The Information Junkie

How to start in Stock Markets? - Indian Context

2012-01-23T19:56:00.002+05:30

Would you like to become a business owner withoutever having to show up at work? I am sure all of you would. I am not talkingabout you getting a windfall gain through dowry; I am talking about you holdingshares of a listed company on stock markets.

You must be wondering what this stock market is? No,it is not a place where you sell goods, it is a place where securities (likeshares and bonds) are bought and sold. ‘Share’means a share in share capital of the company. In simple terms, if you buy someshares of a company you get part ownership of that company. Sounds good? Yes,it is very simple – but there is always risk involved in it. Why do I say it isrisky? The value of a share can go down for several known and unknown reasons.

So how does one go about buying shares? How can Ibecome a successful investor like Warren Buffet? FYI – Warren Buffet is widelyregarded as one of the most successful investor in the world. Before you buyshares, you should know where and how you can buy them.

Step1: First open a Trading and Demat account with aregistered broker. I don’t understand what this Trading Account or DematAccount mean, can you elaborate? ‘TradingAccount’ – Just like you need a bank account to debit and credit cash, youneed a trading account to buy and sell shares ‘Demat Account’ refers to dematerialized account which holds allyour share certificates in electronic form rather than paper. How would you dothat?

Simple, go to Google and search for registeredbrokerage houses in India you will find so many companies like HDFC, ICICI, SBIetc. Go to any brokerage house website you want to open your account with andcall the toll free number available on the website – within few minutes arepresentative from that company will fly into your house to give all necessarydetails of opening a new account.

Step2:After collecting information of two or three brokerage firms you might decideto open an account with one who charges less brokerage charge and gives yougood customer care support. What is a brokerage charge? When you buy or sellshares you will have to pay .5% or even less charge for that transaction. Whatother expenses do I incur when I buy/sell shares? You pay service tax and someother taxes for that transaction. How will I know about these charges? You willreceive a report onto your email the same day or the next day of your trade.

Step3:After having decided to open a Trading and Demat account. You should mentallyprepare yourself to sign several pages of application form Ah! Once you aredone you need to wait for few more days to get your account activated. Yuppie!You’re done with registration and activation. What next? You need to put somemoney into your account. How much?

StartSmall – Don’t put all your money initially. First, learnabout yourself and the market. What kind of player are you? Are you an Investoror a Trader or a Gambler? Gamblersare those who treat market as casino and play with it - never become a gamblerunless you are a rich guy and you just want spend..spend..and only spend. Trader is an opportunist, who takesadvantage of mispricing and makes profit from excessive greed and fear. An Investor is one who is optimistic, whohas a long term view, who is ‘buy and hold’ types – who does lot of fundamentalanalysis of the company and buys shares which he thinks would do well infuture.

Don’t get excited and jump without thinking – startlearning about stock markets. What is NIFTY? What is SENSEX? How to analyze acompany? How to select a good company in the current scenario? Read articles,books on fundamental analysis like ‘WarrenBuffet way’ by Robert Hagstorm.

Now I know the basics of stock markets, what next? Observethe market. How it is behaving? Why is it going up/down? What do so calledexperts on the news channel say? You may wonder “how long should I observe themarket?” The answer is “till you become completely familiar and confident aboutyour decision to buy some company stocks/shares”. Try to get details aboutPrice-Equity Ratio (P/E Ratio), Market Cap, Volumes etc of the company you areinterested in -understand the business model. Shortlist one good stock whichyou think would do well in future and can give you above average returns –Invest in small quantities.

Don’t relax - keep tracking the company you haveinvested in; have a target price in mind; sell shares when you reach thetarget. Always good to be prepared for uncertainty, isn’t it? Have max fall ofthe share from your buying price you can afford to lose in mind; if the priceof the share falls below that value; sell them by booking loss.

Practice and have a strategy that gives you goodreturns and learn from your mistakes.

Remember, stock markets are not a place to becomerich overnight. Only few people are successful in this profession. Lastly I wouldlike to end by a quote by Warren Buffet “I never attempt to make moneyon the stock market. I buy on the assumption that they could close the marketthe next day and not reopen it for five years”

Decision Making

2011-12-25T11:16:00.000+05:30

One takes decisions every day....where to go, when to go...what to do..what to post on my blog etc...

Knowing what it is can we express it in the form of definition or meaning?

If one asks you what managers do in an organization...what would be your answer?

To put it simply...Decision is the selection between possible outcomes

How is decision different from choice?

A choice is the selection between two or more objects

Mangers takes decisions - the process of taking decisions is decision making process

Decision making canbe regarded as the mental processes (cognitive process) resulting in theselection of a course of action among several alternative scenarios. Everydecision making process produces a final choice.The output canbe an action or an opinion of choice.

DRIVING WITHOUT WHEELS, FLYING WITHOUT WINGS

2011-05-20T21:54:00.006+05:30

ABSTRACT

This paper “Driving without wheels, Flying without wings” deals with the present scenario of magnetic levitation (maglev) with Linear induction motor (LIM) .The magnetically levitated train has no wheels, but floats-- or surfs-- on an electromagnetic wave, enabling rides at 330 miles per hour. By employing no wheels, maglev eliminates the friction, and concomitant heat, associated with conventional wheel-on-rail train configurations. There are two basic types of non-contact Maglev systems Electro Dynamic Suspension (EDS), and Electro Magnetic Suspension (EMS). EDS is commonly know as "Repulsive Levitation," and EMS is commonly known as "Attractive Levitation." Each type of Maglev system requires propulsion as well as "levitation." The various projects above use different techniques for prpulsion, but they are all variations of the Linear Induction Motor (LIM) or Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM).The conversion to a linear geometry has a far greater effect on induction motor performance than on that of synchronous motors. The cost of making the guideway is a high percentage of the total investment for a maglev system. The comparison looks even better for maglev when the terrain becomes difficult. Many of the tunnels, embankments, and cuttings necessary for roads and railroads are avoided because maglev guideways can be easily adapted to the topography. The Maglev system requires a slightly larger start-up capital construction cost, its operating cost-- because it deploys electricity in electromagnets in an extraordinarily efficient manner, rather than using as a fuel source coal, gas or oil-- can be one-half that of conventional rail. The crucial point is that maglev will set off a transportation and broader scientific explosion.

Key words: Magnetic levitation , Levitation , Propulsion , Linear induction motor(LIM).

INTRODUCTION

Air flights are and will remain beyond the reach of a major section of society, particularly in India. Moreover there are problems of wastage of time in air traffic delays and growing safety concerns. Trends in increased mobility of large masses with changing lifestyle for more comfort are leading to congestion on roads with automobiles. Besides, increasing pollution levels from automobiles, depleting fuel resources, critical dependence on the fuel import and due to a limited range of mobility of buses and cars the need for fast and reliable transportation is increasing throughout the world. High-speed rail has been the solution for many countries. Trains are fast, comfortable, and energy-efficient and magnetic levitation may be an even better solution.

Development of magnetic levitated transport systems is under progress in developed countries and it is just a matter of time they make inroads to India as well. Therefore, it will be interesting to know about the science and technology behind mass ground transport system known as "magnetic flight".

Magnetic levitation

Magnetic levitation is the use of magnetic fields to levitate a (usually) metallic object. Manipulating magnetic fields and controlling their forces can levitate an object. In this process an object is suspended above another with no other support but magnetic fields. The electromagnetic force is used to counteract the effects of gravitation. . The forces acting on an object in any combination of gravitational, electrostatic, and magnetostatic fields will make the object's position unstable. The reason a permanent magnet suspended above another magnet is unstable is because the levitated magnet will easily overturn and the force will become attractive. If the levitated magnet is rotated, the gyroscopic forces can prevent the magnet from overturning. Several possibilities exist to make levitation viable.

It is possible to levitate superconductors and other diamagnetic materials, which magnetize in the opposite sense to a magnetic field in which they are placed. A superconductor is perfectly diamagnetic which means it expels a magnetic field (Meissner-Ochsenfeld effect). Other diamagnetic materials are common place and can also be levitated in a magnetic field if it is strong enough. Diamagnetism is a very weak form of magnetism that is only exhibited in the presence of an external magnetic field. The induced magnetic moment is very small and in a direction opposite to that of the applied field. When placed between the poles of a strong electromagnet, diamagnetic materials are attracted towards regions where the magnetic field is weak. Diamagnetism can be used to levitate light pieces of pyrolytic graphite or bismuth above a moderately strong permanent magnet. As Superconductors are perfect diamagnets and when placed in an external magnetic field expel the field lines from their interiors (better than a diamagnet). The magnet is held at a fixed distance from the superconductor or vice versa. This is the principle in place behind EDS (electrodynamic suspension) maglev trains. The EDS system relies on superconducting magnets.

A maglev is a train, which is suspended in air above the track, and propelled forward using magnetism. Because of the lack of physical contact between the track and vehicle, the only friction is that between the carriages and air. So maglev trains can travel at very high speeds (650 km/h) with reasonable energy consumption and noise levels.

levitation

Each type of Maglev system requires propulsion as well as "levitation." The various projects below use different techniques for propulsion. The first thing a maglev system must do is get off the ground, and then stay suspended off the ground. This is achieved by the electromagnetic levitation system.

The principal two systems: EMS- attractive and EDS-repulsive, respectively.

In the EMS-attractive system, the electromagnets which do the work of levitation are attached on the top side of a casing that extends below and then curves back up to the rail that is in the center of the track. The rail, which is in the shape of an inverted T, is a ferromagnetic rail. When a current is passed through it, and the electromagnet switched on, there is attraction, and the levitation electromagnets, which are below the rail, raise up to meet the rail. The car levitates. The gap between the bottom of the vehicle and the rail is only 3/8" and an electronic monitoring system, by controlling the amount of attractive force, must closely control the size of the gap.

In the EDS-repulsive system, the superconducting magnets (SCMs), which do the levitating of the vehicle, are at the bottom of the vehicle, but above the track. The track or roadway is either an aluminum guideway or a set of conductive coils. The magnetic field of the superconducting magnets aboard the maglev vehicle induces an eddy current in the guideway. The polarity of the eddy current is same as the polarity of the SCMs onboard the vehicle. Repulsion results, "pushing" the vehicle away and thus up from the track. The gap between vehicle and guideway in the EDS-system is considerably wider, at 1 to 7 inches, and is also regulated (by a null-flux system). Thus, the guideway is not below, but out to the sides. Now the repulsion goes perpendicularly outward from the vehicle to the coils in the guidewalls. The perpendicular repulsion still provides lift.

they are all variations of the Linear Induction Motor (LIM) or Linear Synchronous Motor (LSM).

Choice of linear electric motor

A linear electric motor (LEM) is a mechanism which converts electrical energy directly into linear motion without employing any intervening rotary components. The development of one type of LEM,

Linear synchronous motor (LSM), is illustrated in graphic form in Figure IV-1. A conventional

rotary synchronous motor (above), such as that powering an electric clock, is made up of two rings of alternating north and south magnetic poles. The outer ring (the stator) is stationary, while the inner one (the rotor) is free to rotate about a shaft. The polarity of the magnets on one (either) of these rings is fixed; this element is known as the field. The magnets of the other ring, the armature, change their polarity in response to an applied alternating current. Attractive forces between unlike magnetic poles pull each element of the rotor toward the corresponding element of the stator. Just as the two poles are coming into alignment, the polarity of the armature magnets is reversed, resulting in a repulsive force that keeps the motor turning in the same direction. The armature poles are then reversed again, and the motor turns at a constant speed in synchronism with the alternating current which causes the change in polarity

Linear Induction Motor (LIM) is basically a rotating squirrel cage induction motor opened out flat. Instead of producing rotary torque from a cylindrical machine it produces linear force from a flat one. It is not a new technology but merely design in a different form. Only the shape and the way it produces motion is changed. But there are advantages: no moving parts, silent operation, reduced maintenance, compact size, ease of control and installation. LIM thrusts vary from just a few to thousands of Newtons, depending mainly on the size and rating. Speeds vary from zero to many meters per second and are determined by design and supply frequency. Speed can be controlled by either simple or complex systems. Stopping, starting, reversing, are all easy.

LEM's have long been regarded as the most promising means of propulsion for future high-speed ground transportation systems. The proposed system, while not strictly qualifying as high-speed, still derives so many advantages from the utilization of an LEM that no other propulsion means is being considered at this stage.

Within the broad range of possible LEM designs, many alternatives are available. The selection of the preferred configuration can perhaps best be understood through a discussion of the choices considered and the reasons for the rejection of the others.

1. Synchronous vs. induction motors. Far more effort has been put into research and development of linear induction motors (LIM's) than LSM's. LIM's do indeed have two distinct advantages. First of all, they are simpler and less costly to construct. The stationary element of the motor consists of nothing more than a rail or plate of a conducting material, such as aluminum. Alternating current applied to the coils of the moving electromagnets induces a fluctuating magnetic field around this conductor which provides the propulsive force. By contrast, LSM's require the installation of alternating north and south magnetic poles on both moving and stationary elements. Secondly, LIM's are self-starting, with the speed of motion being infinitely variable from zero up to the design maximum. LSM's, on the other hand, exhibit no starting torque; rotary motors of this type are generally equipped with auxiliary squirrel-cage windings so that they can act as induction motors until they reach operating speed.

LSM's possess other advantages, however, which are more than sufficient to outweigh these faults. They are far more efficient; models have been built with efficiencies of 97% or more, whereas the highest value yet attained for an LIM scarcely exceeds 70%. This is true despite the fact that rotary synchronous motors enjoy only a slight efficiency advantage over rotary induction motors; apparently the conversion to a linear geometry has a far greater effect on induction motor performance than on that of synchronous motors. Moreover, the efficiency of an LSM is relatively unaffected by the speed of travel; LIM's, on the other hand, do not reach peak efficiencies until they attain velocities which are well beyond those being considered here.

An LSM also operates at a constant speed, which depends solely on the frequency of the alternating current applied to its armature. This feature offers opportunities for absolute speed control; under normal operation, there is no way for any moving conveyance to alter its prescribed position relative to that of any other vehicle on the track. This fact imparts to any ground transportation system employing LSM's an enormously high traffic capacity, many times greater than the maximum attainable using LIM's. The proposed system demands such a capacity if it is to fulfill its goal of providing the opportunity for individual travel from any point on the system to any other, and at any time, day or night. Reciprocally, it is this potential for carrying huge volumes of traffic, made up of both public and private vehicles and of both passengers and cargo, that can justify the extra expenditure needed for the construction of an LSM-powered system.

Linear induction motor(LIM) in magnetic levitation

The High Speed Surface Transport (HSST) sysem is propelled by linear induction motor.The HSST primary coils are attached to the carriag body and the track configuration is simple, using the steel rails and aluminum reaction plates.The HSST levitation system uses ordinary electromagnets that excerts an attractive force and levitate the vehicle.The electromagnetsare attached to the car, but are positioned facing the under side of the guide way's steel rails.They provide an attractive force from brlow,levitating the car.

This attractive force is controlled by a gap sensor that measures the distance brtween the rails and electromagnets. A control circuit continually regulates the current to the electromagnet , ensuring that the gap remains at a fixed distance of about 8 mm, the current is decreased. This action is computer controlled at 4000 times per second to ensure the levitation.

As shown in figure, the levtation magnets and rail are both U shaped (with rail being an inverted U ). The mouths of U face one another. This configuation ensures that when ever a levitational force is excerted, a lateal guidance force occurs as well. if the electromagnet starts to shift laterally from the center of the rail, the lateral guidance force is excerted in proportion to the extent of the shift , bringing the electromagnet back into alignment. Theuseofanelecromagnetic attractive force to both levitatie and guide the car is a significant feature of HSST the system

we cna visulize an HSST linear motor as an ordinary electric induction motor that has been split open and flattend. This of linear motor has recently been used in various fields the fig illustrates in the HSST, the primary side coils of motor are attached to the car body in the secondary side reaction plates are installed along the guide way .this component acts as induction motor and ensures both propulsion and breaking force without any contact between car and guide way. This system a car mounted primary linear induction system. The ground side requires only a steel plate backed by an aluminum or copper plate, meaning that the rail source is simple.

one of the HSST's unique technical features is modules that correspond to the bogies on conectional rolling stock. Figure shows each consists primarly of a member of electromagnets for levitation guidance, a linear motor for propulsion and braking, and a hydraulic break system.

The two modules on the left and right sides of the car connected beams and this unit is called levitation bogie because the levitation bogies run the entire length of the car, the load car and load on guide way are spread out and the advantages of magnetic levitation can be fully exploited.

Characteristics of LIM

In most vehicular propulsion systems, provision must be made for increasing the power when the demand increases due to acceleration, a heavier load, increased drag, headwinds, or climbing a hill. In the case of an automobile, this is done through manipulation of both the accelerator and the transmission. But all of this is accomplished automatically when an LIM is used. Whenever more power is needed, the moving magnet begins to lag further behind the stationary one; this results in an immediate increase in thrust. No separate control is needed.

Moreover, when an LIM-powered vehicle descends a steep hill or decelerates into a station, the moving motor advances to a position where it leads the stationary one. Under these conditions, the motor performance is shown in the left half of Figure. This automatically results in the production of electrical energy which is fed back into the system with a frequency and phase coherent with the line voltage. In other words, LIM's are automatically regenerative.

REQUIREMENTS OF AN URBAN MAGLEV

A thorough requirements document should be prepared during the initial stage of the program. This document creates a common set of guidelines, which is intended to keep the design team focused during the design/development process. Included are requirements for the system and major subsystems to assure the performance, ride comfort and safety of the passengers.

Benefits of Magnetic Levitated Transportion system

* Unlike conventional transportation systems in which a vehicle has to carry the total power needed for the most demanding sections, the power of the maglev motor is dependent on the local conditions such as flat or uphill grades.

* Maglev uses 30% less energy than a high-speed train travelling at the same speed (1/3 more power for the same amount of energy).

* The operating costs of a maglev system are approximately half that of conventional long-distance railroads.

* Research has shown that the maglev is about 20 times safer than airplanes, 250 times safer than conventional railroads, and 700 times safer than automobile travel.

* Despite the speeds up to 500 km/hour, passengers can move about freely in the vehicles at all times.

* Maglev vehicle carries no fuel to increase fire hazard

* The materials used to construct maglev vehicles are non-combustible, poor transmitters of heat, and able to withstand fire penetration.

* In the unlikely event that a fire and power loss occurred simultaneously, the vehicle is automatically slowed down so that it stops at a predefined emergency power station.

* A collision between two maglev trains is nearly impossible because the linear induction motors prevent trains running in opposite directions or different speeds within the same power section.

Current Projects

Germany and Japan have been the pioneering countries in MagLev research. Currently operational systems include Transrapid (Germany) and High Speed Surface Transport (Japan). There are several other projects under scrutiny such as the SwissMetro, Seraphim and Inductrack. All have to do with personal rapid transit.

Other Applications

NASA plans to use magnetic levitation for launching of space vehicles into low earth orbit.Boeing is pursuing research in MagLev to provide a Hypersonic Ground Test Facility for the Air Force. The mining industry will also benefit from MagLev. There are probably many more undiscovered applications!

CONCLUSION

The MagLev Train: Research on this ‘dream train’ has been going on for the last 30 odd years in various parts of the world. The chief advantages of this type of train are: 1. Non-contact and non-wearing propulsion, independent of friction, no mechanical components like wheel, axle. Maintenance costs decrease. Low noise emission and vibrations at all speeds (again due to non-contact nature). Low specific energy consumption. Faster turnaround times, which means fewer vehicles. All in all, low operating costs.Speeds of upto 500kmph..Low pollutant emissions. Hence environmentally friendly

The MagLev offers a cheap, efficient alternative to the current rail system. A country like India could benefit very much if this were implemented here. Further possible applications need to be explored

REFERENCES

1. U.S. Department of Transportation (Federal Transit Administration). Low Speed Maglev Technology

Development Program – Final Report, FTA-CA-26-7025-02.1, March 2002.

2. R. F. Post, D. D. Ryutov, “The Inductrack: A Simpler Approach to Magnetic Levitation,” I.E.E.E, Transactions on Applied Superconductivity, 10, 901 (2000)

3. David.W. Doll, Robert D. Blevins, and Dilip Bhadra, “Ride Dynamics of an Urban Maglev,” Maglev 2002

GRE words with pictures

2011-03-16T20:22:00.005+05:30

What if you discover something by accident?

And if it is beneficial to you - what would your response be?

ser·en·dip·i·tous

adjective

1) come upon or found by accident
2) of, pertaining to, or suggesting serendipity
3)good; beneficial; favorable: serendipitous weather for ourvacation.

When things don't work out as you want it to, you'll feel frustrated or irritated - isn't it?

Suppose, when you wait in a queue for long hours - you'll feel frustrated or exasperated looking at the length of the line.

ex·as·per·ate
verb (used with object)

to irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoy extremely1)
2) Archaic.to increase the intensity or violence of (disease,pain, feelings, etc.).

All you would like to know about Union Budget 2011(India)

2011-03-16T19:24:00.002+05:30

The Union Budget 2011 was presented on February 28, 2011 by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherji, in the background of Indian economy swiftly coming back to a broad-based growth recovery path. The task on hand was to ensure that the continuance of recovery is aided through policy actions, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, to balance the growth trajectory with the rising concerns on inflation.

HIGHLIGHTS OF UNION BUDGET 2011

TAXES
=> Standard rate of excise duty held at 10 percent; no change in CENVAT rates.
=> Personal income tax exemption limit raised to Rs 180,000 from Rs 160,000 for individual tax payers.
=> For senior citizens, the qualifying age reduced to 60 years and exemption limit raised to Rs 2.50 lakh.
=> Citizens over 80 years to have exemption limit of Rs 5 lakh.
=> To reduce surcharge on domestic companies to 5 percent from 7.5 percent.
=> A new revised income tax return form 'Sugam' to be introduced for small tax papers.
=> Raise minimum alternate tax to 18.5 percent from 18 percent.
=> Iron ore export duty raised to 20 percent
=> Nominal one per cent central excise duty on 130 items entering the tax net. Peak rate of customs duty maintained at 10 per cent in view of the global economic situation.
=> Service tax widened to cover hotel accommodation above Rs 1,000 per day, A/C restaurants serving liquor, some category of hospitals, diagnostic tests.
=> Service tax on air travel increased by Rs 50 for domestic travel and Rs 250 for international travel in economy class. On higher classes, it will be ten per cent flat.
=> Works of art exempt from customs when imported for exhibition in state-run institutions; this now extended to private institutions.

SUBSIDIES
=> Subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 1.44 trillion rupees.
=> Food subsidy bill in 2011-12 seen at 605.7 billion rupees.
=> Revised food subsidy bill for 2010-11 at 606 billion rupees.
=> Revised fertilizer subsidy bill for 2010-11 at 550 billion rupees.
=> Revised petroleum subsidy bill in 2010-11 at 384 billion rupees.
=> State-run oil retailers to be provided with 200 billion rupee cash subsidy in 2011-12.

FISCAL DEFICIT
=> Fiscal deficit seen at 5.1 percent of GDP in 2010-11.
=> Fiscal deficit seen at 4.6 percent of GDP in 2011-12.

SPENDING
=> Total expenditure in 2011-12 seen at 12.58 trillion rupees.
=> Plan expenditure seen at 4.41 trillion rupees in 2011-12, up 18.3 percent.

REVENUE
=> Gross tax receipts seen at 9.32 trillion rupees in 2011-12.
=> Non-tax revenue seen at 1.25 trillion rupees in 2011-12.
=> Corporate tax receipts seen at 3.6 trillion rupees in 2011-12.
=> Tax-to-GDP ratio seen at 10.4 percent in 2011-12; seen at 10.8 percent in 2012-13.
=> Customs revenue seen at 1.52 trillion rupees in 2011-12.
=> Service tax receipts seen at 820 billion rupees in 2011-12.

GROWTH, INFLATION EXPECTATIONS
=> Economy expected to grow at 9 percent in 2012, plus or minus 0.25 percent.
=> Inflation seen lower in the financial year 2011-12.

DISINVESTMENT
=> Disinvestment in 2011-12 seen at 400 billion rupees.
=> Government committed to retaining 51 percent stake in public sector enterprises.

BORROWING
=> Net market borrowing for 2011-12 seen at 3.43 trillion rupees, down from 3.45 trillion rupees in 2010-11.
=> Gross market borrowing for 2011-12 seen at 4.17 trillion rupees.
=> Revised gross market borrowing for 2010-11 at 4.47 trillion rupees.

POLICY REFORMS
=> To create infrastructure debt funds.
=> FDI policy being liberalized.
=> To boost infrastructure development with tax-free bonds of 300 billion rupees.
=> Food security bill to be introduced.
=> To permit SEBI registered mutual funds to access subscriptions from foreign investments.
=> Raised foreign institutional investor limit in 5-year corporate bonds for investment in infrastructure by $20 billion.
=> Setting up independent debt management office; Public debt bill to be introduced in parliament soon.
=> Bills on insurance, pension funds, banking to be introduced.

SECTOR SPENDING
=> To allocate more than 1.64 trillion rupees to defence sector in 2011-12.
=> Corpus of rural infrastructure development fund raised to 180 billion rupees in 2011-12.
=> To provide 201.5 billion rupees capital infusion in state-run banks in 2011-12.
=> To allocate 520.5 billion rupees for the education sector. Rs.21,000 crore for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan.
=> To raise health sector allocation to 267.6 billion rupees.
=> Rs.500 crore more for national skill development fund.
=> Rs.54 crore each for AMU (Aligarh Muslim University) centres at Murshidabad and Mallapuram.
=> Rs.58,000 crore for Bharat Nirman; increase of Rs.10,000 crore.
=> Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme wage rates linked to consumer price index; will rise from existing Rs.100 per day.
=? Infrastructure critical for development; 23 percent higher allocation in 2011-12.

AGRICULTURE
=> Removal of supply bottlenecks in the food sector will be in focus in 2011-12.
=> To raise target of credit flow to agriculture sector to 4.75 trillion rupees.
=> 3 percent interest subsidy to farmers in 2011-12.
=> Cold storage chains to be given infrastructure status.
=> Capitalisation of National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) of 30 billion rupees in a phased manner.
=> To provide 3 billion rupees for 60,000 hectares under palm oil plantation.
=> Food storage capacity to be augmented; 15 more mega food parks to be set up in 2011-12; of 30 sanctioned in previous fiscal, 15 set up.
=> Comprehensive policy on further developing PPP (public-private-partnership) model.

MISCELLANEOUS
=> To move towards direct transfer of cash subsidy for kerosene, LPG and fertilizers.
=> Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission, headed by former Supreme Court judge B. Srikrishna, to complete its work in 24 months; to overhaul financial regulations.
=> Five-fold strategy against black money; 13 new double taxation avoidance agreements; foreign tax division of CTBT strengthened; strength of Enforcement Directorate increased three-fold.
=> Bill to be introduced to review Indian Stamp Act.
=> New coins carrying new rupee symbol to be issued.
=> Anganwadi workers salary raised from Rs.1,500 to Rs.3,000.
=> Housing loan limit for priority sector lending raised to Rs.25 lakh.

Read more on http://www.competitionmaster.com/

GRE Words with Pictures

2010-10-04T10:18:00.004+05:30

1) Credulous [ KREJ-uh'-luh' s ] (adjective)

Meaning: Willing to believe too readily, without adequate evidence or showing a lack of judgment or experience

Synonyms: believing, trustful, unsuspecting

Antonyms:skeptical, suspecting, suspicious, untrusting

Usage:
1) Would he find one man so credulous as to believe him?
2) She looks like a young Sigourney Weaver and plays the naive heroine well, if a little too credulous for my taste.
3) If this orator has a pose, it is a pose of simplicity, not credulous, but not openly perfidious either.

2) Pyromania [pahy-ruh-mey-nee-uh, -meyn-yuh] (noun)

Meaning: a compulsion to set things on fire.
Synonyms: firing, incendiarism, pyromania , setting fire, torching, touching off

Usage:

Taylor Momsen left her bandmates "grossed out" after her penchant for pyromania got out of hand - she once set fire to the uterus of her spayed pet dog

3) Glean [gleen] (verb)

Meaning: to gather slowly and laboriously, bit by bit.
Synonyms: accumulate, amass, ascertain, conclude, cull, deduce, extract, garner, gather, harvest, learn, pick, reap, select, sift, winnow
Antonyms: disassemble, disperse, scatter, separate

Usage:

1) They knew that he knew there were some scripts about not always entirely complete, but you gleaned what you could from them.
2) What great lesson can we glean from this simple fact that these three could only be constructed " with difficulty " ?
3) The above information was mostly gleaned from the book: The Story of Unity Theater.
4) Teachers huddle in dark corners and in hushed tones recite words of wisdom gleaned from these pages.
5) Jamie will explore insights gleaned over 25 years of youth work experience.

3) Platitude [plat-i-tood] (noun)
Meaning: dull, overused saying
Synonyms: banality, boiler plate, bromide, buzzword, chestnut, cliché, commonplace, corn, evenness, familiar tune, flatness, hackneyed saying, high camp, hokum, inanity, insipidity, monotony, motto, old chestnut, old story, potboiler, prosaicism, proverb, saw, shibboleth, stereotype, trite remark, triteness, triviality, truism, vapidity, verbiage
Antonyms: coinage, nuance, original saying

Usage:

1) To hand that power away while mouthing platitudes about a Europe of nations is an insult to our people.
2) Asked about Tax policy, George was only able to mouth platitudes about being in principle in favor of low taxes.
3) I write to my MP and get platitudes back.
4) Our politicians are slowly inching away from the old platitudes, too.
5) He was, justifiably, taken apart by Hugo Young of The Guardian for uttering similar platitudes on Frost.

Hungry to learn?

2010-09-21T21:46:00.002+05:30

Now anyone who is hungry to learn can access a nutritious high bandwidth educational buffet with tasty offerings around the world. Here's how you can learn

1) Khan Academy
The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) with the mission of providing a world-class education to anyone, anywhere. You can access a wide range of videos (1800+). Khan's curriculum is easy and accessible way to learn the basics of mathematics. You can also prepare for GMAT Math online. This is really helpful for people who cannot afford to spend thousands of rupees on coaching centers for learning what they want.

2) MIT OpenCourseWare
MIT OpenCourseWare is free and requires no registration. It has collection of lecturing superstars like physicist Walter Lewin.

You can access a lecture notes and videos of lectures at MIT. For MBA aspirants, you can access lecture notes of many subjects - example Operations Management

3) The Open University
This is not free, however, you can get a degree in your interest area by paying a nominal fee. Also there is support for UK and Ireland residents. It is a pay-to-play education option - you can get an international certificate by paying a nominal fee.

4) The Great Courses
If you are interested in buying video lectures/presentations of leading colleges like Stanford and Georgetown - this is the place you would want to be. You can order the course in three formats DVD, Audio CD and Audio Download. It would be helpful for those who want to experience Stanford lectures and other good colleges around the world.

5) Stanford on iTunes
This is also a pay-to-play type of education option for you. If you have a Mac, you can access some amazing tutorials. You can watch educational recordings from Stanford University to your iTunes library.

I hope this article will help you learn and master many subjects of your interest. Please leave a comment and share your experiences. Happy leaning!

Quant - Random Questions

2010-08-29T20:32:00.013+05:30

Folks,

This post is for all CAT aspirants. You might have already covered these areas by now - this is just an attempt to help you recollect those topics in a random fashion. So here we go:

Quadratic Equations:

Consider the quadratic equation ax²+bx+c=0

If A and B are roots of the equation then (x-A)(x-B)=0

A+B=(-b/a)

AB=(c/a)

Sum of the roots=-coefficient of x/coefficient of x²

Product of the roots=constant term/coefficient of x²

Cubic Equation:

For any cubic equation of the form ax³+bx²+cx+d=0.

If roots are A,B & C then,

A+B+C=(-b/a)

AB+BC+CA=(c/a)

ABC=(-d/a)

Q) :f(x) is a cubic polynomial with f(2a) = f(2b) = f(2c) = 0 and f(1) = 114
It is known that a + b + c = 2, a² + b² + c² = 6 and abc = −8

What is the value of f(2) ?

So: f(x) is a cubic polynomial with roots 2a, 2b and 2c.

Thus,

x³ – (2a + 2b + 2c)x² + (4ab + 4bc + 4ac)x – 8abc = 0 ...(i)

We have 2(ab + bc + ac) = (a + b + c)² – (a² + b² + c²) = 4 – 6 = −2

Substituting this in equation (i), we get

x³ – 4x² – 4x + 64 = 0 ...(ii)

We know that f(x) must be a real number multiple of (ii)
∴ f(x) = k(x³ – 4x² – 4x + 64)

f(1) = 114
∴ 57k = 114
∴ k = 2

∴ f(x) = 2(x³ – 4x² – 4x + 64)
Putting x = 2, we get f(2) = 2(8 – 16 – 8 + 64) = 96.

Q) What is the sum of first 21 terms of the series given below

1-5+4-9+7....

In this given series all the positive terms form a series 1,4,7,11.... and all negative terms form a series -5, -9, -11...

It has 11 terms of first AP and 10 terms of second AP.

Thought process:
As the question is about sum of the terms in AP, you should immediately recollect the formula for sum of the terms in AP. It is (n/2)[2a+(n-1)d].

So (11/2)[2(1)+10(3)] + (10/2)[2(-5)+9(-4)] = 176-230 = -54

Q) 1 × 3¹ + 2 × 3² + 3 × 3³ + … + n × 3ⁿ
What is the value of n?

Thought Process:

This is not in the form of GP a+ar+ar²+...arⁿ

We should get it into that form by considering

Sn = 1*3 + 2 *3² +......n*3ⁿ
3Sn = 1*3 +..........(n-1)*3ⁿ + n*3ⁿ⁺¹

Subtracting we get
-2Sn = 1*3+ 1*3² +....+1*3ⁿ-n*3ⁿ⁺¹
-2Sn=3*(3ⁿ - 1)/2 - n*3ⁿ⁺¹
4Sn= 3*(1-3ⁿ) +2*n*3ⁿ⁺¹
Sn= (3/4)(1-3ⁿ + 2n*3ⁿ)
Sn = (3/4)[(2n-1)*3ⁿ+1]

Therefore n = 18

Q) A trader sells vegetables at a profit of 20%. Further, he uses a false weight and weighs only 800 gm instead of 1000 gm. What is his profit percentage?

Thought process:
Let us assume the cost price of veg be 1000Rs. So 20% profit means 200Rs. Hence the selling price=1200Rs. But the cost is only for 800
Profit=((1200-800)/800) * 100=50%.
Assumption is key here - when the cost price is not given we have to assume some value - normally 100 or 1000 as it will be easy to calculate. Here it was for 1000 gm so we have assumed CP as 1000.

Prime Numbers:

Some of the key points to remember regarding prime numbers are

1. All the prime numbers greater than 3 will be in the form of 6k+1 or 6k-1
2. There are 25 prime numbers between 1-100
3. All the prime numbers except 2 are odd
4.The number of ways in which a number X can be as expressed as a product of two factors which are relatively prime to each other is given by the formula:- 2^n-1

Percentages

If C=A*B, and if A is increased by a%, and c is constant, then b will decrease by (a*100)/(a+100)
If C=A*B, and if A is decreased by b%, and c is constant, then b will increase by (a*100)/(a-100)

This formula can be used in host of other topics like

Distance= Speed*Time
Revenue= Sales units*Price
Expenditure= Price*Volume
Work Done= Men* No of Days

Infinite Equilateral Triangle

The middle points of the sides of the triangle are joined to form a second triangle . Again a third triangle is formed by joining the middle points of this second triangle and the process is repeated infinitely. If the perimeter and area of the outer triangle are P and A respectively, what will be the sum of the perimeters of triangles thus formed?

Sol:

When the mid points are joined in an equilateral, the total perimeter of the triangle also becomes half of the original perimeter.

Sum = P+P/2+P/4+P/8+P/16+P/32+P/64+P/128+.....= 2P.

Using the formula to sum to infinity of GP,
S= a/(1-r)
S=P/(1-(1/2)) = 2P

Q) Michael and Amanda are swimming with constant speed from two different ends of a swimming pool starting at the same time. When they meet for the first time, they are 750 m from Michael’s side of pool. They meet again for the second time at a distance of 500 m from Amanda’s side of the pool. If Amanda is yet to complete swimming the length of the pool, find the length of the swimming pool in metres?

Sol:
Let ‘t’ be the time taken by both when they meet for the first time.
When they meet for the second time, they will take another ‘t’ time since their speeds are constant and total distance travelled by them will be also same. Let 'd' be the length of the pool. When they meet first, Michael has covered 750 m and Amanda has covered (d – 750) m in time ‘t’.
When they meet for the second time, Amanda is yet to complete a round.
From the time they have started till they meet for second time, Amanda has completed 500 m in time ‘2t’ .
This means that Amanda must have completed 250 m in time ‘t’.
Total length of the pool = Distance covered by Amanda in time 't' + Distance covered by Michael in time 't' = 750 + 250 = 1000 m

Q) N' is the smallest natural number such that (25! / N) is a perfect square. Find the number of factors of N.

Sol:
The prime numbers less than 25 are 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19 and 23.

Let us find the highest power of all the above prime numbers in 25!. 25! = 25 x 24 x 23 x 22 ................................................x 3 x 2 x 1

25! = 2²² × 3¹⁰ × 5⁶ × 7³ × 11² × 13 × 17 × 19 × 23

For, (25! / N) to be a perfect square, all prime factors should have even power.
In the factorization, the numbers having odd power are 7, 13, 17, 19 and 23.

Since ‘N’ is the smallest number, we have
N = 7 × 13 × 17 × 19 × 23
Now, for a number A = a^xb^yc^z, the number of factors = (x + 1)(y + 1)(z + 1) Hence, the number of factors of N = (1+1) (1+1) (1+1) (1+1) (1+1) = 32

Q) Four numbers are selected randomly from the first ten natural numbers and product of these four natural numbers is equal to 'M'? What is the probability that 'M' is a multiple of 8?

Sol:
We know that first ten natural numbers are, 1, 2, 3 ................, 10. Now we can choose 4 numbers out of 10 numbers in ¹⁰C₄ ways = 10! / 6! 4! = 10 x 9 x 8 x 7 / 4 x 3 x 2 x 1 = 210 ways. Hence, 'M' can take 210 different values.

Now let us find out the number of values of 'M' which are divisible by 8:

Case1: - 8 is one of the number which is selected for sure. Now we can choose balance 3 numbers out of 9 numbers in ⁹C₃ ways = 9! / 6! 3! = 9 x 8 x 7 / 3 x 2 x 1 = 84 ways. Hence, 'M' can take 84 values in this situation.

Case2: - 2 and 4 are choosen for sure. Now we can choose balance 2 numbers out of 7 numbers (except 8, we are not counting 8 as all the cases pertaing to 8 have already been counted in Case1) in ⁷C₂ ways = 7! / 5! 2! = 7 x 6 / 2 x 1 = 21 ways. Hence, 'M' can take 21 values in this situation.

Case3: - 6 and 4 are choosen for sure. Now we can choose balance 2 numbers out of 6 numbers (except 8 and 2, we are not counting 8 and 2 as all the cases pertaing to 8 and 2 have already been counted in Case1 and Case2) in ⁶C₂ ways = 6! / 4! 2! = 6 x 5 / 2 x 1 = 15 ways. Hence, 'M' can take 15 values in this situation.

Case4: - 10 and 4 are choosen for sure. Now we can choose balance 2 numbers out of 5 numbers (except 8, 6 and 2, we are not counting 8, 6 and 2 as all the cases pertaing to 8, 6 and 2 have already been counted in Case1, Case2 and Case3) in ⁵C₂ ways = 5! / 3! 2! = 5 x 4 / 2 x 1 = 10 ways. Hence, 'M' can take 10 values in this situation.

Case5: - 2, 6 and 10 are choosen for sure but 4 and 8 are not choosen. Now we can choose balance 1 numbers out of 5 numbers in 5 ways. Hence, 'M' can take 5 values in this situation.

Hence, total number of values 'M' can have which are divisible by 8 = 84+21+15+10+5 = 135

or, the required Probability = Desirable number of cases / Total number of cases = 135/210 = 9/14

Q) There are three taps ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’ in a tank filled with water and that of capacity 60 m³. Tap ‘A’ can empty the tank in 20 min., tap ‘B’ can empty it in 15 min. whereas tap ‘C’ can empty it in 12 min. All three taps are opened simultaneously when tank is full with water. In the process at some point of time one of the taps got blocked and it took exactly 7 min. to empty the tank. Which of the tap got blocked and when?
a) 'A' after 1 min b) 'B' after 1 min c) 'C' after 1 min d) 'A' after 30 secs.

Sol:
‘A’ can empty the tank in 20 min. and hence water pouring out = 60/20 = 3 m³
‘B’ can empty the tank in 15 min. and hence water pouring out = 60/15 = 4 m³
‘C’ can empty the tank in 12 min. and hence water pouring out = 60/12 = 5 m³
Hence total water coming out if all three taps are open = 3+4+5 = 12 m³ Total time to be taken to empty the tank = 60/12 = 5 minutes, but it is taking 7, minutes If tap ‘A’ got blocked after x min. then, 3(x) + 4(7) + 5(7) = 60, which is not possible. If tap ‘B’ got blocked after x min. then, 3(7) + 4(x) + 5(7) = 60, which gives the value of ‘x’ as 1 min. if tap ‘C’ got blocked after x min. then, 3(7) + 4(7) + 5(x) = 60, which gives the value of ‘x’ as 2.2 min. Given the available options, tap ‘B’ got blocked after 1 min. is the correct option. Hence, correct option is (b).

Q) In a 10-team NBA baskete-ball league, each team plays each of the other teams 18 times. No game ends in a tie, and, at the end of the season, each team is ahead of the next best team by the same positive number of games. What is the greatest number of games that the last place team could have won?

Sol:
The number of games played is (18 x (9) x 10)/2 = 810
If 'n' is the number of wins of the last-place team, and d is the common difference of wins between successive teams, then n + (n + d) + (n + 2d) + • • • + (n + 9d) = 10n + 45d = 810 or, 2n + 9d = 162 Now 'n' is maximum when 'd' is minimum (but not zero, because there are no ties). Hence, the smallest integral value of 'd' for which 'n' is integral is d = 2, substituting this in the equation, we will get, n = 72

Q)Find the remainder when the LCM of 1347¹³⁴⁵ - 1 and 1347¹³⁴⁵ + 1, is divided by 10.

Sol:
The given numbers are two even consecutive numbers.
For any two even consecutive even number, the HCF = 2
According to the property, HCF x LCM = Product of the two numbers
As last digit of 1347¹³⁴⁵-1 is 6 and that of 1347¹³⁴⁵+1 is 8, the last digit of the product = 6 x 8 = 48
Since, the product ends in 8 and HCF is 2, we get the last digit of LCM as 4.
The remainder of any number when divided by 10 is always the last/unit digit of the number. Since the LCM of the two numbers end in 4, when divided by 10 will give a remainder 4.

Q) Rohit wants to propose to his girlfriends, Sonia and Priyanka. The probability of him proposing to Sonia is 0.3 and proposing to Priyanka is 0.4. The probability of Sonia accepting the proposal is 0.7 and Priyanka accepting the same proposal is 0.6. If Rohit‘s proposal is being accepted, then what is the probability that it is accepted by Priyanka?

Sol:
This is the case of Conditional probability.
Required Probability = (Priyanka accepting proposal)/(Priyanka accepting proposal+Sonia accepting proposal)
Probability of Priyanka accepting proposal = 0.4 * 0.6
Probability of Sonia accepting proposal = 0.3 * 0.7
Required probability   = ( 0.4 * 0.6 ) / ( 0.3 * 0.7 + 0.4 * 0.6)
                                        = 24 / 45
                                        =   8 / 15

CUBES:

If we paint a cube of the dimension n * n * n in any one color and cut it to get n³ symmetric cubelets; then the number of cubelets with color on different faces can be categorized as follows:

Cubelets with only one face painted - 6 * (n-2)²
Cubelets with only two faces painted - (n-2) * 12
Cubelets with three faces painted - 8
Cubelets with no face painted - (n-2)³

Q)125 small but identical cubes have been put together to form a large cube.how many such small cubes would be required to cover this large cube completely?

Sol:

The size of the cube made using 125 small cubes is 5 x 5 x 5. After covering this the size of the cube will become (n+2) x (n+2) x (n+2) i.e. 7 x 7 x 7.

So total numbers of cubes in 7 x 7 x 7 = 343.

Extra number of cubes required = 343 - 125 = 218

2)what is the maximum number of identical pieces of cube that can be cut into by 3 cuts?

Sol:

I think its clear that the 3 cuts are to be put in the three different axis.

Next putting 1 cut, splits an edge into 2 equal halves, 2 cuts will split into 3 equal parts and so on.

Here 1 cut is out in each axis ... So new cube dimensions are 2 x 2 x 2. Total number of smaller cubes = 8

Formula: 2ⁿWhere n is the number of cuts

3) 125 small but identical cubes are cut to form a large cube.This large cube is now painted on all six faces. How many of the smaller cubes have no faces painted at all / have exactly one face painted?

Sol:

Number of cubes with no face painted = 3 x 3 x 3 = 27

One face painted = 6 x (n-2) x (n-2). So it is = 6 x 3 x 3 = 54

What credentials are Hottest right now for management jobs?

2010-08-29T01:22:00.003+05:30

Of late there has been a paradigm shift in the way the employer looks for in an employee. The demand for certified professionals has increased substantially over last few years. While some of the employers largely employ college graduates, others have heavily relied on certified professionals. Survey on demand for certified professionals clearly explains why there is a demand - better pay and promotion.

While certifications definitely add value to your resume, it makes sense to ask yourselves the following questions:
1) Is it relevant to my present job?
2) Will it help me go up the ladder?
3) Is it worth spending time and money on this?
4) What is the demand now and in future?

In this post I will be writing mainly on management related certifications. For IT professions this article lists the top 10 certifications in demand in 2010.

I had done some research on some certifications. In this post I am going to briefly explain the importance of those certifications and how they can help you stand out from the crowd.

1) Business English Certificate (BEC)

For any manager, sound communication skills and business intelligence are quintessential. BEC certification helps you show employers that you are good in business English and you can use it in a business context.Click here for details and here for exam centers.

2) Project Management Certification by PMI

Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives. This certification helps you stand out from crowd and demonstrates your project management skills.

Top 10 reasons for earning a PMI credential.

How to become a Certified Project Management Professional? - visit this link.

3) Six Sigma Certification

Six Sigma Competencies can help you work more efficiently and deliver better and faster results. Six Sigma Certified Green Belts and Six Sigma Certified Black Belts can accelerate your carrier growth. Six Sigma certification is for individuals working in any organization, as better and faster results are appreciated in any organization, not only six sigma organizations. Today, in this competitive world expectations are high - pressure to deliver fast results and drive change is expected out of all managers. This certification can help you learn the traits of delivering fast results.

How to get Six Sigma Certification? - visit this link.

Here are some globally recognized management games that might help you in your career

The Business Strategy Game

Management Game by David Lamont

Please leave your comment about this post.

Why MBA? - Skills required to become a good Manager

2010-08-08T12:47:00.002+05:30

Are you Business-Savvy?

Do you like/love managing people?

Are you good at prioritizing your tasks?

Are you good at managing your funds?

If the answer for the above questions is 'yes', then you might be having an interest in management. If you are aiming for a management job, you should acquire some skills that will give you an edge over the others in the market.

Skills required to become a manager are

1)Numeracy and Analytical Skills

-Can be developed through case studies and projects

2)Written Presentation Skills

-Can be developed through assignments and project reports

3)Oral Presentation Skills

-Can be developed through presentations on group work

4)Team Skills

-Can be developed through group work on cases and projects

5)IT Skills

-Word processing and graphics, spreadsheets, databases, and electronic conferences

6)Negotiation and other Consultancy Skills

-Can be developed through an in-company project

7)Personal Skills(Self-Organization and Time Management)

-Can be developed through meeting and program demands

8)Learning skills and self-awareness

-Through a continuous process of challenging assumption and reflection on practices

Why MBA?

This is an invariable question in any MBA Entrance Interview. Getting this answer pat right is critically important 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 misfit for the curriculum, it would mean you are actually not cut out for 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.

Moving on, let’s look at a few caricatures wherein an MBA degree can be handy: -

a) The Anointed Heir who wants to hold the keys to his/her kingdom. This guy is someone like an industrialist’s son, who will have to take over the running of an existing corporate empire.

b) The Shop Floor Enthusiast who wants to sit in the gilded corporate office. This guy is typically someone who has devoted many years on the shop floor (it could also be in a lab... 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.

c) The Intrepid Entrepreneur who wants to create an empire. This guy is someone who is all set to start his or her own business and wants to know the tools of how to do so.

d) The Power Seeker who wants to crack the management ceiling he/she has hit because of the lack of an MBA degree. This person is typically someone who is a part of management but sees many promotions pass by him/ her due to a perceived lack of managerial perspective. Most of the top management believe that a person with a management degree has managerial perspective.

e) The Money Player who would like to increase his/her pay packet. An MBA degree immediately increases your market value. If a post-graduate in Economics is offered say Rs. 7,000 per month as a starting salary, an MBA graduate is typically offered at least Rs. 10,000 to 12,000 per month.

f) The Reluctant Graduate who believes that he/she has learnt nothing at all that can get him/her a job. The non-professional graduate courses available today are not perceived to have any marketable value by the corporate world. These, therefore, need to be augmented to make the graduate ‘market worthy’.

The underlying advantage in all the six caricatures is that an MBA degree immediately flags you off as someone who can be trained to take up positions of authority.

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 hot-house where you are pushed to deliver. You are introduced to fierce competition. The conditions work on you in such a way that either you break-down and leave the course half-way, or 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 like macro-economics, consumer behaviour, psychology, marketing, cultural heritage, communication theory, operations research, quantitative techniques, finance, HR, etc. Most programmes cover over 30 subjects! Apart from exposure to subjects, you meet people from various backgrounds and places. This really broadens your outlook!

3. And last but not the least, an MBA course brings together impressionable young men and women, and you may just catch your soul mate while slogging over case studies!

Source: M BArk / Advanc'edge MBA / April 2003

If you are still not clear as to why you want to do an MBA, ask yourself the above mentioned questions - you will soon get the right answer :-)

Links you might want to visit

Why should you do an MBA?

Why Do You Want to Be a Manager?

How to Become a Manager — 13 Skills You’ll Need

Facebook Interview Experiences - Hyderabad

2010-07-11T15:56:00.005+05:30

Folks,

As many of you already know that Facebook is starting its operations in India.Bloomberg UTV news.It has already started recruiting full time employees for its Hyd office.

In this post, I'm gonna share some interview experiences and the selection procedure for Facebook.

Here is the career page of Facebook, where you can have a look at the job requirements and responsibilities.

Interview Process:

First, apply (for a position you choose) online on the careers page of Facebook by submitting your resume. If your resume gets shortlisted, you will receive a mail asking you to take a written test. The test is basically to test your written communication skills(you will need access to a computer/the internet during this time), it will have two questions regarding Facebook's India expansion and another question will test your knowledge of Facebook.

EX: 1 What are the advantages of Facebook's entry to India

2.Select a Facebook application and draft a mail to user giving him steps to use that application.

Note: Don't copy information from web, you will be automatically disqualified upon doing so.

Your test will be evaluated by linguists team and the results will be returned within 1-2 weeks. They will schedule time to speak once the writing test results are confirmed.

You will have two rounds of telephonic interview, where most of the questions will be on your current work experience.

Upon clearing those two rounds, you will have 3-4 face-to-face interviews in some hotel.

Here are some questions that were asked during those rounds

1) What are you strengths and weaknesses?

2) Why Facebook?

3) How do your current job duties carry over to this position?

4) What experience do you have with platform analyst?

5) What would your current boss say if I asked him why I should hire you?

6) What is a recent project you are really proud of?

7) Why would your current boss recommend I hire you?

8) How would you change facebook? How would you change the help center?

9) What would you improve on the site?

10) Tell me about a time you disagreed with your manager about an issue, and what did you do to overcome it?

11) Can you explain a situation where you didn't meet your goals or objectives ?

12) If your current manager has to tell about your strengths and weaknesses what would be your strengths and weaknesses?

13) Explain a situation where you faced conflict or difficult communication problems ?

14) Have you ever had a conflict with a boss / colleague /professor or with your family members? How was it resolved?

15) How would you compare Facebook advertisements to competing advertisement outlets such as Google or Yahoo?

When you think about the Web, the Web promised engagement. No longer would it be static. No longer would you just watch the TV commercial, but you would interact. But there is not a lot of advertising on the Web which is truly interactive. There aren't that many places where an advertiser can connect with users and do so as a part of their experience and as part of the sharing. Facebook actually offers that ability.

16) What sets facebook apart from other networking sites?

17) Describe your favourite feature/application. Try to write it as a letter/email to a user asking for your advice.

Here are some useful links

techcrunch.com

Times of India

India Mobile users

Other Facebook Experiences

Interview of Facebook's Sentor Platform Analyst

Real-Time Reactive Control Layer Design or Intelligent Silver-Mate Robot on RTAI

2010-07-11T14:54:00.004+05:30

Abstract:

               Intelligent robots are capable of handling complex tasks that includes recognition of vocal commands, logical inference, autonomous navigation and manipulation, etc. To accomplish intelligent behaviors, researchers have proposed a number of control software architectures such as tripodal schematic control architecture (TSCA). To achieve real-time performance for robot's navigation, we have implemented software components in the reactive layer of TSCA on RTAI (Real-Time Application Interface) for our intelligent robot. In this article, we present our structures of the reactive layer components. Real-time performance of the designed reactive control layer is demonstrated via experimental results.

Introduction :

             As medical technology advances with reducing birthrate, many countries are becoming aging or aged societies. To help solve problems of aging society, more and more researches are conducted on development of helper robots namely Silver Robots. These Silver Robots should be capable of handling complex tasks including human-robot interaction via voice and gesture, sensing environments using various sensors, logical inference, as well as performing jobs using manipulation and navigation. In order to perform such complex tasks within given time limits, solid software architecture should be used. Tripodal Schematic Control Architecture (TSCA) developed has been successfully implemented on three versions of their Public Service Robot (PSR) series.
           TSCA uses a hybrid approach with three layers for its control: Deliberate layer, Sequencing layer and Reactive layer. The deliberate layer includes software components for human robot interaction and task planning. The sequencing layer has low-level configuration and process supervisor that manages reactive layer components. The
Reactive layer consists of real-time components such as resource components for sensor management, controller components for actuator management, and sets of behavior components for basic real-time control. TSCA of PSR series robots were implemented
on a Windows-based PC, where the reactive layer is not explicit.   To achieve real-time performance for robot's sensing, navigation and manipulation, design and implementation software components in the reactive layer using Real-Time Application Interface (RTAI) on Linux. Software components in the reactive layer require real-time performance, since sensing and movement of mobile-base or manipulator have direct effect on the safety issue of Silver-Mate Robots.

FIGURE 1: Modified TSCA with Real-Time Capabilities in Reactive Layer

2 Robot Platform:

2.1 Hardware Architecture:

             Research on real-time reactive control architecture was targeted to a versatile mobile platform. Platform consists of three single board computers (SBC) using P-4M 2.2GHz processor and 1GB SDRAM. Head part consists of two stereo vision cameras, a pan-tilt module, and sixteen microphones for voice processing. vision and voice hardwares are each controlled Separate SBC for application with algorithms requiring heavy computations. All other hardware Components which are largely related to real-time software components are connected to Main SBC as shown in Figure 3. A gyrois connected through data acquisition (DAQ) board. Two laser range finders (LRF), two infra-red (IR) scanners and two sonar controllers, each in charge of six sonar sensors are connected to Main SBC through an 8-port serial board. Two BLDC motors, the only actuators currently on the platform, are controlled by a DSP-based BLDC control board which is also connected through the serial board. BLDC control board also manages encoders attached to each BLDC motors, two front bumper sensors, and also battery voltage.




Silver-Mate Robot Platform



Main SBC

2.2 Software Architecture

               Software components comprising the proposed real-time reactive control layer on Main SBC are structured as shown in Figure 4. Each Resource components configures a given sensor hardware for periodic data, acquisition, manages hardware operation, and also stores the sensor data in shared memory for other software components. An Actuator component configures and manages actuator hardware and sends generated control outputs. A Behavior component is a basis of reactive action which uses the sensory data to compute the control output. Finally, a Behavior Coordinator (BC) component collects outputs from a set of Behavior components and fuses them for Actuator component. There are ten Resource components, one for each sensor hardware attached, one Actuator component for the actuator on the platform, one BC component, and two Behavior components. To communicate with components in sequencing layer, RT Task Supervisor (RTTS) component is used to manage all real-time tasks and handle service requests issued to reactive layer.


Reactive Layer Software Components

2.3 Real-Time OS and Drivers:

         Designed reactive control layer was implemented using RTAI. Version 3.1 of RTAI distribution was used, along with 2.4.27 version of Linux kernel and 0.7.69
Version of COMEDI3 drivers for the DAQ board. Since the Main SBC uses an 8-port serial board, real-time serial driver included in RTAI distribution was modified accordingly. COMEDI driver was also modified to support hardware timer functionality of the DAQ board.

3 Reactive Control Layer Design

3.1 Resource Modules

      3.1.1 Gyro Resource:
               A gyro sensor is connected to the system through DAQ board. Hence Gyro Resource module uses modified COMEDI driver to convert analog sensor output to digital value periodically, using hardware timer functionality of the DAQ board. Registered Callback function is called when a sensor data is available; hence the callback function stores sensor data in shared memory for other software components.



     3.1.2 LRF Resources

                  Two LRF sensors, LMS200 model from Sick, are connected through 8-port serial board. LMS200 can operate in continuous scan mode, so once LRF Resource
Module configures LMS200 upon initialization, sensor data is received periodically. LRF Resource module largely consists of two parts. One is callback function registered to RTAI serial driver, which collects low level serial bytes from LRF to form a serial packet. Second part is the RT task, which is woke up by the callback function upon reception of complete packets and parses them to extract sensor data. Extracted data is stored in shared memory for other software components.

     3.1.3 IR Resources

            Two IR scanners, PBS-03JN model are also connected through 8-port serial board. PBS-03JN does not support continuous scan mode and requires virtual link management. Data receiving part of IR Resource module uses a callback function and an RT task as in LRF Resources, but it has additional RT task with 200ms period to generate commands to request sensor readings and manage virtual link. Data extracted by reception RT task is stored in shared memory.





      3.1.4 Sonar Resources

                  There are two sonar controller boards on the system, one in charge of six sonar sensors around the front half of the robot platform and the other in charge of six sonar sensors around the rear half. To obtain a sonar data periodically, an RT task is used. At every given time interval, RT task issues are command, waits for some time and issues read data command for each sonar sensor. Reception of serial data is handled using a callback function and an RT task, similar to LRF or IR Resource modules. Extracted sonar data is stored in shared memory.



                                                                 Sonar Resource Structure



         3.1.5 Encoder, Battery, and Bumper Re-sources
                   Two encoders of BLDC motors, two front bumper sensors and battery voltage sensor are connected via BLDC control board, as shown in Figure 3. Hence they can only be accessed through serial protocol provided by the BLDC control board. Software component that manages BLDC control board hardware is MBase Actuator module, which is explained in Chapter 3.2, hence Encoder, Battery, and Bumper Resource modules depend largely on functionalities provided by MBase Actuator module. MBase Actuator provides functionalities to register or unregistered a callback function for each of encoder, battery, and bumper hardware. These three Resource modules register their callback functions upon initialization. When a new data is generated, callback function is called and it stores the sensor data in designated shared memory. Periodic generation of sensor data is a job of MBase Actuator and no other functions are needed for these three Resource modules.
Encoder and battery data are generated periodically. However, unlike other sensor hardwares, bumper event is a sporadic event. Therefore, a new bumper sensor data is only generated when there is a change in bumper status. Reading current bumper data" can cause blocking of the calling task.

3.2 Actuator Module:

Only one set of actuators exists on the platform as shown in Figure 3, thus only one Actuator module exists. We call it MBase Actuator in short for Mobile-Base Actuator. MBase Actuator manages a DSP-based BLDC control board. BLDC control board is connected via serial port and it uses a layer of serial protocol for exchanging command and status data. MBase Actuator module provides a layer of abstraction for the underlying serial protocol by providing a set of API functions. A data structure for command buffer, a serial callback function, and a packet-parsing RT task are used.
As mentioned earlier, MBase Actuator module is in charge of generating encoder, battery, and bumper data. An RT task is used to periodically generate data request commands and a set of callback registration
API functions are provided. Registered callback functions are called within the packet-parsing RT task. In case of emergency, hardware reset button in the BLDC control board may be pressed. To detect such event and re-initialize MBase Actuator module, a watchdog RT task is used to monitor periodic exchange of serial packets.

3.3 Behavior Modules:

A Behavior is a basis of action used to determine actual movement of the robot platform. Many different kind of Behavior can co-exist, such as Move Behavior that tries to move in a certain direction, Go To Behavior that tries to move to a certain position or Obstacle Avoid Behavior that tries to avoid static or dynamic obstacles in its path. All Behavior modules have similar execution flow. When it wakes up, it reads sensor data needed,
Computes control output, passes it on to BC component, and suspends itself as shown
Current implementation of Move Behavior receives translational and rotational velocity commands from the sequencing layer and outputs them for BC. Obstacle Avoid Behavior reads LRF data to and location of the nearest obstacle and generates an output to avoid it

                                                          A Behavior Execution Flow

3.4 Behavior Coordinator Module:
                    A Behavior Coordinator (BC) manages all Behaviors and fuse their outputs to generate actual control output for Actuators. We implemented MBase BC for MBase Actuator, which has a few operational modes. For each operational mode, different sets of Behaviors are used. For instance, when MBase BC operates in Move with Obstacle Avoidance Mode, both Move and Obstacle Avoid Behaviors are active. For simple Move Mode, only Move Behavior is active.

3.5 Real-Time Task Supervisor
                 The reactive control layer components were implemented as kernel modules. In order to exchange messages with sequencing layer components, IPC mechanisms provided by RTAI must be used. Real-Time Task Supervisor (RTTS) component's job is to interface these two layers. RTTS component is made up of a kernel module and a C++ class. RTTS module uses RT-FIFOs to receive service requests issued to the reactive layer and to report status of the reactive layer back to the sequencing layer. RTTS C++ class is used to abstract complex RT-FIFO communication protocol into simple class methods that can be used by other sequencing layer components. Current implementation provides methods.

                 Method                    Description

           SetOpMode Set New Operation Mode
           GetOpMode                  Get Current Operation Mode
           Move                             Issue a Move Command
           Set Position                    Set Current Position
           Get Position                   Get estimated position
           Stop                              stop gracefully

                                   RTTS C++ Class Methods

4 Experimental Results :

               To analyze the real-time performance of implemented reactive control layer, two experiments were conducted: one to demonstrate performance of Resource components and the other to demonstrate performance of Actuator-related components.

           Resource Min     Max Period    Pmax

            Gyro        12.63    29.0 20.81 8.18
            Battery     2007.9 2031.6 2019.8 11.9
            Encoder 34.375 44.125 39.250 4.875
            IR            94.06 206.88 200.47 6.41
            LRF        207.56 217.69 212.62 5.06
            Sonar      100.81 121.25 111.03 10.22

                                                Measured Sample Interval

4.1 Sensor Data Acquisition:
One of the important job of the reactive layer is to manage sensor hardwares and gather sensor data as periodically as possible. There are six kinds of Resource components in our reactive layer. While running all Resource modules at the same time, over a thousand consecutive data samples were collected every three seconds from each Resource odules. Table2 shows the minimum and maximum values of measured time interval between two consecutive samples. From the relationship among actual sample period, P, difference between maximum and minimum sample delays, Pmax, minimum sample interval, min
and maximum sample interval, Imax, the values of P and Pmax can be calculated as shown in Table 2. Calculated actual sample period, P, and worst case delay in sample data, Pmax, shows that generation of sample data using implemented reactive layer is periodic and deterministic.


4.2 Response to Velocity Commands:

To prevent robot platform from damaging itself, BLDC control board uses accepted velocity commands to create modified velocity pro les with increasing or decreasing slopes. Four step translational velocity commands from 0.1m/s to 0.4m/s were issued
and resulting velocity were measured by reading encoder values every twenty milliseconds. Resulting step velocity responses are shown in Figure 10, where velocity command of 0m/s were issued three seconds later to stop the platform, and acceleration/deceleration time is set to 0.25s. Figure11 shows velocity response to a series of velocity commands. These results show that implemented reactive control layer can accomplish navigation commands from sequencing layer within predictable amount of transition time.

Conclusion:

                In this paper, we explained how we implemented the real-time reactive control layer structure of modified TSCA architecture for Silver-Mate robot using RTAI. Experimental results demonstrates that our implementation is able to obtain sensor data periodically in a predictable manner and execute navigation commands in real-time. As a further work, exhaustive testing will be performed on our implementation. Furthermore, our implementation will be integrated with resulting software components of other researches for final integration and test. Our research will focus on use of Controller Area Network (CAN) and Ethernet for distributed computing environment for intelligent mobile robots.