FITNESS TR(AV)AILS

Fitness Tr(av)ails

My husband an international level mountain terrain biker, recently decided to literally step into marathon race. One day he remarked that even I could have done it. Feeling encouraged I decided that I would also take up running and soon I will be winning marathons.

So the first step is to gear up, in practical terms. I ended up in an expensive sports clothing and shoes store and bought all what I considered essentials; and my teenage sons remarked to be extravagance. The alarm went off at five next morning, my husband sleepily grumphed , ” turn it off”. I jumped out of the bed and asked him to get up and join me. He did not deign to reply. I got ready, and woke up my husband again to tell me about stretching exercises. His answer was,” check on the net. “

It took me 15 minutes to find something, which I considered, suitable on YouTube. Further fifteen minutes of warm up and I was good to go. As I stepped out and I saw a horde of stray dogs growling at each other and beat a hasty retreat, back inside the house. Again I entreated my husband to accompany me, which fell on deaf ears. Then I woke up my sons, who were thoroughly grumpy , ” Mom don’t wake us in the middle of the night.”

” There are stray dogs outside. Get up and accompany me for running.” I said sternly.

” Take a stick.” said my wise old son.

Accepting the good advice, I tried finding a stick. Unfortunately there was not a stick in sight. Not even a baseball bat or hockey stick. I tried to improvise with large ladle, wiper, cricket bat; either too small or too large. It was already six thirty and my routine household tasks were looming large. So I shelved the idea.

At breakfast my husband asked me about the run and it was all the opening I needed. Tirade started about women not having enough time to pursue fitness regime. It was monologue; and father and sons ate their breakfast in silence.

About one hour later my husband asked me whether I was free. When I replied in affirmative, he said, ” let’s go for running practice.” It took me half an hour to get ready. When I stated that I was ready, my husband was sitting with his feet up on a stool. He shouted for our younger son to bring his shoes.

As I fumed, he said quite calmly,” have you got your ear phones?” I shook my head and went to get those. As I came back he asked ” have you got handkerchief?” I shook my head and quickly went back. By now he was standing smartly all ready, as he said ” shall we?”

As we reached the park, warm up exercises started. A twist here, a jump there, a rotation here, and a bend there. My husband started forward lunges, which I tried to imitate and promptly fell in a heap.

“I told you to keep your balance.” My husband remarked as he continued with his routine.

” Give me a hand to get up.” I glared at him.

” Let’s run.” My husband stated as I tried to dust my brand new clothes, clean.

Nodding, I followed my husband jogging, on the path. By three hundred meters I was panting and at four hundred meters I stopped to catch my breath. I realised I could no longer see my husband. So I forced myself to move forward. After fifteen minutes of slow walking I stopped again, as my husband came back.

” What happened to you? I had to come back after three kilometres only.” He demanded.
” I am tired. You should remember it is my first time.” I was icy.

He peered at me and said ” Oh well! Let’s go back “

For days afterwards I had cramps; and decided to take it easy, which is continuing till today.

HOW JEFFREY ARCHER SHAPED MY CAREER

A Personal Reflection on Books, Curiosity and Career Choices

INTRODUCTION
I was saddened to hear of the demise of the well-known author Jeffrey Archer. His life, like many extraordinary lives, had its share of spectacular highs and difficult lows. But for me, Jeffrey Archer will always remain much more than a bestselling author.

He was the writer who, quite unknowingly, gave a fourteen-year-old the first glimpse of what she might want to become in life.

THE BOOK THAT OPENED A NEW WORLD
The first Jeffrey Archer book I read was Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less.

I was fascinated. The book had everything a young reader could possibly find exciting—wit, humour, cleverness, suspense, twists and, of course, financial fraud! But there was something else that captivated me.

There were super-rich and super-smart people. There were Lords, rtists, businessmen and sophisticated characters moving through the seemingly magical worlds of Oxford, Paris and Ascot. There were money, schemes, calculations and elaborate plans. At fourteen, this was a world I had never even imagined. It was an eye-opener.

And then came the icing on the cake—the fraud, the deception and the ingenious attempt to recover the money.

Of course, it was fiction. It was larger than life. It was the kind of world that existed comfortably between imagination and impossibility. But somewhere between the pages of that book, I discovered something about myself. I was fascinated not merely by the story, but by the world behind the story.

NUMBERS STARTED LOOKING INTERESTING
I had always been comfortable with figures and numbers, but gradually I began to discover that numbers could tell stories too-Money. Finance. Budgets. Accounts. Audits. Business.

And then there was accounting. What fascinated me about bookkeeping was not simply adding and subtracting numbers. It was the symmetry, logic and relationships.

Every debit had a credit.

A balance sheet had to balance.

There was something almost philosophical about it.

The apparent chaos of business could be brought into order through numbers and logic. And I was hooked.

JEFFREY ARCHER DID NOT TEACH ME ACCOUNTING
Of course, Jeffrey Archer did not teach me accounting. He did something far more interesting. He introduced me to a world. And sometimes that is all it takes. A young mind does not always need a career counsellor standing in front of it explaining ten possible professions. Sometimes a book, a conversation, a teacher, a film or even an accidental experience can provide the first spark.

For me, that spark came from a novel.
It wasn’t just Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less.

Then came Kane and Abel. The story of two extraordinarily different men, their ambitions, their businesses, their struggles and their relentless pursuit of success opened another window into the world of enterprise and wealth.

Then The Prodigal Daughter.

Then As the Crow Flies.

Each book added another layer to the picture. Business was no longer just about money. It was about people, ambition, risk, competition, strategy, opportunity, failure and resilience. Perhaps without realizing it, I was learning to look at the business world through stories.

THE UNEXPECTED ROLE OF FICTION IN CHOOSING A CAREER
We often talk about career choices as if they are made through carefully designed plans. Take a test. List your strengths. Choose a stream. Select a degree. Get a job.

But real life is rarely so linear. Careers often begin with curiosity. A child sees a doctor treating a patient and thinks, “I want to become a doctor.” Someone watches an aircraft take off and dreams of becoming a pilot. A student discovers computers and becomes fascinated by technology.

And Someone else reads a novel—and discovers an entirely new world.

I did not know at fourteen that I was making a career discovery.

I was simply reading a book.

LOOKING BACK

Years later, when I look back, I find it fascinating that the things that caught my attention in that first Jeffrey Archer novel were not entirely accidental. The money, the numbers, the financial world, the cleverness of transactions, the logic behind the schemes, the business environment, the people and their ambitions. Perhaps the book did not create my interest. Perhaps it revealed an interest that was already there.

And that distinction is important. This is also why I believe so strongly in career counselling today. A young person may possess an interest or ability without having the vocabulary to describe it.

A student may say, “I like mathematics.”

But perhaps what they really enjoy is logic.

Another may say, “I like business.”

But perhaps what attracts them is strategy, leadership or entrepreneurship.

Someone may say, “I like reading.”

But perhaps what they really love is understanding people and human behaviour.

The challenge is to discover what lies beneath the obvious preference.

FROM A JEFFREY ARCHER NOVEL TO A CAREER
My journey was certainly not planned at fourteen.

There were twists and turns along the way.

But perhaps that is the point.

A career is rarely a straight road. It is more often a collection of experiences, choices, accidents, influences and discoveries that gradually begin to make sense when we look back.

THE FINAL THOUGHT
Today, when I think about Jeffrey Archer, I don’t simply remember the plots, the twists or the larger-than-life characters. I remember being fourteen. I remember the excitement of discovering a world that was completely unfamiliar to me. I didn’t know it then, but that little moment of curiosity would eventually become part of my journey into the world of accounts, finance, business and teaching.

So perhaps careers do not always begin with a decision.

Sometimes, they begin with a book.

And sometimes, the most important career counselling a young person ever receives is simply the opportunity to discover something that makes their eyes light up.

Thank you, Jeffrey Archer, for unknowingly giving a fourteen-year-old reader her first glimpse of that world.

WHY I BECAME A CAREER COUNSELLOR

WHY I BECAME A CAREER COUNSELLOR

I help people choose careers. That is what a career counsellor does, right?

But here is the interesting question: How did I choose my own career?

Perhaps that is the real story behind why I became a career counsellor. I have come to believe that a career is not a decision made in isolation or at one particular point in life. It is a continuous and dynamic process, influenced by hundreds—yes, hundreds—of small and big factors, some known to us and many completely unknown. And my own career journey is perhaps the best example.

From Commerce to Civil Services

Like almost every student after Class 10, I had to choose my subjects. I considered myself a person of business mind – planned, organised and go getter. So I chose Commerce. Then came the question of professional courses. Chartered Accountancy seemed more niche as to audit and accountancy, for my idea of Entrepreneur. So I chose CMA, followed later by an MBA.

At that stage, I thought I did not particularly like studying.

How mistaken I was!

I eventually discovered that I absolutely love learning. Curiosity has always taken me down unexpected paths, and many of the important decisions in my life happened because a new opportunity, a new person or a new idea opened another door.

My first significant break came when I joined Trident as an intern. I remain grateful to Mr. Rajinder Gupta for giving me such a wonderful opportunity at such a young age. I was, quite literally, on cloud nine. Later, I joined Haryana Financial Corporation, a public-sector organisation that would unexpectedly influence the course of my life. There I met Mr. Ashish Goyal, an Indian Information Service officer and also a fellow alumnus of the University Business School, Panjab University. He was preparing for the Civil Services Examination.

I still remember his words:

“Whatever you gain here, you will never be in that room.”

The “room” was the chamber of the Managing Director of Haryana Financial Corporation, who happened to be an IAS officer.

Well… lo and behold! I decided to appear for the Civil Services Examination too.

It certainly wasn’t an easy path. But I was fortunate to have the unwavering support of my family—my father, Late Dr. P. K. Narang; my mother, Rekha; my sister, Deepti; my brother, Hemant; my brother-in-law, Anuraag; and, last but certainly not least, the toddler called Lavanya. She had—and still has—the remarkable ability to bring a smile to my face anytime, anywhere. She is happiness incarnate for me. Even today, writing about her makes me smile.

I cleared the Civil Services Examination in my first attempt and joined the Indian Civil Services in September 1998. For the next 25 years, I walked the corridors of bureaucracy. Somewhere in those years, while raising two boys, I also found time to pursue a Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science and Development and eventually complete my Ph.D.

It was not always easy to find the time, but perhaps my curiosity—and my love for learning that I had discovered much earlier—kept pushing me forward.

And Then Came Education

After retirement, I became involved in educating students, particularly those from less privileged backgrounds. Gradually, I moved towards structured coaching and education. And somewhere along the way, something interesting began to happen. People started asking me about careers. Students would come with questions about subjects, courses, colleges and careers. Parents came with questions too.

What subjects should my child choose?
Science or Commerce or something else?
Should we follow the child’s interest or what seems to offer better prospects?
What if the child is good at something but does not want to pursue it?

The questions were different, but the underlying uncertainty was often the same. There was confusion between parental aspirations and student preferences, between what a student was capable of doing and what the student actually wanted to do. And I began to realise something important.

Most of us are not really equipped to understand personality, aspirations, interests and preferences—and then bring all these together with the enormous range of subjects, courses, careers and pathways available today.

The result?- A muddle.

Why Career Counselling Made Sense to Me

My own journey had exposed me to an unusually wide variety of careers and professional environments. I had also seen different educational and professional pathways very closely through members of my family, including people associated with institutions such as Harvard, Cambridge, IIMs, IITs, BITS, Government Medical College Chandigarh, Cleveland Clinic, Mercy Hospital, ICAEW, ICAI, ICSI, ICMAI, London Business School, Manchester University and Panjab University.

These experiences gave me a somewhat unusual perspective on education, professions and career choices. But there was something else that mattered even more.

I like listening to children.

Children are wonderfully honest when they feel comfortable. They are happy, curious, sometimes confused, sometimes wonderfully clear, and often willing to pour their hearts out—provided they know that what they say will remain confidential. Their view of life is often very different from that of adults.

And listening to them has taught me that sometimes a child does not need another lecture.

They simply need someone to listen.
Someone to ask the right questions.
Someone to help them understand themselves.
And sometimes, someone to tell them that it is perfectly alright not to have everything figured out at 15 or 17.

So, Why Did I Become a Career Counsellor?

Perhaps the answer is hidden in my own journey. I did not have one perfectly designed career plan. I moved from Commerce to CMA, from CMA to an MBA, from an internship to a public-sector organisation, from there to the Civil Services, and eventually from bureaucracy to education and career counselling. Each decision was influenced by circumstances, people, opportunities, curiosity and, sometimes, sheer chance. That is precisely why I believe career choice should not be treated as a one-time decision. It is a process of understanding yourself, exploring possibilities, making informed choices and being willing to adapt as you grow.

Today, I find myself doing something I never consciously planned all those years ago:

I listen to children and their dreams, their hopes, their fears and their questions.

And perhaps, after all those years of choosing my own path, I can now help someone else find theirs.

Wishing you all a happy—and fulfilling—career path!

Visit us at: https://tangentcoaching.com

www.linkedin.com/in/dr-charu-n-thakur-b268231b

“Aim for the stars. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the clouds.” – Les Brown

MONEY & FINANCE: LACK OF FINANCIAL LITERACY

Money & Finance: The Education We Somehow Forgot

Yesterday, I came across two interesting—and almost opposing—aspects of the same subject: Money & Finance.

The first was a phone call from a highly accomplished doctor. She sounded genuinely panicked. She had received four salaries and was worried about what this meant for her income-tax return, which, she believed, had already crossed the relevant filing deadline.

Since it was August, four salaries would simply mean the salaries received from April to July. I clarified the situation for her, and the panic subsided.

But the incident left me thinking.

Here was a highly educated professional, someone who had spent years studying medicine, building a successful career and earning a substantial income, yet she was unsure about so mething as fundamental as her salary, tax and filing obligations.

The second incident was much more encouraging—at least initially.

I recently learned that the new CBSE curriculum includes a subject called Financial Management. I was thrilled. Having spent years studying and teaching finance, I have often wondered why our education system prepares young people so extensively for their professions but gives them so little understanding of the financial realities of adult life.

My excitement, however, was shortlived.

On looking at the syllabus, I found that much of the content at the initial level revolves around basic definitions—money, banks, income and expenditure. Class 10 introduces students to financial markets.

Of course, these concepts are important. But can we really call this financial management?

Financial literacy is not merely knowing what money is or what a bank does. It is understanding what to do with money when you actually start earning it.

It is knowing the difference between income and disposable income. Understanding taxes. Planning expenditure. Building an emergency fund. Understanding insurance. Knowing how savings differ from investments. Understanding inflation, compounding, debt, credit and risk. And eventually learning how to make sensible investment decisions.

We spend almost a quarter of our lives in formal education preparing ourselves to earn money.

A student may spend years becoming a doctor, engineer, lawyer, architect, designer, teacher, manager or entrepreneur. There are examinations, degrees, internships, professional qualifications and countless hours of specialised study.

But when that same student finally starts earning, the education system essentially says: Now you’re on your own

Financial literacy is not merely knowing what money is or what a bank does. It is understanding what to do with money when you actually start earning it.

We spend almost a quarter of our lives in formal education preparing ourselves to earn money.

But when that same student finally starts earning, the education system essentially says: Now you’re on your own.

How much tax will I pay?

How should I plan my salary?

How much should I save?

Where should I invest?

Do I need insurance?

What is a mutual fund?

What does a stock market actually do?

How does inflation affect my savings?

What is the difference between an asset and a liability?

These are not questions that belong only to commerce students. They are questions that every adult eventually has to answer.

And that is perhaps the irony.

We prepare young people meticulously for their professional lives but inadequately for their financial lives.

A brilliant doctor may know everything about the human heart but very little about her own financial health. An excellent engineer may design sophisticated systems but have no idea how to build a personal investment portfolio. A successful lawyer may understand complex legislation but remain confused about taxation and retirement planning.

This is not a failure of intelligence. It is a failure of education.

Financial management should not be introduced merely as another academic subject. It should be treated as a life skill.

The objective should not be to turn every school student into an investor or financial expert. It should be to ensure that every young person entering adulthood understands the basic responsibilities that come with earning and managing money.

Because the truth is simple:

We spend years learning how to earn money. We should spend some time learning how to live with it, manage it, protect it and make it work for us.

Perhaps that is the financial education our schools really need.

#FinancialLiteracy #Education #CareerCounselling

The Second Last Hurdle

The Second Last Hurdle

Finally, I managed to submit my thesis for Ph.D. It took me six long years to reach this stage but reach did I.

Surprisingly it was not the struggle, effort, confusion or hard work of six years that was overwhelming, it was the last one week. The week wherein I had not only to get the thesis in order but also to navigate the plethora of red tape designed to discourage even the strongest of all; in order to hand over the typed thesis. May be that is the reason, this challenging aspect is never mentioned during the research phase.

All those research scholars, hoping to complete Ph.D from IGNOU will it find it useful. It is basically a guide to Final Submission of Thesis in IGNOU.

I am dividing the final submission in two parts: Thesis and Forms

THESIS:

Now thesis has been written, approved by the supervisor, and pre submission seminar is over. So now there is a 90 days window to convert this thesis into acceptable form (acceptable to supervisor, department and finally Research Unit).

The thesis needs to be written in 12 font Times New Roman, with 1.5 spacing and margins of 1.5 on the left and 1.25 on the right, up and down.
Thesis cannot have underlines for headings.
Thesis must have references in APA format.
Table headings and figure headings also in APA format. From the very beginning go with the word Heading (MS word Home- has Heading 1, heading 2 etc.). learn to use these for chapter titles also. This will help at the end in creation of Table of Content, List of Tables and List of Figures.
Check and recheck the title of thesis against the approved DRC minutes (in which the thesis title was approved), in order to avoid even a single comma mistake.
Similarly, check and recheck name and enrolment number before thesis goes into print.
Thesis has to be hard bound in red with gold lettering (that is current pattern, it may change without any further notice at any time). Research Unit requires 4 copies of thesis. So, 6 copies are sufficient including supervisor copy and student copy. Better take color printouts.
Thesis Cover page has to be in a specific style which changes from time to time and may be different for different departments. I have uploaded the one acceptable in School of Management Studies and presumably by Research Unit.
In the thesis four certificates are to be enclosed:
- Declaration from the Research Scholar
- Originality Certificate from the Research Scholar
- Originality Certificate from the Research Supervisor.
- Plagiarism Report obtained from IGNOU Library.

(The process of getting this report is explained later: point 5 in ‘Forms to be Submitted’)

These certificates may or may not be signed (except Plagiarism report which is signed). These are part of all copies of the thesis. After final printing, but before submission, these are to be signed in original by the research scholar and the research supervisor (with stamp).

Thesis at the end in Annexures must contain the papers that were published by the Research Scholar during Ph.D. Attach copies of these papers, in all the copies of the thesis.
Along with the thesis a summary is to be submitted. Summary is usually 15-18 pages long, does not have any format. It is also being asked to be bound with red and gold, however it is soft bound.
Another requirement is to submit one CD, containing

A. Thesis in full in Word format,

B. Thesis in full in PDF format,

C. and parts of thesis which are :

01 Title

02 Preliminary pages (title, certificates, dedication, acknowledgements, list of tables, list of graphs etc.)

03 Content page

04 Abstract

05 Chapter-1

06-Chapter-2

—-all chapters 0ne by one—-

—–

0X Annexures (bibliography, questionnaires, publishes papers)

80 Recommendation (chapter containing recommendations -again)

Now the issue with CD, is that the out of the four certificates to be uploaded (which are enclosed with the printed thesis), three may not be signed. So before scanning and uploading, these certificates to CD, it is essential that these three are signed. So, get one certificate of originality signed from the Research Supervisor beforehand. Two certificates (declaration and originality certificate) are to be signed by the research scholar.
On the CD write name, enrolment number, thesis title, and the department name.
CD is to be signed by the research scholar and the research supervisor. (Keep a CD writer pen handy)
CD, while submission of thesis, needs to be physically examined by the Research Unit that it is in working order. Research scholar has to take it personally to the Research unit and get it examined.

FORMS TO BE SUBMITTED:

Create a file/ plastic folder for all the forms to be submitted.
There are two groups of forms and I am segregating these in group A and Group B for convenience‘s sake ( IGNOU does not make this distinction).
Group A Forms: There are six annexures in this group. Out of which Annexure VI is a page of guidelines relating to CD and plagiarism check. Read these guidelines carefully.
In Group A forms:

Annexure -I Certificate of originality (signed by the research scholar, this is part of the thesis- para 9(ii) under the heading ‘Thesis’)

Annexure-II Student Approval form for Uploading the thesis on Shodhganga

Annexure-III Plagiarism Report (to be obtained from the library)

Annexure-IV Certificate for Exclusion of Self Published Work

Annexure-V Co Authors Certificate, in case there are any in the published papers.

These six annexures and the notification dated Oct.11, 2018; are available at the following link of IGNOU:

http://www.ignou.ac.in/userfiles/Guidelines%20for%20Anti-Plagiarism%20and%20Annexures(1).pdf

These may change without any information, at a moments notice. So, ensure from the Research Unit that correct and current formats are being used

Plagiarism Report: It is a very important document and similarity index must be below 10% for the thesis to be acceptable. To obtain this document, the following steps need to be followed:
The Supervisor has to submit the entire thesis in word file and Pdf file format to the library (Deputy Librarian). The name of the file of the thesis, has to be- name of the research scholar PhD thesis (enrolment number).
The current guidelines in this regard are:

1. Complete the thesis in all aspects. (Title to End page)

2. Make a pdf copy with reference.

3. Make a word file without reference.

4. Rename your file as XYZ PhD thesis (Enrol No) i.e Anil Kumar PhD thesis (170012101)

5. Send your thesis (Both pdf and word file) to your supervisor with a request to forward the same: TO: librarian@ignou.ac.inCC: researchunit@ignou.ac.in

6. Matter: Request for plagiarism check and the issue of the certificate.

7. It should go through Supervisor mail only.

8. Kindly submit all annexures (particularly Annex-3,4,5) (filled annexure without date) in hard copy to Deputy Librarian (Room No-105, Library) prior to the plagiarism check process.

9. Collect the report and certificate the next day after mailing the thesis.

10. Annexures are available on the Research Unit website.

The six annexures of group A ( five filled annexures and sixth page of guidelines ) and copy of notification issued by Research Unit dated October 11, 2018; are to be handed over in the Library( Deputy Librarian), personally by the Research Scholar.
Next collect the Plagiarism report i.e. the whole bunch in which Plagiarism report should be filled and signed by two officers of the library.
This plagiarism report has to be part of the thesis, mentioned at point 9 (iv) under Heading ‘Thesis’.
Group B forms: These forms are available on the IGNOU website in Research Unit at

http://www.ignou.ac.in/userfiles/Checklist%20of%20documents%20%20and%20formats%20before%20submission%20of%20thesis(1).pdf

These forms are:

Certificate of presentation of Seminar/Conference Paper ( two are required: attach proof for outside conferences. For two internal IGNOU seminars, attach minutes of DRC and minutes of School Board; which will be available with the department’s office))
Certificate Of Publication of Paper ( at least one paper in peer reviewed journal is required to be published; although this condition may change soon. Attach proof of publication)
Certificate of Completion of Coursework ( from the grade card fill out the credits, Attach copy of Grade card also)

Certificate of completion of pre submission seminar ( attach minutes of DRC and minutes of School Board- to be obtained from the department’s office)
Certificate of originality of Research ( signed by Research supervisor, this is part of the thesis; para 9(iii) under the heading ‘Thesis’)
Registration form for 2^nd and 3^rd year ( attach fee receipts for 2^nd year fees paid and 3^rd year fees paid)
Certificate of Submission of Progress Reports. ( fill the dates carefully after tallying with department’s office)
Declaration of the Research Scholar ( this is part of the thesis- para 9(i) under the heading ‘Thesis’). Format for this declaration, is not available on website. I have enclosed it on this blog).

There are two more certificates for research scholars availing fellowship. As I was not availing fellowship, I did not face the procedure related to those.

Again possibility of change in the format of forms or addition/ deletion of forms is always there. So check with Research Unit beforehand. These forms need to signed by Research Supervisor and Research Coordinator, as mentioned on the forms.

Last but not the least the forms need to be arranged in the order specified by Research unit. The order is:
Four copies of Ph.D thesis
Five copies of summary of Ph.D Thesis
2 CDs
Registration letter bearing enrolment number ( that was issued at the very beginning of Ph.D.
Registration fee receipts for 2^nd and 3^rd of Ph.D programme for students admitted prior to 2019
Grade card
Annexure-I Certificate of Originality
Approval form for uploading of thesis on Shodhganga (annexure-II)
Plagiarism report (annexure-III, in original)
Urkund Analysis result ( this is a page is available along with the Plagiarism report)
Certificate of exclusion of self published papers ( annexure-IV)
Co authors’ certificate ( Annexure-V)
Certificate of completion of course work
Certificate of publication of research work ( with proof)
Certificate of submission of progress reports
Certificate of presentation of seminars ( with proof)
Certificate of submission/ presentation of pre submission seminar

The first three are handed over separately and remaining iv to xvii are arranged in a plastic file folder and handed over to research supervisor, who performs the further necessary formality of submission.

COVER PAGE

DECLARATION

I, ____________, Enrolment Number ____________, hereby declare that the research embodied in this thesis entitled “_______________________________________________” is an original research work done by me under the supervision of _____________________, School of Management Studies, IGNOU for the award of Doctor of Philosophy in Management from Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi.

I hereby also declare that no part of this thesis, fully of partly, has been submitted to this or at any other University/Institution for the award of any Research Degree/Diploma.

Name: __________________

Enrolment Number:___________

Place:

Date:

CNT NEWS: January 04, 2024

CNT NEWS

This small page or blog is for all those students in India, struggling over current affairs and general knowledge, so essential for competitive exams. Every day get a brief capsule of news gleaned from different international and national newspapers, which are important in terms of competitive exams in India.

It will be convenient for the reader to copy paste in in a separate file on the mobile/ computer/ tablet. Create a single word file with daily news pages in brief. If required highlight the news items which one would like to read about, in detail.

Author is an officer of Indian Civil Services, 1998 batch.

January 04, 2024

News Capsule:

Hundreds of pages of unsealed documents from a lawsuit connected to accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein were publicly released on January 03. This is the first set of documents to be unsealed under a December 18 court order, with more expected in the coming weeks. Former US President Bill Clinton and UK Prince Andrew feature in it.
Supreme Court of India, ordered the country’s market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India, to conclude its investigation into the Adani Group within 3 monthsand said that no further probes are needed. The ruling, which comes almost one year after the US short-seller Hindenburg Research accused the sprawling Indian conglomerate of “brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme”.
Russia and Ukraine exchanged hundreds of prisoners of war, the first such exchange in months in ongoing war which has been continuing for past the 22 months.
More than 95 Iranians were killed and scores more injured in a terrorist attack at a ceremony in Iran to commemorate the assassination of a top general

CNT NEWS: January 03, 2024

CNT NEWS

Author is an officer of Indian Civil Services, 1998 batch.

January 03, 2024

News Capsule:

Five people were killed when a Japan Airlines plane carrying hundreds of passengers collided with an earthquake relief aircraft and burst into flames on landing at Tokyo’s Haneda airport on January 2^nd.
Harvard President Claudine Gay announced Tuesday she is stepping down just six months into her presidency amid a firestorm of controversy at the university. She resigned after facing allegations of plagiarism and criticism over her comments about antisemitism on campus.
One of Hamas’s most senior officials, Saleh al-Arouri, has been killed in an Israeli drone strike in Beirut (Lebnon) that threatens a significant and dangerous escalation of Israel’s war against Hamas and its related conflict with the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
Chinese company BYD sold more electric vehicles than Elon Musk’s Tesla in the last three months of 2023 as the two battled for top spot in the sector. BYD said on January 1^st, that it had sold a record 526,000 battery-only vehicles in the final quarter of 2023.
As Russia begins its 2024 BRICS chairmanship, President Vladimir Putin has emphasised the motto “strengthening multilateralism for equitable global development and security”. BRICS now has 10 countries as members including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Original five members are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

CNT NEWS: January 02, 2024

CNT NEWS

Author is an officer of Indian Civil Services, 1998 batch.

January 02, 2024

News Capsule:

The death toll has been estimated to be at least 15 after a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the west coast of Japan on the new Year, 01 January.
The earthquake that hit central Japan on Monday has triggered Tsunami warnings in Japan, North Korea, and Russia. The Kremlin confirmed the reports of Tsunami warnings in Russia’s Far East region and said the evacuations are being carried out to relocate the people to safer areas.
A court in Bangladesh has sentenced the Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus to six months in jail for violating the country’s labour laws.
The leader of South Korea’s political opposition, Lee Jae-Myung has been stabbed at a news conference in the southern port city of Busan. Lee Jae-myung, who narrowly lost the presidential elections in 2022, was stabbed on the left side of his neck on Jna.02 morning.
The idol of ‘Ram Lalla’ carved by Karnataka’s renowned sculptor Arun Yogiraj will adorn the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. The Ram temple is set for opening on January 22 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

CNT NEWS: January 01, 2024

HAPPY NEW YEAR

CNT NEWS

A new morning, a new day and a new year. As Lord Alfred Tennyson said, “let the great world spin for ever down the ringing groves of change.” Its time to move forward towards new horizons and ring in the change we have always wanted.

Wishing you all a very happy new year.

Author is an officer of Indian Civil Services, 1998 batch.

JANUARY 01, 2024

News Capsule:

The US Navy says it sank three Houthi boats after they attacked a container ship off the coast of Yemen. The Houthis have been carrying out a spate of attacks on ships, which they say are revenge against Israel for its military campaign in Gaza.
CNN Business’ staff chose Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella as the CEO of the Year, beating out other contenders including Chase CEO Jamie Dimon, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. In 2023 Microsoft made a multi-billion dollar investment in AI, commercialized and added AI tools like ChatGPT into its suite of products before rivals.
The queen of Denmark has announced that she is to abdicate after 52 years on the throne. Announcing the surprise news to the nation in her new year speech, Queen Margrethe II said she would step down on 14 January, the 52nd anniversary of her accession, leaving the throne to her son, Crown Prince Frederik.
India will begin the New Year today with an effort to solve one of the biggest mysteries of the universe — black holes. A rocket- XPoSAT will lift off today carrying an advanced astronomy observatory meant to study black holes and neutron stars.
Vinesh Phogat, one of India’s most decorated women wrestlers, left the prestigious awards: Khel Ratna and Arjuna award, on a roadside kerb after she was refused permission to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She and several wrestlers accuse former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Singh of sexually harassing women wrestlers for years.

CNT NEWS:Dec.23, 2023

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Author is an officer of Indian Civil Services, 1998 batch.

This is the last post for this year, as the winter break starts and it is time to travel. We will meet again in the new year. Till then, Au Revoir!

December 23, 2023

News Capsule:

The UN security council has voted for a resolution calling for large-scale delivery of aid to Gaza in an effort to contain the imminent threat of famine and deadly epidemics. The resolution did not however demand a suspension of hostilities, which was opposed by the US, which also insisted on removing a clause giving the UN exclusive control of humanitarian deliveries
French police were questioning two men on December 22, a day after officials grounded a Nicaragua-bound plane carrying more than 300 Indian passengers over suspected “human trafficking.”
Emmanuel Macron, President of France, will be the chief guest for the 75th Republic Day celebrations. PM Narendra Modi was the guest of honour at the Bastille Day Parade held on July 14 in Paris.
India’s top wrestler, Sakshi Malik, has quit the sport in protest over her federation’s new president. Sanjay Singh was elected the chief of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI).Mr Singh is reportedly a close aide of WFI’s former chief, Brij Bhushan Singh, who has been accused of sexually harassing female wrestlers. Mr Singh denies the allegations.

CNT NEWS : Dec. 22, 2023

CNT NEWS

Author is an officer of Indian Civil Services, 1998 batch.

December 22, 2023

News Capsule:

Rudy Giuliani, former lawyer of Donald Trump ( former President of USA) has filed for bankruptcy in federal court in New York on December 21, just days after a jury ordered him to pay nearly $150 million to two former Georgia election workers for defamation.
A shooter killed at least 14 people and wounded 25 others at a university in Prague on Thursday in the deadliest mass shooting the Czech Republic has seen in decades. The shooter a 24 years old man was also shot down.
The Lok Sabha and the Raya Sabha of India, passed three bills that seek to replace old criminal laws — the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act. The Rajya Sabha also cleared the Telecommunications Bill, 2023. The three new criminal law Bills set to replace the old ones are named Bharatiya Nyaya (Second) Sanhita, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha (Second) Sanhita and Bharatiya Sakshya (Second) Bill.
The actor Vin Diesel, of the Fast and Furious franchise, has been accused of sexual battery by a former assistant in a lawsuit filed on December 21.

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