AIMA Quiz

The AIMA Quiz (corporate edition) is here again. The Mumbai round is scheduled to be on 10th December. Thought this would be a good time to post some q’s from the last year’s Mumbai round.

Some dry q’s from the prelims:

1. Which company owns the site mycandymanclub.com?
Ans – ITC

2. Which company has started an initiative called ‘earn your stripes’ designed to encourage kids to be more active, eat right and work hard to achieve goals?
Ans – Kelloggs

3. Which company has set up several ‘Kisan seva kendras’ across the country to serve oil to the rural markets?
Ans – IOC

4. Which insurance company has come up with a child’s plan named ‘Little Master’?
Ans – Aviva

5. A company named Forsche (or Forshe) has started a new business in Mumbai. What?
Ans – it is a taxi-service with only women taxi drivers

6. Whose tagline is ‘Transforming Tomorrow’?
Ans – Arcelor Mittal

7. Wildlife Warriors, a conservationist organization, was established by whom in 2002?
Ans – Steve Irwin

8. John Chambers is the current CEO of which company?
Ans – Cisco

9. Times’ list of ‘Heroes of the Environment 2007’ features which Indian businessman?
Ans – Tulsi Tanti

10. Who was awarded the ‘Global Indian of the Year’ award in the ET Awards for corporate excellence?
Ans – Rajat Gupta

11. What is the name of the new lifestyle magazine from the Outlook Group?
Ans – Envy

12. Which celebrity magazine was launched in India with the wedding pictures of Elizabeth Hurley and Arun Nayar?
Ans – Hello

13. Who has come up with ‘9 C’s of Leadership’ and advocates that CEO’s and company presidents should be judged according to it in his new book?
Ans – Lee Iacocca (Where have all the Leaders Gone)

14. Makeyourmoves.com is the viral marketing initiative by which brand?
Ans – Clinic All Clear

15. Which company has come up with the launch of a new menswear apparel brand called ‘Notting Hill’?
Ans – Raymonds

16. Nitin Shah, Arun Shah & Milan Shah started which jeans brand from a weekend roadside stall?
Ans – Pepe

17. The name of which recently launched watch collection from Titan is inspired by World War II fighter aircrafts?
Ans – Aviator

National B-School Debate at NMIMS

Feeling a rather proud alumnus today. The cell which I used to head last year has been taken to greater heights by the present batch. Well done guys!
Please find below the details of the Debate.

The Event
Do we sit atop the ivory towers, aloof?
Or do we stand up to the plague that threatens our sanctity
Is our progress in peril? Is the doomsday near?
Or is it the signal to rethink, rework, reinvent and reincarnate
For the daydreams we saw have to be realized into Caviar

Argue, Concur, Debate, Dissonate, Polemicize on topics shaping the future of Indian Business and Society at Caviar and Daydreams—The Great B-School Debate during Paragana.

Watch the semi-finals and the finals live on Saturday, 15 Nov, 2008, from 2:00-3.3opm.

The Final 4 Teams
MDI Gurgaon
NITIE Mumbai
IIFT-Kolkata
NMIMS Mumbai

The Judges
Mr. K. Ramkumar has 24 years of work experience in private and public sector industries. He has worked in Hindustan Aeronautics, Hindustan Lever Limited, ICI India Ltd. and is currently with ICICI Bank Limited as Group-Chief Human Resources Officer, heading the Human Resources Management. He is Group Head – HR of the ICICI Group.
Mr. Mrinal Guha is the Sr Executive Vice President, Talent Acquisition and Organizational Development, Group HR Communications Reliance ADAG. Hestarted his career with Exxon Corporations Refineries Division in India in 1971. He was also the youngest Vice President- HR and Corporate Services in Smithkline Beecham and at the time of leaving Johnson and Johnson, he was responsible for the Training and Development for South East Asia operations.

The Venue
Grand Hyatt,
Off Western Express Highway, Santa Cruz (E), Mumbai - 400 055
Please register for Paragana at the registration desk. Registration Charges Rs. 600 inclusive of lunch and tea.

The Prizes
Rs.30,000 + Rolling Trophy
Rs. 20,000

Corporate Quiz at NMIMS

NMIMS is organizing a corporate quiz 'Prashnottari' as part of the annual management fest 'Paragana'. Details below:

• QM - Amit Pandeya
• Teams of 2
• Open to all
• Cross-corporates team allowed but no cross team for students or students-corporates
• Date - Sunday 16th November
• Time - 6pm onwards
• 6 teams on stage, no quotas
• Prizes - 30k & 20k

The online quizzes can be accessed at http://www.paragana.com/prashnavali.html Kudos to the question setters for setting such nice quizzes.

Here are some questions from the last year's prelims:

Q1. Until Sept 2005, Gillette owned it. Recently Genpact became its owner. What are we referring to?
A. Ticker symbol G on NYSE

Q2. Atorvastatin is a member of the drug class known as statins, used for lowering cholesterol which inhibits the rate-determining enzyme located in hepatic tissue that produces mevalonate, a small molecule used in the synthesis of cholesterol and other mevalonate derivatives. The most famous brand of this was the largest selling drug in the world for 2006. Which brand?
A. Lipitor

Q3. FXLabs Solutions, a Hyderabad based video game developing company has been awarded the rights by Yashraj Film Studios to develop a game based on one of its films. They have also been awarded the rights to turn a particular American comic into a video game. Which movie and which comic?
A. Dhoom 2 and Archie

Q4. In an attempt of finding a way of burning down the traditional paperback book business, which company has launched the Kindle, a US$399 handheld device that can download digital books, newspapers, and magazines from the Internet?
A. Amazon.com

Q5. Sabse Bada Rupaiyya is a show on NDTV India telecast every Sunday evening between 4:30 to 5pm. The show educates viewers on the insurance industry gives tips on personal finance management. Who is the expert host of the show?
A. Ritu Nanda

Q6. In addition to the audio feedback provided by a generic male or female voice , there are pre-recorded congratulations provided by Lance Armstrong and Paula Radcliffe whenever a user reaches a set milestone. This "celebrity feedback" is heard after the usual end-of-run statistics. Recently, students from the University of Washington discovered that the transmitter of this device gives off radio frequencies that can be read up to 60 feet away using Radio-frequency identification and used this to build a US$250 surveillance device and integrated it with Google Maps. Which device?
A. Nike+Ipod

Q7. Which famous 'watering hole' amongst corporates and students in a suburb in Mumbai, gets its name from the company, Totlani & Co., which owns it?
A. Toto’s

Q8. Just before the 2004 Olympics at Athens, swimwear company Speedo introduced to the markets 'The Worlds Fastest Swimsuit'. This is a result of four years of research and development that began at the Natural History Museum, London. What was the inspiration for the design of this suit?
A. The Shark Skin

Q9. She is the only Indian designer to be featured in promostyl's magazine Acustyl and the first Asian to head the French fashion brand, Scherrer.She authored the book, 101 Ways to Look Good and serves on the board of Governors at NIFT, and is an honorary patron of the Savera Association, a popular charity involved in improving the lives of Indian woman. Who?
A. Ritu Beri

Q10. This company is offers its user with a new concierge service. It is accessed through a special button, the "Concierge key" provided on the instrument. The service comprises a dedicated team of assistants to help the owner, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The service also helps the user locate tickets to the theatre, reserve able at a restaurant, make spa appointment and arrange for travel among many other services. Which company?
A. Vertu

India's dream test XI

Read a nice article on cricinfo 2-3 days ago. http://content-ind.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/376791.html
If religion is the opium of the masses, then cricket is the opium for many of us in India. As India comes off a great series victory against Australia, there looms a sense of lingering loss also. It’s the last time we have seen the Fab Five together. For some millions who have grown up watching the Fab Five, watching cricket may not be the same again. For me, I definitely know it won’t be the same after Sachin retires.

Whatever news channel you open, there are many shows on Kumble and Ganguly. Former greats and the not-so-greats have been writing columns, giving interviews to both newspapers and tv channels about Ganguly and Kumble. Words like ‘India’s all time greatest match winner’, ‘best Indian captain ever’, ‘best left-handed batsman India has produced’, ‘fighter’ etc. are being used liberally (deservingly too). As we see the beginning of the end of an era of Indian cricket, we must count ourselves fortunate as to have witnessed these modern greats.

Having a lot of time to kill and consumed by the same desire of most sports lovers, I am attempting to make an all time great test XI for India. For the sake of simplicity, players who have totally or mostly played pre-independence are not considered.

Let’s open this discussion with the opening. For one position, I believe the choice is easiest. Even his worst enemies will perhaps not question the inclusion of Mr. Sunil Manohar Gavaskar. With a rock-solid technique and impeccable temperament, Sunny had simply soaked up the venom of all fast bowlers all across the world. And, his last innings of 96 in Bangalore is a master class on how play top spinners on a viciously turning track.

Now comes the question of his partner. Who shall it be? Two names come to mind: 1) Vijay Merchant (2) Vinoo Mankad
Vijaysingh Madhavji Thackersey aka Vijay Merchant has a batting average of 71.64 in first class cricket, second only to the great Don. But playing only 10 test matches (though no fault of his) goes against him.
Mulvantrai Himmatlal Mankad is perhaps India’s first genuine all-rounder. A co-holder of the opening partnership record of 413 runs (that stood for 52 years), his claim for the opening spot is perhaps stronger than the others. But being one of the only 3 players in the history of the game to have batted at all positions, he can perhaps lay claim to some other slot in the team.

But my vote for Sunny’s opening partner would go towards Virendra Sehwag. Truly a contrast to his partner, few teams can find such a rare combo of offence and defence. With two triple hundreds and five double hundreds to his name along with a 50+ average, he has truly solved India’s opening woes. If Sunny can frustrate bowlers at one end, he can simply destroy them with his fearless and unique style of batting. The Nawab of Najafgarh is then our dream team’s second opener.

First down position is a crucial position in any form of the game. Who shall come at our number three position then? The list of nominees are: Vijay Hazare, Rahul Dravid, Vinoo Mankad (a nominee for every position perhaps), and Mohinder Amarnath. The mercurial CK Nayudu is not being considered as he played before independence. Vinoo Mankad will perhaps be more suited at a different position. Mohinder Amarnath, the former comeback man of Indian cricket, has shown plenty of grit and determination over the years in the position. But in this position runs are as important as grit and hence Jimmy fails to make the cut in this dream team.

So we are now down to two men – Vijay Samuel Hazare and Rahul Sharad Dravid. Vijay Hazare, the man who led India to her first test victory in the jubilee test against England at Chennai, was truly a batsman of rare class. He was the first Indian player to score a century in three successive Test matches and the first Indian to score a century in each innings of a Test match (116 and 145 on successive days against the Australia in Adelaide in 1947-48, which was the same team that became known as ‘the invincibles’). When one considers that India was following on in the second innings and six batsmen had failed to score, one gets an idea of his greatness.

But when you pit him against ‘The Wall’ Rahul Dravid, he meets the same fate as many bowlers have met – emerge second best. If we boast of the recent wins abroad, it is only because we had our own wall of India. Who can forget his contributions in the landmark victories at Adelaide, Multan and Headingley or even the Eden test in 2001 back home against Australia? A batsman who performed both at home and abroad, he has indeed been a pillar for the Indian team. A quiet man, he lets his bat do the talking, amassing more than 10,000 runs in the process. A thorough team man, he has opened the batting as well as kept wickets (though not in tests) when the team needed him to do so. ‘Mr. Dependable’, a well-deserved sobriquet, is thus our man at number three.

To be continued………………..

Rip Van Winkle awakens

Some thought that the blog was dead; some thought that the blogger was dead. Well a blog can hardly be run with an idle mind. It becomes even more difficult, nay almost impossible, to run it when the idle mind resides inside an idle body.

However, I have woken up after a long hibernation/aestivation whatever you call it. After making and breaking numerous promises of “I’ll be back!” (a la Arnold), I am back.

Well, now that I have decided to write, I find myself facing the writer’s block already. What should I write on? Have been to 5 quizzes in the last couple of months, even conducted 1 at alma-mater NMIMS. Well, will definitely have posts on those quizzes shortly so the few people who visit this blog for quizzes do keep coming back.