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IMT GHAZIABAD

16-July-2011 Volume 1, Issue 1

The Perspective

Inside this issue:

Culnyt 2

From the Di-

rector‘s Desk

3

What it takes

to be a winner-

4

Tomorrow to

fresh woods

6

Orientation

week @ IMT

7

Ancient

Astronaut

8

The Perspective

From the Director’s Desk

“There are huge

challenges in

today‟s global

and highly

competitive

market and we

have to ensure

that you are

ready for

them.”

Volume 1, Issue 1

Dr. Bibek Banerjee— Director, IMT

The mark of any school lies in the quality of values it delivers to the rest

of the world. These values must always be solid, professional and positive.

That is what you were looking for and that is why you have come to the

right place.

So what makes a particular B-school stand out from among the crowd?

Top-class faculty and contemporary teaching methods are some of the fun-

damentals that attract top-quality students like you and ensure that when

you complete your education, you earn the most rewarding jobs. This,

quite simply, is what we offer at IMT Ghaziabad. And that is what sets us

apart from the crowd.

We have an enviable global network of faculty from across all continents,

and we continue to add to that network. We leverage this linkage to create

an environment that nurtures educators, enables them to focus on research

and promotes out-of-the box delivery systems.

There are huge challenges in today‘s global and highly competitive market

and we have to ensure that you are ready for them. As a Professor of Mar-

keting, I can say that though Kotler has amazing insights when it comes to

marketing, they are only theoretical concepts. And so in addition to this

you will find far more practical learning in the curriculum. We will also

use technology to sharpen and guide your knowledge creation towards

creative directions.

When it comes to earning rewarding jobs, at IMT Ghaziabad we create a

talent pool that the corporate world demands. We spend time with the cor-

porate world to customize our education to their needs thus creating value

for both our students and the corporates.

And that is why placements at IMT Ghaziabad have been a consistent

achievement. Every academic year sees not just traditional recruiters head

for our campus but new companies are also impressed with the talent we

repeatedly produce. We have been perceptive to the changing times and

constantly explore fresher avenues and invite innovative companies as

well, thereby offering you a diverse number of rewarding job opportuni-

ties.

You are now embarking on a great learning adventure and you may face

challenges of varying degrees and nature. But I am also sure those chal-

lenges will inspire you. There is little doubt that you will all be achievers

at the end of it and once you pass through the portals of IMT Ghaziabad,

the road ahead will be open. I also know for certain that you will lead the

change of tomorrow for tomorrow and that the world will seek you out

proactively.

# What are the job

profiles offered to

you and how well

prepared do you

think you are to take

on the roles?

I got placed with P&G

– the first company I

interviewed with.

However, all the mar-

keting students at IMT

had many company

profiles that were of-

fered. They included

designations like Key

Account Manager (for

which I have been re-

cruited), Relationship

Manager, Brand Man-

ager, Associate Con-

sultant, Senior Con-

sultant, Technical Con-

sultant and many

more. I firmly believe I

am well equipped to

handle the profile I‘ve

been selected for –

both personally and

professionally.

# What is most excit-

ing part of your

placement?

I believe that the most

exciting part of my job

would be the travelling

involved, since so far

my exposure has been

limited to only north

India. Apart from that

my job would involve

interaction with cus-

tomers. I was looking

for a profile which of-

fers me work that is

more people oriented

and less of desk job.

And this profile

matches the criterion.

# Could you help us

in understanding

your job role at

P&G?

I haven‘t joined yet.

However as stated to

us during recruitment

interview and the files

circulated when asked

to apply for P&G, I

would share my under-

standing.

The profiles offered to

us would be a sales

profile but it would be

more of B2B sales.

The job would involve

travelling, handling

existing clients in the

area assigned and find-

ing new opportunities

for the company.

# In what way has

your academic ex-

perience at IMT

helped you, profes-

sionally and person-

ally? And do you

think it helped you

bag these plum jobs,

why?

My academic experi-

ence in totality has

been very good at

IMT. I have seen my-

self growing both per-

sonally and profession-

ally. Now I understand

management jargon

which never made

much sense earlier.

What it takes to be a winner—Deepika Jindal

“My activities

helped me

learn time

management. I

have learned to

lead a team, be

an effective

team member

and to keep my

personal and

The Perspective

A middle child, Deepika Jindal, is a high achiever from Punjab. An electri-

cal engineer by qualification, she decided to go back to acquiring an addi-

tional qualification – an MBA. Her interests included both marketing and

HR.

Marketing it was. It definitely took precedence over writing code in her

job. She put a lot of thought into the next step and put her papers in. Going

back to study it was. Choosing to do so at the Institute of Management

Technology (IMT) was one of the best decisions she took. Her job work-

ing as Associate Software Engineer with Fidelity Investments ended and

student life began in earnest.IMT was an obvious choice as the institute is

Now I understand

management jargon

which never made

much sense earlier.

I was class representa-

tive, member of RACE

(i.e. Research and

Consulting Enterprise

at IMT-G), and had

many projects every

term. My activities

helped me learn time

management. I have

learned to lead a team,

be an effective team

member and to keep

my personal and pro-

fessional life separate.

The course offered is a

completely residential

program. It was my

first hostel experience

and has definitely

added value.

Managing events like

International Confer-

ence on Strategy and

Organization gave me

exposure. Such large

scale events taught me

the skill of effective

handling and manage-

ment and gave me the

confidence to handle

last minute problems.

I strongly believe that

whatever I have

learned at IMT has

helped me get the job.

Given that P&G inter-

view was mainly HR,

with the personal value

add done during my

stay at IMT had made

me right fit to P&G

culture. This eventu-

ally helped me in my

selection.

# Do you think in to-

day’s competitive

world, it pays to do

courses like the one

you studied and why? Well, yes. I have per-

sonally seen almost

three times hike in my

salary. In terms of aca-

demic value add: I

came from a complete

coding background.

Today, I see myself

more apt for business

world with enhanced

understanding. If you

look at the overall ex-

perience that such a

course provides, it is

immense learning. I

felt myself growing

every day, with each

experience.

# What do you think

you said or did in

your placement inter-

view that set you

apart? Any words of

advise for those who

f o l l o w ? The few points that

helped me crack the

i n t e r v i e w a r e :

••••

My firm stance on

ethics

My desire to go

ahead and explore

new destination.

My ability to handle

clients and events.

T h e e x p o s u r e

gained at IMT

through various ex-

tra-curricular activi-

ties.

The advice that I gen-

erally give people who

ask for it is just be

yourself during an in-

terview. If you are fit

for the job, you will be

selected. If you aren‘t,

it is good because get-

ting selected for a job

which doesn‘t suit you

will create trouble

sooner or later.

# What is the one sin-

gular/distinctive as-

pect that you think

you will be bringing/

taking to your jobs? It would be hard-work

with a continuous fo-

cus on goals. I strongly

believe it will never

ever be the time of

only smart work.

Given that we are all

looking for sustainable

and constant growth,

hard work can never

be replaced by smart

work

“The advice

that I generally

give people

who ask for it is

just be yourself

during an

interview.”

Volume 1, Issue 1

Wow! So many med-

als, so many qualifi-

cations! You must

have had many of-

fers. What made you

choose IMT?

I joined IMT in 2007

after a long innings

with the industry. I

chose IMT because I

saw an excellent op-

portunity for giving a

new academic direc-

tion to my career

here. IMT as an insti-

tute par excellence

falls into the same

league as other insti-

tutes like FMS, Delhi

University and IIT

Delhi where I studied;

and employers like

TCS, with whom I

worked. IMT is dedi-

cated to the cause of

grooming meritorious

students into high cali-

ber business managers.

Naturally it most

suited my purpose of

sharing my life-long

learning with the new

generation through

teaching.

Can you tell us about

your research project

and how it led to the

c o n c e p t o f

CRICKET? Also can

you elaborate on

CRICKET, its vision

and how it is going to

contribute to the

management educa-

tion at IMT.

CRICKET is a new

initiative which we

have taken up at IMT

with the inspiration

and vision of our es-

teemed Director, Dr.

B i b ek B an e r j e e .

CRICKET stands for a

centre which promotes

rural innovation; aims

at capacity building;

facilitates social entre-

preneurship and adopts

knowledge manage-

ment and technology

to promote its objec-

tives. It is an acronym

for Centre for Rural

Innovation, Capacity

Building, Knowledge

Management, (Social)

Entrepreneurship &

Technology.

The research project

on which I have been

working has conceptu-

alized ―Knowledge

Village‖ as a unit of

analysis for bench-

marking knowledge-

based development.

This is in contrast

to ―Knowledge Metro-

p o l i t a n R e -

gion‖ and ―Knowledge

City‖, concepts com-

mon internationally

and relevant in the ur-

ban context. But for a

country like India with

over 800 million rural

population, it is incon-

ceivable not to have

the focus of knowledge

-based development on

rural India. This

thought of Knowledge

Village was one of the

triggers that estab-

lished CRICKET as a

new platform for ac-

tion research at IMT.

CRICKET would be

focused at vital but

often neglected seg-

ments of the Indian

societysuch as rural

innovators, micro and

small enterprises. It

will provide them pro-

fessional guidance in

IMT gives new academic direction —Dr. Surinder Batra

“Knowledge

Village” as a

unit of analysis

for

benchmarking

knowledge-

based

development in

contrast

to “Knowledge

Metropolitan

Region” and “K

nowledge

City”.”

The Perspective

Decades of experience have shaped Dr. Surinder Batra into the personality

he is today: dynamic, youthful and forward thinking. His career has grown

from strength to strength. A highly motivated individual, he is one person

who believes that learning never ends. To him, learning is a daily process.

Achievements and accolades flock on his shelves, vying for space, but he

strides on, teaching young minds, mentoring them. He plays his role in

shaping new careers with aplomb. The responsibility is immense, but his

commitment to the future of India motivates him to stride on.

What would you like

the IMT student to

do differently from

what they are cur-

rently doing?

Most of IMT students

are on the right track in

so far as their ambition

and hunger for excel-

lence is concerned.

Their personal goals

are laudable and they

have the power to

achieve their goals.

One dimension to

which they can direct

their energy more is to

strive for social rele-

vance. This is best ex-

emplified by the fol-

lowing line of think-

ing: ―Having estab-

lished myself in my

career, how do I thank

and pay back society?‖

This thought should be

ingrained in their mind

and should encourage

them to deliver on this

promise as effectively

as prudently as possi-

ble.

Do you think India is

ready to take on the

rest of the world in

business? What are

India’s strengths and

what are the coun-

try’s weaknesses?

I don‘t see this as India

versus Rest of the

World business issue.

Globally, it must be a

win-win situation for

all countries, with each

country deriving from

its strengths a unique

position in the global

economy, which we

conveniently call its

competitive advantage.

A case in point is In-

dia’s IT-BPO indus-

try. According to

NASSCOM Strategic

Review, 2011, India is

the top global off-

shoring destination

with 55%share of

global IT Services &

BPO market in 2010.

This industry has

helped India trans-

form to a knowledge-

based economy, pro-

viding direct employ-

ment to 2.5 mil-

lion and indirect em-

ployment to 8.3 mil-

lion people.

We are a diverse coun-

try and this diversity

re f l ec t s i n ou r

strengths and weak-

nesses as well. The

enormous talent pool

and demographic divi-

dend of the country are

clearly our strengths.

Capability to innovate

at grass root levels, at

corporate levels and at

workplace is a source

of immense strength.

Our emotional attach-

ment and passion for

causes of national

prestige is a great

strength. The greatest

weaknesses are our

tendency to allow the

gains be dissipated

through leakages and

n eu t r a l i z i n g o u r

achievements by work-

ing cross-purpose with

each other.

Why does it take so

long to see something

work on a village

level? Is it because

the rural areas of In-

dia are uneducated or

is it because they still

live in an era gone

by? What is the solu-

tion?

There is obviously a

gap between rural and

urban areas, which is

the main reason for

migration from vil-

lages to cities. The

mindset in the villages

is to move out for bet-

ter employment oppor-

tunities, better educa-

tion and better stan-

dards of living. The

last one is unfortu-

nately not necessarily

true because the qual-

ity of life in most ur-

ban areas for lower

income groups is abys-

mal. But as the grass is

greener on the other

side, the village com-

munities tend to over-

look the need for mak-

ing their local environ-

ment more dynamic.

The solution is to pro-

vide urban amenities in

rural areas and thereby

provide all forms of

connectivity to the ru-

ral population.

What is your message

to the students at

IMT?

“Enormous

talent pool and

demographic

dividend of the

country are

clearly our

strengths.”

Volume 1, Issue 1

Culyug- A Night to Rediscover Fun

“We are all

pretty lucky to

see talented

artists in IMT-

G year after

year, this year

being no

different “

Newsletter Title

People feel it is tough to expect students from B-Schools to indulge in

events related to pure entertainment of the masses but tell that to a student

of IMT-Ghaziabad and he will quick to point that the entertainment never

stops here at IMT. ‗We work hard but party harder‘ is a well-used tagline

around here and is applied with good reason. The proof of this was seen

with good measure in Culyug the first cultural event of the brand new aca-

demic year organized solely by the junior members of the cultural commit-

tee. The event slated to start at 9.30 pm eventually started an hour late but the

excitement in the air was visible, people thronged the amphitheatre expect-

ing a night of some serious fun. The event took some time to warm-up but

it was up and running soon after. First thing on the agenda was the junior

band of IMT-G and their introduction to the seniors and the juniors. I must

say we are all pretty lucky to see talented artists in IMT-G year after year,

this year being no different; the song ‗Naagin‘ played with a twist was the

highlight of the performance. The opening showcase was a great start to

the night. Impromptu saw various groups from the different sections of the junior

batch compete in an event where innovation and street smart thinking was

the norm. Each group performed well but the ever eager crowd was easily

drawn into the main arena each time their group participated hogging most

of the limelight. Seeing the enthusiasm assured us that we were in IMT-G.

After this round three teams were shortlisted and were supposed to give a

performance on some pre-selected themes. The eventual triumph of Sec-

tion-B did not dampen the spirits of anybody in the crowd; all of us knew

that it was our talent that was on showcase here. Brilliant concept and excellent execution are some of the words that come

to my mind for the next event ‗Flushtration‘. Bringing people out of their

bathrooms to reveal their true abilities was a fine idea but the implementa-

tion was even better. People came from the most unexpected quarters and

sang from their hearts on a theme that was handed to them on the stage it-

self, a proper impromptu actually. The hidden capacities in each of us are

really remarkable and all of us should try to bring this out once in a while

and events like CulYug help in doing that. Dedication songs were played in between the main events, although most

of them were for fun some songs were dedicated with intent. The audience

appreciated all of them, many people also got some painful birthday bumps

out in the arena, but the overall atmosphere was still jovial. Finally no cultural event at IMT-G ends without a DJ spinning out some

party numbers. We should appreciate DJ-Daga for all the fun we experi-

enced in the arena. The entire batch needed this dose of fun badly going

into quizzes and presentations and endless case discussions we all redis-

covered the fun inside us all. Truly amazing phenomena and a night to re-

member; the cultural committee or the Culcom as they say has really raised

the bar and we expect much more from them in the forthcoming events.

Ideate. Generate. Dominate - Concepto-exe

Volume 1, Issue 1

Concepto.exe- the name says it all! Build a concept; execute it. The event is organized by E

Cell at IMT-G with a view to promote entrepreneurial spirit among the students. It is as an

inter-section competition where every section has to work as a composite business unit. The

teams take care of every aspect of the business starting from the inception of the idea to the

marketing, operations and logistics of the finished product or service. All the teams have a

five day window to sell their products and/or services within the premises of IMT-G. The em-

phasis is on innovative ideas which can provide end-products that can aid the students of the

campus in leading a more comfortable life during their stay at IMT. The event is also seen as

a major team building exercise as it gives students of the fresh batch an opportunity to know

each other better.

Some of the concepts that were presented this year included ‗Delivering‘, a doorstep delivery

service for daily-use items, roses and even breakfast in the morning; ‗Alfresco‘, providing

services of homemade chocolates; ‗Dhandha Pvt. Ltd.‘, providing a gamut of services includ-

ing healthy food items and ‗Begane Gabbar‘s Ltd.‘, providing midnight services for tea and

coffee delivery as well as facilities for pest control and cooler services in students‘ rooms. At the end of each business day, the teams provide the daily transaction records along with

the cash earned. After the implementation of their ideas for five days, the teams present their

ideas for evaluation before the judges elaborating on their implementation and marketing

strategy, finances and the sustainability of their ideas in future. The team which is able to ful-

fil the Concepto.exe mantra of ‗Ideate. Generate. Dominate‘ in its true sense stands out as the

winner!

Q. Could you describe

your experiences with

the students of IMT?

What according to you

are the strengths they

must capitalise on, and

what weaknesses do

they need to work on?

A. The first-year stu-

dents that I have been

working with are ex-

tremely smart as is to

be expected given that

IMT is a top-ten B-

school and only at-

tracts the best and

bright appl icants

Given that most of the

students commence

with the programme

with 1-3 years of ex-

perience, in technical

roles and this provides

a useful reference

point from which to

explore and discuss

key business issues.

In terms of their

strengths, the students

have certainly dis-

played the drive that is

essential to career pro-

g r e s s i o n p o s t -

graduation. It is also

clear that they are

committed to contrib-

uting to the IMT life in

a wider sense, evi-

denced in their mem-

bership of various

committees which

demonstrates that post-

graduate education is

not limited solely to

the purely academic

experience.

Q. From an HR per-

spective, are the stu-

dents of IMT ready to

face the challenges of

the times? Why? Is

there anything that will

help them be better

prepared to face the

trials and tribulations

of a constantly chang-

ing/evolving economic

scenario?

A. I believe the

PGDM/MBA pro-

gramme certainly cap-

tures the central gen-

eral and specialist ar-

eas of business and

management, and

frames them in both a

domestic and global

context which is cru-

cial in the rapidly

changing world.

I am a strong believer

that a business educa-

tion should also seek

to develop the key

management compe-

tencies (e.g. social and

networking skills; self-

awareness; empathy,

etc.) that allows for

academic knowledge

to be used effectively

in the organisation

both in a domestic and/

or an international con-

text. I believe that

most business schools

struggle with this chal-

lenge. However, the

Guiding the way : Dr.Brigid Milner

“I am a strong

believer that a

business

education

should also

seek to develop

the key

management

competencies

The Perspective

Human Resources Management has undergone enormous changes in the

recent past, nationally and internationally. Pink slips, pay cuts, frozen re-

cruitments..these were just some of the downsides of the recession that the

world and people faced stoically. Employees were left with little choice but

to perform their tasks and while stress was high, motivation was often low. Though things are getting better slowly, it will still take a long time for

things to go back to where they were. The MBA graduate of today needs to

be prepared for all of this and more. It was with this goal that IMT Ghaziabad invited Dr. Brigid Milner of the

WIT School of Business-Ireland, a luminary in HRM and a Visiting Pro-

fessor at IMT to offer her perspective and share her experience and knowl-

edge with the students of IMT ―While I hope that I have enhanced their knowledge of international HRM,

IMT programme has

‗the edge‘ in terms of

the provision of the

Myers Briggs Type

Indicator (MBTI) pro-

file for all first-years

which enables them to

gain some insight into

their preferences and

also the dynamics of

their interactions with

others.

Q. How have HR

trends changed and

how can a student of

IMT adapt to them?

How does the HR

manager of tomorrow

keep up with the times

and the ever-evolving

HR needs?

A. HR is now about

being a ‗business part-

ner‘ — as profession-

als and as a function

— who can really

make a difference and

in turn, impact posi-

tively on profitability,

for the organisation, be

it the private or public

sector. The provision

of a common first year

which includes the key

business subjects cou-

pled with a range of

industry-relevant sec-

ond year specialist HR

modules ensures that

IMT HR graduates are

well-prepared to as-

sume this ‗business

partner‘ role.

To keep up with the

times, HR profession-

als need to be commit-

ted to their continuing

professional develop-

m e n t w h i c h i s

achieved through fur-

ther training, self

study, networking and

also attending HR pro-

fessional conferences.

Membership of a HR

professional associa-

tion is also particularly

useful.

Q. While this is cer-

tainly an extensive

topic, in a nutshell,

how different is it to

work for a multina-

tional as opposed to a

local business?

A. I believe the key

difference is one‘s per-

spective — is it do-

mestic and hence all

factors in the business,

including people, are

local; or is it interna-

tional/global — where

the drivers and influ-

ences on the organisa-

tion are often outside

and external to the

subsidiary. As a result,

in a MNC, one‘s

‗view‘ needs to be

much broader and one

must be able to handle

and respond to the

complexities that go

with this.

Q. What do you think

is unique to the Indian

student of today?

A. Their drive is par-

ticularly evident as is

their willingness to

contribute, individu-

ally and collectively,

and outside of their

academic programme,

to the life of IMT.

Their awareness of

global business issues

is apparent but what

sets them apart is that

they are still rooted in

Indian traditions while

they have a modern

and global outlook

Q. What are the last-

ing impressions of

IMT and its students

that you carry back

with you?

A. There is a vibrancy

within IMT, generated

by both the faculty and

the students, and it has

been a pleasure to con-

tribute to the academic

programme during my

time here as a Visiting

Professor. I have really

enjoyed my interac-

tions with the first-year

students and while I

hope that I have en-

hanced their knowl-

edge of international

HRM, I have also had

the pleasure of learn-

ing from them by vir-

tue of their sharing

some of their experi-

ences and views of the

subject area.

I will always remem-

ber the very warm wel-

come I received from

the staff in IMT —

both academic and ad-

ministrative.

“HR is now

about being a

„business

partner‟ .”

Volume 1, Issue 1

Tomorrow to fresh woods and new pastures

“I could almost

imagine the

shouts, the

laughter, the

busy frenzy, the

vitality and

enthusiasm

that the place

would exude

when filled

with students.

It is like the

place has taken

on an entity

The Perspective

Standing at the end of one voyage, and at the beginning of a new journey,

this interim period is the time filled with tremendous trepidations, jubila-

tions and expectations. The simultaneity of emotions that pass through the

heart every moment are difficult to identify and describe together without

reflecting on the myriad experiences that accentuate these sensations. Like all enduring relationships, it has been rather a turbulent journey with

respect to IMT so far. The personal interview was an intense roller coaster

ride. I distinctly remember trembling in my shoes even before I went into

the interview room as the two individuals who had been in before me had

come out red, trembling, dazed, sweaty, disoriented and almost in tears. In

the midst of a somber and serious discussion about the merits and demerits

of teamwork and leadership, one panel member abruptly cut me short and

asked ‗So when was the last time you cried?‘ Imagine such a bolt out of

the blue! I almost blurted out ―I‘m about ready to burst into tears now!‖

and it was all I could do to salvage the interview from turning into a total

wreck (which, however, it eventually did). I remember waiting with bated

breath for the results and the glorious elation and triumphant gratitude of

prayers being answered as the second list welcomed me to IMT. The next phase, which is in continuum, has perhaps been my favorite so far

- the chance to interact with peers and seniors who have come forward and

extended help and encouragement. All this to ensure that the transition into

the B-school experience becomes as smooth and as seamless as is possible

without actually detracting from the essence and curious quality of IMT

which leaves us wanting for more. As they say: ‗IMT aao…khud jaan

jao…‘ In the midst of all this exhilaration and anticipation, I had the opportunity

to visit the IMT campus once. As I stood in the middle of an empty room

in one of the girls‘ hostels, I could almost imagine the shouts, the laughter,

the busy frenzy, the vitality and enthusiasm that the place would exude

when filled with students. It is like the place has taken on an entity and en-

ergy of its own, inspired by those who inhabit it, assimilating the life that

throbs through its passages, lobbies, rooms, fields and canteens and now

exists as a testimony to this verve and vigor. The Kolkata meet which I

was fortunate enough to attend, was one of the defining moments prior to

my entry into IMT for two specific reasons. Firstly, the sincerity, patience

and care with which the seniors explained to us every pertinent detail of

our queries in the dreary lull of a sultry summer evening. It was perhaps

the best and first-hand experience of what it means to be professional. The

smiles never left their faces, and they never complained for having to an-

swer the queries, however insane, of a score of eager juniors. Secondly,

looking around and observing the faces and reactions of my peers, I felt a

curious and satisfying sense of déjà vu. It is the same look I see on myself

when I think about all that is to come and brace myself to face it. It is the

look that speaks of fear mingled with excitement, defiance coupled with

joy, tremor combined with a quiet confidence, zeal merged with ambition,

Sanjukta Mukherjee

PGDM 2011-13

Orientation week @ IMT

“To catch the

reader's

attention,

place an

interesting

sentence or

quote from the

story here.”

Volume 1, Issue 1

Abhishek Dixit

PGDM 2011-13

I had heard the phrase ―IMT never sleeps‖ and at the end of my orientation

week here at IMT I actually understand why. Life here is totally different

from what most of us would have experienced till now. And right from the

Director‘s address to the Culnyt, the experience has been awesome to say

the least.

The week started with the Director’s address to the new batch. It set the

expectations in terms of the DNA, blood group and the attire expected

from us at IMT in the upcoming 2 years. Throughout the week there were

sessions where the IMT alumni addressed the new batch and shared with

us their unusual yet valuable experiences. It was really special listening to

these people, their experiences and their achievements. A poignant pride

overcame me as the thought that they were at one time a part of this insti-

tute too, flipped into my mind and stayed. Then the thought that such inter-

actions were indeed lessons. They taught us, in subtle ways, what IMT

seeks to inculcate in us. The magnitude of the responsibility was a little

overwhelming for me.

The presentations by the various clubs and committees made their mark

next. It‘s really encouraging for a fresher to see that everything here is

managed by students and that really makes IMT what it is. We got an in-

sight of every aspect that goes to make IMT. I wanted even more to be a

part of this institute and then I realized I was already there. And it was

truly amazing to see how each and everything was handled by the Student

Affairs Council. Hats off to everyone in the council for having made this

first week as smooth as it could possibly get.

A new introduction in this year‘s orientation programme was the “Art of

Living” sessions. I believe that quiet a lot of people would have been ap-

prehensive about the authenticity of such a program including me. But at

the end of the last session I really feel that this is one of the best things that

have happened to me in my life. Art of Living didn‘t teach us anything that

we did not know already. Yet, it actually taught us was to implement all

those things. The question that arose in my mind was, ‗Why did I have to

wait for such a course to realize what it taught, when I had it in me all

along?‖ I guess I am among those people who do need a push in their lives

every once in a while.

There could not have been a better end to this week than the Cultural

Night (although by the time it ended it was almost morning). It was the

time for the junior batch to showcase their talent in front of their batch and

the seniors. There were some really good performances. Adding to the fun,

we had a DJ towards the end. Mad dancing followed. An onlooker would

have never guessed some of the dancers had slept very little in five days.

Their fatigue vanished into thin air as they moved their bodies to the mu-

The curious case of

human evolution is

inspiring but mysteri-

ous at best. We have

gone on to achieve so

many technological

advances from our

primitive cavemen an-

cestors, in less than a

blink of the eye com-

pared to the timescale

it took for the emer-

gence of life on earth

or the creation of the

universe, we have an-

nounced ourselves in

the universe. If we

compare this timescale

to a 24 hour clock, hu-

mans have been in ex-

istence for less than a

second before the

stroke of midnight. I

ask how did we

achieve this staggering

progress? and in such a

short amount of time?

Is it because the of the

curiosity that dwells

within each of us that

compels us to find the

truth of things? The

notion of challenging

the most basic of no-

tions and clearing the

path for a new order

has many examples in

history. The vision of

King Chandragupt

Maurya to unite India

whereas others would

have been happy just

by parts of the whole

to the conquest of

Gravity, Spacetime

and Sir Isaac Newton

by Sir Albert Einstein

are some exemplary

ideals of ordinary peo-

ple who have chal-

lenged the convictions

of their time and ven-

tured into the unknown

only to set benchmarks

for others. The one

feature which distin-

guished them was an

open mind which I ask

of you all right now.

Are we alone in this

universe and if yes for

how long ? In 1961

researcher Frank

Drake of SET I

( Search for Extrater-

restrial Intelligence)

came up with a mathe-

matical equation de-

scribing the odds of

‗Intelligent‘ life in the

cosmos.

The equation is prob-

abilistic in nature with

N giving the number

of intelligent civiliza-

tions with whom con-

tact could be possible.

Its significance can be

seen from the fact that

it provides us with

numbers, numbers that

describe our chances

of meeting with an

alien form of life in

our own lifetimes.

It may all be true and

contact could have

been established al-

ready.

The first picture is one

of the many gold trin-

kets found in the ruins

of central America.

They have been dated

to be at least a 1000

years old. The gold

trinket shows astonish-

ing resemblance to to-

day‘s modern swept

wing fighter aircraft

like the Mig-21 or the

more modern stealth

fighter Lockheed F-

117 nighthawk. What

beckons the logic is

how did these ancient

race of people ever

come to think of such

forms ? The answer is

not at all straight for-

ward.

You might argue that

the artifact looks like a

bird or some species of

ancient fish. The fact

of the matter is no type

of bird on planet Earth

has a vertical tail fin.

Ancient Astronaut Theory

“Albert Einstein

are some

exemplary

ideals of

ordinary

people who

have

challenged the

convictions of

their time and

The Perspective

Amit Nayak

PGDM 2011-13

So as for the fish the-

ory, the artifact has

many inaccuracies,

and for a gold trinklet

crafted so delicately to

make such mistakes

like this is a glaring

blunder in the artisan-

ship. Moreover this

artifact also has a sort

of a cockpit near its

neck that seems to be

hollow and the seat of

its alleged pilot. What-

ever you might say

you cannot deny the

fact that it is odd. An-

other puzzling fact is

that we began flight

with a straight winged

plane (remember the

Wright brothers‘ flier

or the World War II

hero the British Spit-

fire), the swept wing

design is a relatively

modern innovation.

You might say what's

our take on all of this ?

The point is that hu-

mans don't just create

art. They observe na-

ture, the environment

and in a spurt of inspi-

ration try to recreate

what they have seen

(just the figure 6).

These ancient people

saw these types of an-

cient planes soar in the

sky, play out epic bat-

tles out there and they

tried to give us a

glimpse of what they

had seen. There is a theory going

around first proposed

by writer Erich von

Däniken in his book

‗The Chariot Of the

Gods?‘ in the 1970s.

The theory is simple

enough to grasp on but

radical and at best con-

troversial, it proposes

that we were visited by

not one but many an-

cient races of aliens in

the past, they helped us

build civilizations and

affected us with their

ancient technology be-

ing percieved by us as

being divine, as

Gods !! They came from

heaven they said, de-

scending in their beau-

tiful and shiny chariots

which would reflect

much of the Sun, sur-

rounded by golden and

yellow flames and the

sky roared like thun-

der, is the common

theme of many visita-

tions of Gods and An-

gels on the described

across many of the an-

“The truth is

out there, you

just have to

open your

mind.”

Volume 1, Issue 1

IMT, GHAZIABAD

Lead the future

www.imt.edu

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