50th Week@XIMB

50th Week@XIMB - 20th May to 26th May, 2012

20th May - I came to know the concept of Producer Company. A Producer Company is a means to bring together the small and marginal farmers and other small producers in the village level to build their own business enterprise that will be managed by professionals. In addition, to regular and sustainable source of income, a PC can give the rural producer (a) Identity, (b) Capacity or competence, (c) Brand, (d) Empowerment, (e) Equity, and (f) Dignity.

I heard two good quotes from Ashish that inspired him. Sharing those quote with an anecdote to all....

Service can have no meaning unless one takes pleasure in it. When it is done for show or for fear, it stunts the man and crushes his spirit. - Mahatma Gandhi

IRMAns will go where they are most needed not where they are most rewarded. - Dr. Verghese Kurien

When a journalist asked him what made Dr. Kurien settle down in a small village like Anand, when he had a Masters degree from a US university. With a gentle smile he replied, “True development is the development of men and women, and this idea made me stay in this little town for more than 50 years as an employee of farmers, and I was never able to give this up for what many call a better life. I hope to enthuse young women and men to adopt my passion as theirs”.

As a member on the board of management of IIM, Ahmedabad, Dr Verghese Kurien suggested IIM–A students should serve the nation for at least three years before going in search of greener pastures. Upon hearing this, one of the members on the board, who was a top industrialist from Ahmedabad, took his cigar out of his mouth and said, “So, Dr Kurien, you want our graduates to go and milk cows?” Dr Kurien stood up and replied: “No, you continue to teach them how to suck on cigars”, and then resigned from the board. This event led to the birth of a unique institution — Institute of Rural Management, Anand (IRMA).

21st May - I visited retail shop of Sukhtawa chicken and assessed business of retail outlet. There is a famous idiom that If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys hold true for every company. Any company that pays less than market standard will eventually get crooks and thieves as their employees.

22nd May - Working as an intern for government project, I closely observed that you need privileges to prosper in India. Otherwise, you're simply lost in burecratic and political hurdles. While in power one need only will power and independent mind to get things done. While not in power you need guts to challenge system with awareness, strong social network and information in India today. Even then they can survive but not prospser except in few metro cities...

I had collected almost all data available, hence there is no usage of going back to Bhind. Many people see this as unethical but I had a different view. If stretching 1 day work to 7 days and playing solitaire at office comes under the definition of work, then I am much ready to spare time at Bhind.

23rd May - I read an old article Flying in the Face of Flu that focused on Tribal and Dalit women make a success story out of a poultry co-operative and fight the bird flu scare. The story was based on the work of MPWPCL.

24th May - A waste day ! Yet, there is lot of cribbing on the facebook due to petrol price rise. There is a nice article that comments on the differential price policy pursued by the government vis a vis petrol and diesel.

It Takes a Village to Raise an Entrepreneur : In the first large-scale, quantitative study of nascent social entrepreneurs, researchers from Harvard Business School and Echoing Green examine the rise of hybrid organizations that combine aspects of nonprofits and for-profits and the challenges hybrids face as they attempt to integrate traditionally separate organizational models.

25th May - It could have been another waste day. I used this day to learn a little about break even analysis.

There was mail from consultants inquiring for an urgent information from all about the final DDMP review date fixed in the distt, with DC Office and nodal authorities. I am planning to finish the report and finalize it with DC office.

26th May - On this auspicious day, I observed as neutral third party final presentation of interns of MPWPCL. They have done a fair job and had a good knowledge of chicken market.

49th Week@XIMB

49th Week@XIMB - 13th May to 19th May, 2012

13th May - DB city mall was inspected in this short tour of Bhopal. I read a good article 'Doing Development Better' that brought together both macro development and micro development practitioners together. I was also busy in making arrangements of the room for stay of 10 fellow interns for few days.

14th May - The new apartment was not upto the standard due to sanitation and cleaning facilities. We decided to leave the apartment next day.

Since, almost all of the data was collected at district level. I decided against going back even after review. Rather than spending unfruitful time at Bhind, I hope to learn few new tricks with my friends. On my request, Aditya arranged me one week unofficial stay and learning with their organization MPWPCL. Management at MPWPCL had happily accpeted their

MPWPCL- Impact on Life



15th May - The PGDM (RM) Programme consists of 72.0 core course credits and a minimum of 33.0 elective course credits, totaling 105 credits. We have already finished 65 credit core courses in 1st Year. All of us were checking AIS for the options of the electives. Electives of all 4th, 5th and 6th term were floated on AIS. A student is required to take electives equivalent to a minimum of 33.0 credits to complete the Programme requirement. Students are allowed to take extra electives on extra payment. I have decided for working in development sector for two years before ging for further studies. Hence, I am selecting subjects with careful discussion with batch-mates for choices.

16th May - An internship is an opportunity to show one's stuff. The bright, motivated and curious will get automatically noticed in the work. Even with this quality, each company looks for a candidate with humility and strong work ethic. Generally, Summer internship project investigates some significant aspects of a managerial problem for MBA students. How much one had read in books, there is no substitute for witnessing firsthand how a business works in the field. A paid or unpaid internship in any field can greatly expand one’s knowledge, experience, contact base and chances of future career success. There are no shortcuts to the top, people having valuable insights of business usually "start at the bottom".

In this time of economic crisis, few companies use interns as a full time employee for their projects. And the number of unpaid or interns on mere wages have increased in this economic crisis scenario. Interns are not substitute for full time employee and no one should be exploited as free labor. But thing happen for sure : The unpaid/low paid internships weed out the ones who aren't willing to pay the price of admission.

Regarding my project, I had finished most of the secondary data required for the analysis. I assume that this practical experience of Summer Internship will help in planning mine career.

17th May - There was mid term review meeting of the progress achieved in Summer Internship. And the special bone of discontent were consultants. I understand perfectly why detest consultant. The jargon and complex language was making a simple task unbelievably incomprehensible. Consultant were helpful yet they want every minute data on platter. Yet, no intern can get every minute data for risk analysis. There were genuine problems faced by interns in each district. I am listing some of them---

1) While doing our work, the district management unofficially declare their district as disaster free place. Our inspection for hazards and vulnerable areas was like searching for negative perspective of the district in their eyes. Detail maps of each block were not available at block level in most district.

2) Most of the data collected by us in one month was quantitative in the nature. That was obtained with much resistance and slow pace. Qualitative data will require many rounds of both productive as well as formal meetings with various nodal officers of all departments. That goes beyond the time period of 6 weeks allotted to intern.

3) Consultants were suggesting for a meeting of the government officers at district level. That was tough but not impossible part. The impossible part was to involve them on brainstorming for disaster management. Without urgency and pressure, bureaucracy don't even blink eye lids. Also, we were external to the system and either 'children' or 'tourist' in the eyes of elder officers. It may sound unprofessional from our side but truth is often unpalatable.

4) Some officers were so reluctant to share data that they informed one intern : Data related to the history of past disaster had been burnt due to lack of proper storage facilities. Another department even ask one intern to file RTI for the information.

5) Even industries and various departments were not informed about various safety and disaster acts.

18th May - SGGPA gave us opportunity to have first hand experience to deal within Indian administrative services. And all of the interns were exposed to to the complexity of the governance and administration. A senior officer applauded all of us for our work and not to loose steam in middle. Two days of seminar was over. I preferred to stay in Bhopal for few days.

19th May - I traveled with Aditya and Ashish to Itarsi for getting firsthand knowledge of supply chain of the poultry business. I learnt about Sukhtawa Chicken in short and more about poultry market in detail through discussions with people involved in business.

1) Information network, bargaining power and demand-supply chain concepts were good in the analysis of the the whole poultry business.

2)Its never about MBA knowledge but only man management that can run the business.

3) Mentality of the dealer involved, Intuition of the Rate variation and estimation of everyday price are important attributes required for marketing and sales.

4) There are credit issues, criminal activities and loyalty factor dominating in this business. Loyalty increases more in religious and family dealings.

5) Monopoly is maintained in this business through giving retailers a lot of end product on credit. Yet, it requires muscle power to extract money from them. Through this dealers can make retailers their bonded employee.

48th Week@XIMB

48th Week@XIMB - 6th May to 12th May, 2012

06th May - Kudos to Aamir Khan for Satyamev Jayate. Satyamev Jayate doesn't need us. We the people need the TV programs like this. It is educating the public by destructing our sweet lies and false notions of Indian society. Our safe, middle-class morality and India rising campaigns should be re-examined with time making us think hard even our definition of traditions, social justice and cultural values. No one has paid attention to the same cause of stopping female foeticide that had been taken by various human rights activists from years. Now with Satyamev Jayate, everybody is talking about it. It tells us a lot about our society. Tasleema Nasreen aptly summarized this as : The truth is female foeticide is a symptom, not a cause. It's a symptom of the disease that treats women as 2nd class citizen.

The rage on FB and Twitter may have caused revolution in the middle east but it is still in prevailed by ignorant youths. While FB is full time killing machine. its full of young, school-educated, urban Indians who don't know anything about the forces shaping their nation's destiny. We campaign to save our Tigers but none of us know that there is another endangered breed called as the Farmers. I don't know how we will unburden the well educated youths of its collective ignorance about India. In this age, I really find difficult to find a youth icon. There are only few like P Sainath, Medha Patekar, Aruna Roy who are indifferent to the structures and censure of society. I admire them precisely because of their refusal to kowtow before the alter of power.

In my view, the only speech worth having is free. Otherwise, its a farce democracy. The free speech and gender issues had been violated previously in India. Going through the blogs and news posts of the journalist and human righ activists, the conditions in India had been demotivating for free minds. There are cases of gross hman rights violation all over country. If it was going on in small town of Chhattisgarh... who cares about Chhattisgarh? Many people have not even heard the NAME Chhattisgarh. If it is happening in Imphal, who cares? -- only few chinkis are involved. We tend to small pieces of humanity are involved. This blind Ashwamedhi horse of development by state must be knuckled by the youth of this nation only.

07th May - Lucknow is no longer land of elephants(symbols) as Mayawati had been showed exit from the CM throne in elections. The number of scams and corruption cases in UP have crossed the limit of the common man. The caste system is deeply affecting the election outcomes. There is no sign of politics based even on the name of development. While neighboring states have shown remarkable progress in recent years, the situation of UP has deteriorated with the time. With new government of Akhilesh Yadav, there is a bleak ray of hope for its citizens. Hoping for a more clean and accountable governance this time.

08th May - There is no provision of holiday in the internship. But,there are enough unproductive days in this one month.

09th May - Meeting with DM is tough yet not impossible for common citizen now. I had meeting with DM, Bhind today. The meeting was short and swift. But not much data was made available. The district magistrate is mostly handling law and order situation.

10th May - Internet services are hampered all over government offices from last two days in this district. Even BSNL network was not working. I was badly out of coverage and communication.

11th May - This was one of the most productive day in the government services. A lot of useful data regarding water level at various dams was gathered at Irrigation department. I started journey for Bhopal to day for mid term review.

12th May - Bhopal is safe and sound for two days of relaxation. But, I have my share of lessons in 4 Weeks at MP:

- A person from east UP is considered intellectual and cultured by people in Bhind.

- There is no disaster plan in the district. Face it, Cope it and Manage it. Such is the scenario.

- One need to assert power and position for getting weightage in the government work done. I was treated lightly as an intern but paid much attention when introduced as Disaster Management Officer.

- The problem of corruption is more structural not personal in the government machinery.

- Application written in English is preferred over application in Hindi by peons.

47th Week@XIMB

47th Week@XIMB - 29th April to 5th May, 2012

29April - A sunday in the life again. I planned for the compilation of the report. I am planning to visit Malanpur Industrial Growth Centers 625 Hectares. Most of the Large and Medium scale industries with Industrial giants like Cadbury, Godrej, Hotline etc are present there. Yet, the problem of funding of diesel and even availability of vehicle is hindered here.

30th April - Monday was not so much different from any other day. There is NOTHING to update today. What a waste of precious time !

1st May - Let me wish everybody happy labours day. Let us ungrateful managers remembers great persons like Marx and Engels without whom workers right would never have been heard. The office work is slow and no progress is happening here.

Grades of the few subjects of 3rd term came today. I was disppointed with my performence. There is an urgent need to find root cause of the problem. There is a gradual decrease in the Grades over semester. I always have a choice to study for survival or learner; To be grades oriented or be average in each subjects. Still, I had divereted focus from the studies later on and become too much relaxed. I have few ideas at the back of my head for recovery. There will be planning and implementation of the new ideas for next academic sessions for better outcomes. A change didn't just mean survival this time, it also meant the maturity to evolve endlessly.

2nd May - Its more togh to write daily progress report while working in the government organization. I was searching Internet whole day and taking assistance from the fellow interns over the making of district disaster plan. I hope our fellow consultants and nodal agency are aware of the bottle necks and ground realities of the working in the fields.

3rd May - I had collected most of the available data in the district within the accessible reach. Bhind district is more effected by floods for which an emergency relief work was always required. I left for Lucknow to compile the data in peace.

4th May - I was informed that arond 10th May, a mid term review meeting may be hold for appraisal. I am not much hopeful for any positive out comes.

5th May - The weekend at Lucknow was more fun than work from home.Why I gave up on 'social activism' was a nice article send by Drasti for a glance. I was much impressed by the article even though I don't have much communist leaning. There were moments of retrospection on liberal path of thinking yet I also want to be active on social issues.