Make the year end a time to carry out a self-appraisal and set goals to give your career a direction, says Preetinder Kaur
Time to Reckon 2?11

You can set positive new resolutions for your life anytime you choose. TheNew Year just gives us a great opportunity to reflect on our achievements in the past year and set some meaningful new goals for the year ahead. Yearend performance reviews are a great opportunity to look back at the year gone by and to set attainable goals for the next one. Irrespective of when your company schedules its annual appraisals, it is a smart move to schedule your personal appraisal towards the end of a year as it is a great way to help you reach your career goals. The advent of a new year simply serves as a good reminder to reflect on all the progress you've made over the past 12 months and take what you've learned, and build a roadmap for the coming year and beyond.

A lot of people intentionally avoid setting new goals on January 1 because they see New Year "resolutions" as oh-so-clichéd. Or perhaps you did set a traditional resolution and already fell off the wagon. Revisiting what "resolutions" mean now might give you an opportunity to set more meaningful goals this year. So, embrace the change. Don't think of this as a New Year's article. Instead, we are going to focus on goal-setting for this year.

The best way to set goals that are longer-term than your weekly "to- do" list items is to start practising SMART goals. SMART, in this case, is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. You can review these questions in your head as you set goals, or you may want to write them out for each major goal you set.

Specific — Is it something concrete, that you'll know when you've completed it? This is one big reason why "resolutions" fail. People often set ambiguous goals that are too broad to be actionable or too unclear to know when you've fulfilled the requirements. For instance, a popular New Year resolution is "to get in shape." But how are you going to achieve that? That is only a very murky version of the visualisation that we've already practised above. Now make it specific, especially when it comes to setting your career goals.

Measurable — How will you measure your progress at the end of the year, or how will you know when you've achieved your objective? Think about what specific criteria you'll have to fulfill to reach the specific outcome you want. And a good way of measuring may be to keep a notebook of your progress towards the goal, or involving your friends in keeping you on track.

Attainable — Always check whether the career goal set by you is realistic and possible for you to achieve in the year ahead, or are you aiming too high? Do you have too much on your plate already? Set goals that will make you stretch, and learn, and grow. But don't set unrealistic, far-fetched goals that will only discourage you when you fail to achieve them.

Relevant — This is actually my favourite out of these questions to ask when you're doing these mental exercises, and it is the first one that I ask because it is the best and the most important filter. Put simply, is the goal important? Is it really going to get you closer to your dreams, and is it really worth investing your energy in? Or should you focus on other, more important, goals?

Time-Bound — Though most career goals are long-term and one year is a very short time-frame to realise major goals but it is a wise strategy to break your long-term goal into different stages and then take one step at a time. But it is always better to be specific about the time by which you will take that one step ahead. Remember what I said about being flexible with changes in timing towards the beginning of this post, but attaching a time to your goals makes them immediate and important. Remind yourself regularly that you have a goal to meet. When do you plan to start, and what is your target date for completion?

You may come up with a hundred goals for 2012, or you may come up with just two or three really important goals for the year. Don't wait until January to plan your career goals for 2012. Get ready, get set, and plan those career goals now!

— The writer is Project Assistant, IIT, Ropar

 

Wrap up 2011 on a positive note and give yourself a career reality check by asking yourself these three questions: How did I fare this year? Take a pause to think about 2011. How was this year for you, professionally? Reflect on your accomplishments, plus any areas that could have been better in the past year. Think about your core strengths and areas for potential improvement. This way at the time of self appraisal in your company you'll be ready with comprehensive notes and reflection, which when compared with your boss' notes, can provide a great foundation for discussion and setting of goals. Play up the positives Did you save any positive feedback this year? It's never too late to start! When a client, customer, co-worker or boss sends you positive feedback, keep it. Print out emails and save them in a folder or forward them to your home email for safekeeping (company policy permitting). Tangible results of your efforts in a year can both boost your morale and provide a great argument for a raise or promotion when you present them to your boss. What do I want to achieve? What do you want to achieve in 2012 or 2013 or even five years hence? Think about what it is that you hope to accomplish in the short and long term, and prepare clear notes to share with your boss. Together, you can work on an action plan to help you achieve those goals, or set some new ones. Taking the time to clearly define your goals now can prove immeasurable towards your success in the future.

Career Hotline
Work on your accent
Pervin Malhotra

Q. I have a strong vernacular accent (I'm from a rural Punjabi background), but am very keen to join an international call centre. Also, I think I speak too fast. Will this act as a disqualifier during the interview? — Honey Bedi

A. Most international call centres are sticklers for clarity, diction and accent. A strong regional accent is an absolute no-no.

There are several little tricks to improve a vernacular accent. First of all, do this simple self-evaluation. Is your speech clear and audible? Do you open your mouth to enunciate each word? Do you breathe from your diaphragm while speaking?

Also concentrate on elongating your vowels and articulating consonant sounds. If you feel your speech is deadpan then start using your hands and facial expressions to give it personality and power.

You can also seek professional help. Voice and accent trainers make your voice globally intelligible. The new league of trainers don't just teach you to roll your r's but also help develop voice personalities and telephone etiquette. They teach young aspirants when to give a pause and regulate the pace (the speed at which you speak is different for children, teenagers and adults). A very high or low-pitched voice or a pretentious accent can be a big bugbear for clients and a disqualifier at interviews. By the way, if your accent is proving to be a stumbling block, you could start out with a good domestic call centre where you can improve your skills and subsequently move to an international one once you've acquired a neutral accent.

Alternatively, you can opt for the non-voice based data intensive outsourcing jobs. As you move up the value chain, the skills required for this are more definitive; involving back-end research, providing decision support systems etc.

While half of the BPO business is still voice-based, there's an increasing migration towards data-intensive outsourced business.

Better safe than sorry

Q. We have recently come across a number of advertisements in newspapers which advertise courses as being on a par with a BTech degree. Is it safe to go for such courses? — Ritesh Handa

A. Either it's a degree course or it isn't. To assign such status to any course - technical or otherwise - is highly misleading, unfair and fraudulent. Keep away. Better to be safe than sorry.

Not nano in scope

Q. Please tell me about prospects in nanotechnology. — Namrata Pandhi

A. Nanotechnology is the technology of the future. By 2015, it is expected to grow into a $1-trillion industry. Nanotechnology impacts all major sectors like solar energy, aerospace, environment, telecommunications, computing, etc. besides being widely used in a number of movies, television series and video games.

Hundreds of companies offer nanotech products while an equally large number are involved in nanotech research.

With a professional degree in nanotechnology, you can work as a scientist, academic, biotechnologist, systems designer, research officer or product designer.

Besides these, you can work in several other areas of nanotechnology, such as business development and administration, legal areas, and sales and marketing. Remuneration can vary from Rs 6-16 lakh p.a. depending upon your qualification.

India plans to become the global hub for nano science and nanotechnology. To this end, the government has set up a five-year nano science and technology mission spearheaded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to create nano clusters in the country with huge investments. And India is favourably placed as it is expected to have the youngest scientific talent pool in the world by 2020.

This has resulted in the initiation of hundreds of R&D projects, establishment of several centres of excellence in nano science and nanotechnology some of which are in the public private partnership.

Already, many countries (USA, UK, Canada, European Union, Germany and Italy among others) have enteredin to bilateral cooperation with India in this field.

Academic scores do matter

Q. I am expecting a pretty decent score in CAT 2011, but I have very average academic grades. What are my chances of clearing the GD/PI stage of selection in the IIMs if I get a call? —Jagtar Singh Bains

A. Despite 50 per cent marks at the bachelor's level mandated as the minimum eligibility for taking the CAT, the IIMs do use academics as a filter.

For instance, a number of students who score a high 99 percentile do not get a call from IIMA due to inconsistent academic scores at the school level. Well, that's the way, the cookie crumbles.

Besides, each IIM assigns its own weightage to sectional scores (they should be balanced, not skewed), work experience and consistent academic excellence.

The problem arises when you face the interview panel where you would be competing against other people who have scored equally well in the CAT, but have better overall grades backing them. However, if you are called and can defend yourself in the grilling PI and prove that your fundas are solid, nobody can really stop you.

So give the crucial second round your best shot. Good luck!

E-learning more student centric

Q. Could you please tell me the difference between e-learning and distance learning programmes? — Taruna Das

A. Unlike distance learning, e-learning uses computer technology to design, deliver, select, administer and extend learning through the Internet.

It basically involves the delivery of education or training programme by electronic means i.e. the use of a computer or electronic device to provide training, education or learning material.

With e-learning, ample online resources are provided with no restrictions on the number of users. Overall, e-learning provides a more student-centric environment.

Get your mathematics right

Q. I am in Class X. Although I am not very comfortable with maths, I am interested in an engineering career. Would it be wise to opt for engineering, with such a background in maths? — Esha Soin

A. Since maths is a core component of all engineering courses, it makes sense to have your maths fundas absolutely clear. Besides, the entrance exams for all engineering courses also have a very significant maths section. If you are really interested in a technical career, you can certainly improve your score in in maths within the next two years through regular practice, i.e. by the time you complete your Plus II, and I am sure you can do it if your heart is set on the larger goal.

The writer is a noted career expert and director, Career Guidance India (CARING). Please send in your queries with your full name, complete address and academic qualifications to: The Editor, Jobs and Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030, or at careers @tribunemail.com 

news board
Stressed Chinese fight back with pillows 

A whirlwind of pillows bearing the names of bosses and teachers filled the air as hundreds of Chinese gathered to blow off stress in Shanghai, staging a massive pillow battle.

The annual event marked its fifth year with such a surge in interest from stressed young office workers and students that organisers held two nights of pillow fighting before Christmas Day and plan another for December 30.

"Nowadays there are many white-collar workers and students who are facing huge pressures at work and at school, so we hope to give them an outlet to release their stress before the end of the year," said Eleven Wang, the founder and mastermind behind the epic pillow fights.

"Sometimes we have pressure on us by our bosses, teachers and exams, so today we can go crazy. Everyone will get to write onto the pillows the names of their bosses, teachers and exam subjects, and enjoy and vent out the maximum," he added.

"After releasing the stress, we can once again face our daily life with joy." Pillows were handed out at the door as participants entered, then emotion stoked by a rock concert, with many on the floor of the huge event space rocking and waving their pillows in time to the music.

Then came the fighting. Pillows filled the air, with many combatants opting for throwing rather than using them to whack opponents. A few hapless participants shielded their heads with as many pillows as they could hold, but most ventured eagerly in to the fray.

"I really enjoyed the fight, but my friend was useless. He joined in for two ticks and could not go on, he was afraid of getting beaten by other people," said 24-year-old Chen Yi.

"I thought it was pretty meaningful. I've just been working so much (at the office) and never get to break out in a sweat, so it felt really good."

Others gamely said they enjoyed the experience even though they ended up as attackees rather than attackers. "I don't know who pushed me, but all of a sudden I was in the pile of pillows, where I became the target of many people, and was beaten by all sorts of people," said university student Zhu Shishan. — Reuters

Hiring SCENE
Caution laces Optimism 
Dhriti Ranjana Ray & Manoj Rammohan

The Indian job market is expected to see slower hiring activity, but double-digit salary hikes next year as employers are embracing a "cautiously optimistic" approach amid the economic uncertainty.

Surviving overall global sluggishness replete with large-scale layoffs in different sectors, the domestic employment scenario has gathered some steam toward the end of 2011, as reflected in the relatively better hiring plans of companies.

The experts, as well as different surveys, are projecting a slower pace of hiring activities in the country in the New Year, but said India would still fare better than its global peers.

However, apprehensions are high that the economic slowdown and declining industrial output could seriously affect the hiring plans of corporates, experts said.

"Although there will be a variation in employment generation outlook across sectors, new jobs will continue to be added, but at a slower pace," global HR consultancy Ma Foi Randstad MD and CEO E Balaji said.

"The global economic uncertainty has impacted the Indian market, in spite of the positive sentiments displayed at the beginning of 2011," he noted.

In the coming months, recruitment is expected to grow in sectors such as retail, healthcare and IT and ITeS, defence, hospitality, consumer durable and nuclear energy.

Global human resources major Hay Group's India Managing Director, Gaurav Lahiri, believes that India, to some extent, is insulated from layoffs happening in the developed world.

"The Indian employment market is cautiously optimistic," Lahiri said

As per Hay Group, India may see low double-digit salary hikes of as much as 12 per cent across various levels in 2012.

This would be slightly better than the average pay increase of about 11 per cent in 2011.

However, HR experts tracking various sectors feel there will be a slowdown in recruitment activity in the coming months.

Though most companies are unlikely to trim their headcount, as has been the case in many other countries, new hiring could be put on hold, at least in some segments.

Staffing solutions company TeamLease Services' Senior Vice-President and Co-Founder Sangeeta Lala said new job creation over the past six months has declined by 15 per cent from the year-ago levels, mainly in sales and customer services.

The uncertain economic environment and a perceived policy paralysis have also dampened the consumer sentiment and are affecting new job offers.

The sectors where new job creation has been adversely affected include FMCG, sales, customer service operations, insurance and telecom.

Ma Foi Randstad said in a report in October that there was a shortfall of 2,29,500 jobs, as against the prediction of 1.6 million made at the beginning of 2011.

However, experts believe that the healthy growth rate of the Indian economy at 7-8 per cent presents "hope" for the domestic job market.

"... Today companies are more serious about getting the right talent... many are looking for lesser number but more impactful people," Lahiri said.

The Indian hiring landscape, however, has a serious drawback - talent shortage - as a significant number of people are either "unemployable" or inadequately skilled, largely due to the mismatch between the requirements of the industry and the education provided in colleges and management schools.

Experts believe organisations should ensure adequate in-house training or a tie-up with academic institutions to train their existing staff to fill the gap.

"Businesses should espouse a long-term approach to ensure they have the talent that is required to achieve their targets by ensuring adequate in-house training or tie-up with academic institutions to either train staff across levels," Balaji said. — PTI 

In 2011 IT, ITes and BPO have been the most active sectors amongst other competitive or hiring sectors. In the coming times information technology (IT), retail, healthcare, education, banking, financial services, insurance and energy seem to witness a high percentage of hiring.

— Yogesh Bansal, Founder and CEO, ApnaCircle.com

  HR trends that rocked

It has been a year of enlightenment as far as HR measures adopted by companies across the board are concerned. This year HR discovered different data points along with the integration of technology. The HR domain not only gained new insights from data but also boosted company wide communication for a better employee experience. J&C brings you some trends that rocked in 2011 as companies donned an employee-friendly mantle:

recruitment trends 2012
Power & automobile sectors in positive mode

Power and automobile sectors are among the sectors that will be looking to consolidate their work force substantially in 2012. "The hiring trends in the power sector have immense job openings in both private and public sector as there is a huge demand-supply gap of talent in this sector", says Vinay Grover, CEO, Symbiosis Management consultants, an executive search firm. Besides the core technical/engineering skills, the power sector requires people in varied functions like investment analysis, risk, project finance as well as other commercial and support functions. For technical positions, a diploma/degree in engineering (mechanical, electrical or civil) is required. However, fresh engineers need to undergo specialised training to adapt to the technical requirements of the industry. The industry offers excellent remuneration and benefits, besides the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the country.

Automobile sector

The much-neglected automobile industry has finally paved its way to becoming a global powerhouse, with the hiring trends significantly improving in this sector. With manufacturing facilities progressing in the automobile sector, the recruitment trends too have changed significantly. Delhi, Pune and Chennai remain major manufacturing hubs that offer promising employment opportunities. Also the recently revealed half yearly report in the auto sector stated that 70 per cent of recruiters in this sector admit to facing a talent crunch when hiring employees and 54 per cent feel it is difficult to get talent with four to eight years of experience. Speaking on increments given this year, 47 per cent of the recruiters said the hike was in the range of 15 to 20 per cent.

"The competitiveness in the auto sector is due to changes in technological processes which create more job vacancies in various departments of this sector. This sector has a huge demand for skilled workers and the forecast reveals that there will be 5 million automotive jobs in the next five years", says Grover. 

Boom time for R&D 

With global companies shifting their R&D base to India to achieve greater cost-efficiency and domestic firms increasing their spending on these activities, experts feel hiring in the segment will increase by up to 20 per cent in 2012 vis-a-vis the current year.

“Total global spending on research and development (R&D) is anticipated to increase by 3.6 per cent. With this, the momentum in the hiring has gone up”, says Elixir Consulting Executive Director Kanika Vaswani.

“With India becoming a destination of choice due to its cost-competitiveness, hiring by multinational companies is at an all-time high. There is a talent war for engineers and technical professionals”, she said.

The country is an emerging destination for auto R&D, with companies like Renault-Nissan, Maruti Suzuki and Honda pressing ahead with plans to set up centres in 2011 and 2012. In addition, pharmaceuticals and auto R&D have been hiring steadily, while other segments like defence recently increased hiring, she said.

Talking about pay packages, she said in the R&D space, pharma and defence are the better-paying sectors.

Echoing the view, Executive Search Firm Symbiosis Management Consultants CEO Vinay Grover said R&D is witnessing large investment not only by MNCs, but domestic players as well.

"India, positioned as a land with plenty of talent pool at a low cost, has gained the attention of MNCs. In domestic companies, pharma and automobile have realised that in their ambition to globalise their operations, they have no recourse but to spend on R&D," he said.

Despite the lull in hiring in most sectors, R&D recruitment is on an upward trajectory and is expected to increase by 15-20 per cent in 2012, he added.

The positive trend in R&D hiring started picking up in 2010 and peaked in 2011 and is expected to continue through 2012, he said.

"The hiring is on at all levels - junior, middle and senior. There are a lot of positions available at the levels of technology manager and programme manager that can go to the level of director," he said, adding that IT and healthcare are among the highest paying sectors for R&D professionals. — PTI

career compass
Milking SUCCESS

If you have a scientific bent and are looking for a career away from the hurly-burly of urban life, then dairy technology can be an attractive proposition, says Zubin Malhotra

India is the world's largest producer of milk (92 m tonnes p.a.). Livestock and dairy farming and processing, are two of the fastest growing agricultural sectors in the country today. In fact, milk is the single largest commodity contributing to our GDP. Without doubt, dairying plays a major role in India's agro-based economy. India enjoys a distinct locational advantage in the international market.

The spectacular growth of the dairy sector, which includes the dairy-processing industry and related fields, has churned up a plethora of career opportunities. With nearly 600 big and small dairy plants owned by private companies and dairy federations, there is a growing requirement for qualified and well-trained professionals.

There are two main areas of activity in this industry:

Production

This includes the key task of obtaining milk — as also breeding and rearing high-yielding cattle. Dairy and veterinary scientists are best suited for such jobs. Appointed as procurement officers, they visit villages to talk to farmers and persuade them to sell milk.

After the cattle is sourced and selected, housing and feeding them, overseeing dairy hygiene, supervising the milking process and monitoring the processing and sale of dairy products. Incidentally, India also has the largest cattle population (some 20 recognised breeds) in the world. It's another matter that despite being the world's largest milk producer, our yield per animal is relatively low. Even Punjab which surpasses the national average, faces a major challenge in terms of increasing its yield.

Dairy scientists conduct experiments to determine the effects of different kinds of feed and environmental conditions on the quantity, quality and nutritive value of the yield. They constantly seek to improve animal breeding, feeding and management techniques.

Processing

Dairy processing entails handling milk for distribution, and converting it into dairy products. The work normally begins after the milk has reached the plant where it is converted into a variety of dairy products, such as ghee, butter, cheese, chocolate, ice cream, whey, powdered milk, yoghurt, mithai, whey powder and other byproducts which serve as raw material for a wide range of other industries.

Job profile

Fresh graduates in dairy technology are usually recruited as trainees and shift officers in dairy plants. Traditional dairy products need to be innovatively processed and packaged to cater to the growing consumption.

Apart from this, they constantly work at improving methods of producing, preserving and utilising milk, and milk products. Research and Development is another crucial area for the industry.

Quality control departments in the food processing industry also recruit dairy technologists. As in any other scientific job, good observation and an eye for detail are essential.

Opportunities

While dairy engineers set up and maintain dairy plants, marketing personnel handle the marketing and sale of milk and milk products. They too require some knowledge of the field, including the technical aspects. A dairy manager generally combines administrative work with practice in his day-to-day work. His job includes recruiting the staff, supervising the overall work in the dairy, taking decisions about procuring feed, livestock machinery and overseeing the marketing of the produce. In large dairies, specialist managers are in-charge of different sections.

A fairly large number of dairy technologists start their own business such as small-scale milk plants, creamery, ice-cream manufacturing units etc or work as consultants. The latter however, need several years of experience in the field.

Besides dairy and poultry farming, there are several career avenues within the broad ambit of agriculture — ranging from farm and cooperatives management to related areas like horticulture and rural banking.

The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), a multi-locational organisation involved in planning, implementing, financing and supporting farmer-owned professional agri-businesses is the core PSU in this field, but almost every State is cloning Amul's “cooperative” success.

With the presence of multinationals like Nestle, Cadburys, Kelloggs, Unilever (HUL), Walls, Heinz, and Perfetti Van Melle in the Indian market, employment opportunities as well as salaries have escalated. Both, milk co-operatives and federations like Mother Dairy, Amul, Parag, Vijaya and Milkfed (Verka), and private enterprises such as Milkfood, Dalmia, Dabur, Britannia, Vadilal, are actively modernising and diversifying their operations and exploring non-traditional channels to boost demand.

In addition to dairy product manufacturing, specialists are required in marketing, logistics & distribution, and research in both the public and private sectors.

So all in all, for young people looking at a career away from the hurly-burly of urban life, this could be an attractive proposition.

Personality traits

Anyone wishing to enter this profession must possess a scientific bent of mind and willingness to experiment and innovate. To that add loads of patience, especially if you are interested in R&D, willingness to roll-up your sleeves and work with your hands, ability to handle workers tactfully, effective communication skills as your ideas and directions will have to be effectively communicated to those who will be actually executing the task.

Technical qualifications apart, you must have relevant knowledge of agriculture, economics, animal husbandry, chemistry, mechanics and bacteriology. Moreover, you need to be adept at managing a farm, as this constitutes the major part of the job. In fact, Dairy technologists are trained and work more as dairy managers.

Although some dairies are based in large cities, a majority of them are located either in the outskirts of large cities or in the countryside, so this is a job for those who don't mind staying in rural environs. — The writer is career coach at CARING

Course CHAT
Course on Urban India & Environmental Sustainability

The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is going to start a short course on "Urban India & Environmental Sustainability" in order to help students and working professionals to identify and address key issues of environmental sustainability that Indian cities are facing currently. It will also serve as a platform for participants to discuss their own approaches to sustainability, and grapple with challenges that they face in their own practice.

The five-day interdisciplinary short course aims to introduce and educate working professionals and students to major challenges faced by key sectors like transportation, energy, water and sanitation and construction, with emphasis on how issues of environmental sustainability interface with those of inclusion and poverty. Further, the classroom sessions will be supplemented by opportunities for experiential learning such as city walks and field-based assignments, helping participants to ground concepts and theories in Indian reality.

Undergraduates, postgraduates, and working professionals with less than five years of experience from all disciplines can enrol for the course. Participants will be selected through a two-stage screening procedure comprising the admission form and an interview, if required. The course fee for working professionals is Rs 10,000 and for students currently pursuing their graduate or post-graduate studies, it is Rs 6,000.

Date: 6th January - 10th January, 2012

Scheduled Time: 9 am - 5:30pm

Location: Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), 803/808 Surya Kiran

19 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001

How to Apply: Applicants are required to fill in and e-mail their applications to admissions@iihs.ac.in Forms can be downloaded from the IIHS website. Participants will be selected through a two-stage screening procedure comprising this form and an interview, if applicable.

Website:http://www.iihs.co.in/programmes/pwp/uies/
uies-jan12/

Happiness @ work
Gems of ancient wisdom
A reminder doesn’t hurt

Each one of us has to take care of so many things. So send a reminder if you think someone has forgotten about an important assignment.

The rains were over and the search for Sita had not begun. Vaanara King Sugriva was enjoying royal riches and wine in the company of women. Sensing this, Rama sent a grim reminder through Lakshman.

As a result of a curse by a sage whom Hanuman had tormented in his childhood, Hanuman had forgotten about his immense strength. The grand old bear Jambavan reminded him of it when it was needed that he jumped over to Lanka in search of Sita.

Arjuna and Bhima thought too much of their military skills without thinking that victory wouldn’t come without vanquishing the likes of Bhishma, Drona, Karna and Duryodhana. While Shiva, in the form of a tribal warrior, reminded Arjuna of his limitations, Hanuman, in the guise of an old monkey, did the same for Bhima.

As his desire to seek God was intense, Paramahansa Yogananda joined an ashram as soon as he completed his secondary school education. But his guru Swami Yukteswar Giri, who had an ashram in Serampore, near Calcutta, told him to get a university degree. “Westerners will only be receptive to you if you are qualified,” he reasoned.

Sadhu Vaswani, at the tender age of six, resolved not to have meat. Despite having conveyed it clearly to his mother, she served his meat one day. He reminded her of his vow and said, “How can I eat the flesh of animals who are my brothers?”

Due to a curse by sage Durvasa, King Dushyant forgot about his wife Shakuntala. After he had sent her away, a fisherman gave Dushyant a ring that the king had given to Shakuntala during their marriage which Shakuntala had lost in the river. Thus reminded, the couple was reunited.

One day in Khadur, Lehna heard his neighbour Bhai Jodha recite Guru Nanak’s Mool Mantra. Soon, he was on his way to meet the guru who christened him Angad and made him his successor.

It was believed that Varanasi was the gateway to heaven as Maghar was to hell. To break this superstition, Kabir decided to leave Varanasi, go to Maghar and die there. “When Rama resides in one’s heart, Varanasi or Maghar make no difference,” he reasoned.

To explain the omnipresence of God, Shirdi Sai Baba thanked Mrs Tarkhad, a lady from Bombay, for feeding him. She was surprised as she never had Baba as her guest. He explained, “Mother, today you fed a hungry dog. As all creation is in me, you actually fed me.”

To forget is human, to remind is divine!

— Sai R. Vaidyanathan

The writer can be contacted at svaidyanathan@tribunemail.com

Fortnightly Quiz-403

1. In which year did King George V take the decision to shift India’s capital from Calcutta to Delhi?

2. How many years ago did Bangladesh come into being?

3. To which country did leader Kim Jong-IL belong?

4. When was Goa liberated from the Portugese rule?

5. In which year did the Bhopal gas tragedy, known as the world’s worst industrial disaster, take place?

6. Name former dissident playwright and Czech President who led the bloodless ‘Velvet Revolution’.

7. Who has served four terms as Chief Minister of Punjab?

8. Which butterfly shaped gland in the body is considered the master gland of metabolism?

9. Name the first Indian superhero created by comic legend Stan Lee, the driving force behind some of the world’s popular comic book heroes like Super Man, X-Man, Thor and Fantastic Four.

10. How many times has India won a cricket Test series in Australia?

— Tarun Sharma

Winners of quiz 402: The first prize by draw of lots goes to Ravnish Kumar, class 10-A, Dayanand Model School, Model Town, Jalandhar, Pin Code – 144003

Second: Vareyam Singh Bhogal, class VII, Alpine Public School, near NM College, opposite Mehak Hotel, Mansa, Pin Code – 151505

Third: Parag Rehani, class IX-B, SAV Jain Day Boarding School, Una Road, Hoshiarpur, Pin Code – 146001

Answers to quiz 402: Virender Sehwag; Kepler 22-b; Dev Anand; Australia; Mario Miranda; Honda (Japan);70; Dominique Lapierre; Ballon d’Or; 418/5 against West Indies

Cash awards of Rs 400, 300 and 200 are given to the first, second and third prize winners, respectively. These are sent at the school address.

Note: Kindly mention the pincode of your place on the letter/postcard to facilitate the delivery of the prize money.

Answers can also be sent at quiz@tribunemail.com

Name ………….…………........................................

Class………….......….…….....................................

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