Here are a few news items,which happened in recent weeks\months..The aim here is not to keep you abreast of current events but to indicate something...please use your own logic to interpret these and try to join the dots..
(1)Nepal,the only official Hindu Nation in world found itself in the clutches of
communism.The same people that killed the army & people of Nepal were now a part of the ruling combination and all this in the name of democracy!!!!!
(2)Cabinet Minister visits the family of a alleged SIMI terrorist and demands for his immediate release and also to revoke the ban on SIMI.The Irony being,it was the central government(of which the minister is a part of) only which has sought a ban on SIMI in the wake of strong proofs of the outfit being involved in recent bomb blasts in the country.
Add to this,The same minister asks for legitmising the Illegal Bangladeshi Occupants which are creating law and order problems in many districts of Bihar bordering Nepal..
(3) The governor of Jammu & Kashmir takes back a decision which sought to provide a piece of land aimed at creating suitable amenities for lakhs of Amarnath pilgrims.
Why would a secular Indian government take back such a noble decision..only under the pressure of separatists of hurriyat??..Think Aloud..there is more to it..
(4)A Mahant known for his charitable institutions and for helping underpriviledged among the tribes of orissa, brutally killed along with his four associates.Wait... this is not supposed to be a news item in a 'Secular India' so this is not.Who'll speak even a single line against this killing and risk himself being labelled "Communal" and belonging to RSS,VHP.The mahant must have done something bad to have invited his killings..
Join the dots...
And Finally..here is a link to a very thought provoking article by Tarun Vijay,the editor of "Panchjanya"...
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Opinion/Columnists/Tarun_Vijay/The_Right_View/The_Totalitarians/articleshow/msid-3455424,curpg-1.cms
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
Aao Billi-Billi khelein..(CAT-2008)
HeHe...time for some serious stuff..
These days I too have became a aspirant for IIM's (courtsey: fatchecks my friends in petroleum industry and mining industry are drawing from their employers)
So here goes a useful article for all such aspirants on how to analyse the mock tests that we undertake so releigiously every sunday morning...
If you hope to attend an IIM, you’ll need to ace each section of CAT 2008. Being exceptionally good in two of the three, while still weak in the other, won’t earn you the much coveted seat you desire.
Analysis of mock CATs
You should obviously take several mock CATs as part of your preparation. You should take them at regular intervals instead of bunching them together in the last fortnight or one month before the exam. Ideally, you should take two mock CATs per week in the last two months. Of course, one of them should be the AIMCAT (All India mock CAT) on a Sunday. This will give you your relative ranking compared to aspirants across the country. The second one could be in the middle of the week, which will allow you to measure yourself against a more intimate group of test-takers.
Taking mock CATs is only one small part of your preparation. After taking any practice test — particularly comprehensive tests like mock CATs — you should spend enough time analysing the results so that you get the maximum value out of the experience. If you spend two and a half hours on the exam, you should spend at least four to five hours on analysis and review. Otherwise, you’ll only get partial value and won’t learn your relative weaknesses and strengths.
After you’ve finished a test and its analysis, you’re still not done. Attempt the questions which you gave a miss the first time through. This should be done without looking at the answer key to check your marks. Set a time limit to do this; it may require two to three hours depending on how many questions you left blank on your first attempt.
Now is the time to check how many of your attempts are right by using the answer key. At this stage, do not look at the solutions with explanations, if they are available in your mock CAT.
Re-attempt all those questions which you answered incorrectly, still without looking at the solutions, to see if you can correctly answer the same now. You will find that you are now able to get a few more questions correct even without looking at the solutions. This is the way to improve your learning. You do not need to set any time limit for this stage. At the end of this stage, there may still be some qusetions that you answer incorrectly.
Also, there is the possibility that you run across a type of question that you just do not know how to solve. For these questions, look at the solutions and review the fundamentals and theory. In the following weeks, be sure to spend time on that area separately.
When your mock CAT results are available to you from your institute (if you are taking coaching), check your section-wise results as well as area-wise results. Focus on your percentile position as well as your All-India rank in each section and in the entire paper as a whole. Discover whether or not you have crossed the cut-off marks in each section — this is important because the IIMs require that you perform well in all the sections.
Also, check for additional marks required in various sections to reach a desired level of All-India rank. Then, fix a target for the next mock CAT that you are going to take.
A planned approach to preparation is a must for the best results. Remember, a systematic approach to exam-taking will ensure that you scale the heights required to get the institute of your choice.
These days I too have became a aspirant for IIM's (courtsey: fatchecks my friends in petroleum industry and mining industry are drawing from their employers)
So here goes a useful article for all such aspirants on how to analyse the mock tests that we undertake so releigiously every sunday morning...
If you hope to attend an IIM, you’ll need to ace each section of CAT 2008. Being exceptionally good in two of the three, while still weak in the other, won’t earn you the much coveted seat you desire.
Analysis of mock CATs
You should obviously take several mock CATs as part of your preparation. You should take them at regular intervals instead of bunching them together in the last fortnight or one month before the exam. Ideally, you should take two mock CATs per week in the last two months. Of course, one of them should be the AIMCAT (All India mock CAT) on a Sunday. This will give you your relative ranking compared to aspirants across the country. The second one could be in the middle of the week, which will allow you to measure yourself against a more intimate group of test-takers.
Taking mock CATs is only one small part of your preparation. After taking any practice test — particularly comprehensive tests like mock CATs — you should spend enough time analysing the results so that you get the maximum value out of the experience. If you spend two and a half hours on the exam, you should spend at least four to five hours on analysis and review. Otherwise, you’ll only get partial value and won’t learn your relative weaknesses and strengths.
After you’ve finished a test and its analysis, you’re still not done. Attempt the questions which you gave a miss the first time through. This should be done without looking at the answer key to check your marks. Set a time limit to do this; it may require two to three hours depending on how many questions you left blank on your first attempt.
Now is the time to check how many of your attempts are right by using the answer key. At this stage, do not look at the solutions with explanations, if they are available in your mock CAT.
Re-attempt all those questions which you answered incorrectly, still without looking at the solutions, to see if you can correctly answer the same now. You will find that you are now able to get a few more questions correct even without looking at the solutions. This is the way to improve your learning. You do not need to set any time limit for this stage. At the end of this stage, there may still be some qusetions that you answer incorrectly.
Also, there is the possibility that you run across a type of question that you just do not know how to solve. For these questions, look at the solutions and review the fundamentals and theory. In the following weeks, be sure to spend time on that area separately.
When your mock CAT results are available to you from your institute (if you are taking coaching), check your section-wise results as well as area-wise results. Focus on your percentile position as well as your All-India rank in each section and in the entire paper as a whole. Discover whether or not you have crossed the cut-off marks in each section — this is important because the IIMs require that you perform well in all the sections.
Also, check for additional marks required in various sections to reach a desired level of All-India rank. Then, fix a target for the next mock CAT that you are going to take.
A planned approach to preparation is a must for the best results. Remember, a systematic approach to exam-taking will ensure that you scale the heights required to get the institute of your choice.
Friday, August 8, 2008
The Argumentative Me...
I am going throught the famous book "The Argumentative Indian" by Amartya Sen,the noble prize winner.The book talks about the eternal argumentative culture of india starting from the vedic ages,which in the timeline has been refined and nurtured by intermixing of various cultures and civilizations as Islam,buddhism,jainism,zorastrianism and many more..(India is home to almost all the religions of the world..)..
The book did its bit to stir this Argumentative Indian and forced to ponder over some issues:
(1) On such an important issue when the author believes that Inquisitive habit & heterodoxy has been a part of Indian psyche since time eternal,he finds Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore the Only person worth devoting a full long Chapter.
I have very high regards for Rabindranath Tagore,but only him when we easily have such a long list of Indians who are arguably equal to Tagore if not above him in embracing cultural openness !!!.
Why most of the talks about Indians being argumentative ends with Gurudev as example?
(2) The satyajit Ray being another great personality who comes second to none other than Tagore in Amartya Sen's list of intellectual personalities??
(3) Though being very diplomatic in comparing Gandhi and Tagore,the author clearly shows his inclination towards Tagore as 'The More Argumentative Indian' and Shantiniketan perhaps the only Institution worth a mention which produces "Argumentative Indians".
(4) I don't know whether it's my mindblock making me unbale to read the open thoughts of Amartya Sen or I have been correct in my views,but a better title of this book would have been "The Argumentative Bengal" atleast the readers would have an idea then as what to expect from the book and not to be fooled by the word "Indian".
A more detailed account about India or Indians I would say has been given in the book "India Unbound" by Gurcharan Das.Those who have read the both would be able to comment more on this.
From a renowned economist,a noble laureate and a global personality I expected
something better..more national..more global..Perhaps it's better that we should seek only his economic advices and leave the rest for other experts...
The book did its bit to stir this Argumentative Indian and forced to ponder over some issues:
(1) On such an important issue when the author believes that Inquisitive habit & heterodoxy has been a part of Indian psyche since time eternal,he finds Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore the Only person worth devoting a full long Chapter.
I have very high regards for Rabindranath Tagore,but only him when we easily have such a long list of Indians who are arguably equal to Tagore if not above him in embracing cultural openness !!!.
Why most of the talks about Indians being argumentative ends with Gurudev as example?
(2) The satyajit Ray being another great personality who comes second to none other than Tagore in Amartya Sen's list of intellectual personalities??
(3) Though being very diplomatic in comparing Gandhi and Tagore,the author clearly shows his inclination towards Tagore as 'The More Argumentative Indian' and Shantiniketan perhaps the only Institution worth a mention which produces "Argumentative Indians".
(4) I don't know whether it's my mindblock making me unbale to read the open thoughts of Amartya Sen or I have been correct in my views,but a better title of this book would have been "The Argumentative Bengal" atleast the readers would have an idea then as what to expect from the book and not to be fooled by the word "Indian".
A more detailed account about India or Indians I would say has been given in the book "India Unbound" by Gurcharan Das.Those who have read the both would be able to comment more on this.
From a renowned economist,a noble laureate and a global personality I expected
something better..more national..more global..Perhaps it's better that we should seek only his economic advices and leave the rest for other experts...
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