Except for the IITs, IIMs and a few central universities, the quality of education and research is a matter of real concern. What’s stopping the qualitative growth of higher education in India?

The government is responsible for the issues higher education is facing in the country. Just chanting slogans in favour of universal education and greater access to higher education cannot spur changes. Real work needs to be done at the grass root level.

There aren’t enough public universities to cater to our population.

Privatisation of higher education leaves the poor out of colleges and universities. What could be the possible solution to this glaring gap?

The only way to make higher education accessible to all is to have a government- private partnership.

Several foreign universities have tied up with their Indian counterparts. Will foreign presence improve the quality of higher education in the country?

Foreign universities are welcome here, but it is naïve to hope that they will bring about a dramatic change in the quality of higher education in our country. Cornell or Georgetown might set up a campus here, but would they be able to provide the same infrastructure and faculty as they have back in America? They can’t do it, so don’t expect much to change. Even if these foreign universities succeed in transplanting their campuses here, then the cost of the education will be too high for students from average Indian families to afford.

The signs are everywhere. Students, women, yuppies, the unemployed, those facing a mid-life crisis, and a whole lot of other categories have succumbed to the e-bug. Frankly, the environment has never been more conducive. Of course, the risks associated with start-ups remain, with more than 50% of all start-ups failing within the first five years. It’s just that landing funds to fuel your venture is easier than ever before. Venture Intelligence, a research firm focused on venture capital and private equity deals in India, says there are 43 angel networks, 111 venture capital investors and 37 incubators in the country. We have come a long way from the days when bootstrapping—falling back on savings, fixed assets, and money from friends and family—was the only option. Nonetheless, this is still the most preferred starting point for a majority of businesses.

The trouble with bootstrapping is that it usually means scrimping on capital, which, in turn, curtails the start-up’s flexibility and ability to grow. There is also a very real risk of fledgling entrepreneurs overleveraging themselves.

A less risky way to raise seed capital is to pool resources with a group of people who have shared interests and work together to escalate a business idea to at least a prototype. However, if you are sure of the scalability of your venture and are not obsessive about retaining independent control, private funding could be the best option. This comes in various forms, each typically catering to different stages of a start-up, such as the seed stage, early stage and growth stage. Here are some of the options.

ANGEL INVESTORS 
These are high net worth individuals, who invest in a start-up in return for a minority share in the business. They are usually serial entrepreneurs or heads of major multinational firms. They can also be a group of individuals who pool in funds to invest. The key networks include Mumbai Angels, Indian Angel Network, Hyderabad Angels, Pune Tech Angels, Business Angel Network of Kerala and East Angels.

How angel investing works 
Angels typically come into the picture at a start-up’s seed stage, when the business idea is just a concept. The business plan itself is very iffy. So what draws an angel’s attention? Business ideas that have the potential to generate solid returns, as well as the person behind it, but they are basically in it for altruistic reasons.

Since all start-ups are risky propositions at this stage, angels typically don’t put in a huge sum. “We invest in start-ups that are unlikely to draw the interest of venture capitalists since the size of investment is rather small, from 50 lakh to 5 crore, depending on the angel approached and the business idea. Only in special circumstances will the deal size stretch to 10 crore,” says Saurabh Srivastava, co-founder, Indian Angel Network. In return, they take a 20-30% stake in your firm.

Benefits 
Angels are patient investors; they typically remain invested for 7-8 years. They review the progress regularly and are even willing to go back to the drawing board, if required. No wonder Sasha Mirchandani, co-founder of Mumbai Angels, claims that angel-backed companies tend to do better than the ones that directly approach venture capital investors. You can also expect quick access to funds. It can take anywhere between a day and three months to close a deal.

Drawbacks 
The concept of angel funding is still at a nascent stage in India, so they are difficult to find. You need to boast the right contacts/professional network to bag such funding, besides having the right credentials. Says Srivastava: “Factors like the entrepreneur’s reputation, integrity, clarity of mind and his response to feedback are important for me. He should also be a good listener.” Mirchandani, on the other hand, is more concerned with the capital efficiency of a business idea. This is why so many IT start-ups, typically both capital-efficient and easily scalable, find favour with angel investors.

However, as Nishant Verman, associate, Canaan Partners, stresses, easy funding is still difficult to come by. “India is no Silicon Valley, where a super angel like Mike Maples will invest in a product when it’s no more than a blueprint sketched on a notepad, as in the case of Twitter,” he warns.

Hot sectors 
“Currently, angels are interested in funding education, mobile value-added services and apps, innovations in healthcare and rural entrepreneurship,” says N Muthuraman, director, RiverBridge Investment Advisors, a boutique financial advisory firm.

VENTURE CAPITAL 
For the uninitiated, venture capital firms invest their shareholders’ money in start-ups in return for a minority share in the company.

How venture capital works 
They typically invest at an early stage of a start-up; unlike angels, precious few are willing to back an idea at the concept stage. This is when the fatter cheques of venture capitalists come into play. Venture capital firms have been known to help start-ups organise the next round of funding as well.

Says Arvind Modi, associate vice-president (investments), Gujarat Venture Finance Ltd, which provides venture capital to tech start-ups: “We like ventures where the product or service is established and the start-up requires funding for commercialisation or scaling up of operations.”

However, many firms, such as Accel India Venture Fund, Sequoia Capital, Seedfund, Ncubate Capital, Nexus India Capital and Draper Fisher Jurvetson (DFJ), are increasingly willing to provide seed stage funding, but let us consider the thumb rules.

A typical player is willing to put $2-8 million ( 10-40 crore) in return for a 10-40% stake in the start-up, say industry insiders. If the investment amount is higher, the venture capital firm may choose to take a minority stake and invest the balance in convertible instruments, such as debentures and preference shares.

If you are planning to approach a venture capital firm, be prepared to answer questions on the kind of bond you share with your business partner or the rapport with your team. Don’t balk. Seeing their investment going down because of a silly feud between the core team members in a start-up is the last thing they want. Also, these investors usually don’t believe in oneman shows; it is risky if everything depends on one person. “Unless an entrepreneur is very experienced, he won’t be able to deal with the challenges posed by a start-up single-handedly,” adds Verman.

You will also need to have an exit strategy. The basic purpose of any venture capital investor is to sell his stake for a profit after 4-5 years. So, cover options for the next round of investment, typically from a private equity player, the possibility of an IPO or a potential buyer, along with an approximate exit valuation, in the presentation.

Benefits 
This is practically the only option that gives entrepreneurs access to deep pockets at a time when they are trying to build the company. Private equity’s fatter cheques are typically reserved for mature companies. You also get expert help and access to the firm’s entire network.

Drawbacks 
“Venture capital funds in India require proof of concept and decent revenue visibility before investing,” says Muthuraman. In addition, each player will have sectoral preferences. Also, a typical player expects an internal rate of return of 25% on the investment in 4-5 years. “To meet the expectation, the company’s compounded annual growth should be over 25%,” says Modi. A business with low scalability may not be able to provide them with the desired returns on their investment and, hence, will be rejected outright.

The safest bets are the ones where there is a business and professional connect. “It is a highly dilutive way of raising capital. It suits companies that have very high scalability and don’t need too much recurring capital,” advises Muthuraman. Also, be prepared to wait for 3-6 months to close a deal.

Hot sectors 
The most sought-after sectors by this segment are biotech, mobile value-added services, education, healthcare, e-commerce, IT-ITeS, and green technology.

VENTURE DEBT 
This is a medium-term loan that is exclusively provided to companies backed by venture capital firms.

How venture debt works 
The USP here is that no collateral is required to be eligible. Instead, venture debt providers evaluate applicants on the basis of a startup’s fundamental enterprise value, assessing how it will grow and, thereby, pegging its future cash flow and ability to repay the loan. You can expect funding of 2.5-20 crore, depending on the growth stage of company and the nature of requirement.

Says Ajay Hattangdi, managing director, SVB India Finance: “An experienced founding team, a credible business plan and a solid venture capital investor base are some factors that we would consider in our assessment.” He adds that the interest rates are fixed for the tenure of the loan and are competitive compared with rates that SME clients can usually obtain from banks.

Benefits 
Venture debt financing is structured specifically to support seed and early-stage start-ups. Hence, it understands that a venture is prone to volatility early in life and, consequently, provides more flexibility to entrepreneurs. According to Muthuraman, this is a useful tool for an entrepreneur wanting to minimise his equity dilution early on as it can bridge the gap between the funds provided by the venture capitalist and his actual requirement. These funds come with the least amount of restrictions and can be utilised for any business initiative, from basic operations and working capital to supporting capital expenditures and making acquisitions.

Drawbacks 
Apart from the interest on the loan, venture debt providers typically require an equity kicker, or shares of your company, to compensate for the higher risk taken. “The kicker enables us to get a share in the upside if the company does well. It also enables us to keep our loan interest rate down to a minimum,” says Hattangdi.

LOANS FROM NBFCs AND BANKS 
This is a standard option for entrepreneurs but not for seed-stage start-ups. Says Sushil Munhot, chairman and managing director, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI): “One should look at bank funding only after the product has gone through seed or venture cycle and one wants to commercialise it further.”

How bank loans work 
Usually banks and finance companies fund up to 80-90% of the loan-to-value ratio (borrowed amount divided by the asset value you are purchasing or refinancing), depending on the credit history of the borrower and the collateral put up, be it property, machinery or marketable securities. Bank loans can be availed of for short or long term, but the latter is usually given to established start-ups.

However, Muthuraman says banks now give importance to cash flow rather than the primary security or additional collateral. Recognising the fact that the collateral requirement deters many a start-up, particularly in the early stages, the government and SIDBI have set up a Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises. The scheme lends up to 1 crore to small enterprises for working capital and capital expenditure without collateral.

Incidentally, finance companies also offer collateral-free working capital loans to small enterprises with at least three years of operations. These are available at interest rates of 16-20%, while loans against property cost 12-18%.

Benefits 
It is usually the cheapest source of funding and helps in controlling costs. Besides, if a start-up maintains a healthy credit track record while servicing the loan, access to all other sources becomes easier.

Drawbacks 
Such loans typically go to existing small businesses which have shown over three years of profitability and credit history.
Ultimately, the key to landing smart funding is to never lose hope. If you are convinced that you have identified a genuine market need and that you can actually implement your innovation, just put together a convincing business plan and start scouting for suitors. This is one area where the more the cooks, the better the broth. Sooner or later, someone is sure to say ‘I will’.

After the biggest land row in the country, Noida Extension came out of a tense situation when the Allahabad High Court gave a verdict keeping the interest of all concerned parties in mind. Around 2,00,000 apartments are planned in Noida and Greater Noida combined. Just a few months back, everything came to a standstill as the Allahabad High Court cancelled the acquisition of land in a few villages in Noida Extension. Real Estate Developers and buyers who had invested in projects in the area were in a fix. All the projects in the area and sales got stalled and developers feared huge losses.

About 491 farmers from 61 villages in Gautam Budh Nagar District had challenged the acquisition of more than 3000 hectares of land by government agencies invoking the urgency clause. Farmers were protesting that the authorities acquired land at a pittance and sold it to developers at much higher amounts who, in turn, coverted it into projects to earn more profits.

However, few days before Diwali the people with interest in Noida Extension had a reason to smile. In its lates order, the Allahabad High Court cancelled the acquisition of land in three villages of Noida and Greater Noida and asked the Greater Noida Authority to pay 64% higher compensation to farmers. The paved the way for everyone to cheer. R.R. Singh, Director General, NAREDCO, says, “Following the policy of prevention rather than cure the decision of the High Court  to quash acquisition of land in Yusufpur, Chak Shahberi, Asdullapur and Devla will serve to avoid future litigations that may arise on these lands due to lower compensation paid to the farmers. While the decision to hike compensation in 61 villages by 64% will increase the cost of land to developers who will recover this extra cost from new home buyers.”

Noida Extension Projects Problem – How it Began

Around 4 years ago Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) acquired land for industrial purposes. GNIDA used an urgency clause under section 5-A of the Land Acquisition Act to make acquisitions. Most of the land here was acquired during 2007-2008. The Supreme Court questioned this clause.

The area, Noida Extionsion, has exemplified the unexpected ways in which the real estate market behaves. It was this area that was beating all other areas in Delhi-NCR when it came to pricing. In 2009 when prices in areas such as Gurgaon, Dwarka and Noida were hovering around Rs. 5,500 Rs 5,000 and Rs. 3,500 per sq. ft. respectively, Noida Extension offered a lucrative price that was in the range of Rs. 1600-1900 per sq. ft., informs Manoj Gaur, MD, Gaursons India Ltd. As the area gained attraction of buyers many small and mid-size developers started their journey in Noida Extention. Not only this, the developers of the area coined a new name for the area – Noida Extension, an area which is officially a part of Greater Noida. This was done to add more attraction to the region apart from pricing as buyers were generally wary of going to Greater Noida because the place rings ‘distance bells’ in mind.

Earlier Verdicts about Noida Extension

On July 6, 2011, the Supreme Court upheld the Allahabad High Court’s order to return Shahberi Village’s 156 hectare land to farmers. Before this verditc, the HC had denotified the acquisition of 170 hectare and 70 hectare land of Gulistanpur and Surajpur village. After this verdict around 4899 units were affected. Developers gave options to the buyers to either shift to other projects or exit from the project. Many buyers opted for shift and few decided to get their funds back.

On July 19, 2011, a shocker for the real estate market came when the Allahabad High Court quashed the acquisition of 589 hectare of land in Patwari village. Developers decided to appeal to the Supreme Court and Noida Extension Flat-Buyers Welfare Association, a group of home buyers, was trying to be party to all court hearings. The impact of the decision was that 20,000 flats out of 1,0,000 flats planned in the area were affected. Also around 4,250 plots alloted to buyers through two housing schemes were affected.

Later, farmers of other villages too joined the protests. Then on July 20, 2011, the Allahabad High Court said that all land acquisition petitions should be clubbed together and heard on July 26, 2011. The  petitions were against the qcquisition of 468 hectares of Roza-Yaqoobpur and Itheda villages in Greater Noida. The land was acquired by the state government in 2007-2008. Farmers from other villages such as Amnabad, Bisrakh, Haibatpur, Kherpur and Ghanghola had also challenged the state government and GNIDA.

The Latest Verdict about Noida Extension

A ray of hope was seen by the developers and homebuyers on October 2011. It was the day when the Allahabad High Court cancelled the acquisition of land in three villages of Noida and Greater Noida – Yusufpur, Chak Shahberi, Abdullapur and Devla – and also directed authorities to pay higher compensation and developed land to the farmers of 60 other villages.

Kamal Meattle, CEO Paharpur Business Centre, says, It’s a very balanced verdict for all the stakeholders. The court has safeguarded everybody’s interest and all the parties stand to gain in the long run.

The HC has also ordered that all construction activity should be suspended in the areas where land acquisition has not been scrapped till the time a Principal Secretary rank officer ascertains that development has taken place in accordance with the master plan of NCR Planning Board.

Rajesh Goyal, Managing Diretor, RG Group, says, We are happy with the verdict as this has relieved a long lasting cold war between farmers and developers. Farmers are happy as they will benefit from a good compensation, while consumers will have their dream homes soon. As far as developers are concerned, we  are also happy with this move as this will help in rolling out of the projects which got stuck and money invested in the area. Hence, we will fulfil the commitment of providing dream homes to our customers.

The Effect

After the announcement of increased compensation, developers might increase the prices of apartments in Noida Extension from 15% to 25%. However, even after this increase, prices in this area will remain lucrative for the buyers and investors as compared to other places such as Ghaziabad, Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad. Vivek Dahiya, Founder and CEO, GenReal Property Advisers (P) Ltd, reveals, Thecomplete story is yet to unfold, but yes, the prices will increase by around 10% to 15% in the short and medium term.

The latest verdict has meant that the interest of everyone is saved and that the buyers will be able to get their dream homes in affordable prices. It is a time when buyers can rejoice as their affordable option in NCR is safe and secure.

Rising global economic uncertainties have left real estate investors a worried lot. Most of them are leaving no stone unturned to find reliable answers to questions like “is it the good time to sell? Should the decision to invest in property be postponed?

Shveta Jain, director, residential services of consultancy firm Cushman Wakefield India, was very forthcoming when she said that with the property prices reaching new peak levels in markets such as NCR and Mumbai, it appears to be a favourable time to sell. It provides the investors with an opportunity to book higher profits, she acknowledged. Since the onset of economic recovery in 2009, the housing market has seen substantial growth in terms of capital valuations.

Several markets across the country registered significant price appreciation. However, the consultants are against distress selling. The present slowdown has proved to be a greater challenge for those who invested in real estate to make quick buck. `Real estate is not a ‘get rich quick’ investment route,” said Ramesh Nair, MD (West) of realty consultancy firm, Jones Lang LaSalle India. “Investment in real estate pays off only when one invests for at least 3-4 years. Not only this, even with a long-term investment horizon, one needs to have a clear exit strategy in mind before one buys real estate as an investment,” Nair said.

Given the current investment climate, Shveta Jain said, sellers are faced with several challenges. Lack of enthusiasm from buyers to invest in property market is among the major limitations and perhaps the main roadblock faced by the sellers, she pointed out. “The caution among the end-users is because of the rising home loan rates coupled with high price points. Consumers are also postponing their purchasing decisions in anticipation of dip in property prices,” she said.

In such challenging market conditions, Nair advised, selling a property as fast as possible was a wrong investment strategy. The important factor to determine is where the market stands in the current real estate cycle. From the timing perspective, Nair said, a professional property investor will exit the property if a good deal comes along. “When the investor decides to exit, the price should be guided by open market valuation. It is neither professional nor advisable to wait until a dream figure based on opinions is achieved, he said.

Ravi Saund, COO of CHD Developers, said that the slump in India’s GDP growth rate might keep investors at bay. The projection for GDP growth rate has been brought down from around 9% at the beginning of 2011-12 to around 7.5% at present. He said the buyers will gain confidence only when India will again show resilience to the economic slowdown and becomes a favoured investment destination. “Till then, sales might take a plunge. There will not be many new project launches. However, mid and affordable segment will continue to grow. The construction activities will be hit temporarily,” he said, adding that developers, who concentrate on timely execution of projects, stand to gain in the long-run.

When it comes to reinvesting the gains from realty into the sector itself, Jain advised against doing so in such uncertain times. “Investors exiting a property for reinvestment in another property will have to face the risk of probable softening of prices in the near future due to subdued demand in the housing market,” she said. However, she adds, the investors can look at investing in under construction projects which on completion might command higher capital value. “While making such investments, it is essential that the investors conduct the due diligence about the developer and the development. The potential for growth of the investment and the time for it to happen are vital factors in making such investment decisions

Rift has pulled down combined wealth to $ 28.5 bn from $ 85 bn in ’ 2008

THE warring Ambani brothers appear to be on the verge of arriving at a settlement. The reunion may fall short of a merger but will be enough to strengthen the businesses of both brothers, which have suffered in the course of the quarrel.

Mumbai’s Dalal Street appears to be getting ready for the good news as Mukesh Ambani, 54, and Anil Ambani, 52, head for the patch- up.

The family split and division of Dhirubhai Ambani’s huge business empire has hurt the respective businesses of the two sons and destroyed shareholder wealth.

Backrooms are abuzz with talk of the impending collaboration.

Troubled by increasing competition, dwindling stock price and lack of the legendary Ambani clout in the corridors of power, the brothers are seeking a secret settlement to send a strong signal to pump up the markets.

The architect of this bridge, as in June 2005 and subsequently in May 2010, is matriarch Kokilaben Ambani, who has told her sons in no uncertain terms that it is time to collaborate.

The first sign that something positive was afoot came in November 2010 when Anil’s Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group ( ADAG) ( revenue ` 46,000 crore) dropped his name from the master brand, rechristening it Reliance Group.

Satraps across the two groups gradually began to ease up on the ratcheting up of disinformation and misinformation against one another.

The first agreement that is likely to come through will be between Mukesh’s Reliance Industries Ltd ( RIL) and Anil’s Reliance Communications’ ( RCom) to lease the latter’s telecom tower infrastructure to launch RIL’s forthcoming broadband and wireless Internet services. I NDIA T ODAY learns that the deal will help Anil substantively reduce his huge debt of ` 33,000 crore.

The Ambani brothers may also combine in the insurance business. Until last week, Mukesh Ambani’s RIL was in talks with Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Enterprises to buy the latter’s stake in Bharti- AXA, a 76- 24 joint venture with the French insurance major AXA. That would have pitted Mukesh Ambani against Anil Ambani’s Reliance Life Insurance and Reliance General Insurance in a competitive insurance market.

The negotiations between RIL and Bharti broke down abruptly after six months.

Both brothers have been troubled by regulator Comptroller and Auditor General of India ( CAG) and even investigative agencies lately, affecting their share prices. On November 30, the RIL scrip rose by ` 13.80 to close at ` 779, while Anil’s flagship RCom was up by ` 1.20 to close at ` 74.10.

Their combined wealth now stands at $ 28.5 billion ( Mukesh is worth $ 22.6 billion and Anil $ 5.9 billion, according to Forbes India, October 2011), down from the $ 85 billion in 2008 at the peak of their slugfest over gas allocation, which ended in the Supreme Court with a bitter defeat for Anil.

This month, the brothers are slated to meet at the wedding anniversary celebrations of their sister Dipti Salgaocar in Goa.

ICICI Bank’s chairman emeritus and longtime confidant of the family, K. V. Kamath, and the bank’s chief executive officer ( CEO) Chanda Kochhar are reportedly playing mediators

The scoreboard would show that Sehwag smashed 219 off 149 deliveries — the highest ODI score — with 25 scorchers towards the fence and seven hits over it, but the innings was actually just one long lesson from the Sehwag school of cricket — watch it, smash it.

Tendulkar became the first player to reach the coveted milestone when he took a single the last over of the innings against South Africa in an ODI Gwalior on February 24 last year. But on Thursday, Sehwag was on the verge of the landmark in the 44th over itself; an indication of how murderous kolai in Tamil) a mood the Delhi dasher was in.

However, before becoming the world’s top scorer in an ODI innings, Sehwag did something unusual after reaching his 15th century on Thursday: he did not remove his helmet while acknowledging the deafening cheers from over 26,000 delirious spectators.

The swashbuckling batsman, who managed 20, 26 and 0 in the first three matches of this series, finally took his helmet off but only after reaching his maiden double century. He is also the only Indian score a triple Test century; in fact, he has hammered two of them. Playing his 240th ODI, he powered India to 418 for five wickets, their fourth 400- plus total in one- day cricket, in the fourth and penultimate match of the series.

Never dreamt of it. I told Gauti ( Gambhir) if we show a little patience, we could get a big one. But I was never expecting a double century. When I decided I wanted to hit a six, I went and did it with a straight bat. I know people expected me to score a double century, so thanks to them. And thanks to my family,” told commentator Ravi Shastri immediately after his knock.

Sehwag’s previous ODI century too was a big knock — 175 against Bangladesh in the opening match the World Cup on February 19 Dhaka. In between he played matches — and missed several due to a shoulder injury — and managed just one half- century.

The Delhi batsman, leading the Indian team in the fivematch series, was ruthless and total control of the West Indies bowlers from the start; everything went right for him, including the toss. He won it for the fourth successive time in the series, and it annoyed West Indies captain Darren Sammy much that he didn’t even shake hands with Sehwag.

Sehwag not only played his trademark drives on the off side, also innovated with success, angling his bat in peculiar ways deceive the fielders while gathering runs. He was simply unstoppable on the off side as pierced the field clinically.

The right- hander seemed to know exactly where the fielders were placed. His shots in the arc from slip to point were breathtaking, giving more reasons for the crowd to enjoy.

Sehwag also ran a lot of runs besides scoring 142 ( 25×4, 7×6) his 219 runs through boundaries. He was naturally tired as had opened the innings. He was associated in two big partnerships during his blitzkrieg. Sehwag and his Delhi teammate Gambhir scored 176 for the opening wicket and 140 with Suresh Raina for the second.

Luck was also with Sehwag as Sammy spilled a simple catch in cover region when he was on 170. He played an inside- out shot pacer Ravi Rampaul, but the West Indies captain failed to take catch after running back a few strides. Sehwag seemed to acknowledge the ‘ life’ given by raising his bat to Sammy.

When Shastri spoke to Sehwag immediately after he holed out to substitute Anthony Martin at long- off off Kieron Pollard, Sehwag said he thought of scoring a double century only when the batting powerplay started after the 35th over. At the time, he was batting on 148 ( 110 balls, 16×4, 5×6) and India’s total was 263 for one wicket.

Naturally, Sehwag admitted he was tired after his 149- ball knock and running many more runs for the other batsmen.

“ I had said earlier that the top order was not contributing, and it was my job. I never changed my batting through this innings.

I just told myself that I needed to bat through the batting powerplay and I would get the double hundred. When Sammy dropped my chance, I knew God was with me. I am tired, yes. I am an old man now. I’ll go take an ice bath,” he said

Shilpa Shetty is busy finalising her production house and her very first film as a producer.

Shilpa tweeted: “ Heyllllllllloooooooooo all u tweetos missed ya all fr so loooong! Sorry been crazy with the new production, and zeroing in on our 1st Film ( sic)”. The part owner of an IPL team, Shilpa later made an official announcement about the new captain of her team on the micro- blogging site.

She wrote: “ But b4 that gotta make another huge announcement, The New Captain for Rajasthan Royals.. Proud 2 have RAHUL DRAVID head the Team this season.

Sample this: you could soon be shelling out three times the current charges for parking your vehicle in an authorised lot and five times more for parking it in a street, your property tax bill is likely to head steeply northwards, and congestion and conservancy charges are also on the cards.

It is another matter that the severe dose of taxation prescribed by MCD commissioner K. S. Mehra to tide over a financial crunch might not actually translate into grim reality just yet. With the municipal elections round the corner ( in April 2012), the BJP — the ruling party in the MCD House — is certainly going to shoot down the harsh budget proposals.

Some of the hikes recommended by Mehra are a 3 to 5 per cent increase in property tax and an additional 10 per cent levy on property tax for cleanliness ( to be considered ‘ conservancy charges’). Apart from this, an up to ` 200 per day tax will be levied on vehicles entering commercial zones.

This will be called ‘ congestion charge’. The MCD plans to garner an extra ` 180 crore through its increased night parking charges, while it expects the proposed increase in property tax to fetch it another ` 150 crore. Even as residential localities will see an increase of 3- 4 per cent in their property tax, the hike will be up to 5 per cent in industrial areas. Posh farmhouses may have to cough up 5 per cent extra.

The corporation is expecting a sum of ` 100 crore from the conservancy charge and ` 50 crore from the congestion charge.

Mehra revealed that the civic body’s revenue had gone up from last year’s ` 4,426 crore to ` 5,601 crore in the current year.

But MCD standing committee chairman Yogender Chandolia of the BJP said that though he appreciated the commissioner’s efforts, there was no question of increasing taxes or levying new ones.

“ I want to make our stand on the issue clear. There will be no increase in the taxes. Also, the new taxes proposed by the MCD commissioner will not be levied. We are for the people and don’t want to burden them further,” he added.

WHILE senior BJP leaders immediately cleared the air, Congress leaders, too, made the right noises ahead of the polls. “ The party vehemently criticises the proposals and is totally opposed to it. If need be, we will take to the streets,” J. K. Sharma, the leader of the Opposition in the MCD, said.

A face- off is evident now between the MCD’s executive and deliberative wings. According to senior MCD officials, the commissioner consulted members of the ruling party before coming out with his budget.

“ Every year, the deliberative wing takes the ruling party into confidence in this regard,” a senior MCD official said

ON THE eve of any competitive exam, it is essential to work according to a plan after you take a decision on the time you’ll devote to preparations in each of the subjects. In the absence of a strategy, students set out to attempt a subject and case the questions are tough, move on to another, and then another.

It takes a considerable amount of time to have a strategy in place. This is where the India Test Series and mock tests play an important role.

They help you in identifying your strengths and weaknesses, and arriving at a strategy based on your abilities.

After identifying your strong and weak subjects, you need to chalk out a plan for each. I’ll start with Physics, the one subject that arouses a lot of interest in most IIT- JEE aspirants.

Here are my basic tips on doing well in Physics; I’ll come back to specifics in the subsequent columns.

STRIKE A GOOD BALANCE:

Spending a lot of time just solving problems will not help. Going deep into too many concepts, just out of curiosity, and thus falling behind in other subjects, is as counter- productive as practising the same type of problems over and over again.

What matters is a fine balance between concept and practice.

BOOKS YOU MUST READ:

To gain a good understanding of concepts, I would recommend any of the Halliday- Resnick or Sears- Zemansky books. For practice and revision, you must check out Halliday, Resnick and Walker’s Fundamentals of Physics or Arihant’s topic- wise books.

ADDRESS ALL DOUBTS:

Don’t let any doubts that you may have, no matter how trivial it may seem, linger in your mind.

Get them cleared. Of the topics in the Physics JEE syllabus, I would rate rotational mechanics as a tough nut to crack. In fact, get a handle on the whole of mechanics because of its applications in modern physics and electro- magnetism.

DON’T GET LOST IN PHYSICS:

People who believe that they are good at Physics often try to gain a mastery over it in school itself, which may prove to be useless because the obsession may just affect your scores in other subjects. I would much rather have 100 in each subject than a 150 in physics and below 50 in the other two. Keep this point in mind when you strategise.

KEEP PRACTISING:

Written practice is the best way to prepare for the exam.

Although you may feel you know the concepts and the tricks when you are in a mocktest situation, the pressure at the time of the exam often leads even the best into committing avoidable errors.

The AIEEE Physics syllabus is the same as that of IIT- JEE, except for the part about semiconductors, which can easily be covered in the two- week gap between the two exams, if you have been attentive in school.

Speed is what really matters in AIEEE. While you’re at it, don’t ignore the International Physics Olympiad ( IPhO), where I won the silver medal in 2010. But first, master your IIT- JEE syllabus and don’t get sidetracked by topics such as relativity.

That’s because the first two levels at the IPhO are based on the IIT- JEE syllabus and topics such as relativity are taught at the orientation- cumselection camp held in May every year.

It’s not hard to manage Physics. All you need to do is manage your time better and keep practising so that you get better

“The word ‘ordeal’ don’ts even transmit (the gravity of the condition),” said President Akio Toyoda, that was taken aback by the horrid reports from numerous partitions quickly after the misfortune struck northeastern Japan.

Toyoda stated he had actually faced the world-wide financial situation, huge car recalls as well as different other complicated situations as president of the car giant, however that the record quake as well as resulting tsunami “absolutely dwarfed them all. Toyoda determined to entirely suspend domestic production from March 14.

At the same time, Toyoda asked all 500 or so teams members in its procurement division to discover the status of group companies and providers, it stated. Each company partner that had actually sustained destruction was exemplified by a red pin on a big map of northeastern Japan and soon, the red pins covered practically the whole entire region.

Reflecting the severity of the damage, Toyota had to continue its production halt to March 16 and extend it to March 22.

But the company was finally able to resume production at its plants in Tsutsumi in Aichi Prefecture and Miyawaka in Fukuoka Prefecture on Monday, as the number of red pins on the map receded to about one-third by last Thursday afternoon, the daily said.

The leading Japanese automaker plans to gradually expand domestic production to cover more models starting in mid-April or later, in accordance with the recovery of materials and parts supplies, it said.