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Dear Readers,

In 1930s there was a statue of a Buddha made of plaster of paris which did not look very attractive. The Monks decided to shift the statue instead of destroying it. So it was kept in a building with a tin roof for 20 years.

In 1955 a new building was built and the monks decided to shift the statue. During shifting the statue fell in the ground and a piece of plaster cracked. By then it was dark and cloudy and so the workers left the statue on the ground and left . Next day when the statue was examined a glitter was seen in a crack on the statue and it was found that the statue was made of gold and covered with POP. This is not an imaginary story. Even today we can see this statue of Golden Buddha in Chinatown, Bangkok.

Finding out the potential of a person without getting carried away by their external appearance is a challenge to the HR Professionals. Despite using assessment tools, interviews and tests sometimes it could be difficult in making decisions.

This task is easier for people who have understood about their own strength and weakness. Spending a few minutes daily for ourselves is important and essential these days. The personal time spent for ourselves for Yoga, Meditation and exercise gives clarity , insight and positive outlook to all that we come across. When arrived at this mode management becomes simple and easy.

July edition has articles on a tourist spot for you to visit, Identity Management, How to become a smart professional, Alzheimer's Effect, Value based Management and so on. We thank and appreciate your feedback.

Happy Reading!

Warm Regards,

Aruna
Editor, Learning Letter

• Editorial Note
• Only One Extra Effort
• High Growth Not Sustainable With High Inflation
• Gods Own Country Kerala - Wayanad
• Entry To Higher Education - Some Challenges
• Value - Based Management
• Reliable Natural Water
• Look Ahead - The Future Disk Drives
• Who Moved My Cheese
• Quote That Moves
• Identity Management - A Different Concept
• Alzheimer's Disease - What It Is?
• Reader's Voice
• How To Become A Smart Corporate Professional
• CAMP JULA

ONLY ONE EXTRA EFFORT

Pawan Kumar, a pantry car in-charge for the Rajdhani Express, can be credited with saving about 150 people from a torturous, burning death. The Rajdhani Express from Mumbai-Delhi caught fire at around 2 am. Noticing this, Pawan Kumar stopped the train at about 2.10 am and urged all the passengers to get off the train. By about 2.20 am, all the passengers were out of the train. Co-travellers ensured Pawan Kumar got his share of the limelight from the press, but will that be enough? Godfrey Phillips has decided to confer a special award upon Pawan Kumar. Any man who can save 150 people with his presence of mind deserves all this and much more. Source: Times of India). Pawan is simply great and he just took only one extra effort which saved the life of 150 people and their families too by saving them.

HIGH GROWTH NOT SUSTAINABLE WITH HIGH INFLATION

"High growth is not sustainable with high inflation. High growth will be possible only with low inflation," the Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor, Dr K.C. Chakrabarty, said. He conceded that there was always a tradeoff between high growth and inflation, but it would not be possible to sustain growth when inflationary levels are high.

Inflationary pressures

Probably cut up with posers on inflation and interest rate hike, "inflation is an important issue and wherever officials from RBI go, these questions follow. But you must understand that any policy will give result only when people act." "The RBI responds to such situation, but do not blame the Reserve Bank for high interest rate," he said and pointed out that the inflation was more due to supply-side factors at present.

Earlier, addressing the meeting, he urged the youth of the country to work hard and do so collectively. "India's demographic quotient is tilted in our favour. The youth and business captains should therefore strive to take the country to great heights by using technology and being innovative in outlook.

Only collective efforts will help us achieve 10 per cent growth for the next 20 years." "While we should see how best we can use the demographic quotient to our advantage, it could be a daunting challenge to create employment for 3 million people, but not impossible," he said and pointed out that 'in the process the country should look to create skill demographic dividend else it would spell demographic disaster."

Vocational education

He expressed concern about the 'poor' skill rate and suggested the need for imparting education and training in vocational stream. "Over 90 per cent of the workforce is in the unorganised sector. We need more people for agriculture and other sectors, but don't have the capex," he added. "Clean and energy efficient business is another area we should focus on besides education and skill development," the RBI Deputy Governor Chakrabarty said. (Source: Business Line) Inflation is a key factor which not only disturbs the growth of industries, but the ordinary families too.

GODS OWN COUNTRY KERALA - WAYANAD

Wayanad is Vayal (paddy) Naad (land); 'Land of Paddy Fields' is in the north-east of Kerala There are many indigeneous tribals in this area. It is set lofty on the majestic Western Ghats with altitudes ranging from 700 to 2100 Metres above mean sea level. It is bounded on the east by Nilgiris and Mysore districts of Tamilnadu and Karnataka respectively, on the north by Coorg district of Karnataka, on the south by Malappuram and on the west by Kozhikode and Kannur.

Wayanad has lot of natural scenic beauty. Some of the Places to Visit in Wayanad are:-

Kuruva Island: The Kuruva island, 950 acres of ever green forest on the tributaries of east flowing river Kabani. Rare species of birds, orchids and herbs are the sovereigns of this supernal kingdom. It is 17 Kms. east of Mananthavady and 40 kms. north west of Sulthan Bathery.

Lakkidi: Being highest location with peaks, stream and valley is about 58 kms. north east of Kozhikode and five kms. south of Vythiri. Lakkidi is 700 m. above mean sea level.

Muthanga Wild Life Sanctuary: Muthanga, Which is 16 kms. east of Sulthan Bathery, is located very near to the Karnadaka border. Wild forests covering an area of 345 sq.kms form the Muthanga wild life sanctuary; the biggest abode of wild animals in Malabar. Elephant, spotted deer, bison, tiger, cheeta, wild bear, etc. are found in this sanctuary. The forest Department has facilities for providing elephant rides to tourists, here.

Pakshipathalam: Pakshipathalam in the Brahmagiri hills at Thirunelli, is a challenging tourist spot for any adventure seeking tourist. To reach Pakshipathalam seventeen kilometres have to be covered through wild forest. The deep rock caves, formed among the thick blocks of rocks at the northern top end of the Brahmagiri, are the abode of various birds and wild beasts. Special permission has to be obtained from Forest Department to go to Pakshipathalam. District Tourism Promotion Council arranges vehicle, guides, camping equipments, etc. to the tourists, on hire.

Chembra Peak: Chembra peak, the highest hill in Wayanad, is near Meppady town. Trekking to the top of this peak takes almost a day is good for camping. District Tourism Promotion Council provides guides, sleeping bags, canvases, huts and trekking implements on hire. The scenic beauty of Wayanad, which is visible from the top of Chambra, is very exhilerating.

Edakkal Cave: Breathtaking beauty is three kilometres from Ambalavayal which is 25 kilometres from Kalpetta.Interesting carvings, which represent human and animal figures and objects of human use and symbols of pre-historic age and inspires the archaeologists and historians.

Apart from the above places Kanthanpara Waterfalls, Sentinel Rock Waterfalls, Soochippara Waterfalls, Pazhasiraja tomb, Pookot Lake, Banasura sagar Dam, which is the largest earth dam in India is a treat to the eyes of tourist.

How to reach Wayanad ?

By Air: Nearest airport is Karipur international airport at Kozhikode, which is about 100 km away from Wayanad city.

By Train: Nearest Railhead to Wayanad is Kozhikode railway station, which is nearly 110 km from Wayanad.

By Bus: KSRTC buses connect Wayanad with all nearby cities apart from Deluxe bus services from Bangalore, Chennai and Trivandrum up to Kozhikode.

So plan your trip with your family and enjoy Wayanad !

ENTRY TO HIGHER EDUCATION - SOME CHALLENGES

The high cut-off marks, including 100 per cent in one of Delhi''s famous colleges, for admission this year has triggered a controversy with Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal today coming out strongly against it and assuring parents that the government would intervene in the matter.

"I was sad to hear it. I want to reach out to parents and students and tell them don''t worry...We will take care of this irrationality. We are on your side," Sibal told reporters here as the cut-off has sent a collective sense of disbelief among the student community.

"I am informed by the (Delhi University) Vice Chancellor that there is only one student in the entire list who has got a 100 per cent mark in science. He may never go to commerce. The idea is to exclude everybody in the science stream and not to allow them an opportunity. This is completely irrational," he said.

DU Vice Chancellor Dinesh Singh, however, sought to allay students'' fears, saying with four more cut-off lists were due to come and that the "cut-offs will come down significantly". He said the high-cut off was largely because of the high scores achieved by students in the school leaving exams.

"Last year in CBSE examination, students who scored more than 95 per cent were 200. This year there are 800. There are high scoring groups now. Therefore, colleges are being cautious in the first cut-off," he said.

The tale is similar across the country, with even various state-level toppers failing to score the minimum entry marks for admission to a top Delhi University college. This has virtually slammed the door in the face of applicants from other states.

Most colleges have substantially increased the cut-offs to try and stem the rising tide of applicants. Among science subjects, the increase in the first cut-off marks, as against last year, is as much as 10% in North Campus colleges.

The absurdity of the increase registered in the qualifying marks of the first list has also been acknowledged by the university at the time of announcement, albeit tacitly.

The university press release sent to all newspapers states: "Colleges have exercised abundant caution in declaring the first cut- off list. Aspirants for admission are advised not to get discouraged. Most colleges are expected to announce four more lists with lower cut- offs." The "abundant caution" exercised is due to the new admission process adopted by the university. DU, from this year, has discontinued the use of pre-admission or application forms.

Students are facing a lot of problems these days ranging from cut of marks, Streamlining of different streams of education system, Uniform school fee pattern etc. Parents can encourage and motivate the children at this hour of crises.

VALUE - BASED MANAGEMENT

Simply put, VBM is a business philosophy and management system for competing effectively in the global marketplace, based upon the inherent value, dignity and empowerment of each person-particularly each employee, customer and supplier. As a customer-focused "service" philosophy, Value-Based Management (VBM) is built upon a shared set of core values. As a management system, VBM offers a logical framework for designing a company's structures and processes to instill an ownership culture that enables the organization to carry on its mission most effectively.

The Kelso-Adler concepts underlying VBM reveal a systematic approach for enabling each member to:

1) participate fully as a worker and owner in the company,

2) receive a fair distribution based on what he or she contributes to the company as a worker and owner, and

3) organize with other members to correct problems or defects in the system affecting participation and distribution.

Value-Based Management insists the quality, educational and participation aspects of Total Quality Management and Open Book Management, with the equity and ownership concepts underlying employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs). VBM also offers workers an opportunity to participate as first-class shareholders in the company's equity growth and in monthly and annual profits on a profit center basis.

A VBM system typically incorporates an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), individual and team performance feedback (i.e. frequent and formula-based cash profit sharing), ownership education and sharing of financial information, and structured participatory management and governance. VBM also reinforces within ongoing information and education programs, a broad understanding by all employee-shareholders of the interdependency among every person, department, and profit center in serving the customer and competing in the marketplace. trg@fymc.co.in for your needs.

FYMC is good at conducting effective management interventions on the areas of interview assessment and setting up the performance management system. Mail to trg@fymc.co.in for your needs.

RELIABLE NATURAL WATER

Coconut water - the "wonder drink" - is the answer to your hot summers. Exactly where coconuts originated is not known for sure, but many historians believe Malaysia and Indonesia grew the world's first coconuts.

Considered the most useful tree in the world, the coconut palm provides food, drink, clothing, shelter, heirloom history, and financial security. Hardly an inch of the coconut palm goes to waste in rural South India where families rely on the coconut palm for survival and refer to it as the "tree of life."

Health Benefits
Coconut water is naturally sterilised mineral water. It acts as anti-dote to the side-effects of medicines. It is completely safe for babies. Tender coconut juice is a well-supplied medicine chest that comes in its own container and is used in healing a number of ailments: relieving fevers, headaches, stomach upsets diarrhoea and dysentery. The juice is also given to strengthen the heart and restore energy to patients. Pregnant women drink young coconut juice as it will give their babies strength and vitality.

Other Benefits of tender coconut water:

1. Good for feeding infants suffering from intestinal disturbances.
2. Oral re-hydration medium. It also helps indigestion.
3. Contains organic compounds containing growth-promoting properties.
4. Keeps the body cool.
5. Application on the body prevents prickly heat and summer boils and subsides the rashes caused by small pox, chicken pox and measles.
6. Presence of saline and albumin makes it a good drink in cholera cases.
7. Excellent tonic for the old and the sick.
8. Diuretic [a substance which tends to increase flow of urine].

Doctors have always recognised the wide benefits of tender coconut which are one source of reliable protein water which can give plenty of benefits to everyone. So become an organicfreek and enjoy the benefits of nature.

LOOK AHEAD - THE FUTURE DISK DRIVES

A prototype disk drive based on phase-change memory can outperform an off-the-shelf flash hard disk. This prototype hard drive made using phase-change memory chips can read some data faster than a commercial flash hard disk.

A new type of data storage technology, called phase-change memory, has proven capable of writing some types of data faster than conventional flash based storage. The tests used a hard drive based on prototype phase-change memory chips.

Disks based on solid-state, flash memory chips are increasingly used in computers and servers because they perform faster than conventional magnetic hard drives.

The prototype created by the researchers is the first to publically benchmark the performance of a phase-change memory chips working in a disk drive. Several semiconductor companies are working on phase-change chips, but they have not released information about storage devices built with them.

"Phase-change chips are not quite ready for prime time, but if the technology continues to develop, this is what [solid state drives] will look like in the next few years," says Steve Swanson, who built the prototype, known as Onyx, with colleagues. It had a data capacity of eight gigabytes and went head-to-head with what Swanson calls a "high-end" 80 GB flash drive made for use in servers.

When it came to writing small chunks of data on the order of kilobytes in size, Onyx was between 70 percent and 120 percent faster than the commercial drive. At the same time, the prototype placed significantly less computational load on the processor of the computer using it. It was also much faster at reading data than the flash drive when accessing blocks of data of any size. The kind of large volume, small read and write patterns that Onyx excelled at are a hallmark of the type of calculations involved in analyzing social networks like those of Twitter, says Swanson. However, Onyx was much slower at writing larger chunks of data than its commercially established competitor.

Technology and Quality goes hand in hand in the process of growth. We are specialised in conducing 5S, TPM, TQM, OSHAS and ISO Training and certification. Mail trg@fymc.co.in for your training needs.

WHO MOVED MY CHEESE

Author: Dr. Spencer Johnson.

Who Moved My Cheese is a business parable about how people can react to change. It is an easy read with a very clear message and everyone will equate to one or other of the characters in some situations.

It's the story of some mice and some people who are faced with change. The source of their happiness (in this case cheese though it could relate to anything, such as customers) is suddenly removed.

What the characters do next is the whole purpose of the book. The Mice, Sniff and Scurry, just got on with looking for new cheese. The people, Hem and Haw, couldn't believe the cheese had gone so they looked for it. Then they ranted and raved about the injustice of it all....this is not the way things are supposed to be. Well written, generated a lot of conversations amongst the team and ended up in a really positive attitude to change.

QUOTE THAT MOVES

"Learn to face the failures, then you will know how to lead to Success"

IDENTITY MANAGEMENT - A DIFFERENT CONCEPT

Identity Management (IDM) has emerged as a key technology to aid in handling the complexity of today's Enterprise. Open systems facilitate synergy in developing suitable solutions to tackle key problem in IDM space like dealing with security in the virtualized environment, strong authentication and dealing with persistent threats from Insiders.

Introduction

Identity management landscape has seen profound changes in the past few years. In the simple settings of a typical Indian village establishing one's Identity was never a problem. Authentication is a simple task, as everyone knew everyone else. But in today's flat world where most communication happens over the wire, we deal with people whom we have not seen or even talked to. Establishing trust becomes a complex and difficult proposition. Authorities like the Government, Employers, Universities, Insurance providers, Banks or even the local retailer have the same problem. Each one of these entities needs to know different things about a person to perform their job.

Defining an Identity boils down to specifying the minimum information that need to be maintained about a person without disturbing privacy of the individual. Establishing a reliable chain of trust has become a critical need for smooth conduct of business.

Traditionally Identity Management solutions provided ROI in the form of automatic resource provisioning, self service for tasks like password reset etc, centralized user lifecycle management. These areas have matured and are now considered as bare minimum necessities for an Enterprise class solution. SSO (single sign-on) is a good to have feature that brings comfort to the end user rather than adding any new functionality. With systems becoming more open, GRC (Governance Risk Management and Compliance) has become the driving force and IDM infrastructure has moved from being administrator centric to being business oriented (also known as Identity 2.0).

Challenges

Improving the Flexibility

Indian companies have adopted virtualization in a big way. Virtualization has simplified the task of managing shared computing resources. The shift to centrally managed and centrally hosted environments gives more mobility and flexibility to the users.

Strong Authentication

Changes in business practices are forcing the enterprise to open up access to partners, employees working from home and in increasingly many cases even to end customers. IDM infrastructure was held within the boundaries of the Intranet and relied on a single source of truth to authenticate a user or to perform other workflow related tasks.

Insider Threats are Persistent

As the enterprise opens up more and more critical resources and systems the probability of insider posing a threat is higher. Insider threat has been and will remain a key challenge in the IDM space.

Emerging Trends

Online Banking reaches the common man

Online banking has caught up significantly in India. BSNL has done a phenomenal job of connecting all the villages in India. Computers and broadband connectivity is within the reach of the common man today. Also gone are the days when customers felt very insecure giving out a pin number for a purchase or do shopping online.

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE - WHAT IT IS?

Alzheimer's disease is a disorder that affects millions of older adults and causes more worry for people over 55 years of age than any other condition. Suspecting you or a loved one may be exhibiting signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease can be a stressful and emotional experience for everyone involved. Of course, even if your family history includes Alzheimer's disease and you find yourself forgetting things, it doesn't necessarily mean you have this disease. Even when you fear the worst, it is important to share your concerns and seek expert advice. The earlier you recognize the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and seek help, the better your chances of getting the care you need and maximizing your quality of life.

What is Alzheimer's disease?

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, a serious brain disorder that impacts daily living through memory loss and cognitive changes. Although not all memory loss indicates Alzheimer's disease, one in ten people over 65 years of age, and over half of those over 85 have Alzheimer's disease. Currently, 26 million people worldwide have this dementia, and over 15 million Americans will be affected by the year 2050.

Symptoms of Alzheimer's disease usually develop slowly and gradually worsen over time, progressing from mild forgetfulness to widespread brain impairment. Chemical and structural changes in the brain slowly destroy the ability to create, remember, learn, reason, and relate to others. As critical cells die, drastic personality loss occurs and body systems fail.

Signs and symptoms of Alzheimer's disease

For many people, detecting the first signs of memory problems in themselves or a loved one brings an immediate fear of Alzheimer's disease. However, the following are the symptoms...

SIGNS OF NORMAL CHANGE VS. EARLY ALZHEIMER'S SYMPTOMS

Normal	Early Alzheimer's disease
Can't find your keys	Routinely place important items in odd places, such as keys in the fridge, wallet in the dishwasher
Search for casual names and words	Forget names of family members and common objects, or substitute words with inappropriate ones
Briefly forget conversation details Feel the cold more	Frequently forget entire conversations Dress regardless of the weather, wear several skirts on a warm day, or shorts in a snow storm
Can't find a recipe Forget to record a check	Can't follow recipe directions Can no longer manage checkbook, balance figures, solve problems, or think abstractly
Cancel a date with friends	Withdraw from usual interests and activities, sit in front of the TV for hours, sleep far more than usual
Make an occasional wrong turn	Get lost in familiar places, don't remember how you got there or how to get home
Feel occasionally sad	Experience rapid mood swings, from tears to rage, for no discernible reason

In the fast changing environment, it is not only technology changing day by day but diseases too, alzheimer's is one in the list. On the one side health treatment is being called as Health Tourism, in which Chennai is been rated as one of the best cost effective place worldwide. On the other side, people do not even capable to spend money to find out the type of disease they got..

READER'S VOICE

I am fortunate enough to read your Learning letter, which was forwarded by my Personnel Manager. It is very good. I really appreciate the important information's on Mangos which is in the right time of the season. Pl add my mail id also in your mailing list.

Mr. P.B.Srinivasan | Sr.Officer - Stores
Thirumalai chemicals

CAMP JULA

Learning is an ongoing process. Learning through activity and fun has enhanced more progress and productivity with individuals. Jolly Useful Learning Arena which in short JULA is a Camp evolved purely for Outbound Training Needs of Corporate world. To pull away from routines and accelerate the learning process in an enjoyable way is the main aim of Camp JULA. FYMC is highly experienced in conducting Outbound Training Events to all level of Professionals. Some of the Camp details and its uniqueness is given below for you to pick out the suitable venue and activity for your team.

CAMP JULA - Chennai is done in a RESORT IN ECR :

Features : Beach facing Training Hall and Accommodation.
Activity : Treasure Hunt, Bamboo Walk, POT POT, Trust Fall, Balloon Bang , Castle Building and lots of Team games are conducted here
Special Features : It just takes a maximum of One hour to reach from city. The beauty of beaches is utilized in the activities and accommodation which makes the program very pleasant and enjoyable. It is also cost effective and with competitive pricing.

CAMP JULA - KALLANJI is done in a private beach near Ennore, Chennai :

Features : A private beach just for your team to enjoy. Boating and scenic beauty is very attractive
Activity : Beach Games, Boating, Treasure Hunt in Casuarina Forest, Team games in pools and puddles are some of the special highlights of Kallanji camp site.
Special Features : If your team wants to do something daring and unexplored this is the right place to utilize. The comfort zone of standard OBT is completely removed and the team is taught to venture into nature and become more creative and adventurous.

CAMP JULA - YELLAGIRI is done in the Yellagiri Hills Resort

Features : A complete change to a beautiful cool hilly resort is a unique experience.
Activity : Treasure Hunt is played very differently in this Camp. Other Team games are adventurous and sporty in Yellagiri camp site.
Special Features : Apart from Hill view training halls, Trekking, Boating and Bamboo Games are some of the enjoyable events done in this Camp.

CAMP JULA - KODAIKANAL is done in a resort of Kodaikanal

Features : Training Hall, Food and Accomadation, Boating, Trekking are unique here.
Activity : Trekking is very different and enjoyable here. Highly comfortable venue for Top Management team. Ideal venue for Interventions and facilitations for Top Management team where two or more days can be spent.
Special Features : Sight seeing of unique and unknown places of Kodaikanal can be clubbed with the program. Treasure Hunt, Trekking, Camp fire can be well enjoyed in this venue.

Camp Jula is organised and run by a team of experienced professionals who can understand your actual need and provide you the best support. If you wish to book Camp Jula OBT team, mail trg@fymc.co.in or call 9841551606.

HOW TO BECOME A SMART CORPORATE PROFESSIONAL

Professionals are the key working forces in every department of the corporate and industries. They are the force which motivates the self, subordinates and team member's in many folds towards achieving the results and growth in an organization.

How to become an effective corporate professional is a big challenge. We offer a programme called Campus to Corporate with the following objectives...

:) Enabling the fresh engineers to become a Corporate Citizen

:) Educate the basics of Corporate Culture, Values and Capability

:) Discover the Importance of Organisation Behaviour

:) Ways and Means to connect oneself with the Team and Role

:) Sharing the expected employee behaviour

:) Sharing the expected soft skills

:) Power of Ethical Practices and its Impact in Individuals and the Organisation.

:) Overall, how to become part of the company and build their career for bright future

Smart Corporate Professionals is not just for fresh budding professionals but also for those who are experienced and who would like to become a better professional to reach greater heights of growth. The benefits of this program is very wide. Contact trg@fymc.co.in

Our learning letter reaches more than 100000 readers in Corporate. We welcome articles which contains Corporate Best Practices, Great Achievements, Unique News which can be emailed to us @ faith@fymc.co.in We promise you a gift for those articles which are published

FYMC Contact
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