-Kanda Pohe-

While passing through the busy footpaths of the city of dreams or the engine of economic growth of India, my eyes froze on a roadside shop, selling kanda pohe. He is getting it cooked from home in an aluminum box and selling it here without any proper shop. It’s been 5 months I have been passing from the same road but I never noticed this shop. Then I looked around and noticed few more people surviving on the footpath.

Thereafter I noticed the shop almost everyday and could conclude that this guy used to come there at morning 9 for a perid of approx 2 hrs. By observing the crowd on his stall, I decided to try his Pohe. I ate 2 plates of Pohe as it was delicious. He did not have any table or counter. He was just keeping his bags on footpath serving pohe in paper plates. He was an ex mill worker who lost his job because the mill was closed. I started taking Pohe prepared in typical north Indian style in that shop everyday. After couple of weeks, suddenly I did not find that guy there. I enquired about this guy at nearby pan shop. I came to know that BMC people have charged him heavily for selling without permission, because a nearby restaurant has complained against him.

I moved towards office with a low feeling that is this what we call development where a person cant survive if he is not economically powerful. Government itself is leaving no option for that guy to live honestly. If answer to the above question is yes then why not to organize these people in form of a co-operative group to help these poor people surviving roadside.

Board meetings: Highlights

Sitting on 16th floor of Essar House at Mahalaxmi, I remember fantasy of people at vizag and bailadila about having a dedicated cabin in Corporate office, meeting with PSR/SNR/RNR and last but not the least attending board meetings.

Now I will share my experience of first meeting attended by me.

• SIMC: Steel India Management committee,
• Venue: Hazira
• Time: 2 pm onwards

Preparation for this meeting started a day before, collecting all the documents related to agenda, a zist on the issues from seniors(so that I am not blank faced during meeting).On Friday early morning we started from Mumbai Central by Shatabdi Express, arrived Hazira at 10:30 am. Project review started at 2 pm. Everyone started justifications on various Issues. Justification was not the most challenging thing in this meeting. The most difficult thing which I found was to keep my eyes open. It reminds me Cp's classes at Somaiya, where atleast people can sleep without any fear. Once you master the art of sleeping keeping head on the bag, classes go pretty smooth(the secret of my 100 % attendance in most of the subjects).

Now the consolation which people received for this torture of almost 4 hrs, is the royal treatment. I was one among the few, who were not in Organization’s uniform. People see you with respect due to being in so called "Delegation from corporate office".

Now I am writing this post with the expectation of some spillover effects as within 2 hrs, I have to face my boss who was grilled badly on various issues.

Placements at B-schools- a hype

Best-in-class infrastructure, teachers with varied experience, high cut-off percentile and the most important PLACEMENTS, This is all I meant from a top20 ranked b-school. Myths broke when I entered in a so called premier institute. Soon there was a notice regarding selection in COM, the most important committee with best students from all sections (as per placement coordinator). GD multiple rounds of personal interviews(full muzra) But when time came(D-Day).....Day zero for laterals.....sheer failure as there was only 1 company which was considering laterals. COM failed to place even 30% of students in Day zero and day1.

Now as 50% of COM were placed, COM head asked for volunteers.
After failure, there was a meeting regarding the failure .

"Anyone who volunteer for COM wont be given COM TAG."- COM Head in meeting.

He was still worried about tags not the work. New members entered and found that companies are convertible in single phone call... that means they were not contacted at all.

"We placed more people after march 31st than before."- COM Head.

The reason may be that selection process of COM was wrong and when new volunteers came they worked more sincerely than the so called COM TAGGED MEMBERS.

And when COM members were not working properly/were flooded with work, assignments or companies to be contacted, why this was not noticed by COM head at earlier stage. He could have selected some more people. If he is unable to manage the load, he can ask for help from faculty members.

Now when future of hundreads of students is on stake and efforts on warfooting level are required, I rarely see any COM TAGGED MEMBER in COM room. Even I don't find some new members making efforts.

Look here for further updates...your valuable comments/suggestions awaited on the COM.