SBI Merger:  Boon or Bane?

India is witnessing a phase of consolidation in current scenario. Every sector nowadays is looking for the adoption of merger and acquisitions with the guiding aim of making the combined entity stronger and competitive. Indian banking sector is also following the same trend. Few months back State Bank of India announced the merger of its five subsidiary banks – State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Patiala, Sate Bank of Mysore, State bank of Travancore, State Bank of Hyderabad and Bhartiya Mahila Bank Limited. The merger would certainly strengthen the bank at global level. The step helps in coping with various private sector banks and foreign banks in present vibrant business environment. The efficiency of bank will improve by rationalisation of branches, common treasury pooling and proper deployment of trained manpower.

Rising Non Performing Assets (NPA) is one of the biggest challenges for State Bank of India nowadays. The ineffective borrowing lending practices, economic slowdown and lenient collection policies make it difficult to realize the dues from corporate borrowers. The merger would help in easing the pressure of NPA and increasing the profit margins. The decision is also justified in terms of cost cutting as instead of establishing new branches, it can utilize the already existing branches of its subsidiary banks. Although the employees of associate banks are not happy with this move as they fear losing their jobs after this merger. Integration of over 70,000 employees in SBI raises a question on effectiveness of the merger. Cultural issues also prevail specially in case of State Bank of Travancore and State Bank of Patiala .

Other challenges that would be faced are variability in pension liability provisions and accounting policies for recognizing bad loans. To give some relief to the employees of associate banks management of State Bank of India, however offer various benefits in terms of better pay and wage packages. In addition, it is proposed that employees would be having global outlook and opportunity to get posted in foreign offices of State Bank of India. Besides, customer of associate bank will also get benefited as they could avail same services and facilities given to existing customers. Speculations are many regarding positive and negative aspects of this merger but actual outcomes can be analysed only after its implementation. Further the bank will be able sustain itself in this new environment becomes a reckoning question. Lastly it can be concluded that the outcomes of merger are generally seen after a few years. The post analysis of such mergers determines their success or failures.

Dr. Deergha Sharma

Assistant Professor

Dept. of Management Studies

Mathematical  Logics

There are two type of reasoning: Verbal reasoning and non verbal reasoning. In verbal reasoning we use numbers alphabets to solve the problems, but in non verbal reasoning we use some diagrams, figures, pictures, etc. Mathematical logic is concerned with methods of reasoning. The Greek philosopher and scientist “Aristotle” is said to be the first person to have studied logical reasoning. Logical reasoning is the essence of mathematics and is therefore an important starting point for study of discrete mathematics. Logics among other things, have provided the theoretical basis for many areas of computer science such as digital logic design, Automata theory, and computability, and artificial intelligence etc. The one component of logic is proposition calculus, which deals with statements with value true or false and is concerned with analysis of propositions. And the other part is predicates calculus, which deals with the predicates which are propositions containing variables. In this blog we discuss some propositions and their applications in daily life.

Propositions

Before define propositions, a reader should know the sentence and statements.” A number of words making a complete grammatical structure having a sense and meaning in logical mathematics is called a sentence. The mathematical formulation of sentence is. 

Sentence = Subject + verb + object. The sentence may be classified in to two categories in   the view of logic, Declarative or non declarative sentence. ‘A proposition or statement is a declarative sentence that is either true or false, for example,”  four plus five equal to nine” And “ three plus three is equal to six” are both statements because both statements has true value. If” two plus four is equal to seven” And “seven plus three is equal to twelve “are both statements because they have false value. Therefore a statement and proposition is a sentence having values. This value may be true or false. Similarly “x + y> 1 “ is not a statement because for some values of x and y the sentence is true, whereas for others it is false.. For Instance if x =1 and y =2, the sentence is true, If x =-3 and y =1, this is false. The truth or falsity of a statement is truth value. Since only two possible truth values are possible in this logic called two valued logic. Questions exclamations and commands are not propositions or statements. For Example.

(a) The sun rises in the west.
(b) 3 +2 = 5
(c) (5,6)  is a subset of  (7,6,5)
(d) Do you speak Hindi  ?.
(e) Close the door.
(f) What the hot day.
(g) We shall have chicken for dinner.

Here the sentence (a), (b), and (c), are propositions or statements, the first is false and second and third are true. (d) is a question, not a declarative sentence, hence it is not a statement. (e) is   a declarative sentence, but not a statement, since it is true or false depends on the value of x.

(f), is not   a statement, because it is a command.

(g), is not a statement, it is exclamation.

(h), is a statement, since it is either true or false but not both, although one has to wait until dinner to find out if it is true or false.

Dr. Hakimuddin Khan

AssociateProfessor

Dept. of Management Studies

Digital Technology

Digital technology is not new to India. Indians taught the world how to use the technology but we were skeptical and did not fully implement it. Remember the first email was given by none other than Sameer Bhatia with the id of hotmail.com. Indians and specially Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal realized the potential of digital technology during their last campaigns in their respective elections. Finally, now realizing the power of digital technology Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced from the ramparts of Red Fort on Independence Day the Digital India initiative.

It was said that one way to root out corruption from our system is to implement the use of plastic money and it will also check, to a great extent, the counterfeit money. But India being a rural based country having around 2/3 of the total population engaged in agriculture, they have limited access to banking facilities and even education.

Drenched in poverty they do not have sufficient fund in reserve to operate plastic money. Rather it is a situation of hand to mouth survival only with cash transaction.

However, Govt. is focusing on Digital areas in an attempt towards gradual upliftment in the standard of living & quality of life of the population. Recent Govt. drive encouraging people to open bank accounts is not likely to achieve overnight a cashless economy. The people especially in rural areas are habituated to cash transactions & it will take years to change their mind set.

As such, cashless transactions cannot be achieved in short span & will take time. Even in US 65% of the payments are still in cash as per western union President & CEO Hixmet Ersek.

Communication is the backbone of any activity. It is amazing to know how the Information Communication Technology (ICT) has revolutionized the business world beyond recognition. It has affected every aspect of human life in the positive sense. It has changed the pace and face of business.

It is a very vast subject and there are thousands of areas where ICT can be used. It is not possible in this blog to talk about all the areas. But a look at some of the areas will prove how the changes have touched human lives. The effective communication due to the advent of information technology, the agricultural industry has benefitted. The quality of agricultural research, training, education and extension has improved due to the advent of ICT. The farmers have received much needed timely help in crop production technology, inputs, seed technology, processing, agro finance, market support and agri-business. The productivity of major crops has improved to the extent that India is not only self-sufficient in feeding 125 million mouths but also exporting food grains to many countries. The digital India initiative will ensure that the small and marginal farmers also reap the benefits of communication technology.

Digital technology has revolutionized the education sector. The class room teachings have paved the way to virtual class rooms. The virtual class rooms have state of the art infrastructure. This has resulted in students studying in one country, attending virtual classes held in another part of the world. The students therefore, can get degrees from the top universities of world by studying in virtual class rooms.

It has given altogether a new meaning to teaching and learning technology. Through MOOCS initiative, education is imparted, in almost all the subjects, to students and teachers without much cost. These students are also awarded certificates of completion of the course from top universities of the world.

The health and social care sector has also benefited tremendously from the digital technology but it has lagged behind other industries in using technology. There are many opportunities as well as barriers in using the technology in health and social care sector. One of the inhibiting factors is the exorbitant cost involved the wellness sector.

Simple to use, low cost health apps are available on smart phones through which one can monitor one’s health parameters and take timely action. Efforts are being made to make it cost effective.

Digital India initiative, no doubt, can fulfill the ambitions and aspirations of Indians.

Dr. Avtar Singh Sethi

Professor and Head

Dept. of Management Studies

3 Simple steps to start Digital Marketing

In case of Metro and urban cities mindset of people doing marketing has gone drastic change . The usage of digital media is increasing over conventional expensive ways of Marketing using print media. The focus has shifted to engaging user who is spending more time at using phone devices and online methods. The youth of today seeks all the information online . The various techniques covered are Mobile APP ,Email marketing , Video Marketing, Engaging Prospects , Google adwords , Facebook advertisement to target audience .

Digital marketing is broad term for the targeting the right prospect, measure the campaign, and continuously interacting the target for marketing of products or services using digital technologies .The key objective is to promote brands to target audience, build preference database for future use, engage with prospects and increase sales through various digital marketing techniques. Today the world we live in has become increasingly digital focused with access to digital devises and the internet which has completely changed the way in which B2C or B2B  communicates and interacts. The term 'digital marketing' was first used in the 1990s . In 2012 and 2013 statistics showed digital marketing remained  fast growing field with estimated growth at 4.5 trillion online ads served annually . The report from various sources confirm that around  60% of a marketers' time is devoted to digital marketing activities .A figure close to 71% of companies planned to increase their digital marketing budgets this year. 78% of companies now say they have dedicated social media teams. 

To start with digital marketing the first very important step is to get responsive website as website is the gateway to your Institution which can make your image . Poorly designed website creates bad impression about your Institution. The look and feel of your website can directly influence how potential customers view your business. A good domain name, the right design template and memorable web copy help your business stand out from the competition. The trend is to go for responsive website which are Mobile friendly and cross device supportive. Using analytics one can measure traffic of users  , the percentage of traffic of mobile users on website rose to around 60% over last three years . Adobe provides themes and trends currently in use for a good website design .

Research have proved that content on right side of the page has high visibility and so your landing page should have key information on the right side. It is important to have a call-to-action or a CTA button, which encourages visitors to enter their information (name, email, etc.) to access a free trial, or a webinar, or an e-book, or any other item of value. The focused leads are created in this way. The landing page should have Chat Facility so that the customer can interact and get the information right away instead of waiting . free Chat like Twak can be configured in very simple way on the website /landing page.

Creating content that is of value to your prospects is the essence of inbound marketing. Blogs are amongst the most common content that you can create as a part of your inbound marketing strategy. Post at least one blog per week. For example, if you run an MBA institute, you can write on topics such as ‘full time v/s part-time MBA’ or ‘MBA loans’, Managing Stress of MBA , Career after MBA so that students searching for this information land on your page. Define metrics (likes, shares, downloads, hits, etc.) are most important for you. People will directly see a glimpse of your service from your content, which will help them convert faster.

Start with these steps and measure increase in traffic using analytics. Once this is done then more advanced techniques can be used.

Dr. Seema Agarwal

Professor

Dept. of Information Technology

COMPARISON OF OLD IAS AND IND AS WITH RESPECT TO PRESENTATION OF FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. Old Indian Accounting Standards was named as ‘Disclosures of Accounting Principles and Policies’ where as in the Ind AS, the name has been changed to ‘Presentation of Financial Statements’.

2. Normally, the entities prepare their financial statements for a period of one year. But, in certain circumstances the entities are allowed to prepare their financial statements for a period of 52 weeks. As per Old IAS, the entities are allowed to do such practice but as per Ind AS such practice of preparing financial statements for a period of 52 weeks is not allowed. Now, according to Ind AS all the entities have to make their financial statements for one year only.

3. As per old IAS the complete set of financial statements includes:

                    I.            A statement of financial position (balance sheet) at the end of an accounting period.

                  II.            A statement of profit and loss and other comprehensive income for the period.

               III.            A statement of changes in equity for the period

               IV.            A  statement of cash flows for the period

                  V.            Notes, comprising of significant accounting policies and other explanatory notes.

               VI.            Comparative information prescribed by the standard.

But as per Ind AS, the complete set of financial statements comprise of :

                    I.            Balance Sheet ( changes in Equity)

                  II.            Statement of Profit or Loss

               III.            Statement of Changes in Cash Flows

               IV.            Notes comprising of significant accounting policies and other information

                  V.            Balance Sheet at the end of the earliest comparative period

4. Old Indian Accounting Standards was followed by all the companies. But, as per Ind AS, it not compulsory for all the companies to follow. The details are mentioned below:

1.                       Voluntary adaption: The companies can voluntary adopt Ind AS from the accounting year starting from 1st April 2015. The companies can also do comparison with the financial statement ending on 31st March 2015. But, once the company start following Ind AS, it becomes mandatory for them to follow the same for the subsequent financial years.
2.                          Mandatory adaption: The following companies will follow Ind AS

a.       From the financial year starting from 1st April 2016.

1.      The companies who are listed (or going to be listed) in any stock exchange in India or outside India having the net worth of Rs 500 crores or more.

2.      The companies who not listed in any stock exchange in India or outside India but are having the net worth of Rs 500 crores or more.

3.      The subsidiary, holding or joint venture companies of the above mentioned companies whether listed or not having net worth of Rs 500 crores.

b.      From the financial year starting from 1st April 2017.

1.      The companies who are listed ( or going to be listed) in any stock exchange in India or outside India having the net worth less than Rs 500 crores or more.

2.      The companies who not listed in any stock exchange in India or outside India but are having the net worth between Rs 250 crores and  Rs 500 crores or more.

3.      The subsidiary , holding or joint venture companies of the above mentioned companies whether listed or not having net worth of Rs 500 crores

III. Insurance companies, banking companies and non banking finance companies are not covered under mandatory adaption. Such companies are not allowed to opt for the voluntary adaption.

Dr. Himani Gupta

AssociateProfessor

Dept. of Management Studies

Future Indefinite!

Mass communication is a diverse field and that is a blessing, but only till your third year of graduation. Come sixth semester and there is complete confusion over the way ahead. Should one take up a job or an internship? Should one explore higher education opportunities? In case we do, so should we go for diploma, degree or go abroad? MMC or MBA? Entrance exam coaching?

So many questions yet a very simple answer. Don’t believe it? Read on!

Ask yourself 10 basic questions.

1) Why do I want to study more?

(a) To explore the subject in greater detail   or

(b) Dude, I just want a BETTER package and I think PG will help?

(c) My neighbor’s uncle’s great grandfather thinks I should do PG.

(d) I want to explore teaching as a career option.

2) I like the creative and field work part of media (A) or

I am OK sitting for 12 hours at my desk typing on my computer for the rest of my life (B)

3) I have come to media–

(a) by mistake

(b) by choice

(c) by fluke

4) I want a

(a) wellpaying job with any profile at a branded institution

(b) good profile, comfortable job with decent timings

(c) highly paid job with medium size institution, profile doesn’t matter

5) I am ready to 

(a) move out of my city

(b) to work in odd shifts even those that have bad timings

(c) build a career but HAVE a life to celebrate

(d) slog out for two years to see where I land up

6) I am flexible about 

(a) position and profile being offered

(b) salary and place of work

(c) area or field I will be asked to work in

7) I see myself as 

(a) owninga Yatch (Yacht)

(b) havingan ideal career and famous in my chosen field

(c) somehowmanaging with the salary but enjoying my life with a highly satisfying job

(d) Who cares about job, money is all I care for

8) I am worried about 

(a) Family/ friends/ parent’s expectations

(b) Falling short of my own goals

(c) Using what I have to the best of my capability

(d) That I have wasted my time doing BJMC

9)  I want to appear for entrance but 

(a) I don’t know how to prepare for one or which course is better

(b) I just want a good job…PG or no PG

(c) I don’t know anything…DAMN!!

(d) My parent’s think I need PG (but they don’t know what I learned in grads!)

10) I am thinking
(a) Why did I join BJMC?
(b) Why is it so confusing?
(c) Why is melody so chocolaty?
(d) Even after reading it all I can’t make sense of anything?

Choose one option from all questions and reply for the best career advise ever!
See your doubts melting away!

Ms. Aakanksha Sharma

Assistant Professor

Deptt. of Mass Communication

 The Invincible Zero

In Shakespeare’s King Lear, when the King’s youngest and dearest daughter refuses to pander to the King’s foolish conceit of being loved by her much more than what a daughter should, the King flies into a rage and says those oft-quoted words, ‘Nothing comes out of nothing.’ True enough, common logic dictates that nothing can ever come out of nothing. And yet, it is here that the truth of existence defies normal human understanding.

It stands to mathematical reason that the sum of two opposite values will always work out to zero. Put mathematically, we could say that for every value of ‘x’,

x + (-x) = 0.

This is a universal equality. Yet hidden in it is the paradoxical secret of existence. Were we to swap the Left Hand side of the equation with its right hand side, we would get

0 = x + (-x)

Put verbally, it means that zero can yield infinite pairings for every value of x and yet stay true. This is the power of zero.

Historically too, the zero has been the most enigmatic number. Viewed in the perspective of this equation, it can scarcely be equated with ‘nothing’. Then, what is zero? To my mind it is only, the negation of all attributes, positive and negative, as reflected in the other side of the equation. But, that does not mean it is nothing. It is something that transcends the value systems of the dualistic world. Hence, its sovereign ability to deliver an infinite variety of pairs of opposites! 

If zero solves the riddle of existence, it also provides the anchor of human consciousness and action. Our sensory mind is the repository of stimuli received from the environment. Based on the nature of the stimulus received, the human mind not only records it as either good/pleasant or bad/unpleasant but also responds accordingly. This structures both human consciousness and the gamut of human actions. Whether a person responds mildly or intensely to a set of stimuli, it creates ferment in his/her mind. The power of the human mind to grapple with challenging circumstances depends on its ability to keep the level of this agitation low. By negating the influence of the opposing stimuli, the human mind refuses to let its consciousness be altered by them. Such a mind stays put, so to say, in zero-consciousness.    

An individual who succeeds in sustaining this state of consciousness remains in a state of harmony and peace. Such an individual is not tossed about by the opposing emotions of ecstasy and agony. (S)he remains calm in the face of all provocations. Calmness of mind lends him/her the power of finding solutions to even the most vexed issues with ease and intellectual felicity. The peace that (s)he soaks in does not, however, remain restricted to him/her alone. It spills over to the people and objects around him/her. In other words, (s)he becomes the epicenter of universal peace and harmony.

If the number of such individuals were to increase in a society/community, there would be a naturally established order in it. Such societies/communities would replicate the 'Law' inherent in Nature/Cosmos. But, if a society were to suffer from a paucity of such individuals, it would be susceptible to the chaotic forces of greed, lust, and corruption, and could soon become unmanageable and decadent. So, all societies should endeavour to cultivate zero-consciousness among their members. 

Zero-consciousness cannot be obtained overnight. It can be obtained through an assiduous effort to stay calm. The threat to this consciousness comes as much from spurts of ecstasy as from bouts of depression. Both tend to unsettle the human mind and are, therefore, malefic from the point of view of zero-consciousness. However, as we are all human, we tend to get swept away by the currents of events. As we get involved in the maelstrom of events, we are unable to retain the objectivity required to stay calm and cool. In the process, we lose zero-consciousness and the ability to act and/or resolve problems with level-headed realism. Life gives us an opportunity to acquire this state of consciousness by throwing us into a number of trying and testy circumstances. As we grapple with these adverse situations, we gain the strength of mind that helps us to stay rooted in zero-consciousness. So, zero-consciousness should be a cherished goal for all educators and leaders of people.  

Dr. Ravi.K.Dhar

Professor & Director

Learning to practice the art of showing gratitude as a student

The journey of life for most of the students after class XII must be on new path. Most of you must have got admission in first the year of college after a very hectic admission process.  Some of you must have got admission in the subject of your choice whereas some would have opted or rather compromised on the subject, college or location.   Some must be grumbling whereas some must be feeling on top of the world.  However, you may feel but make sure that you feel proud of yourself and be able to show your gratitude to all those who made you achieve this important milestone of your journey.What is the need to show gratitude and why some of you/us may ask after all, I deserved it, after all I had put in lot of efforts and hard work to achieve it.

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it: is like wrapping a present and not giving it – William Author Ward”. So before it is late express your gratitude to the cosmic and universal energies, express your gratitude to your loved ones, express to them how you feel for them and  contributing your achievement or success. 

Findings of the research done by Dr. Robert Emmons author and researcher, University of California establish what gives life meaning: Gratitude. Emmons research indicates that “gratitude improves emotional and physical health; it can strengthen relationship and communities. Without gratitude, life can be lonely, depressing and impoverished, says Emmons. “Gratitude enriches human life. It elevates, energizes, inspires and transforms. People are moved, opened and humbled through expressions of gratitude.”

We must be willing to recognize and acknowledge that we are the recipients of an unearned benefit. Simply remember to show your gratitude/ appreciation to people on a regular basis.  Many people fail to understand how gratitude can change a life.  All of us naturally possess both the positive as well as negative powers but it is in your hand or choice to give importance to, how to conduct yourself. And surely the evidence also shows that by showing gratitude, you do create an aura and send vibes which are creative and peaceful. You can simply show gratitude by being an active listener, being respectful to people around, by being thankful for all the things in life, by being willing to accept your mistake.

As a student many people will be crossing path in your journey of professional and personal journey; learn to express gratitude. It will surely bring harmony to your life.

 Dr. Neeru Johri

Professor & HoD 

Dept. of Communication Studies