune-411042Phone: 020-39116226/27, Telefax: 020-39116228, E-mail: info@snaptest.org
For details see Times of India (Ahmedabad) September 7, 2008 pg.3

IIMs look to outsource CAT; 4 companies in the running

A fter facing criticism over errors and leaking of exam questions ahead of the common admission test (CAT), an all-India test conducted by the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) as an entrance exam for their much-soughtafter management programmes, the autonomous institutes under the Union government are now looking to outsource the exam to a global testing company.
The institutes, which have rolled out the process for inviting tenders from companies for conducting CAT, have already shortlisted four companies, two of which command strong presence in global testing market.
The companies in the race are ETS Prometric, Eduquity Ventures, Attest and Pearson VUE (Virtual University Enterprises).
While ETS Prometric is a US-based company that handles global exams, such as the graduate record examination (GRE) and test of English as a foreign language (TOEFL) for admission to universities and colleges in the US, Pearson VUE of Pearson Plc., based in the UK, is the sole testing partner worldwide for tests such as the graduate management aptitude test (GMAT) and Cisco Corp.’s certification exam.
Of the two Indian companies in the bidding process, Bangalore-based Eduquity Ventures currently conducts Bitsat for the Birla Institute of Technology, Pilani, and Attest is a testing division of Aptech Ltd, a company that deals in computer training and courseware.
The four companies have been selected after a March pre-qualification notice.
About 30 companies had placed initial bids.
Hoping to make CAT an online test by 2009, IIMs are currently working on the tender document for the process.
“Central to the tender are the issues and concerns raised about such a large exam as CAT, conducted across vast geography, where managing logistics becomes very difficult. Manual testing is open to vagaries of nature and human errors,” said one IIM official requesting anonymity.
The move, largely aimed at introducing a system of computer-based testing (CBT) in India, is being seen as IIMs’ pioneering effort towards creating a market for testing services in the country and also introducing an error-free mechanism for their entrance test, which, in the last few years, has been marred with complaints of leaks and errors in question papers—marking an exception in the otherwise impeccable record of IIMs in managing their tests.
In 2003, for example, the question paper for CAT leaked ahead of the exam, a first in the 28-year-old history of the test.
That led to a retest in February 2004. IIMs then attributed the leak to logistical problems.
Then the CAT 2006 had printing errors in the questions.
The institutes accepted the errors and formed a committee that ruled that the wrong questions will be ignored. The idea of a retest was set aside by the authorities.
However, with the advent of CBT, human errors and sporadic complaints of impersonation at test sites are likely to decline, with a security system keeping human intervention to a minimum.
The CBT system would also set in motion the process for introduction of an “on demand” testing model for CAT, which has often been suggested as a replacement for “single day, single test” format that are used in all such tests in the country.
Tests such as GRE and GMAT are done on a CBT system that records an audit trail with details of people accessing the system to effectively plug loopholes that might lead to leaks, or errors.
Such a system also creates an item bank that delivers an impromptu and unique set of questions to those taking the test.
About 200,000 applicants take CAT, considered one of the toughest business school entrance exams in the world, each year for entry into IIMs and 120, or so managements schools, such as the SP Jain Institute of Management and Re search (SPJIMR), Mumbai; Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon; Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA), Ahmedabad and National Institute of Industrial Engineering (Nitie), Mumbai, that consider CAT scores for admission.
The number of test-takers jumped from 90,000 to 230,000 aspirants over the last four years, a far cry from just a decade ago when the number of CAT applicants was around 35,000 annually.
With the number of applicants increasing by 20,000 every year, the directors of the six IIMs took a collective decision in 2006 to fix a minimum academic eligibility for the test in order to limit the number of applicants. The decision was also aimed at cutting the load on faculty members of IIMs, who were seen to be spending a considerable time on conducting the tests and completing the admission process.
So far, the exams have been collectively conducted and directly managed by the institutes.

Source: Mint paper

XAT 2009

XAT 2009 :: XLRI Jamshedpur
XAT 2009: on Sunday, January 4, 2009

Invites applications for XAT and the Academic Programmes of XLRI for the year 2009.XAT is also used by more than 60 other Management Institutes for Admission.XAT 2009 Bulletin: XAT bulletin containing the details of XAT and application procedure for admission to XLRI and other institutes can be obtained from the branches of AXIS Bank for a non-refundable amount of Rs.800/-. Enclose the third copy of Bank (XAT) pay-in-slip along with the XAT PP Form that can be downloaded from the website www.xlri.edu. Alternatively one can obtain the XAT Bulletin by sending a non-refundable DD for Rs.850/- drawn in favour of "XLRI Jamshedpur A/c XAT" payable at Jamshedpur along with the XAT PP Form that can be downloaded. For XAT Registration visit the above site.
Programmes at XLRI: Two year Post Graduate Programme in BM and in PM & IROne year General Management Programme / Four year Fellow Programme in Management
Issue of XAT Bulletin & XLRI Prospectus (at AXIS Bank Branches & XAT Office):September 1 to November 30, 2008XAT 2009: Sunday, January 4, 2009
XLRI Prospectus: XLRI prospectus can be obtained from the branches of AXIS Bank for a non refundable amount of Rs. 900/- (for one programme). A candidate can apply for more than one programme, but not more than three programmes. If he/she intends to apply for more than one programme a non refundable amount of Rs.1500/- is to be paid towards XLRI prospectus. Enclose the third copy of Bank (XLRI) pay-in-slip along with the XLRI PA Form that can be downloaded from the website www.xlri.edu .One can also obtain the XLRI prospectus by sending a non refundable amount of Rs.950/- for one programme or Rs.1550/- for more than one programme in the form of DD drawn in favour of. "XLRI Jamshedpur A/c Prospectus" payable at Jamshedpur along with the XLRI PA Form that can be downloaded.Address all communications to Admissions officeXLRI, C.H. Area (E), Jamshedpur-831 035Website: www.xlri.ac.in
For details see The Hindu (Chennai) August 31, 2008 pg.9

IMDR Pune

DE Society's Institute of Management Development and Research
Admission to PGDM 2009-11 (Two year full-time programme)
Sale of IMDR application forms starts: September 1, 2008Last date for submission of completed application forms: November 30, 2008
Candidates must register with IMDR by submitting the IMDR application form along with a DD for Rs.1000/- in favour of 'Director, IMDR.'.Application forms must be sent to the following address: The RegisterInstitute of Management Development and ResearchDE Society Campus, Deccan Gymkhana, Pune-411004Phone: +91-20-25653186, 25652754, Fax: +91-20-25654371E-mail: registrar@imdr.edu Website: www.imdr.edu
For details see Times of India (Education Times) Ahmedabad - August 11, 2008 pg.5

Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, Delhi

Announces admission to: 1. Two Year Full-Time Post Graduate Diploma in Management 2009-20112. Two Year Full-Time Post Graduate Diploma in Management-Finance 2009-2011
Last date for submission of completed LBSIM application form: November 15, 2008
Admission Procedure: * Candidates seeking admission to LBSIM are required to appear in the Common Admission Test (CAT) to be conducted by IIMs on 16.11.2008. * Candidates are also required to register at LBSIM, Delhi through application form which can be obtained from Admission Coordinator, LBSIM, Delhi from 18.8.2008 to 15.11.2008 on all working days from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM on payment of Rs.1450/- in cash or DD in favour of Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management payable at New Delhi (Add Rs.75/- for getting the form by post in India and Rs.200/- abroad). * The forms are also available at selected branches of AXIS Bank & IMS Learning Resources. * Application form can also be downloaded from the Institute's website: www.lbsim.ac.in & submitted alongwith a DD for Rs.1525/- (Rs.1650/- abroad) in favour ofLal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, payable at New Delhi.Apply to: Admission CoordinatorLal Bahadur Shastri Institute of ManagementShastri Sadan, Shri Venkateshwara Mandir Marg, Sector-III, R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110022Phone: 26191081, 26172407, 26161283, Fax: 91-11-26191080, E-mail: info@lbsim.ac.in
For details see Hindustan Times (New Delhi) August 17, 2008 pg.5

MDI

Management Development Institute
Admission Invitation - Beginning July 2009: Post-Graduate Programme in Management (PGPM)PGP-HR / PGP-IM / NMP
Last date for receiving completed filled-in application forms: November 14, 2008
MDI Prospectus & Application Form: Available at: MDI Campus, Gurgaon or MDI Counter, Reception Lobby, IFCI Tower, 61, Nehru Place, New Delhi-110019 (Tel. No. 26438471, 26434674).Select branches of Bank of Baroda (Please visit website at www.mdi.ac.in for further information).
Available from: 18 Aug. - 12 Nov. 2008, Monday-FridayApplication Fee: The MDI prospectus and application forms are available on cash payment of Rs.1600/- (including application processing fee). Applicants wanting to obtain application form by post will have to send a crossed DD of Rs.1750. Foreign / NRI applicant can obtain the application forms and bulletin by sending a DD of either US$100/- or Rs.4,550/- or on cash payment of Rs.4,500/- at MDI counter. The DD should be in favour of "Management Development Institute" payable at New Delhi. Along with the DD, the applicants requesting for application forms by post should also send 2 self-adhesive stickers with their address and telephone numbers written thereon. The choice of programme should be written clearlyon the envelope enclosing the demand draft. Prospectus once sold will not be taken back.For more information please log on to www.mdi.edu or www.mdi.ac.in For further information, please contact Admission OfficeManagement Development InstitutePhone: 0124-4560800, 4013050-61, 2340153, 2340173 Fax: 2341189, 2342244E-mail: admissions@mdi.ac.inOther Programmes: Post Graduate Diploma in Public Policy and Management / Post Graduate Programme in Energy ManagementFellow Programme & Executive Fellow Programme in Management / Executive Management Programme (Part-time)
For details see Hindustan Times (New Delhi) August 11, 2008 pg.5

FORE School of Management

Admission: Two year full-time Post Graduate Diploma in Management 2009-2011 (Batch XVIII)Two year full-time Post Graduate Diploma in Management (International Business Mgnt.) 2009-2011
Last date to apply: November 12, 2008
Admission Procedure: * All candidates are required to appear for the Common Admission Test (CAT) to be conducted by IIMs on November 16, 2008. * Apply on prescribed application(s) available separately forboth programmes by paying Rs.1500/- cash or by DD of Rs.1550/- for each programme.Forms can also be downloaded from the website of FORE www.fsm.ac.in.For admissions & further details contact: Chairperson, AdmissionsFORE School of ManagementB-18, Qutab Institutional Area, New Delhi-110 016Phone: (011) 41242424-33, 26569996 (Direct), Fax: (011) 26964229, E-mail: admissions@fsm.ac.in
For details see Times of India (Mumbai) August 9, 2008 pg.11

JMET 2009 (Joint Management Entrance Test)

JMET 2009 (Joint Management Entrance Test): December 14, 2008
Programmes: IIT Bombay: Master of Management (M.Mgt); IIT Delhi: MBA with focus on Management Systems; MBA with focus on Tele-communication Systems Management; IIT Kanpur: Master of Business Administration (MBA); IIT Kharagpur: Master of Business Administration (MBA); IIT Madras: Master of Business Administration (MBA); IIT Roorkee: Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Commencement of submission of data for Online application: Sept. 8, 2008Submission of data for Online application (website closure): Oct. 8, 2008Receipt of completed Online application form at IIT Kanpur GATE Office: October 17, 2008Date and Time of Test: December 14, 2008 (10 to 13 hrs)
The application process: A candidate can apply for JMET 2009 using only "online" mode. The application fee is Rs.750. Only for SC/ST candidates, the application fee is Rs.350. The details for collection of and submission of application form, eligibility criteria and other relevant information are available at thewebsite www.iitk.ac.in/gate and Employment News of September 6, 2008.

DI

Answer the following questions based on the instructions given.
Each alphabet represents unique Numerical digit from 0 to 9. Problem given below is having unique solution.


T O K Y O
--
O S A K A
____________________________

K Y O T O
____________________________

1. Alphabet O is represented by which numerical digit?
(a) 7 (b) 3 (c) 4 (d) 5

2. Alphabet Y is represented by which numerical digit?
(a) 1 (b) 4 (c) 2 (d) 3

3. Alphabet S is represented by which numeric digit?
(a) 1 (b) 2 (c) 3 (d) 5

CONTEXTUAL LEARNING-2

Sunday Times of India is always a reader's delight. At least ,I like to start my Sunday with a large cuppa of chai and the newspaper. What generally makes my day is the editorial page wherein ,one comes across the verbose Bachi karkaria, sarcastic Jug Suraiya and of course politically incorrect Shobha De. Well not to forget Shashi Tharoor and Swaminathan Aiyar.I can survive even if I don't get my regular dose of news every day in a week , but missing the Sunday Times makes me feel very guilty.

I wanted to share this article with you guys. You can call me opinionated ,however somehow, I quite agree with Shobha De here. I don't understand why we(Indians) tend to apotheosise every sports men. I believe that this inherent nature of ours somehow contributes to their under performance in later years. No this post isn't a review!

This article is an interesting read and me being me, I couldn't help highlighting few words and giving out their meanings at the end of the article.It is rather the regular dose of your contextual vocabulary.

HAPPY LEARNING..........

POLITICALLY INCORRECT Mera Bharat Kahan?- Shobha De


Little things make us happy. We are a bit too easy to please! One gold medal at the Olympic Games, and we are over the moon. As India enters the 61st year of its independence, it's important to get a few key perspectives in place. I heard about Abhinav Bindra's thrilling win from a bedraggled little girl selling tabloids at the traffic lights. It was raining rather heavily, and she was dressed in rags. Her tiny body and saucer eyes made her resemble the archetypal, romanticized waif — the poster girl for poverty, like the iconic image of the popular musical, Les Miserables. She tapped on the window of my car and lisped, "Madam, madam.... India ko gold medal mil gaya." She was shivering as she sold the damp paper to motorists, most of whom shooed her away.

The irony of the moment was hard to miss. While nobody can take away from crorepati Abhinav Bindra's individual achievement, the image of this emaciated street kid announcing his victory in distant Beijing, was a study in horrifying contrasts. Just a few metres away, i could see the rest of her family huddled under bright blue plastic sheets. The father was sorting out a heap of pirated books, while her mother was stringing jasmine blossoms into gajras... perhaps to adorn the chignons of our Mumbai memsaabs stepping out later for a night on the town. The kid was dancing with impatience, watchful of the traffic light turning green. Her unshod feet were immersed in puddles of filthy rain water. She could not possibly have known what that medal meant... but she did know it would sell more papers that day. And that made her happy! Amazing, how a complete stranger's win touches lives on different levels.

For the little girl, those few extra rupees may have translated into an extra vada pav at dinner. But for our canny politicians, Bindra's medal was an opportunity worth milking for their own glory. Take Maharashtra's chief minister, who magnanimously offered Rs 10 lakh to the gold medalist. Does this rich boy need it? Where does Maharashtra come into it? If the CM had Rs 10 lakh to spare and wished to acknowledge Bindra's victory, why didn't he put that money into a sports scholarship to benefit promising youngsters? Why offer monetary awards to someone who is a millionaire to begin with? Bindra is a particularly privileged sportsman who was born with a silver rifle... er ... spoon, in his mouth. He got to his present position, thanks to the happy fact that his father had the financial clout to support his son's passion. Lucky Bindra. He had what it takes to create a champion — the grit, determination and dough! India merely happens to be the country of his birth and can claim no credit for his impressive win. Bindra rose above and beyond what his country can provide... not only to him, but millions of others. He won despite being an Indian. Isn't that a really sad acknowledgement of this tattered state of ours?

But the waif at the traffic light proclaiming his victory to motorists does not realise this. She will never get to see the inside of a pucca home. For her, the blue plastic sheets will have to suffice. When she is a little older, her life will change. From selling newspapers, she may end up selling her body. Like so many others who survive on Mumbai's mean streets, turning tricks, hustling, peddling drugs. Her bright eyes and cheerful smile will be replaced by a hard, stony expression, a twisted mouth...but chances are she will still be working the same street, ducking into the back seat of an autorickshaw to satisfy customers looking for a monsoon quickie. If her father and mother haven't succumbed to some disease by then, they, too, will be languishing under the plastic sheets, living off her meager earnings. Her line, "India ko gold mil gaya..." in such a depressing context, makes me ask, "Aur aapko — koila? Ya... woh bhi nahi?" Try telling her our Bharat is mahan. She may just punch you!


Hope this article strikes a chord, it definitely touched me. Well now the MEANINGS OF THE HIGHLIGHTED WORDS.


1.bedraggled:(v) To make wet and limp.

2.archetypal:(n)the original pattern or model from which all things of the same kind are copied or on which they are based; a model or first form; prototype.

3.waif:(n)a person, esp. a child, who has no home or friends.

4.emaciated:(v)to make abnormally lean or thin by a gradual wasting away of flesh.

5.huddled:(v)to gather or crowd together in a close mass.

6.chignons:(n)a large, smooth twist, roll, or knot of hair, worn by women at the nape of the neck or the back of the head.

7.unshod:(adj)Not having or wearing shoes or a shoe

8.canny :(adj) shrewd

9.magnanimously:(adv) generously

10.clout:(n)strong influence

11.grit:(n)firmness of character

12.succumbed :(v) to yield,to die

13.languishing :(v) to lose strength or vigour

Fine Nuances Between Words

Vocabulary has always been an integral part of every entrance exam.Given below are sentences with a pair of homonyms in each and you are required to pick the correct option according to the contextual usage.
The Houston United has sued its CEO on account of BREECH(A)/BREACH(B) of contract.
The Government is setting up schools in DISCRETE(A)/DISCREET(B) locations across the rural belt to promote preliminary education for the girl child.
Nikita was easily able to SHEAR(A)/SHEER(B) her mind away from all the unpleasant incidents that happened in her life.
Mrs Sharma made sure that she would MILITATE(A)/MITIGATE(B) against the mass deforestation of the Sukhwan locality.
Despite being TORTUROUS(A)/TORTUOUS(B),the movie was a visual delight.
A) ABBAB B)BABBA C)BABAB D)BBABA E)ABBAB

You are welcome to give the meaning of the words.Go ahead hit the Dictionary!!!!Happy hunting!

BIM,TRICHY

BHARATHIDASAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT, TIRUCHIRAPPALLI (BIM, Trichy)
BIM-MBA Admission 2009
Eligibility: (1) Bachelor's or Post Graduate degree or its equivalent in any discipline with a minimum of 50% marks. (2) Final year degree students may also apply, subject to completion of the degree requirements with minimum 50% marks by July 2009. (3) CAT 2008 scores are used for short-listing candidates who apply for admission to BIM. (4) All applicants to BIM should take CAT 2008.
How to apply: (1) Prospectus and application forms can be obtained by sending a DD for Rs.1400/- (SC/ST Rs.920) along with two self-addressed slips by regular mail to BIM address given below. (2) By online registration at www.bim.edu with an option to pay either by DD or by credit card. For credit card payments, an amount of Rs.1520/- should be paid instead of Rs.1400/- (for SC/ST Rs.1000/- should be paid instead of Rs.920). (3) DD should be drawn in favour of "Bharathidasan Institute of Management" payable at Tiruchirappalli.Bharathidasan Institute of ManagementP.B.No.12, MHD Campus, BHEL Complex, Tiruchirapalli-620014Phone: 0431-2520796, 2520502, Telefax: 2520733, E-mail: admissions@bim.edu
For details see Times of India (Ahmedabad) July 13, 2008 pg.5

TAPMI

T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI)
Admissions Open 2009-11: Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM)2 year full time residential program
Last date: Issue of forms: December 1, 2008 / Receipt of completed forms: December 6, 2008
Admission Eligibility and Process: (1) A University degree in any discipline with a minimum of 50% aggregate marks. (Final year students may also apply) (2) Scores in CAT (2008)/GMAT (2007, 2008). Short-listed candidates will be invited to participate in the subsequent TAPMI Admission Process (GDPI) at Manipal.Final selection will be based on performance in the admissions process.
TAPMI application forms are available from: (1) Select branches of Axis Bank (from where CAT forms are sold) and State Bank of India (2) Admissions office at TAPMI Manipal and TAPMI CEE, Bangalore (Phone: 080-41501900 (3) Application forms can be downloaded/submitted online at www.tapmi.org .The cost of the application form is Rs.1200.For further details, contact: Admissions OfficeT.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI)Manipal, Karnataka-576 104Phone: 0820-2571359 (direct), 2571358 ext: 101/102, E-mail: admissions@mail.tapmi.org
For details see Times of India (Mumbai) August 1, 2008 pg.7

IRMA

Institute of Rural Management Anand
Admission Notice: 30th Post Graduate Programme in Rural Management (PRM 2009-2011)and 6th Fellow Programme in Rural Management (FPRM 2009)
Last date for receiving completed application: October 6, 2008
Selection Procedure: A written test, common for PRM and FPRM will be conducted on November 9, 2008 (Sunday: 9.15 am - 12.15 pm) at 27 centres across India.

How to apply: One of the following:

(i) Printed application material (prospectus, application forms etc.) may be obtained from Admissions Coordinator, IRMA, Anand-388001 on payment of Rs 100/-, and an examination fee of Rs.750/- (Rs.500/- for SC/ST/PwD) with the filled-in application form.

(ii) Application material is available with IMS learning centres on cash payment of full fee i.e. Rs.850 (Rs.600 for SC/ST/PwD).

(iii) Fill in the application form online through IRMA website, print it out, and send it to IRMA along with the full fee of Rs.850 (Rs.600 for SC/ST/PwD).

(iv) Download the application form from IRMA website and submit along with the full fee of Rs.850 (Rs.600 for SC/ST/PwD). Payments to IRMA should be in the form of DD favouring 'Institute of Rural Management' payable at Anand.

Completed applications should be sent to: Admissions Coordinator, IRMA, Anand-388001, Gujarat.Each applicant will receive a printed prospectus and sample question paper. For further details, please refer to prospectus or visit IRMA website www.irma.ac.in
For details see The Hindu (Chennai) August 3, 2008 pg.9.

LOGICAL DI CAT 2003

The table above provides certain demographic details of 30 respondents who were part of a survey. The demography characteristics are: gender, number of children, and age of respondents. The first number is each cell is the number of respondents in that group. The minimum and maximum age of respondents in each group is given in brackets. For example, there are 5 female respondents with no children and among these five, the youngest is 34 years old, while the oldest is 49.
Q1. The percentage of respondents aged less than 40 years is at least.
1. 10% 2. 16.67% 3. 20.0% 4. 30%

Q2. Given the information above, the percentage of respondents older than 35 can be at most.
1. 30% 2. 73.33% 3. 76.67% 4. 90%

Q3. The percentage of respondents that fall into the 35 to 40 years age group (both inclusive) is at least
1. 6.67% 2. 10% 3. 13.33% 4. 26.67%

IIFT 2008 Details

IIFT 2008
Important Dates
1. Last Date for Sale of Prospectus by post: 20th August 2008

2. Last date for Sale of Prospectus across the counter at IIFT: 3rd September 2008

3.Last Date for Receipt of completed Applications: 3rd September 2008

4. IIFT Written Test: 23rd November 2008 (10 am–12 noon)
Eligibility

1. Recognized Bachelor’s degree of minimum 3 years’ duration in any discipline.

2. Candidates appearing for a qualifying examination can also apply subject to submission of proof of requisite qualification by October 7, 2009.

3. No age limit
ONLINE Application process
1. You should have a demand draft of the applicable amount favoring INDIAN INSTITUTE OF FOREIGN TRADE payable at DELHI since you will be required to fill in the details of the demand draft in the online application form.
2. Applicable amount of the demand draft is as follows: * General/OBC Indian candidates: Rs.1300/-(Rs. 1200 in cash from IIFT, Delhi Campus).
3. Print Only on A4 size paper in portrait layout with Bar Code visible.
4. Once you complete your online application form and submit the same, take a print out and send the same to IIFT after doing the needful as follows:
* Sign in the Box provided for the purpose. * Paste your photograph in the box provided for the purpose.
* Enclose the demand draft of the applicable amount with your full name, address and application number on the reverse of the demand draft.
* Enclose two self addressed adhesive labels. * Enclose copy of the requisite certificate, if belonging to SC/ST/PH category. 5. Last date for submitting online application form: 3rd September 2008

LRDI

John, Pete, Tom, George, and Steve are brothers. One day, one of them broke a window. When their father asked them who did it, they gave the following answers:

John: "It was Pete or Tom."

Pete: "It was neither George nor me."

Tom: "Both of you are lying."

Steve: "No, only one of them is lying."

George: "No, Steve, you are wrong."
Then their mother added: "Three of my sons are telling the truth, but I do not believe what the two others said.

"My Question is Who broke the window?

LRDI

Joey has 8 drinking glasses, all of different sizes. He has lined them up from smallest to largest and numbered them 1 (smallest) to 8 (largest).

He knows that glass #4 holds 10 ounces and that glass #7 holds a pint, or 16 ounces. Now he wants to figure out how much all the others hold! He experiments by filling up different glasses with water and pouring the water back and forth into other glasses.

Here are his results: -Pouring water from glasses #1 and #2 filled glass #4. -Pouring water from glasses #1 and #3 filled glass #5. -Pouring water from glasses #2 and #3 filled glass #6. -Pouring water from glasses #1 and #5 filled glass #7. -Pouring water from glasses #1 and #7 filled glass #8. -Pouring water twice from glass #3 filled glass #7. -Pouring water twice from glass #4 filled glass #8.

How much water does each glass hold?

CONTEXTUAL LEARNING

Hi guys,it's vocabulary time again. Except this is li'l different from what you have come across in my earlier posts.I 've picked up this interesting article from 'The Hindu' ,so this is like doing two things in one go.Read this article and learn words as well. Encountering words in their natural habitat and becoming aware of the usage of the words is the best way to remember lot many words. The meaning of the words are given at the end of the article. read on and enhance your vocabulary.

Happy contextual learning!!!!!!

Stifling the spirit: my naani and 61 years of anguish

I am a 36-year-old British Mirpuri. Three years and three months ago, I came to Pakistan with the sole intention of taking my naani, my maternal grandmother, across the Line of Control to meet her family on the other side of Kashmir.
She was born into a Hindu-Brahman-Saasan family in the early 1930’s, on the Pakistani-administered side of Kashmir, not far from what is described as the Line of Control (LoC). The communal frenzy and folly that was August 1947 in the Punjab was replicated in Kashmir by October 1947. My naani’s life changed for ever.
Misplaced from her fleeing family, destitution was quickly evident, dishonour imminent and death almost certain. What transpired as a rescue mission by my naana, maternal grandfather, led to her having to convert from the faith of her forefathers, marry a stranger in a strange environment, bear children, rear grand-children, even great-grand-children and engage in almost 61 years of constant extemporisation to combat the persistent estrangement she endured. Her background was literally a closed chapter, sealed and suppressed. Not too unlike the border that has un-naturally divided Kashmir.
My naani had probably accepted her predicament as fate as soon as she had entered my naana’s house, way back in October 1947. I, however, have increasingly felt otherwise. I’ve always considered this to be part of a perverse political drama. Lack of imagination by the rulers accompanied denial of creative expression for the ruled. Improvising a constructive alternative has been my self-imposed mission for the past three years and three months.
I had learnt of her story in 1988, while I was visiting my grandparents in Mirpur. News had filtered through the 70 kilometres or so of mountainous terrain that her mother had passed away. We listened to a cassette recording of her kid brother’s forlorn attempt at getting a Pakistani visa a few years earlier.
A year later, after my GCSEs, I took a year off to explore my “origins.” I visited my naani’s family in Rajouri, in Indian-administered Kashmir in December 1989. Three days was all I got with them — my father had accompanied me to India and being a staunch, orthodox Muslim, couldn’t prolong the prospect of spending too much time with non-Muslims. The emotions of my naani’s siblings and their offspring etched a permanent impression on my impressionable mind. I promised them that I would reunite them with their sister.
Travelling from India to Pakistan and relaying my adventure to all and sundry had a mildly sensational effect on the local population. Forty-two years of jingoism was momentarily set aside and human emotion was purposefully reflected on. This cut little ice with my naana though. He remained rigid and paranoid over the idea of my naani visiting her siblings, fearing she may never return.
The 1990’s raced past, conflict in the region easily overshadowing all else. Nevertheless, I made an attempt in 1993 when I tried to insist on my naani accompanying me to India. Eventually, after a month of unsuccessful insistence, I crossed the Wagah-Attari border by myself. The lonesome figure that I was, instead of venturing north to visit her family, I decided to ride my sorrow and angst by proceeding south to Bombay and Goa. The mere idea of meeting them without naani was unbearable.
Life carried on but the emotional baggage increased. Naani’s kid brother’s death in February 2004 proved to be the final shock that I was willing to passively endure. It wasn’t until March 2005 that we were informed of this tragedy. A subsequent emotional verbal exchange between me and my naana secured his long-sought acquiescence for my naani to visit her family.
18th April 2005: I arrive in Pakistan. The three of us apply together for an Indian visa at Islamabad. That was the advice the Indian visa officer in London gave me after getting over his disbelief that I could be related to both a Muslim and a Hindu family. We waited in vain. The Indian High Commission told us they were waiting for a No Objection Certificate to my visa application from the High Commission in London. The Indian visa delay prompted my naana to revert back to his original stance of not allowing my naani to travel. In effect, the Indian government had inadvertently done him a favour as he wasn’t overly keen in the first place.
October 2005: In the wake of the earthquake, I apply by myself for a cross-LoC permit under the impression that people would be allowed to travel in a matter of weeks if not days.
February 2008: My cross-LoC permit has finally come through! I visit my naani’s family and there is mutual elation. I witness the fourth death anniversary of my naani’s kid brother, Master Sita Ram Sharma. He, along with his parents had lived in constant anxiety over their sister and daughter respectively. They all died in vain. Anyway, meeting my naani’s remaining two siblings after 19 years evoked a sense of mutual revival of hope. I explain my naana’s intransigence and they eventually manage to convince him to apply for a cross-LoC permit so that he and my naani can visit them. My naani’s heart condition has become such that travelling via Wagah-Attari or Lahore-Delhi would be almost impossible.
March 2008: I return to this side of Kashmir and promptly make applications for cross-LoC permits for myself and my naani and naana. Four months later, the applications are still being processed … on this side.
Before 2005, my naana was the main obstacle between my naani and her family. Now it’s the merry relationship between India and Pakistan. My naani is 78 years old. Please help me reunite her with her family, separated for over 60 years by a distance not much more than 60 kilometres.

Meanings of the highlighted words:

1. replication(n)-to repeat, duplicate, or reproduce

2.frenzy(n)-i) extreme mental agitation; wild excitement or derangement.
ii) a fit or spell of violent mental excitement

3. folly(n)-a foolish action, practice, idea, etc

4.transpired(v)-to occur; happen; take place.

5.extemporization(n)-to speak impromptu.

6.estrangement(n)-no longer close/or living together

7.predicament(n)-an unpleasantly difficult, perplexing, or dangerous situation.

8.forlorn(adj)-expressive of hopelessness/despairing

9.impressionable(adj)-easily influenced

10.sundry(adj)-of various kinds.

11.jingoism(n)-excessive support for one's country

12.angst(n)-great anxiety.

13.acquiescence(n)-agreement.

14.stance(n)-standpoint.

15.inadvertently(adv)-unintentionally.

16. Elation(n)-very happy and excited.

17.intransigence(n)-stubbornness.

Source-THE HINDU-FRIDAY-18.07.2008

Tanveer Ahmed is the author of the above article.

LAST TWO DIGIT

Dear student, Agenda is how to calculate last two digits of the number ending on 1.
Last digit or unit digit will be always 1.
Just observe tenth place digit in following example
11^2 = 121 (1 * 2 = 2)
11^3= 1331 (1 * 3 = 3)
21^2 = 441 (2 * 2 = 4)
21^3= 9261 (2 * 3 = 6)
Just apply this technique to the following examples
Example: 31^8
If number is ending on 1 last digit is always 1.Important is how to calculate Tenth place digit. It is also very easy. Tenth place digit will be (3 * 8 =24) so tenth place digit is 4
So last two digits of 31^8 is 41.
Find the last two digits of 41^2789
In no time at all you can calculate the answer to be 61 (4 × 9 = 36. Therefore, 6 will be the tens digit and one will be the units digit)
Find the last two digits of 71^56747
Last two digits will be 91 (7 × 7 gives 9 and 1 as units digit)
Now try to get the answer to this question within 10 s:
Find the last two digits of 51^456 × 61^567
The last two digits of 51^456 will be 01 and the last two digits of 61^567 will be 21. Therefore, the last two digits of 514^56 × 61^567 will be the last two digits of 01 × 21 = 21
Last two digits of numbers ending in 3, 7 or 9
Find the last two digits of 19266.
19^266 = (19^2)133. Now, 19^2 ends in 61 (19^2 = 361) therefore, we need to find the last two digits of (61)133.
Once the number is ending in 1 we can straight away get the last two digits with the help of the previous method. The last two digits are 81 (6 × 3 = 18, so the tens digit will be 8 and last digit will be 1)
Find the last two digits of 33^288.
33^288 = (33^4)72. Now 33^4 ends in 21 (33^4 = 33^2 × 33^2 = 1089 × 1089 = xxxxx21) therefore, we need to find the last two digits of 21^72. By the previous method, the last two digits of 21^72 = 41 (tens digit = 2 × 2 = 4, unit digit = 1)
So here’s the rule for finding the last two digits of numbers ending in 3, 7 and 9:
Convert the number till the number gives 1 as the last digit and then find the last two digits according to the previous method.
Now try the method with a number ending in 7:
Find the last two digits of 87^474.
87^474 = 87^472 × 87^2 = (87^4)^118 × 87^2 = (69 × 69)^118 × 69 (The last two digits of 87^2 are 69) = 61^118 × 69 = 81 × 69 = 89
If you understood the method then try your hands on these questions:
Find the last two digits of:

1. 27^496

2. 79^93

3. 583^512