Health First

With a couple of infections in the air and the difficulty in adjusting to the change of climate, we thought of issuing a note consisting of some basic preventive measures so as to protect ourselves from an onslaught of some of the usual diseases on the campus. Here it goes:

Throat Infection

Try drinking warm water and avoiding cold water completely.
Gargle with turmeric powder and salt put in hot water.
Avoid cold drinks, spicy and oily food and eat more of fruits and green and yellow vegetables.

Infections spreading through Mosquito’s

Make sure that you use the Mosquito Nets provided while sleeping.
Take the preventive dose for malaria regularly.
Avoid going close to mosquito prone areas and even places on the campus where water has accumulated.

Typhoid

Avoid outside food, very spicy and oily food.
Wash your hands with soap before and after each meal.

Eye Infections and Red Eyes

Wash eyes with cold water three to four times each day.
In case of any burning or itching sensation or the watering of eyes, contact the helpdesk immediately.
Avoid sharing of towels and toilet articles.
Minimize hand to eye contact.

General Fitness and Cleanliness

Drink lots of juice and water. Eat fresh fruits and avoid spicy and oily food.
Take sleep for at least five to six hours in a day.
In case of allergy to dust, use a mask or avoid dust prone areas on the campus, specially going close to construction sites.
Keep your rooms, bathrooms and apartments as clean and tidy as possible.
Exercise for at least 15 minutes each day.

Dr. Santosh Khedkar
Foundation for Liberal and Management Education
+91-98239 85058

Mr. Rajendra Singh
Help Desk at Pit Stop
+91-9373085387
+91-9764073141

(Issued in Public Interest by flamepune.blogspot.com)

Unblocking of Websites

Probably by now, each one of us would have come across a message from the IT Department of the college mentioning the fact that a particular website has been blocked as it falls under a particular category.

A search on Google for information related to TVS Scooty led to several results and most of the links were not accessible as they were falling under categories such as Vehicles, Entertainment, Shopping, etc. This is just one of the experiences which occurred with me. There would be similar experiences happening with each one of you as well.

The IT Department of the college accepts that too many websites have been blocked as it had made use of a random method to ensure the security of the entire system. However, this can only be corrected if we support them by providing them with the list of sites which we want to be unblocked. They are also open to suggestions as well as ideas for improving their services.

I would like to request everyone to provide a list of websites we want to unblock and any other points of improvement so that we can make better use of the facilities which are being provided by this department of the college. You can send in the same as comments on this space or mail them directly to preeti@flame.edu.in

A poem for Opening Day

Editor's Note: We got this poem several days ago, and we sat on it for a while because of the updates coming in from the Institute. This one comes to us from Shimoli Shah, and we thought it would be a welcome break from the constant flow of info.

The Awaited Uncertainties

"As the days seem to come closer
What lies ahead? I can only wonder
Perhaps crashing waves that will take me under
A violent thunderstorm that will knock me off track
And I may not be able to get back
Or perhaps the path ahead won't be so crazy
Perhaps I'll have time to breathe, room to be lazy
Maybe I'll learn and grow as a person
Or maybe the shyness inside me will worsen
But I mustn't just give up, I might as well give it a go
Because you never know
Maybe I'll do great, maybe I'll do fine
Maybe I'll create a life I can call mine
Make new friends; learn new things
Move forward in life and spread my wings
Sure there'll be strife and there'll be strain
Sure I'll mess up, get tired and complain
But the thought of moving to that place gives me high
As the FLAME thats ignited is never going to die..!!"

Shimoli Shah
FLAME School of Business
Foundation for Liberal and Management Education, Pune

Updates on the Clubs

This post only pertains to those of you who are helping to organize a club. So if your name is on that list below, then this is for you:

To begin with, here's what you guys need to do::
1. Create a mandate for the club.
2. Write down possible long-term goals.
3. Write down possible events.
4. Organizations that you'd like to affiliate with
5. Possible names besides the generic ones provided.
6. A presentation to attract new members.


Once we get on the campus, we'll all get together at some point along with a few of the Faculty and go through all of this. Once everything is okayed and refined, we'll present to the students.

Secondly, some of you have mentioned dance club, quizzing and debates, and other things. Right now, they seem to want to keep things lumped together. We can decide to separate them later, but for now, it seems easier just to keep thing together.

Welcoming Dinner

Some of you have been bemoaning the lack of a Fresher's party, so FLAME responded. They'll basically be letting us throw a party for each other. Here's the info on that:

The PG students will be throwing a party/dinner for the UG students on September 17th. The UG students, likewise, will be throwing one for the PG students on the 23rd. The co-ordinating advisor will be Dr. Ravi Paturi, Dean of Research and Publications.

So here's what we'll have to do. We need to decide a dinner menu, a music play list since we'll be having a DJ and a dance floor, and entertainment. Now, we don't exactly have a lot of time, so no one is expecting something beyond cool. We'll go with a basic thing for this.

Bombay people, you guys are the unquestioned masters of party. HELP!

We will receive time on the 16th to talk as a class(UG) and on the 17th for PG.


I'll have more information on this as I get it.

EDIT 1: We've got rules people.

1. NO ALCOHOL
2. NO SMOKING
3. NON NON-VEG FOOD
4. NO HUKKAH/HOOKAH/HOWEVER YOU SPELL THE DAMN THING


Other than that, we're free to go.

EDIT 2: I apologize, the dates were changed, and I only just got that info. So the new dates are up on the post, and order of the dinners has changed.

Student Clubs

Editor's Note: I got this thing about ten minutes ago. From what I understand, they're looking for people ready to jump into these things from the beginning. Now, I've been talking to a lot of you over the past month or so, and these fit a bunch of people to the dot. So if you think you've got enough stones to establish a reputation of excellence for these clubs, don't hesitate to volunteer. Rahul and I are definitely joining in on two, and helping out with publicity and such. The names of these things are perhaps a bit odd, yes. However, they aren't permanent. Just like the houses, they're subject to evolution. So once a club gets into motion, it's name is decided upon then. These are just generic titles, for the sake of having one. Rahul is helping out with the Social Entrepreneurs, and I'm doing Critical Thinking Circle. This has to be done a tad bit quickly, so read up on it and post in the comment what you think you'd like to do. Everyone can join in on any other club, for the record.

EDIT 1: Alright guys, here's the skinny. Anyone taking a club HAS to be ready with information about the club by the 16th. There'll be a formal presentation, and then sign-ups for members. So if you can't talk in front of people, or you cannot lead, DO NOT APPLY. Fixing your mess is more of an issue for the co-coordinators than creating a new club. Not as members, but as the co-ordinating people. I'll put up a list of everyone who's taking a club up until now. One to two people, perhaps three for the ones that they anticipate will be larger.

If you do not have the time or dedication for this, PLEASE don't do it. I cannot stress this enough.

As for joining the clubs, even though it isn't relavent, I'm still going to put that up here. Anyone interested in learning/joining/competing, whatever. If you have ANY interest at all in the field of the club, you can join as a member later on.


Remember that I'm just a student too, so I'm giving you guys whatever I find out, as I do.

Here's the list so far of people who've accepted, or who have been nominated for a certain club:

1. Photography club
-Nipa
-Deepti Jhangiani
-Pareen(nominated)

2. Movie Appreciators Club
-Sai Kiran

3. Critical Thinking Community
-Pranav
-Shruti

4. Social Entrepreneurs Circle / Forum
-Rahul(nominated)
-Neha kedia
-Hemakshi

5. Nature Lovers Club
-Kritika
-Arati Krishna
-Richa

6. Rock Band

7. Music & Theater Freaks
-Hazel(Theatre)
-Rishi(Dance)
-Nandi(nominated)(Dance)

8. Adventurers
-Aditya Nahar

"1. Photography club:

It is a group of people drawn together by photography. The members can be beginners who have just gotten started with a camera and want to learn more or those who have some amount of professional expertise. The members will have talks among themselves on photography, have guest speakers, slide shows, lighting/model demonstrations, swap meets, trade shows, contests, competitions, field trips, studio tours, and much more. Monthly meetings, use of club darkroom, photo field shoots, monthly programs and demos, model shoots, participation in the community wide events and annual show and competitions will be features of this club. Over a period of time, the photography club will have its own newsletter, web site and cameras. The members of the photography club can have cameras on hire and will training program for the beginners.

The members of the photography club will coordinate the shooting of the all the events conducted in FLAME campus. This will facilitate involvement of students in the institutional development and activities and helps us to have the spirit of empowerment.

The members of the photograph club will be participating in national and international photography competitions of repute.

This club helps us to integrate the learning of the students in various courses, especially those who are doing PGDM – Mass Media and also undergraduate students who are specializing in mass media.

2. Movie Appreciators Club

It is a group of people who enjoy sharing their views on films in all languages. The discussions and debates can be on various issues concerning films, be the story line, the presentation, technology, social relevance and impact, cultural issues, and many more. This group involves in organizing talks on films, presentations, reviews, publications, wall magazines, news letters, and web blogs. It also organizes annual student film festivals, competitions, and work shops.

The members of the film appreciation club involve in publication of articles, reviews in newspapers and magazines. They also will participate as representatives of flame in national and international film festivals.

The club can have collaboration with similar clubs in best of the world universities and also various reputed film bodies associations at international level.

3. Critical Thinking Community

This is one of the most important club activities, though comparatively of a serious nature. Critical thinking is essential if we are to get to the root of our problems and develop reasonable solutions. After all, the quality of everything we do is determined by the quality of our thinking. Critical thinking requires the cultivation of core intellectual virtues such as intellectual humility, perseverance, integrity, and responsibility. Nothing of real value comes easily. A rich intellectual environment — alive with curious and determined students — is possible only with critical thinking at the foundation of the educational process. Thus, the critical thinking community facilitates continuous quest among the members through debates, discourses and team sessions. The mandate of CTC would be to articulate, preserve, and foster intellectual standards in critical thinking research, scholarship, and instruction. It seeks partnerships with scholars and thinkers interested not only in the inherent relationships between critical thinking and their disciplines or areas of specialty, but also in the affective dimensions of critical thought.

Debate competitions of high order, carrying out research works, publications, writing articles in magazines and newspapers are part of the activities of the critical thinking community. It maintains its own web site and newsletter. The members of this group participate in international seminars, workshops and lectures pertaining to human endeavor. Conducting a annual lecture series by highly respected scientists, intellectuals and philosophers would be one of the main activities of this community.

4. Social Entrepreneurs Circle / Forum

Members of this forum are highly sensitized individuals having passion for thinking, feeling and acting upon various issues of the community, society. They would like to solve problems faced by them. Social entrepreneurs Circle is forum where the members would identify the issues concerning society in various sectors involve themselves in understanding depth, criticality of the problems and come out with innovative solutions to solve those problems and integrate the solutions with various individuals and institutions in the society and enable them to participate in the process of social reconstruction. This club would organize seminars, workshops, round tables. This would network with various NGO’s, funding agencies, governmental organizations, politicians, bureaucrats, corporate funding agencies and many others who are concerned of social issues. It will have its own web site, new letter. It would take-up specific focus areas of social concern and work in partnership with other organizations involved in these activities. The group will work on developing innovative technologies and solutions for specific social concerns it has taken-up.

This group leverages maximum benefit out of the masters in residence program. This group can be called the crown of flame.

5. Nature Lovers Club

A nature club is a group of young people, generating effective awareness through a collective effort of the members. Nature Club is an initiative towards pitching conservation efforts at societal level, which would have direct bearings upon decisions that we make as individuals and members of the society, in the interest of an environment of which we all form different parts. It reaches out to the nature lovers and conservation enthusiasts all over the country, in all the bio-geographic zones of India. Some of these regions fall under priority landscapes, biodiversity hot spots and fragile ecosystem categories.

The club constantly transcends formal and non-formal education sectors, capacity-building, awareness generation through community action work, with the inclusion of public and private-sector organizations, encompassing a cross section of interests, stakeholders and vantage points for directing conservation action.

While courses that highlight environmental issues exist, not all courses are as rigorous in terms of interdisciplinary environmental action research. Many also could do well with fieldwork education woven into them. Members of Nature Clubs can benefit largely from involving themselves in initiatives with organizations like WWF-India and other Environmental NGOs, by volunteering their time.

The members of the club are encouraged to take up environmental action in communities, assist in biodiversity mapping, wildlife censuses, etc. It conducts inter-college workshops for the youth on generic development concerns and specific themes on conservation biology and environmental sciences.

The nature lovers club will involve in protecting the natural surroundings flame campus and also involves in large scale plantations and making the area as the best green region of India. The club maintains its own web site and new letter. It networks with other clubs such as photography club, adventurers and the social entrepreneurs and bring synergy in their activities.

6. Rock Band

This group develops its own rock band and works in developing unique tunes and programs with values of flame in the background. It gives concerts all round the globe giving message of the five values flame. It organizes festivals, weekly programs, and other cultural retreats within the campus of flame. The group participates in national and international competitions. It will have its own web site and newsletter. The masters in residence program can be connected with this with the best rock stars being on the campus and helps adventure and nature tourism activities of flame.

7. Music & Theater Freaks

The members of this group are passionate lovers of music and theatre. There are the ones who may be the appreciators of music and theatre or even the practitioners involved in various forms of music and theatre. The music could be vocal, instrumental; percussion or non-percussion; classical or popular; Indian or Western; Hindustani or karnatic. In theatre it could be of any form, Indian or western, street play or any thing. The music and theatre freaks would be conducting various activities including theatre weeks, music festivals, workshops, seminars, lectures and presentations. They would conduct musical recitals by eminent musicians from the world which is connected to the masters in residence concept.

The freaks would compete at national and international forums. They would be working on designing innovative mechanisms of theatre types and musical forms. Members will publish articles and papers. They would work in reviving the theatre and music cultures and traditions among youth across the world. They would focus on reviving some of the most traditional and classical dance and musical forms. They would network with various associations, groups across the world. The most important partner in this journey would be SPICMACAY. The freaks would have their website and will have a newsletter.

8. Adventurers

This is a group of people who enjoy adventure in what ever form it is, be it sports, games, and other activities such as trekking, mountaineering, cycle race. They promote, participate, train and challenge people in adventure activities. The atmosphere and facilitates at flame would promote adventure activities. The members would promote adventure activities to work out themselves and also help others to build, mould and restructure their personalities. The adventurers would facilitate several outbound learning tools which eventually facilitate the concept of liberal education. The group would network with organizations and individual loving adventure activities across the globe. They would have their own newsletter and web site. They would conduct various events including an annual event which should attract young people from all around the globe."

Dr. Ravi Paturi
Dean of Research and Publications
Foundation for Liberal and Management Education, Pune

The Last Minute Checklist

With less than a week to go for the post-graduate students, its time we did the last minute checks before we set sails towards the campus. While building up this exhaustive list of things to keep in mind and also of things to carry along to the campus, I was struck with the feeling that there is a lot of work for me still to complete. As a result, this would be my last posting on this Blog for the week and I would take up my responsibilities once again from the campus. However, Pranav will continue with the work in my absence.

On this story, I have tried to compile a checklist of items of importance which we should think about before we make our move towards the campus. Some of the items on this list might overlap the list which we have received from the college. Some, might seem as misfits for the category of importance in which they are placed. While others, might seem as completely irrelevant to have been mentioned at all.

However, the effort here is to try and build an exhaustive reference for all the students before they leave their homes to build another one at the campus where they will be spending the next two or four years of their lives. Many of us might be so busy shopping that we could have completely forgotten about some of the very crucial things which are present on this list. If there is something that’s missing out, do make use of the comments section just after this posting and add it up yourself for the benefit of others.

Most Important Ones
_________________

Get the Mind Set: Flame is not your home and you wont have the luxury of running to your parents whenever you wish. Thus, it calls for a mindset that needs to be able to adjust to a new environment which might not have all that you have been used to for years, a feeling of accepting what is being offered, living and learning along with a group of people who might think exactly the opposite of you, bearing those sleepless nights and peer pressure, and many more such aspects which you will come across when you start with this new chapter in your life. One needs to get prepared for routines, discipline, hard work, challenges, bitching and tolerance which would be one of the most crucial aspects from the very first minute on the campus. Get set for it.

Travel Arrangements: It is important to inform the college about the number of people traveling along with you (in case you would be accompanied with your parents) along with the time and mode of arrival. It is not recommended to try to reach to the campus by your own vehicles and it would be best if assistance is taken from the college with their buses which would be specially arranged for this. Also, find out if there are arrangements for carrying along the huge luggage which is expected with each of the students. Cross-checking of the ticket reservations and the hotel bookings, wherever applicable, should be done well in advance, preferably now.

Registration Formalities: Please refer to the long list of documents and all other items which are required as a part of the registration process. Segregating the originals and the photocopies into separate files and also keeping scanned copies of the important documents as a backup can prove to be a good idea. Inform the counselors in advance about those documents which you would not be able to provide and the formalities which are involved in such a situation.

Cash: One word which would matter the most. One needs to ensure that he/she is aware of all the details with regard to the fees, their payment procedures, the contact people, the deadlines, the arrangements already made for its payment, etc. Payment of your fees is ultimately your responsibility and you need to make sure that you take it up seriously. Setting aside enough cash for pocket expenses, unusual and emergency requirements, etc. is always a good idea. In case of people carrying ATM cards, be sure about their Pin numbers and also about keeping them safe and secured.

Other Necessities
______________

Your Study Table: Your Laptop would be one of the most crucial items there. Those getting their laptops from the college recommended vendors, its best to cross check with them about the time and method of delivery, the payment status, any delays expected (also the Plan B in such a situation) along with the necessary billing and warranty documents which the vendors would provide along with the machine. For those buying their machines from outside, cross check the configuration requirements from the college IT department. Getting additional DVD’s and CD’s of games, music, softwares and even blank storage disks and devises such a pen drives and external hard drives will help. An extension chord with multiple jacks will come in handy when you wish you connect your other gadgets to your computers. Apart from this its good to have as many or most of the following items when you think of setting up your study tables: Table Lamp, Alarm Clock, Calculator, Pen Stand, Notebooks, Spare Paper, Pen, Pencils, Erasers, Sharpeners, Rulers, Scheduler/Diary, Paints, Brushes, Plastic Files, Drawing/Sketch Books, Rough Paper, A4 Sheets, Envelopes, Scissors, Safety Pins, Staplers, Memorabilia, etc.

Your Wardrobe: Do not carry any of the items which are not allowed on the campus. However, apart from the usual items already mentioned in the list, you should party wear as well. Since winter is the approaching season, a stock of warm clothes could also be made. A small bag with all the usual toiletries and some extra stocks just in case they are not available at the campus general store could be very useful. Carrying a few extra handkerchiefs and towels should be a plus. Also, taking Mom’s advise on keeping a few empty carry bags will help. The sportsmen can carry their special caps and women can carry the UV protection lotions to save themselves from the sun. Ladies, would surely carry their vanity kits without mention. We would also advise that a set of lock and keys can help specially to those who would be carrying some valuables along with them. Those requiring any form of medication, please carry your stock of medicines. A small kit with some medicines, bandages, ointments, etc. would be extremely useful.

Your Room: A few things to keep the room clean as well as beautiful can also be added to the list. Living in the midst of nature, mosquito and insect repellants and spray should definitely be accompanied. Some cloth and a broom for cleaning, floor mats, bucket, cleaning and washing soap should be available at the campus general store. However some of these items could be carried along as well. Bottles or cases for storing water along with glasses and cups should definitely be present on everyone’s list. Also if there are a few memorabilia which you would like to use to decorate the room, do put in into your bags. Reference books and novels if any should be added to the list of items in your room. You should also carry your Ipods, Diskmans, Spectacles, Lenses and their kits, Digital Cameras, GSM Phone Handsets, etc. along with your other luggage if you so desire their presence.

Miscellaneous Items: Ensure that you have your travel bags ready for all that you wish to carry and whether they have the required capacity or not. Be loaded with lots of interesting games and activities which would be a part of spending the idle time while on the campus. In case you wish to keep a personal vehicle on the campus, do try and understand the requirements for it from the college and make sure you have all the legalities cleared with respect to the License, PUC, Blue Book, etc. Please make sure that you have your list of contacts, telephone numbers, emergency numbers, addresses, etc. for any unforeseen or urgent situation. And yes, if your Mother wants to add a few boxes of home made specialities please don’t refuse to carry them. There would be several hungry beasts, including myself, to help you out in doing enough justice to them while on the campus.

If you feel that there are things, which need to be added to this checklist, please do add them below in the comments section so that it can benefit all of us.

Rendezvous with a mind’s eye!

In the life full of contemplations,
Some instincts reverberate…
And some determinations you make…
Some reasons you celebrate…

One such resolution…
Like an inferno lighted in life…
An imagination so real…
And indeed a joie di vivre…

In anticipation for the awaited start
My mind constantly runs in conjectures
A dawn amidst the hills…
A haiku by a lake side…
A shoot on the court…
A lesson on business…
A hi-5 in the admin block
A sip at the pit-stop…
A stroll along the boulevard…
A swim in the pool…
A dinner under the moon…
A gossip session with mates
A ‘to-do’ list to make
A troubling deadline on the calendar
An ‘Oh-god-help-me’ night prayer…
A nostalgic deep sleep
And again a morning to start with!

Time will slip away….
And reminiscences is all that will remain
But;
A flame will always flicker
Forever in all our hearts here…

Pankti Vora
Flame School of Communication
Foundation for Liberal and Management Education, Pune

The Failures I don’t Regret

Someone said, “Wise men learn from other’s mistakes, men learn from their own and fools benefit from neither.” I would consider myself to be a part of the second category, which has a fair share of mistakes as well as lessons from each one of them.

On completing my graduate studies, I was happy with my first decision to quit Bio-technology to pursue management. However, the happy feeling soon disappeared with the fright of the stiff entrance procedures, applications, competitive examinations, etc. involved with the entry to any of the known premier management institutes.

The big question was, do I take the same path which hundreds of other students of my age were taking and most of my well wishers had advised. I decided to accept the general trend to attaining success.

My first failure came when I did not clear the NMAT examination by barely two marks. I felt bad but did not cry.

My second failure was that I started doubting my capabilities just a few days after this examination. Advice was pouring in from all directions and at one point in time I almost decided to move to US for further studies.

My third failure was when I got surrounded with a cloud of doubts and confusion for a long time even after being selected to Flame, for which I had applied during this period and successfully cleared.

My nights became sleepless and it took me some time before I decided to introspect and weigh all the options which lay ahead of me. I decided to consider about Flame first as I had already been selected and had felt an attachment when I had appeared for the examination.

I looked back at the day I appeared for FEAT and realized that the entire process was innovative in the manner that it took into consideration almost every aspect of an individual. I read more about it and realized the strong values on which the foundation of this institute is built. The list of faculty members and the advisory council perhaps could not have been more impressive and intellectual.

What was I doing sitting and meditating in my room, when I should have been excited at my selection? Why was I brooding when I should have started my preparations?

I decided that I would walk the path less trodden. A path which involved the challenge of becoming a part of an institution which though new, but had the vision to help me achieve my dreams. I decided to break away from the general trend of the world in the journey of my life.

Then, came the day when I met up with the faculty and the actual geniuses who were behind Flame. I didn’t have any more doubts after that.

I was happy that I was going to be a part of an institution, which believes in the independence of the mind to set it free to wander in search of the course that it wants to chart. I was happy that I was going to be a part of Flame where I would be hand-held at every step I take by the faculty especially at a time when it would be the first time when I stay away from the comforts of my home at Ahmedabad.

Today, when I look back at all the failures I had and also the tough times where I went through a multitude of negative emotions, I don’t regret it any more. I guess that life had to throw the best deal to me in the form of Flame. Though, Flame is yet to prove itself completely, I have already started to believe in myself. I am now confident of making a mark and standing strong on my feet after the two years which I spend in this ‘gurukul’.


Shimoli Shah
Flame School of Business
Foundation for Liberal and Management Education, Pune

Independance Day 2007

There was an unruly mob of 700 odd people in a land isolated from the main city. This was near the labor camp of the construction site of FLAME. They had gathered around the school for the children of these laborers who were learning, working on computers and getting their mid day meals for the last 6 months.

People had supposedly gathered on an announcement of the gentleman in charge that there would be a flag hoisting ceremony on the Independence Day.

The 700 odd men and women consisted of people from different regions of the country. From Rajasthan to Orissa and from Bengal to Gujarat. From Tamil Nadu to Haryana. People with little hope for a better life. They were mostly unskilled laborers, earning their daily living working in the harshest of conditions. Rain, sunshine and severe cold. They have no choice but to work.

The gentleman in charge emerged from the small shack that can hardly be called his home. Used to living the plushest of Army Quarters, here was this man romanticizing his existence even in the worst of living conditions.

Suffering from Typhoid. He refused to move to a hospital. Even his elder brothers scolding and his boss’s orders did not convince him to get hospitalized at a time when his speech was slurring and he was having fainting fits. Because he felt FLAME had to start on 9th of September 2007. He walked up , in his full Army Uniform with all the medals proudly on his chest , to the flag post, and many memories of his army days went past. The images of an Army Flag hoisting and complete protocol, totally contrasted with this ceremony.

And he spoke after the flag hoisting. And what followed was spontaneous and something very few people can even imagine. The entire incidence was completely spontaneous and extremely emotional.

The 700 men and women raised their hands and said a quiet prayer and vowed that they would get the FLAME campus up and ready by the 9th of September 2007 without any compromise and complete dedication. When the oath was taken, the General was moved and he announced that he would like to see that all their children don’t end up becoming laborers like them. He said he would want that all their children become educated and officers and in positions of honor. A frail woman stood in one corner. She was better dressed then most people in the gathering. She quietly walked up to the General and told him that she vows that she will make her son a bigger officer than him one day. The claps were loud and everyone there was almost in tears.

And then a Carpenter from Rajasthan raised his hands and took out a Rs 100 note and asked the General if he can donate half his daily earning to the School. And more followed. Workers, Engineers, Contractors all donated. At the end of the day, the school had gathered Rs 40,000 by way of donations.

Could FLAME have had better dedication than this? Could FLAME have had a better leader of men and women? Could there have been a better instance of complete passion?

Should we all in the periphery not be setting aside our personal agendas, our egos, our small frailties and do our bit for a dream we call FLAME? Think of this. I urge you all!

Parag Shah

Chairman,
Foundation for Liberal And Management Education (FLAME)
Jaideep Bungalow,
Plot No. 2,
Prathamesh Park,
S. No. 150/7,
Baner-Balewadi Road,
Pune 411 045
Tel. Nos. 66401800 & 66401801
Fax No. 66401802
MS INDIA
http://www.flame.edu.in/

Yatra

Ed's Note: When this blog started, our promise to you was to provide a platform for any and all information regarding FLAME. Now this was, as far as promises go, a fairly generic one. So when Pareen Lathia sent us this, we were fairly divided on it. Rahul thought that the "Yatra" poem/story published by FLAME was fairly relevant. I didn't think so, and a bunch of people I talked to agreed. Rahul's argument was this was what really distinguished FLAME from other institutions, and the fact that they were brave enough to publish this instead of talking about infrastructure the way other Institutions do was what initially convinced him to join FLAME. Mine was that this thing was an awful copy of previous poems, and holds no real information. This wasn't a journey anyone at FLAME went though, be it students, Faculty, or the Founders. It had nothing, really. So we laid that argument to rest and resolved to think on it further. Then it occurred to me that it wasn't really our opinions as individuals that mattered, but the collective opinion as a whole. So, we lay this out to the people now: What do you really think about "Yatra"?

On a side note, regardless of what we all think of the book, I think Pareen deserves to be applauded for taking time to actually scan all the pages of the 'Yatra' booklet and converting it into a Power Point presentation with some good animation work as well. So, thank you Pareen, on behalf of all the people who would want to download a copy of it and preserve it on their computers.

Without further ado, here are Pareen's thoughts on this, and the link to the show. It's about 14MB, for those of you on dial up or metered connections, it would take some time to download.

Friend: "What are you doing these days?
Pareen: I'm going to Pune for my MBA.

Friend: Ohh! Thats great. Which institute? Symbiosis?
Pareen: No. It's called FLAME.

Friend: FLAMES? ...
Pareen: FLAME

Friend: OK! FLAME. But never heard of it before.
Pareen: Yaa...it's a new institute. We'll be the first batch.

Friend: Why? You did not get admission anywhere else?
Pareen: No! Actually...

Friend: How much do they charge? Fees and all?
Pareen: Actually, its a bit high...11 lakhs

Friend: What? Does this include the donation? Man! Why don't you try abroad then?
Pareen: Ohh! No...this is a good institute...faculty and all...

Friend: Do they guarantee placements?
Pareen: Ahh yes! The people behind this institute are big shots in the market dude! They will surely get good contacts!

Friend: And you know what, our President is the ex-Dean of IIM-A. And we have 110 acres of campus. We also have cottage apartments…and soccer field, golf course, cricket ground, open-air café, and we are getting Tablet PCs and just have a look at our menu…

Friend: Now this seems to be something. But still, 11 lakhs it a bit expensive.

I have had this experience every time I meet or even talk to any of my friends, relatives or even acquaintances. These are the times when, just for the sake of saving my face, I list all the "marketable" reasons for my joining FLAME.

But, there is one reason, which I consider more important than all the above put together, which I do not usually tell. That reason is FLAME's philosophy, the concept of Liberal Education, and the spirit with which people behind FLAME are working.

I hesitate to explain this to most of the people - just because they come with a different mindset. Also because I doubt my capabilities to explain these concepts and their importance.

So I decided to tell them a story. Yes, the same story that put some "Gyan" into my head and made me realize the true spirit of FLAME. The story that, I believe, would surely provide all the answers for the questions they asked.

People know what we tell them. And by telling them that FLAME is great just because of its faculty or infrastructure will limit FLAME's identity to that. But finally I won't have to create "a wrong image" of FLAME. I would be able to portray the FLAME that I am going into. And most probably I won't ever be able to explain what FLAME really is in a manner better than what this book does.

So I made the book called "Yatra" into a PowerPoint presentation – a presentation which will not only portray FLAME as it is, but also will serve as an answer to most of the questions. And not only can I show it to all my friends who want to know "What is FLAME?", but also keep it with myself for a lifetime. "

Pareen Lathia
Flame School of Business
Foundation of Liberal and Management Education, Pune


Here's the link for downloading the above file: http://www.devshard.net/yatra.pps

Credits for 'Yatra':

Concept: Subrata Bhowmick and Parag Shah
Sketches: Architect Rajeev Kathpalia
Photography: Parag Shah
Text: Abhay Joshi
Design: Subrata Bhowmick and Payal Nanavati
Published By: Foundation for Liberal and Management Education, Pune, India
Printed At: Pragati Offset Pvt. Ltd. Hyderabad, India

The Hyderabad Blasts

To begin with, I'd just like to tell everyone that as far as I know, no one coming to FLAME from Hyderabad is injured. We're all okay, perhaps a little shaken, but okay nonetheless.

Now, here's what really annoys me about this whole affair. The very object of terrorism, of any kind, is to incite fear. We didn't have Mass Media and Mass Communications in the days yore. Coincidentally, we never had terrorism then either. A person was taken and made an example of, yes, but acts of massive violence intended only to strike fear, never occurred. Every time anyone questioned the way things were done, someone was made into an object of fear, and that was the end of it. I think some of you have heard of a guy by the name of Jesus.

Today, it doesn't make a difference where a terrorist commits his/her act of terror. Between the Media hyping it up, the very atmosphere of fear we live in, and the politicians who turn death into victory, it gets out. In my very honest opinion, it's not the guy that blows up the bomb, drives a plane into a building, or poisons people that's the terrorist. Sure, he's a murderer, but he isn't the instrument of terror. That is more accomplished by the Media. In a frenzy for viewers, these hungry jackals get everyone from useless experts to old stories and spread panic.

A few months ago, we had a blast in the very center of Hyderabad. It was at a very old and valuable mosque. Did any of you outside Hyderabad even hear about it? Was the terror alert at Bombay pushed up? No, because everyone was afraid of riots breaking out. As soon as the Media was shut up, so did everything else. People went back to their lives within a few days. Nothing was closed, there were no ridiculous college students outside protesting. Everything was normal. You see where this is going?

I think all of us at FLAME, especially those in the School of Communication, should take this into account. You guys will be the ones involved in the business in a few years from now, and who knows, with a little luck and some effort you might be leading it. Do you guys really want to be the ones that enable murderers to make the transition to Terrorists? Do you guys want to be the ones that peddle panic and fear? I think those are questions that all of us should consider, all around the nation.

The Pledge before we join Flame

We all know about the usual new-year resolutions which we make and break in no time. Some would argue that, “Resolutions are made to be broken!” There are others who want to shape a career, build a future and desire to learn about their objectives in life. People like me wish to quit smoking and also to take up painting. Others still, want to earn a Gold Medal and would not think twice before burning the mid-night lamp.

We are all about to hit the campus in two to three weeks time and emotions are running high. With a lot of things going on in the mind, some of us haven’t even thought if we need to take any resolutions before we reach the campus.

For those who do believe in introspection, this is the place for you to put in your List of Resolutions before you hit the campus.

Its time to take the Oath – My Resolutions!

Verghese Kurien, Milkman of India, was called a “bloody fool” by a noted dairyman and director of dairy research, Professor William Riddet of New Zealand when he visited Anand. This was mainly because Kurien was trying to produce milk-powder out of buffalo milk at a time when New Zealand was the primary exporter of milk powder to India and experts were convinced of the view that it could not be produced out of buffalo milk.

Twenty four hours before the inauguration of the Amul factory at Anand on the 31st of October, 1956, the experiment was successful and milk powder was produced for the first time using buffalo’s milk. Pandit Nehru, inaugurated the factory, and told Kurien just before leaving, that he was glad that India had people like him who can get done things that cannot be done. Today, India produces an estimated 1.65 lack tonnes of milk powder annually, much more than what New Zealand produces.


Mr. Rajinder Johar of Delhi was paralyzed below the neck by the shots of three gun men who had broken into his house. He was thrown into a world of negative thoughts and depression for a long time till he decided to fight with life. He thought that people who were well off, had others to take care of them, however, there is nobody to take care of the disabled poor.

He started the Apna Rozgar scheme, for providing self dependence to the physically challenged. His idea was that of providing economic help along with an understanding of managing the business. By rough estimates, there are already around 325 people in Delhi and its nearby suburbs, who have benefited directly from his scheme. It includes Jatinder Kumar, a victim of gunshot in Punjab terrorism, who runs a kirana store; Ashok Kumar of Dabri, a Polio victim, who runs an STD Booth; Mohini Devi of Sultanpuri, a paralysis patient, who owns a small grocery store; among others.

Many of such known as well as not-so-known acts of heroism will show how these great people resolved to fight for their ambition. It tells about how they decided on their target and worked with single minded determination to ensure that they achieve it. It also forces me to think of all the Resolutions which I have made to myself each year and not always kept the promises I made to myself.

We are all on the verge of charting a new course in our lives with FLAME. There would certainly be lots of promises being made to parents, friends, well-wishers and also to one’s own self. It could be a big promise that could change the ways of the world or just a small thought of leading a life of discipline. It could be a desire to learn and also to use the knowledge for shaping a career or it could be a journey where one would want to find a destination for his life.

Let us all look at the dream which was seen by the founders of FLAME and how well have they managed to keep up to their promises. Had they failed, we would not be packing our bags to join them on this mission.

Its time, we did some serious introspection and took our pledges. Its time, we noted them down and shared them with our mentors to seek their help in achieving them and also abstaining from getting deviated.

Do share with us your feelings and stories on Resolutions which you had made and achieved/failed to achieve. There would be several resolutions close to your heart, which others would have made to make sure that you arrive to this stage of your career. Send in your messages to flamepune@gmail.com and we will help you share your thoughts with others.

My Impromptu Interview

Tonight is definitely an interesting night. This afternoon, Rahul and I were thinking about ways to better the blog, and content for the future. Out of the blue, it hit me that we could do an interview with Parag Shah and everyone else involved in FLAME. So I went and asked. Neither Rahul nor I had anything ready for an Interview, and we decided that we would think up of content tomorrow morning, and get the best questions together to ask. We just didn't expect Mr. Parag Shah to get back to us so quickly.

To our surprise, he got back to us less an hour ago, and stated that he'd answer anything we had and arrange for interviews with anyone on Staff and Faculty. I, personally, had nothing to ask. The first thing that came to my head was mobile phones, because someone was talking to me about them on MSN. So I asked him that, and he told me that most of these things would be covered in the Student Manual that we'll all receive on the 16th of September, and that it's almost complete. He did tell me that we are allowed to use and answer our phones anywhere except in class and during official ceremonies.

The next thing I asked was about open office hours, in which we could visit Faculty members to discuss anything. We will apparently be having those, and the Management will have an open dinner with us every month. He surprised me even further by saying that his office was open at any time for us.

My next question was about joint activities involving UG and PG. He said that there would be two theater productions that would be a joint activity, as well as a theater festival. These are foundation activities. He also told me that we'd be divided into houses, and there would be intra-house competitions, quizzes, and other things planned for us. The houses right now are named very generic names like Red, Green, etc because they thought it would be better for us to evolve the house names ourselves, and leave our mark on FLAME. He also told me that there would be a 10 Film Retrospective and a Film Appreciation course. So we'll have a lot of activities together, and a lot more separately.

The last thing I found out, which should be of interest to some of you, is that the Student Council will be comprised of both UG students and PG students. Also, the elections will be held on the 3rd Saturday after the Union Dinner, and continue on that way every year. So we won't have to elect our student body from Orkut.


I truly apologize if I got nothing of interest through my questions. I was not expecting him to get back to us this quickly, and we plan on having a much more formal interview sometime soon. Until then, thanks for reading.

My Admission Story

I've always found other people's experiences and thoughts to be more interesting than a prospectus or a lecture by some jaded college official. Not that anyone in FLAME is jaded in any way, but as a general figure of speech. Those of you that actually do know me or have read anything I've written know that I'm blunt to the point of insanity. This is going to be a completely honest story. I'm going to take all of you through the exact mental process I went through while joining FLAME. A lot of it might not be nice, and a lot of it might make you think that FLAME isn't that great of a place. Just remember one thing as you read this though. I'm going to FLAME, and I haven't regretted this decision in the slightest.

I first heard about FLAME from my Uncle, Dr. Ravi Paturi. I wasn't interested at all, in the beginning. I wanted to go to Manipal and do my Engineering in Computer Science. My Uncle, in all fairness, did try to convince me and my Dad. He showed us a booklet that FLAME published known as 'Yatra'. I'm sure many of you who are joining in the same year as I am have seen it. I thought that thing was a joke. It was pathetic, since it didn't tell you anything about the Institute or the teachers, or even what it was. It was a weird poetic verse about a bunch of guys who got lost, and then dreamed about building an Institute. Oh, and I also got a CD with a bunch of architectural drawings. Compare that with Manipal, it's history, and it's renowned reputation. Not a match, right? That's what I figured, and threw the packet away. I didn't even think about it again. Sure, my Uncle did come over and discussed it with my Dad, but I never really paid attention.

I think I started to change my mind about Manipal, and Engineering as a whole, in February, one month before my exams. I had lots of time on my hands, so I began looking into it. Manipal's illustrious history seemed a little odd to me at that time. Studying exactly what was given, writing exams, and then forgetting about it really didn't appeal to me. Nor did the rather horrid selection of extra-curricular activities. So I started looking for alternatives. The best thing that I found at that time, was to take a gap year and apply somewhere abroad. Then exams started, and my time to contemplate was severely limited.

As exams went on, I saw all my friends obsessing over colleges and streams. None of them actually cared about what they would go onto to do, but more about what college they got into and what kind of a name it had. They were all content with getting into a software company, and then living an ordinary, happy life. I never wanted something like that. Between them, their choices, and the limiting choices in India I pretty much decided to take a gap year right there, or get into a program at Manipal and then go into a different profession altogether. Perhaps Biomedical Engineering, and then Medical School in the U.S.A.

Then my Uncle took me to the Group Discussion and Interview for the second test. It was at a hotel called Taj Mahal. The place looked nice, but it had awful food. Mind you, that was partially my mistake. Never go into a restaurant famed for it's South Indian dishes and order North Indian food. It never comes out good. I met some of the kids going to FLAME, and they were pretty interesting. Then I met Professor Himanshu, and General Mehta. That's when FLAME started to look like a place of interest to me. I came home, looked up the FLAME website and ran a Google Search on FLAME. The most interesting hit I got was for Rashmi Bansal's blog. For those of you that don't know, Rashmi is the Editor for a popular college magazine called JAM. It features stuff like campus surveys, fests going on, exams, issues in colleges, etc. Pretty good read. She wrote about FLAME, and it got me even more interested. Here's the link, if any of you haven't seen it yet:

http://youthcurry.blogspot.com/2007/05/flame-foundation-for-liberal-and.html

So, as I was saying, I explored the website for a while. Looked up the curriculum, the Five Universes, and then went to faculty. That was what really surprised me. What I saw wasn't a group of your run-in-the-mill professors who join a starting institute for the hell of it. These were established people with good jobs and standing in Education. So I looked them up, one by one, and I was impressed even more with everything I saw. Still, the lure of being able to have a degree from a place like Manipal, and applying for my M.D/P.H.D program in a place like NYU seemed worth four years of torture. I still wasn't convinced about FLAME.

Then my Uncle wanted me to take the admission test. I don't know about you guys, but I thought the first part of it was a little silly, especially the verbal section and that kid with the weird brain. The concept was different, and new, but wasn't quite thought out. The Admission Test is mistakenly called a Two-Part test. It's actually three parts. The first one is Multiple choice test, with the verbal and math sections. The second part is the writing sample. The first one was to talk about how to make India a better place. Generic, and fun to write. I didn't have enough time to finish mine. I didn't even form a well written conclusion. I just tried to close it off in the best manner possible in the five minutes that I had. It was awful, trust me. Then they had us looking at pictures and writing a story about them in three minutes. I thought that was weird, mainly because the first few pictures were all about children. Also, three minutes isn't enough time to analyze, depict, and write. You can draw a picture in three minutes, but you can't write in three minutes.

Then came my group discussion and interview. Let me tell you one thing about Interviews. It's awkward enough talking to a stranger about stuff that matters to you, especially when said stranger is there to judge you. It become even more awkward when your very own Uncle, Professor Nagaraj Paturi, is on the panel that listens to you and judges you. When I walked into that room, and saw my Uncle there, the first thought that went through my head was "CRAP!". I honestly didn't know how to react. How would anyone react? Do you talk to your Uncle at an Interview for college? Ask him how your younger cousins are, tell him about your Dad, etc? More importantly I didn't know if Professor Veena Yadav, the other person on the panel, knew about my Uncle. So I made the best decision I could, and pretty much ignored my Uncle throughout the entire thing. I responded to his questions as I would to someone I didn't know. More on the GD though. The topic they picked for us was 'Are we becoming too dependent on Technology?". I thought it was an awful topic. Lucky for me though, they made two mistakes before the Group Discussion.

The first was that they didn't get to know us before selecting the topic. The second was that they gave us a decent amount of time to get to know each other. So as soon as it started, I went first. That gave me an opening to steer the topic away from something as silly as "OMFG TECHNOLOGU NUUU!!!!", to something like "How is Technology affecting the Indian Economy today?". We had a great discussion on that, with the exception of two people. We were a group of six, by the way.

During my Interview, I had a chance to talk to Professor Veena Yadav, who impressed me as much as Professor Himanshu did. These were people who were interesting, and I had so much I could learn from them. Not only in terms of their respective subjects and areas, but beyond the classroom. That was pretty much what sealed the deal for me. Great professors, great curriculum, and a diverse and interesting student body. What more could a person ask for, with the exception of Unlimited coke and a Pizza Hut and Dominos on campus?

So, I got accepted, and am now joining FLAME.

Hello

Hello everyone, my name is Pranav Patoori and I'm the newest writer/Editor of the FLAME Blog. Rather than telling you about me, which is completely irrelevant anyway, I thought I'd have this post focus more on the direction this blog will take in the coming months.

At the moment, we are days away from the start of the Preparatory Program for PG Students at FLAME. That means we are days away from the opening of FLAME. My fellow Editor, and founder of this blog, Rahul and I spent a few days discussing what direction we should take this blog. The first idea that occurred to us was to report on everything going on at FLAME. It was the natural choice, and it was easy to do. Finding out about anything in FLAME wouldn't be hard, since we are a fairly small class.

Then we started thinking that that would be more along the lines of something a newspaper would do, rather than a blog. Reporting on things tends to leave a rather dry feel, and make for a boring read in the long run. Rahul and I wanted to keep this blog as more of a human thing rather than a newsreel.

So in the coming months, this blog will talk about stuff happening at FLAME. What it will not do is merely be a substitute newspaper. We plan on focusing more on our stories and experiences within FLAME. What we learn through our interactions with the faculty, the visiting faculty, and the Management. The experience of the admissions process, the wait, how the Union Dinner was. It will focus on what is happening behind-the-scenes. We'll talk about everything from the formation of clubs, the newspaper, to the process behind exams.

What we want is for this blog to become a resource for both current FLAME students, and for prospective ones. So if there's an event being planned at FLAME, you'll find out info about it here. You'll get to read about ideas thrown around, who came up with the original plan for it, and what the reaction/opinion to that is.

I, however, do not want this blog to become a random creativity outlet. A lot of you guys are talented at so many things. I could take a girl named Pankti off the top of my head who writes amazing poetry. There are people on the Facebook community who write insanely deep short stories. What I don't want to see is this blog become the publishing place for those. One, it limits the audience that these people might have, and that would be horrid. The second thing is that it detracts from the main value of the blog, and it's focus.

The biggest thing, however, is that this blog remains fluid. We do not want our mandate set in stone, and not grow beyond that. For that, we need your help. Any ideas, questions, concerns, ANYTHING, is always appreciated. If you think you might be a good writer for this blog, or that you know someone who might be, let us know.

We're also looking for people with pictures, mainly ones with students and Faculty rather than buildings. I think we've all accepted that those are more important than buildings.


So until next time, which will probably be this evening, I'm out.

The online world at the ‘gurukul’

Emails, maintaining of social contacts and calendars, online dating, gaming, pornography, searching for reference material, etc., all forms of a part of the world-wide-web. A free access on the campus, gives a free will to the students, to indulge in all of these and probably a lot more that one cannot even imagine of, on the internet.

While it would be interesting to see what is the modus operandi adopted by the IT team to keep the free minds of Flame from wandering or even getting lost in this virtual world once the session begins; the importance of these websites, which have become a part of our very existence, cannot be over-emphasized.

I wish to mobilize public opinion here as to whether free and un-restricted access to the internet should be provided to all the students on campus or not? At the same time it’s crucial to understand its merits as well as the outcome of its abuses and its effect on the future of the student’s career. Do send in your opinion on the same.

Kut-kut against Orkut

For once let’s not discuss about all the abuses of decency and privacy on the social networking websites and on the internet. There are probably a lot more shades to look at when we talk of the virtual world that most of us are glued to, almost throughout the day.

It’s a well known fact that we usually begin the day by checking our emails and then moving on to social networking websites among other things on the internet. There are times, when we are logged on to these worlds while we are exploring other important things on the internet. According to a recent survey, people spend an average of 186 minutes on each of their sessions on Facebook (a popular social networking website similar to Orkut). There is almost everything available in the virtual world today when compared to a few decades back when we had never even imagined the existence of a separate world away from the real one within our computer screens.

What is usually overlooked in the process of remaining in touch with our network is the fact that so much of useful time is actually being wasted, which otherwise could have led to greater efficiency and output. Psychologists are of the opinion that these websites are extremely addictive and it is extremely difficult for a person to stay away from it once they start using it.

These arguments lead to two pertinent questions when moderated in context to our college. First: what is the extent of internet usage that would be permitted to us on the campus? Second: how do we manage to refrain ourselves from the excessive usage of these websites if we are provided with complete liberty?

As for the first, none of us can really be sure of what is in store for us, in terms of restrictions on campus. I am sure that in a situation where there is no constraint being levied traversing the surreal world, there would be excessive usage of the 24*7 free access. This could lead to loss of concentration from matters which require greater importance and attention, notwithstanding the loss of productive time. We could also see the complete ban being levied on the usage of these web worlds by the college for saving the degenerating young minds.

As for the second, I would love to mention about Mr. Derek Sorenson, owner of a website repair company 50 miles outside of London. He has invented an application which acts as an alarm and reminds you of the amount of time that you have been spending online on something which is not a part of what your work responsibility demands. His invention, “NOTWORKING” is an application, which you can download onto your desktop (www.websiterepairs.net/notworking.php). It will prompt you of all the hours that you have wasted and the amount of money that you could have earned in the same amount of time. A bright yellow box appears on the screen and shows you the number of hours and also the amount of money that you could have earned otherwise had you been working for the same duration (users need to provide their hourly earnings in a currency of their choice). If you do activate the cumulative setting on this application, it will resume calculating your time from every time you last logged-off from the internet.

Those of us, who have been working in the past and enjoyed the privilege to access the internet on their office computers, will vouch that a lot of time is actually wasted with it. It usually begins with the checking of e-mails on several accounts and moves on to searching old friends and replying to messages on the social networking websites not to mention all the other things which form a part of this virtual world. One rarely realizes or calculates the actual loss that he/she has suffered due to the above usage.

It would be some time, till we come to terms with the reality on the campus, but it would definitely be interesting to see the stand which the college takes on this rather issue which could be controversial for many students.

The best for me at FLAME

FLAME is definitely not just about Liberal and Management education. It’s a place where the young minds would be ignited and propelled into the future to take up challenges. The setting of the college as well as its creative rendition in the college brochure ‘yatra’ could not have been any better. Kudos, to all who have been working behind the scenes, as well as in-front, for this project.

I cant resist but start a discussion about what is going to be the favorite hang-out location for each one of us on the campus. For me, the best option would be to sit next to the lake and paint.
Do share with all of us where we could find you most often and what would be the reason for you being there?