Consumer Notes
Perpetuating credit
A customer of a leading credit card went on a holiday with his family to Thekkady and signed a bill of Rs. 18,000 for his stay there. When he got his monthly statement of account from the credit card company the next month, asking him to pay Rs. 3,000, h
e did not pay much attention to the statement and paid up. The following month, he received a statement for another Rs. 3,000. He became suspicious and rang up the credit card company and asked for details.
Corporate
The ultimate leader
Have you seen the movie, Saving Private Ryan? It is one of the best examples of applied leadership that I have seen. Though the setting is war, lessons from it apply to almost any situation that involves handling people.
Food & Dairy Products
The `dine' print
Epicures of the Indian kind now have a new glossy, Upper Crust, to swear by. The first Indian food, wine and style magazine was recently launched by Farzana Contractor, who is a good cook and smashing photographer besides being soulmate to Behram `Busybe
e' Contractor. The launch was attended by select members of Mumbai's social set.
Information Technology
Cyber cricketer
Are you a cricket buff who believes that you can do a better job than the country's cricket selectors? If yes, then your time has probably come; Cricketgurus.com (www.cricketgurus.com) allows you to pick your `dream team' and possibly win a prize too.
Insurance
Who is at risk?
Is it time for the twin Goliaths of the Indian insurance industry -- LIC and GIC -- to roll up their sleeves, pull up their socks and get their act together for the drama about to unfold in the country? Do you remember the scene, say six years ago, when
their cousins in the banking sector had to shed their traditional garb to win over audiences?
Actuary speaking...
The winds of liberalisation sweeping through the insurance industry are fast restoring a dying breed of insurance professionals -- actuaries. An actuary is the guy who specialises in the statistical estimation of various risks and their financial consequ
ences. He plays a key role not only in designing and pricing risk covers, or policies, but also in all aspects of insurance company management such as reserving and distribution of surplus, investment, corporate re-structuring and regulation of the secto
r.
Miscellaneous
A yen for the old
In Pune city, volunteers under the banner of Sukhroop Foundation have committed themselves to improving the lives of old-age home residents. ``Lots of old people have lots of mettle left in them but society puts them away from their life to wither away,'
' says Anil Bora, Chairperson of Sukhroop Foundation and the Pune chapter of Make-A-Wish-Foundation of India, which fulfils the dreams of terminally-ill children.
Cerebral, loud and clear
Bubbly eyes, infectious laughter, cerebral answers and a crystal clear voice -- that's Anita Ghai, a vocal activist in the disability movement and a reader in Jesus and Mary College, New Delhi.
Wired up!
The world is converging upon us faster than we can imagine. Everyone's talking about the Internet and television coming together and these days, it is not just talk any more. Last week, for instance, I received an e-mail from Num TV, about their new ente
rtainment portal; log into http://wwwnumtv.com, to discover a Web site that hosts Sun, Gemini, Udaya and Surya TV channels. Num TV also has plans to start more channels in all major Indian languages and sports, news, live concerts and interactive events.
Travel & Places
A legacy frozen in stone
Mandu, originally the fort capital of the Parmar rulers of Malwa, crowns the Vindhya range at an altitude of 2,000 m. At the end of the 13th century, it came under the sway of the sultans of Malwa who renamed it Shadiabad or the City of Joy. And indeed,
it is a joyous celebration of love, life and architecture manifested in its beautiful palaces such as the Jahaz Mahal and the Hindola Mahal, not to mention the ornamental canals and stately pavilions overlooking the countryside.
A zoo for all ages
We were wondering what to do one morning in Edinburgh, toying idly with the idea of taking a bus over the Firth of Forth to St. Andrews, when I had a brainwave. ``Let's go to the zoo,'' I said. ``The zoo!'' exclaimed my sister, younger by more than a dec
ade. ``I can't believe an old person like you wants to go to the zoo!'' Somewhat annoyed, I explained to her testily that since I had not, in all my 25 years, had the pleasure of seeing a zoo as far north as in Scotland, or for that matter anywhere abroa
d, I thought the idea might be worth considering.
A step down into history
Love and passion are themes that recur in folklore tales -- be it Laila-Majnu, Sohini-Mahival, Shirin-Frihad or Romeo-Juliet. A similar tale of unrequited passion circles around the 500-year-old Adalaj vav (water tank) in Adalaj, about 19 km from Ahmedab
ad.
A rustic sporting show
Long ago, in Punjab they used to say that if you hadn't seen Lahore, you hadn't lived. Now the same is said for the annual Rural Olympics held at Kila Raipur, about 15 km from Ludhiana. This three-day event (held during February 4-6 this year) captures t
he zest and vibrancy of this sports-oriented State.
