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Is it woman’s day?
Career Hotline
Scholarship roundup
Cool Counsel
Stepping beyond stereotypes
Course cruising
Women @work
Happier workers
Happiness @ work
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Is it woman’s day?
Women may be joining the workforce in increasing numbers, yet gender discrimination prevails. What is the reality of a working woman’s life in India? Are their different rules for men and women even as they work together?
Geetu Vaid finds out what leading professionals have to say Do women workers have to put in extra effort to prove their worth? “Initially women do face a barrier due to stereotypical perceptions but once colleagues or clients become comfortable with your work then it is not an issue and could in fact even become an advantage. Women have to make a conscious effort not to prove their worth but to ask for what they deserve. Statistically it has been seen that women are often less assertive about asking their superiors for a promotion so even the women who have proven their worth have lower compensation because they did not ask for it. My advice to young women is don't try to emulate other men try to find your own strengths as a woman and build on those, that is what will make you stand out. — Ms. Nisha Berlia, Member Management Board, Apeejay Stya and Svran group “I can recall a time when I started my career that there were hints of certain apprehensions when one had to make a presentation or deliver an assignment because it was being done by a woman. But things have changed a lot since then. The IT industry is a very open industry and there is hardly any gender discrimination. If you are good at your work and put in your 100 per cent then there is no way you are going to lose out on career progression because of being a woman. But yes, as working women have to juggle so many roles they sure have to put in extra effort than men to stay in competition and to climb on the career ladder”. — Sheela Mohan, Vice President, Travel, Transportation and Logistics, Operations and Delivery Head, HCL Technologies “Women executives two decades back had to put in extra efforts to create a place for themselves in a male-dominated industry. However, today they have earned their rightful respectable position in the industry. With over 2 decades in the real estate industry, primarily a male-dominated field I feel that a lot of change has come in the over all perception of working women. Women particularly in areas involving rlationships, creativity and aministration have outshone their male counterparts. They were literally flying without a net, and turned fear of change, into fuel for success. — Ananta Singh Raghuvanshi, Director-Sales and Marketing at DLF India
Ltd “Currently there is a huge shortage of talent in Industry and this is certainly an employee's market. However, nothing is ever offered on a platter to anyone in the corporate world. People who have been successful and innovative over the long run have reached there with hard work, determination and adaptability. I have worked in various companies, including an NGO to Wall Street. We are fortunate to be in a country where many leaders of the nation are powerful women. In my personal experience your own insecurities are what hinder your growth the most. If you think like an underdog you will remain an underdog, if you think like a winner eventually you will become a winner”.
— Ms. Nisha Berlia, M ember Management Board, Apeejay Stya and Svran group Most definitely yes in the PR industry. Most firms provide flexibilities to retain their key women talent and enable them to manage their family responsibilities better and if someone can find a way to manage the two well and give their job roles their best shot, it could be a mutual win-win for both the firm and her. — Sumathi M Chari, Head-Strategy and Planning, PRHUB Intergrated Marketing Pvt Ltd. “As far as the field of academics is concerned there is absolutely no difference in the opportunities that women have. In this field the academic excellence and personal competence matter the most and the so called glass ceiling is not a stark reality here. That's one reason why so many women have excelled in academics”. — Priya Rajiv, Associate Professor, Loyola Institute of Business Administration “Working women do face certain challenges like managing the family and work at the same time, but so do men. These issues are all resolvable. The answers lie in finding the Right Work-Life Balance, Right Prioritization, Strong Family Support System, Leveraging Technology and most of all getting driven by Passion. If you have the passion for work and for your family, you can balance both well. All successful working women act as the source of inspiration for all of us. We should always remember, cherish and be confident about what we, women bring to the table as differentiated values. We should never copy men to be equal or beyond. — SONALI KAUSHIK, spokesperson Schneider Electric
In your career did you feel at any time that you were sidestepped just because you were a woman? “It has been a mixed journey. Yes, there are instances where I have faced such situations, but I was determined to overcome the odds. I always do my homework and background work prior to any interaction that may have such a possibility and am able to anticipate situations. There is no short cut to success and if I am sidestepped, then I should not take shelter of gender bias. Also, on a positive note there have been several instances,wherein I have had the privilege of being extra attention and respect, simply because I am a woman. — Mili Majumdar, Director Sustainable Habitats TERI No I never felt that I was sidestepped at the work place because of my gender. A large part of networking, however, happens outside the workplace which becomes more tricky. For example if all your colleagues who are male decide to go for night out after work and stay late as a woman due to social norms/safety especially in India you may not be able to join them. — Nisha Berlia, M ember Management Board, Apeejay Stya and Svran group
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What qualification is required to join private sector banks?
Pervin Malhotra email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com... Q. I want to join a private -sector bank. Kindly tell me about the required qualifications for this. Do these banks offer same prospects as the public- sector banks? —Akhil Mehra A. Private sector banks are amongst the most aggressive recruiters as they go on a major expansion spree, opening up over a large number of vacancies. Several banks are on a hiring binge to support fresh business plans and expand their branch network. Private banks like the ICICI Bank, HSBC, Yes Bank, Federal Bank, South Indian Bank have been recruiting actively in the early part of 2012. Some banks even hire agriculture graduates to boost their agri-sector lending. Private banking is expanding at a rapid pace. Typically, a good MBA degree or a CA with excellent communication skills is the desired qualification for challenging jobs in marketing, financial consulting, bank operations and management in these competitive new-generation banks. The routine back-office jobs are increasingly outsourced. Some international banks recruit fresh graduates with good communication skills and the ability to handle numerical data for their subsidiaries which serve as global support centres for processing their trade and cash management transactions in their branches all over the world. Banking has undergone rapid transformation due to globalisation of financial markets and computerisation of operations (phone-banking, internet banking, mobile payments, etc). There is tremendous competition to come up with innovative customer friendly schemes. While private banks are augmenting their network of branches, the public sector banks are also expanding their branches to semi-urban and rural areas while yet others are foraying into phone-banking and internet- banking. Besides an element of job security, banks offer good packages and annual increments. However, apart from numerical ability, you need to be computer savvy for all bank jobs. Wide vista of choice
Q. Our elder son is in Class XI now. He has opted for the science stream. I want to know what career path he can take other than engineering as he is not much interested in engineering. Please suggest some courses he can opt for. A.For those studying science (non-medical) are truly spoilt for choice. Apart from engineering, their combination of subjects (Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Economics or Computers) makes them eligible for courses across in the sciences, commerce, finance and management. Moreover, they are also free to pursue just about any other profession open to the students of humanities and arts - a truly mind-boggling choice of nearly 2000-plus career options A brief list of careers in various areas include Armed Forces (all 3 branches), Pilot, Architecture, courses in pure, physical and applied sciences; computers and IT, maths and statistics, actuarial science, law, hotel management, mass communication, commerce and management (BBA, BCom, etc), economics, CA / CS / CWA and even courses in designing, if he so chooses. Now is the ideal opportunity for you and your son to together explore different careers, their academic requirements and future prospects. Course selection is the first of many critical career-related decisions that you will make. A career choice must be made after factoring in an individual's unique combination of interests, personality, and abilities (hard and soft skills). Do take a reliable aptitude/personality test to help identify the fields that are most suited for your son. I have an excellent one which you could take if you wish. Just send a blank email to testcaring@gmail.com and I'll mail you the details.
Eligibility percentage lowered for BEd course
Q. Is it true that 50 per cent marks in graduation are no longer required for admission to BEd courses?
— Shweta Singh A. As per an August 2011 notification issued in the Gazette of India, the National Council for Teachers Education
(NCTE) has revised norms for admission and recruitment in BEd colleges, lowering the eligibility marks for the course from 50 to 45 per cent in graduation. I hope you are aware, that after completing your
BEd, you will need to appear and clear the Teacher Eligibility Test, to be eligible for recruitment as a teacher. The TET has separate papers for those wanting to teach classes 1 - 5 and class 6 - 8. You can give both papers. Each paper is of 90-minute duration consisting of 150 questions in MCQ format. You need to score 60% (90 marks) in order to "pass".
Getting into civil services
Q. I am in Class XI right now. I want to become an IAS officer. I have interest in social science and maths. How should
I prepare and what course should I choose in graduation to help me reach my dream career? How should I study to crack the
Prelims? — Prashant Singhi A. It's so wonderful that you are focused about your career at a relatively young age! In a move to select civil servants with the right aptitude, the UPSC has changed the syllabus and pattern of the Preliminary exam which will be known as Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT). CS aspirants will now appear for two compulsory papers of 200 marks each (instead of choosing an optional paper, as was the case so far). Paper I: Includes current events of national and international importance.. Paper II: Comprises questions on comprehension, interpersonal skills, including communication skills, logical reasoning and analytical ability etc. At the preparation level, the aptitude test would require a lot of practice. Candidates will need to focus on English language and General Awareness, and at the same time prepare and practice more on questions of reasoning and mental ability. You will have to study the detailed syllabus to get a better idea. Luckily for you, there's sufficient time. I suggest you pursue a broad course of study: e.g. BA (Eco), BCom (Hon), BBE or even BA/BSc (Maths) and hone your general knowledge and awareness which will help you in the CS exams as well as in any other field of study which you may feel like pursuing subsequently.
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Scholarship roundup
Scotland's Saltire Scholarships (SSS) is a substantial programme of scholarships, offered on a matched funding basis between the Government and Scottish higher education institutions. The scholarships are designed to support the promotion of Scotland as a learning nation and a science nation and are, therefore, targeted at the priority sectors of creative industries, life sciences, technology, financial services and renewable and clean energy). These are available across key priority countries: Canada, China, India and USA.
Eligibility: Scholarships are now open to students at undergraduate and post graduate level. What's on offer: The scheme offers up to 200 awards, each worth £2000. These are towards the tuition fees, for any one year of study, on an undergraduate, master's or PhD course at any of Scotland's higher education institutions . Deadline: June 1, 2012. Check out:
http://www.talentscotland.com/Students/Study/Scholarships/
Saltire-Scholarships.aspx
Research opportunity
The IITB-Monash Research Academy, a partnership between the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay
(IITB) and Monash University, Melbourne (Australia) has designed a jointly-badged PhD programme in which students can undertake interdisciplinary research in several thematic areas that focuses on the fields of science, technology and engineering. The Academy's June 2012 intakewill focus on attracting top students to work in areas of applied research sponsored by industrial partners. Selected candidates will receive a generous scholarship Eligibility: Candidates with a first class masters degree in engineering or science from a reputed university or a bachelor’s/master’s degree (with a high GPA) from the
IITs, NITs or BITS. Deadline: April 4, 2012. Check out: www.iitbmonash.org or email to
students@iitbmonash.org
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Patience pays
D. C. Sharma... Q. My son is soon going to have his final exams. But he is not serious and continues playing games and watching TV. We force him time and again not to do so, but he is adamant. My husband often gets angry as we intend to correct him. Kindly suggest. — Ankita Vermani A. Your intention of trying to "mend" your son is a wrong approach. You may find my suggestion odd, yet psychologically it is the only constructive approach. Instead of 'mending' your son, you as parents have to understand the truth. Forcing him and that too during the examination days can boomerang. Actually it is you who need 'mending'. As your son is playing and watching TV as usual, there is nothing wrong in it. He is used to doing all this. His playing games and watching the TV as usual refreshes him like any other hobby. That way he can study well after such activities. Any interference from your side asking him to change his lifestyle because the exams are approaching can prove hazardous. Your husband's attitude of getting angry is a wrong reaction. During exam days the child needs your emotional support rather than your rebukes. Instead of getting angry, your husband should rather pat and encourage him so that he studies with more focus and concentration. Prove yourself a kind mother. You must mould your husband too, encouraging him to be affectionate towards your son so that he studies with a cool calculated mind. If your son himself partially skips playing games or watching TV sometimes, let him do so, but don't compel him to do as you want. Keep your focus sharp
Q. What is the best method of learning lessons for exams? Is there some study strategy or memory improvement method to do well in a test?
— Deepti Arora A. Preparing well for exams requires
time management, note taking, and learning with a sharp focus. You will do well if you work smarter instead of working harder. Memories are neural traces created in the brain. If you don't actively create long-term memories you quickly forget what you learn. So first of all understand something with intention and attention. This is called registration. Then consciously decide to remember that. This is called retention. And the third stage is recall. This means you must revise what you have learnt. Don’t let stress scare you
Q. I tend to forget whatever I study and this is happening to me frequently now with examination time approaching. Some of my friends tell me that they are doing well. I feel worried as I am more intelligent than my friends but I tend to forget lessons at the time of exams. I fear they would beat me in merit. What should I do?
— Gaurav Sachdeva A. Such negative feelings of having forgotten what you have learnt occur because of the stress caused by the approaching exams. This stress attacks with more intensity when your friends tell you that they are doing well. Because you are more intelligent than your friends, therefore, you think more with a sharp focus, but what you think is that you have forgotten what you have learnt. The more you think that way the more tense you get. You have to reverse this thought process. Instead of thinking and feeling that what you have learnt you have forgotten, now simply think and feel that what you have learnt you clearly remember. The moment the negative thought of forgetting comes to your mind, immediately counter that simply with this sentence with intense feelings as if in a singing mood: "whatever I have learnt I clearly remember." As you go on doing this, the negative feeling of having forgotten what you have learnt will leave you forever with a practice of a few days. Never think negatively even when your friends tell you that what they have learnt they always remember. You will be surprised to know that they too have such negative feeling which they in fact cloak and appear very confident.
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Stepping beyond stereotypes
Till a few years back an Indian woman, even a working Indian woman, would almost always have moved from her parents' house to her husband's. Perhaps her only freedom would be during college, when she might live on campus or take a room for a year or two at what is known here as the working women's hostel. But now things have changed a lot and the changes are the sharpest in the lives of women who have found a footing in the new economy and who are for the most part middle-class, college-educated professionals exploring jobs that simply did not exist a generation ago. Women are not just working in conventional jobs but going all out to be who they want to be. They are not afraid to try out new things either. Some of such unconventional careers opted by women are as Development engineer, underwater filmmaker/photographer, OTR drivers, bus conductors. High-technology workers and fashion designers, aerobics instructors and radio D.J.'s, these women in their 20s are living independently for the first time, far from their families. Many are deferring marriage for a year or two, maybe more, while they make money and live lives that their mothers could not have dreamed of. Here are a few off beat career paths and the women who have made a mark for themselves in these:
Spin the groove 'If music be the food of love then play on', said Shakespeare and in the 21st century playing music is big business. Bodies gyrating in a trance induced by strobe lights, lasers and the music belted out by the person behind the console. Disc jockeying which was considered to be a male bastion primarily because of its association with party frenzy, is now getting its "fair" share of maidens who are getting into the groove. Doing this with an élan is Barkha Kaul who was into modeling before trying her hand at DJing. Though she feels being a girl DJ sometimes becomes difficult as Indians are still not very aware of the idea and finds modelling to be a much easier job as "in this profession you become totally nocturnal. But this is compensated by the fact that you are earning money from what you like doing". And sharing her mantra of success she says," To succeed in this profession one needs to be focused and patient".
Best foot forward
The first impression can go awfully wrong if the person is wearing the kind of shoes that don't suit his or her personality. And it is no secret that attractive footwear can make any woman go week in the knees and who knows a woman's mind and choice better than a woman so the field of footwear design is now attracting many design-oriented women. And in this career you literally have the world at your feet as shoes are a fashion statement created by footwear designers. Sanjana, who has her own label Fiddaa, says about this profession, "There are many challenges like people's likes, dislikes, sizes and the quality of the final product. The production is not under one's control as workers follow their own mind and reminding them to adhere to your taste is imperative. But the creative satisfaction is immense and the money too is good in this field."
Chocolate gurus
By chocolatiers one does not mean your friendly neighbourhood aunty who occasionally dabbles in homemade chocolates. That is how, sadly, most people understand the fine art of chocolate making in India. But in reality it requires both creativity and specialised knowledge. Today's modern educated and widely traveled woman has pushed up the demand for high quality chocolates in their home cities. Despite the optimism and great scope there are only a few trained professions in this field. The primary reason is the absence of decent courses in India. Unconventional fields ranging from shoe design and illustration to adventure sports and make-up art offer immense creative and pecuniary possibilities. This 2012 has lap full of new professional experiences for women. So go and start your career with such wonderful and offbeat careers.
In fine spirits Women's participation in the wine industry has created a new opportunity for them. More and more women are working in the wine industry, and are rising to the top of the ranks. Women are making inroads into all aspects of the wine industry and are becoming wine owners, sommeliers, writers, educator, winemakers, and vineyard managers. These women are shaping a future of wine industry. Nowadays, the number of women drinkers is also increasing and this has increased the consumer markets and greatly increased industry profits. Smart marketers are using feminine images to attract female drinkers. What better strategy to market wine than to promote women winemakers who would promote wine for women or, for that matter, men. Oenophiles in the new millennium now interact with women who manage tasting rooms, serve as vineyard consultants and workers, sell wine at the retail and wholesale level write about wine, teach about viniculture and viticulture at colleges and universities, serve as winemakers and own wineries. Most five-star hotels and restaurants these days boast of a wine consultant, but the fact of the matter remains that competency in this field is still rare. One reason could be the lack of institutes in India. Most of the professional sommeliers in India have gone abroad for training. Institute of Wine and Beverages Studies (IWBS) is first of its kind. Kavita Faiella, Sommelier and wine writer is a known name in this field in India and abroad. She was training in medicine when she travelled to Italy. The culture, food and most importantly their wine enchanted her so much that she changed tracks and decided to become a sommelier or a wine steward. Today, she is one of the 65 master sommeliers in the world. She has worked in Australia, Maldives, Thailand and is currently the cellar master at Aman, New Delhi.
First hand Nisha Berlia Wrap it up
The days when you could just gift wrap at home are over. No longer will a clumsy packing do. Today, chocolates are swathed in pink organza and candles are bundled in ropes of pearls. All thanks to a new, growing breed of gift designers. For all those who like working with ribbons, fabrics, crystals and flowers, gift packing is a fresh and innovative career option. Shalini Beriwal is a well established name in this field. While sharing the highs of this career field she says, "There was a plethora of challenges involved when I started in 1995 in Kanpur. In those days, it was unorganised and there was absolutely no market for my products. Nobody really thought of the concepts or ideated over gift packing. Women mostly did it as a hobby and not as a professional career. People thought I was a nutcase for doing this. Getting raw material was another headache. Now, the times are much better. There are many gift wrapping boutiques and, therefore, plenty of opportunities", says Beriwal who started her creative packaging venture Magnificence and is now also running an institute to train those wanting to enter this "gifted" field.
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Fashioning business acumen
Certificate programme in Setting up Fashion Business: This short-term certificate programme in Fashion Business Management prepares students to meet the challenges faced while setting-up a fashion business. It has been especially designed to match the domestic and global trends and standards under strict consultation with senior professionals from fashion and retail. Certificate Programme in Strategic Fashion and Luxury Retailing (SFLR): It is an intensive 200-hour classroom-based programme in Fashion and Luxury retail management especially designed with Indian retail organisations' requirements in mind. Start off:
Mid March, 2012 Duration: 6 months Fee: Rs 2.5 lakh Eligibility:
A bachelor's degree or an equivalent qualification in any discipline with minimum 2-4 years of full-time work experience as on date of submitting the application form. Selection Criteria:
Duration and the quality of work experience with the commitment and passion to work in a retail sector, accomplishments and professional success. Application Deadline:
March 15 Check out: www.iamindia.in
For wizards of maths
The course: The programme is centered on a coherent framework of study and incorporates flexibility so that there is ample opportunity to choose topics of special interest, including, for example, a number of actuarial modules. Duration:
The programme is delivered on a semester (14 week) pattern. It requires three years of full-time study, and may lead to a BSc Honors degree in MORSE. Selection procedure:
Applicants with a strong academic background and a clear commitment to mathematics will be considered for an offer based on the quality of their UCAS application. Last date:
June 30, 2012. Fee: £11,600. Check out:
http://www.southampton.ac.uk/maths/undergraduate/courses/gl12_morse. page .
Qualitative training in food technology
Programme:
Quality Issues in Meat and Poultry Processing Sector. Eligibility: Entrepreneurs/ Product Development Managers/ Meat and Poultry Processing Managers/ Marketing Manager/ Meat and Poultry Exporters/ Researchers/ Academicians/Students/ Representatives of entire Meat and Poultry Processing Industry
Value Chain
Programme: Understanding and Implementing GMPIGHP as per Licensing Regulations Eligibility:
Entrepreneurs/ Managers/ Exporters/Policy Makers/ Members of Certification & Inspection Bodies Details:
The above mentioned training programmes will be organised at NIFTEM Campus, Kundli (NCR). Only 25 participants will be admitted to each course. Deadline:
March 24, 2012 Fee: Rs 8,500 (Residential) or Rs 7000 (Non-Residential) Check out:
www.niftem.ac.in
— TNS
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Policy pavers
India Inc is no longer cold to the woman power that has become an important feature of corporates across the board. With the growing acceptance of women in workplaces, the face of women friendly policies has also undergone a metamorphosis. With extended maternity leave, day care etc being the established norms, organisations are going an extra mile to make their policies more conducive to the needs of the women work force. On the occasion of Women's Day here's a lowdown on the bright bouquet that companies in India are adopting for empowering their female workforce as business transformers of the future: Career advancement
Mentoring women for future leadership roles has become an important part of the career advancement policies being followed by many organisations now. Mentoring helps women in identifying and enhancing skills. Mentoring also helps in boosting their morale, confidence and their ability to initiate changes or even respond to one; in a way they exposed to the challenges in the leadership roles. "HCL has a carefully tailored initiative to cater to the various needs of women for their growth and development through various training programmes and also offline networking platforms. TOPGUN is an institutionalised programme, where world class leaders are being nurtured, with the development charter being created which is high on action based learning, executive coaching and classroom", says Srimathi Shivashankar, Associate Vice-President, Diversity and Sustainability, HCL Technologies. Infosys, which is among the top employers in the world women-oriented mentoring policies are a highlight of HR measures in this regard. IWINTOR and IWIL are the two programmes designed with the objective of empowering women to take up leadership roles. IWINTOR is an exclusive mentoring programme for women employees designed to help them advance professionally and overcome personal barriers. It aims at creating a renewed sense of professional effectiveness, goal clarity and career development in the participating mentees. IWIL (Infosys Women in Leadership) has been designed in partnership with a premier business school in India for women in mid and senior management levels to groom them for leadership positions. Using the peer mentoring framework the program aims at fostering a sense of community and a platform for mutual learning.
Online networks
These intra-organisation networks provide opportunities for professional growth by enabling women workers to interact with mentors and seniors and sharing their work related achievements and issues. Thus sites featuring inspiring stories, exchange of ideas, discussions and debate on thought provoking subjects provide opportunities to build leadership skills through on-ground initiatives with industry leaders and peers from other organisations. HCL has a women-specific microsite hclwomen.com and work-life continuity blog site Blogher to enable women workers to learn, share and empower each other. is one such women-specific microsite which offers an opportunity for female workforce to learn, share and empower others. The company also has weekly WLB CHAT (work-life balance) sessions where women can come forward and discuss unofficial topics and exchange ideas. On the same lines Infosys has a gender-based affinity network IWIN (Infosys Women's Inclusivity Network to address needs specific to the development, engagement, growth and retention of women employees. There are also special forums like 'peer networking' and 'inspiring women series' which encourage women to take charge of their careers.
Women-sensitive policies
Companies now are more sensitive to the needs of women workers and support their advancement through multiple initiatives. Creating inclusive, safe and harassment free work place is the foremost concern. "As 47 per cent of Ajuba's workforce are women. We have designed our HR policies to meet the needs of our women employees" says Hema Parikh, Director- HR, Ajuba Solutions India Pvt Ltd. Her company has a full fledged health care and day care plan for women workers. Apart from support policies inclusive policies like child care sabbatical, part time policy, flexible working hour policy, satellite office, alternate career opportunities etc have been included in the workplace profile of companies in almost all industries
nowadays. — Compiled by Geetu Vaid
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Happier workers
Accenture conducted this global research study for release on International Women's Day to gain insight into behaviours and attitudes regarding women's careers. The research explores career satisfaction levels, aspirations and factors for career advancement. Besides factors that may hold professionals back from progressing in their careers, it tries to better understand the support and programs companies provide that attract, develop and retain high-performing employees. In November/December 2011, Accenture conducted an online survey of 3,900 business executives from medium to large organisations in 31 countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
— PTI The male order PROBLEM AREAS
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Happiness @ work In a unisex environment that workplaces are fast turning into, it is vital that carnal feelings don’t make an appearance in one’s speech and actions. An attack by the Mughals was imminent, so a message was sent to Joga Singh, who had gone to marry, to report for duty immediately. On the way from Peshawar to Anandpur Sahib, Joga spent the night at Hoshiarpur. There, he saw a dancing girl and was allured by her. As he tried to enter her house, a watchman stopped him. Joga made numerous attempts throughout the night but the watchman stood his ground. On arriving at Anandpur Sahib, Guru Gobind Singh looked at Joga sternly. Then, Joga realised that the watchman was none other than the guru himself. Freedom fighter Bagha Jatin Mukherji was a gentleman in deed. In 1905, during the procession of Prince of Wales in Calcutta, six Englishmen started troubling a young Indian woman who had come to witness the event. Jatin single-handedly knocked the sextet down. A similar incident happened during a train journey — this time with four British officers. The authorities decided not to register a case because the fact that one native had spanked so many well-trained British officers would demoralise the British and give a boost to the Indian freedom struggle. Later, when Jatin was arrested and tortured for the killing of police superintendent Samuel Alum, he uttered no word. So commissioner of police Tegart decided to bribe the patriot with riches, wine and women. On hearing this, Jatin roared and forced the Brits to shut up. When Razia Sultana, the only reigning Queen on the throne of Delhi, ascended the throne in the 13th century, she decided to appear in public without a veil. “As their ruler, I need to face my subjects,” declared Razia. In the sixth century, as Queen Mallika of Koshal had delivered a daughter, King Prasenjita was sad. On this, the Buddha said, “Woman is the greatest power on Earth. Is she not the mother of the Buddha?” The Manu Smriti says, “Gods don’t reside where women are not respected.” At a time when Mughal Emperor Humayun was busy with the siege of Chunar — where Sher Khan had rebelled, Humayun received a ‘rakhi’ from Rani Karmavati of Chittor. Attached along with was an SOS to save Chittor from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat. Leaving Chunar in the hands of Sher Khan, who had sworn loyalty, Humayun rushed to help Karmavati, but she had committed ‘jauhar’. On seeing the Mughal forces, Bahadur Shar fled from Chittor to Champaner to Cambay to Diu. Unfortunately, Sher Khan, who had crowned himself Shah by then, rebelled again and rendered Humayun homeless for the next 15 years. Be broadminded, not bod-minded. — Sai R. Vaidyanathan The writer can be contacted at svaidyanathan@tribunemail.com
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Women
may be joining the workforce in increasing numbers, yet gender discrimination
prevails. What is the reality of a working woman’s life in India? Are their
different rules for men and women even as they work together? Geetu Vaid finds
out what leading professionals have to say It surely is not the lack of talent
or even the drive to succeed and reach the top, but still with only 3 per cent
of the fortune 500 CEOs being women there seem to be certain barriers blocking
the growth of women in different fields. Recent studies by Catalyst (a non
profit organisation researching on opportunities for women) have shown that two
of the key barriers that women face more than men include: lack of key
relationships and a lack of role models.
feature of corporates across the board. With the growing acceptance of women in workplaces, the face of women friendly policies has also undergone a metamorphosis. With extended maternity leave, day care etc being the established norms, organisations are going an extra mile to make their policies more conducive to the needs of the women work force.
Photo: Pradeep Tiwari
The Institute of Apparel Management (IAM), Gurgaon, promoted by Apparel Export Promotion Council (AEPC) and sponsored by the Ministry of Textiles, has launched two innovative programmes: 
University of Southampton's School of Mathematics has launched BSc MORSE (Mathematics, Operational Research, Statistics and Economics) Programme and is inviting applications for the same. The programme will provide students with a broad-based programme covering topics in mathematics, operational research, statistics and economics. These different topics are related in that they all rely on using mathematical methods to formulate, model, analyse and solve a wide range of problems. 
Skill Development Division of The National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM), Kundli, Haryana, will conduct the following two short-term training programmes in pursuit of its strategic goals of capacity building and human resource development in the food processing sector. The training programmes are scheduled during March 27-29, 2012.
A new global research from Accenture, titled 'The Path Forward', has found that a greater number of women (40%) are satisfied with their current job and are not looking for new job opportunities as compared to men (28%). The research further reveals that 80% of the respondents in India stayed at their jobs longer than they may have otherwise because of a flexible work arrangement. Family responsibility is the most commonly cited reason to work a flexible work schedule.
In a release issued by the company, Rekha M. Menon, Executive Director - Geographic Services for Accenture in India and ASEAN said: "Companies across the globe are recognising employees' need for work-life balance and are devising various policies like flexible work options and telecommuting to assist employees in better balancing their lives. The study reveals that 28% of the respondents in India felt they had work-life balance all the time, which was highest among all countries."