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Letters to the editor
Much needs to be done to
eradicate Corruption
from India
The step taken by Anna Hazare
has had some effect on the
countrymen and the wings of
administration. The nearimpeachment
of Justice Sen and the
arrest of Amar Singh in the cash-forvotes
scam is a welcome sign that
Indians would not be passive to the
corrupt goings-on. In this respect, the
fast of Anna Hazare has not gone in
vain. But the battle has just begun.
More needs to be done in order to
sustain the battle and take it to its
fruitful end. Prep Talk, in its last
edition, dealt with the issue
threadbare. It laid open the enormity
of the subject and the role that each of
us has to play in this crusade.
Prep Talk has, as usual, come out
with interesting pieces on Peru on the
geographical front and instruments,
which form an integral part of Indian
music. There were other interesting
articles to enrich the readers.
– Comilla Virk, Aligarh.
Indians are second to none
when it comes to showing
their presence
Persons like Anna Hazare and
Chanda Kochar have become
household names. While the former
has successfully banked on the urge of
the ‘aam aadmi’ to set right the
wrongs that have permeated in the
national scenario, the other has taken
banking to successful heights. India
Against Corruption (IAC) and ICICI
02 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011
Bank are two institutions that are known
on account of the presence and
performance of these two stalwarts in
their respective fields. It was therefore
enriching to get a glimpse into their
wonderful lives and works. Prep Talk did
full justice in giving to us readers an
insight of these personalities. The
edition gave us wonderful ideas on the
features of e-services and ways to
manage them. The information on
Boeing and Eureka Forbes is well
researched, is valuable and would give
the much-needed assistance to
strengthen the Genera Knowledge. The
articles on phobias and killings were
informative.
– Vijeesh John, Surat
The value of Prep Talk can
only be felt; it cannot be stated
Prep Talk is going strong, taking
progressive strides, with each passing
stage. It not only acts as an information
digest to the student community but
also functions as an input giver to
those wanting in counsel for their
pursuits. I am mentioning the valueaddition
that Prep Talk came out with
in the last edition. In addition to the
thoughtful article on the Indian
scenario in the phase post Anna
Hazare’s fast, the edition came out
with an objective yet a grim analysis of
the state of things existing and of
those to follow, in times to come.
Articles on brand icons were eyeopening.
Information and description
of Peru were rich and relevant. I felt
inspired upon reading the lives and
contributions of Anna Hazare and
Chanda Kochar. The world needs
more of such persons. There were
other interesting pieces on vocabulary
and Album Quiz, as also musical
instruments. Keep on doing such
good work!
– Jasowant Shukla, Bilaspur
FEEDBACK !
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Us make it better.
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Take Quote
Dear Readers,
The IIM CAT 2011 arrived with its characteristic features, rolling on from 22
October 2011 to 18 November 2011. Different aspirants will have different tales of
the numerous ways of CAT 2011 wagging its tail, which would become relegated to
folklore, in times to come. The arrival of CAT 2011 is timed such that its interlaced
with the festivity and fanfare of the celebrations of Diwali, the occasion of light and
enlightenment. Tips and suggestions are always welcome, more so when finishing
touches are ventured to be given to the event, which is no less nail-biting in
demeanor.
It is with this objective that the cover story of this edition of Prep Talk is
centered on CAT 2011, replete with strategies and suggestions to tackle the two
sections of the test. It is hoped that readers would benefit from tips and
suggestions given in the cover story.
English has almost become the lingua franca of the country, in which
attainment of proficiency in comprehension and communication is the watchword
among aspirants and seekers, not to talk of it being a major testing area of CAT
2011. Yet, its terra firma is slippery, with its ace exponents becoming fallible, at
times.
This edition has a feature devoted to it.
The Indian form of government is stable, thanks to the constitution, which is
the holding force. However, few among you are aware of facts and information
relating to it. Prep Talk has ventured to address this inadequacy by coming out with
an elaborate article on it.
Friends, some of you would have taken CAT 2011 and would be in a position to
describe your experiences. Some of you would be preparing to take the test, with
renewed strategies, based on the feedback and experiences of your predecessors.
Whatever be the nature of CAT 2011, it is essential to preserve your cool and
believe in your abilities.
Do not be complacent with runaway successes and do not
be disheartened by unexpected failures. Move on doggedly,
with the never-say-die spirit, Kar Ke Dikhayenge!
With best wishes
Sandeep Manudhane
“What is Mysticism? Is it not the
attempt to draw near to God, not by
rites or ceremonies, but by inward
disposition? Is it not merely a hard
word for ‘The Kingdom of Heaven
is within’? Heaven is neither a place
nor a time.”
– Florence Nightingale
“Those who deny freedom to others
deserve it not for themselves, and,
under a just God, cannot retain it.”
–Abraham Lincoln
“We all live with the objective of
being happy; our lives are all
different and yet the same.”
–Anne Frank
“Believe nothing, no matter where
you read it, or who said it, no matter
if I have said it, unless it agrees with
your own reason and your own
common sense.”
–Buddha
“Sometime they’ll give a war and
nobody will come.”
–Carl Sandburg
“If the first woman God ever made
was strong enough to turn the world
upside down all alone, these women
together ought to be able to turn it
back, and get it right side up again!
And now that they are asking to do it,
the men better let them.”
–Sojourner Truth
“The true republic: men, their
rights and nothing more: women,
their rights and nothing less.”
– Susan B. Anthony
PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 03

Contents
Simplifying knowledge dissemination
Managing Editor
Sandeep Manudhane
Cover Story:
Move the Mouse to Bell the CAT of 2011 ........................... 05
Marketing and Sales :
Amit Garg - 97555-99510
Volume 10. Edition 03. Sep - Oct 2011
Current Events
Editorial Office
PT education Headquarters,
Yeshwant Plaza,
Opp. Railway Station Indore - 452001
Ph : 0731-307 00 00
Fax : 0731-3070099
E-mail : preptalk@PTeducation.com
India ........................................................................................ 15
World
...................................................................................... 19
Business and Economy.......................................................... 25
© 2008 All rights reserved.
Reproduction or translation in any language in whole or in
parts without permission is prohibited.
PT Panorama
Phobias - Part III ................................................................... 44
Articles and contributions – courier or emails – should be
addressed to
PREP-TALK DEPT., c/o Mr. B. S. Supekar.
Unaccepted articles may not be returned.
Regulars
Published by Manish Saraf on behalf of PTETSL,
Yeshwant Plaza, Opp. Railway Station,
Indore 452001.
CATniques ............................................................................. 13
Some Interesting English Facts............................................ 18
Disclaimer :
The information given in this magazine is true to the best of
our knowledge. However, PT or any of its associates will not
be responsible in any manner for inadvertent errors that may
have crept into this publication. PT does not take
responsibility for returning unsolicited publication material.
Education 3.0.......................................................................... 32
The Making of Indian Republic ......................................... 35
Azadi does not mean “Free For all”! .................................... 46
“ To be a world class training and education organisation
shaping careers through innovative products and
services & the use of human technologies. ”
Current Affairs ..................................................................... 48
Important Roots..................................................................... 55
Seven Strategic Decisions of Our Lives .............................. 59
Test Your Verbal Ability ......................................................... 61

Move the Mouse to
Bell the CAT of 2011
Cover Story
The IIM CAT 2011 has a different feel when compared
with the CAT of the previous year. We all know the
reason why. This year, the CAT has two clearly marked
separate sections - that of Quantitative Ability and Data
Interpretation, and another on Verbal Ability and Logical
Reasoning, respectively. There are 30 questions in each section
to be attempted within a time span of 70 min each. Further, the
section on Quantitative Ability and Data Interpretation is
positioned before that on Verbal Ability and Logical Reasoning.
This helps some aspirants work out plans and strategies with
regard to optimal attempt of the test. In this way, the CAT 2011
seems to be more aspirant-friendly when compared with the
CAT 2010 wherein it was left to the first test-taker to tell the rest
about the characteristics of CAT (that too under the spectre of
the IT Act’s penal provisions!). In the previous years, there were
three sections - that of Maths, DI /LR and Verbal Ability, wherein
aspirants solved the test as per their comfort level/strong area,
i.e., there was lateral flexibility to move in different sections
within the allotted time. This facility is no longer present now.
With this foreground, we list out the strategies and the
game- plan to tackle CAT 2011.
Strategies to Handle CAT 2011
1. the meaning of each of the words used,
2. the explicit message conveyed,
3. the implicit undertones of the passage or sentence,
4. the correctness of grammar (punctuation, usage etc.), &
5. the direction /conclusion that is being hinted at.
ii.
How well he/she manages to respond to the question
posed by applying similar analysis for each of the 4
options presented, before picking his answer.
Thus in order to do well in this section, we need to show
competence on the above metrics. It is easy to see that each
question type asked in the CAT paper is trying to test on one or
more of the above. Since the reading comprehension section of
the CAT employs almost all these skills in parallel, it’s quite an
interesting situation.
STRATEGIES FOR READING COMPREHENSION
It is known that students who are voracious readers do well in
this section, as they have honed their above skills for years.
Hence, in order to excel in Verbal Ability, one should start well
before, in time.
Read a lot: Begin somewhere, anywhere, with a dedication
STRATEGIES TO DEAL WITH THE LANGUAGE AREA
We shall broadly try and understand what purpose the Verbal
Section serves and how we should try and score well in it. Since
communication is a very important tool in all spheres of
management, this section tests a person’s skill at the nuances of
language. That the CAT paper increased the number of
questions in this section over the years, points to the importance
that the examiners attach to testing on Verbal Ability.
By this, the B-schools want to gauge how well a person -
i. Comprehends the given data (passage / sentence) and
understands
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 05

that it deserves - about 45 minutes to an hour a day. As you
become more comfortable, you should increase your reading
time and intensity of the material. The idea is to read more and
reduce the surprise element in the CAT. As Reading
Comprehension forms about 35 to 60% of the EU section, it is an
area where more attention and detailing are called for. You can
try different strategies of attacking an RC set, after going
through appropriate teaching material.
For example -
The PQ approach (passage first, then the questions) – It has
again three varieties
PQ - Read the entire passage thoroughly first and then read
the questions.
P scan Q - Skim and Scan through the
passage and keep going back and forth
with questions and passage.
2PQ, 4PQ, 6PQ - Read the
first 2 paragraphs, scan all the
questions and see what you can
answer, then read paragraphs
3 and 4, scan the questions and
see what you can answer, then
read paragraphs 5 and 6.
The QP approach (questions
first, then the passage) –
QP - Read all the questions with their
answer options first and then the passage
1QP, 2QP, 3QP, 4QP - Read question 1 with all the options,
then go through the entire passage to answer it. Then read
question 2, go through the entire passage. Then question 3.
Q stem P - Just read all the question stems, without reading
the answer options. Then read the passage and try answering
the questions by reading them with the options.
Once you have tried these different strategies in Sectional
Tests, 20 e-Prac-CATs and 14 Institute-specific tests (provided
at PT), identify which strategy you are more comfortable in and
which one gives you a lot of difficulty. It is possible that in
passages having certain subject matter for example Economics,
Globalization, Public Policy, you may be comfortable with 1QP,
2QP approach, whereas in some other topics such as philosophy,
literature, you may be very comfortable with the QP approach.
Strategies to attack some of the questions that appear in
Reading Comprehension are as follows -
Title of the passage: The passages given in the CAT paper
are typically extracts from a larger text, so no title is clearly
stated. You may have to look at the answer choices and see which
option is the best one in the given context. Do be careful, there
can be possibility of more than one title; you have to choose the
one that is “most appropriate”. Try to look for a title that is
neither too broad nor too specific; and one that expresses the
theme that is consistent throughout the passage you have read.
Central idea: A slight variation of the previous type of
question is when you are asked to choose the
central idea of the passage. This might mean
that you are asked to pick out a statement
that correctly paraphrases the main
idea of the passage or identifies the
author’s objective in writing the
passage that you have been given.
Author’s tone/ attitude:
This is another important type of
question. You are asked to pick out
tone or style the author has
employed while writing the passage
you have just read. The author could be
analytical - he has analyzed the cause and
future repercussions of the given issue. He
could be sarcastic - gently poking fun at someone’s view
or idea. Or he could be simply descriptive or objective,
describing the features of a particular place or work of art, for
example. Make sure you fully understand these terms and try to
practice reading passages that are written in all these styles, so
that you can recognize a particular style when you see it!
From where has the passage been taken?
You are asked as to where you think the given passage has
been picked up from - a technical journal, a newspaper or
magazine or a book, for example. Remember, the clue lies in the
usage of jargon and many other things. For instance, a
newspaper meant for the general public is unlikely to have words
or technical terms that only the people of a particular profession
will understand, while a specialized journal is likely to presuppose
the familiarity of the reader with such terms.
06 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

Who is the author?
This is another type of inferential question - you have to state
who you expect the author to be. For example, for a passage on
some business issue, you could be asked whether you feel the
author is a journalist, a teacher in some professional institute, a
manager in some corporate etc. You will need practice to answer
such questions; the answer depends upon the style of the writer.
A journalist, for example, is supposed to be unbiased and
examine both sides of the particular issue, while a manager of a
corporate may advance the particular view his corporate holds
towards the issue under discussion.
The author’s opinions: You will often find questions
stating that the author is “most likely to agree or disagree with
which of the following statements?”
These are sometimes quite tricky, as once again, these are
pure inference-type questions, with no explicit answer stated in
the passage. Not only do they test your comprehension skills, but
you have to put yourself in the author’s shoes and try to
understand his attitude or views towards the topic. Once again,
the answer could be contentious, the question statement,
phrased with a “most likely” itself ensures this!
Factual questions: These are the easiest types of
questions, checking whether you have grasped some particular
detail in the passage; and the answer is quite clear and explicit.
Although decreasing in frequency, these questions do still
appear and are giveaways.
Inferential questions: In these questions, you have to
make inferences based on what you have just read. The author of
a point may have hinted at something or propounded an idea,
without stating it explicitly. These types of questions include
statements that go beyond their literal meaning or words that are
used metaphorically. A good working knowledge on English is a
pre-requisite to answer these questions correctly. Over the
years, it has been seen that Reading Comprehension has been
the only constant in CAT, while the relative weightage of other
type of questions has varied considerably. This section now
stresses on the candidate being able to make the correct
inferences, using words appropriate to the given context and
correct usage of the language.
The questions have become slightly tougher, with closer
answer choices - you will have to be more careful and practice
regularly, besides ensuring a higher comfort level in English as a
language. Avoid attempting more than two Reading
Comprehensions one after another. The reason is that your
concentration starts flagging after the first couple of passages,
and you invariably make careless errors in the third and fourth
passages you attempt, if you are attempting them in succession.
Instead, mix it up by doing a little grammar in between passages,
to keep your mind fresh.
The scores in the Reading Comprehension section get
tremendously boosted by practice, followed by analysis of the
questions attempted incorrectly. The associated explanation to
an answer is very important, since it shows what the examiner
thought was the correct answer, why and how it was different
from what we thought.
While answering subsequent RCs, we should be mindful not
to repeat earlier mistakes. For questions in the vocabulary
section, it is important to also know why the incorrect answers
were incorrect. In case, the options to a question throw up a new
word, make it a point to check the word up in a thesaurus.
STRATEGIES FOR VERBAL REASONING
One area which has continually troubled all test-takers not
interested in language development is Verbal Reasoning! Not
only is the subject matter of the questions dense, the options are
extremely close too. This renders one incapable of marking a
particular answer option, as the correct one, with conviction.
Here are some tried and tested methods that’ll help.
Fact, Inference, Judgments - These question types, after
making a surprise comeback in CAT 2006, have irritated a lot of
test takers. A ‘Fact’ is easy to identify. The choice between a
‘Judgment’ and ‘Inference’ is somewhat tricky. A few tips to keep
in mind while solving this question type are provided:
Always work with answer options: Locate a statement that is
definitely a Fact or a Judgment ; then eliminate the options that
do not classify it as such.
Words that are used in the comparative or the superlative
degree often qualify statements as Inferences. For example
highest, taller, largest, heaviest etc. can only be arrived at after,
verifying data; hence the statements involved are inferences.
Identify where the emphasis is in the sentence structure. It
is possible that the latter part of a statement may be a Fact but
the emphasis is on the former part, which is a Conclusion
derived from that Fact. Clearly, such a statement qualifies as an
Inference.
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 07

Statements that use a lot of adjectives and adverbs,; words
like ‘should’, ‘must,’ ‘only’ , ‘never’, ‘always’, ‘all’ etc. have
tendencies to be Judgments.
CONSIDER THIS QUESTION
Classify the following statements given below and mark F as
your answer if it is a fact, J as your answer if it is a judgment and I
as your answer if it is an inference.
1. Given the poor quality of service in the public sector,
the HIV/AIDS affected should be switching to private
initiatives that supply anti-retroviral drugs (ARVs) at a
low cost.
2. The government has been
supplying free drugs since 2004,
and 35000 have benefited up to
now - though the size of the
affected population is 150 times
this number.
3. The recent initiatives of networks
and companies like AIDSC are
Network, Emcure, Reliance-
Cipla-CII, would lead to
availability of much-needed
drugs to a larger number of
affected people.
4. But how ironic it is that we
should face a perennial shortage of drugs when
India is one of the world’s largest suppliers of
generic drugs to the developing world.
(1) JFIJ
(2) JIIJ
(3) IFIJ
(4) IFFJ
(5) JFII
Solution: The given options require you to evaluate
statement 1 as either a Judgment or an Inference. ‘Given the
poor quality of services in the public sector … ‘ is more of a
Judgment than an Inference. What constitutes poor quality can
differ from person to person. Based on this, the conclusion
“should be switching….” is clearly an opinion and establishes
statement 1 as a Judgement. This eliminates options 3 and 4.
The numbers in statement 2 are a result of direct verification.
Hence, statement 2 is a Fact. This eliminates option 2.
Evaluating options 1 and 5, both of which have statement 3 as an
inference, one has to now establish whether statement 4 is an
Inference or a Judgement (as per options 1 and 5). “… how
ironic it is..” can neither be verified nor is it verifiable through
facts. Statement 4 is thus a Judgement. Hence, the correct
answer is option 1.
Critical Reasoning: These questions of verbal reasoning
are to test your depth of understanding. The questions are in the
form of – ‘Which of the following best strengthens the
argument’, ‘weakens the assertion’, ‘is a valid conclusion’,
‘assumption of the passage’ etc. A good strategy to employ in
these question types is to:
Read the question stem first, before even
reading the main paragraph - comprehend
exactly what is required to be done with the
given data.
After reading the question stem, read the
main paragraph and eliminate the answer
options that do not resonate with the question
asked. The best and perhaps the only way to
answer this question type is by the
elimination route rather than the selection
route. Go on eliminating the incorrect answer
options and thereby move closer to the
correct answer option.
Another important aspect to keep in mind
is to pay attention to the way words have been used, and the
sentences structured. Some words change the meaning of the
given data subtly, others majorly, thus rendering that answer
option invalid.
Paragraph Completion, Paragraph Summary - The key
to cracking these question types is to identify the gist of the data
given. Spend time understanding the paragraph before moving
on to the answer options. Identify the purpose of writing the
paragraph: the core idea. This can be done by looking at the
connecting words used in the paragraph. Avoid answer options
that add new data, or change the degree of intensity or the tone of
the paragraph. Let’s take a ‘Paragraph Completion’ question -
Question:
Nevertheless, photographs still retain some of
the magical allure that the earliest daguerreotypes inspired. As
objects, our photographs have changed; they have become
physically flimsier as they have become more technologically
08 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

sophisticated. Daguerre
produced pictures on
copper plates; today many
of our photographs never
become tangible thins, but
instead remain filed away
on computers and
cameras, part of the digital
ether that envelops the
modern world.
At the same time, our
patience for the creation of
images has also eroded.
Children today are used to
being tracked from birth by
digital cameras and video recorders and they expect to see the
results of their poses and performances instantly. The space
between life as it is being lived and life as it is being displayed
shrinks to a mere second.
1. Yet, despite these technical developments,
photographs still remain powerful because they are
reminders of the people and things we care about.
2. Images, after all, are surrogates carried into battle by a
soldier or by a traveller on holiday.
3. Photographs, be they digital or traditional, exist to
remind us of the absent, the beloved, and the dead.
4. In the new era of the digital image, the images also have
a greater potential for fostering falsehood and trickery,
perpetuating fictions that seem so real we cannot tell
the difference.
5. Anyway, human nature being what it is, little time has
passed after photography’s inventions became means
of living life through images.
Solution: The essence of the paragraph is: Photographs
still have some allure, in spite of going digital. The key word is
‘Nevertheless ‘at the beginning of the paragraph. This resonates
with ‘yet’ at the beginning of option 1 and completes the
paragraph logically. The paragraph starts with the core idea,
moves on to state how the technology behind creating
photographs has evolved, and concludes by coming back to the
core idea. Let’s evaluate the other 4 options. Option 2 adds new
data with ‘soldier’ and ‘traveller’, and option 3 with ‘beloved’ and
‘dead’ They merely extend the paragraph, without completing it.
Option 4 could be a good option, except that it does not
accommodate ‘nevertheless’ given at the start of the paragraph.
Option 5 too adds a new (tangential) idea, which extends the
paragraph instead of concluding it. Option 1 is the reason why
the paragraph is written - to communicate that ‘photographs are
still powerful’. Hence, the correct answer is option 1.
Grammar: Literal comprehension of the rule is necessary
and repeated exposure to the rule will make the rule stick in your
mind. Therefore, practice the exercises.
Follow the rules even when you speak. Read the sentences
carefully. Do not get bogged down by difficult words. Focus on
the error. Try working backwards from the options and eliminate
the error-ridden sentences. A regular reader will develop a
“feel” for the language and will immediately “sense” an error.
Verify it from the alternatives and pick the right option. Cultivate
the skill for intelligent guesswork to pick the most likely answer
from the options. Remember, there is NO shortcut to grammar.
So start by completing the basics of grammar and continue
practicing, by solving as many questions as possible.
In summary, scoring in Verbal Section can be elevated by
sincere efforts towards improving the language, followed by
extensive practice. It is very difficult to score well unless a
person has good command over English as a language. Similarly,
it is very easy to make many mistakes in case a person is over
reliant on his English skills without the requisite practice.
Every candidate should try and modify his approach to suit
him best, while remembering the above skills at the back of his
mind. The key to this section is to remember that in Verbal
Ability, you need to make a high number of attempts with a good
speed. Time is wasted mainly when you try and choose between
two close-answer choices; do understand that spending
additional time (beyond, say, 1 minute) does not improve your
chances of getting the question right. So, mark any one choice
and move forward. With 1/3 negative marking, probability is on
your side. Attempt a maximum number of VA questions in about
20 minutes and you will still have 25-30 minutes for RC. You
could attempt two RC passages.
STRATEGIES TO DEAL WITH QUANTITATIVE APTITUDE
The Quantitative Aptitude section in CAT draws upon
theory learnt in school up to 10th or the 12th grade, so it’s
something that all of us has learnt at some point of time or the
other. Therefore, there is absolutely no need to pick up
textbooks with advanced engineering mathematics in them.
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 09

Although there is absolutely no substitute for knowing your
theory and putting in the required practice in your QA section,
there are some question-solving strategies that you may use.
These powerful, smart, scoring strategies are:
1. Substitution of numbers for variables in algebraic
problems, which may make the problem simpler.
Remember, however, that this usually does not work
when the answer choices are also in terms of variables.
2. Back-substitution of answers into the problem in
order to solve it, i.e. assume one of the answer choices
to be the answer and then solve the problem. If the
problem cannot be solved or reduces to the trivial case,
repeat for another answer choice until you stumble on
the correct answer choice.
The most important part of preparation for QA in CAT, and
in fact for CAT overall, is practice tests. We would recommend
taking every practice test as seriously as the real CAT. Time
yourself for every test that you take and have a target time in
which you have to finish the test. For engineering students or
students currently in college who may be familiar with the
theory, it is okay to start off with tests immediately. However, for
working professionals who may be out of touch with academics,
we would recommend taking at least a couple of weeks to look at
some of the formulae and theorems that you will require for your
CAT.
Start off with topical tests in the initial stage of preparation.
When you gain confidence in several topics, it is time to start
giving a couple of full-length QA tests.. Always analyse your
performance after every test you give and use tests as a valuable
feedback mechanism. If you feel the need, keep going back to
topics which you feel require more work and take 1-2 more areaspecific
tests in that topic.
Most importantly, try and ensure that you do not have more
than one really weak topic which you wish to avoid, as you never
know which areas the CAT will test you on. It is okay to have one
dodgy area, but you will still be taking a risk, and need to be that
much better in the other topics. Therefore, work hard in every
area, so that you have the luxury of having all questions to select
from in the real CAT.
3. Solving coordinate geometry algebraically or
vice-versa. Often, a complicated algebra problem
involving several equations can be solved very easily if
you draw the corresponding figures on an imaginary
graph paper. Similarly, coordinate geometry problems
can often be solved by writing corresponding algebraic
equations. Always remember the correspondence
between algebra and coordinate geometry.
4. If you can eliminate all options except two, guess.
The CAT rewards educated guessing. Look at it this
way: If you have two questions, probability states that
you will get one of these wrong and the other right.
To summarize, the most important part of your QA
preparation is PRACTICE. The theory is not too tough, so
practice as much as you can. QA has been an area where students
have done well in the last two CATs, so you should look at it as an
area where you can improve your overall score.
STRATEGIES TO DEAL WITH LOGICAL REASONING
Logical Reasoning lets the individuals think logically to solve
the problems. This shows the logical ability of each individual.
Mostly logical questions are solved on “if-else” basis. These can
be solved using eliminative or deductive thinking. Better way to
solve these problems is by reading the whole question and then
choosing the best hint or clue.
Before you try to answer a few sample questions, here are
some general test-taking tips that should help you with the
Logical Reasoning section.
10 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

7. Pay attention to negative prefixes also, such as non-,
un-, or dis-. These can be crucial to specifying the
basic facts in the paragraph.
8. “Test-taking” courses or your college instructors may
have advised you to avoid any response choices that
contain the quantifiers “all” or “none.” In the practice
questions and in the actual test, these words are NOT
signs of incorrect response choices. They will appear in
both correct and incorrect response choices.
1. Study the question carefully. A brief explanation of why
each choice is correct or incorrect follows each
practice question. If you understand this reasoning for
the practice items, you will do well on the actual
assessment.
2. Never assume or use any information that the question
fails to give you. This is NOT an assessment of how
much you know about the subject in general! Consider
ONLY the information given in each reading passage,
when choosing among the alternative responses.
3. Read both the factual passage and the sentence
completion instruction carefully. Both must be
considered while making your choice.
9. Pay close attention to the word “ONLY” and to the
phrase “IF AND ONLY IF.” Saying “The door will
open IF AND ONLY IF both keys are used” sets up a
highly specific condition that must be met. There is
exactly one way to open the door-you must use both
keys. By contrast, if the sentence says, “The door will
open if the key is used,” there may be several ways to
open the door, besides using the key.
10. The questions in the assessment will vary in difficulty
level, and difficult questions will be mixed in with
easier ones throughout the assessment. When you
encounter a question that is difficult for you, try
drawing diagrams or other schematic notes on the
“scratch” paper provided to support and confirm your
thought processes. Also, bear in mind that you can stop
working on a difficult question temporarily and return
to it later.
4. Be sure to read all the response choices carefully before
choosing one.
5. In questions that ask you to select a valid conclusion,
always choose the one conclusion that must definitely
follow from the information you are given. In questions
that ask you to find the invalid alternative, choose the
one conclusion that does not definitely follow from the
information.
6. Pay special attention to words like “all,” “some,” or
“none” when you read the factual information each
question gives you. Other qualifying words such as
“other than,” “only” or “unless” are important, too.
These words can play a critical part in precisely
specifying the facts to be used in your reasoning.
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 11

Thus the only conclusions possible are:
1. You are in the IIMs implies you have cleared CAT.
2. You have not cleared CAT implies you are not in the
IIMs.
The main statement may have any of the following variants:
1. If
2. If and only if
3. Whenever
4. Either….or
5. Only when
The questions that are asked in logical reasoning require one
to find out whether the given conclusion is valid or not.
Eg. 1. All drunken drivers meet with an accident.
Mohan is a drunken driver.
Conclusion – Mohan will meet with an accident
This one is pretty straightforward. Since Mohan belongs to a
group all members of which meet with an accident, he would
meet with an accident.
In the exam, the questions that are asked have two
statements followed by two conclusions and you have to
determine which conclusion is correct. Obviously, the questions
are not as easy as the above examples and may require one to
draw Venn diagrams to solve the questions.
Logical Consistency questions have a main statement
followed by four answer alternatives. One of these is logically
correct and consistent with the main statement. Again, speed is
a crucial factor here.
For example,
Let us understand the difference between the “if” and “if
and only if” as well as the “when” and “only when” type of
questions.
Statement: If it rains, the ground is wet.
Meaning: Here the ground can be wet otherwise also, i.e.
when it does not rain. But if it rains, the ground is surely wet.
Statement: If and only if it rains, the ground is wet.
Meaning: Here the ground cannot be wet otherwise i.e. if
the ground is wet, it must have rained. Also, it goes without
saying that if it rained, the ground is wet.
Logical reasoning-based questions are not at all difficult to
tackle if one has a basic understanding of the types of questions
asked. The accuracy is highest in such questions, and the time
spent solving them can be quite less if one has done a good
amount of practice.
After you have gained confidence in tackling questions in
each of the individual sections described above, merge
individual sectional tests and start giving CAT-type full length
test papers containing all the three sections.
Did you know?
Main Statement: If you are in the IIMs, you have cleared the
CAT.
It is very evident that if I am in the IIMs, I have cleared CAT.
Can we also conclude that if I am not in the IIMs, I have not
cleared CAT? No. Is it possible for one to have cleared CAT and
not be in the IIMs – YES. The statement says that if you are in
the IIMs, you have definitely cleared the CAT. But one can clear
CAT and yet choose not to be in the IIMs.
A cat sees about six times better than a human at
night because of tapetum lucidum, a layer of
extra reflecting cells which absorb light.
A cat uses whiskers to determine if a space is too
small to squeeze through. The whiskers act as
antennae, helping the animal to judge the precise
width of any passage. The expression “by a cat’s
whiskers” means a very narrow gap/margin.
12 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

CAT Special
CATniques
~ Help is at hand. Here is a step by step, minute by minute description of how the CAT experience pans out ~
~ Experience, Precautions, Strategy ~
The CAT 2011 exam has only two sections, instead of three
as in the earlier versions of CAT. The exam window will remain
open till 18 November, 2011.
Multiple slots have already been conducted. No major glitch
reported so far. Occasional hanging of PCs may have taken place
at a centre or two, where the invigilators had to step in and rectify
the situation.
Given below is a latest, updated detailed experience-sharing
from a test-taker’s point of view:
The CAT 2011 testing process has commenced from
22nd Oct
Largely a successful testing exercise so far, across
India
Students across test centres in India are reporting a
technically smooth and glitch-free testing experience
The test pattern and expected questions have
remained the same across the experience so far
Maths - questions from almost all topics are being
asked, though in a particular test, some topics may be
completely absent
Data Interpretation - typical questions that you have
practised in the courseware, nothing radically different
English language - in some tests, the options were very
close, and hence you must be very cautious while
marking; whereas in some other testing slots, the
options were reasonably easy to distinguish
Logical reasoning - standard questions, nothing
radically different
Contrary to popular perception and experience of
Indian examinations and examinees, the CAT test
centres are not madly crowded
Please ensure that you check all the data submitted
while filling the online CAT admission form (name,
date of birth etc.)
As a precaution, ensure that you carry at least two photo
IDs in original (for ex: Pan card and passport, or Pan
card and Voter ID card)
For the first slot (morning), the process starts early.
One has to be there by 8:30 am sharp
Thus, you have to be at the test centre 1.5 hrs before
the test. You have to wait for the supervisors to start
their ‘checking of documents’ process
It happens carefully, slowly, one candidate at a time
Then you will be ushered into the test centre – at times
a long walk from the main gate – to the biometric
confirmation console
Before this begins, a physical checking of your person
will take place, and everything carried by you
(including handkerchiefs and combs) may be taken
away and put in a plastic pouch (with a token number –
the token given to you). Of course, mobiles too are
taken away!
Again, the Biometric process is careful and slow, where
candidates go in one by one, and sitting in pairs of two
(at some centres), their biometric data capture is done
A camera mounted on the PC takes the picture (so
make sure you take a bath in the morning!), and a
fingerprint reader takes multiple readings of your
index finger of both hands
Once the Biometric supervisor is confident of the
process completion, he will allot you your PC station
number, and direct you to the computer lab
Other supervisors/invigilators will physically guide you
to the computer allotted to you
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 13

Once you are seated, you will be given a laminated
sheet - ‘Testing Guidelines and Regulations’ – with 23
points mentioned covering all aspects of your expected
behaviour over next 3 hours
You will then be given 8 blank rough sheets, and 2
pencils
Then your username and password is entered by the
Exam Invigilator (you do not have to enter these), and
your name and photo will pop up on the screen (this is
the photo that was clicked a while ago)
You will also see two buttons – One for “15 minutes
Exam Tutorial” and another for “Start Test”
Don’t get too excited! You are not to start anything now.
Wait for the instructions
Once they ask you, please click on the “Tutorials”
button, and start the 15 min explanation of the testing
software
It’s a good idea to carefully go through all the 13 odd
slides of this tutorial
Once the tutorial ends, wait
The Exam Invigilator will (may) come to your station
and click the “Start Test” button
The test gets loaded now. It may take some time – so
don’t panic!
Once the test (CAT 2011) loads, the Non-Disclosure
Agreement appears on the screen
It is a stern warning that you must not discuss any
particular content and question of the test you are
about to give, with anyone else anywhere ever! If you do
so, stern action may be taken
Once you accept that (got a choice?), the test starts
The first section in CAT 2011 is of 70 minutes, and is
titled “Mathematical Aptitude and Data
Interpretation”
The 30 questions appear in front of you, ready to
determine the quality of next 30 years of your life!
These 30 questions are all mixed up; there is no fixed
order
Different candidates get different orders of questions,
and also some different questions
As mentioned earlier - Mathematics and Data
Interpretation questions are appearing from the entire
range of topics you may have learnt. Across slots, they
change; within the same testing slot, some change
A timer is slowly ticking away on top right of the screen,
reminding you of all the computerised tests you took at
your training/coaching class!
Keep solving the questions, as per your convenience.
You can keep moving back and forth in this section
Rough work (which you will need to do) has to be
carefully managed in the sheets given, with a pencil
Hence, it is a good idea that while practising with
various tests at home, you use a pencil, and not a pen
Be gentle with the pencil – if the edge breaks, you may
not get multiple replacements from the Invigilator
(you cannot carry sharpeners)
Use the “Review” button intelligently to work faster – it
allows you to directly reach the questions that you tried
to solve but had to leave in between (otherwise you
have to start from question 1 and click “next” again and
again till you reach the unsolved question)
The “Mark” and “Unmark” buttons do not have any
impact on your scoring – once you have chosen an
option by clicking the mouse on the chosen option, it is
the completion of your answering process
As you near the end of your time limit of 70 minutes, 5
minutes prior, a warning pop up will remind you to
wind up your work now
Another reminder appears just 1 minute prior to endof-section
As the time runs out, the section closes automatically
You are now supposed to start the second section – it is
“English Language and Logical Reasoning”
Questions start appearing as before, in no fixed order
(i.e. Mixed order)
You may again need to use the rough sheets to solve the
logical reasoning questions – so do not exhaust all the
sheets in the first section itself! Keep some pages
blank
Be very careful with the options in the language section
- don’t mark blindly. Read all options at least once
before marking
Reading comprehension passages - do not read
questions first. Read the passages first. Large % of
questions may be inference based, not fact based
Again, the 70 minutes start ticking away, and finally, the
two reminder pop-ups, and end of section 2
The computer then thanks you for writing the CAT
2011, and reminds you that results will be available
from 11th January 2012 onwards
Don’t get excited. They won’t allow you to leave
immediately
After a few minutes, the invigilator(s) will return your
Admit Card to you, collect the rough sheets and pencils
from you, and then one by one, will ask you to leave
Don’t forget to collect your belongings by giving the
token to the security guard
Overall, you took 4.5 hours to finish the whole process
Remember – you need to have stamina to give your best
shot. Hence, take lots of rest in the 3-4 days prior to
your testing slot
~ Kar ke dikhayenge ~
14 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

Current Events
India
CIC SHIELD TO PROTECT RTI CRUSADERS
Central Information
Commission (CIC) has
come out with a landmark
resolution to combat
unending assaults on right
to information (RTI)
activists. According to the
resolution, if the
commission receives a
complaint regarding an assault on or murder of an informationseeker,
it will examine pending RTI applications of the victim
and order the departments to publish the requested information
suo motu on their websites.
The resolution was mooted by information commissioner
Shailesh Gandhi at a meeting of the CIC in mid-September. “It
can be an effective deterrent against attacks on RTI activists. If
the resolution is used 10 to 15 times, it can protect RTI activists.
Nobody will want to attack an activist,’’ said Gandhi.
The CIC meeting addressed the need for governments to
take responsibility for the lives of information-seekers and
protect them from assaults. “The commission also resolves that
it will take proactive steps in ascertaining the status of
investigations/prosecutions of cases involving informationseekers
and endeavors to have these processes expedited.’’
RTI activists are usually attacked because of the nature of
information they seek. If the information is made public on the
web every time an activist is attacked, Gandhi said that instead of
killing RTI activists, people about whom information is sought
will try and protect them. “If all information sought by an RTI
activist who is attacked or killed is published on the internet, it
will defeat the very purpose of attacking an activist,’’ he added.
RTI activists have welcomed the move. Milind Mulay, an
activist, said that people will think twice before attacking an RTI
activist. Another activist, Chetan Kothari, felt that the move will
increase transparency and reduce fraud. He felt that publicising
information sought by victims of assault will help people
understand the gravity of issues that RTI activists seek to
expose.
There was wide applause on the Central Information
Commission’s bid to curb attacks on RTI activists. It was hoped
that people would think twice before touching an RTI activist.
Under the new rules, if an information-seeker is attacked, all his
pending appeals will be answered on the website of the
department. It should act as a deterrent, as attacking an RTI
activist will defeat the purpose of keeping information under
wraps.
THE ELECTION COMMISSION OF INDIA INCREASED THE
MINIMUM VOTE LIMIT FROM 6 TO 8 PERCENT
The Election
Commission of
India raised the cap
of minimum votes
that a political party
must secure in
election to get the
status of a State party
or maintain it
further. The new
minimum limit is 8
per cent of total valid votes polled in State Assembly or Lok
Sabha polls. Earlier, the limit was 6 per cent. In addition, the
party must have returned at least two members to the Legislative
Assembly, in case of Assembly polls, or at least one member in
Parliament from the State, in case of Lok Sabha elections.
To make these changes, the Commission amended its
Election Symbols reservations and allotment order 1968 and
issued a new order on 16 September 2011, the Election Symbol
Reservations and Allotment Amendment Order 2011. The
amended order was sent to all States and Union Territories.
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 15

UNION GOVERNMENT OF INDIA UNVEILED THE NEW
POLICY TO DEAL WITH NAXALISM
Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh unveiled the new policy
which aims at dealing with
Naxalism through a five-year
integrated plan, while
addressing the concluding
session of the day-long national
workshop on development
strategies in Naxal-affected districts, in New Delhi, on 13
September 2011.
This programme aimed at bridging the development deficit
in the extremely backward areas that are affected by left-wing
extremism. Lack of development often lead to alienation among
the inhabitants of these areas.
Establishing governance in the Naxal-affected districts is
the greatest challenge India faces. Left Wing Extremism poses a
greater threat to the country than terrorism or insurgency. The
Government is contemplating to bring 20 more Naxal-affected
districts under the Integrated Action Plan. A specialised
battalion is being raised to ensure security and development in
these districts.
JAMMU KASHMIR TOPPED THE LIST IN UTILIZING THE
FUND FOR MINORITIES
The Minority Affairs
Ministry on 20 October
2011, in its official
release, stated that 7
States have utilized over
60 percent of the total
Funds till September
2011, which was released
to them under Multi-
Sector Development
Programme, MSDP, for the Welfare of Minorities.
Jammu and Kashmir topped among them, which has utilized
over 74 percent of the allocated fund of about six crore rupees.
Five other States including Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand,
Karnataka, West Bengal and Haryana have also reported over 60
percent expenditure of the fund released to them. The average
percentage of the expenditure of the 20 States under this
Programme is about fifty percent. MSDP is a Special Area
Development Programme for the welfare of the Minorities. It
was implemented in 90 Minority Concentration Districts,
identified on the basis of substantial minority population and
relative backwardness.
SUPREME COURT: CENTRE HAS ABSOLUTE POWERS TO
DECIDE THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
FOR TELECOM OPERATORS
The Supreme Court of
India ruled that the Centre
has absolute powers to
decide the terms and
conditions for telecom
operators as neither the
Telecom Regulatory
Authority of India, TRAI, nor
the Telecom Disputes
Settlement and Appellate Tribunal, TDSAT, can overrule it.
The apex court ruled that though TRAI was conferred with
the statutory power to recommend the terms and conditions of
the license and the Central Government was bound to seek its
recommendations, yet the same was not binding on it. A bench
of Justices R V Raveendran and A K Patanaik passed the ruling,
while upholding an appeal filed by the Union Government,
challenging a TDSAT direction of 2007 to the Government to
prepare revised terms and conditions for the licensees vis-a-vis
adjusted gross revenue.
PM’S VISIT TO DHAKA
On September 6, 2011, India and Bangladesh signed a slew
of agreements and resolved
their long-standing
boundary dispute, but failed
to ink any water-sharing deal.
Upset at India backing
out of the Teesta watersharing
treaty at the eleventh
hour following West Bengal
Chief Minister Mamata
Banerjee’s refusal to endorse the accord, Bangladesh retaliated
by holding back the big-ticket transit treaty that would have
given the North-Eastern States in India easier and faster access
to the rest of the country.
16 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who arrived at Dhaka on a
two-day visit, sought to calm down tempers in Bangladesh over
the Teesta controversy by telling Sheikh Hasina that the two
sides would continue discussions on water-sharing accords to
reach a mutually acceptable, fair and amicable arrangement for
the sharing of Teesta and Feni river waters.
Prime Minister Singh also announced that India would
provide duty-free access to 46 textile “tariff lines”, as requested
by Bangladesh. He said that the two countries would also
improve border infrastructure that would facilitate
Bangladesh’s exports to India and provide it greater opening to
India and other neighbouring countries. India would supply
bulk power to Bangladesh by connecting its national grids.
The outstanding issues addressed in the boundary accord
include: un-demarcated land boundary in three sectors, viz
Daikhata-56 (West Bengal), Muhuri River-Belonia (Tripura)
and Dumabari (Assam); (ii) enclaves; and (iii) adverse
possessions. The un-demarcated boundary in all three
segments has now been demarcated. The status of 111 Indian
enclaves in Bangladesh, with a population of 37,334, and 51
Bangladesh enclaves in India, with a population of 14,215 has
been addressed. The issue of Adversely Possessed Lands along
the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal, Tripura,
Meghalaya and Assam has also been mutually finalised.
Other highlights of the visit were: Agreement on
development programmes, MoU on renewable energy, Pact on
overland transit traffic between Nepal and Bangladesh, MoU on
conservation of Sundarban, Protocol on conservation of Royal
Bengal Tiger, Cooperation between Dhaka University and JNU,
Delhi, Understanding on promoting fisheries, Cooperation
between Doordarshan and Bangladesh TV, MoU between NIFT,
New Delhi, and the BGMEA Institute of Fashion Technology,
Bangladesh.
DRAFT MINING BILL
In a landmark
decision that will impact
the entire mining and
mineral-based industry
in India, the
government has
announced an overhaul
of the law governing the
sector. The new
framework will
introduce a benefitsharing
regime, while laying down the policy contours for leases
given out by state governments. The changes are aimed at
dealing with popular resistance to mining projects, on the
grounds of corruption and adverse social and environmental
impact. The industry fears that it will make mining unattractive
in the country.
The government plans to repeal the existing Mines and
Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 and instead
place a new Bill in Parliament, in the Winter Session. To tackle
illegal mining, the Bill proposes punitive action, as well as
creation of special courts at the state level, for speedier disposal
of cases.
It will also make it compulsory for all non-coal mining
companies to share an amount equal to their royalty payment to
State governments for the benefit of project-affected people. In
the case of coal companies, the amount will be equal to 26 per
cent of their profit. This will directly impact purely mining
companies like Coal India, Sesa Goa and NMDC, as well as
companies like Tata Steel, SAIL, NTPC and RPower, that have
captive mines associated with their projects. Besides, it will
increase the cost of companies into the businesses of cement,
aluminium and other mineral-based produce.
The industry had opposed the benefit-sharing proposal,
saying it would squeeze their margins. In the case of coal, the
effective rate of taxation will rise to 61 per cent from 43 per cent
at present. On iron ore, it will increase to 55 per cent from 43 per
cent.
Industry also sees that the proposal would create problems
for existing mines, where affected persons are not easily
identifiable. Besides, the increased revenues collected with
District Mineral Development Fund will be frittered away, as the
absorptive capacity does not exist.
Though mining activities are controlled by the States, the
Centre’s overarching legislation, MMDR Act, has set the rules
of the game.
Apart from compensating the project-affected people
through profit-sharing and royalty, the new Bill also obligates
mining companies to pay a Central cess equivalent to 2.5 per
cent of excise or customs duty. The activities of an independent
National Mining Tribunal and National Mining Regulatory
Authority at the Central level, and the expenditure involved in
the capacity building of the Indian Bureau of Mines would be
met from the cess levy. Besides, there will be a State cess of 10
per cent of total royalty.
The Bill also had punitive provisions to prevent illegal
mining. The new Bill would introduce a better legislative
environment for attracting investment and technology into the
mining sector.
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 17

Some Interesting English Facts
DIRECTIONS: Answer the following questions to
discoverthese interestfacts!
1. Name the slow and seductive dance which is of Cuban
origin.
2. A fast Latin American, jazz-influenced dance is known as
……..
3. A woman’s dance of France involving high kicks while
holding up front of skirt is …….
4. A dance of the West Indies where dancers pass under
horizontal pole is called ……..
5. The adjective which pertains to a set of people who have
“small minds”, leading to “low thinking”, at times, vulgar, is
………
6. The descriptive word which relates to the hip is …….
7. The word which pertains to winter is……...
8. The word which describes something pertaining to or
derived from oil is ……..
9. It is a third-party network which acquires transactions from
an e-commerce portal, processing them through the
banking or credit-card system. It links the banking network
with the internet but cannot be accessed by internet users, as
it uses enhanced security features such as digital envelopes
and content keys (public and private key encryption
systems).
What are we talking of?
10. An association of countries ,which forms the developed
nations’ pressure group, lending to the International
Monetary Fund (IMF), is commonly referred to as ………...
11. A short, easily-remembered tune, which is used to advertise
a product and becomes identified with the product in the
minds of the public, is called ……..
12. The word is of Swedish origin (The Old Norse) and refers to
an official who investigates complaints by members against
government departments and other official bodies. There
was a movement in recent times in India as regards the Bill
relating for the constitution and appointment of such
officials, for the Parliament to pass. What is the word?
13. The quality of giving importance to placing advantage above
morality and in being unscrupulous was believed to have
been associated with this author and statesman from
Florence. Who could he be?
14. This person used all his ingenuity and prowess to create a
monster from parts of corpses in Mary Shelley’s novel,
which finally destroyed him. Identify the creator.
15. Connoting self-love, this adjective is ascribed to a beautiful
young man in Greek mythology who fell in love with his own
reflection. What is the quality?
16. This is a keyboard musical instrument, emitting sounds
likened to that of a series of whistles caused by steam or
compressed air, the name of which is that of the Greek Muse
of epic poetry. What is it?
17. We use a term to mean a coach, counselor or simply a teacher.
The term came from the Greek Mythology wherein
Odysseus, before proceeding to Troy, entrusted the charge of
running the household and teaching his son Telemachus, to
his friend who was known by this name. What is the word?
18. Derived from the name of the Spanish character created by
Miguel de Cervantes, this word stands for one who is
excessively romantic, pursues hopeless causes and shows an
unpragmatic approach. What is the word?
19. Connoting anything on a large scale or massive, this adjective
is an attribute of a large-mouthed giant in the novels written
by Francois Rabelas. What is the word?
20. Those that are double-faced or have contrasting aspects are
described by this word, whose origin is from the name of the
Roman God of doorways and passages. What is the
description referred to?
14. Baron Frankenstein.
15. Narcissist.
16. Calliope.
17. Mentor.
18. Quixotic.
19. Gargantuan.
20. Janus-faced.
~ Answers ~
9. Payment Gateway.
10. Paris Club. Its members are the
U.S., U.K., West Germany, France,
Italy, Japan, Canada, Belgium,
Sweden and the Netherlands.
11. Jingle.
12. Ombudsman.
13. Niccole Machiavelli.
1. Habanera
2. Salsa
3. Cancan
4. Limbo
5. Plebeian.
6. Sciatic.
7. Hibernal.
8. Oleic.
18 PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

Current Events
World
U.S., EU STEP UP EFFORTS OVER PALESTINE’S
BID FOR STATEHOOD
The United States and
the European Union stepped
up last minute efforts to
avoid a showdown over
Palestine’s bid for statehood
at the United Nations
General Assembly, with
Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton meeting EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton to
discuss the “way forward.”
Representatives of the Middle East quartet — U.S., EU,
Russia and the United Nations also held discussions to work out
a strategy for avoiding a confrontation at the U.N., as well as
discuss ways to bring Israel and Palestine back to the negotiating
table.
Ms. Clinton, who met Ms. Ashton in a hotel, said, “We are
meeting to talk about the way forward.” Ms. Clinton had said
earlier that the only way of getting a lasting solution to the Israel-
Palestine issue is through “direct negotiations between the
parties, and the root to that lies in Jerusalem and Ramallah, not
in New York.”
The Middle East diplomatic Quartet’s envoy Tony Blair was
also expected to meet UN Secretary General Ban Ki—moon.
The former British prime minister sounded hopeful of
avoiding a UN showdown. “I think there is a way of avoiding a
confrontation,” Mr. Blair said in an interview to ABC News. “In
the end, we are going to get a Palestinian state.”
He said that he understood the Palestinian sentiment of
approaching the UN for statehood, saying “they are perfectly
entitled to go there.” The change in status would allow
Palestinians access to international judicial bodies such as the
International Court of Justice and the International Criminal
Court.
ROMANIA, BULGARIA DENIED ENTRY TO SCHENGEN ZONE
The Polish interior
minister said that two
EU countries have
prevented Romania and
Bulgaria from joining
bloc’s borderless
Schengen zone. Jerzy
Miller said that
Romania and Bulgaria
had been promised that
if they fulfilled all the requirements, they would be accepted into
the free travel zone. Miller said that “the promise has been
broken.”
The Netherlands and Finland had opposed admitting the
EU’s two newest members into the free-travel zone, saying that
they needed to do more to fight corruption and organized crime.
For the two countries to have joined, they needed unanimous
agreement among the 22 countries that are members of both the
European Union and the Schengen zone.
THOUSANDS OF MUSLIMS RALLY AGAINST
EXTREMISM IN LONDON
Thousands of Muslims gathered together for a peace rally to
commemorate the 10th anniversary of September 11 attacks,
expressing their condemnation of terrorism and extremism.
The Peace for Humanity conference was organised by the
Islamic group Minhaj-ul-Quran, which is also launching a
campaign to get one million people to sign an online declaration
of peace by 2012. Islam is against terrorism, a leading Islamic
scholar told the 12000-strong gathering at Wembley. Islamic
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 19

scholar Dr Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri said that the conference
will send a message that 10 years of extremist activity should
end.
“We should strive together, to bring an end to the era of
extremist terrorism so that the peace and love and fraternity -
which is lost because of unfortunate extremistic activity in the
last decade - should come to end and we may restore the peace,
love and smiles on the faces of mankind,” Tahir-ul- Qadri, the
founder of Minhaj-ul-Quran, said.
He added: “We reject unequivocally all terrorism because at
the heart of all religions is a belief in the sanctity of the lives of
the innocent. The indiscriminate nature of terrorism has in
recent years killed far more civilians and other non-combatants
than it has combatants.” Video messages of support from
politicians, including deputy prime minister Nick Clegg,
opposition leader Ed Miliband and communities secretary Eric
Pickles were also due to be played, along with a collective multifaith
prayer.
TAWAKKUL KARMAN:
‘MOTHER OF YEMEN’S REVOLUTION’
Tawakkul Karman is known among Yemenis as the “iron
woman” and the
“mother of the
revolution,” a mother of
three who has long been
an activist for human
rights and whose arrest
in January helped
detonate a mass uprising
against the authoritarian
regime of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
For the past eight months, the 32-year-old was at the
forefront of the daily protests by hundreds of thousands in the
streets of Sanaa and other Yemeni cities, demanding Saleh’s
ouster and the creation of a democratic government.
She and other young activists were insistent on keeping their
protests peaceful even as Yemen seemed to explode around
them. Mr. Saleh, who has ruled the impoverished Arab nation for
33 years, had resolutely refused to step down and his security
forces repeatedly opened fire on protesters. Sanaa and other
cities turned into war zones, as regime forces battled with
dissident military units and tribal fighters opposed to Saleh.
“I am very, very happy about this prize,” Ms. Karman told
The Associated Press. “I give the prize to the youth of revolution
in Yemen and the Yemeni people.” Ms. Karman originally hails
from the southern Yemen of Taiz, a city known for its prominent
middle class and university intellectuals that became a hotbed of
opposition to Saleh and emerged as an epi-centre of the uprising
against his rule.
Her activism goes back long before the Arab Spring
uprisings that swept through Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen and other
nations in the region in an explosion of frustration with the
authoritarian rulers who held sway for decades, as well as with
economic disparities and corruption.
Ms. Karman headed the Women Journalists without Chains,
a human rights group for journalists. A senior member of
Yemen’s opposition Islamic fundamentalist Islah Party who
wears the Muslim headscarf, she campaigned for years for
greater rights for women in the conservative nation and
organised smaller-scale protests demanding an end to
harassment of journalists and greater freedom of expression.
Anti-regime protests erupted in Tunisia in late 2010, and
protests against Saleh began to grow in Sanaa and Taiz in
January. But they escalated dramatically after Ms. Karman was
briefly arrested from her home in Sanaa on January 23. It is rare
for women to be taken into custody in Yemen, and the arrest
outraged many. She was held for a few hours, released in the
early hours the next days but the momentum had built for the
protests to expand.
Since then, hundreds of thousands protested almost daily in
Sanaa’s “Change Square,” as a central roundabout was named
by the protesters, and in other cities. Taiz, Ms. Karman’s
hometown, saw repeated shootings of protesters. Ms. Karman
worked to forge the disparate protest groups into a national
council to represent the youth of revolution.
PRIME MINISTER OF NEPAL
BABURAM BHATTARAI VISITS INDIA
The Prime Minister of
Nepal, Baburam Bhattarai
visited India from 20 October
2011 to 23 October 2011.
During the visit, India and
Nepal signed following
MoU/agreement:
20 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

Agreement between the two Governments for the
Promotion and Protection of Investments
MoU between the two Governments regarding Indian
Grant Assistance for Goitre Control Programme in
Nepal
Dollar Credit Line Agreement between Govt. of Nepal
and Export-Import Bank of India
Fact Sheet on MoU/Agreements signed during the visit of
PM of Nepal
(i) Memorandum of Understanding between India and
Nepal regarding Indian grant assistance for the Goitre Control
Programme in Nepal
A Memorandum of Understanding between India and Nepal
regarding Indian grant assistance for the Goitre Control
Programme in Nepal was signed on 21 October 2011. Foreign
Secretary Ranjan Mathai signed the Memorandum of
Understanding on behalf of Government of India and
Purushottam Ojha, Secretary, Ministry of Commerce and
Supply, Government of Nepal signed the agreement on behalf of
Government of Nepal.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding, India will
provide 1.875 crores (Nepali Rs.3 crores) to Nepal for the control
of Goitre and other Iodine Deficiency Diseases in Nepal, under
the heads of Re-iodisation Subsidy, Packing Subsidy,
Transportation Subsidy and Advocacy Subsidy. The
Government of Nepal shall procure iodised granular salt from
India for distribution in various parts of Nepal, focusing on 22
districts, categorized by Nepal as remote and inaccessible. The
implementation of the Programme will be monitored by a
Programme Monitoring Team of four members, consisting of
two representatives of Government of India and two
representatives of Government of Nepal. During the period
1973-2010, Government of India provided grant assistance of 41
crores to Government of Nepal for the control of Goitre and
other iodine deficiency disorders in Nepal. Iodine Deficiency
Diseases are a major health problem and it is hoped that this
assistance will help reduce incidence of Goitre and other Iodine
Deficiency Diseases in Nepal.
(ii) Dollar Credit Line Agreement between Government of
Nepal and Export-Import Bank of India
A US$ 250 million Dollar Credit Line Agreement between
Government of Nepal and Export-Import Bank of India was
signed on October 21, 2011. Chairman and Managing Director
of Export-Import Bank of India, T.C.A. Ranganathan signed the
Agreement on behalf of Export-Import Bank of India and Lal
Shankar Ghimire, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance signed
the Agreement on behalf of Government of Nepal.
The credit line will be used to finance infrastructure
projects such as highways, airports, bridges, irrigation, roads,
railways and hydropower projects and carry a concessional rate
of interest of 1.75% p.a., with repayment period of 20 years,
inclusive of 5 years moratorium.
It may be recalled that during the visit of the President of
Nepal, Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, in February 2010, Government of
India has agreed to extend the line of credit of US$ 250 million
from EXIM Bank of India to the Government of Nepal on similar
terms and conditions as the earlier Line of Credit of US $ 100
Million extended to Nepal.
(iii) Agreement between the Government of Nepal and the
Government of India for the Promotion and Protection of
Investments
A Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement
between India and Nepal was signed. Finance Minister signed
the agreement on behalf of India and Anil Kumar Jha, Minister
for Industry, on behalf of Government of Nepal.
The Agreement seeks to promote and protect investments
from either country in the territory of the other country, with the
ultimate objective of increasing bilateral investment flow. The
agreement requires each country to encourage and create
favourable conditions for investors of the other country to make
investments in its territory and to admit investments in
accordance with its laws.
The term investment includes every kind of asset including
intellectual property rights in accordance with laws and
regulations of the country in which the investment is made.
Principles of Most Favoured Nation Treatment and National
Treatment (NT) have been asserted in the agreement.
Investments from either country in the territory of the other
country are to be accorded NT and MFN treatment, which
means that the investment shall be provided treatment which
shall not be less favourable than that provided by the country to
investments of its own investors or investors from any other
country. Besides, investors are to be provided MFN treatment in
respect of returns on the investment.
Provisions have also been made in the agreement for grant of
compensation to the investors whose investments suffer losses
owing to war, armed conflict, a state of national emergency, etc.
and such investors shall be accorded treatment by the host
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 21

country, no less than the treatment accorded to its own investors
or investors of any third state.
The Agreement provides that nationalisation or
expropriation of investments shall not be resorted to except in
public interest and in accordance with law on a nondiscriminatory
basis and against fair and equitable
compensation. The agreement also provides for free
repatriation of funds of an investor of either country.
The agreement provides elaborate dispute resolution
mechanism to guide settlement of disputes between an investor
and a host Government as well as between the two
Governments. Dispute resolution mechanism includes
resource to negotiations, conciliation and international
arbitration.
The Agreement shall remain in force for a period of ten
years. Thereafter, it shall be deemed to have been automatically
extended unless either Contracting Party gives to the other
Contracting Party a written notice. With respect to investments
made prior to the date of termination of the Agreement, the
provisions of the Agreement shall continue to be effective for a
further period of ten years from the date of its termination.
It is hoped that the Agreement would serve as a catalyst in
boosting investment flows between the two countries.
EU PLAN ON EMISSION TRADING OPPOSED
India and 25 other
countries including the
US, China, Russia and
Brazil, have opposed the
European Union’s plan
to include aviation under
its emission trading
scheme (ETS) and
impose emission
charges on airlines flying into the region, starting 2012.
The non-EU ICAO members have termed as “unilateral”
the imposition of EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS),
saying that it was “inconsistent with applicable international
law”.
The EU move would lead to a hike in air fares on these flights
as the airlines, which would be paying the ETS charges, would
pass them to their customers.
The EU-ETS, also known as the European Union
Emissions Trading System, is the largest multi-national
emissions trading scheme in the world.
Under the EU-ETS, large emitters of carbon dioxide,
including airlines, within the EU, must monitor and annually
report their carbon dioxide emissions. They are obliged every
year to return an amount of emission allowances to the
government that is equivalent to their carbon dioxide emissions
in that year.
SWISS SET EXCHANGE RATE CAP ON SOARING FRANC
The Swiss National
Bank (SNB) shocked
markets on September 6,
2011, by setting an
exchange rate cap on the
soaring franc to stave off a
recession, and
discouraging investors
anxious about flagging global growth from using the currency as
a safe haven. Using some of the strongest language from a
central bank in the modern era, the SNB said it would no longer
tolerate an exchange rate below 1.20 francs to the euro and
would defend the target by buying other currencies in unlimited
quantities.
The move immediately knocked about eight per cent off the
value of the franc, which had soared by a third since the collapse
of Lehman Brothers in 2008, as investors used it as a safe haven
from the euro zone’s debt crisis and stock market turmoil.
Analysts said that the SNB should be able to defend 1.20, as it
could print unlimited francs but that long-term success
depended on efforts to deal with the euro zone’s debt problems.
The move was seen as a new shot in the currency wars, with
Japan expected to try to weaken the yen if the Swiss action
diverted more safe-haven inflows into the currency.
Earlier also, in 1978, the SNB had set a formal exchange rate
target—above 0.80 francs per German Mark—when the franc
was soaring in the aftermath of an oil crisis, and successfully
defended that rate, but at the price of soaring inflation.
The strong franc had started to dampen exports, hurting
companies like specialty chemicals maker Clariant AG, which
cut its 2011 sales target, while the tourism sector also suffered as
foreign visitors started staying away.
22 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

The SNB step will also help economies in eastern countries,
with two-thirds of mortgages in Hungary and about half of
Poland’s, denominated in Swiss francs.
MUAMMAR GADDAFI IS DEAD, SAYS LIBYAN PM
Muammar Gaddafi was killed after his home town, Sirte, was
overrun by fighters seeking to complete the eight-month
uprising in Libya, the interim prime minister announced.
The former dictator reportedly died from wounds to his
head and legs. It was unclear whether he was hit in a NATO air
strike on a convoy fleeing Sirte, a firefight on the ground, or in
concrete tunnels in the town itself.
Later, Libya’s UK representative said Gaddafi was alive
when captured and had died in an ambulance on the way to the
city of Misrata. The Libyan Prime Minister, Mahmoud Jibril,
told a news conference in Tripoli: “We have been waiting for this
moment for a long time. Muammar Gaddafi has been killed.”
A US official said that Libyan leaders had confirmed his
death to Washington, the AP agency reported at 3.15pm UK
time. In London, the Libyan charge d’affaires, Mahmud Nacua,
told a press conference it was “a glorious and momentous
victory”.
“Today, Libya’s future begins. Gaddafi’s black era has come
to an end for ever,” he said. “The Libyan people are looking
forward to a very promising future, where they can finally start
building the free democratic state for which they have fought for
about eight months now.
“Our people have paid a high price. About 40,000 martyrs
have given their lives for the freedom of their country.
“We very much appreciate
the help of the international
community to get rid of Gaddafi
and his crimes.”
Earlier, pictures showing
what was said to be the body of
the dead and bleeding Gaddafi
appeared on television, as NATO
and US officials tried to confirm
his death. Some showed the body
being dragged through the
streets of Sirte.
Gaddafi’s son Muatassim was also reported to have been
killed or captured in Sirte, the stronghold of pro-Gaddafi forces.
Later, he was said to have been seen covered in blood but alive.
Another son, Saif al-Islam, was said to be have been surrounded
after fleeing Sirte.
Gaddafi’s body was reportedly transferred to Misrata. A large
crowd surrounded the vehicle as it arrived, chanting: “The
blood of the martyrs will not go in vain”. The first reports of
Gaddafi’s capture came soon after noon UK time, and within an
hour, there were claims that he was dead.
The convoy in which Gaddafi might have been travelling was
hit by a NATO airstrike at 6 a.m. British time. Two NATO
aircraft bombed the vehicles as they fled Sirte. Neither were
British planes, although two Tornado ground attack aircraft
were on surveillance and reconnaissance missions at the time.
A National Transitional Council (NTC) official, Abdel Majid
Mlegta, told Reuters. “There was a lot of firing against his group
and he died.” The NTC spokesman in Misrata, Abdullah
Berrassali, told Sky News: “Gaddafi is dead, absolutely dead. He
was shot in both legs and a bullet in the head. The body will be
arriving in Misrata any minute now.”
Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, said that if the
reports were true, she would breathe a sigh of relief as one more
obstacle was removed. Even before confirmation that Gaddafi,
who ruled Libya for 42 years, was dead, Senator John McCain,
who lost to Barack Obama in the last presidential election, called
it “an end to the first phase of the Libyan revolution”.
Gaddafi was wanted by the international criminal court on
charges of ordering the killing of civilians. He was at one time
believed to be hiding deep in the Sahara desert. His wife, two
sons and a daughter fled to neighbouring Algeria shortly after
Tripoli fell to rebel forces in August. On the day before his death,
Gaddafi was said by Jibril to have
been recruiting fighters from
other countries in an effort to
destabilise the regime that
replaced him.
David Cameron said that he
was proud of the role Britain had
played in Gaddafi’s downfall. “I
think today is a day to remember
all of Colonel Gaddafi’s victims,
from those who died in
connection with the Pan-Am
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 23

flight over Lockerbie to Yvonne Fletcher in a London street and
obviously all the victims of IRA terrorism who died through their
use of Libyan Semtex,” he said.
“We should also remember the many, many Libyans who
died at the hands of this brutal dictator and his regime. People in
Libya today have an even greater chance, after this news, of
building themselves a strong and democratic future.
“I’m proud of the role that Britain has played in helping them
to bring that about and I pay tribute to the bravery of the Libyans
who have helped to liberate their country. We will help them, we
will work with them, and that is what I want to say today.”
Jim Swire, whose daughter, Flora, died in the Lockerbie
bombing, said an “opportunity has been lost” to find out the
truth about the atrocity. He told Sky News: “There is much still
to be resolved about that issue and Gaddafi, whether he was
involved or not, might have been able to clear up a few points
about that … now that he is dead, we may have lost an
opportunity for getting nearer to the truth.
“Although we have not a scrap of evidence that Gaddafi
himself was involved in causing the Lockerbie atrocity, my take
on that was that he would have at least known who was. I would
have loved to have seen Gaddafi appear in front of the
international criminal court, both to answer charges against his
gross treatment of his own people and of citizens murdered
abroad by his thugs.”
Russia’s presidential envoy to Libya warned that Gaddafi’s
death might not end the fighting in Libya. “Today’s problem of
Libya is not the problem of Gaddafi’s life or death,” Mikhail
Margelov said, according to the ITAR-Tass news agency. “This is
a problem of consolidating fragmented Libyan society and of
strengthening the armed forces.”
Pythagorean Triplets
The sides of a right triangle follows the Pythagorean Theorem,
2 2 2
a+b=c
Where a and b are the lengths of the legs of the right triangle while c is the length of the hypothenuse.
A right triangle with sides of lengths 3, 4 and 5 is a special right triangle in that all the sides have whole number
lengths. The three numbers 3, 4 and 5 forms a Pythagorean triplet or Pythagorean triple.
A Pythagorean triplet is a set of three whole numbers where the sum of the squares of the first two is equal to the
square of the third number. Below are examples of Pythagorean triplets:
3 4 5
5 12 13
7 24 25
9 40 41
11 60 61
One equation satisfying a Pythagorean Triplet A, B, C is
Given A is odd, then
2
B = (A - 1)/2
2
C = (A + 1)/2
Hypotenuse (H)
Angle
x
Adjacent (A)
90
O
Opposite (O)
24 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

Current Events
Business and Economy
CHINA’S BIGGEST BANK REGISTERS
ITS PRESENCE IN INDIA
Industrial and Commercial
Bank of China (ICBC)-the
world’s most valuable lenderhas
become the first bank from
mainland China to set up shop
in India. The bank plans to
start with an investment of
$100 million and aims to lend
to corporate, covering sectors
where Chinese companies
have a presence such as power,
telecom and infrastructure.
With a market capitalization of $234 billion, ICBC is the
world’s largest bank. Its m-cap is more than nine times that of
India’s largest bank, State Bank of India ($25 billion). Besides
being the largest in m-cap, ICBC is also the world’s biggest in
terms of profits and customer deposits. The Chinese bank’s
entry comes almost a year after SBI was allowed to deal in Yuan
through its branch in China. The bank has set up an office in the
Bandra-Kurla business district in central Mumbai and has
appointed Sun Xiang as CEO for India.
ICBC president Yang Kaisheng said that trade between the
two countries amounted to around $60 billion, which was a 40%
growth year-on-year. He said that India and China have not been
significantly impacted by the global financial crisis. ICBC would
initially look at wholesale banking business and later move into
personal and private banking. Yang said that although ICBC has
been expanding its international business-which has grown to
$14 billion-it was still only 4% of the total assets of the bank. The
bank aimed at increasing the share of international business to
10%.
Recently, ICBC acquired an 80% stake in Standard Bank
Argentina for $600 million. ICBC’s presence in India is also
expected to give an impetus to China’s move to use Yuan in
international trade. In recent months, China has entered into
currency swap agreements with a number of countries. The
Chinese central bank has also allowed lenders to engage in
cross-border settlement in Chinese currency.
“I believe that before the renminbi becomes fully
convertible, there is scope for cooperation to use the currency
for trade,” said Yang. A statement issued by ICBC said that the
Mumbai branch will build up partnership with Chinese
enterprises in India, support local telecommunication,
transportation, power and other infrastructure construction.
ICBC will extend financial services to heavy machinery,
automobile and other industries as well.
AN EXTERNAL BORROWING SPREE
The Indian corporate
sector appears to have
stepped up its borrowing
from the international
market. Monthly figures
on private external
commercial borrowing
(ECB) released by the
Reserve Bank of India point to a significant increase in the
volume of such borrowing. As compared with a total of $12.2
billion borrowed over the six months ending January 2011,
external borrowing over the subsequent six months (ending July
2011) had touched $19.3 billion. Moreover, underlying monthto-month
variations in the volume of borrowing because of the
presence or absence of large individual borrowers is a trend
pointing to a continuous rise. As a result, while the current
ceiling on ECB is $30 billion in a single financial year, Indian
companies have already borrowed close to $16 billion over the
first five months (April-August) of this financial year (2011-12).
What is noteworthy is that the recent increase in borrowing
has been accompanied by an increase in the trade and current
account deficits on India’s balance of payments and signs of a
weakening of the Indian rupee vis-à-vis the dollar. As argued
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 25

elow, both of these have implications for an
assessment of the implications of the
increase in external commercial borrowing.
The obvious cause for the close to 60 per
cent surge in ECB over the last two sixmonth
periods for which data is available is
the sharp rise in domestic interest rates. The
Reserve Bank of India has announced 12
increases in reference rates since March last
year, raising the cost of credit provided to the banking system by
3.25 percentage points to 8.25 per cent. This being the rates at
which banks can borrow from the RBI, they, in turn, are charging
higher rates on loans to their clients. In the event, there has been
a widening of interest rates payable on borrowing from the
domestic and external markets, with the latter being the cheaper
source. When the differentials in interest rates between external
and domestic markets widen, the normal tendency would be for
firms to borrow abroad to meet even their domestic
expenditures and finance their expansion plans targeted at the
domestic market.
There are, however, two much-discussed dangers
associated with this tendency. First, there arises a mismatch
between the currency in which debt service commitments on
external loans must be met and the currency in which revenues
are garnered from the domestic market-oriented activities that
are financed by such loans. Hence, a part of the foreign exchange
earned or acquired in other activities would have to be diverted
to these borrowers in the future so that they can meet their debt
service commitments. This could put some strain on the
balance of payments.
The second problem is that the borrowers themselves are
taking on substantial exchange rate risks. While they may be
obtaining finance at interest rates lower than those currently
charged in the domestic market, their debt service
commitments in rupee terms can rise sharply if there is a
depreciation of the domestic currency. This could more than
neutralise the benefit of an interest rate differential.
Besides these factors, another possibility is a rise in rates in
international markets. Those interest rates are low now because
central banks in the developed countries have pumped large
volumes of cheap liquidity into the market in response to the
crisis. But there is no guarantee that the era of access to cheap
liquidity for emerging markets will continue, as illustrated by
the difficulties being faced by the peripheral countries in the
Euro-zone. If rates rise, efforts to refinance maturing debt
would require expensive borrowing. Put all of this together, and
the rise in external borrowing increases the vulnerability of the
corporate sector and the nation.
It is for these reasons that the widening of
the current account deficit on India’s
balance of payments and the weakening of
the rupee against the dollar at a time when
external commercial borrowing is rising give
cause for concern. Faced with such a
situation, the government should seek to
limit external borrowing to instances where
access to foreign exchange is socially
important, as for example, when capital
goods have to be imported for crucial
infrastructural projects.
However, the government appears to be inclined towards
loosening rules with respect to external borrowing, to dampen
corporate criticism of the high interest rate regime. Under
pressure from the corporate sector, the government had
increased in May the ceiling it sets on total external commercial
borrowing in a single financial year by $10 billion to $30 billion.
More recently, the government has increased the cap on
borrowing by individual firms in the microfinance, services and
infrastructure (and other) sectors (for loans with maturity of
more than 5 years under the automatic route) from $5 million,
$100 million and $500 million respectively to $10 million, $200
million and $750 million. Moreover, the government has been
permitting the use of ECBs for refinancing rupee loans.
Telecom companies who borrowed in rupees at high cost to
finance spectrum acquisition have exploited this facility
substantially.
Thus, while retail borrowers are experiencing sharp
increases in the equated monthly instalments or the tenure of
the loans they took on to finance housing investments or
purchases of automobile and durables, corporates are being
offered an escape route to cheap credit through means that
increase external vulnerability. This quirky policy is clearly
aimed at neutralising the impact of interest rate hikes in the
domestic market on the corporate sector, so as to dampen
criticism of the government’s mismanagement of inflation
control and the failure of its policy of relying solely on interest
rate increases to rein in prices.
There are conspiracy theories doing the rounds. Rumour
has it that there is a standoff between the Ministry of Finance
and the Reserve Bank of India over interest rate policy. The
government seems completely at a loss to find ways of reining in
inflation. Rather it is worsening the inflation problem through
periodic hikes in administered prices, especially that of
petroleum. This has forced the central bank to take on the
burden of combating inflation, leading to the sharp rise in
interest rates. But the Finance Ministry does not seem to like
that either, and is using the ECB lever to counter the impact of
the RBI’s intervention on the powerful corporate sector. But that
26 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

could increase external vulnerability, which could be the next
source of conflict between these two agencies.
BRITISH TELECOMMUNICATIONS BAGS IT CONTRACT
WORTH EURO 200 MN FROM BASF
UK’s telecom major BT has bagged
a contract worth 200 million euros
(nearly Rs 1,330 crore) from the
chemical group BASF to provide
networked IT services.
BT (British Telecommunications
plc) will interconnect about 900 BASF
sites in more than 80 countries, the
company said in a statement. The contract also includes the
provision of Internet Protocol (IP) telephony and local network
services (managed LAN services) at 300 sites in North and
South America, as well as in Asia.
“The new order from BASF further increases BT’s already
substantial footprint in process manufacturing and underscores
our commitment to supporting our clients in Asia, Latin
America and other emerging markets,” BT Global Services
President Global Commerce Bas Burger said. The new order
extends BASF’s long-standing cooperation with the network
specialist BT and leverages BT’s expertise in serving the
manufacturing industry around the world.
The sites of the chemical company Ciba that BASF acquired
will also be networked by BT. A high-performance secure
network is a high priority for the chemical group because
employees around the world need to communicate and access
business-critical IT applications over the network.
MOODY’S DOWNGRADES EIGHT GREEK BANKS
Moody’s ratings agency
downgraded eight Greek banks
by two notches due to their
exposure to Greek government
bonds and the deteriorating
economic situation in the
country, whose government has
struggled to meet the terms of an
international bailout.
Moody’s Investors Service downgraded National Bank of
Greece, EFG Eurobank Ergasias, Alpha Bank, Piraeus Bank,
Agricultural Bank of Greece and Attica Bank to CAA2 from B3. It
also downgraded Emporiki Bank of Greece, which is in majority
owned by French bank Credit Agricole and General Bank of
Greece, in majority owned by another French bank, Societe
Generale to B3 from B1.
The agency said that the outlook for all the banks’ long-term
deposit and debt ratings was negative.
Moody’s cited “the expected impact of the deteriorating
domestic economic environment on non-performing loans” and
“declines in deposit bases and still fragile liquidity positions” in
its reasoning for the downgrade.
Shares on the Athens Stock Exchange plunged on the news,
with the general price index shedding 3.66 percent in early
afternoon trading to dip below the 800 mark at 799.9 points.
Greece has been kept solvent by a 110 billion ($149 billion)
bailout in 2010 from other euro-zone countries and the
International Monetary Fund. But it needed another massive
bailout this summer, and has angered international creditors by
lagging behind in its commitments to implementing reforms
and carrying out pledges.
European officials spoke openly of the possibility of a Greek
default, and the fears have further roiled international markets.
A Greek default could send shockwaves through the euro
zone banking system and the global economy. European officials
have tried to prevent one because it could mean losses for banks
that hold Greek government bonds and prompt speculation that
other governments with shaky governments could face
increasingly acute funding pressures.
Dutch central bank president Klaas Knot said that he could
no longer rule out the possibility that the country will be unable
to pay back its debts.
“I won’t say that Greece cannot default,” Knot said in an
interview with Dutch newspaper Het Financieel Dagblad,
published every Friday. Knot, who recently became president of
De Nederlandsche Bank, is also a European Central Bank
governing council member. The ECB has insisted Greece must
stick with its bailout plan and has opposed default as a solution.
“I have long been convinced that a default is not necessary,”
Knot said. “But the news from Athens is sometimes not
encouraging. All efforts are aimed at preventing this, but I am
now less positive in ruling out a default than I was a few months
ago.”
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 27

Greek bondholders have already agreed to take a 21 percent
loss on the value of their investments in a swap for new bonds.
That loss is relatively mild by the standard of government
defaults, which often inflict losses of 50 percent or more. But
some economists say that the current swap arrangement does
not give Greece enough debt relief.
Greece needs an 8 billion ($11 billion) bailout instalment to
keep from defaulting on its massive debts as it moves into a
fourth year of recession. Debt inspectors from the IMF, ECB and
European Commission, collectively known as the troika, are due
back in Athens next week to complete their review of Greece’s
progress and make a recommendation on whether it should
receive the next loan installment.
To secure the money, the government this week announced
another round of tax hikes and pension cuts, angering an already
austerity-weary public.
Metro, tram and train workers in Athens went on strike,
while all public transport workers and taxi drivers held a 48-hour
strike. However, an Athens court ruled that a 24-hour air traffic
controllers’ strike was illegal.
Moody’s said that despite its downgrade, it “recognized the
continued potential for the Troika to extend systemic support to
the Greek banks in case of need,” as well as the potential of a
Greek financial stability fund to do the same. This “results in a
one notch of uplift in the senior debt and deposit ratings of the
domestically-owned banks from their standalone credit
strength,” the agency said.
After more than a year and a half of repeated rounds of
austerity measures that have included salary and pension cuts in
the public sector and waves of tax hikes, Greece found itself in
the grips of a major recession, with its chances of returning to
growth next year all but out of reach. The government insists
that it hopes to post a primary surplus spending less than it
earns before taking interest rates on outstanding debt into
account next year.
Moody’s pointed out that Greece’s economy contracted 7.3
percent year-on-year in the second quarter of this year, while
unemployment rose to more than 16 percent.
This, it said, also affected the potential benefits of the
announced merger of Greece’s second and third largest lenders,
EFG Eurobank Ergasias and Alpha Bank. While the merger “has
some potential positive elements for the credit standing of the
future joint entity ... Moody’s believes that these are offset by the
currently fragile operating environment,” the agency said.
US JUDGE TOSSES MADOFF SUITS TARGETING HEDGE FUNDS
A judge has thrown out several
lawsuits by investors who blame
hedge funds for failing to detect
Bernard Madoff’s massive fraud,
saying the one-time Nasdaq
chairman “cleverly leveraged his
considerable reputation’’ to dupe
even the most sophisticated
financial entities, including
regulators and Wall Street banks.
In a ruling that was made public, Judge Deborah Batts
concluded that investors in the hedge funds run by J. Ezra
Merkin, were sufficiently warned about risks.
“The list of victims that failed to detect Madoff’s fraud is
lengthy,” Batts wrote, citing the Securities and Exchange
Commission among them. ``In line with what other courts have
done, this court will not recognize a claim against those who did
business with Madoff, simply by imputing the suspicions of a
few, albeit, wise, people who suspected Madoff’s fraud before it
was ever discovered.’’
Merkin’s funds had put more than $2 billion of investors’
money into Madoff’s investment business. The Manhattan
judge noted that the plaintiffs had cited testimony by Merkin
that he was aware of a number of people who were suspicious of
the returns that Madoff claimed to achieve.
The 73-year-old Madoff confessed in December 2008 that
he was running a multi-decade Ponzi, or pyramid, scheme and
that more than $65 billion he claimed to have on hand for
investors had dwindled to a few hundred million dollars from an
original investment of about $20 billion. He is serving a 150-year
prison sentence.
Batts said that there was no basis to let the lawsuits proceed
“just because a non-party had a hunch or a gut feeling about
Madoff, especially when juxtaposed against his considerable
reputation and success within the investment community.’’
Batts added: “It is now well-established that Madoff cleverly
leveraged his considerable reputation in order to perpetrate his
massive fraud, for many years, without detection by some of the
most sophisticated entities in the financial world: the SEC, Wall
Street banks and the like.”
28 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

The ruling was made after a series of lawsuits were filed by
the New York Law School, a pension plan and several family
trusts on behalf of investors in three hedge funds: Ascot
Partners L.P., Gabriel Partners L.P. and Ariel Fund Limited.
Merkin was the general partner of the Ascot and Gabriel funds
and the sole shareholder and director of Gabriel Capital Corp.,
which was the investment adviser to the Ariel Fund.
The lawsuits claimed that Merkin and related defendants
failed to disclose the funds’ investments with Madoff and should
have performed better due diligence in connection with the
investments. Messages left for lawyers on both sides were not
immediately returned.
Merkin still faces a lawsuit in federal bankruptcy court in
which the trustee recovering assets for Madoff investors is
seeking more than $500 million. That lawsuit claimed that
Merkin was aware that Madoff was a swindler and called Merkin
``a sophisticated investment manager who was a close business
and social associate of Madoff.’’
Merkin managed several funds through his Gabriel Capital
Corp. that withdrew more than $500 million in ``nonexistent
principal’’ from Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities in the
13 years before Madoff’s massive Ponzi scheme imploded, the
lawsuit claimed. Andrew Levander, a lawyer for Merkin, said that
the bankruptcy claim had no basis.
VODAFONE TOLD TO PAY RS 6,000
TO AGGRIEVED CUSTOMER
Telecom giant Vodafone Essar
was ordered by the country’s apex
consumer forum to pay a
compensation of Rs 6,000 to one of
its customers for issuing a hefty
bill of nearly Rs 22,000, which
included Rs 500 for each ISD call
to satellite phones.
The National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission
also asked the company to revise the mobile phone bill of
Hyderabad resident Arvind Reddy, while counselling it not to
indulge in unfair trade practices.
The bench, headed by its member Anupam Dasgupta,
dismissed Vodafone’s contention that Reddy’s bill crossed the
Rs 20,000 mark on account of his calls made to satellite phones,
chargeable at the rate of Rs 500 per call.
It said that the telecom firm had never properly explained
Reddy about hefty charges levied on calls made to satellite
phones.
“In the tariff card furnished by petitioner (Vodafone), there
was no mention at all of the rate of Rs 500 per minute for calls to
satellite telephones, nor was there any clarification of the
asterisk mark (*) against a couple of the rates.
“Therefore, from the material brought on record, I find no
reason to disagree with the appraisal of evidence, in particular,
the tariff card mentioned above, by the district forum.
Consequently, there is no reason to interfere with the order of
the State Commission,” the NCDRC bench said.
The NCDRC gave its order while dismissing an appeal by
Vodafone challenging the two concurrent orders of Hyderabad
district consumer forum and the State consumer commission,
for compensation to Reddy
INDIA TO BE AMONG WORLD’S TOP 10
E-COMMERCE HUBS BY 2015: EBAY
India will be among the
top 10 e-commerce hubs in
the world by 2015, eBay India
Head (Partnerships and Pop
Culture) Deepa Thomas said.
“India definitely will be
among the Top 10 e-
commerce hubs of the world
by 2015, as it is the fourth
largest internet users in the
world,” Deepa Thomas said.
She said that though India is witnessing many changes in 3G
and broadband, there are issues with connectivity. “India is still
not as connected as it should be. Connectivity beyond metros
needs to be better,” she said. However, broadband penetration in
countries like the Philippines and Malaysia is good. “Hence
there is scope for e-commerce or online transactions,” Thomas
said.
Even so, Bangalore has tremendous potential to become
number one e-commerce centre in the country. The city had
been in the top five lists of e-commerce states until now. “It has
jumped to top three. Bangalore has immense potential. as it is
active on all fronts like e-commerce, imports and exports,” she
said.
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 29

Thomas, however, expressed reservation over Bangalore
giving competition to Mumbai and Delhi this year, as those cities
have larger number of internet users. Sceptical about the growth
of online group buying in India, Thomas said that the space was
already saturated. Bloggers and small e-commerce sites were no
threats to companies like eBay, she said. “In fact these small
sites wish to occupy space on our site to build credibility in the
market ... we actually encourage bloggers to share deals,” she
said.
eBay has been on an acquisition spree on regular basis for
gaining technical competence and entering a market. One of the
biggest acquisitions this year was GSI Commerce, which gives
platform to set up their own e-commerce sites, she said.
“Definitely there are acquisitions that have happened, but there
are no acquisitions right now on our radar,” Thomas said.
AAKASH: WORLD’S CHEAPEST TABLET LAUNCHED;
TO BE SOLD FOR $60 IN RETAIL
The wait for the world’s cheapest tablet is finally over! The
$35 tablet nicknamed Aakash was launched and will be available
at retail stores, at a maximum retail price of Rs 2999 ($60), said
its maker Datawind. “The Rs 3,000 figure is the ‘maximum
suggested retail price’ of the commercial version of the product
which we will offer with an embedded cellular modem and
SIM,” said Suneet Singh Tuli, CEO of Datawind, maker of the
world’s cheapest tablet.
The $60 tablet for retail
sales has an inbuilt cellular
modem and SIM to access
internet, which will be
absent in the $35 device,
supplied to the government.
As a business, we need to
make a profit, and our
distribution channel needs to make a profit, which is all covered
in the MRP of Rs 2,999,” Mr Tuli said.
Both versions of the tablet will run on Google’s Android
platform, with Wi-Fi connectivity for internet access and cloud
storage. The tablets will have 256 MB of RAM, a 32 GB
expandable memory slot and two USB ports. The commercial
version of the tablet would have no duty waivers or subsidy, as in
the government’s version. An inbuilt cellular modem and SIM
card will add to the price of the commercial tablet.
The commercial version of the tablet is expected be out
within 60 days of its launch on October 5. Datawind adds that it
is supplying to the government at a price of Rs 2200, which
includes sales tax and replacement warranty. “The $35 price is
achievable at higher volume levels. When we supply the product
to the government at $35, then too it will allow us a margin, albeit
at higher volumes,” Datawind CEO added.
India trails fellow BRIC nations Brazil, Russia and China in
the drive to get its 1.2 billion population connected to
technologies such as the Internet and mobile phones, a report by
risk analysis firm Maplecroft said. The number of Internet users
grew 15-fold between 2000 and 2010, according to another
report. Still, just 8 percent of Indians have access. That
compares with nearly 40 percent in China.
Some 19 million people subscribe to mobile phones every
month, making India the world’s fastest growing market, but
most are from the wealthier segment of the population in towns.
Bharat Mehra, an expert on the use of communications
technology for development, said that the budget tablet could be
used to deliver distance learning in rural areas and among
students.
RAJARATNAM FACES COURT RECKONING
FOR TRADING CRIMES
One-time hedge
fund tycoon Raj
Rajaratnam got the
longest prison sentence
to date for insider
trading, sending a harsh
warning to anyone else
who considers becoming
a master of trading on
confidential information.
Prosecutors sought one of the longest sentences ever for an
insider-trading defendant, arguing that the 54-year-old Galleon
Group founder is “the modern face” of illegal stock trading.
Overall, people found guilty of insider trading tend to get
lighter sentences than federal guidelines prescribe, in part,
because judges may opt to go easy out of the view that market
trading crimes - while harmful to confidence in financial
markets – typically does not harm anyone in particular.
The government had requested a prison term between 19-
1/2 years and 24-1/2 years for Rajaratnam, who was convicted in
May 2011 in one of the biggest Wall Street trading cases in a
generation.
US District Judge Richard Holwell in Manhattan opted for a
sentence that was less severe but was very long, legal experts
said.
“This was an opportunity for the judge to give a stiff
sentence ... and yet also display the notion of elements of mercy,”
30 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

said Eli J. Richardson, a former federal prosecutor, now at law
firm Bass, Berry & Sims.
Rajaratnam joined a small club of fallen financiers and
executives who have spent years behind bars for insider trading
or related securities offenses.
Michael Milken, the so-called king of junk bonds, received a
10-year prison sentence in 1990 after pleading guilty to
securities violations. Ivan Boesky, the famed Wall Street stock
speculator of the 1980s, was sentenced to three years in prison in
1987 after pleading guilty to a criminal charge related to insider
trading.
Rajaratnam’s lawyers fought to allow him to remain under
house arrest in his luxury Manhattan apartment while he
appeals his conviction. They said that he suffered from an array
of health problems and that a long prison term would amount to
a “death sentence.”
Holwell kept a customary silence about Rajaratnam’s
possible sentence. However, three months ago in sentencing a
Rajaratnam associate, Danielle Chiesi, to 2-1/2 years in prison,
he gave a stern warning to traders.
“The message to Wall Street needs to be loud and clear: If
you trade on inside information, you will be caught; if convicted,
you will be sentenced to prison,” Holwell said. Rajaratnam was
thought to be wary, given the sentence handed to a former
Galleon trader, Zvi Goffer, who was ordered last month to a
decade in prison for his insider-trading conviction.
If ordered to prison, Rajaratnam could spend his days
cleaning toilets, sweeping floors and working in the library -- a
far cry from running a hedge fund with $7 billion under
management at its peak. His prison conditions could depend,
however, on what authorities decide about his health.
In arguing for leniency, Rajaratnam’s lawyers cited “chronic,
life-threatening and degenerative diseases” that they argued
that the federal prisons bureau is unable to treat.
Audience Polls
Seven Samurai (1954) was voted number one in an audience poll conducted by MovieMail in 2000. It was followed by The
Third Man (1949) in second place.
The Godfather (1972) was voted number one by Entertainment Weekly’s readers and voted as number one in a Time Out
readers’ poll in 1998. The film was also voted as the “Greatest Movie of All Time” in September 2008 by 10,000 readers of
Empire magazine, 150 people from the movie business and 50 film critics. It currently holds the number 1 spot on the Top
200 at Everyone’s a Critic, and the number 2 spot on the IMDb list.
The Godfather Part II (1974) was voted best movie ever by TV Guide readers in 1998, and is currently in third place on the
IMDb list.
Star Wars (1977) and its sequel The Empire Strikes Back (1980) were chosen as the greatest films by readers of Empire
magazine in November 2001 and by voters in a Channel 4 (Film4) poll. Star Wars is also the highest ranking sci-fi film in
both versions of the American Film Institute‘s list of the 100 greatest movies of all time (ranked number 15 in the original
list, and number 13 in the updated list).
Raise the Red Lantern (1991) was voted the best Asian film in another audience poll conducted by MovieMail in 2000. It
was followed by The Apu Trilogy (1955–1959) at second place.
Schindler’s List (1993) was voted the best film ever made by the German film magazine Cinema.
The Shawshank Redemption (1994) currently holds the top spot on the Internet Movie Database‘s list of the top 250 films.
It was voted the best film not to have won an Academy Award in a 2004 Radio Times poll and again in 2008. It is currently
ranked number 1 on FilmCrave.com’s top 100 movies list. It holds an extremely high score on Rotten Tomatoes within the
community, at 98%.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003) was voted the most popular film of all time by an audience poll for the Australian
television special My Favourite Film and by a poll cast by 120,000 German voters for the TV special “Die besten Filme aller
Zeiten” (German “The best films of all time”). Its first film, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001),
was the pick of readers in a poll by Empire magazine in November 2004. The third film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return
of the King, was voted the best movie of all time by Yahoo movies and Movies.com’s annual reader’s poll in 2006 and 2007.
Gone with the Wind (1939) was ranked as the greatest film in a poll surveyed by Harris Interactive between January 15 and
22, 2008. Star Wars came in second place and Casablanca in third. Gone with the Wind was also picked as the best film for
Best in Film: The Greatest Movies of Our Time.
Casablanca (1942) was voted the greatest film by readers of the Los Angeles Daily News in 1997. It is also regarded the
“best Hollywood movie of all time” by the influential Leonard Maltin‘s Movie Guide. On April 7, 2006, the Writers’ Guild of
America declared Casablanca’s screenplay the best ever written.
Cross of Iron (1977) was voted the greatest film of all time by Cinemag.
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 31

Education 3.0
~ by Sandeep Manudhane, CMD (PT universe)
I have spent my entire professional life working with
students. It’s been a good 18 years now. I have taught almost
every single day, prepared courseware for various subjects, read
across totally unrelated disciplines, and motivated students to
excel in various endeavours. This has given me an
understanding of how effective teaching can be done inside a
classroom, why teachers bomb inside classrooms, and why some
are heralded as messiahs.
Having been there and done that, as I now peep ahead and try
to envision what learning will become in the future, some
strange images start appearing before me. I will try and share
those in this blog post.
Before I talk of the
future, let us take a
quick recap of the past.
I feel there have
primarily been two
major versions of
education system in
man’s entire journey.
Mankind is a recent arrival on this planet, and for the
approximately 2 or 3 lac years that we have been around in more
or less of this modern format (homo sapiens, erect posture etc.),
our primary method of education was “Observe, Repeat,
Inculcate”.
The seniors would hunt, forage or gather, and the juniors
would look with interest. Then they would try. And fail. So they
would look at the seniors again. And try. And may succeed. This
method - Observe, Repeat, Inculcate - is what I call mankind’s
Education System version 1.0.
The key features of this version 1.0 were -
1. Unstructured learning experiences - nobody would
“instruct”, kids would just learn
2. Holistic learning experiences - the processes were
totally 360 degrees (naturally!)
3. Practical orientation of learning experiences - there
were no artificial classrooms
Then came the agricultural revolution around 5000 years ago
and with it came the formalisation of the society. It is very
interesting to note how in just 2000 years, mankind changed its
entire appearance. From nomadic groups, we settled into tribes,
villages, towns and ultimately cities. And marriage was born.
Law and Order was born. Politics was born. Formal Religion was
born. And finally, Formal Education was born.
This was Education System version 2.0. For the first
time, with increasing complexity of our societies, the need was
felt to structure everything in the learning processes. The
Indian Gurukul system stands as a fine example of this exercise.
Shishyas (students) would stay with the Gurus (Teachers) in
their Ashramas (Boarding Schools) for a long time, and through
a detailed formal process, undertake the process of learning and
preparing for life.
As the Industrial
Revolution picked pace, jobs
became more and more
specialised. And thus arose
the need to further offer
learning solutions for
specialised domains. This
fragmented the education
system and “specialisations” arose across the world, across
“domains”. As society’s complexity grew even more, the number
and range of specialisations grew. The Education System
version 2.0 became more and more formalised and fragmented.
The key features of this newer version 2.0 were -
1. Structured learning experiences - teachers would
formally instruct kids
2. Fragmented learning experiences - learning was
broken up into separate pieces
32 PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

3. Theoretical orientation of learning experiences -
artificial classrooms created artificial, theoretical
experiences
Although version 2.0 had these apparent drawbacks, it has
persisted for (thousands of) years now. That’s because it
prepares its participants (students) wonderfully well for a
narrow range of activities expected out of them in a specialised
domain. Nothing more. If someone wants to have a broad-brush
type of expertise, he/she has to personally make the effort,
mostly out of the formal domain, to learn newer things regularly.
The version 2.0 simply adjusted itself to the new reality - a
society that wanted more and more specialised knowledge, and
took pride in it.
Then came the 1950s. With the knowledge revolution taking
shape (the first silicon chip was made around this time), it soon
became apparent that the version 2.0 will not suit our evolving
needs fully. Dr Peter F Drucker beautifully envisioned it back
then, and wrote about the emergence of a “knowledge society”
and a “knowledge worker”. That surely happened through
1960s, 70s, 80s and the 90s.
But while this was happening, the world was becoming a
more and more integrated place. The rapid spread of the idea of
globalisation across the world led to sharing of common
practices. And these were across domains. Social, political,
cultural - all kinds of practices began taking an amorphous
global contour. Indians started enjoying McDonalds as much as
Americans started revering Yoga.
And how did “the idea of globalisation” spread so rapidly
around the world? Well, technology ensured that. Computers,
telecommunication and internet all came together in a potent
mix to change our perceptions from local to global.
How?
Look at how a kid of say, 12-14 years, today leads out his/her
life. He attends school daily, which is a pretty linear
experience - everything is a straight line, fixed books, fixed
syllabus, fixed friends, fixed teachers, fixed classrooms, fixed
holidays (declared months in advance - I often suspect most
school owners find this part most exciting and rewarding), fixed
everything - and comes back home. And then jumps into his
virtual world, which is a totally 360 degrees experience.
While he is online, the kid does Social Media of all kinds.
Facebook. Orkut. Twitter. Skype. Each one of these pulls his
imagination into multiple directions with totally random inputs
emanating from who-knows-where-next. Chat. SMS. Video.
Talk. He keeps inputting his data and wisdom (whatever) into
the media, and shares it with the world. The world is doing the
same with him. There are no boundaries. There is nothing
linear. And I have not even started talking about Video Games so
far! When he opens the games sites, a whole new world of mindbody
challenge is awaiting his daring escapades. (My friend
Vishal Gondal (God-in-chief, IndiaGames) will be happy to
learn that I am a big votary of using video-games as part of
regular learning processes. I am, in fact, about to implement
some parts of this philosophy, starting with a daylong videogaming
competition, designed to bring out the best of mindbody
coordination, strategic planning and operations skills, in
my students.)
And then this school-kid of ours goes to bed, wakes up,
and re-enters his linear world of modern schooling! Ahhh.
But strangely, the extremely rigid structure of Education
System version 2.0 refused to change. Call it inertia or the
reputation of the solidified (ossified) universities around the
world, the methods and processes which were used to teach and
learn more or less have remained the same, the world over. Even
where technology seems to have entered the classroom, nothing
much has changed. At least, the teachers’ mindsets have not.
But the final nail in the coffin of version 2.0 will soon be
struck. And I personally feel that “the irrepressible rise of online
Social Media” will do that.
PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 33

{Don’t underestimate the power of social media. They are
not just play tools. They are powerful catalysts of change. Social
change. Any professional who has worked with/on/for software
in his official work environment knows how boring, unidimensional
and gray they can look and feel. The world of online
social media (Wikis, Waves, Blogs, Diggs, StumbleUpons..) can
be totally different. Colourful. Stable. Unrestricted. Multidimensional.
High-performance. I personally feel some of the
world’s best brains are designing these ‘sites’ and the
technology being used is so user-friendly (it has to be, else how
will 300 million users work on it regularly with so few glitches!) it
makes one salivate. So when I talk of OSM, I refer to the whole
suite of technologies that are being built to address every
conceivable niche of our communication and learning needs. }
OK! I know you don’t quite agree. You feel this is not
representative of all kids. Agreed! But for how long will we be
able to hold onto that argument? Another year? Three years?
Even in developing world countries, the inevitable rise of living
standards, 3G, internet penetration and computer hardware
(inside homes) will mean every kid has access to all this. And as
NIIT’s path-breaking “hole-in-the-wall” experiment with
disadvantaged kids has proven, it will take an amazingly short
period of time for students of young age to master these new
technologies. At least, the operational part of it, if not the design
and programming part. And they do it best when left
unsupervised!
And what will happen then?
Will this total disparity between a formal linear learning
world (school) and an unrestricted multi-dimensional 360
degrees not create big questions?
I was lucky to have been pulled into the online world around
June 2008 through a rather inspirational invite to join LinkedIn
from my roommate of IIT-Delhi days (who heads McKinsey KC
ops in India). Ever since, I have spent quality time online,
discovering the seemingly limitless possibilities OSM offers.
While I do not recommend we tear down the version 2.0
totally, I do suggest we take a hard look at what components are
useful for the next decades, and discard the rest.
A cursory glance at the prism of OSM in the image above will
convince you of the possibilities of new-generational learning /
collaboration / working that I refer to. So, let’s move to the
questions now!
What will (should) classrooms of the future look like?
How can we leverage the power of OSM in learning
experiences?
How can we integrate formal teaching with audiovisual-sensory-etc.
media?
What should be the role of teachers in these classrooms
of the future?
What should students’ approach be, in these learning
environments of the future?
What should learning processes be designed to achieve
in the world of the future?
What kind of a world are we (should we be) preparing
everyone for?
What skills will effective teachers of the future need?
How soon can a smooth transition from version 2.0 to
3.0 be made?
Remember, the physical world of the future is far more
integrated and seamless than we can visualise. In that kind of a
world, what kind of skills will make people successful?
Linear? Or 360 degrees?
Welcome to the brave new world of Education System
version 3.0.
Shall I end without playing the devil’s advocate? Not at all. I
wonder, when all this technology stuff will fill our daily world,
our homes, our classrooms (whatever shape they would’ve taken
by then), our mobilesets and what not.. how will our kids learn
most basic human values - empathy, teamwork, compassion,
truthfulness, ethics, professionalism?
34 PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

The Making of Indian Republic
The Constitution of
India reflects the
supreme spirit of
law in India. It lays down the
framework defining
fundamental political
principles, establishes the
structure, procedures,
powers, and duties of
government institutions, and
sets out fundamental rights,
directive principles, and the
duties of citizens.
The task of framing the
Constitution Assembly was
performed under the Cabinet
Mission Plan of 1946. The
inaugural meeting of the
Constituent Assembly was held
on December 9, 1946. Dr
Sachidananda Sinha was elected
provisional Chairman of the
Dr. Rajendra Prasad
Constituent Assembly. On
December 11, 1946, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as
permanent Chairman of the Constituent Assembly.
The Constitution of India was enacted, signed and adopted
by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. On January
26, 1950, the Constitution of India came into force on Republic
Day. Our constitution makes detailed provisions for the
following:
Citizenship
Fundamental Rights
Directive Principles of State Policy
Structure of the Government
Parliament and State Legislatures
Supreme Court and High Court
Relationship between the Union and the States
Services
Official Languages and various other matters of basic
importance
SALIENT FEATURES OF CONSTITUTION
1. It is the longest written constitution in the world.
2. It consists of 22 Chapters, over 395 Articles and 12
Schedules.
3. It proclaims India as a Sovereign Democratic Republic.
4. Fundamental Rights are guaranteed to all citizens of
India.
5. Directive Principles of State Policy are incorporated.
6. It established the parliamentary system of
government, i.e., the President of the Union is the
constitutional head; the Council of Ministers or the
Union Cabinet is the real executive and is responsible
to the Lok Sabha.
7. It is federal in form (in normal times) but unitary in
spirit (in emergencies).
8. It is neither too rigid (as some provisions can be
amended by a simple majority) nor flexible (as some
provisions require special majority for amendment).
9. It declares India a secular state.
10. It guarantees single citizenship to all citizens.
11. It introduced adult franchise, i.e., every adult above 18
years has the right to vote and the system of joint
electorates.
12. It established an independent judiciary; the Supreme
Court acts as a guardian of the Constitution in place of
the Privy Council.
THE PREAMBLE
The draft of the Preamble was
prepared by Jawaharlal Nehru and is
based on the American model. The
42nd Amendment added the words
“Secular and Socialist” and now the
preamble reads as follows.
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 35

“We the people of India, having solemnly
resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign
Socialist Secular Democratic Republic and to
secure to all its citizens
4. Right against Exploitation – The
right against exploitation prohibits
all forms of forced labour, child
labour and traffic in human beings.
Justice, social, economic, and political
Liberty, of thought, expression, belief,
faith and worship
Equality, of status and of opportunity;
and to promote among them all;
Fraternity, assuring the dignity of the
individual and the unity and integrity of the
nation
In our Constitution Assembly, this twenty
sixth day of November, 1949, do hereby adopt,
enact and give to ourselves this constitution”
CITIZENSHIP
The Constitution of India provides for a single citizenship
for the whole of India. Every person who was at the
commencement of the Constitution (26 January 1950)
domiciled in the territory of India and: (a) who was born in India:
or (b) either of whose parents was born in India; or © who has
been ordinarily resident in India for not less than five years is a
citizen of India The Citizenship Act, 1955, deals with matters
relating to acquisition, determination and termination of Indian
citizenship after the commencement of the Constitution
5. Right to Freedom of Religion –
The right to freedom of religion
contains religious freedom to all.
All persons are entitled to freedom
of conscience and the right to
profess, practice and propagate
religion freely.
6. Cultural and Educational Rights
- It includes right of any section of
the citizens to conserve their
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
culture, language or script and
right of minorities to establish and administer
educational institutions of their choice.
7. Right to Constitutional Remedies – This right
guarantees the right to constitutional remedies to the
citizens for enforcement of their Fundamental
Rights.
Note: The right to property was also one of the fundamental
rights, according to the original constitutions. This right was
omitted by the 44th Amendment Act in December, 1978. It is
now only a legal right.
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
1. Right to Equality – The right to equality includes
equality before law, prohibition of discrimination on
grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth
and equality of opportunity in matters of employment
and abolition of untouchability.
2. Right to Freedom – The right to freedom includes
freedom of speech and expression; right to assemble
peacefully and without arms, formation, association or
union; free movement throughout the territory of
India; residence and the right to practice any
profession or occupation; control and disposal of
property.
3 Right to Compulsory and free Education – The
right to compulsory and free education for all the
children of 6 to 14 years age. It is the fundamental duty
of parents and guardians to provide opportunities for
education to their children in the 6 to 14 age group.
FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES
Duties of a citizen of India were not included in the original
constitution. These have been added by the 42nd Amendment
in 1976. There are following Fundamental Duties :
To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and
Institutions, the National Flag and the National
Anthem
To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired
our national struggle for freedom
To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and
integrity of India
To defend the country and render national service
when called upon to do so
To promote harmony and the spirit of common
brotherhood amongst all the people of India
transcending religious, linguistic and regional
diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the
dignity of women
36 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

To value and preserve the rich heritage of our
composite culture
To protect and improve the natural environment
including forest, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have
compassion for living creatures
To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the
spirit of inquiry and reform
To safeguard public property and to abjure violence;
and
To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual
and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises
to higher level of endeavour and achievement
To provide opportunities for education to children in
the 6-14 age group
DIRECTIVE PRINCIPLES OF STATE POLICY
To secure the right of all men and women to an
adequate means of livelihood
To ensure equal pay for equal work
To make effective provision for securing the right to
work, education and to public assistance in the event of
unemployment, old age, sickness and disablement
To secure to workers a living wage, humane conditions
of work, a decent standard of life, etc.
To ensure that the operation of the economic system
does not result in the concentration of wealth
To provide opportunities and facilities for children to
develop in a healthy manner
To provide free and compulsory education for all
children up to 14 years of age
To promote educational and economic interests of
scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and other weaker
sections
To organize village panchayats
To separate judiciary from the executive
To promulgate a uniform civil code for the whole
country
To protect national monuments
To promote justice on a basis of equal opportunity
To provide free legal aid
To protect and improve environment and forests and
wildlife
To promote international peace and security
To promulgate a uniform civil code for the whole
country
To settle international disputes by arbitration
GOVERNMENT AT UNION LEVEL
The Union executive consists of the President, the Vice
President and the Council of Ministers with Prime Minister at
the head to aid and advise the President.
THE PRESIDENT
The President must:
1. Be a citizen of India
2. Be qualified for election as a member of the House of
the People (Lok Sabha)
3. Have completed the age of 35 years
4. Not hold any office of profit under the Government of
India, or the Government of State, under any local
authority.
Method of Election – The president is indirectly elected by
a body of electors forming the Electoral College which includes
the elected members of both houses of Parliament as well as the
elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of the states.
His term of office is five years and he is eligible for reelection.
Name
Tenure
Dr. Rajendra Prasad Jan 26, 1950 - May 13, 1962
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan May 13, 1962 - May 13, 1967
Dr. Zakir Hussian May 13, 1967 - May 3, 1969
V. V. Giri May 3, 1969 - July 20, 1969
M. Hidayatullah July 20, 1969 - August 24, 1969
V. V. Giri August 24, 1969 - August 24, 1974
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed August 24, 1974 - February 11, 1977
B.D. Jatti February 11, 1977 - July 2, 1977
Neelam Sanjiva Reddy July 25, 1977 - July 25, 1982
Giani Zail Singh July 2, 1982 - July 2, 1987
R. Venkataraman July 25, 1987 - July 25, 1992
Dr. S.D. Sharma July 25, 1992 - July 25, 1997
K. R. Narayanan July 25, 1997 - 25 July 2002
Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam July 25, 2002 - July 25 2007
Mrs. Pratibha Patil July 25 2007 - till date
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 37

POWERS OF THE PRESIDENT
1. Executive Powers – The President appoints the
Prime Minister, the Governors, diplomats, Judges of
the Supreme Court and of the High Courts, the
Chairman and members of the Union Public Service
Commission, Chief Commissioners of Union
Territories, the Attorney General of India, the
Comptroller and Auditor General of India, the
members of Finance Commission and Election
Commission. He is the Supreme Commander of
defence forces.
2. Legislative Powers – The President summons,
prorogues, addresses, sends messages to Parliament
and dissolves the Lok Sabha; promulgates ordinance at
any time, except when both Houses of Parliament are
in session, recommendations for introducing financial
and money bills and gives assent to bills, grants
pardons; reprieves, respites or remission of
punishment or suspends, remits or commutes
sentences in certain cases. When there is a failure of
the constitutional machinery in a State, he can assume
to himself all or any of the functions of the government
of the State.
3. Emergency Powers – If President is satisfied that the
security of the country is in danger because of any
reason, he may issue a proclamation of emergency
4. Financial Powers – No money bill or demand for
grant can be introduced or moved in Parliament,
unless it has been recommended by the President
5. Judicial Powers – He has the power to grant pardon,
reprieve or remit of punishment or commute death
sentences.
VICE PRESIDENT
The Vice President is elected by members of an electoral
college consisting of members of both Houses of Parliament in
accordance with the system of proportional representation by
means of single transferable vote. He must be a citizen of India,
not less than 35 years of age and eligible for election as a member
of the Rajya Sabha. His term of office is five years and he is
eligible for re-election.
The Vice President is ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
and acts as President when the latter is unable to discharge his
functions due to absence, illness or any other cause or till the
election of a new President. While so acting, he ceases to
perform the function of the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Name
Tenure
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan 1952-62
Dr. Zakir Hussain 1962-67
V.V. Giri 1967-69
G.S. Pathak 1969-74
B.D. Jatti 1974-79
Mohd. Hidayatullah 1979-84
R. Venkataraman 1984-87
Dr. S.D. Sharma 1987-92
K.R. Narayanan 1992-1997
Krishnan Kant 1997-2002
Bhairon Singh Shekhawat 2002-2007
M. Hamid Ansari 2007-till date
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
The Council of Ministers is headed by the Prime Minister to
aid and advise the President in exercise of his functions. He is
the leader of the party that enjoys a majority in the Lok Sabha.
The Prime Minister is appointed by the President who also
appoints other Ministers on the advice of Prime Minister.
The Council is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha. It
is the duty of the Prime Minister to communicate to the
President all decisions of Council of Ministers and information
relating to them.
The Council of Ministers comprises Ministers who are
members of Cabinet, Ministers of State (independent charge),
Ministers of State and Deputy Ministers.
Name
Tenure
Jawaharlal Nehru August 15, 1947 - May 27, 1964
Gulzari Lal (Acting) January 11, 1966 - January 24, 1966
Lal Bahadur Shastri June 9, 1964 - January 11, 1966
Indira Gandhi January 24, 1966 - March 24, 1977
Morarji Desai March 24, 1977 - July 28, 1979
Charan Singh July 28, 1979 - January 14, 1980
Indira Gandhi January 14, 1980 - October 31, 1984
Rajiv Gandhi October 31, 1984 - December 1, 1989
V.P. Singh December 2, 1989 - November 10, 1990
Chandra Shekhar November 10, 1990 - June 21, 1991
P.V. Narasimha Rao June 21, 1991 - May 16, 1996
A.B. Vajpayee May 16 - June 01, 1996
H.D. Deve Gowda June 1, 1996 - April 21, 1997
I.K. Gujral April 21, 1997 - March 18, 1998
Atal Bihari Vajpayee March 19, 1998 - October 13, 1999
Atal Bihari Vajpayee Oct. 13, 1999 - May 22, 2004
Dr. Manmohan Singh May 22, 2004 - till date
38 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

PARLIAMENT LEGISLATURE
In India, the
central legislature is
called Parliament. It
consists of two
houses known as the
Council of States
(Rajya Sabha) and
the House of the
People (Lok Sabha).
The President is an
integral part of Parliament
Rajya Sabha – A person can be elected to the Rajya Sabha if
he possesses the following qualifications:
He is a citizen of India
He has completed 30 years of age
He possesses qualifications prescribed by the
Parliament
It is a permanent body, one third of its members retiring after
every two years. Its maximum strength is 250 members. Out of
these, 12 members are nominated by the President from among
well-known personalities in the realm of Literature, Science, Art
and Social Service. Rest of the 238 representatives of the States
and Union Territories are elected.
The representatives of each State are elected by members of
the State Legislative Assemblies.
Lok Sabha – A person desirous of seeking election to the
Lok Sabha must possess the following qualifications:
Must be a citizen of India
Must be at least 25 years of age
Must possess such other qualifications as may be
prescribed by Parliament
Must not hold any office of profit under the Union or
State Governments
Must not be a person with unsound mind or an undischarged
insolvent
Must make and subscribe before some person
authorized in that behalf by the Election Commission
an oath of affirmation asserting his allegiance to the
constitution of India and undertake to uphold the
sovereignty and integrity of India.
The maximum strength of Lok Sabha is 552 members. 530
members are directly elected from 28 states and 20 from seven
Union Territories. Besides this, two members are nominated by
the President to represent the Anglo-Indian community, if that
community is not adequately represented in the House.
Functions and Powers of Parliament – Parliament of India
has the cardinal functions of legislation, overseeing of
administration, passing of budget, ventilation of public
grievances and discussing various subjects like development
plans, international relations and national policies. The
distribution of powers between the Union and the States,
followed in the Constitution, emphasizes in many ways the
general predominance of the Parliament in the legislative field.
Parliament can, under certain circumstances, assume legislative
power with respect to a subject falling within the sphere
exclusively reserved for the States.
All legislation requires consent of both the Houses of
Parliament. In the case of money bills, however, the will of the
Lok Sabha prevails.
SUPREME COURT
The Supreme
Court is the Apex
Court in India and
functions from New
Delhi. It consists of a
Chief Justice and 25
other judges. The
Chief Justice and
other judges are appointed by the President. However, in the
selection of the other judges of the Supreme Court, the
President does consult the Chief Justice. Judges of the Supreme
Court can hold office up to the age of 65 years.
The Supreme Court of India has original jurisdiction in any
dispute arising; (a) between the Government of India and one or
more states; or (b) between the Government of India and any
State or States on the other, or (c)
between two or more States.
An appeal shall be to the
Supreme Court from any
judgments, decree or final order of
a high court in the territory of
India, whether in a civil criminal or
other proceedings.
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 39

ATTORNEY GENERAL
The Attorney General for India is appointed by the President
and holds office during the pleasure of the President. He must
be a person qualified to be appointed as a judge of the Supreme
Court. The duty of Attorney General is to give advice to the
Government of India upon such legal matters and to perform
such other duties of a legal character, as may be referred or
assigned to him by the President, and to discharge the functions
conferred on him by or under the Constitution or any other law.
He also has right to take part in the proceedings of Parliament.
COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL
Comptroller and Auditor General is appointed by the
president. Procedure and grounds for his removal from office
are the same as for a Supreme Court Judge. He is not eligible for
further office under the Union or a State Government after he
ceases to hold his office. His main work is to submit the reports
on accounts of the Union and States to the President and
respective governors, which are placed before Parliament and
state legislatures.
GOVERNMENT AT STATE LEVEL
The State Executive consists of Governor and Council of
Ministers with Chief Minster as its head.
GOVERNOR
The Governor is the executive head of the State and all
executive authority of the State is vested in him. A Governor
must be (i) citizen of India; (ii) completed the age of 35 years;
(iii) not be a member of either House of Parliament or the state
legislature; (iv) possess the qualifications prescribed for
membership of the state legislature, and (v) not hold any office
of profit. He is appointed by the President for a term of 5 years.
STATE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
The State Council of Ministers is headed by the Chief
Minister. The Chief Minister is the leader of the party that
commands a majority in the Legislative Assembly and appointed
by the Governor of the council state for a term of 5 years. The
Chief Minister is the main link between the Governor and the
state cabinet and leader of the House. Ministers of his cabinet
are appointed and removed on his recommendations. He
convenes and presides over cabinet meetings and exercises
general supervision and control over all the ministers and
coordinates their working. If the Chief Minister resigns, the
entire Council of Ministers is deemed to have resigned.
STATE LEGISLATURE
For every state, there is a legislature which consists of
Governor and one or two houses, as the case may be. If the state
has only one house, it is known as Legislative Assembly (Vidhan
Sabha) and the other is known as Legislative Council (Vidhan
Parishad)
STATE JUDICIARY : HIGH COURT
High Court stands at the
head of the state’s judicial
administration. There are 21
High Courts in the country,
three having jurisdiction over
more than one state. A High
Court consists of a Chief
Justice and other judges. Every
judge of a High Court is
appointed by the President.
The Chief Justice is appointed by the Chief Justice of India and
Governor. A judge retires at the age of 62 years.
IMPORTANT AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
Constitution has been amended 93 times –
First Amendment (1950): The main issues were the
scope of the fundamental right of freedom of speech,
acquisition of Zamindari (land) of intermediaries,
conflict between a citizen’s fundamental right to
practice any profession, or to carry on any business or
trade (Article 19) and state monopoly of any trade, and
so on.
Second Amendment (1952): It was provided that the
maximum number of elected members to the Lok
Sabha should not exceed 500.
Eighth Amendment (1960): The Act extended the
period of reservation of seats in Lok Sabha and State
Legislatures for the Anglo-Indians, the Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes by another 10 years.
Ninth Amendment (1960): It provided for the
transfer of certain territories of India to Pakistan under
an agreement between India and Pakistan as a part of a
comprehensive settlement of border disputes between
the two countries.
40 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

Twelfth Amendment (1962): To add Union
Territories of Goa, Daman and Diu to the Union of
India and for this First Schedule of the Constitution
was amended.
Thirteenth Amendment (1962) : The Act provides
the creation of Nagaland as the Sixteenth State of the
Union.
Fifteenth Amendment (1963): Raised the retirement
age of High Court Judge from 60 to 62 years.
Eighteenth Amendment (1966): The reorganization
of the former State of Punjab and the Union Territory
of Himachal Pradesh.
Twenty first Amendment (1967): It amended the
Eighth Schedule to the Constitution by including
‘Sindhi’ therein.
Twenty second Amendment (1969) : To set up the
State of Meghalaya within the State of Assam.
Thirty first Amendment (1973): By this amendment,
the strength of the Lok Sabha was increased from 525
to 545 members.
Thirty sixth Amendment (1975): To confer full
fledged statehood on Sikkim.
Forty second amendment (1976): The Act inter-alia
gave preponderance to the Directive Principles of State
Policy over the Fundamental Rights, established the
supremacy of Parliament and curtailed the powers of
Judiciary.
Forth fourth Amendment (1978): It reduced the life
of Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies again to
five years and thus restored the status quo ante. It
cancelled 39th amendment which had deprived the
Supreme Court of its jurisdiction to decide disputes
concerning election of the President and the Vice
President. Article 257A was omitted. Right to property
was taken out from the list of Fundamental Rights and
was declared a legal right.
Fifty third amendment (1986): It elevated the Union
Territory of Mizoram to the status of a state.
Fifty fifth Amendment (1986): The Union territory
of Arunachal Pradesh was elevated to the status of a
State.
Fifty seventh Amendment (1987): Goa lifted from
the status of Union Territory to that of the 25th State of
the Union of India.
Fifty eighth Amendment (1987): The Amendment
Act provided for the reservation of seats for tribals in
the Legislative Assemblies of Arunachal Pradesh,
Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland.
Sixty first Amendment (1989): It reduced the voting
age from 21 years to 18 years for the Lok Sabha and
Assembly elections.
Sixty ninth Amendment (1991): The Amendment
Act sought grant of statehood to Delhi as ‘National
Capital Territory of Delhi.”
Seventy first Amendment (1992): The amendment
facilitated for the inclusion of Nepali, Manipuri and
Konkani in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.
Seventy third Amendment (1993): The Panchayati
Raj Institution got constitutional legitimacy.
Seventy fourth Amendment (1993): The Act
provided for Municipal and Municipal Corporation,
reservation of seats for SCs and STs in proportion to
their population and one-third reservation of seats for
women.
Seventy sixth Amendment (1994): The reservation
quota of government jobs and seats for admission in
the educational institutions in favour of socially and
educationally backward classes to 69 percent in Tamil
Nadu was covered under this amendment.
Seventy Seventh Amendment (1995): Empowered
the State to make any provisions for reservation in
promotions in government jobs in favour of SCs and
STs, if it was of opinion that they were inadequately
represented in the services under the State.
Seventy eighth Amendment (1995): This
amendment amended the Ninth schedule of the
Constitution and inserted 27 Land Reform Act of
various States in the Ninth Schedule.
Seventy ninth Amendment (1999): By this Act, the
Government extended the reservations of seats for the
Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes as well as
for the Anglo-Indians in the house of the People and in
the Legislative Assemblies of the States for another ten
years.
Eighty first Amendment (2000): The unfilled
vacancies of a year which were reserved for the SCs and
the STs for being filled up in the year in accordance
with any provision for reservations made under Article
16 of the Constitution, were considered as a separate
class of vacancies to be filled up in any succeeding year
or years.
Eighty second Amendment (2000):
The members
of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes for
relaxation in qualifying marks in any examination or
lowering the standards of evaluation for reservation in
matters of promotion to any class or classes of services
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 41

or posts in connection with affairs of the Union or of a
State were covered under this amendment.
Eighty third Amendment (2000): The Act amended
Article 243M of the Constitution to provide that no
reservation in. Panchayats need be in favour of the
scheduled Castes in Arunachal Pradesh wholly
inhabited by tribal population.
Eighty fourth Amendment (2001) : The Act
amended provisos to article 82 and 170 (3) of the
Constitution to readjust and rationalize the territorial
constituencies in the states, without altering the
number of seats allotted to each state in House of
people and Legislative Assemblies of the states,
including the scheduled castes and scheduled Tribes
Constituencies.
Eighty fifth Amendment (2001): To provide
consequential seniority in the case of promotion by
virtue of rule of reservation for the Government
servants belonging to the Scheduled Castes and the
Scheduled Tribes.
Eighty sixth Amendment (2002): Compulsory and
free education is the fundamental right for all the
children of 6 to 14 years age.
Eighty seventh Amendment (2003): The 2001
Census was the basis for demarcation of
constituencies of the Lok Sabha and State Legislative
Assemblies.
Eighty ninth Amendment (2003): It provided for
constitution of a national commission for the
Scheduled Tribes. (Earlier, there was a combined
national commission for both SC/STs).
Ninetieth Amendment (2003): It provided that the
representation of the Scheduled Tribe in the
constituencies included in the Bodoland Territorial
Areas District (BTAD) as existing prior to the
constitution of BTAD would be maintained for the
purpose of elections to Legislative Assembly of the
state of Assam.
Ninety first Amendment (2003) : To amend the Anti
defection Law as contained in the Tenth Schedule to
the constitution and to provide that the seizure of the
Council of Ministers should not be more than 10% of
the strength of House or Houses concerned
Ninety second Amendment (2003): Inclusion of
Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali in the Eighth
Schedule to the Constitution.
Ninety third Amendment (2005): Providing
reservation for the socially and educationally backward
classes, besides the Schedule Castes and the
Scheduled Tribes, in private unaided educational
institutions.
IMPORTANT NATIONAL COMMISSIONS
Union Public
Service Commission:
The Constitution
provided for an
independent body
known as Union Public
Service Commission
(UPSC) for recruitment
to Group ‘A’ and Group
‘B’ civil posts under
Central Government.
The Chairman and members of the Commission are appointed
by the President.
Election Commission: The
Election Commission is a constitutional
authority set up in pursuance of Article
324 (1) of the constitution. The plenary
powers and superintendence, direction
and control of the preparation of electoral
rolls and the conduct of elections vested in
the Election Commission.
Finance Commission: Under Article 280 of constitution, a
Finance Commission is to be constituted every fifth year to
make recommendations to President as to the distribution
between the Union and the States of the net proceeds of taxes, as
enumerated in the constitutions.
Planning Commission: The
Planning Commission was set up in
1950 by Cabinet Resolution. The
Prime Minister is its ex officio
Chairman.
The three main objectives of planning commission are
1. Raising the living standard of people.
2. Reduction of economic and social inequalities.
3. Balanced regional development.
Staff Selection Commission: It was set up
on July 1, 1976. It was entrusted with the work of
making recruitment to all Group ‘B’ and ‘C’
posts in the various Ministries/Departments of
the Government of India.
42 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

University Grants
Commission: It was
established in 1956 by an
Act of Parliament to take,
in consultation with
Universities or other
bodies concerned, all such steps as it may think fit for the
promotion and coordination of University education and for the
determination and maintenance of standards of teaching,
examination and research universities.
National Commission on Labor: The commission
constituted six study groups relating to review of laws,
rural/informal sector employment/umbrella legislature,
globalization and its impact; social security women and child
labour and skill-development training and workers education.
National Commission for
Women: It was constituted as an
autonomous body on Jan. 31,
1992. The main task of the
Commission is to study and
monitor all matters relating to
the constitutional and legal
safeguards provided for women
and to provide support legal or
otherwise to helpless and needy
women.
Central Water Commission: It is responsible for
initiating, coordination and furthering, in consultation with the
State Governments concerned, schemes for the control,
conservation and utilization of water resources for the purpose
of flood management, irrigation, navigation and water power
generation throughout the country.
Central Information Commission: The Government of
India constituted the Central Information Commission (CIC)
under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, which came into force
on 12 October, 2005. The Act is for giving legal rights to people
to seek information from the Government and curb corruption.
The Act is aimed at bringing about transparency and
accountability in the working of public authorities.
National Commission for Scheduled Castes: The main
functions of the Commission are to investigate and monitor all
matters relating to the safeguards provided for the SCs under
and to evaluate the working of such safe guards; to enquire into
specific complaints with respect to the deprivation of rights and
safe guards of the SCs.
National Commission for Scheduled Tribes: The main
functions of the Commission are to investigate and monitor all
matters relating to the safeguards provided for the Scheduled
Tribes Government and to evaluate the working of such
safeguards.
Although, need for Constitutional review has always been a
topic of raging debate across the country. The founding fathers
of the Indian constitution who granted more rights to the people
without balancing them with their duties, perhaps did not
foresee the emergence of present political environment,
wherein the political players of various segments in the country
are more interested in fulfilling their individual aspirations than
the aspirations of the people.
In some respects, the constitution, impressive though it is,
has failed to translate noble principles into tangible, practical
instruments. This glaring inadequacy is seen in dispensation of
justice, protection of basic liberties, enforcement of
bureaucratic accountability and appointments and
accountability of constitutional functionaries. The Constitution
of India, despite its evocative Preamble and lofty Directive
Principles of State Policy, has essentially depended upon the old
Government of India Act of 1935, with a sprinkling of other ideas
borrowed from the Irish, Australian and other constitutions.
That is not surprising, considering that the Constituent
Assembly which drafted and adopted the Constitution was, in
the words of Granville Austin, “a one-party body in an essentially
one-party country. The Assembly was the Congress and the
Congress was India”.
Post independence, despite innumerable deterrents like
social parochialism, women subjugation, communalism,
terrorism etc., Indian constitution has been a robust holding
force for sustaining Indian democracy for the last 65 years and
thus strongly refuting Sir Winston Churchill’s prophecy of India
crumbling in to 50 pieces soon upon attaining Independence.
Despite the raging debate going on in the country with
regard to the efficacy of the Indian constitution , in the context to
suit political expediency, Indian democracy is on a firm footing
and would be stable as compared to near anarchic conditions in
neighbouring countries. Indian citizens have shown
phenomenal maturity ,tremendous patience and profound faith
in the edifice of Indian constitution. This is surely encouraging
and a cause for optimism.
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 43

PT Panorama
Phobias - Part III
samhainophobia: the fear of Halloween teleophobia: definite plans
sarmassophobia: the fear of love play telephonophobia: telephones
satanophobia: the fear of Satan telosphobia: being last
scabiophobia: scabies teratophobia: bearing a deformed child
scelerophibia: bad men, burglars testophobia: taking tests
schlionophobia: school tetanophobia: lockjaw, tetanus
sciophobia: shadows teutophobia: German or German things
scoleciphobia: worms textophobia: certain fabrics
scolionophobia: school thaasophobia: sitting
scopophobia: being stared at thalassophobia: the ocean
scotomaphobia: blindness in visual field thanatophobia: death or dying
scotophobia: darkness theatrophobia: theatres
scriptophobia: writing in public theologicophobia: theology
selaphobia: light flashes theophobia: god(s) or religion
selenophobia: the moon thermophobia: heat
seplophobia: decaying matter tocophobia: childbirth
sesquipedalophobia: long words tomophobia: surgical operations
sexophobia: the opposite sex tonitrophobia: thunder
siderodromophobia: trains topophobia: performing (stage fright)
siderophobia: stars toxiphobia: poison
sinistrophobia: left-handedness traumatophobia: injury
sinophobia: Chinese, Chinese culture tremophobia: trembling
sitophobia: food or eating trichinophobia: trichinosis
snakephobia: snakes (ophidiophobia) trichopathophobia: hair
soceraphobia: parents-in-law triskaidekaphobia: the number 13
social phobia: being evaluated negatively tropophobia: moving or making changes
sociophobia: society trypanophobia: injections
somniphobia: sleep tuberculophobia: tuberculosis
sophophobia: learning tyrannophobia: tyrants
soteriophobia: dependence on others uranophobia: heaven
spacephobia: outer space urophobia: urine or urinating
44 PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

spectrophobia: specters or ghosts vaccinophobia: vaccination
spermophobia: germs venustraphobia: beautiful women
sphexsophobia: wasps verbophobia: words
stasibasiphobia: standing or walking verminophobia: germs
staurophobia: crosses or the crucifix vestiphobia: clothing
stenophobia: narrow things or places virginitiphobia: rape
stygiophobia: hell vitricophobia: step-fathers
suriphobia: mice Walloonphobia: the Walloons
symbolophobia: symbolism wiccaphobia: witches and witchcraft
symmetrophobia: symmetry xanthophobia: the color yellow
syngenesophobia: relatives xenophobia: strangers
syphilophobia: syphilis xerophobia: dryness
tachophobia: speed xylophobia: forests
taeniophobia or teniophobia: tapeworms zelophobia: jealousy
taphephobia: being buried alive zemmiphobia: the great mole rat
tapinophobia: being contagious zeusophobia: God or gods
taurophobia: bulls zoophobia: animals
technophobia: technology
Geographical Terms
Aphelion : The point at which a body in orbit
Iceberg : A large mass of ice, detached from a
around the sun is further away from it.
glacier and floating in the sea, is called an iceberg.
Asteroid : A limp of rock or metal in orbit around
Meteor : A particle from space which burns up
the sun.
by friction in the Earth's atmosphere.
Chromosphere : A shell of hot gas about
Mikyway : A hazy band of stars, gas and dust
1600-4800 km thick encircling the visible
across the night sky.
surface of the sun.
Ocean Currents : These are great circulatory
Comet : A body gas and dust traveling in an
movements of ocean either warm or cold and are
elongated orbit around the sun.
caused by (i) permanent winds, i.e., trade and
Cosmic Rays : Atomic particles from space which
westerly winds; and (ii) by difference in density of
travel close to the speed of light.
sea water.
Continental Shelf : A part of land which is submerged under Oceans : 71% of the total area of the earth is covered by water.
the sea and whose depth is not more than 600 ft.
In the ancient times, these oceans were regarded as great
Earthquake : It is shaking of earth's crust sometimes hindrance in the development of relations between different
accompanied by permanent elevations or depression, but often countries. But now these have become great highways for
no lasting effect is visible on the surface, except the damage transportation.
done by shaking.
Orbit : The path of the body in space around another.
Glacier : A vast accumulation of ice and snow, which moves Photosphere : The bright surface layer of gases on the sun.
slowly, till it melts and forms a river is called glacier.
Satellite : Natural salellites also called moons are small planets
Geyser : It is a fountain of hot water issuing from a hole which which revolve round the larger ones.
extends deep into earth's crust. The chief geysers of the world Tides : Tides are the alternate rise and fall of the sea water.
are found in Iceland, New Zealand and Yellow Stone National The tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and to
Park (USA).
be a lesser degree of the sun.
Gulf Stream : It is a warm ocean current, which flows along Volcano : It is large conical hillock having a funnel shaped
the eastern coast of North America and drifts towards the opening from which lava comes out. Cotapaxi is a loft active
western coast of Europe.
volcano in South America.
PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 45

Guestroom
Azadi does not mean
“Free For all”!
Lt. Col. P. Deogirikar (Retd.)
Anation 64 years old!!! Fortunately or unfortunately, we
cannot compare a 64-year-old nation with a 64-year-old
person! For a nation is made up of a cross section of
different age groups. From children to youth to middle-aged to
old ones. And it is the youth that I get privileged to address
whenever penning for this reputed magazine.
While writing this article on the roof of my house, on 15th of
August, listening to the stereotyped national songs from all
around, a thought bothers me. And it is - does this youth really
value this independence? Value of this ‘azadi’? What, from 1000
years of ‘gulami’ from different rulers? Significance they may
understand, yes, but value...I am not sure.
The word ‘independence’ has two meanings -
Freedom from control or influence of another or others
The state of being able to support oneself without help from
others
Let us take the first one only, the freedom - ‘azadi’.
But, why have I been using the third person tone? Why don’t I
address YOU directly? Yes, permit me. I am afraid you don’t
understand the value of this azadi! That you do not feel that this
bestows any responsibility on you. That it is, indeed, ‘free-forall’!
That is what I surmise from the behaviour of the youth I see
today. Of course, I would be glad to be proved wrong in my
assessment but, then, you have to prove me wrong! Here I go.
Netaji Bose had given us the famous slogan Tum mujhe
khoon do, main tumhe azadi dunga’!
I did not sacrifice for the freedom of this nation. you did not.
Our ancestors did. They would have understood its real value.
We would not as we never paid the price. But does it mean that
you, or the coming generations, should understand this value
only after undergoing another bout of gulami?
Fortunately, nobody is asking you to lay your life for
preserving this azadi or give your blood (as suggested by Netaji).
Neither is anyone asking you to contribute financially, nor even
do any ‘karsewa’ (physical work) towards it. All we expect from
you is that you should be a model citizen of this country. i.e. just
to follow the law of the land with diligence. That too, we are not
expecting you to be another ‘ordinary citizen’ like Nasiruddin
Shah of that hard-hitting Bollywood movie ‘A Wednesday’ where
he was getting rid of the terrorists from this country. We expect
you to be only a normal, proud law-abiding indian citizen, who
respects the law of the land. At least!
Are you?
I believe, regretfully, that most of you are not. To corroborate,
most of you could be seen in following ‘avtars’.
1. Just looking around on the square to decide to ignore
red light if there is no traffic police around. After all, it
is the job of the police to ensure that red light is not
breached, isn’t it?
2. Not using helmet. Logic is ‘helmet is cumbersome,
why use it?’ Again, is it not the job of the police job to
catch a person without helmet?
3. Opening the car door ajar, and ‘pichhh’! What a relief
when one throws what was being munched for a long
time!! Even if you have been indulging in such ‘reliefs’
regularly, you don’t have to feel guilty. Is it not the
responsibility of the municipal corporation to get the
roads cleaned? And how would they get the chance to
show their efficiency unless you dirty them?
4. Tossing out the cigarette packet (empty, of course!)
from the running vehicle. Logic is the same as point 3.
5. Being ‘smart American’ in case a railway gate is closed;
using the right hand side of the road to ensure early exit
while other fools are waiting on the left in a long line. If
there happens to be a great confusion and a traffic jam
when the gate opens, with everyone trying to exit early,
it is not your fault. Others should realize that you are a
smart guy and should get the preference over them!
46 PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

6. Driving a two-wheeler while talking on mobile is a
minor thing. You have indeed become an expert in that
skill. If others worry, it is their problem! They are poor
managers who have not heard about ‘multi-tasking’!
These were traffic issues. There are other aspects where the
youth today - You - may not be living up to expectations -
1 Not bothering about saving electricity, water and fuel
for future. After all, you have not taken a personal
contract to help posterity!
2 Getting addicted with vices. One looks smart smoking
in public places (another Rajnikant in the making!).
Some laws are just there because they have to be there!
Not to be followed. Or drinking to your heart’s content.
Surely, it is your money you are spending, why should
others object? And even if you would drive after drinks,
it would be very late in night. So there is no danger to
other citizens. In fact, it is you who is on a ‘suicide
mission’! Others have no right to object.
And I could go on.
Not being a good citizen is a sort of corruption to my mind.
Unless that ‘Main Hazare hun’ Gandhi topi can change that
heart of a person, there’s no use supporting him against
corruption. It is not the carrying of lighted candles that will
spread a better dawn, it is that light of knowledge of
responsibility, coupled with discipline and commitment for
changing from with in, that will do it!
So, do you value this freedom?
Important Boundary Lines
Durand Line : Between India and Afghanistan, demarcated by Sir Mortimer Durand in 1896, runs from Chitral to Sistan.
Hindenberg Line : The line to which the Germans retreated in 1917 during the First World War, defines the boundary between
Germany and Poland.
Maginot Line : Boundary between France and Germany.
McMahon Line : The boundary between India and China as demarcated by Sir Henry McMahon in 1914. China does not
recognize this line.
Mannerheim Line : Drawn by General Mannerheim; fortification on the Russia Finland border.
Order Niesse Line : Boundary between Germany and Poland.
Radcliff Line : Drawn by Sir Cyril Radcliff in 1947 as demarcation between
India and Pakistan.
Seigfrid Line :
France.
Line of fortification drawn by Germany on its border with
th
17 Parallel : The line which defined the boundary between North Vietnam
and South Vietnam before the two were united.
th
24 Parallel : The line which Pakistan claims should be the demarcation
between India and Pakistan.
th
38 Parallel : Boundary between North Korea and South Korea.
th
49 Parallel : Boundary between USA and Canada.
PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 47

Current Affairs
MUAMMAR GADDAFI, THE ‘KING OF KINGS’
DIES THE GORY DEATH IN HIS HOMETOWN
Libya live long!! Rebels celebrate Death of gaddafi………
Libya’s former leader was killed by rebels in Sirte, in the
wake of French air strike, although precise details of his death
remain unclear.
Even before the final fall of Sirte, the coastal city was a ghost
town. The question now is whether it can ever rise again.
Sirte was not like other Libyan towns. As the birthplace of
Muammar Gaddafi, it had money lavished on it, serving as a
monument and museum to his ideology.
For his acolytes, it was a good place to live. Ahmed Ibrahim, a
former education minister, had both a house and a
neighbouring collection of holiday villas within a walled
compound.
Mousa Ibrahim, his brother and Gaddafi’s spokesman, had
his own home too, as did others in the favoured inner circle.
Their villas in areas such as Hay Dollar and District Two were
situated on once pleasant tree-lined streets.
Their cars – looted during the city’s protracted fall – were
four-wheel drives, stretch limos, Mercedes and other luxury
models.
The largest houses were spacious, with pleasant gardens and
Jacuzzis in the bathrooms – reward for service to Gaddafi.
The biggest buildings were temples to the hodge-podge of
philosophy which Gaddafi propounded in his Green Book, from
the African-Arab unity slogans that plastered the vast
Ouagoudougou conference centre to the tented pavilions, where
delegates would discuss ideology.
By the end, the greenpainted
surface of Martyrs
Square – for all the world like a
vast tennis court – was littered
with empty shell casings, the
neighbouring monument
broken and shattered, the walls
daubed with graffiti.
Only the few strange deep
bunkers remained undamaged,
carpeted and pristine, beneath the city.
Even to the end, the loyalists attempted to keep his dream
alive. Sirte was the centre of a cult personality that existed there
more fiercely than anywhere else.
As district after district fell in the final fortnight and the city
was short on food and water and without electricity, there was
evidence that someone was still watering and tending some of
the gardens.
On discarded mobile phones, there were pictures of Gaddafi
and his sons and in the houses of those close to the regime.
There were snapshots of residents with Gaddafi himself, or with
his sons.
In one street, discarded, was a child’s painting of loyalists
chasing the “revolutionary rats” back into the sewers.
Sirte’s future survival will not depend on whether the new
government wants to rebuild the shattered city, but on whether
its former residents, both Libyans and African immigrants, want
– or are able – to return.
Immigrants from places such as Chad, Mali and Mauritania
and nomadic Tuaregs, who were recruited to service Gaddafi’s
town and occasionally to fight for him, fear that many in the anti-
Gaddafi forces never want the place to live in again.
48 PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

Those Libyans who once lived in Sirte, not simply the
recipients of Gaddafi’s largesse, now find themselves in a double
bind, unable to live in a place no longer functioning and also
excluded from the nearest centre, Misrata, which itself
underwent its own long siege.
Under new rules imposed by Misrata’s military council,
those who fled that city – some of them to Sirte – are only now
permitted to return if 10 neighbours vouch for them and their
behaviour during the war..
They seemed to have lived largely in the open among the
ruined buildings, heating their cans of food on a small fire.
Robino Films posted a video comparing 1080p video from
an iPhone 4S with that from Canon’s $2,400 EOS 5D Mark II,
the current SLR, to beat when it comes to shooting video.
The two cameras shoot the same scenes, mounted side by
side on a camera rig. Exposure was adjusted to be the same, and
the video was shot at 30 frames per second.
And when comparing, it should be remembered that the
Canon has a huge 36x24mm image sensor compared to the tiny
one, evidently built by Sony, in the iPhone 4S. Larger sensors can
handle a greater spread of light and dark brightness,
notwithstanding that Canon’s camera is three years old.
Threatened with extinction by the advance, they – like so
many – chose to flee.
1080P SHOOTOUT: IPHONE 4S VS. CANON 5D MARK II
The iPhone 4 already offered standout image quality for a
mobile phone, helping to further the general trend of using a
phone camera rather than a dedicated camera. And with everbetter
video, phone cameras can more replace video cameras,
too.
Apple clearly hopes to stay ahead of the curve with the
iPhone 4S: one of its selling points is a new 8-megapixel camera
sensor that can record high-definition video at full 1080p
resolution. It seems likely that it will outshoot most of its direct
competition in the mobile phone market, but it’s natural to
wonder how well it stacks up against a high-end camera, too.
Canon’s EOS 5D Mark II
(Source: Canon)
Robino Films offered this view in the comments: “This test
is really only to show that the 4S is coming close to the 5D but in
NO WAY is it better. The iPhone is a great 1080p pocket camera
and shows us where technology is heading. Give it two to three
years and we should see some interesting micro high
performance cameras.”
For mainstream consumers, the iPhone will win out over a
video SLR that’s geared and priced for very serious
photographers. But in cinema circles, tiny cameras cannot be
expected to take over.
Apple's iPhone 4S
(Source: Apple)
For one thing, their small sensors aren’t as good in low-light
conditions, and that’s a common circumstance for high-end
video. (Indeed, the low-light shooting abilities of the Canon 5D
Mark II can help cut the time and expense required for some
PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 49

sets’ lighting arrangements). For another thing, small sensors
don’t permit a shallow depth of field, something
cinematographers cherish when they want to focus attention on
one character but have the background blurred out.
BOMBAY HC ASKS SRK TO DEPOSIT
RS 1 CR BEFORE RELEASING RA.ONE
Patnaik had
sought a stay to the
film’s release until
he was given credit
for the concept of
the futuristic
superhero that
Shahrukh plays in
‘Ra.One’. He had
sought ten per cent
of the profits, in
case he was not given the credit. His lawyer, senior advocate Ravi
Kadam, had argued yesterday that the superhero character
resembled the one in Patnaik’s concept of 2006, in “attributes
and appearance”.”The super-villain of Patnaik’s script was
called ‘One’, which has been used by Shahrukh in the movie’s
title,” Kadam said. Shahrukh’s lawyer, senior advocate Virendra
Tulzapurkar, had said that his client’s script was completely
different. Also, “Patnaik cannot claim copyright, as he had
developed his concept with a team of experts he had engaged,”
Tulzapurkar argued. Distributor Eros Entertainment’s lawyer,
senior advocate Janak Dwarkadas, had said that Eros had
acquired world distribution rights at Rs 150 crore and started
transporting prints to theatres. “No stay should be granted at the
last moment”, he said. According to Patnaik, he had discussed
the concept with ‘Ra.One’s script-writer, Mushtaq Sheikh, in
2006.The judges, while adjourning the hearing for a later date,
however remarked that “prima facie there has been a copyright
violation.”
As per reviews, technically, the movie did touch international
standards but didn’t boast of an exceptional or unique storyline
to impress international junta. But it is an Indian film which
every Indian should be proud of. The film expects that every
record in the record book would be re-written.
INDIA VS ENGLAND
India held their nerves in a close finish to win the third oneday
international against England by 5 wickets and thereby take
an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series.
After putting up a healthy 298 on the board, England bowlers
failed to keep a lid on the scoring. And though the visitors came
back with some quick wickets towards the end of Indian innings,
MS Dhoni (35 not out) and Ravindra Jadeja (26 not out) had the
cool head to take India home in the last over.
Thumped in Hyderabad and thrashed in Delhi, the tourists
were a more convincing, cohesive unit this time around, but still
didn’t have enough in the tank to keep the series alive. Instead,
they must head into ODIs four and five with only face-saving
pride to play for.
Winning the toss and electing to bat, Jonathan Trott’s
superb, unbeaten 98 not out, Kevin Pietersen’s form-finding 64
and Samit Patel’s cavalier 70 not out collectively cranked through
a score of 298 for four.
Trott missed on a century by two runs as he remained not out
on 98, facing 116 balls and hitting nine boundaries. Patel played a
rapid innings of 70 not out off 44 balls, studded with seven
boundaries and two sixes. Kevin Pietersen and Trott’s 101-run
stand for the fourth wicket set England a good platform for a big
score.
Trott added 103 for the unbroken fifth wicket with Patel, who
hit two sixes and seven fours as England plundered 91 runs in
the last 10 overs.
Earlier skipper Cook, who fell for zero in the second match,
failed once again when he was trapped leg-before by Vinay for
three, in the fourth over.
Craig Kieswetter made amends for his low scores in the first
two matches by pounding two sixes and three boundaries in a
quick-fire 36 before he was bowled by part-timer Virat Kohli in
the 13th over.
Pietersen and Trott battered the Indian bowling till the 29th
over when the hosts ended the century partnership through a
contentious decision by umpire Sudhir Asnani.
Asnani, standing in an international match for the first time
since 1999, declared a stunned Pietersen leg-before even as the
tall batsman stretched forward to defend a ball from Ravindra
Jadeja.
England managed just 30 runs for the loss of Ravi Bopara’s
wicket – bowled by Praveen Kumar for 24 – in the batting powerplay
between the 36th and 40th overs.
Chasing a stiff target of 299, Ajinkya Rahane and company,
though, took it in their stride. The opener landed an ODI careerbest
91, while Gautam Gambhir continued his superb stretch of
50 PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

form with a measured 58. Parthiv Patel’s 38 and Virat Kohli’s 35
made up the numbers, leaving Mahendra Dhoni and Ravindra
Jadeja to seal the deal, with 35 not out and 26 not out respectively.
All but dead and buried at 190 for one in the wake of Gambhir
and Rahane’s 111-run alliance for the second wicket, a quick
brace from Steven Finn and Graeme Swann’s return to the
attack pulled England back into the contest.
Dhoni and sidekick Jadeja, however, held their nerve to cross
the line with four balls to spare on the back of a cool, calm and
collected 65-run stand at a rate of 8.47 to the over.
Craig Kieswetter had a day to forget. The wicketkeeper
dropped a sharp chance offered by Gambhir when the lefthander
was on 17, grassed a sitter when Kohli had four and
fluffed a near sure run-out when the match still hung in the
balance.
DIWALI 2011: CELEBRATING THE FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
Diwali, also known as
Deepavali, is celebrated in the
Hindu calendar months of
Ashwin and Kartika, and in the
western calendar, on Oct. 26,
2011.
Diwali is a joyful, festive
occasion for all who celebrate in
India and throughout the
Diaspora. For many in the Hindu
community, Diwali is also the beginning of a new year. A
common greeting is Shubh Diwali (Happy Diwali).
Sacred to Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, the celebration of Diwali
symbolizes the victory of good over evil, light over darkness and
knowledge over ignorance. In the Hindu tradition, Diwali
commemorates the return of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana
to their kingdom Ayodhya after defeating the demon king
Ravana. This story is recounted in the ancient Sanskrit epic,
Ramayana. In the Sikh tradition, Diwali, known as Bandi Chhor
Divas (‘prisoner release day’), is celebrated to mark the release
of the sixth Guru Hargobind from imprisonment by the
Mughals. Jains celebrate Diwali as the day when Lord Mahavira,
the leader who laid down the central tenets of Jainism, attained
enlightenment.
Also known as the festival of lights, in most parts of the world,
Diwali will be celebrated for one day on Oct 26, 2011 with people
cleaning and decorating their homes, visiting temples, lighting
lamps, conducting special prayers and gathering with family and
community.
In India, however, Diwali celebrations are spread over five
days. The first day is Dhanteras during which most Hindus buy
gold and other precious metals with the belief that it will invoke
prosperity. The second day is Naraka Chaturdashi and
according to legend, it was on this day that Lord Krishna
defeated the demon Narakasura. In many places, this day is also
known as Chhoti Diwali (‘small’ Diwali) when Hindus make
rangolis (colorful floor decorations made of rice or sand) and
buy clothes, sweets and other delicacies. This is the major day of
celebration in many parts of South India.
On the third day, Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and
prosperity, is worshipped. This is the major day of Diwali
celebrations in most parts of India, when many Hindus visit each
other’s homes, light diyas and set off firecrackers. The fourth
day is Govardhan Puja during which Hindus worship Lord
Krishna, pay special respect to cows and express appreciation
for nature and food. The fifth day is Bhaiduj when brothers and
sisters express their love and affection for each other!!
STEVE JOBS, NAWAB OF PATAUDI & JAGJIT SINGH-
THREE JEWELS LOST
STEVE JOBS: 1955-2011
Hundreds of admirers
across the UAE and the
Gulf paid tributes to
Steve Jobs. Some
twittered, some voiced
their grief on Facebook
and some came to the
Shelter to remember the
passing of an icon.
In the UAE, there was
an outpouring of love for
Steve, the Apple genius
who revolutionised the world of computers, mobile phones and
music devices.
Steve admirers showed up for a commemorative evening at
the Shelter in Dubai and paid their tributes to the brilliant
innovator, creative genius and master marketer.
PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 51

“Steve Jobs will be remembered as an icon and an inspiration
to many. For computer engineers, he represents the hacker
success story. For designers, he represents the ultimate in
flawless attention to detail,” Mary Ames told Khaleej Times.
“To entrepreneurs, he represents the dream: to start with a
spark of an idea, a shoestring budget, and watch that business
grow to achieve global renown. We will remember Steve Jobs,
and we will strive to accomplish with our own Text passions —
be them art, business, sports or family — what he has bought to
life for his,” she added.
“Steve Jobs may not be with us anymore, but his legacy will
live forever. He set the bar for successful launches and in the
process built a brand that was truly loved by billions. Thanks for
all the cool products Steve, and for changing the way we work,
play and look at life. You made this world a better place,” said
Andreas Keller.
Wrote R. Ramkumar, Vice-president Corporate Marketing,
Research and Communications, at Cognizant Technology
Solutions (Cognizant), on Facebook: “To me, Steve created
technology with a human touch. Whatever he created was an
emotional and an inspirational product. People who could not
buy Harley Davidsons and Ferraris bought T-Shirts with those
names painted. Steve actually made people buy iPods and iPads.
He truly democratised technology and humanised it.”
Tributes to perhaps the world’s greatest entrepreneur
poured in from a cross section of Apple admirers from across the
UAE and the GCC.
“I think that Steve Jobs’ passing is a great loss to technology.
He was a visionary that contributed to the growth of how
consumers have used the computer and made it interactive and
fun,” said Mita Srinivasan, director, Market Buzz, Dubai.
Francis Eric Salomon, an IT Engineer from Kuwait, e-
mailed to say: “I will miss Steve’s ideas, genius and innovation.
He has done a great deal of things for us. Among those things, he
gave me this really cool job. Well, not him literally, but the
innovations he created made it possible for me to do what I do.”
A Dubai Apple fan, Erik Briones, web designer and radio
host, thanked Steve for his “passion in creating amazing things”
and “for reminding us to stand up after every fall, to excel at what
we do, to stay hungry and stay foolish”.
“I am pretty used to hearing news that involves Steve Jobs as
something that exceeds expectations. He was creative, full of fun
and always optimistic. I did not really see this sad news coming.
Thank you Steve Jobs. And good night,” said Dubai-based art
director and filmmaker Kamil Roxas. Yes, Steve was an ordinary
man who did extraordinary things for ordinary people. The
world will miss him.
STEVE JOBS: APPLE LOGO RE-IMAGINED TO PAY TRIBUTE
A visual tribute to Steve
Jobs has re-imagined the
classic Apple logo with Jobs’
silhouette as the bite in the
Apple. The image’s caption
simply reads, “Thanks, Steve.”
The artist is 19-year-old
Jonathan Mak, a self-described
designer, photographer and
philosopher, living in Hong
Kong.
The image has gone viral, making its way through Facebook
and the blogosphere. The artist’s website has nearly 700
comments from supporters around the world.
“Clearly inspired…watching this make its way around the
world at the speed of light,” wrote DanielleA on the website.
“Touching the lives of many in the blink of an eye.”
Many of the comments express big ideas for the image.
Dozens of people wrote that they’d like to see Apple change the
logo to this tribute. Others want to buy print and T-shirts with
the image. One person said they’d like to get a tattoo of it.
“A more poignant image could not have been made,” wrote
AdamIrennie. “Well done Jonathan, an awesome tribute to an
awesome mind.”
MANSUR ALI KHAN, THE NAWAB OF PATAUDI
A TRIBUTE TO PATAUDI FROM LONDON
The English ties of Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who died in
Delhi of lung infection at the age of 70, went far beyond the
princely title bestowed upon his family by the
British. Many key chapters of his remarkable life and career
were written on the English soil.
52 PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

It was here that the former Indian
captain — fondly referred to by everyone
as Tiger — went to school and college,
polished his cricketing skills and met with
an unfortunate accident that resulted in
the near-complete loss of an eye.
Pataudi, who was born a Nawab, into a
family of reckonable privilege, had royal
blood and along with it, royal expectations
to live up to. Not only was his father
Ifthikhar Ali Khan Pataudi the Nawab with
the title, he was an accomplished
cricketer, who played for England and also
captained India later.
Pataudi Sr. had played for Winchester
College and he had also captained Balliol College while at
Oxford University. Whilst at Winchester, Iftikhar famously fell
out with Douglas Jardine over his style of bodyline bowling and
how it damaged the ethics of what was essentially a “gentleman’s
game.” Being an Indian prince amongst a very English crowd
clearly did not make him back down on what he decided was a
principled approach to the game.
Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, who was born on January 5, 1941,
in Bhopal, started his education at Welham’s Boys school in
Dehradun, but his father, the 8th Nawab, decided to send him
on to his own former prep school from whence Tiger stayed on
and completed his education, mostly in England.
From the prep school in Hemel Hempstead, Lockers Park,
Pataudi went on to enroll at Winchester College where he played
with distinction for the school team, and broke Jardine’s batting
records in 1959, as captain of the school team.
Iftikhar passed away on Mansur’s eleventh birthday in 1952.
Even though Tiger did not have his father to guide him along his
life, Pataudi Sr. did inspire him to become the great cricketing
legend that we remember today. Apparently he had his father’s
cricketing achievements on his wall at school at Welham’s and
Winchester.
Pataudi followed his father’s footsteps in captaining Balliol
at cricket, and he played against Cambridge as part of the Oxford
cricket team. Oxford made him its captain in 1961, the first
Indian to have achieved that distinction at either of the two
universities.
During his second year at Balliol,
Pataudi met with an accident which
resulted in him losing most of the function
of his right eye. At the time, he was a
member of the Oxford University team
which was playing against Sussex at Hove.
Pataudi along with four of his
teammates went out for a Chinese meal,
following which three of them decided to
walk back. Pataudi recalled in his memoirs
that he “felt a bit lazy” and decided to take a
ride in the car back with Robin Waters, the
wicket keeper for Oxford.
Apparently as they started, another car
pulled out in the middle of the road and hit
them. Pataudi injured his right shoulder as he turned to take the
impact of the accident, and he thought it wasn’t a “serious”
accident, as Waters seemed to be alright, apart from a few cuts to
his forehead.
Pataudi had no idea that he had injured his eye as well, and
his main concern was that he would not be able to play in the
varsity match. He had a splinter lodged into his eye which
required removing. Unfortunately it had gone through the lens
of the eye, and the eye surgeon who operated on it could not save
it.
He was advised by Sir Benjamin Ryecroft, an eye specialist, to
use his one good eye to play cricket rather than use a contact lens
on the right eye which had practically no vision. Tiger took his
advice and although he reconciled himself to the use of one eye,
he said “never for an instant did I consider I might not be able to
play cricket again.”
He did realize that he would not be able to play in Oxford’s
last three games of the season, which meant that he did not get
the chance to overtake his father’s record of most runs scored in
an Oxford season by 92 runs.
Pataudi was back at the nets within three weeks of his
accident, practicing his strokes, and trying to assess what the
accident had cost him in terms of perspective. He managed
other things in life, but adjusting to cricket with one eye took
time.
PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 53

Oxford granted him a year’s leave to recuperate, as he could
not read following the accident. He went to India and used the
opportunity that this provided to adjust his skills to his new
predicament.
He found it easier as he did not encourage discussion on his
eye and as a result could focus on developing his sporting skills
to suit his good eye.
Pataudi was asked to captain an Indian eleven against the
visiting MCC team under Ted Dexter.
Despite seeing two balls instead of one, he scored 70 by
removing the contact lens that he was initially wearing. A month
later, he debuted for India against England in Delhi.
This gave him the opportunity to demonstrate to himself and
the world that the handicap was not going to hold him back. He
played three out of four tests, in the second of which he scored a
respectable 64 runs. He surpassed this further in the third test
by scoring 103, with two sixes and fourteen fours, which set
India up with a comfortable innings.
After proving all his naysayers wrong by playing cricket with
confidence and flair again, he went back to Oxford, where he was
re-appointed captain in 1963.
One of finest cricketing accolades that Pataudi received was
when he was named the Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1968.
Given the association between his father’s and his life with
the sport in both countries and their significant contribution to
it, it was appropriate that India-England rubber was christened
the Pataudi Trophy. Quite fittingly, the last time one saw Pataudi
on a cricket ground was when he handed over the same trophy to
the English team, a few weeks ago.
Tiger Pataudi, who remained charismatic and stylish till the
end, had countless fans in England, as evidenced by the tributes
that have been flowing since the news of his sad demise.
And one of Pataudi’s best-known English admirers is Sir
Jeffery Archer, whose story, “The Boundary,” in the book A
Quiver full of Arrows, was based on the Nawab and his life. In an
interview, Archer, who had known Pataudi for half a century,
used Kipling’s famous phrase to describe Tiger’s charisma:
“He was walking with kings but never losing the common
touch.”
MUSIC WORLD MOURNS JAGJIT SINGH’S DEATH
The music world in India went silent after the sad demise of
prominent ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh.
Lata Mangeshkar, who had a close association with the
singer, had hoped that he would recover from his illness. She was
taken aback with the news of his death and considers it a great
loss for the music world.
Singer Jagjit Singh passed away at a hospital after suffering a
brain hemorrhage (cerebral hemorrhage) at the age of 70.
Singer Asha Bhosle said that she was in a state of shock after
the news. The fact that the silken voice is no more is
unimaginable for Bhosle and the audiences will now have to do
with his old ghazals.
An upset Usha Uthup added that she could not even begin to
describe her sadness. Her association with the maestro was long
and she considers it as a personal loss. She goes on to say that
Singh was not only an excellent singer but also a wonderful
human being.
Ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas said that he was shattered. He
had hoped for his recovery but the loss is devastating for him and
the music world. He spoke about Singh’s style and the way he
revolutionised ghazal in the mainstream.
The younger generation of singers also mourned his death.
Writing on micro-blogging website, Sonu Nigam tweeted: “So
sad to see the great Jagjit Singhji losing the battle to death.Very
unlikely for the strong willed person that he was..God bless his
soul”. Shreya Ghoshal also expressed her grief, she tweeted:
“Jagjit Ji passes away. One of the saddest days for all of us music
lovers. The golden voice will not sing anymore. Rest in peace”.
Jagjit Singh is survived by his wife Chitra Singh.
54 PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

antebellum
bellicose
rebel
rebellion
belligerent
pugilist
pugnacious
impugn
oppugn
repugnant
pacific
pacify
pacifism
pacifist
demagogue
pedagogue
pedagogy
synagogue
congregate
congregation
aggregate
segregate
gregarious
egregious
juvenile
rejuvenate
Important Roots
The root word is the primary lexical unit of a word, and of a word family (root is then called base word), which carries the
most significant aspects of semantic content and cannot be reduced into smaller constituents.
Content words in nearly all languages contain, and may consist only of, root morphemes.
The root of a word is a unit of meaning (morpheme) and, as such, it is an abstraction, though it can usually be represented
in writing as a word would be. Here are some important roots used in English language. Learn and enjoy!
before the war, especially the American Civil War; from ante-, before, and bellum, war
warlike; favoring war to settle dispute
from re-, back, plus bel, war, or fight; to fight back against a government or other authority; also, a
rebel (REB-ul), one who fights back
uprising; revolt against a government or other authority
waging war; inclined to fight; quarrelsome
a boxer; (from pugnus, fist)
belligerent; inclined to fight; (from pugnare, to fight)
attack, especially with words; call into question another's motives or trustworthiness
assail; dispute; oppose with argument
(1) offensive; distasteful; disgusting; loathsome; (2) opposing; resisting The opposite of bellum, or
war, is pacis, the Latin word peace.
calm; tranquil; peaceful; not warlike; peaceable
(1) bring peace to; end war or strife; (2) to calm; soothe; placate; appease
a doctrine that opposes war, military force
one who opposes war or physical force to settle disputes
From demos, people, and agogos, leader, a leader of people; a rable-rouser; one who leads by
appealing to prejudices, stirring passions; an unprincipled agitator
teacher; dull, formal teacher, one who is overly concerned with unimportant scholarly points; from
ped, child, and agogos, leader, originally a Greek or Roman slave whose duty was to lead a child to
school
the science of teaching
a meeting place for Jewish worship, religious instruction; from syn-, together, and agog, leader, a
place where people are led together in worship
to meet together as a body of people; from contogether, and greg, flock. The words below have to do
with herding together
(1) a gathering; (2) a group of persons assembled for worship; literally, to herd together
(1) collect into a total or sum; comprise a total; (2) added together; total (adjective and noun form,
AG-ra-git)
From se-, apart, and greg, flock, literally apart from the flock; to keep separate; keep a group apart
from the rest
(1) living in flocks, herds; (2) sociable; enjoying the company of others; preferring company above
solitude.
From e-, out, and greg, herd, literally standing out from the herd; extraordinarily bad; glaring;
flagrant; shocking. These are "young" and "old" words
(1) a young person; a youth; (2) relating to juveniles; (3) immature (adjective form, JOO-va-nul)
make young again
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 55

juvenescent
junior
senate
senator
senile
senior
seniority
archaeology
archaic
archives
archetype
archipelago
nova
novel
novice
novelty
innovate
renovate
astral
astronomy
astronomical
astrology
disaster
asterisk
astronaut
abnormal
aberrant
abject
abrogate
abrasive
absent
abscond
avert
dissect
disperse
becoming young again; making young; rejuvenating
younger; younger of the two, especially as pertains to a son with the same name as his father; lower in
rank; a third-year high school or college student
upper house of legislature; in ancient Rome, the supreme governing body; literally, council of old men
(old, therefore wisest, most fit to govern)
member of the Senate; literally, old man
aged; doting; characteristic of old age; deteriorating in physical and metal abilities
because of old age
oldest; highest ranking; a last-year high school or college student
priority due to age or length or service
the study of the remains of ancient cultures
belonging to an earlier time; no longer in use, antiquated (like an antique); relating to words or
phrases from an earlier period that are not in current usage
historical documents; public records; a place where speech records are kept (from Greek archion,
town hall)
the original model, pattern from which something is reproduced or copied;
prototype; from archi-, first, and type, model
group of islands; a sea scattered with islands; originally the Aegean Sea; from archi- chief, and pelago,
sea
a new star
(1) new; unusual; (2) book-length fictional story
someone new at an occupation; a beginner
something new and unusual; a small manufactured for adornment or entertainment
literally, to bring in something new; introduce a new idea, method, or design
repair; restore; renew These words from astron are "star words."
relating to the stars; starry; starlike
scientific study of the stars and planets
(1) relating to astronomy; (2) of great number, countless; literally, as many as the stars
a science professing the influence of the stars and planets on human affairs
a great misfortune; calamity; literally "not in the stars"
a star-shaped printed symbol (*) placed on page to indicate footnotes;
from Greek asterikos, little star
one who travels in space; from astro, star, and naut, sail, one who "sails the stars"
apart from what is normal or standard; not normal
abnormal; straying from the usual course; mentally deranged
sunk to a hopelessly low condition of worthlessness, baseness, or misery; from ab-, away, and ject,
throw; literally, thrown away
do away with; abolish; repeal, as a law
scraping away; wearing or rubbing away of a surface
away, not present; to stay away
go away suddenly and secretly
turn away from; avoid
cut apart; cut into sections
scatter; drive away
56 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

dissipate scatter; throw away; squander
distinguish to recognize difference between, among; keep apart distinct
discern
discriminate; distinguish clearly (by sight or the mind); have keen insight
separate
keep apart; disjoin
sequester seclude; shut away from
sever
cut apart; cut off; break a bond or tie
depart
go away ; leave
deviate
from de-, away, and via, path; to turn away from the usual or straight; one whose conduct differs
greatly from societal standards
The prefixes meaning "in" or "within" are im-, in, em-, and en-.
imbibe
drink, drink in; absorb
immerse plunge into, as a fluid
immigrate move from one country into another
incipient beginning; just coming into existence
infuse
inspire; instill; pour in, from fus, pour
inject
insert; force or shoot into; throw in, from in- and ject, throw
intrinsic
originating from within; belonging to a thing in itself; inherent; having internal value
envelop
enclose; surround with
embrace
hold in one's arms; accept willingly as a doctrine, a philosophy
The prefix ex- or e-means "out."
exit
the way out; a departure
exodus
a departure, especially of a large crowd
exterior
external; the outer side
extrinsic
external; originating from outside
exculpate a clear from charges of guild; vindicate
exonerate declare free from guilt; vindicate
extricate
free from an entanglement or a complicated situation
emerge
come out of, as water, darkness, appear
evanescent fleeting; vanishing quickly
emigrate move out of a country
eject
throw out; remove by force
effusive
pouring out; gushing
effervescent bubbling; lively
confluence a flowing together of streams; a place where streams meet;
a large gathering (from flu, flow)
confuse
to perplex; bewilder; jumble, mix up together; literally pour together
combine
put things together; blend; unite
commiserate sympathize with; condole; share another's pain or sorrow
coalesce
merge; join; unite
cohere
stick together; be logically connected in speech or writing
collaborate labor together; work together, especially on a literary or scientific project
collusion a scheme by two or more people to commit fraud; an illegal conspiracy
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 57

syndrome
synthesis
syllable
symmetrical
58 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011
a set of symptoms occuring together (from syn-together, and drome, run)
a blending of elements or parts to form a whole
a word part uttered in on sound
well balanced in shape, arrangement; literally, measured together
The prefix contra- (also spelled contro-) is a form of counter-, meaning "against" or "opposing"
contrast
literally, stand against; be opposite of; compare opposite things
contraband smuggled goods; forbidden by law; lierally, banned against
controvert argue against; dispute
counterstrike strike back against, especially with military force
countermand to give a command that is the opposite of a previous order; cancel an order
counterpart the same thing in a different place; (2) the opposite part of something, as night and day (both being
part of the 24-hour-day)
The prefix anti- combines with any number of words to mean "opposing" or "against" : antiwar; anticommunist; antislavery.
In some words, anti- is shortened to ant-.
obstacle
a hindrance; something standing in the way; literally, stand against
object
argue against; state disapproval; literally, throw against
obstinate stubborn; unyielding; literally, standing against
obdurate stubborn; unyielding, hardened against (ob- + dur, hard)
obviate
make unnecessary; counteract problems so that something else is prevented; preclude; avert
Two prefixes that mean "through" or "across" are trans- and dia-.
transfer
carry across; convey; move from one place to another
transact
carry through, as a business deal
transfuse pass across, from one to another; literally, pour across
transformed charged throughout in form, appearance, or condition
transient passing through; not staying; ephemeral; fleeting
transparent (1) showing through; (2) easy to see through, obvious
diameter the length of a line going through the center of a circle
diaphanous showing through; allowing light through; transparent; translucent
The prefix per- means "through," "throughout," and "thoroughly."
perforate
permeate
perpetual
perennial
perdition
persuade
interfere
interject
interval
interrogate
interstate
intrastate
intravenous
punch through, make holes in; penetrate
spread throughout; go through every part; pervade
lasting throughout time; not stopping
lasting through the years; lasting a long time
damnation throughout eternity
convince thoroughly
The prefix that means "between" or "among" is inter-, which should not be confused with intra-, which means "within."
(Intro- is another form of intra-."
to come between; enter into the concerns of others
introduce abruptly; inject; insert; literally, throw in between
a space of time or distance between; a pause; an interim
question formally'; examine; ask; literally, ask between
between states
within a state
within a blood vein

Seven Strategic Decisions
of Our Lives
The Seven Strategic Decisions of Our Lives outlines the
seven most important things that happen to us in our lifetimes.
Seven strategic decisions of our lives
Seven decisions = 100%, so One decision = 14.2%
Strategic decision no.1 - Where are we born
- by Sandeep Manudhane, CMD (PT universe)
Do we really have a say here? No. So that’s a solid 14.2% of
our lives’ impact gone out of our hands. This truly is destiny at
its best. I had often imagined what life would have been like if
one were to be born differently from one’s current one, that is, if
one is born as a Russian, a Croatian, or an Inuit? Still better, how
much better if one were born in the royal British clan? All that
power, and wealth, at one’s feet. As people start pondering more,
their sanskars wake them up and remind them grimly of the hot
ceaseless fires of bottomless hell (garnished with whips) that
await those who entertain any deviance from what destiny
ordained. And to think of me as the person every time, stopping
short of reaching the Bachchan family, and that of the Tatas.
Strategic decision no.2 - Where are we schooled
Do we really have a say here? No. For the most part, no. So
that’s another hefty 14.2% of impact gone. That totals 28.4% so
far. It’s our parents* desire and outlook that decides what we get.
Now being an educationist, I have realised that the GREATEST
impact on our personalities is shaped during our schooling. I
guess I was quite lucky to have had some of the most inspiring
(and tough) teachers throughout my school. Despite the
physical punishments which occasionally came my way**, I was
pushed to the limit by a meritocratic environment, and my
decision to take up education as a career may have been
subliminally inspired by this.
Strategic decision no.3 - Who are our friends, relatives,
community members, as we grow up
Do we really have a say here? Partly yes. Especially as we are
growing up. So let’s say half of the percentage impact is in our
hands (7.1%). As we grow, the daily interactions we have with
friends, relatives and community members help us understand
the “stimuli-response” patterns better, and the more
encouraging the environment, the more confident we become.
My father’s words still ring loud in my ears. I was playing with a
nephew of mine (and jocularly scaring him while he was learning
to walk) when a senior relative said “Encourage him. Everytime
you pull him down, he will learn not to trust you.” So that’s how
we are shaped, and our personalities are cast in a mould. Slowly,
but surely.
Strategic decision no.4 - Which college we go to
Put otherwise, it reads - what career we choose to be in. For
many of us, the decision is entirely ours. We decide - based on
what we have heard from others - what’s best for us. And
accordingly, spend years preparing for entrance exams. Lot of us
gets a chance to attend the college or as is popular today - online
school - that we aspired for. And during our stay there, we start
visualising what kind of a career and life lies ahead. I did my
graduation from the IIT Delhi, and was fortunate to spend 4
years with some of the brightest and best people around. Those
relationships have stayed with me till date.
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 59

status and power, some for happiness... These
driving forces can also change from time to
time, seeding the future course of trouble. But
if you ask me, wrong decisions that lead to
broken relationships make children suffer the
most. Anyway! For young people, my advice -
take a careful decision. If you’re planning a
difficult career (Entrepreneurship, for
example), the spouse must understand that
“quality time” will be a casualty. Hence life has
to be woven around some priorities, which if
not done correctly, can lead to disaster. The
honeymoon effect takes a couple of months to
wear itself out, and then the stark realities of
human limitations emerge in full bloom. So be
careful!
Strategic decision no.5 - What we choose to do for a
living
Or - what work we do. This is probably something totally
under our control. That’s 14.2%. Almost all of us decide on our
own whether we wish to spend our lives as an adventurer
(entrepreneur), or a guide (consultant) or a sincere doer
(service). These are strong choices to select from. But we do.
Often, we change course midway. Nothing wrong. We all evolve.
Understanding that is very crucial. People can change track. We
have to learn to be able to respect that. Even the Underworld
makes this choice. They choose to kill for a living. That’s their
personal choice. They must be ready to bear the consequences.
Strategic decision no.6 - Whom do we marry
Oh! Probably the most important “personal” 14.2% of our
lives. ‘Marrying right’ is quite crucial. (What a thing to say -
Marriage as a fundamental human institution evolved around
6000 years ago as man settled down in an agrarian economy. As
man settled, he (she) realised that for proper allotment of
personal property, marriage was the most crucial first step. This
subject makes fascinating reading indeed). People marry for
different reasons. Some do it for love, some for money, some for
Strategic decision no.7 - What values we choose to
live with
Thiefs, thugs, scoundrels, cheats, scamsters, Samaritans -
they all live side by side in a human society. The values we decide
are the best for us, decide what we become. Some broad choices
we select from are
Self-centred, honest, hard-working
Dishonest, self-centred, petty, hard-working
Fraudulent, scamster, scheming
Criminal, dangerous, no-holds-barred
Honest, hard-working, austere, social
Egoistic, hard-working, ambitious, social
It’s a long list, and given above is just a sample. My final take -
it is 100% a personal choice. Nobody can force us to choose the
values we live with. Only we do. So no point in blaming others.
What we make of this beautiful human life depends on these
7 decisions we make. With approximately 40% of our lives not in
our hands, we really need to choose well!
* The lucky few of us who have parents who care and have enough resources
to take us through a good schooling experience. My heart goes out to kids who lack
these. God give them strength.
** I was a studious and naughty child. Hence the beatings!
60 PT’s PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011

Test Your Verbal Ability
DIRECTIONS: Choose the option which shows the best
illustrationof the idiomaticexpressiongiven.
1.
2.
A vexed question
(1) The discussion on having an early breakfast during the
period of spiritual observance turned out to be
irascible for the orthodox family.
(2) The arrangement of providing reservations in
educational institutions and certain vocations to people
belonging to certain castes and tribes in India is riddled
with aspects which would be defeating for
aspirants of quality education while serving as
profitable sectors for politicians to further their
interests. .
(3) The choice of things and items to be bought in the
shopping mall was not an easy one for the affluent lady
who was high on the shopping spree.
(4) He was no Solomon come for judgement; he was
understandably put in a state of dilemma when
choosing between the offender who was his benefactor
and the petitioner who had wronged him in the past.
A drug in the market
(1) The company employed good R&D and harnessed the
skills of the employees in coming out with the
product, hoping to cash on the festive atmosphere of
the region; fate willed it the other way in having the
product confined to the comfortable confines of the
showroom instead of the tough and hostile
conditions of the open, for which the product was
designed.
(2) The innovation brought in the succeeding version of
the model worked well; the product sold like a hot
cake, with prospective buyers ready to wait after
booking for it.
(3) It was a trying time for the relatives and attendants of
the patient in trying to procure the medicine which
was vital for restoring the balance in the blood
circulation of the patient, post surgically.
3.
4.
(4) It being an occasion wherein drinking joints and pubs
would not be permitted by the administration to
function, the only shop in the locality that sold brewed
spirit, had many consumers thronging it, as if it
were a commodity terribly scarce or whose possession
is a matter of joy.
Run to seed
(1) The immigrant felt homesick and longed for the
familiar surroundings of his native place, driven by
nostalgia.
(2) Life’s setbacks served as a priceless lesson to the
conceited businessman who realized the joys of simple
living.
(3) The rabble-rouser was made to run upon being chased
by the irate public for having sowed the seeds of
discord among the people of the village.
(4) The inhospitable conditions of the new place and the
habit of living in salubrious conditions back in his
hometown made him vulnerable to illness, weak in
health and physically.
Wheelswithin wheels
(1) The Emperor’s mansion was a huge one consisting of
several rooms, connected by many stairways and
passages, in which any person unfamiliar with the place
and without an escort would get lost.
(2) The external appearance of the pie prepared for the
birthday ceremony was deceptive; there were layers,
with the succeeding one turning out to be more
delicious and sumptuous than the preceding one.
(3) Dealing with this matter isn’t all that easy, as is made
out to be; it is a complex one and could result in
unwanted complication, if not handled sensibly.
(4) The consultant chose to explain the subject in a
circumlocutory way, using half-sentences,
interspersing the explanation with irritating pauses,
when he could have been more direct and lucid;
perhaps he wanted to justify the fees which he was
charging, which seemed high to us.
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 61

5.
Winning the palm
(1) The social worker reached the place which was not
ordinarily accessible and did yeoman service to the
needy and the destitute.
(2) By putting good efforts and deploying the right skills,
the Tenth Grade student won the competition.
(3) The Officer could not succeed in getting the graft from
the trespasser and was nabbed by the police.
(4) The two contesting candidates agreed to work jointly, on
terms mutually benefitting, as per an agenda, in
the civic elections, instead of standing alone
and coping with the risk of losing.
DIRECTIONS: Choose the option which shows the
correct answer.
6. The region was ruled by one who had the characteristics of a
caudillo.
Which of the followingcould best be inferred from the given
statement?
(1) The region was Spanish or Latin American in
characteristic.
(2) The king was inclined towards strengthening his
military.
(3) The regime was one bereft of the features of
democracy.
(4) All of these.
7. The vox populi could go unheeded without the Kaiser
paying a heavy price, which he did in the putsch.
Which of the followingis analogousto the scenario?
(1) The dread of belling the cat was absent among the
animals when they led the king of the forest to his
doom, with ingenuousness, as a retribution for the
atrocities perpetrated.
(2) The mischievous students ‘tamed’ the martinet,
making him sober and mellowed.
(3) Sangeet Samrat Tansen, a Navratna in Akbar’s court,
was challenged by Baiju Bawra, a nondescript
musician, much to the astonishment of Royal
personages and the general public.
(4) The dark horse that the Indian cricket team was in
1983 beat the established kings of cricket, the West
Indies, to win the World Cup.
8. Raju commenced his illustrious career as a cicerone in the
ITDC, only to rise higher in the department.
Which of the following is the exception from among the
following in being the possible fallout of the situation
describedabove?
(1) The hotelier began his business in a humble way in a
handcart, selling delicious evening snacks at an
affordable price.
(2) The bureaucrat entered the service as a staff in the
clerical cadre, appointed on contractual terms, on a
contingency basis; he learned the tricks of the trade
and was smart to realize each opportunity that came
his way, but in a perverse way so as to indulge in
espionage and pilfering of documents and information.
(3) He was an apprentice to Faliman Mistry; very soon he
studied law and through rigorous practice, rose to
became an illustrious lawyer.
(4) The proprietor became the godfather to the poor
orphan, who, in turn deftly handled customers and
became an honest custodian of the assets and affairs of
the venture.
9. The presence of a smoker or a tobacco chewer became a
bête noire for the youngster, who was steeped in
pontification.
Which of the following shows correctly the description of the
protagonistbeing the antithesisof what is stated above?
(1) Having been born and brought up in an urbane
environment, he loathed the presence of uncouth.
(2) His kith and kin and the villagers were appalled to see
the disdain he showed towards rusticity, upon living
in the city.
(3) Although he became famous and opulent, he never
forgot his humble origin and was down-to-earth in his
behaviour.
(4) He was snobbish and looked unkindly towards
irregularities shown by the other person, be they in
dress, etiquettes and conversation.
10. Nil Desperandum was what he strongly believed in and
exemplified; no wonder people noticed him.
Which of the following strongly substantiates the idea
conveyedabove?
(1) The state of his poise despite things not shaping as per
his plans was conspicuous.
(2) He would always have something motivating to say
during adverse situations when it is otherwise usual for
people to go berserk.
(3) He would shun the company of negative-minded
people and would skillfully ward off self-defeating
thoughts.
(4) All of these.
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11. The news of the outcome in the event caused him to be
carried off his feet.
Which of the following instances is distant from the sense
given out by the above statement?
(1) Upon the surgery involving the heart transplant
turning out to be successful, the surgeon was elated.
(2) Despite heavy speculation and prophecies in favour of
the home team, its shocking loss in the final to the
visiting team, which was considered to be a dark horse,
drove the captain to come out with alibis.
(3) The contestant, who took part in the contest with
moderate preparation, was speechless with euphoria
on winning the prize.
(4) The scientists and staff at Chandipur were a charged
lot, for the launch of the PSLV was successful.
12. Contrary to the prevalent belief and perception, the new
recruit ate out of the hand of the person in whose tutelage he
was entrusted.
Which of the following is aligned with what the statement
conveys?
(1) Jimmy was adept in training animals, understanding
their traits and instincts to make them compliant.
(2) There was discontent and resentment simmering
among the members of the Congregation against the
New Order proposed to be enforced; the clerics got a
whiff of it and came out with repressive ways to deal
with it.
(3) The students did not want to use their brains for
understanding the chapter, having got used to spoonfeeding
on previous occasions.
(4) The King fed the poor and the needy with his own
hands during festivals and on occasions such as his
birthdays and wedding anniversaries.
13. The bully could only be tamed when he was made to catch
the tartar.
Which of the following is the exception from among the
following, with regard to the quintessence of the above
statement?
(1) The demon prided himself to be invincible; he was
made to bite the dust when he was belaboured by an
ogre with more might and valour.
(2) The mongrel had frightened many people in the
locality; he could be controlled when a Labrador, more
ferocious, came to live in the place.
(3) The boy who caused unrest at home by throwing
tantrums and indulging in boisterous behavior
mellowed when he left home and stayed in a hostel.
(4) None among the passengers was strong to prevail upon
the army official, who went berserk and flashed out his
revolver, threatening dire consequences if anyone
dared to confront him.
14. The host was not accustomed to the guest eating himself
out of house and home.
Which of the following best replicates the idea conveyed in
the given statement?
(1) The function was marred by the criminal wastage of
food by the guests that had turned up.
(2) The visitor was not free despite the warm hospitality
accorded to him; he scarcely did justice to himself
when partaking of the feast that was laid out before him.
(3) The poor host was not in a position to feed the Lord
who had come to him in the form of a guest; yet there
was plenty to offer which was consumed in a voracious
manner, with great relish and satisfaction.
(4) The disturbed child could not be coaxed and cajoled
with the lavish banquet spread before it; it did not
consume a single morsel.
15. The patriarch drove home the need to be conservative in
deploying the resources available, when executing the
project.
Which of the following depicts correctly what is the idea
purportedto be conveyed?
(1) The patriarch illustrated the resources which the
conservative people deploy in a turnkey project.
(2) The patriarch expounded the vastness and the
richness of the resources available, which need to be
conserved more than used.
(3) The patriarch desired that the conservative features of
the available resources be properly understood before
their deployment.
(4) The patriarch emphasized that available resources be
used judiciously when carrying out the project.
DIRECTIONS: Which word pair best completes the
followingsentences?
16. The ..... Nets – denizens of Newark, late of East Rutherford,
N.J., and Long Island – will settle in Downtown Brooklyn
next year with a new identity but a ..... name.
“We named the New Jersey Nets the Brooklyn Nets,” Jay-Z,
the music mogul and part-owner of the franchise,
announced that morning.
(1) stalwart; confusing
(2) vagabond; familiar
(3) famous; unexpected
(4) fickle; refreshing
PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011 63

17. Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence
People,” which turns 75 this year, has sold more than 30
million copies and continues to be a best seller. The book, a
..... to integrity, good humor and warmth in the name of
amicable capitalism, is as wholesome as a Norman Rockwell
painting. The book’s essential ..... – be a good listener, admit
faults quickly and emphatically, and smile more often,
among them – are timeless.
(1) paean; admonitions
(2) challenge; faults
(3) rebuke; truisms
(4) criticism; strategies
18. Motorists’ ..... , magnet for thieves, and memorialized in the
Beatles’ “Lovely Rita,” the diminutive parking meter has
led an outsize life. But its days in New York City are about to
expire.
The city will remove its last decommissioned single-space
parking meter in Manhattan soon, transportation officials
said, the start of a yearlong process that will eventually ..... all
the steel-and-sludge-hued meters in the city.
(1) bane; eliminate
(2) treat; rejuvenate
(3) eyesore; auction
(4) novelty; upgrade
19. In 1994, Karen Overton, a cycling ..... , founded Recycle-a-
Bicycle in Manhattan as an after-school program to teach
teenagers the basics of bicycle repair. To encourage girls to
sign up, and to ..... some parents’ objections that working on
bikes was strictly for boys, she searched for female
mechanics qualified to help teach.
(1) critic; magnify
(2) advocate; counter
(3) scholar; address
(4) amateur; encourage
20. “Tracing the Fore” was removed last week, pulled from the
ground by a big yellow ..... as passers-by cheered and .....
members of the removal crew on their efforts.... Still, Scott
Tubby, a painter who manages the George Anderson
Gallery, which overlooks what is now an empty space on
Boothby Square, was remorseful about the loss of a
sculpture that he had quietly appreciated.
(1) excavator; complimented
(2) eliminator; castigated
(3) crusher; motivated
(4) digger; jeered at
~ Answers ~
1. Ans.(2) This is the best illustration.
2. Ans.(1) This is the best illustration.
3. Ans.(4) This is the best illustration.
4. Ans.(3)This is the best illustration.
5. Ans.(2) This is the best illustration.
6. Ans.(4) All of these are correct with respect to the
given statement.
7. Ans.(1) This is the correct analogy.
8. Ans.(2) This is the exception from among the rest
three.
9. Ans.(3)This is the correct description.
10. Ans.(4) All of these are strong substantiations.
11. Ans.(2) This is distant with respect to the given
statement, when compared with the rest three.
12. Ans.(1) This is in alignment with what the statement
tries to convey.
13. Ans.(4) This is the exception; rest three show the
taming of the bully.
14. Ans.(3)This is the correct answer.
15. Ans.(4) This is the correct answer.
16. Ans.(4) This has the correct word pair for the blanks.
17. Ans.(3) This has the correct word pair for the blanks.
18. Ans.(1) This has the correct word pair for the blanks.
19. Ans.(2)This has the correct word pair for the blanks.
20. Ans.(1) This has the correct word pair for the blanks.
Geographical Discoveries
Place
America
Brazil
Hawaii Islands
Island of Tasmania and
Newfoundland
New Zealand
Discoverer
Christopher Columbus
Petro Alvarez cafrol
Captain James Cook
John Cabot
Abel Janszoon Tasman
North Pole
Planeto Motion
Sea Route to India
South Pole
Solar System
Suez Canal
Robert Peary
Kepler
Vasco de Gama
R. Amundsen
Corpernicus
Engineer Fardinand
de Lesseps
64 PT's PrepTalk – Sep - Oct 2011