I’m alive…

I thought It would be a long post  but guess what I have become Professional and so everything have to be in short

Almost after three months I am writing my post…so first thing first…some news from my side..I have joined my Organization n Induction period is over……I am posted in Mumbai and …after lot of hurdles at last got  place to stay…1BHK Semi Furnished Room in Chembur, Mumbai…Best thing about the flat is  that after one day of rain it was knee height water logging….so lot of scope to learn swimming in coming days for Gitesh and Ravi (with whom I will be Sharing my Flat..they were my batchmates in IIFM and also Ravi is my colleague)  I guess…

I did not know   That “BACHELOR” hona itni badhi paap hai…..was not getting good flat becoz bachelors are not allowed to stay in society……These people dont understand  “Kaun  kambaqt chahtah hai bachelor rahna”…….

Imagine the Scene….Gitesh, Ravi n I are shouting over a galss of RS  or RC or Antiquity (as I heard that OLD Monk has been dropped from the Menu by my fellow friends) in our drawing room and then making “Bad” indication to any girl who is living next to our flat…..I hope you have to more imaginative than J.K.Rowling to imagine that scene……. and we were not getting good flat for this reason

Anyway…rest r ok…still no defined work in office..hope to get any thing soon…..apart from the office there is Sunday Hangout in Churchgate with all other Mumbains IIFMight08 (Kallol. Sonal, Mikku…..etc)

Got new Number …….09769261136…….will be highly privileged if u take the pain to call any time

Adieu IIFM…

This is the Last post from IIFM. So much I have said about my Life at IIFM that I do not have any words to say anything new. That’s why this post is dedicated  to my Batch…The Great PFM 2008…

Abhishek: “One Man Show”

Email Id: abhishek.iifm@gmail.com

Abhinav: “Deep and Dependent”

Email Id:abhinaviifm@gmail.com

Amit: He stresses too much on “M”

Email Id: amit.mandale@gmail.com

Anurag: “Matrix Trilogy”

Email Id: anunis@gmail.com

Arjun: “….in between Optimism n Pessimism “

Email Id: arya.arjun@gmail.com

Atul : “Life is Beautiful”

Email Id: atul84atul@gmail.com

Gitesh: “Feel Good”

Email Id: giteshg@gmail.com

Garima: “Searching Books in which She will be able to find something about Her”

Email Id: garimabajaj@gmail.com

Jitendra: “Right Hand of God”

Email Id: jitendra.upadhyay@gmail.com

Kallol: “All-rounder”

Email Id: kallolkumarmandal@gmail.com

Kalpana: A Tigress in a bowl

Email Id: kalpanapfm08@gmail.com

Kanika: Here’s my question…

Email Id: kanika07@gmail.com

Kshitiz: “To Be Or Not To Be”

Email Id: ksanadhaya08@gmail.com

Vaibhav : “On the Rocks”

Email Id: vaibhaviifm@gmail.com

Lalit: “To love at all is to be a vulnerable Lover”

Email Id: lalitsori6@gmail.com

Manish: The Devil God

Email Id: findmanish0@gmail.com

Neha: “Illusion of Life”

Parul: “Chocolaty Life “

Email Id: parul1411@gmail.com

Pranita: “Emotional Recycle Bin”

Email Id: pranita.bhagat@gmail.com

Prashant: “if u cant convince people…confuse them”

Email Id: luvprasha@gmail.com

Priyanshika: “I am what I am”

Email Id: priyanshika@gmail.com

Rahul B. : “My History Can Beat Up Your Politics “

Email Id: rahul.bharadwaj.18.02.1983@gmail.com

Rahul K.: “Living My Dream”

Email Id: @gmail.com

Ranesh: How’s That….?

Email Id: rahul259@gmail.com

Ravi: “Honest Reflection “

Email Id: ravipan4u@gmail.com

Sameer: “Success lies in dream….so go and sleep”

Email Id: samsays19@gmail.com

Shakshi : An Individualist trying hard to change life

Email Id:groversakshi@gmail.com

Shail: He says “I can kill anyone for the Nobel Peace Prize”

Email Id: shail.iifm@gmail.com

Shweta : Its not about “Age”, its about “Mileage”

Email Id: shweta.bhagwat@gmail.com

Shreshtha: “I think I am the Best….and…… I believe that I will be “The Best” One Day”

Email Id: shreshtha.bhardwaj@gmail.com

Siddharth: “Marketing with Style n Brands”

Email Id: sids617ster@gmail.com

Sonal: “A Protected Candle Light and A Beautiful Mind “

Email Id: sonalpfm08@gmail.com

Me : ♥

Email id: callmesoumik@gmail.com

Srey: The Lost Soul ; Am I what I am ?

Email Id: sreyamsa@gmail.com

Sunil: “Cool Tunes of Life and Nature”

Email Id: rajagopal.sunil@gmail.com

Sudeep: “Our first and last love is….Self-Love”

Email Id: sudeep.kodialbail@gmail.com

Varun: Life is short, Make the most of it!!

Email Id: drvarunbangia@gmail.com

Director’s Prize for Best OT

It’s Like Dream comes true for me. The dream I had seen two years back when I used to read Santosh Sir’s Blog. I wanted to achieve this award and Today I am very happy that I have been able to get it.

Yes I am talking about Director’s Prize for “Best Organizational Training”.

Every Year, during Kalpataru (Annual Fest) in IIFM, Director’s Prizes are given to students who are judged for Best Organizational Training. Students are judged on the basis of Host Organization’s recommendation, IIFM faculty and vote of Batch mates.

This year, I along with Ravi got the award for the training we did in Development Credit Bank Ltd, Mumbai. The project was on Urban Microfinance.

Life at IIFM once again proved to be full of surprises and once again echoed the expression ” Its the Best Days of My Life“.

It will be absolute injustice to myself if I don’t thank everybody specially my batch mates who voted for me (and also to those who did not), dearest alumni, faculty and most importantly Kartik Sir, Deepika Mam, Vidya Sir and Sandeep Sir of DCB.

IIFM Placement 2008

I cannot believe myself that I am writing this post. I am going to write about our Placements (PGDFM 2008). Last time when I wrote about our seniors’ placements, it was more of Information Sharing. Now I have realized the process. The Ecstasy, Smile, Pain, Desperation, Cry attached with the process. Yes, Placement Process itself is great learning experience. Though I was out of the process (because of PPO from OT-II organization) still I felt the heat and now most happy like all other batch mates.

Placement 2008 is over and like the previous years, we have been able to maintain 100% placement at IIFM. PGDFM 2008 rocks!! We started where our seniors had left and with great satisfaction I declare that we have been able to maintain almost same average package. Our batch’s placement is more precedent in a sense that almost everybody got the job they wanted. Be in Microfinance, be it Corporate or Environment, every one has gone to his or her desired field. IIFM is best on this aspect that it offers equal space to everybody and our batch has been able to fit itself in the desired space.

The placement process was over in two days as almost the whole batch was placed in those two days. Though one org. delayed the declaration of result but surely when it confirmed the celebration got intensified and more “spirited”.

Microfinance is most buzzing word and being a specialized institution, IIFM has been able to maintain this niche area that has been built up over the years. This year almost 16 people are directly dealing with Microfinance. Fourteen students in SKS Microfinance and two students in Development Credit Bank Ltd. Package for SKS is Seven Lac while it is Six Lac for DCBL. On corporate arena, one is joining ICICI Bank with package of 6.1 Lac while five are joining HDFC Bank with package of 5.5 Lac. Another Organization FINO recruited one student and its package is 5.5 Lac.

Thanks to our alumnus, Marketing Research Organization like International Market Research Bureau (IMRB) came down to campus and recruited four students with package of 5.6 Lac.

Apart from DCBL, the organizations who made inroad this time to offer diversification in placement are Indian Oil Corporation, IMS Learning Resource, Emergent Venture India (EVI) and Cantor C02e India. IOCL took two for its Biofuel operations. IMS has selected two and EVI also same number. Consultancy firm Cantor C02e India has recruited one for Carbon Trading related operation. Another research institute, IFMR has selected one.

The  only oversea placement was offered by Global Timber Trading Org. Olam International with package of  about 25 lakh and in the forestry sector the only Job was offered by Harihar Polyfibre (Part of Aditya Birla Group). Both the org. has recruited one each.

Prof. Biswas as Placement Chairperson has done amazing work for our placement and if he was not there, we could not have made it. Kudos to the Placement Committee, especially Abhinav (placement Cordi) and Prashant (OT Cordi) for their hard work. Guys, we are thankful to you and you both deserve treat from each of us.

Now its party time, so getting ready for the blast!!!!!

 
[The figures are approximate and exact figure will come on Official site of IIFM- www.iifm.ac.in]

2007 : Part One

The mailbox is flooded with Happy year message and so the inbox of mobile. 2007 is over and life has entered into a new year. 2007- A Year to Remember. Many incidents in this year have changed my life.

It was understandable that the year was going to be rocking when I spent the 31^st Night of 2006 in famous M.G.Road of Bangalore during field trip. Came back to campus on 4^th Jan and the Year 2007 in my life started with very positive note thanks to our seniors in IIFM. The package figure saw a whopping 60% increase and it was enough moral booster particularly for me not to study in IIFM. I realized it is more important to pursue dream than to study which I do not want to study. IIFM is like that, provide you the platform and space to do what you wish for.

After the Field trip presentation, Third term began and there was none to do the boring job of Assisting the Class Representative. I did and thus got good grade at the end the third term : )

Third Term from January to April was cool. Most of the weekend afternoons I used to hang out in Upper Lake along with Dev but did not came across any cute face although. IIFMights are unfortunate on this aspect I guess (except some).

Academically third term was more fascinating. First meeting with Mr. Kotlar happened in this term. I learnt lot MS Access for MIS course but thanks to far above the ground retention power, it was evaporated. In this term most of the time my groups were used to be deadly group (in this third term only, one of members of my group learnt how to create Table in MS-Word). Most of the group members were nocturnal and those were not, they were converted and thus our assignment used to start at midnight. I remember, in one of the written assignments of MIS, I mentioned the time of accessing websites in the reference section and the time was around 4 A.M and CSR had commented something seeing that.

January was full of parties thank to senior, remember one particular party where it was hard for me to even walk after over eating (not drinking) in Rice Bowl.

February was full of events. Kalpataru, a weeklong festival among IIFM communities was held this time and got some prizes to put them in CV.

March started with sad note as seniors started to leave campus. But before their leaving we celebrated “Holi”, the festival of Colour. It was Amazing. Second time got drenched in the tank of IIFM Boys Hostel (First time was at Midnight when I was thrown into the water as a part of Birthday Celebration).

The most memorable experience in this time was the astounded speech of Dr. Abid Hussain who was the chief guest of Convocation. His words were inspiring and motivating but more importantly He told what my ear wanted to hear “Go and Pursue your Dream”. Chasing Dream today also and lets see when I can make it reality.

Our OT –I was scheduled from 22^nd April. First OT, so some excitements were there. After ITC refused to offer Projects even after taking interviews , I applied for close OT in Bandhan and was confirmed. I did close OT in Bandhan because I am passionate about Micro Finance and Today I think that was very right decision. OT in Bandhan helped me altogether to get selected for DCB when it came down to campus for OT –II selection interview and ultimately it leads to Job.

As my OT was in Kolkata, I came back to my Home which is two and half hours from Kolkata. Home, Sweet Home!! Everybody said that I gained lot of weight. May be!

OT was for 10 weeks. So Starting from Mid April to Mid June, I was there in home, spent some time in Ranesh’s House (Batchmate who was doing same project with me in Bandhan). OT in Bandhan was very good learning experience and visited some part of south Bengal where I had never visited. It was incredible feeling that I was visiting all those places alone and talking to those unknown people starting from Bandhan’s staff to villagers. Even one year before, I never thought that sort of things. One thing was apparent that people were very cordial. OT ended well and our efforts was appreciated by C.S.Ghosh Sir (ED of Bandhan).

I came back to campus in June 22 alone and most of the batchmates were in their home to spend the Scheduled Holiday week after OT. I was in campus almost alone from my batch. Juniors had just arrived in the campus and believe me I was scared to see such huge number of Juniors. They were everywhere.

This post has becoming very long. So I should divide this in two parts.

Now Some Inputs if One Day You are quizzed about my Life : )

New Person in Life in this Period:

C.S.Ghosh Sir : A very dedicated man with “Simple living and High Thinking”. I was amazed to see his quest for learning anything.

Pranav Sharma : Alumnus and future Big shot. Very Helpful.

Abhishek Choudhury : Another very helpful Alumnus

Love Life in this period : Two Smiley  - and -

“A walk to Remember”

The trend continues. The OT- II contributes the new passion in my life that is watching the English movies, most of the night I spent during OT watching 2-3 English movies on my Laptop. I used to buy Pirated DVDs (Shameful act though) with Rs. 30 and usually these DVDs would have 7-8 movies. So I used to watch those movies upto 3 AM. In 2 months the number of English Movies I watched, I had never watched in my whole life.

So as per the habit, I watched the Movie “A Walk to Remember“

I did not expect that A English movie with so much emotion and full of love. The film was such a wonderful surprise. While I was expecting a lighthearted teenage story, the film came in with truly profound depth, impeccable performances and lot of emotions sailing through a very simple story. Even sometime I feel the cry of my heart. The actress Mandy Moore was amazing and the hero Shane West was really good. It was pure joy to watch both. I recommend you to watch if you have not watched it yet.

The story would have end here. But it was not so. ” A walk to remember” became “A drive to remember” when Lalit (One of Batchmates, after watching the movie) took us (Me, Anurag, Prashant and Sameer) by his Uncle’s Car to hang out in the Vadvada Bridge at 11 PM. It was Amazing. All of us give Lalit lot of Spiritual Gyan for his new life in highly “Spirited” condition and then went to Shakshi Dhaba” for ” Mitha Pan”. It was Amazing.

One Unforgettable Day in “Days at IIFM”

” Best Days of My Life”

OT Presentation is about to over. The number of Days in IIFM (Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal) now can be counted with the fingers. Two Years. Its like roller coaster ride. Staying away from West Bengal, Experience of meeting up with some Good and Bad People,Gaining of weight of 3 - 4 Kilos, Becoming Smart [ According to one of my Batchmate's , of course one girl ( of PFM 08 Batch) statement], Learning speaking “Hindi” and very very less Study : Life at IIFM can be described in one phrase - ” Best Days of My Life”.

After getting the PPO from the OT -II Organization (Development Credit Bank, Mumbai) with competitive package and offering of Home State, Life has become very easy. That day Ranesh (One of Batchmates) was asking about how I am felling now. What to say : No tension of Placement Process, So want to enjoy remaining days to the fullest, Want to click everything in campus, Want to Hang out in the city specially in the Night.
Because I know this will not return ever.
What you say?

Days in IIFM @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/soumiksworld/

My Experience with Truth…

He wrote “R” very carefully on our hand. “R”!! What does it mean? “R” is ROTTEN? Are we “rotten piece” for Society?  Thank God, we got new adjective for our life. Then he took us to the Jail. Jail!! Yes Jail, a makeshift one. The front space of bathroom is converted to Jail. We were stunned. What crime we have done that we are in jail?
 It was Sunday evening. As it was very boring evening, so we decided to hang out in Choupatti Beach. We took fast train from Andheri to Church Gate and thought as it will become slow after Mumbai Central, we will get down at Charni Road Station. But destiny had planned something else. That particular train surprisingly had stop in Mumbai Central and from there, straight to Church Gate. So we had to get down at Mumbai Central Station. It was 8.30 P.M. We saw that the slow train, which would take us to the Charni Road was about to come on 8.31 P.M. on platform opposite to us. There was much rush on the over bridge. So I don’t know what happened, I jumped on the railway track and easily went to the desired platform by crossing the railway track. It was very usual from me and I will not be able to count how many times I have done this it during Graduation. Ravi, my companion, might have not done this, but he also followed me and easily went to the platform by crossing Railway Track.
Now the real story begins. After both were safely standing on the platform, a hand approached to us. “Ticket Please”? a voice came from a Man who was more like Football Player with strong arm and he was in plain shirt and trouser. I was not able to make out who “the man” could be? But still I handed over my Ticket which was monthly ticket pass and Ravi did same. To much our surprise he took both the ticket and put it in his Pocket.
“Chalo Magistrate ke pass”, he told in commanding voice, “don’t you people know crossing of railway track is illegal”?
“Crossing of railway track is illegal”, I could not believe that I am in India. We are arrested for crossing the railway track!! Really it was unbelievable for me. But I don’t know why I was feeling that the man was fake. So I wanted to see what happens in the end.
The man took us to the magistrate. In the way of going to magistrate, Ravi tried to settle the things, but I don’t know I was having the feel that this man was fake. Though my thought was proved wrong. So when Ravi was trying to pursue him I was silent. The man was tough customer or may be we did not the trick of persuasion (How to put Money Matter in persuasion).
So that real man took us to the Magistrate and there before sending to the so called jail wrote “R” our hand.
Huh, we were in Jail. Think the matter; we were in jail for just crossing the railway track without using Over Bridge. We are in India. May be we are used to see the things in other way, so it was unexpected and unbelievable. But frankly speaking, had we committed such a heinous crime that we deserve Jail. In a country where Most Dangerous criminals are getting the respect from Top Cop, Bureaucrat and others, is it not too much to be in jail for what we did. We had wait in the jail for 10 min until our turns came to be present in front of magistrate. The magistrate was like a south Indian hero with strong arm and strong moustache. He took away our Identity card and started to ask questions. The question was just mere introduction, it did not take much time to come in the real acting, yup acting and we were really ignorant. We have read so much about Police and especially Mumbai police; I had the feeling that they can do any thing. The magistrate straight way asked for fine of Rs. 1250 per person. He started to give cool threat that if we don’t pay, even he can spoil our carrier and asked to call our parents. He gave order to search our wallet and see how much money we have?
I was scared and more importantly frustrated. We had enough money to give but see the law (I doubt is there any law which talks about fine of Rs.1250 for crossing the railway track) and see the Magistrate’s attitude. Finally we settled the thing at Rs 510 per person. I don’t know whether the money, he took, will go to the railways or will it be distributed among the so called protectors of our great railways. But what would have happened if we did not have the required money? Rs. 510 is not small amount and is it right to take in that fashion? The other option was to stay in Jail over night and they would took us to the court next day for judgment and the amount court will ask we had to pay. The ironical part is that now if you are not happy with such thing, what will you do? Will you complain to railway police saying that railway police did not give proper justice to you? Will you have much time to spare or so much energy to use to knock the door of alternatives like Court, file a petition or Consumer Court etc? One word answer is NO. So be happy that instead of paying Rs.1250 you are paying Rs.510 and you are being involved in great saga of Indian law and its enforcement!!!

Love for Birds

You must care for Nature and your care for Nature should turn into Love for it. If you love Nature then you must love it’s inevitable part that is “Animal”. Among the animals, one of the most beautiful animals is “Bird”. Doesn’t their twittering make you happy? If so, then please check this http://www.iifm.ac.in/downloads/lark/ .

It is a software created by our beloved CSR sir along with Pratap Singh and Vijay Cavale. This software has many details, including calls (sounds) of birds in Central India. You could download this application free of cost. It’s really wonderful.

March Saga

I have not written anything for long days though I know that I am not J.K.Rowling ( for whom there are queues before the shop on the day her books get published). But I love to write and a “feel good” factor works when I write and it is also refreshment from the ”Ghum Ghum Classroom”(Boring classes)  and specially boring from those classes where the “Opera Singer”   teacher know more about Saree than  students . Most of the time I write some blog post on classroom itself. In the month of March, like all public and private sector offices (end of financial year), life in IIFM was busy like anything. The ripple effect of Kalpataru of previous month and Saying of adieu to seniors had great influence on us. The March saw the decreasing  no of users on IIFM hostel’s “IP” messenger. Someone of our batch once told,”the IP is so vacant na”! This happens in every “March”..all the year. What to do? This is life.

 Life in March in third term of IIFM like LIC agents that you have to submit certain no of assignments during this term and the best thing about third term is that there are so many groups that u need a special MIS for maintaining the group members’ name and subject and topic for group. Assignments in IIFM is very enjoyable for me , at least I do. It give me a chance to access those website which never visit . In this term most of the time my groups were used to be deadly group ( in this third term only one of members of my group learnt how to create Table in MS-Word and another member is so less orkuting all the time that his scrap no has crossed mere 2000). So most of the time I had to do the assignments and so many night out..enjoyable time. The March also witnesses the Biggest Show on IIFM ..that’s Convocation. Its kinda Home Coming for Seniors. Again same groups,gossiping, throwing dry and wet parties, talking and talking and for some seniors coming back to IIFM is special….U know the reason. Convocation gave me a chance to hear the amazing words of Abid Hussain who was chief guest for the Convocation. So knowledgeable yet so much down to earth person. His words are still in my ears. I am praying to god that it lasts for ever.