Is Jogging the most effective out of all the approaches to loose fat

 Most people think jogging is the best for loosing weight and belly fat. Whenever someone needs to lose weight the most common advice is for them to eat less and up the cardio. And jogging has been one of the most popular forms of cardio for the longest time.

But is jogging really an effective method to get you to lose weight and look ripped? The answer to that is yes it can help you lose weight and it can help you burn some body fat and get more defined.
However the real question should be - " Is Jogging the most effective out of all the approaches to loose fat." And the answer to that is no.

What  jogging is going to do for you-  
It  helps you burn off a few extra calories. These few extra calories can lead you to a greater overall calorie deficit which will end up causing you to burn some extra body fat.

But what if we lifted weights instead of jogging-
Jogging burns about 400 to 500 calories per hour. Lifting weights burns about 200 to 250 calories per hour. But, weight training helps you to burn calories even after you are not lifting the after burn effect of weight training even when you are resting, thereby increasing over all burn of calories.

If you are not very fond of Jogging try any one of these, they will burn much more calories in same time duration- Sprint Intervals, Swimming, Skipping, Rowing, Burpees, Dancing, Playing any sports.

Akhilesh Mittal

How to manage Time Trap

 Other people are a key source of demands on our time and usually have no respect for our priorities. It is essential to be able to handle people both in an active way – delegation (for example) and in a reactive way – dealing with interruptions (for example). Communication skills in general are key here – the ability to listen to others, to clarify by summarizing & questioning and to express your own views assertively. These must also include the ability to say no! Specific areas are:

Managing upwards:

This is a critical area in time management. The boss is seen by many as key factor in disrupting time management plans. One needs to be aware of how to delegate upwards and to work with boss in setting clear goals and targets for time management. One has the right to expect boss to treat in the same way as one would be treating your subordinates. Sometimes, of course, this is not realistic. If organisation is one where the boss’s word is law, then it can be difficult to say no – or to avoid priorities being changed by the boss without consultation. However, if this the case then inefficiency is bound to result – something for which one should not blame himself.

Delegation: Using others effectively:

Delegation is the process of giving someone else (usually subordinates) the authority to carry out tasks that are part of ones responsibilities. In order to do this effectively, one has to brief them fully and be assured of their competence and willingness to carry out the task. This may involve training – it certainly means knowing them well.Delegation can leave an individual relatively free to concentrate on those aspects of job which one needs to.

Subordinates should know:

– The nature of the tasks and clearly defined targets for each of them.

– Clear boundaries on decision-making areas.

Subordinates also have the right to expect that the boss will not waste their time by:

–  Interrupting them unnecessarily.

– Making demands which can wait.

– Not setting clear priorities.

– Running meetings badly.

–  Inadequate briefings.

 Dealing with colleagues:

Colleagues, friends, networks of people are usually essential for both support and communication purposes. They can add to the quality of managers decision and improve working life. As in other areas the key is balance between enjoying relationship with them and spending too much time with them that may be detriment to  work. Firm but friendly adherence to your work is probably the best path to follow.

Meetings and interviews:

Meetings take much of people’s working time and require specialized skills in themselves. Some key questions:

–  Do they have set time limits? If not, why not?

–  Are their purpose clear?

–  Do you need to be there?

–  Are they well run? Agenda planned?

–  Are actions allocated and carried out ?

If the answer to any of the above is no, action is needed!

- Akhilesh Mittal

Entrepreneurial Factors That Distinguish 'Billionaires' From 'Millionaires'

To the average person, "millionaire" and "billionaire" sound similar; they're both people with money, right? And, indeed, both have access to far more wealth than the average citizen, and neither may have to worry about money ever again.

Furthermore, because entrepreneurship is often the route to wealth accumulation, both may have earned their way to riches the same way. Yet while their monikers "millionaire" and "billionaire" sound the same, there are in fact significant differences between the two.

For starters, the difference between a million versus a billion dollars is immense. To put it in context, consider that one million seconds amount to 11.5 days, while one billion total 31.5 years!. A billionaire could give his or her wealth away and make 1,000 new millionaires overnight.

There are 2,200 billionaires on the planet and while some of these wealthy elite gained their status from a family inheritance, many of the top-ranked billionaires are entirely self-made through entrepreneurial endeavors. So, what separates these hyper-successful entrepreneurs from millionaires, who are also considered successful?

These are some of the  factors distinguishing billionaires from millionaires:

1. Goals and commitment

First, it's important to consider the billionaire’s goals and commitments. Very few people become one accidentally; instead, billionaires tend to relentlessly pursue wealth, and refuse to compromise to achieve it. Consider the entrepreneur who grows an innovative tech startup for a few years, then gets an acquisition offer from a major tech company for, say Rs 50 crores

This isn’t exactly rare; Alphabet makes a dozen or more such acquisitions every year. A “typical” entrepreneur might cash out and take the Rs 50 crores as a personal victory (and early retirement). A billionaire, however, setting his or her sights higher or living out a commitment to the business's core idea, might reject the Rs 50 crore in hopes of obtaining something better, or growing the business further.

Though these rejections don’t always pan out, you can’t become a billionaire by settling to be (just) a millionaire.

2. Scale

What should also be considered is the scale on which billionaires operate. If we consider profit as a product of both efficiency and impact, then the more locations your business reaches, the more money you’re going to make. Owning a chain of restaurants in one state might make you a millionaire, but you’ll need to change the world on an international scale if you want to be a billionaire.

3. Repetition

Billionaires rarely make their riches by starting just one business. In some cases, they experience a crushing failure and apply the lessons learned from that failure to future endeavors. In other cases, they settle for selling a company for a few million dollars, only to roll those funds into bigger, better startup ideas They’re not only willing but eager to repeat the entrepreneurial process over and over again to achieve success.

4. Budget and self-control

There’s a reason why so many lottery winners end up losing everything. It’s because poor financial habits and decisions end up bankrupting them no matter how much money they start with (conversely, good financial habits and financial decisions can put you ahead even with a modest income).

Billionaires -- when they first reach millionaire status -- tend to avoid spending lavishly or wasting their money, which makes it easier to grow their wealth even more and retain what they’ve acquired. Some even take this practice to an extreme: Warren Buffett, for example, still lives in the Omaha, Neb., house he bought for just $30,000 in 1958.

5. Passion

You don’t become a billionaire by just "getting the job done." That level of wealth requires you to constantly come up with new ideas; adapt and refine your ideas when challenged; and put in long, hard hours throughout the entire process. While plenty of millionaires can certainly be described as passionate, their level of passion often pales in comparison to that of billionaires (think: Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos, Oprah Winfrey).

Modern Lifestyle drifting away kids from family

Recently, one of my friends after coming from family vacation shared his experiences of being together with his father and his teenage children. While in car, his father wanted to listen to Bollywood music of 70s and children protested that they can’t bear those drowsy songs. While having the breakfast when my friend sipped the tea from cup, children started shouting “Dad, please be courteous, slurping is very indecent behavior”. My friend found it difficult to react to this observation.

It was very annoying for my friend to realize that both of his teenage kids were hardly talking to each other or to their grandfather. The younger one was busy with games on his tablet where as elder one had earphones and most of the time listening to music. My friend also realized that this situation was unlike his childhood when the entire family enjoyed with each other during any outing.

The progress of technology in 20th century has lead to inevitable differences in taste, attitude, opinion, thoughts, style of fashion, values, beliefs and interests. This may comfortably be called a generation gap and dismissed, but it has deeper meaning into “family co-existence” and well being of society as a whole.

With advent of so-called fast food joints like KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and many others, the difference in taste and food habits between parents and present day kids have widened. Many would argue that food-is-a-food , irrespective of traditional home made food or fast food. But, the pertinent fact is that number of calories in fast food is immensely high in comparison to homemade food, resulting into obesity at young age. The problem is compounded by fact that Television, Internet in home computer, Tablets and Mobile phones has forced children to enjoy more with these gadgets and restricted them to play in open field, at least in urban areas.

Children of 21^st century have begun to challenge their traditional customs and adopt some of new cultural values which are highly influenced by social media, television and music. Children enjoy the company of their friends rather than to spend time with their parents or grandparents. Today’s communication and emotional gap between children and parents will eventually yield separation between parents and children when they grow up. And the major reason that parents live an isolated when they grow old. 

Nine men have more combined wealth than the poorest four billion people

A recent study released by Oxfam, released in January 2018, Nine men have more combined wealth than the poorest four billion people.

Jeff Bezos ( Founder and CEO of Amazon.com)  — $108.9 billion

Bill Gates ( Co-Founder Microsoft ) — $91.9 billion

Warren Buffett (  Investor and Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway which wholly owns GEICO, Dairy Queen, BNSF Railway, Lubrizol, Fruit of the Loom,Helzberg Diamonds, Long & Foster, FlightSafety International, Pampered Chef, and NetJets, and also owns 38.6% of Pilot Flying J; 26.7% of the Kraft Heinz Company, and significant minority holdings in American Express (17.15%), The Coca-Cola Company (9.4%), Wells Fargo (9.9%), IBM (6.9%), and Apple(2.5%))  — $90.1 billion

Amancio Ortega ( Business of Real Estate and fashion retail ) — $75.8 billion

Mark Zuckerberg ( CEO and Founder of Facebook ) — $72 billion

Bernard Arnault (CEO of LVMH, which houses brands such as Louis Vuitton, Sephora, and Dom Perignon,)

— $68.7 billion

Carlos Slim Helu (Chairman of telecom firm, América Móvil,also owns stakes in various mining, real estate, and consumer goods businesses — including The New York Times.) — $67.6 billion

Larry Ellison (Co-founded Oracle)— $60.4 billion

Larry Page(CEO and co-founder of Google ) — $52.2 billion

There are over 1,500 billionaires in the world, with more than 560 in the US alone. China, Germany, and India each have 100 or more billionaires

Start counting calories to remain slim.

Being Slim or over weight is matter of choice. 
Being over weight means that you are eating more calories than what you burn each day. 

Simple formula :  Calorie out (burned) - Calorie In (What you eat) = Always should be positive

Usually people go to gym, burn 300 to 400 calories and eat more that 500 calories more. It can never lead to reduction of weight. That is why you see so many remain the same even after regularly going to gym

Don't blame your genetics or age or job. You are over weight because you eat much more than what you burn. 

Every deficit of 3500 calories per week will make you reduce 400 gm ( 1 lbs) each week. So, go and burn calories or maybe start counting calories what you eat.

Steve Jobs - Redefining sucess

Apple Computer started in a garage

In 1976, when Jobs was just 21, he and Steve Wozniak started Apple Computer in the Jobs’ family garage. They funded their entrepreneurial venture by Jobs selling his Volkswagen bus and Wozniak selling his beloved scientific calculator. Jobs and Wozniak are credited with revolutionizing the computer industry with Apple by democratizing the technology and making machines smaller, cheaper, intuitive and accessible to everyday consumers.

Wozniak conceived of a series of user-friendly personal computers, and — with Jobs in charge of marketing — Apple initially marketed the computers for $666.66 each. The Apple I earned the corporation around $774,000. Three years after the release of Apple's second model, the Apple II, the company's sales increased by 700 percent to $139 million.

In 1980, Apple Computer became a publicly traded company, with a market value of $1.2 billion by the end of its very first day of trading. Jobs looked to marketing expert John Sculley of Pepsi-Cola to take over the role of CEO for Apple.

The next several products from Apple suffered significant design flaws, however, resulting in recalls and consumer disappointment. IBM suddenly surpassed Apple in sales, and Apple had to compete with an IBM/PC-dominated business world.

In 1984, Apple released the Macintosh, marketing the computer as a piece of a counterculture lifestyle: romantic, youthful, creative. But despite positive sales and performance superior to IBM's PCs, the Macintosh was still not IBM-compatible. Sculley believed Jobs was hurting Apple, and the company's executives began to phase him out. Not actually having had an official title with the company he co-founded, Jobs was pushed into a more marginalized position and thus left Apple in 1985.

Pixar the next venture after being thrown out of Apple Inc

In 1986, Jobs purchased an animation company from George Lucas, which later became Pixar Animation Studios. Believing in Pixar's potential, Jobs initially invested $50 million of his own money in the company. The studio went on to produce wildly popular movies such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles; Pixar's films have collectively netted $4 billion. The studio merged with Walt Disney in 2006, making Steve Jobs Disney's largest shareholder.

Reinventing Apple – Back to Apple

After leaving Apple in 1985, Jobs began a new hardware and software enterprise called NeXT, Inc. The company floundered in its attempts to sell its specialized operating system to mainstream America, and Apple eventually bought the company in 1996 for $429 million. In 1997, Jobs returned to his post as Apple's CEO. Just as Jobs instigated Apple's success in the 1970s, he is credited with revitalizing the company in the 1990s.

With a new management team, altered stock options and a self-imposed annual salary of $1 a year, Jobs put Apple back on track. Jobs’ ingenious products (like the iMac), effective branding campaigns and stylish designs caught the attention of consumers once again. In the ensuing years, Apple introduced such revolutionary products as the Macbook Air, iPod and iPhone, all of which dictated the evolution of technology. Almost immediately after Apple released a new product, competitors scrambled to produce comparable technologies.

Battle with Cancer

In 2003, Jobs discovered that he had a neuroendocrine tumor, a rare but operable form of pancreatic cancer. Instead of immediately opting for surgery, Jobs chose to alter his pesco-vegetarian diet while weighing Eastern treatment options. For nine months, Jobs postponed surgery, making Apple's board of directors nervous. Executives feared that shareholders would pull their stock if word got out that their CEO was ill. But in the end, Jobs' confidentiality took precedence over shareholder disclosure. In 2004, he had a successful surgery to remove the pancreatic tumor. True to form, in subsequent years Jobs disclosed little about his health.

Early in 2009, reports circulated about Jobs' weight loss, some predicting his health issues had returned, which included a liver transplant. Jobs responded to these concerns by stating he was dealing with a hormone imbalance. Days later, he went on a six-month leave of absence. In an e-mail message to employees, Jobs said his "health-related issues are more complex" than he thought, then named Tim Cook, Apple’s chief operating officer, as “responsible for Apple's day-today operations."

After nearly a year out of the spotlight, Steve Jobs delivered a keynote address at an invite-only Apple event on September 9, 2009. He continued to serve as master of ceremonies, which included the unveiling of the iPad, throughout much of 2010. However in January 2011, Jobs announced he was going on medical leave. In August, he resigned as CEO of Apple, handing the reigns to Cook, and in October he passed away.

Source- biography.com

Kaam Bolta Hai slogan of Akhilesh alienated SP from rural base

Out of 125 high Muslim influence seats , BJP has won 85. BJP has literally sweeped all rural area seats. That means that both sections have been solidly behind Modi. 
It's beginning of new era in Indian politics that India will not vote on basis of Religion or Cast. It's the trust for development. Like " India Shining" campaign , " Kaam Bolta Hai " did not work for SP because a express way or Laptops can't be parameter of development. It has to reach grass roots and should be all pervasive. It's too early to predict but UP Elections are a pointer for 2019 Lok Sabha.

UP Election- Who had Ostrich Syndrome

 Akhilesh Yadav, Mayawati and Rahul Gandhi were grossly suffering from Ostrich Syndrome. It was written all over that BJP would win especially after Modi 's foray in UP through rallies and road show in UP election. 
Congratulations to people of UP

Biggest mistake the grand old party Congress is doing is to play second fiddle to regional parties, maybe because they are too obsessed with Modi. They are loosing their existence. 

UP is classic example where statute of Akhilesh Yadav became bigger than Rahul Gandhi. They should realize that blocking BJP is not the ultimate aim, the final destination for Congress should be to keeps its identity intact. 

Elections will come and go every 5 years , but if Congress is eliminated from its grass roots, the demise is certain. I hope my words reach the top brass of INC.

Netas and Babu rich: common man remains poor

China, Korea, Singapore and many other countries in grew exponentially in last 4 decades. 

India is still a country where many people don't have bank account or national identity card. People still die of hunger, Farmers still poor. Netas and Babus became rich. ( I don't mind business men becoming rich as industry has to flourish for employment and rotation of currency). In 2012, the Indian government stated 22% of its population is below its official poverty line.

Successive Governments in last 70 years always claimed to be pro poor. But, POOR remained POOR. Who created such huge difference in rich and poor ? Some political parties should ponder.

- Akhilesh Mittal

Should New Delhi worry about Trump?

New Delhi should not worry from a Trump Presidency given that ties between the two countries are solidly grounded, both in India and the United States.

However, India will have to factor in Trump's unpredictability, his general ignorance and  his lack of experience in dealing with complex issues involving other sovereign nation states.

This is where the Trump team becomes important. Very little is known about Trump's potential cabinet appointees and White House line up so far because the maverick billionaire has boasted that he knows everything himself and his word will be law.

Well done Bhopal Police for encounter of Jail break fugitives

We are a strange country. Terrorist are kept in Jail for years and given food by Tax Payers money. They Jailbreak, kill a guard. They still get support of Politicians ( who hold posts but can never win elections, I hope you got the names) and journalists ( who have become irrelevant in present day). Lawyers keep delaying the case, courts helpless. I categorically fell - Well done Bhopal Police. Good to gun down. I am sure majority of Indians will support.

We have started respecting Indian Army

For a country were Film stars were heros and idols- Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bacchan, Rajinikanth, SRK, Amir Khan , Salman etc. 
Wonderful feeling that people have started considering Indian Army, Journalists, Sportsman and Politicians also as idols - Modi, APJ, Arnab, Rajat , Barkha, Rajdeep, Sachin, Dhoni , so many others and of course our Army men.They are more popular than filmy stars these days. 
Society is taking a paradigm shift.

Modi's Masterstroke

A master stroke by Modi, now we forget US elections today and start worrying about our Rs 500 or Rs 1000 notes. ( Kidding) . Well done Modi. This Surgical Strike will be considered as biggest fight against Black Money, all along in annals of history.

Finally "Maharaja" Air India turns profitable

Maharaja Air India turns profitable. Winners are – Modi Govt , UPA 2 Govt and Ashwani Lohani - CMD of Air India.
Reduced Fuel costs, Entry into the Star Alliance (International Travelers may know this), rapid expansion in its international and domestic network in last three years maybe the prime reasons of this turnover.
But, let’s not forget Ashwani Lohani, the man who turned around the ailing Madhya Pradesh's Tourism Deptt into robust and profitable entity is in center stage once again, making Air India profitable as CMD of Air India.

In his Independence Day address from the ramparts of Red Fort, the Prime Minister, while speaking on the turnaround of major PSUs, said, "Today I can say with complete satisfaction that Air India, which used to be notoriously known for incurring losses, has improved its operations leading it to log operational profits."

The 10 year 30000 crore bailout package that started in 2012 under UPA2 has helped Aircraft purchases especially fuel efficient Dreamliners replacing some of the old 747-400 planes.

We also need to understand difference between "Cash Loss" and "Accounting Loss". Cash Loss means your actual cash expenses is more than actual cash revenue, however Accounting loss is different here we also adjust non-cash expenses and revenue.
Air India was struggling to overcome their cash loss position after Indian Airlines(Domestic) and Air India (International) were merged.
After that Air India started making money and finally they were in a position to overcome this cash loss position.

Air India still has accumulated losses of over Rs 35,000 crore and a debt of over Rs 45,000 crore, remember. There is still a long way to go as these numbers indicate.

Akhilesh Mittal

Brand India Shining

Our country portray kaleidoscope image decked up with vivid notions and cultures, traditions. India has always been a brand in annals of history. From Om to Naga sadhus and snake charmers”; from “Mother Teresa to Mahatma Gandhi”;  from “Yoga to Ayurveda” ; from “Kamasutra to Taj Mahal”; from “Bollywood to Cricket”; from “Invention of zero to Boson created by J.C.Bose from “Bullock-carts to Mars Orbiter Mission  country has pioneered in its efforts  to make a brand in itself. 

Between 1947 and upto late 1980’s, India branded itself through legacy from past which was intangible and spiritual. Indians are known for contributing “Zero” to the world and an agricultural based economy. By this time, geographically miniscule countries like South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, (not to mention of Japan, France, England, Germany) rose rapidly on the world map of industrial production and developed themselves into rapidly economic growing   country.

In 2004, it surprised many when India refused foreign aid for relief of Tsunami victims. But, it was a clear reflection of a strong nation which can sustain disaster of such big magnitude. The manner in which the citizens of India came up to raise fund and help Tsunami victims, it was a sign of resurgent Indian population which can withstand and solve all internal problems collectively. Since then, India has gone a long way ahead. Recently, PM Modi offered assistance to Afghanistan, Pakistan after earthquake.

The dramatic transformation of “Brand India” to a potent and relevant player in world economy happened by design or was it an accident? Answer is debatable. Propelled by reforms in 1990s and driven by threat of extinction, Indian industry tackling domestic hurdles emerged as a visible player in global market. Indian industry harnessed one major asset  i.e. huge reservoir of technical manpower.  Now, by the end of 2015, India is seventh largest in the world by nominal GDP and third largest by purchasing power parity.

With huge reservoir of English speaking technocrats, Indian advances in world scenario were anticipated. The phenomenon, which is heartening to visualize, is the growth in service and manufacturing sector, which eventually will make Indian economy one of the most powerful economy in the world. Increasing number of businessman are figuring in Forbes and Fortune 500 list. A record 90 Indians with a combined net worth of $295 billion, feature in Forbes Billionaires List 2015, of which 28 make their appearance for the first time.

India is now a very visible player in global market. Indian foray into Information Technology has made Indian software, the most demanded in the world. Indian BPO industry has rocked United States of America. The Indian presence in service industry is not isolated.

Indian manufacturing brands are gaining recognition around the globe. The dawn of new era is witnessing Indian companies taking over and acquiring their foreign counterparts.  Tata Tea acquired Tetley (2000); Daewoo was acquired by Tata Motors (2003); Wipro had five acquisitions in 2006, namely Quantech Global services, NewLogic, mPower, cMango; Tata Steels bought Corus for US$12.1 billion, a company five times bigger than itself (2007);   HCL acquired UK based enterprise solution provider Axon (2008); Tata Motor’s acquired prestigious British Jaguar and Land Rover auto brands (2008); Bajaj is now exporting to more than 20 countries. There are numerous successful examples of Indian companies making a mark in global business.

Looking into future is always an exercise that one approaches with uncertainty and anxiety. Present trends and rapid rate of development are reasons to postulate India’s imminent arrival as a developed nation and economic super power. Events of last three decades have shifted economic initiatives from wealth distribution to wealth creation. And, it does not take half a century to become wealthier; Rise of Japan and growth of China are examples of economies in front of our eyes, which have grown in short span of time. Therefore, India too can look towards the future with optimism. And yes, India is the only nation in the world to have successfully reached the Red Planet (Mars) in its first attempt; this proves that the nation is competent to achieve new heights.

 Even the critics of capitalism would understand that burgeoning economy and growing business will create more jobs and nation’s wealth, which can be further utilized in multidimensional development of nation.

India has to go a long way ahead. The nation has to develop infra-structural facilities matching international standards and benchmark to best economics of the world. India must realize that it is land of young people, reservoir of food, a sea of scientific and technical resources. With PM Modi’s aggressive push to “Make in India” and if Indian Inc. continues to put effort in right direction, we shall definitely realize our dream  to fit into parameters of  a developed nation by 2025.

FACTS ABOUT INDIA

• India never invaded any country in her last 10000 years of history. • India is the world's largest democracy. • India invented the Number System. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta. • The World's first university was established in Takshashila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education. • Sanskrit is the mother of all the European languages. Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software - a report in Forbes magazine, July 1987. • Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans. Charaka, the father of medicine consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago. Today Ayurveda is fast regaining its rightful place in our civilization. • The art of Navigation was born in the river Sindhu 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH. The word navy is also derived from Sanskrit 'Nou'. • Bhaskaracharya calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. Time taken by earth to orbit the sun: (5th century) 365.258756484 days. • Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India. Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10**53(10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 BCE during the Vedic period. Even today, the largest used number is Tera 10**12(10 to the power of 12). • Chess (Shataranja or AshtaPada) was invented in India. • Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted complicated surgeries like cesareans, cataract, artificial limbs, fractures, urinary stones and even plastic surgery and brain surgery. Usage of anesthesia was well known in ancient India. Over 125 surgical equipment were used. Deep knowledge of anatomy, physiology, etiology, embryology, digestion, metabolism, genetics and immunity is also found in many texts. • The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC. • India has the second largest pool of Scientists and Engineers in the World. • India is the largest English speaking nation in the world. • India is the only country other than US and Japan, to have built a super computer indigenously. • The name 'India' is derived from the River Indus, the valleys around which were the home of the early settlers. The Aryan worshippers referred to the river Indus as the Sindhu. • The Persian invaders converted it into Hindu. The name 'Hindustan' combines Sindhu and Hindu and thus refers to the land of the Hindus. • India has the largest number of Post Offices in the world. • The largest employer in India is the Indian Railways, employing over a million people. • The value of "pi" was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians. • Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world • There are 300,000 active mosques in India, more than in any other country, including the Muslim world. • The Vishnu Temple in the city of Tirupathi built in the 10th century, is the world's largest religious pilgrimage destination. Larger than either Rome or Mecca, an average of 30,000 visitors donate $6 million (US) to the temple everyday. • Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries. • Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years

Product Recall

Does owning responsibility of product failure has adverse impact on brand image ? A-Star: Maruti Suzuki : In a recent development that has created quite a sensation in the Indian car market, leading Indian car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India has decided to recall its popular A-star model. While this may not result in the company losing a lot of money it definitely can leave a scar on its image as a manufacturer of reliable and sturdy cars. (In fact, this year has brought woes for all three leading Japanese carmakers-Toyota, Honda and Suzuki. Toyota Motor is reeling under a massive global recall that can cost the company in excess of USD 2 Billion. Honda recalled 8,532 units of its Honda-City, in India because of a defective power window). The news of A-Star recall may not go down well with the prospective customers of Maruti Suzuki. While Toyota cars have been recalled owing to accelerator and break problem, the issue with the A-Star is its fuel tank. The company is replacing a faulty rubber gasket in the small car manufactured before August 22, 2009, and sold in domestic as well as overseas markets to prevent any possible fuel leak. A-star has a global recognition and is exported to around 70 countries and is sold as “Suzuki Alto” in Europe, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In 2001, Maruti recalled nearly 76,000 Omnis made between August and December 2000 to get the fuel hose system inspected and, if found defective, have it rectified. In 2006, the company recalled 500 units of Zen. The company had also recalled some units of its hatchback Swift in 2005. “Its just not good to have recall one after the other… but one must not forget that the company is owning up to the problem. It is an exercise to build good public relations,” said auto analyst Hormazd Sorabji. “In the long run, such small things will not impact the image of the company.” Tylenol Poisonings : In 1982, McNeil Consumer Products, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, was confronted with a crisis when seven people on Chicago's West Side died mysteriously. Authorities determined that each of the people that died, had ingested an Extra-Strength Tylenol capsule laced with cyanide. The news of this incident traveled quickly and was the cause of a massive, nationwide panic. These poisonings made it necessary for Johnson & Johnson to launch a public relations program immediately, in order to save the integrity of both their product and their corporation as a whole. Johnson and Johnson's handling of the Tylenol tampering crisis is considered by public relations experts to be one of the best in the history of public relations. Johnson & Johnson's public relations campaign was executed immediately following the discovery that the deaths in Chicago were caused by Extra- Strength Tylenol capsules. As the plan was constructed, Johnson & Johnson's top management put customer safety first, before they worried about their companies profit and other financial concerns. The company immediately alerted consumers across the nation, via the media, not to consume any type of Tylenol product. They told consumers not to resume using the product until the extent of the tampering could be determined. Johnson & Johnson, along with stopping the production and advertising of Tylenol, recalled all Tylenol capsules from the market. The recall included approximately 31 million bottles of Tylenol, with a retail value of more than 100 million dollars. This was unusual for a large corporation facing a crisis. In many other similar cases, companies had put themselves first, and ended up doing more damage to their reputations than if they had immediately taken responsibility for the crisis. Johnson & Johnson, on the other hand, was praised for their actions by the media for their socially responsible actions. The Washington Post cited many incidents where public relations programs at large companies failed in crisis situations. They applauded Johnson & Johnson for being honest with the public.

Priorities in life

One day, an expert in time management was speaking to a group of business students and, to drive home a point, used an illustration those students will never forget. As he stood in front of the group of high-powered overachievers he said, “Okay, time for a quiz?”, and he pulled out a wide-mouth jar and set it on the table in front of him. He also produced about a dozen fist-sized rocks and carefully placed them, one at a time, into the jar. When the jar was filled to the top and no more rocks would fit inside, he asked, “Is this jar full?”. Everyone in the class yelled, Yes! The time management expert replied, “Really?”. He reached under the table and pulled out a bucket of gravel. He dumped some gravel in and shook the jar causing pieces of gravel to work themselves down into the spaces between the big rocks. He then asked the group once more, “Is the jar full?” By this time the class was on to him. “Probably not”, one of them answered. Good! he replied. He reached under the table and brought out a bucket of sand. He started dumping the sand in the jar and it went into all of the spaces left between the rocks and the gravel. Once more he asked the question, “Is this jar full?” “No!” the class shouted. Once again he said, Good! Then he grabbed a pitcher of water and began to pour it in until the jar was filled to the brim. He looked at the class and asked, “What is the point of this illustration?” One eager student raised his hand and said, “The point is, no matter how full your schedule is, if you try really hard you can always fit some more things in it!”. “No”, the speaker replied, that’s not the point. “The truth is, this illustration teaches us that if you don’t put the big rocks in first, you’ll never get them in at all.” “What are the ‘big rocks’ in your life, time with your loved ones, your faith, your education, your dreams, a worthy cause, teaching or mentoring others. Remember to put these ‘big rocks’ in first or you’ll never get them in at all.” So, tonight, or in the morning, when you are reflecting on this short story, ask yourself this question - What are the ‘big rocks’ in my life? Then, put those in your jar first.