Saturday Infographic - NITI Aayog versus Planning Commission

From Telegraph.

Read The Best Way to Crack the GWPI at India's Top B-Schools.

No posts - My Note

This week there will be no Book Excerpt (regular Friday feature), Saturday Infographic, and Sunday Reads; am travelling for GDPI Workshops.

Tuesday Quiz

Sunday Read - The Derision of Madmen

This Sunday, I will share only one read: The Derision of Madmen, from the pages of the Kolkata-based Telegraph.

Saturday Infographic - Global Economic Growth 2015

From Reuters blog.

Book Excerpt: Stoner, by John Williams

For the last few years, I have been reading less of fiction and more of non-fiction, especially stuff related to international politics and economics.

I cannot think of any specific reason for this; but I think I have found the right novel to take me back into the magic world of fiction, which often is truer than the 'reality'.

That novel is Stoner, written by John Williams. This is an old novel, first published in 1965. I am still reading the novel, savoring every word of the poignant tale.

(Read: The Best Way to Crack the GWPI at India's Top B-Schools)

I strongly urge you to read this tale of 'the human story'. Truthful. Sad. Moving. Soul-stirring.

Title: Stoner

Author: John Williams
Publisher: Vintage
Pages featured here: 

Note: All copyrights/trademarks belong to the owners of the publication/author(s). It is not my intention to profit from their work. In fact, I just wish that the readers of this blog are encouraged to buy/read the works represented here.

Tuesday Quiz

Saturday Infographic - History of Tata Group's Aviation History

From ET. Click on the graphic for a larger view.

Book Excerpt: The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order

For several years now, relations between between the West and Islamic World have been marked by deep antipathy
This deep mistrust is a legacy of growing radicalism in the Muslim World and is characterised by a marked hatred of the West. It does not help that the foreign policies of the Western nations are guided by their narrow economic and strategic interests, often in the Middle East.

Samuel Huntington, former editor of Foreign Affairs, is the author of the ground-breaking work, The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of the World Order. In his magnum opus, Huntington argues that the 21st century will be marked by clashes between civilisations - Islam versus the West, Islam versus Sinic (China), Islam versus Hindu, Russia versus Sinic, Russia versus Islam, among others.

Title: The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of the World Order

Author: Samuel Huntington
Publisher: Penguin
Pages featured here: 23-25

Note: All copyrights/trademarks belong to the owners of the publication/author(s). It is not my intention to profit from their work. In fact, I just wish that the readers of this blog are encouraged to buy/read the works represented here.

Tuesday Quiz

The Best Way to Crack the GWPI at India's Top B-Schools

(Please note I have changed the font on this blog from Trebuchet to Verdana.)

If you have secured or are expecting an interview short-list from a b-school, you should now focus on your preparation for the highly competitive and rigorous stages like GD, Essay (variously called Written Ability Test or Writing Test), and Interview (GWPI).  

To put in a great performance in the GWPI, please focus on the following for effective preparation:

(a) Academics

• Pour over your graduation subjects.
• You may have favourite subject(s). If you have one, you must be really comfortable with almost everything related to this subject.
• Also, throw a glance at your project(s) work and paper presentation(s).

(b) Career 

• Think about long term plans (even if not concrete);
• Get a hang of things in your chosen line of activity; 
• How your mental strengths and current skill set match your choice of career, and 
• Also, think about Plan B, i.e., what if Plan A (of doing an MBA and later career choices) does not work out. 

(c) Self-related Qs

• Hobbies;
• Evaluate your mental strengths and weaknesses;
• Think of instances where they came into play;
• How a particular strength helped you become better;
• What are you doing to overcome/tackle any weakness, and
• Information about home town/state – uniqueness, history, cuisine, comparison between home town and town of employment (if different from home town).

(d) GK & Current Affairs 

• Global economics:

o   Slow global economic recovery;

o   eurozone crisis;

o   U.S. economy – jobless recovery and growth pangs;

o   Japan and Abenomics;

o   Economic, military & political power rise of China, and

o   BRICS – why Russia and Brazil are in recession.

• Indian economy:

o   Current state of the economy;

o   Reasons behind slow GDP growth;

o   Faltering reforms process;

o   Infrastructure bottlenecks, including in railways;

o   FDI (especially in multi-brand retail, insurance);

o   NITI Aayog;

o   SMART Cities plan;

o   Swachh Bharat, and

o   Make in India and industrial clusters.

• Global politics:

o   China - political & military muscle-flexing; 

o   Syrian crisis – Role of the Islamic State;

o   Rise of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria; 

o   Israel-Palestine imbroglio;

o   Rising authoritarianism in Turkey;

o   Korean peninsula – North Korea versus South Korea; 

o   Iranian nuke plans and P+1 deal;

o   Terrorism in Afghanistan & Pakistan;

o   Russia – Ruble crisis; also Russia-Ukraine crisis;

o   Post-Arab Spring situation in Egypt, Libya, & Tunisia; 

o   Ebola crisis in West Asia, and

o   Nigeria - terrorism & Boko Haram. 

• National political & social issues:

o   Recent Assembly elections – impact on national polity;

o   J&K – elections, Article 370, & Jammu-Valley tussle;

o   Naxalism – origin, ideology, reach, methods;

o   Social Media - freedom of speech & curbs;

o   Black Money - menace of corruption;

o   Gender-related issues, including safety issues, and

o   Religion – conversions & reconversions debate.

(e) Work-related 

• All about your work profile;
• Check out the current state of the industry;
• Info about company or companies you worked for, and
• What did you learn from work, etc.

(f) Also, work on 

• Why management career;
• Why MBA;
• Alternate career plan; 
• What other calls have your received, and
• Which school will you join (in case of multiple calls). 

Be invested in your future. Be passionate. Work hard. Keep learning!