The Admissions Season is on in full swing and we hope that you convert

your calls. At the same time it is important to remember that a bad day or

even a bad season need not signal the end of dreams. On the contrary, it

opens up your path to a more confident, a more powered journey to your end

destination. This is the time to review your methods and goals, explore newer

options, utilize the lessons of the past year and most importantly, not get

bogged down by a sense of failure.

Although most programmes look for similar attributes like intelligence,

drive, experience there is slight differences, especially after the basic attributes

are displayed. Keep your eyes open and you should be able to figure out what

the admissions committees are seeking. The truth is most programmes can

fill their seats easily with individuals that show an academic ability and meet

their requirements. We all know, however, that business is all about selling

your image. It’s your personality that can win them over. Show that you have

focus in your career. Even if you don’t know exactly what you want to do,

demonstrate that you have done your research and have a general idea, as

well as an ability to articulate how your previous experience ties in and how

your business degree might fill any gap. Show a willingness to go the extra

mile.

Dogged preparation is a habit that’s got to be nurtured carefully, over time.

Last minute preparations may not be greatly helpful in giving you the very

critically needed perspective on things and issues in general. At Wiser By the

Week our intention is to open various windows for you to form an impression.

In this edition, we bring you an exposition of articles that range from

why you should do an MBA, interviews with management graduates and the

Executive Director & Dean, IBMR International Business School, Bangalore.

We also guide you to be positive in your attitude and help you with the

GD-PI experience. And for all those who wish to study abroad read our Region

Focus where we give you an understanding of a particular country and the

visa process to take it forward. You will also have more news from B-schools,

coverage of daily news and current affairs, general knowledge and vocabulary

exercises to help and inspire you as you prepare to apply to schools of your

choice in the next admission season.

Radhika Arunkumar

Assistant Editor, Advanc’edge MBA

New Customer Support Center for TOEFL test takers in IndiaEducational Testing Service (ETS) has announced a new, toll-free customer support center to serve TOEFL® test takers in India. The TOEFL India Customer Support Center offers guidance and timely information for students regarding the TOEFL test. The new center is accessible by phone toll-free directly from India, Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., India Standard Time, at 000-800-100-3780. In addition, student inquiries can be sent via e-mail to TOEFLsupport4India@ets.org. The center is available to assist students with identifying test preparation materials, locating test centers, obtaining their score reports, ordering additional score reports and other pre- or post-administration inquiries.

Harvard Business Publishing to Distribute IIM Bangalore CasesHarvard Business Publishing (HBP) and the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) signed a Distribution Agreement, the first of its kind between Harvard Business Publishing, a wholly owned subsidiary of Harvard University, and a B-School in

India. As a consequence, Harvard Business Publishing will distribute a collection of teaching cases developed by the faculty of IIM Bangalore for an initial period of three years. IIMB joins a select group of business schools such as the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, and the Darden School of Business that also distribute their cases through HBP. HBP will immediately start by distributing 12 cases and their associated Teaching Notes, which have been developed by the IIMB faculty. IIMB plans to add 24 new cases to the IIMB case collection every year.

US B-school enrollments dwindleAccording to a report released by the Council of Graduate Studies, USA, a 4% decline in international applications occurred in the field of business at the 25 institutions that award the largest numbers of graduate degrees to international students in US. This is of particular note because the 100 largest institutions combined experienced only a 1% growth on average in international applications in business, compared to a 13% gain at the institutions outside the largest 100. CGS President,

Dr. Debra W. Stewart noted, “This may be a reflection of the growing competition in high quality graduate business programs worldwide.”

NMIMS joins GMAC’s elite list as a memberThe School of Business Management of NMIMS has now become a member of prestigious Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC). The GMAC is an international association of business schools distinguished by their commitment to excellence in graduate management education and to the mission and values of the Council. The Membership in the Council is by invitation by the GMAC Board of Directors to the b-schools who have played a leadership role in Management Education.

Dr. Rajan Saxena, Vice Chancellor, NMIMS said, “We are honored that GMAC has chosen us for the membership of the GMAC council. We look forward to continuing to play a leadership role in management education in India and the opportunity to impact management education at the global level.”

“The membership will help us in influencing the direction of GMAT & NMAT and help assist in our international accreditation,” added Dr. Saxena.

GMAC, President, Dr. David A. Wilson wrote in his membership invitation letter to NMIMS that “Your joining the Council is important for many reasons, but perhaps most of all it is a tangible statement of the significant contribution NMIMS University has made to graduate management education”.

4

NEWS ROUND-UP

Currently there are only four B-schools from India who are the members of GMAC while from other part of the world Harvard Business School, Case Western University, IESE Business School, INSEAD, London Business School, ESADE Business School, Stanford University-Graduate School of Business, Yale University-School of Management are some of the well-known members of GMAC.

Darden Business School adds new concentrations to its curriculumFor the first time, Darden has created formal concentrations within its full-time MBA programme. The concentrations are divided into career tracks and theme tracks. MBA students may choose two from among the following:Career tracks: Asset Management/Sales & Trading, Corporate Finance/Investment Banking, Entrepreneurship, Consumer Marketing, Business to Business Marketing, Supply Chain Management.Theme Tracks: Corporate Innovation, Business Development and Growth, Market Analytics, Sustainability

“We’re not backing off our focus of preparing general managers for a long and successful career. However, we also don’t want businesses to have the perception

that our students aren’t capable of being specialists too--particularly at the outset of their careers,” says Robert Carraway, professor and senior associate dean for degree programs at the Darden School of Business, in a press release. “We think that we develop students in areas of finance, for example, as well as anyone in the world and not just for the long term but for the short term. Just because Darden is always ranked at the very top in terms of general management schools, that’s not at the expense of our ability to be really good in specialized areas.” adds Carraway.

A course to help women get back to work after sabbaticalSchool of Inspired Leadership (SOIL), a business school, is offering a one-year programme titled Career Reconnect for Women. According to a statement, the programme will help women gain insight into relevant and contemporary areas of business that will help them rejoin corporate life or start their own entrepreneurial venture. There is an Individual Development Plan in the programme in which the student will undergo psychometric assessments. It is mentoring driven, in which each student will be mentored by a woman mentor. Other key features are: Application

Focus in which it will be seen if students can apply concepts that they learn and Action Learning where students will work on real life projects. While the course itself is of six weeks’ duration, it will be spread across one year. The total fee for the programme, which will begin August this year, is Rs.7,46,950 that includes accommodation and meals. Another programme to be introduced this year by the school is Early Entrepreneur Development Programme aimed at those who may be first-time entrepreneurs or have a family business.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International School of Textiles & Management, Coimbatore announces admissions for PGDM ProgrammesSardar Vallabhbhai Patel International School of Textiles & Management, Coimbatore invites application for two years full time programmes approved programmes - Post Graduate Diploma Management - Textiles, Post Graduate Diploma Management - Apparel, Post Graduate Diploma Management - Retail and also one year full time Post Graduate Certificate in Management - Home Textiles. ELIGIBILITYCandidates must hold any degree in any discipline to apply for the programmes.SELECTION PROCESSCandidates will be selected on the basis of CAT/MAT/JCCAT/TANCET Score, Group Discussion and Interview. Candidates who have not appeared for the MBA entrance test can attend SVPISTM Admission test, which will be held on May 20, 2011.

6

NEWS ROUND-UP

HOW TO APPLY?Application forms can be obtained in person by paying Rs 400/- (Rs 300/- for SC/ST) by cash or by post by sending a DD of Rs 450/- (Rs 350/- for SC/ST) drawn in favor of ‘Director, SVP International School of Textiles & Management payable at Coimbatore. The application form can be downloaded from http://www.svpitm.ac.in/application.php and filled application forms must be sent along with draft of Rs 400/- (Rs 300/- for SC/ST). Last date of submission of application forms is May 19, 2011.CONTACTWebsite: http://www.svpitm.ac.in

NMIMS announces admissions for MBA Entrepreneurship & Family Business 2011-13NMIMS invites applications for two years MBA Entrepreneurship & Family Business 2011-13.ELIGIBILITY- Bachelor’s Degree (10+2+3/4) full time in any discipline from recognized university (Minimum 50% in final year).- Good oral and written communication skills.- Actual involvement in running of family business.- Total commitment to self improvement.- Those candidates who have cleared their graduation by doing a part-time course or through distance learning/

correspondence/ externally/ open school are not eligible to apply.SELECTION PROCESSThe institute will assess the suitability of the student based on the information provided in the application form. There will be admission test and the student is expected to fill in a detailed form on the day of their interviews, which will help the panel to understand his/her involvement and understanding of respective business. After submission of this form the applicant will have to go through a rigorous personal interview conducted by panel consisting of internal faculty and external members from the industry. In addition to entrance test & personal interview, there will be an assessment of business plan submitted by the student. HOW TO APPLY?Application forms for the programme can be downloaded from http://oamslive.blueshiftindia.com/mba/website/. Candidates need to pay Rs 1650/- in form of DD drawn in favour of “SVKM’s NMIMS” Payable at Mumbai. Last Date for Online Registration is April 28, 2011. CONTACTWebsite: http://www.nmims.edu/Business/admission_MBA_E&FB.php

IIM Udaipur announces admissions for Post Graduate Programme in ManagementIndian Institute of Management, Udaipur (IIM Udaipur) invites application for two year Post Graduate Programme (PGP) in Management for the academic session 2011-12 from candidates who have appeared in CAT 2010 and satisfy the minimum cut-offs

given in the table below. IIM Indore will mentor IIM Udaipur and will receive and process applications from eligible candidates. For further details visit www.iimidr.ac.in/iimudpr. Last Date of receipt of applications at IIM Indore – May 25, 2011

IIFT Kolkata announces admissions for MBA International Business (Part time) 2011-14IIFT Kolkata invites application for MBA International Business (Part time) 2011-14.

ELIGIBILITY- Bachelor’s degree from any recognized University or Institution.- A minimum managerial experience (including self employed) of not less than three years as on 30 June 2011. (Only the work experience after eligibility qualifications will be considered).- No Objection Certificate from employer is required.- No age limit.

MODE OF ADMISSION Group Discussion, Essay Writing and Personal Interview in mid June 2011.

HOW TO APPLY?Application Form can also be downloaded from IIFT website www.iift.edu and should be accompanied by a DD/Pay Order of the Rs Rs.1,200 (Rs.600 for SC/ST/PH candidates) favouring Indian Institute of Foreign Trade payable at Kolkata or cash payment of Rs.1,200 (Rs.600 for SC/ST/PH candidates). The last date for the receipt of Application is 20th May 2011.

CONTACTEmail: iiftkolkata@iift.ac.inWebsite: www.iift.edu

8

NEWS ROUND-UP

MBArk

The sheer popularity of the MBA programme as a ticket to a good career leaves little consideration for other study options in management viz. the Masters Programmes in Management. The general verdict is that the Masters degree is academic in nature while an MBA is an ‘action’ degree that has the practical edge.

The SimilaritiesFirstly, they both are ‘masters level’ programmes and thus have an element of maturity in them. Secondly, both programmes expose you to the corporate world through projects and industry interaction. Thirdly, both programmes definitely catapult your take home salaries. And lastly, both programmes will pave way to your Doctorate studies, if you wish to pursue these in future.

Your Current Role and your Career GoalsBe clear of where you wish to go in the future, career wise. Choose a programme which will equip you with pertinent knowledge and sk i l l s to ach ieve your career goals. For e.g. if you wish to make a career in hardcore financial planning, besides an MBA you can also consider the MSc is Finance and Private Equity programme at the London School of Economics.

Work Experience Typically MBA Programmes focus on leadership potential and therefore appreciate students with work experience. Masters Programmes are short one year pre-experience programmes and are designed for candidates with little or no work experience. If you have had some background in commerce or management in the past, have less than 2 years of work experience and only need technical understanding of a particular subject then a Masters Programme will be better option for you.

Importance of the Right SchoolWhile timing is crucial, the place where you do your Masters from is also important. For e.g. a Masters in Marketing from Kellogg School of Management which has tie ups with Universities across the World will any day hold more ground than an MBA from some unknown university.

Specialised Masters Programmes Some schools have created a niche for themselves through their specialized Masters programmes. A few of these are the Sloan Fellows Masters program at MIT Sloan School of Management and the Masters in Public Policy at the Heller School for Social Policy and Management. These programmes are one of a kind and cannot be compared to an MBA programme. While the content of such programmes is meticulously designed to cater to specific needs of the students, the participants of such programmes are also individuals with a specific mission.

‘Subject’ Focus v/s ‘Management’ FocusAn MBA programme exposes a student to a wide spectrum of management discipl ines whi le a Masters programme in Management has a rigorous subject focus. In a Masters programme, the whole

package is based around a narrowly-defined career and job path. In an MBA program, the majority of the coursework is across the various dimensions of business (marketing, finance, operations etc.)

Return on InvestmentAn average MBA graduate is able to draw a USD 100000 p.a. package post MBA, whereas, a specialty

Masters graduate gets an average of USD 65000 p.a. However, the investment in a Masters Programme is half that of the MBA programme, thus equaling the ratios of earnings to investment for both the programmes.

Double Degree OptionsFor those, who want double qualification without the waiting period in between, there is the option of Dual Degree Programmes. For e.g. the Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, offers a dual degree programme. Where students combine their Masters in Finance/ Accounting with the MBA Programme. Such dual degrees ensure that students have the depth of knowledge that a Masters degree connotes and the breadth of knowledge that an MBA can impart.

At the end of the day, it is not about just the MBA or the MS tag, but about making a choice that is right for YOU.

Masters v/s an MBA : The 8 Aspects to ConsiderThere are 8 key aspects to consider while choosing between an MBA and a Masters in Management degree. Read on...

9

MBArk

The key components of your international MBA application package include1. The Application Form of the institute you are

applying to2. Your updated Résumé or Curriculum Vitae3. Personal essays4. Recommendation letters5. GMAT/ GRE score6. TOEFL/ IELTS/ PTE score

Note: The Application Process for B-schools today is completely online. To upload an application online, students need to register themselves for the online application. Students can access their online application at any time and complete their application.

Application FormThe application form works as a crucial marketing tool that can help you emerge ahead of other candidates during the evaluation process. Most forms ask for some specific elements that are designed to give the Admissions Committee a significant peek into your past records, your personality and your capabilities. Take a print of the online form and complete this duplicate form much in advance, so that you have some time to mull over its contents. Once you are satisfied, fill out the final form.

Résumé or Curriculum VitaeYour resume should be absolutely updated and concise. Put together an easy to assimilate, simply formatted business resume that begins with your employment history in reverse chronological order, with details on where you worked, in what capacity, the team size, and whether you worked part-time or full-time. Next should be your educational record in reverse chronological order as well, with details of years and degrees earned. Don’t just mention facts about your job role or academic background, also quantify your achievements. Mention if you introduced the company to a new online marketing tool that is leading to success, or if you got a great consultant onboard, or if you got promoted in record time or managed to get a record score in any particular subject.

Personal Essays Your essays will introduce the Admissions Committee to the real ‘You’ and throw light on your maturity level, honesty and level headedness. It will highlight your ability to understand, think, decide, plan, strategise

and communicate. So, train your mind to think beyond perceived concepts and clichés before you write, and after you are done, look to kill irrelevant and ambiguous sentences, grammatical instability, unclear examples and biased statements. Also check to ensure that you have largely stuck to the word limit.

Letters of recommendationMost MBA institutes will require you to present two to three letters of recommendation. At times the letter of recommendation may not actually be a letter, but a set of questions that the School puts across to your recommender to answer. As the application process is online, the recommendations also need to be submitted online. Here you need to register your recommenders.

The School then emails your recommender their login details with which they can access the Online Recommendation Form and fill their responses.

Choose recommenders who will give you strongly focused power f u l recommendat ion letters, highlighting your skill se ts and winn ing a t t i tude. Choose recommenders who know you well and think highly of you. Give your recommenders at least a month to write the recommendation.

GMAT/ GRE/ TOEFL/ IELTS ScoresThe Graduate Management Aptitude Test (GMAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test scores are required for admission to various B-schools. Test of English as Foreign Language (TOEFL), International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and Pearson Test of English (PTE) are the three pre-dominant English Proficiency Tests taken by international students. On the day of these tests, you can send your scores free of cost to a certain number of schools as per the test you are taking. There is an additional cost attached to sending scores to additional schools. Other components that you would need to gather include1. Detailed prior academic records2. Employment history and certificates, if any3. Certificates of additional achievements4. Your photographsIn a nut shell, a successful MBA application package is one that is able to make the jury of the top international B-schools believe that you would not just fit in at their impeccable school, but would also stand out and shine as an individual gem and excel.

Get Your Application Package ReadyGetting through a reputed MBA institute is no cakewalk. The procedure of applying for an MBA gets even more complicated and lengthy when you are applying to an international institute. To ensure that your application is professionally completed, error free, and delivers a powerful punch, here is a low down on all the components of an international MBA-application package.

10

Avoid these common mistakes4 Failure to integrate the different components

of the application package into one unified identity – You.

4Reflecting a confused personality unaware of your strengths and weaknesses.

4 Inability to customise the objective behind doing an MBA in accordance to the institute and the specific MBA program that you are applying for

4Poorly written, grammatically weak application components that showcase your weak communication skills.

A Bachelors/Undergraduate degree is the first step towards your higher education. A Bachelor’s course abroad would generally last three to four years depending in which country you study. However, some private Universities have full degrees that can be completed in two years and in some parts of the world can take over four years. Many degree courses now include a ‘sandwich’ year or placement year where the student works in a related area.

Along with earning your degree you will have the opportunity to experience an entirely new cultural setting. It will help you develop your skills and give you experiences a classroom setting will never provide. The experience will help you develop a higher level of independence and resourcefulness.

Benefits of studying abroad• Affordable&qualitylivinginmanycountries• NetworkingwithInternationalstudents&faculty• AnInternationaldegreeonyourresume• Application-basedlearning• WorkingcloselyonprojectswiththeindustryFor more information or to get personalised guidance in college selection and complete admission procedure for studying abroad, contact Campus Point.

WHY CAMPUS POINT?Campus Point is an authorised service provider for education abroad. It is backed by IMS Learning Resources that has been helping students gain admission in to the best universities around the globe.• Pan-Indiapresence• Associated with over

500 Universities abroad offering varied programs

• Anexpertteamofcounsellorsclued-upon all aspects of studying abroad

To ensure a hassle-free admission process, we will guide and motivate you at every step towards an International education.• S tuden t P ro f i l i ng andCareer Counselling: Thorough analysis of your profile (submitted online), by exper ts, including academic background, test scores, extracurricular activities, etc. Based on the analysis, you are counselled on the courses and colleges that match your profile.• Admiss ion Consul t ing:

Guidance and support to assist you through the complete admission process including Essays, SOPs, etc.

• TestPreparation:Preparesyouforvariousentrancetests like the GMAT®, GRE®, IELTS, TOEFL®, if required.

• ApplicationServices:Assistanceinyourapplicationprocess, which includes form filling and handling.

• VisaConsulting:AssistanceinobtainingthestudentVisa required to get you into an International college.

• Other Assistance: Support for ticketing, forex,education loans and other allied requirements

vis-a-vis the study abroad application.• Authorisedadvisoryto the largest number of top global Universities

For more information or to get personalised guidance in college selection and c o m p l e t e a d m i s s i o n procedure for studying abroad, ema i l : i n fo@campuspoint.in or log on to www.campuspoint.in

Bachelors abroad: Opportunities aboundStudying abroad has become an integral part of a well-rounded undergraduate experience.

MBArk

Fact file• Most universities abroad offer internships and

paid placement options on completion of the course.

• SATnotrequiredformanyprograms.IELTS/TOEFL® not mandatory for students with good English score in many Universities

• Scholarshipoptionsavailableformotivatedstudents

• Application fee waiver possible in somereputed Universities

• Multiple intakes: Spring (Jan/Feb/March),Mid-Year (June/July), Autumn (Aug/Sept)

11

MBArk

This is an invariable question in any MBA entrance-interview. Getting this answer r ight is cr i t ical ly impor tant because it shows how clear you are about your expectations from the course. It is imperative that you answer this question to yourself before you rush to fill up forms to various MBA colleges. It is crucial on two counts:1. If you do qualify for a

course and find yourself a complete misf it for the curriculum it would mean you are actually not cu t ou t fo r the management cadre in the corporate world. So you are likely to saddle yourself with a career that makes you unhappy.

2. An MBA course is an investment both in terms of time and money hence wasting it is an offence.

Let’s look at a few instances wherein an MBA degree can be handy for a person: The quintessential inheritor who wants to hold the keys to his/her business, he is an industrialist’s son, who will have to take over the running of an existing corporate empire.

The mid level executive who wants to sit in the gilded corporate office, he is the guy who is typically someone who has devoted many years on the shop

floor (it could also be in a laboratory or in sales or in data collection), mostly a technical person who executes rather than strategises. This guy now wants to be a part of the strategic team.

T h e b o l d ent repreneur who wants to create a b u s i n e s s e m p i r e

hence wants to know the tools of how to do so.

The power seeker who wants to crack the management ceiling he/she has hit because of a lack

of an MBA degree. This person is typically someone who is a par t of management but sees many promotions pass by him/ her due to a perceived lack of managerial perspective. Most of the top management believes that a person with a management degree has managerial perspective.

The money minder who would like to increase his/her

pay packet. An MBA degree immedia te ly inc reases your

market value. The non-professional graduate

who believes that courses available today are not perceived to have any marketable

value by the corporate world and are useless. These therefore need to be augmented to make the graduate ‘market worthy’.

Apart from the positive boost that a person’s career gets, an MBA degree also offers three side benefits. Some may argue that these are the main benefits.1. An MBA course is a hothouse where you are

pushed to deliver. You are introduced to fierce competition. The conditions work on you in such a way that you end up becoming a tough professional.

2. An MBA programme exposes you to a very wide area of experience in terms of subjects and people. You get exposed to varied subjects l ike macroeconomics, consumer behaviour, psychology, market ing, cu l tura l her i tage, communication theory, operations research, quantitative techniques, finance, HR, etc. Most programmes cover over 30 subjects!

3. Apart from exposure to subjects, you meet people from various backgrounds and places. This really broadens your outlook!

Why should you do an MBA?When one reaches the GD-PI stage during the admission process various questions are thrown at the candidate. One often asked question is ‘Why should you do an MBA’. Read the below article to answer this question in the right manner.

12

Positive AttitudeHarvard and Stanford Universities have reported that 85% of the times, the reason a person gets a job and gets ahead in that job is due to attitude; and only 15% is because of technical or specific skills. Don’t you realise that you spend a whopping sum on your education and so little on building your positive attitude? That hurts. Now here’s an interesting thought. With the “right” attitude, you can easily develop the necessary skills. So where should your emphasis be? Skill building? Attitude building? Unfortunately, “Neither” is the real answer for many people. Perhaps if more people knew how simple it is to develop and maintain a positive attitude they would invest more time doing so.

Understand that failure is an event it is not a person. Yesterday ended last night; today

is a brand new day, and it is yours. You were born to win, but to be a winner you must plan to win, prepare to win, and then you can expect to win.

1

Become a lifetime student. Learn just one new word every day and in five years you

will be able to talk with just about anybody about anything. When your vocabulary improves, your I.Q. goes up 100% of the time, according to Georgetown Medical School.

2

Read someth ing in fo rmat iona l o r inspirational every day. Reading for 20

minutes at just 240 words per minute will enable you to read 20 (200-page) books each year. That is 18 more than the average person reads! What an enormous competitive advantage . . . if you’ll just read for 20 minutes a day.

3

The University of Southern California reveals that you can acquire the equivalent

of two years of a college education in three years just by listening to motivational and educational cassettes on the way to your job and again on the way home. What could be easier?

4 Start and end the day with positive inputs to your mind. Inspirational messages

cause the brain to flood with dopamine and nor epinephrine, the energizing neurotransmitters; with endorphins, the endurance neurotransmitters; and with Serotonin, the feel-goodabout- yourself neurotransmitter. Begin and end the day by reading or doing something positive!

5

Remember: Success is a process, not an event. Invest the time in your attitude and it will pay off in your skills as well as in your career.

Five steps to stay positive

SOFT SKILLZ

13

Interview panelThe interview panel typically comprises two interviewers, sometimes three. You may also encounter the GD moderators at the interview table. Invariably, the interviewers possess a mix of soft and quantifiable skills: One panel member may be from Organisational Behaviour or Human Resources, and the other from Operations, Finance, Strategy or Statistics. If there is a third member, he or she is likely to be from Marketing or Client Servicing. All in all, the interview will probably last for about 15 minutes. If the interviewees are experienced people, then the interview may even last extend to 30 minutes.

What do they expectThe panel does not expect you to have all the answers! They are looking for clarity of thought with regard to what you have accomplished, and not for a knowledge base on what you will be studying at the institute. What they do want and expect you to show is a blend of logical and analytical thought process with the ‘truthful’ presentation.

Behavioural attributesDraw a sharp line between confidence and recklessness. Don’t confuse the two. Do not be rigid and unresponsive to ideas. Listen well. Understand the questions well before answering. It is OK to ask for a little time or even a lot of time. It’s perfectly all right to say that you haven’t given the subject (of the question) a thought –provided that the question pertains to your future. However, not having an opinion about the subject is not acceptable.

Dress wellHow you dress, how you speak, and your style of presentation is as important as the relevance of your answers, the choice of your words and tone and the depth of your knowledge. So do not ignore either of these components. Soft skills and technical accuracy have to be spot on.

Dress formally. Gentlemen, please wear a tie along with a formal shirt and a dark coloured (navy blue or black) trouser. Do not wear white socks, unless you are wearing white pants. Avoid wearing white pants.

Ladies, by virtue of your gender, have a very wide and impressive range of choices available,

with regard to dress. Wear a saree, or a skirt or trouser with a matching top, with or without a jacket. Wear a salwar kameez if you must. But be wary of the colours you choose – women at times have the tendency to wear the least acceptable colours. If you’re wearing a skirt or trousers, dark colours are preferable. Alternatively, if you choose to wear a cotton saree, make sure that it is well starched, and preferably light

coloured. Please, avoid colour combinations such as pink and red, or green and magenta. Avoid silks and chiffons.

Shaking handsDisplay extreme courtesy at all times. It has taken the interviewers long and torturous years to move ahead on the path that you are currently venturing on. Wait to be offered a seat. Do not extend your hand in greeting unless one or more of the interviewers does so first. Always take a lady’s hand first, before you shake hands with a male interviewer.

StrategyLet the interview evolve into a conversation, and not a QA session. Always try to lead the interview into areas that you are stronger in. Rehearse the answers to typical questions, again and again. You can also gain by extensive discussions with friends. As mentioned earlier, the members of the interview panel belong to a wide mix of backgrounds. The questions are not just content-centric; they call upon the application of your soft skills as well. You will encounter a mix of questions that test both your situational analysis skills, and your general awareness as well. These questions focus on the human dimension of problem solving and analysis, on the ability to communicate well, the scope and breadth of your proficiency in terms of actual content, and your logical ability.

Do not stretch the truth, regardless of the circumstances. A ‘white lie’ is as much of a lie as a ‘total lie.’ 4 years and 3 months of experience means 4 years and 3 months; do not ‘round it off’ to 4 and half years. Do not include part time assignments, tuition sessions, or internships. Always remember that if you’re cornered, the interviewers will not grant you the benefit of the doubt the second time round.

How to ace a Personal Interview You must have read a fair deal on how to prepare for a personal interview. Our attempt here is to give you as much practical guidance as possible. The basis of the entire article is – planning for possible questions that would come your way and the possible ways in which you could respond to them. The clue to answer-ing is to be extremely logical and structured with a low emotional quotient.

SOFT SKILLZ

14

SPECIAL REPORT

There are two key aspects in the student visa application process. Firstly, a student visa applicant needs to have first obtained admission to a programme in any one of their applied schools/ colleges before applying for visa clearance. The second aspect is of finances - they would want to make sure if you will be able to sustain yourself in their nation and also pay for your study.

Any student visa application will require the following:A Valid passport: The passport should be valid for at least six months from the date that you wish to start your course.A Valid Offer letter from the school: Ensure that you have an unconditional offer letter from the school that you intend to join. At times, students receive conditional offer letters in which the student may be given admission subject to a condition e.g. retaking the GMAT or IELTS for a better score. In case of US schools, an I20 contains information that supports the issuance of a student visa. Students need to read this carefully to ensure that all details are correct. In case a student is carrying his family along, then he needs to receive a separate I20 for his wife and children as well. A valid visa application form: Check with the concerned embassy or consulate about the exact details of the form to be filled up.Photographs as per the specifications mentioned by the visa issuing authority: In most cases, students are expected to submit photographs not older than six months; the applicant should bear a neutral expression in the photograph; the subject should be made to sit against a light background and the subject should not be wearing any accessories (like hats, spectacles, glares etc.) Financial documents: Liquidity is a key and it is best if you show a majority of your funding in the form of liquid funds like fixed deposits, cash, PPF account balances, postal savings, bank loans etc. If a relative, parent, sibling or company is sponsoring you, make sure that you have the sponsor’s letter clearly indicating his intent to sponsor you. In case you have taken an education loan, carry your loan sanction letter.

Biometric Information: This is predominantly applicable in the case of US and UK visa applications where certain biometrics like fingerprint scans are also taken into consideration for processing a visa application. Students only need to keep in mind that their hands should be kept free of any ink marks or heena. Also there should not be any cuts or burn marks on your hands that will hamper the finger scanning process.

Medical Check up: A valid medical check up may be required in case of specific visa applications. These are usually to screen applicants in case of certain communicable diseases like tuberculosis. Check with the visa issuing authority for specifications regarding the medical check up.

Things that you should keep in mind at the visa interview• Carryaplasticbagwithallyourdocuments.Any

big bags, electronic devices and eatables are not allowed at the visa interview.

• Arrangeyourdocumentsinalogicalorder,sothatit is easy for you to remove these, in case the visa officer asks for the same.

• Donotfumblewithyouranswers.Fumblingisasignthat you are not confident about your self, or of your intention of going abroad for further studies.

• Ensurethatyouranswersaretothepoint,correctand complete.

• Incaseoffinancialdocuments,createafinancialsummary sheet which gives a clear bifurcation of your liquid and fixed assets and details your sources of funding as personal funds, sponsor funds and bank loans.

• Beveryclearaboutyourreasonstostudyabroadand why you have chosen a particular school/ university to pursue your higher education.

• Keepinmindsmallerdetails,likethelocationofyourschool, your sponsor’s monthly/yearly income, your bank loan details, the exact name of the course you are applying for etc.

Lastly, do not be pressurized by the entire visa process. You are only going for the visa interview to ask for a valid legal document to gain entry into the country for purpose of pursuing quality education. In short, you are doing the right thing, the right way and if you have nothing to hide then there is nothing to be worried about.

VisasA visa is a certificate that is put into your passport or travel document by the concerned immigration authority. It gives you permission to enter a country for a specified duration and for a specific purpose. In case of students, the specific purpose is education in an institution or university located in the country.

15

The United Kingdom is among the world’s most developed economies and is also considered as the sixth largest economy in the world. Services, especially banking, insurance and business account for the largest proportion of GDP while industry continues to decline in importance. The main industries in UK are aerospace, automotive, business and professional services, chemicals, construction, consumer goods, defence equipment, education, electronics, energy and utilities, financial services, food and beverages, healthcare, hospitality and leisure, industrial equipment, information technology, media and entertainment, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, processed metals, real estate, retailing, scientific equipment, telecommunications, tourism, transportation and logistics. UK has the advantage of

being in a time zone that is in between Asia and America and there are considerations for overseas investors to have businesses in UK. The

United Kingdom especially London is viewed as a top destination for global financial institutions to establish and expand their business.

The employment market has however been slow in recovering from the recent economic downfall according to recent statistic report the employment rate for people aged between 16 and 64 dropped to 70.5% for the October-December 2010 quarter. Industry experts predict an improvement in the employment scenario soon.

Studying in UK is like a crucial investment and so both sides of the coin must be considered before making the decision. Some of the benefits of studying in UK are as follows; the duration of the course is short for instance an MBA in UK can be completed in one year unlike the programmes across universities in the

US and Canada which takes two years. In terms of student safety Britain is perceived to be among the top destinations for international students. Obtaining a UK student Visa is relatively easier once all criteria is met by the students. Most universities in the UK recognize the three year bachelor’s degree as a pre-requisite for admissions.

However among the drawbacks of studying in the UK include the lack of many post educational opportunities for international students. Many of the jobs available after a course are limited to entry level roles and this would be on the basis of a work permit. How ever UK courses are globally recognised which adds up to an advantage for the student if he or she decides to return home or go to another destination for employment.

Why study in the UK?Every year there are large numbers of International students who apply to various univer-sities in the UK for education at both the undergraduate and post graduate level. Before looking at the different study options available it would be good to have a little background of the region. Geographically speaking the United Kingdom (UK) is made up of the following constituent countries namely England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. According to a 2009 statistics UK’s population was estimated at 61,729,000 of which an approximate 89 per-cent forms the urban population. Politically UK follows the parliamentary government system with two houses namely the House of Commons who are elected and the House of Lords who are appointed. English is its official language there also other languages spoken in the UK which are Scots, Welsh, Irish, Cornish and Scottish Gaelic.

REGION FOCUS

16

What led you to do an MBA, especially since you had a secure job with a well-known company like TCS? Why did you choose to pursue your MBA from abroad?

While working at TCS projects I was engaging with business clients on IT related implementations. Here I realized that having done an MBA, I can help my clients better by providing them solutions more focused on business than on technology.

In Indian IT, most of people with 2-3 years work experience face a significant challenge, which is to decide whether to go towards the management side or specialist side of technology later in their career. When I came in this situation, I decided to keep my career focused towards the business side and get a strong management platform for my technology career by doing an MBA.

Already having a 3.5 years work experience, I chose to do an MBA outside India because the experience of MBA cohorts in UK, 6-7 years and US, 4-5 years is significantly higher than in India. I would have got more exposure to business scenarios through proven experience of my colleagues, which an MBA from India would have lacked in.

What is your long-term career plans?

Another reason for me to do an MBA was to get a break into Management Consulting, which I always aspired for. I wanted to work in an environment, which can offer me challenges and fast career growth simultaneously. In the current world scenario, management consultancy jobs satisfy both of my criteria. Hence, industry-wise, I would like to stay in consulting. In future I would like to do fast projects in diverse industrial setup and prove my skills as fast possible. I would try to keep at pace by trying to be an Engagement Manager in 3-4 years and Partner in 6-7 years…

Was there any special, unforgettable experience that you faced at B-school that has shaped your life?

There are a lot of experiences; none of them changed my life though. Bad ones are like preparing for presentations till 4 am and being in 8 am class the next morning, and doing it continuously for a week. There are many good ones that bring a smile, mostly fun related.

What difference in terms of skill sets have you observed in yourself post your MBA from Imperial College? Do you observe significant differences in the way you managed your work before at TCS and now at Accenture?

What I got out of my MBA is the ability to engage in a dialog with clients of any businesses and any level in the organization. Also, I feel more confident in the way I present myself, in terms of discussions, presentations, business meeting etc. I studied about various business models, business processes, strategies, frameworks etc. that I can now apply in my consulting engagements. I also worked on variety of IT strategy projects with Nokia, BP etc. a learning, which could be effectively applied, to my work at Accenture.

In a nutshell, an MBA gives you a list of paraphernalia, which can be applied in understanding business problems and providing effective and long lasting solutions.

Student Interview“ UK MBAs are known more for career

enhancement than for career change, whereas the American and Indian MBA support career change...”

…..says Parikshit Dubey who has done his MBA from Imperial College London with focus on Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Innovation. He is currently working as a consultant with Accenture (UK) and has also worked with TCS in the past. In an interview with Reshma Majithia he talks of why he chose to do an MBA outside India.

17

What would you like to tell all MBA aspirants who covet to be in your shoes? First of all, I would like to tell that the end to end process is very slow and there are no short cuts. From the time one starts preparing for GMAT to getting an admission letter from a business school may take even up to eighteen months. The key to this is to remain patient, keep preparing for GMAT and keep applying to Universities later on.

Secondly, choose the Universities before taking the GMAT exam. This is a proactive approach and you can set a target GMAT score to work towards.

Third, specific to UK MBAs, the MBA education system in the UK is different from one in US or India. Here, your prior work experience always takes higher weight over the MBA, may your MBA be from LBS. As a result, you have a high chance to end up with a job in the same industry, which you have worked in. UK MBAs are known more for career enhancement than for career change, whereas the American and Indian MBA support career change.

More and more students (even from US and Europe) are looking at pursuing their MBA from B-schools in the East (like ISB, NUS and CEIBS). According to you what are the reasons behind this trend and change in preference? I think this phenomenon is driven more by economic front than by any other. Asian economies, including China, Hong Kong, India, Taiwan and Indonesia are contributing to most of Asia’s economic growth. There are a lot more job opportunities out in east than they are in Europe or US. At the same time, the Asian economy is much stronger than the US or European economy, a fact well demonstrated by the recent recession.

Aspirants from US and Europe would pursue MBA opportunities in these countries because now they realize that the Asian lifestyle and the monetary spending propensity will be at par with US or Europe in coming 4-5 years. Later there is a huge upside in terms of service and entrepreneurial growth in Asia. Therefore, this trend is expected to follow more aggressively in future.

Replace the underlined words with appropriate idiomstied the knot, nineteen to the dozen, have the cake and eat it too, make a clean breast of, to keep body and soul together, get over, all ears, fell out, let the cat out of the bag, runs down, cheek of jowl, run of the mill, null and void, for good, drew a blank1. Whatever meager salary he earns, is barely enough for him to stay alive2. You don’t want to work that extra bit, yet you want overtime. You cannot have both the options 3. Manav is a loquacious person. He talks a great deal4. Sheen a could not overcome the death of her husband5. The police looked for the thief all over the city, but could not find him 6. The director an the actor quarreled over money 7. The opposition speaks ill of the ruling party8. Many buildings are situated close together in this area9. The murderer decided to confess his wrongdoing10. The new Bollywood flick has a commonplace plot11. Shaun has permanently left the country-for good12. Rony and Meher finally got married 13. Gary revealed a secret at the party14. All the students in the class were very attentive15. This transaction is invalid

Answers

1. to keep body and soul together

2. have the cake and eat it too

3. nineteen to the dozen

4. get over

5. drew a blank

6. fell out

7. runs down

8. cheek of jowl

9. make a clean breast of

10. run of the mill

11. for good

12. tied the knot

13. let the cat out of the bag

14. all ears

15. null and void

VOCAB

18

We have been imparting management education to a community of discerning students for the past 12 years. We have expanded into cities like Ahmedabad and Gurgaon apart from Hubli and Bangalore. This has been possible by focusing on the need based teaching methods that add value and meet the current

requirements of the industry. In addition to the University curriculum, we have

designed a few programmes to supplement and increase domain knowledge, develop attitudinal skills, enable students in experiential learning and strengthen industry linkages. We also encourage participation in unconventional sectors like NGOs, Social marketing etc.

We envisage IBMR as one of the leading international business management schools in the country by collaborating with best management institutions across the globe.

Our ideal candidate should have high motivation and commitment levels along with clarity of goals and focus on the future. We follow a selection process similar to other reputed management institutes in the country. We take CAT, MAT and XAT scores as the main source for short listing potential students. We also conduct group discussions and personal interviews to understand and assess the candidates before selection.

In the last two years we were able place 100% of our students in reputed companies with excellent pay packages in companies like Deloitte, E&Y, KPMG, Citi Bank, Ascent, Deutchshe Bank and Adecco. The annual CTC was in the range of Rs.4 lakhs to Rs. 6 lakhs. Some students opted to become entrepreneurs too. The roles that were offered by the companies

varied from business development managers and customer relationship managers to financial analyst and financial consultants to HR Managers in recruitment, training etc. Also when placing students we look for the sustainability of the job role and work environment.

I believe that industry-institute interface is very essential for management students as it helps them in the following ways: Firstly when students attend industry seminars and business events they gain contemporary valuable inputs from experts in the industry. Secondly when students work as volunteers for these activities they are exposed to organizing and managing such events. Lastly the seminars and events form good grounds for networking

which may later aid the student professionally. From experience I have noticed that students are more eager to be a part of this industry-institute interactions because of the benefits outlined and also it offers a good break amidst busy schedule of classes and co-curricular activities.

Some of the upcoming sectors that require good MBA’s are transportation, logistics, construction, supply chain management, healthcare (both delivery and product), facility management and food processing, environment and energy sector.

Conventional sectors like manufacturing, banking and insurance, IT are moving along different tangents and attracting new breed of managers who are technology savvy and who have the latest domain knowledge. Thus even

the traditional areas will offer more challenging roles.

Be clear on your goal; be committed to the career you choose, believe in your strengths. Today’s business environment offers you many opportunities. You have to perceive it,

embrace it and own it.

“ Today’s business environment offers you many opportunities. You have to perceive it, embrace it and own it.”

Excerpts of Interview with Dr.C.Manohar, Executive Director & Dean, IBMR International Business School, Bangalore by Serena Kallian

Where do you see IBMR in the near future and how is unique in the current system?

Who is an ideal candidate for the MBA pro-gramme at IBMR? What attributes do you expect in a participant? How is this adjudged through the selection process?

Could you give a brief on the placement sce-nario here, highlighting the salary (min/max/avg) and also the major recruiters on campus? What are the roles that are offered to students here?

What is your opinion on the idea of industry-institute in-terface, how important is it for a man-agement student.

What ac-cording to you are some of the upcoming sectors for students espe-cially MBA students to have a career in?

Your words of advice to all aspi-rants.

B-School Interviews

19

The key focus of the IMBA program at EMLYON is to provide a broad set of general skills necessary for managing. These skills are applicable to young, mature, small and large firms. That being said,

we do emphasize entrepreneurship as it is a core element of our School’s DNA. Half of the required seminars and courses in the IMBA programme are under the pedagogical responsibility of the Strategy and Organization Department, and half of these relate to entrepreneurship. We develop managers for entrepreneurial positions in corporations and to facilitate development of their own ventures. In addition, we emphasize development of business plans, and send teams to international competitions. We couple our focus on entrepreneurship with an international dimension by examining entrepreneurship in different country and cultural contexts and by exposing participants to entrepreneurs from a variety of countries.

We select applicants to our IMBA program based on aptitude to learn, ability to contribute to the learning environment, capacity to enhance their careers via the program (e.g., do they have a clear career plan and will our MBA help them to achieve

it), international interest and exposure, and capability to successfully work with teams.

The Entrepreneurial Leadership Project (ELP)is based on a perceived need to strengthen the link from theory to the practical world. It enhances and enforces the needs for team management and performance, develops managerial skills, and permits participants to interact closely

with senior managers at participating companies. From a programmatic standpoint, it permits us to stay close to company needs and to identify trends in how companies operate. The ELP requires an application of theory and concepts to a practical, outcome-oriented consulting project for an existing company. The professional orientation of this project requires the development and application of team management skills and consulting skills into an unfamiliar context, further developing participants’ analytic skills and appreciation

of ethical issues in management. The cohort as a whole allocates participants to the individual team-based projects. The process of team allocation and the subsequent execution of the 9 month long consulting project under the mentorship of a faculty member, provides significant opportunities for collaborative learning. For IMBA participants, the ELP provides the main opportunity to apply course concepts to a real life consulting engagement as a means to further develop cognitive, critical, intellectual and relevant personal and interpersonal skills at a leadership level.

We ensure a holistic management learning experience at EMLYON through a number of initiatives. First is the curriculum, which includes both the hard skills (e.g., finance, marketing, strategy) and the soft skills (e.g., leadership, negotiation), along with multicultural team work (via, for example, the ELP) and learning trips to foreign contexts (e.g., Finland in 2010) to examine how history, geography and culture affect business practices and industry evolution. Second are opportunities to interact with entrepreneurs and executives via

visits to our incubator, which has launched hundreds of new ventures, in-class and after-class talks by European CEOs of a broad set of companies, and participation in the World Entrepreneurship Forum, which brings together 100 entrepreneurs, academics, experts and politicians/policy makers from around the world annually. Third are personal development and career-guidance seminars and courses intended to provide a 360° view of the individual and his/her competencies as well as prepare him/her for re-entry into the job market. Fourth are a variety of student association activities including sports and social activities. With nearly one-third of our 3000-student population coming from outside France, our students develop intercultural sensitivity and management skills necessary for an increasingly global business community.

We have had a number of students from India earn their MBA at EMLYON. I would suggest that prospective Indian students contact our Indian alumni to learn about what made their experience at EMLYON rewarding.

“ We ensure a holistic management learning experience at EMLYON ”Joseph Li Puma is Affiliated Professor in Strategic Management at EMLYON Business School and Director of the IMBA programme. In an interview with Gauri Puranik, he speaks about the focus on Entrepreneurship in the MBA programme at EMLYON and about the learning experience at EMLYON.

Is ‘Entrepreneur-ship’ the key focus of the MBA Programme at EMLYON?

What attributes do you look for while selecting students to your MBA Programme?

Could you explain the relevance of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Project?

What special initiatives does the School take to ensure that the students get a holistic management learning experience at EMLYON?

Advice to Indian students to come to study at EMLYON...

B-School Interviews

20

A day at work at GoogleArghya Basu graduated under the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, from Hyderabad in computer science engineering. During this tenure, he had started his own company, which is into Online Marketing, and Software/Web Development. He completed an MBA from T.A. Pai Management Institute (TAPMI) in Manipal, Karnataka. Arghya says that his biggest learning during his MBA was to macro-manage and not micro manage. Arghya Basu shares his day @ work experience with Serena Kallian.

Could you tell us in brief about your role and responsibilities at the current organization?

I currently work with Google as an Account Planner/Strategist. My work comprises of sales and strategizing for customers. It involves up selling, pitching to clients, optimizing process to enhance productivity and creating a road map for revenue generation.

What kinds of skills are required to carry out the role that you are doing presently?

Well the basic necessity is ‘interest’ and ‘passion’ and once these two are in place, almost every skill garnered during my MBA is helpful here. Skills involve team building, leadership qualities, innovation and forward thinking. Time management is priceless in an organization. It is probably the most important skill one needs to hone, to carry out any role. Better time management leads to improved efficiency. Improving your knowledge is important, but sharing is even more important. Grow your career and make sure that your colleagues benefit out of your growth and grow along with you.

What kind of challenges do you usually face in a day’s work?

The only hurdle I see is waking up in the morning. Once that’s cleared I don’t think you should face any hurdles, or may be its Google, that’s why you don’t face any hurdles. But yeah challenges always lie in handling customer expectations, and maintain the quality of work. But if one wants to do it, they can always achieve their goals and do more with them too.

What would you consider your achievements so far? How has your MBA helped you?

One achievement would be that I was able to identify the job I would like to do, and the company. Many a times, a fat salary package lures you into doing something, which ideally you wouldn’t have chosen to. My biggest achievement would be managing my work across three departments here in Google, which I learnt during my MBA by getting myself involved in multitude of work ranging from Alumni interactions, to Branding of College, to the Media Relations in the college etc, apart from my academics.

Your advice to aspirants who would want to be in your shoes

Do what you want to do, and not something your peer, or your next door neighbour, or the society wants you to do. This always benefits you in the long term. MBA is preferable, and I have learnt a lot during my two years, which I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. You should definitely have a lot of peer group discussions, regarding variety of topics, and you’ll learn a lot from each other. A lot of the learning was from my peer group discussion, which I used to have in Manipal, over cups of coffee. I still do that, and am still learning.

A Day @ work

21

1. India’s Essar Energy has agreed to buy Royal Dutch Shell’s Stan-low refinery in northwest Eng-land for _______

a. $ 1.2 billion b. $1.3 billion c. $ 2.3 billion d. $ 1.5 billion

2. Who is the new chairman of Mi-crosoft India?

a. Pratip Chaudhuri b. Bhaskar Pramanik c. Raj Kamble d. Kunal Jamuar

3. Which news channel’s campaign ‘My Earth, My Duty’ has entered the Limca Book of Records for a novel effort for planting more than 73 lakh trees in one single day across 34 cities and 2.5 lakh villages on August 25, 2010.

a. Headlines Today b. Zee c. Times Now d. NDTV

4. Which of the following cars emerged as one of the most successful brands amongst the luxury car manufacturers of the country by winning as many as eight prestigious awards from reputed automotive magazines and television channels for 2010?

a. Mercedes-Benz India b. Honda Civic c. Audi A8 d. Jaguar XJ

5. The population of the country as per the provisional figures of Census 2011 is 1210.19 million of which _________ million are males and 586.46 million are fe-males.

a. 65.5 b. 64.25 c. 61.22 d. 63.72

6. The largest state-owned gas transportation company in India, has launched Asia’s first inte-grated gas management system to track all information on trans-mission and distribution of natu-ral gas in the country. Name the company

a. Hindustan Petroleum Corporation

b. Indian Oil Corporation c. Gail d. Essar oil limited

7. An English-language Indian daily newspaper’s campaign ‘Power of Ideas’ has won two medals at the creative Abby nite in Goafest 2011. The campaign was aimed to help break free men and women who wanted to give shape to their entrepre-neurial dreams, but did not have the funds to do it. Through the campaign, the newspaper gave people a platform to connect with mentors and investors who could help them convert their dream into reality. Name the pa-per

a. The Economic Times b. The Hindustan Times c. The Asian Age d. Deccan Herald

8. He was an American doctor and co-recipient of the 1976 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (with Daniel Carleton Gajdusek), and the President of the Ameri-can Philosophical Society. He also received the Nobel Prize for “discoveries concerning new mechanisms for the origin and dissemination of infectious dis-eases. He identified the Hepati-tis B virus, and later developed its diagnostic test and vaccine. He died on April 5, 2011. Name him

a. Arthur Guyton b. Baruch Samuel Blumberg

c. Edmund Jacobson d. Joseph Erlanger

9. The host of the 2018 world cup football is

a. Russia b. England c. Spain d. Brazil

10. ________ the first specialised agency of the UN.

a. UNCTAD b. ILO c. UNESCO d. UNDP

11. Who authored A New World? a. Amit Chaudhuri b. Vikram Seth c. Amitav Ghosh d. Anita Desai

12. The study of sound or science of sound or the science of sound is called

a. Ichthyology b. Limnology c. Acoustics d. Ornithology

13. What does PCI stand for? a. People’s Council of India b. Press Council of India c. Public Council of India d. Private Council of India

14. B.C. Roy Trophy is associated with

a. Cricket b. Football c. Chess d. Hockey

15. ________ is the smallest bone in the human body?

a. Stapes b. Vomer c. Vomer d. Incus

Answers1.b 2.b 3.b 4.a 5.d 6.c 7.a 8.b 9.a 10.b 11.a 12.c 13.b 14.b 15.a

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE

22

501 Stirling Road Singapore 148951 Tel: (65) 6278 8000 Fax: (65) 6796 7778

MDIS Campus10. CORPORATION COLONY MAIN ROAD Rangarayapuram, Chennai - 600024Tel: (91) 44 2481 4422, 4557 6968