Lockdown Countdown: Webinars
Honest answer, I have stopped counting. It doesn’t make sense as everything is extremely uncertain. However, even at the time of uncertainty, I can certainly utilize the time effectively to make myself more productive. And there I am again on my learning spree through webinars arranged by the leading academic institutions, other talk series like the TEDxGateway Talks, some YouTube Videos (which include medicine, art and fashion – my areas of interest) and some enlightening Interviews.
Here’s a note on the Webinars that I found very interesting and informative through the different versions of the lockdown extensions.
TEDxGateway Webinar Series
(Image Source: TEDxGateway Promotional Emailers)
A. Morgan Housel (Partner, The Collaborative Fund) in conversation with Govindraj Ethiraj (Journalist & Entrepreneur)
Topic: The World Has Changed: Surviving a failing Economy
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeXEYGX3RZ0
Those interested in the effect of Covid on global economy and finance, well, you must watch this session. Bsides the points shared by Morgan Housel, I think the questions asked by the host and by the audience were also very interesting.
B. Dr. Zarir F Udwadia (Pulmonologist) in conversation with Faye D’Souza (Journalist)
Topic: Lessons from a Doctor in the frontline
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtKnnapPPq0
On point session on what is happening during the corona virus pandemic (scientific and medical point of view) and how to go about managing health and healthcare amidst Covid.
C. Mr. Nir Eyal (Behavioral Design Expert & Author of Hooked and Indistractable) with Ralph Simon
Topic: Indistractable – How to control your attention
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXOhx6J3BQk
There was a lot to absorb in this highly interactive session. The parents concerned about how to tackle the distraction in their kids due to constant use of cell phones/hand held devices as well as all those addicted to Mobile Phones and Apps and Social Media—doesn’t matter what age group—should listen to what Eyal has to say. I plan to buy both the books written by him.
D. Vikas Khanna (Michelin Star Chef, Filmmaker and Humanitarian) in conversation with Vishal Gondal (CEO,GOQii)
Topic: Feeding a billion
It all started with a spam mail…and the rest of the story one must hear it from Vikas himself. God, you look good Vikas, and that attitude of gratitude rocks.
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzkdNNE2hbo
By liking the TedxGateway Facebook Page, you can get the updates on the upcoming events. That’s how I follow.
Health and the Economy (Virtual Town Hall) By CII (Confederation of Indian Industry)
(Image Source: CII Registration Confirmation Emailer)
This was one of the best sessions I have attended in the last two months. It had an expert speaker panel. The image above itself speaks volumes.
To watch, please visit: CII Virtual Town Hall on Health and the Economy held on Sunday, 10 May 2020 | YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jhlGjr7kAk
Takeaway points are well summarized in the Press Release. To read the Press Release, please visit: We Cannot Have Health Without the Economy and Economy Without the Health | https://www.cii.in/PressreleasesDetail.aspx?enc=OhjT5IlJLz2U9wKX0nOHBZ2vmFWfNWDL69Ewt0kthFI=
I came to know about the session through CII LinkedIn Page were it was promoted.
SPJIMR Webinars
(Image Source: TEDxGateway Promotional Emailers)
The Two Informative Webinars from SPJIMR were:
A. Topic: What Power Does To Our Brain?
SPJIMR, Apr 25, 202, 6 PM
Speaker: A Message from R. Gopalakrishnan – Executive in Residence at SPJIMR And Former Executive Director Tata Sons
B. Topic: Accounting and Finance World post Covid-19
SPJIMR Web Panel Discussion, Saturday, May 2nd, 5 PM
Speakers:
- Hemant Manuj, Associate Professor & Head Finance Area,
- Srivatsan Lakshminarayan, Professor, Accounting & Finance and
- Mohan Natrajan, MD & India Head of Avista Advisory
Since I am an Alumna, I had received an email to attend the same.
Well, so far so much. There is more—interesting ebooks, books, and some more videos. I will try to mention that in the following posts.
Until then, Stay Safe!
…Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com
‘Me’dical Writing, and the journey begins…
More than once, I have been asked to guide on a career as a Medical Writer and why I chose this field. It is difficult to address each and everyone’s query as some are on Messenger, some on Email, some on LinkedIn, etc etc etc. Therefore, I have decided to write a piece on the topic so that it is easy for me to reply all queries just via a link, and those concerned, get the answer.
Let me begin with my journey, which is incomplete without giving a background on how I decided to opt for Medical Writing. This one is going to be a long write up. Have patience.
Part-I: Me vs The Universe
It starts post HSC (High School – Science: Year 1999), I completed my graduation in Alternative Medicine—Bachelors in Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) from SCMPH Medical College, Vile Parle, Mumbai. It is one of the best Homoeopathic Medical Colleges in India and I think even in Asia. The plan was to do MBBS and try to be a surgeon; but the Universe had other plans for me, I guess.
In the year 1999, MH-CET, a common entrance test, was introduced. Prior to this, admissions to medical colleges were based on High School 12th Grades gross percentage for the subjects Physics-Chemistry-Biology (PCB), may be Math (M), English and Hindi/Marathi were considered for overall aggregate percentage. It was PCM was for engineering admissions.
Well, back to the year 1999, at home, I got the permission to study but in Mumbai City, my residence city. And hence based on my MH-CET rank and also that I took admission in the second round1, I landed up taking admission in a medical college at a distance of 30 minutes via road from my house. It was then one of the two (alternative) medical colleges in the Western Suburbs of Mumbai. Rest all medical colleges (Modern Medicine and/or Alternative Medicine) then were situated in South Mumbai, also famously known as the town side.
Post completing BHMS, I wanted to pursue a post graduation in Medical Science but not an MD in Homoeopathic Medicine. I wasn’t prepared to go into full-time clinical practice. In 2005, I enrolled for MSc in Clinical Research (ICRI-Mumbai affiliated to Cranfield University, UK). Why? Because it was a revision of Anatomy, Physiology, Pathology, Surgery & Medicine for me, and the course covered Pharmacology, something which is missing in BHMS syllabus, ideally should have been covered or else a student’s knowledge on Modern Medicine gets limited as it is left for self-study. Plus, MSc in Clinical Research gave me insight into the Clinical Research domain. Now, in the last term of this two-year program, I decided to be a Medical Writer as that suited me best rather than be a Clinical Research Coordinator or Clinical Research Associate or Data Expert or other career options which the course offered.
Despite being one of the best students, I could not get job though campus placement. My bad luck is pretty high in life. I never get anything without struggle. You will find me and the Universe in a perpetual state of argument without coming to an understanding. What it offers, I don’t understand. What I want, I am never offered.
Nevertheless, I started looking for a job in the Newspaper and on Job Portals, and somehow the Universe was a little kind, and I landed up with a job of a Medical Writer in Mumbai. But there is a twist here. The job was not in a Pharmaceutical Company or Clinical Research Organization (CRO) as I had hoped, but in an Advertising Agency. My planning is another thing which the Universe never approves. No clue why.
Since I was a fresher with no published article with my name or byline, or any formal training in Mass Communication, there was no negotiation for the salary. What was offered I took and what was offered was significantly low (very very low that took care of my travelling via public transport and simple food expense. I stayed with and still stay at my parents’ home. Not out of choice, more so because of so-called societal norms, of which, I am not a big fan but my mom thinks otherwise, always did and will continue to do so, I guess) in comparison to my peers who got job through campus placement. Well, they were the lucky lot.
And that’s how I got my first job as a Medical Writer in a Healthcare Advertising Agency, in the year 2007, after 8.5 years of post high school education with a salary that just did not justify the years spent in academics.
Part-II: Destiny? Choice? Both?
Now, what I did as a Medical Writer in a Healthcare Advertising Agency? Answer is both Medical Writing and Copy Writing. So it was medicine combined with creativity to send the message to the target audience. Healthcare ad agency has Pharma Companies, Medical Device Companies, Hospitals, Diagnostic Centres, Nutritional Products, etc as clients. So I was ideating, writing and editing very scientific copy as well as creative lines/copy for product/service promotion. In short, I was Design Thinking right from my first job–a term that I came across only three years back during MBA sessions.
The work was either B2B – Business to Business or B2C – Business to Consumer communication creation. I had to write catering to both of Business Systems here. If the client brief was clear, then the copy gets approved very quickly. Unfortunately that was and is almost never the case. Therefore, be prepared to work on one brief for at least 3 to 5 times if you are a fresher. Your copy gets rejected till the client approves, which you are to ensure as each client is important business that brings money to your agency and hence your pay. Well, honest answer, each rejection tames your ego because your best idea is trashed and so is a bit of your ego. It was a good ego taming exercise. You have to work very closely with the Copy Writers, Copy Editors, Proofreaders, Creative/Graphics Team, Digital Team, Printers, Vendors, Client Servicing Team, Product Managers (if the agency has that department), and occasionally, ‘The Client’. Also, the working hours depends on the project deadline. If you want a sharp 9 am to 5 pm job and weekends free, then I doubt this is the right choice. There are times when the team works overnight and throughout the weekends to ensure the deliverable is on time, especially during Product Launches and other Events.
My creative side got a boost here. I was a good Medical Writer and not-so-bad Copy Writer! I got a decent appraisal post six months, which allowed me to eat once in a while in a good restaurant but again on splitting-bill basis. Paying the entire group bill was still a long way to go.
Next job was in a website company – a Healthcare Website as a Medical Content Developer. It was in 2008, and I got 100 percent raise. Not bad at the time of economic recession. But my previous pay itself was low, so this wasn’t great amount, but I was grateful. I could pay the entire food bill if I was in a group. The office was closer to my residence saving the travel time. Universe was a little kind this time.
What I did here? Well, I was leading the team, other writers were freelancers. Writing was solely B2C. The copy had to be website user friendly, means it was supposed to be scientific but written in easy understandable language without a reader getting tangled in medical jargons. It was good learning experience. I was introduced to Blog here as there was a Company Blog and posted on it. And hence, I decided to have my own blog. So yes, I am blogging for 11 years now! It was job low on stress, 10 am to 6 pm, alternate Saturdays off, nothing to complain.
I completed a short-course in Creative Writing from XIC, Mumbai and enrolled in MA English from SNDT Women’s University (Distance Education) to help me polish my writing skills.
Next 2010, I got job in Infomedia18, a part of Network18, as a Senior Features Writer for two B2B Magazines – Modern Medicare and Modern Pharmaceuticals. This was a breakthrough for me. Network18 is a big brand and that on my CV, I was happy. Pay was ok. Not great. Still traveling public transport, with may be once in a month cab drive from home to work place (Western Suburbs to South Mumbai). Otherwise it was either railway or BEST bus or both. Oh yes, now I could afford to buy branded garments and accessories. A few, not many. Earlier, I never entered these stores or mall. Window shopping is not me. I either shop or not.
I worked here for one year. I am glad I got to work as a correspondent, a journalist and a writer, all at once. But I think I wanted more than this. I enjoyed one year. I got to travel to three cities – Hyderabad, Chennai and Goa. I loved interacting with team members from other cities and other organizations. Attending press conferences, events, field visits, interviewing experts, reviewing books/products—all was a new experience as I have to be attentive in each of the above mentioned events because I was expected to file post event article. It was a good break. However, I had to move on.
Next, year 2011, I joined the Corporate Communication Team of Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital (KDAH)—one of the leading hospitals of Mumbai. The same year, I decided to appear for Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam. It was my last chance to give the exam as there is an age limit. And I appeared with one month of preparation. I was sure I wouldn’t get selected. But I wanted to eliminate the ifs-buts in life. To live with an-if or a-but is difficult. So it is best to know a- yes or a-no so as to live at peace. Well, it was a No. But I had a job in one of the best hospital in the city. I was Thankful to the Universe.
Pay, not great2. I still did not have a formal degree in Mass Communication. Neither did I have a Business Administration qualification. And I was still in my second year MA English as I took one year break to appear for the UPSC exam. But, I couldn’t complain. The hospital is at a walking distance from my house. So it saved money on travelling, which I spent on buying more of branded clothes and accessories. Not a wise decision, I do realize that now. A penny saved is a penny earned. I am gaining that wisdom the hard way. But I was happy! 🙂
Working hours, same as any corporate organization—9 am sign in, but there is no fixed time for signing out. All hospitals work 6 days in a week and on Sundays it is mostly working again as all conferences are weekend events. I am grateful that I got to report to the decision makers and every reporting was a different experience in itself. I worked here for three years—three years of rigorous working and three -years of learning-learning-learning so much that the knowledge gained is something I will carry forward throughout my career.
What I did as a Corporate Communication professional? Well, here it was Corporate Communication + Branding. Basically, we were a team of four and we functioned as an In-House Advertising Agency + PR Agency + Media Buying Agency + Digital Team + Internal Communication Team. Yes, each in itself is a job description, we did it all and we made a very versatile team. For me, it was a job balancing between writing and coordinating, both internal and external communication. In sort, now, I was a Design Thinker and a Project Manager.
I completed my MA English and a Post Grad Diploma (PGD) in Project Management from S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) while working at KDAH. The Senior Management and HR team were very cooperative when it came to pursuing further education. Universe blessed me here. The organization was becoming my comfort zone, and for some reason, comfort zone isn’t a great feeling. I know it is strange but so is the case with me. And therefore, it was time to move.
Next job was a mere coincidence that happened in 2014. I was to join a healthcare advertising agency again, but I landed working with Wockhardt Hospitals Group for the launch of their flagship hospital in South Mumbai. Now, this was something I have never done before and wanted to see where I stood. It was my first job on paper that had dual reporting. I was reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO). I was a part of the Marketing Team responsible for the PR (Media Releases, Press Conference, etc.) and also responsible for an IT Project and Digital Content. A very unique experience. A chance to apply my project management skills to the fullest extent. A successful launch. It involved coordination with many agencies and vendors. A hospital launch project is something one should experience if you are a part of hospital sector.
Pay was ok2. My shopping continued. I traveled more often in cab (often, not always). Thinking back, overall, it was good. I was doing my Mass Communication from Xavier Institute of Communication (XIC), Mumbai now and I got permission from my seniors and the HR team, which meant a lot considering that I was in the system for only six months.
Year 2015: Another coincidence. I was to join a foundation, but I took the other offer – Brand and Communication Lead at Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital, Mumbai. Pay was ok 2. I added ecommerce to my buying list. Yes I know, my shopping list just keeps getting lengthier. Not a wise call.
Once again, the hospital is located close to my house that equals to less time spent travelling = less stress. Travelling in Mumbai can be very stressful if you reside at a distance from the work place. A job close to your residence is considered as a blessing.
Then, the hospital was in aggressive marketing mode as it was the after phase when the Operations & Management (O&M) was overtaken by the new management team. I was a part of the new team, not the trust employee. Here, I saw how to balance between the union and non-union employees. A very big learning lesson. Here, communication strategy may be the same as in other hospitals, but the tactic has to be different. Many emotions, many sentiments. All need to be balanced. But I had a wonderful experience working with all the professionals here, union or otherwise. Well, I had applied to various MBA programs and I got selected for PGPMX (equivalent to MBA) at the Indian Institute of Management Indore (IIMI). Once again, the Seniors and the HR were considerate and I was given permission to attend the college on weekends. But now balancing between academics and almost seven days working was challenging.3 If not at work, I was to be available on call, and college has some decorum to follow, plus assignment deadlines to meet. So I had to take a break from an extremely busy corporate life to a life of a Consultant, much relaxed. Another spin from the Universe as this wasn’t the actual plan.
Part-III: Medical & Marketing Consultation
From 2016 onwards: Presently, I am a Consultant to various Marketing, Communication, Branding, Advertising & Strategy Projects. Mostly healthcare, but I have also been part of projects from other sectors like NGOs, Education, Real Estate, Start-Ups, Fashion, Finance and there is ample to add to this list. I am working on it.
So yes, I started as a Medical Writer, then Digital Content Lead, worked as a Journalist, spent five years leading the Hospitals’ Branding & Communication Teams, and now, a Marketing Consultant. This journey equals to 12 years of working and educating, simultaneously. Not an easy journey, but not a very difficult one too.
In every new job, I got to utilize the training gained through an additional academic qualification that added more quality and value to my existing work experience and technical skills. I won’t call my professional life a total success yet, but I don’t think it is a failure either. An attitude of gratitude helps me sail through difficult phases. Universe, hope you are listening/reading, whatever!
Medical Writing in a Nutshell
I would like to describe Medical Writing as:
- B2B: Business to Business. Very scientific. Full of medical jargons as the audience is expected to be well-versed in the medical field. Research and Evidence Based statements. Relevant Citations to be given wherever required. Citations should follow standard norms. Care should be taken that proper referencing guidelines is followed or else the article is subject to plagiarism. Some examples would be a Chapter in a Medical Text Book, Research Papers and Published Magazine Articles with industry expert quotes.
- B2C: Business to Consumer. Easy language yet no deviation from the fact. Audience does not understand medical dictionary. This needs to be kept in mind while writing. You can make it creative, add statistical data, images, videos, etc. Facts have to be from relevant source (and mention the source). Copy pasting can lead to copyright issues. Hence, one should be very careful while creating content. Examples would be any healthcare website that gives basic information on disease and its management or any lifestyle or fashion magazine that has an article on healthcare and wellness.
- C2C: This is a type that has more to do with the advent of social media. Say for example, someone is asking a disease related question on a forum and the other person is answering to that query. Now, what is important is that the answer has to be evidence-based. One wrong reply and you never know who is reading, what age the person is, and if the answer is not medically and scientifically sound, then it can create massive problem to some life. Hence, it is best the questions are replied by experts – not necessary a doctor, the person should be a qualified expert in that field – say a PhD or other relevant medical qualification. It is always best to visit your treating doctor to get a prescription. Online medical content is just to create awareness, and its application is not accurate when it comes to making a diagnosis or in actual disease management. Clinical Examination by a doctor plays a crucial role while coming to a diagnosis. This is something one cannot do online. So please, all readers, visit your treating physician for the right diagnosis, treatment and follow-ups.
Now, the approach to writing will differ based on the communication medium– Print or Digital, Paid, Owned or Earned Media, etc. I will describe that in detail may be in another post. Also, while creating content, try to focus on the 6 W’s – Why, Where, When, Who, What and How. It simplifies the content and makes it more reader friendly.
And when I say ‘Content’, I do not mean only writing pieces. It can be Research Paper, Ad copy, Ad campaign, Audio Visual, AV Script, Ad Script, Movie Script, Movie, Film, Video, Image, Animated Images, Website, Social Media, Blog, Vlog…anything and everything that sends a message to the readers/audience.
Those who are interested in my work, the following are links to some of the magazine issues that has articles published under my byline. All articles, by all authors, in every issue are worth reading irrespective of the year it was published. Highly insightful and applicable even in the current setting.
Magazine Links:
https://issuu.com/infomedia18/docs/modern_medicare_january_2011 https://issuu.com/infomedia18/docs/modern_medicare_february_2011 https://issuu.com/infomedia18/docs/modern_medicare_march_2011
https://issuu.com/infomedia18/docs/modern_medicare_may_2011
https://issuu.com/infomedia18/docs/modern_medicare_april_2011
Thank you for your patience. Hope this helped.
Note:
1 In 1999 when MH-CET was introduced, there were three rounds for admission then and all the candidates, who has cleared the entrance, had to travel to Nashik as the MUHS University was then shifted from Mumbai to Nashik—a city at a 3 to 4 hours road way distance from Mumbai. If I would have waited for third round then I would have wasted 6 months, which means next batch, but probably would have got admission in Mumbai or Navi Mumbai in MBBS or BDS as many of my batchmates with lower ranks got. However, it was the first time for admissions through an entrance test and people were confused, with no one guide. The Internet then was slow and there were no smart phones. Also, the decision was influenced by the fact that my family had just shifted to Mumbai in 1996 after my father’s sudden death and we were still grieving. Until June 1996, I was a student, a proud student, of MES Indian School, CBSE, Doha-Qatar. Post this, all my education, which is very extensive, is from academic institutions situated in Mumbai, India.
2 Pay in the Indian Hospital Sector is low in comparison to other sectors. It is pretty much similar to the NGO or Foundation pay. Slightly higher may be. But not a wow salary. However, be it economic high or low phase, hospitals are always functioning. So yes job security is high. Plus an employee may get some Health Check Discounts.
3 All academic programs which I completed while I was working were either Distance Education or Part-Time Weekend Programs. A Hospital Functions 24/7-365 days. So balancing work and academics is not easy.
– Ashu Bolar
Email: ashubolar@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/drasmayousuf
Sunshine 20.20
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone.
It’s not warm when she’s away.
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone,
And she’s always gone too long,
Anytime she goes away.
Wonder this time where she’s gone.
Wonder if she’s gone to stay.
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone,
And this house just ain’t no home,
Anytime she goes away.
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know, I know, I know, I know,
I know, I know…hey, I oughta leave young thing alone…
But ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone.
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone,
Only darkness every day.
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone,
And this house just ain’t no home,
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
Anytime she goes away.
YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIdIqbv7SPo
The first time I heard this song was as a background score in the movie, Notting Hill. A beautiful song, lovely lyrics. And the lyrics go perfectly well with the scene that starts with a pregnant woman selecting clothes to ending with her smiling and carrying the baby in her arms, while throughout, there has been many changes—of seasons and relations, yet William Thacker (Hugh Grant) keeps walking, adjusting his jacket to the rising and falling temperature, and thinking, and reminiscing, and missing, Anna Scott (Julia Roberts). The Bill Withers song is from a 1971 album Just As I Am, over a decade before I was born. So my information is Wikipedia based, hence the link/hyperlink for those interested in the details. But the movie is my generation movie, one of my all time favourites.
Those interested in the movie scene, can check the YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce_BXD_ONQ8
Well, no one has ever called me Sunshine. That made me think, “Do I have to be someone’s Sunshine?” and the answer was, “Yes, No, May be”. ‘Yes’ and ‘May Be’ means waiting. And waiting can mean worrying. And worrying is a wasted emotion; it brings nothing, while takes away time. Thus, ‘No’ point waiting. Hence, I have decided to be My Sunshine. And yes, if that sunshine fades then there will be darkness and coldness within and around me, and I wouldn’t want that, not now, not ever.
This New Year,
it is the New Me,
the Metamorphosed Me,
the Sunshine Me,
the New Version Me:
Version 20.20, Sunshine 20.20.
??
??
Wishing you all Sunshine, Warmth and Brightness, within and around you, every day.
Happy 2020 my friends!
…Ashu Bolar
ashubolar@gmail.com
50 Days
There was a Bollywood movie called 100 days, a 1991 film, starring Madhuri Dixit and Jackie Shroff – one of my favourite movies. The plot of the movie is something like this – A young girl, whose elder sister is reported missing, falls in love with the next door handsome rich neighbour, gets premonitions followed by panic attacks. The visions, which gets stronger after her marriage, are related somehow with her sister, and leads her to the wall of the isolated mansion owned by her husband, behind which she finds a buried skeleton that happens to be of her murdered sister, who was a history research student investigating and writing on stolen museum monuments sold in the black market. Well, in the end the criminals are caught—some self confessed, some arrested. Interesting plot, good music, overall a great movie.
Now, if we apply the same plot to the 50 Days of Demonetization in India, then well, no one was practically murdered, but the economy experienced sudden death of the most popular and favourite forms of Indian currency – the 500 and the 1000 rupee notes. And the black money that was stacked in the safe boxes or buried in the walls, ceilings, floors, was either extracted by the one, who placed it there or by the Income Tax Department. Some amount was burnt, some abandoned in dumping grounds, some were torn, some were submerged in the waters, some deposited in the donation boxes, but most was deposited in the banks, were it truly belongs.
Post 8 pm, Tuesday, 8th November 2016, life in India took a strange turn, halt in some cases.
Despite clear announcements, there was a panic attack among the masses, with queues that no bank has ever witnessed. But the banks of India did a remarkable job. Hats off to all the bank employees, who did not shy away from putting in extra hours and efforts, yet stayed level-headed despite the ignorance, the tantrums and the anger displayed by the agitated crowds. The cashier at every bank, not just stayed calm, but was cautious and vigilant of the amount and notes exchanged.
If demonetization was a ‘Project’ with a start and an end date, then Indian Finance Industry has accomplished the project quite successfully. Yes, there were hiccups, but those are expected in a country as big and diverse as India, with a population over 1.2 billion at literacy rate of about 74%.
Demonetization received appreciation and criticism equally. In my opinion, it was an excellent call by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi. Our country was facing huge cash deficits due to various reasons, and now banks have funds. Indian economy has slowed down, but this short term risk will bring long term benefit to the nation—obvious to some, oblivious to some.
If demonetization is discussed as a ‘Change in Indian Economy’, then it was a big change and relatively successful due to cooperation by all those citizens who understood the benefit it will bring to the country and to its future. Retired citizens, senior citizens, specially abled citizens, the youth, the housewives, the corporate professionals, those aware, those who tried to get aware—all stood in the queues, Banks and ATMs, for hours, but did the needful and complied to the new rules announced almost every 15 days.
As of now, the news channels are still discussing the effects of demonetization on Indian Economy and the discussions will continue for a long time, into the New Year and post that, because this decision was a landmark decision. Digital India, Cashless India is an achievable vision. All that is required is a lot of awareness and a lot of patience with a willingness to change and to learn. And the past 50 Days have proved that the country can change if guided properly towards the goal.
We still have a long way to achieve the Swachch Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission). This is just the beginning. Cleaning anything, anyplace, anywhere is always an annoying job, but if done wholeheartedly, the results are sparkling. We are in the process of polishing our economy; it will sparkle, it will be radiant, it is just a matter of time.
I am optimistic. I am hopeful. I can see that Incredibly Incredible India we all hope and aim for.
Wishing all the readers a great year ahead…
Happy New Year!
Jai Hind!
…Ashu Bolar
Top Ten Management Institutes, India: 2016
As per the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD), Government of India released on Monday 4th April 2016, following are the top ten management Institutes in India:
- Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
- Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad
- Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta
- Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow
- Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur
- Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode
- International Management Institute, New Delhi
- Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
- Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur
- Indian Institute of Management, Indore
From Mumbai, SP Jain Institute of Management & Research (SPJIMR) has been ranked sixteenth (Category A -institutions that are engaged in research and teaching) amongst the top 50 Management Institutes. The NIRF website enlists all details in the Ranking Framework for Management pdf (picture below is a screen shot from the pdf on NIRF website) on the various parameters used for ranking giving a better insight into various aspects right from teaching to research to perception of each institute ranked. Such complete study and published information makes the ranking reliable unlike various rankings that are found on the website with no relevant information to support them.
Besides management, the other ranking lists for higher studies include Universities (Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, Rank 2), Engineering (Indian Institute of Technology IIT Bombay, Rank 2) and Pharmacy (Bombay College of Pharmacy, Mumbai, Rank 6).
I am glad that I was associated with SPJIMR and currently a part of PGPMX, IIM Indore (Mumbai Campus), and I really did like the NIRF AV presentation on the Top Ten Management Institutes for the year 2016.
I look forward towards more rankings like the best Medical Institutes and many others in the near future.
…Ashu Bolar
Paradise Lost (.) Paradise Regained (???)
I am sure you must have heard, if not read, the epic poem ‘Paradise Lost’ by John Milton, a 17th century English Poet. It is one of my favourites amongst all the poems I had to read for my MA English second year exam.
Well in short, it is the story how mankind lost its permanent place in Paradise after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit as intended and tempted by the Satan disguised as the serpent.
Well, now that the fruit is eaten, here we are on the Planet Earth instead of the Garden of Eden. There are serpents everywhere, in various disguises. There seems to be no riddance from this serpent and its poison. The poison of lust, greed, envy and pride infects us from both within and out. But there is a hope for a remedy, a hope that leads to cure.
This having learnt, thou hast attained the sum
Of Wisdom; hope no higher, though all the Stars
Thou knew’st by name, and all th’ ethereal Powers,
All secrets of the deep, all Nature’s works,
Or works of God in Heav’n, Air, Earth, or Sea,
And all riches of this World enjoy’dst,
And all the rule, one Empire: only add
Deeds to thy knowledge answerable, add Faith,
Add Virtue, Patience, Temperance, add Love,
By name to come called Charity, the soul
Of all the rest: then wilt though not be loth
To leave this Paradise, but shalt possess
A paradise within thee, happier far.
– Paradise Lost; Book XII. 575–587
In Paradise Lost, Book XII, Archangel Michael says these lines to Adam, just before Adam and Eve are led out of Paradise, while trying to explain that even though they have fallen from grace and must leave Paradise, they can still lead a fruitful life. To assure their happiness, they should live their lives by seven tenets: Obedience, Faith, Virtue, Patience, Temperance, Love and Charity. If they live their lives accordingly, they will feel as if they never left Paradise as these tenets will allow them to create an inner Paradise.
Well, here’s the antidote—leading a life by the seven tenets: Obedience, Faith, Virtue, Patience, Temperance, Love and Charity.
Again, this is common knowledge. But how many of us actually apply this to our lives?
‘Paradise Lost’ was followed by another poem ‘Paradise Regained’, where Milton tells the story of Jesus’ resistance to Satan’s temptations, thus narrating the victory of good over evil.
This victory is not fiction, but a reality.
However, today it appears more like fiction due to widespread pandemic recurrent venomous attacks of corruption, terrorism, human trafficking, child abuse, gender abuse, gender discrimination and the list goes on and on.
And with the lengthy list, the rampant attacks and the minimal efforts to eradicate this toxicity…
…Paradise Lost? – Yes, for sure.
…Paradise Regained??? – You’ve got to be kidding me.
…Ashu Bolar
Mouth Marketing :)
The other day, two office boys were having a discussion and one of them said:
“Arey, woh to mouth marketing se aage badha.”
(It progressed as a result of mouth marketing.)
I know what mouth watering is, but mouth marketing to me was a new terminology, and the sound of it was too hilarious. 😀
What he actually meant was Word Of Mouth Marketing (WOMM). WOMM is an unpaid form of oral or written communication.
Today, organisations spent millions on various modes of advertising. But still word of mouth publicity has a strong grip on marketing. No matter how much you advertise, WOMM can either boost up your brand or kill your brand.
With the advent of newer means of communication like the Internet and then the social networking sites, today WOMM has become all the more powerful. It takes seconds for anything to go viral – be it positive or negative. (If negative, then it is milliseconds! 🙂 )
When a brand is a product, to maintain a strong WOM promotion is still not difficult if the manufacturing process is accurate. However, if the brand is a service provider, then to constantly maintain a good WOM publicity can be a challenge. Satisfied consumers will always have good reviews. But one unsatisfied customer can ruin the entire brand image. Because these unhappy customers not just speak but write offensive comments on web pages, and once this process sets in, it is very difficult to have a control over it and extremely difficult to erase it.
Indeed, mouth marketing ;), I mean WOMM is still an essential tool for marketing. Personally, I feel organisations before spending millions on advertising, should first ensure that the product or service they offer is flawless. If so, then I think WOMM can do wonders and save some big bucks that can be utilised elsewhere probably for a good cause.
…Ashu Bolar
Smoking – A Grave Craving
In The Words Of A Smoker…
“Everything was just so perfect. Nice job, great salary, amazing house, awesome social life, perfect health…until recently when I started getting bad headaches. They were so bad that I could not concentrate on my work. Everyday now turned out to be a bad day. I woke up with a headache and slept with a headache. Not just this, I was repeatedly getting nasal and throat infections which made my bad days worst.
I went to my doctor, and after general examination and a battery of tests performed, I was diagnosed as a hypertensive with high cholesterol levels. I took the prescribed medicines but the prescription just worked temporarily. Now I wasn’t getting enough sleep either. So, my doctor added a low dose of sleeping pills to an already-lengthy-prescription.
Physically I am absolutely fit, perfect weight for my height. My diet is just right for my age, weight and lifestyle. I still could not believe for what I was diagnosed of at a young age of 29. I thought I had the perfect lifestyle until my BP read 160/130 mmHg.
One evening I sat down to figure out what has gone wrong where. While thinking the cause for this ill health, the smoke from my cigarette made me cough. I stopped smoking to drink water only to realize what the much-hunted cause. I am a smoker for the past 7 years. This is the greatest flaw in my lifestyle which is now taking a toll on my health, my work, my career and my life.
So now after much thinking and suffering, I have decided to give up smoking because I want my beautiful and perfect life back. I know it is going to be difficult but to live happily and healthily I will take up this challenge of giving up on my seven years of this killing addiction. I have already started staying without smoking and I am praying hard that I should succeed in my purpose.”
Smoking Is Injurious To Health
We all are aware that smoking is injurious to health. Although statement is printed on the cigarette packs, they are still sold. The increase in the sales of these cigarette packs is primarily because smoking is addictive. Some common reasons for getting involved in smoking are peer pressure or following examples of siblings and parents, employment outside the house, stress, homesickness or just as a fashion. There may be many reasons for smoking but the bottom line – ‘Smoking Is Injurious To Health’ always remains the same.
Tobacco Ill Effects
According to the World Health Organization, about 4 million deaths occur in a year from tobacco that is expected to rise to about 10 million by 2030. Tobacco is responsible for about 30% of all cancer deaths in the developed countries. Other ill effects are diseases like stroke, myocardial infarction, aortic aneurysm and peptic ulcer. Smoking is also a known cause for infertility. Smoking is extremely harmful during pregnancy too. The babies of mothers who smoke weigh on an average 200 grams less at birth than those of non-smokersThere is evidence that the sooner a person begins to smoke, the greater is the risk for any life threatening disease to develop, and hence, the life expectancy reduces by almost 25 years as compared to a non-smoker. Smoking brings environmental pollution and the smoke causes diseases even amongst the non-smokers, also called as passive smokers.
Government Initiatives
WHO has organized a “Tobacco Free Initiative Programme” to galvanize global support for tobacco control, and to heighten the awareness of social, human and economic harm caused by tobacco consumption. But no program can be a complete success without mass participation.
The government is trying its best by imposing rules like no smoking in public areas and smoking only in zones meant for smokers. These rules may reduce the ill effects of passive smoking but are they going to help the smoker. He will now be in a zone where he will be smoking along with other smokers. So, in turn he becomes a smoker as well as a passive smoker.
Smoking – A Suicide & A Homicide
Tobacco is a killer and it should not be advertised, subsidized or glamourized. Smoking is suicidal and homicidal. Suicidal because smoking will leave a smoker vulnerable to several life-threatening diseases, and homicidal as by polluting the environment, a smoker threatens the health of others around him. If thought this way then no one will want to be a criminal.
It is high time that every individual realises the ill effects of this grave habit. Stress is no reason for getting addicted to smoking as you are giving yourself a painful life and death. There are times when a doctor advices his patient not to smoke when he smokes himself. It is important to practice before you preach or else your preaching just becomes noise which is heard and then forgotten very easily.
So, Dear Smokers…
Anyone who is a non smoker then he or she should never fall prey to this addiction anytime in their lives. And if a person is a smoker then he or she should quit smoking. It is normal that smokers will find it difficult to stay away from cigarettes during the initial days of withdrawal. But once they overcome this period, they will soon realize the life-long benefits of giving up smoking.
Withdrawal sounds scary and difficult but it is not impossible. Remember that even an impossible says ‘I-M-POSSIBLE.’ Anyone doing so is not just helping himself but also the nation and the world. Smokers should not lose hope and stay firm during the phase of withdrawal to achieve their purpose. There should be lot of motivation and support from family and friends along with strong individual will power. And yes, where there is a will there is always a way!
…Ashu Bolar
PANORAMAA 