Discipline

” AMUL Refuses to Cry Over ‘spoilt’ Milk ” !!!

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In the age of better-informed consumers and omnipresent social media platforms, it isn’t surprising that manufacturers are being held accountable for their wares.

 

Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation’s marketing arm Amul, however, used Facebook to show how seriously it took customer complaints that could hurt its brand image. The dairy giant responded to photographs uploaded on Facebook by a Gurgaon customer on October 10 showing ‘Amul Gold’ milk purchased by her resembling slop after she tried to heat it. The pictures were shared some 89,000 times and she proceeded to file complaints via e-mail and over the phone.

Amul’s response

The company’s response was immediate. Upon investigating, it found that the expiry date of the product was October 9, and questioned the basis of the complaint.

Rs. Sodhi, Managing Director, GCMMF, toldBusinessLine that Amul deals with complaints swiftly. “This particular complaint stemmed from her using expired stock. Milk is a perishable commodity to be used within the specified time. When the pH level dropped and she tried to make cheese by heating it, such a result was bound to happen,” he said.

The company gave a detailed response through its official Facebook page, where it stated that after visiting the customer at her home twice, she was informed that no problems had been found in any of the ‘Amul Gold’ batches.

The post on Amul’s official Facebook page garnered over 5,000 ‘likes’ and had been shared more than 2,500 times till late in the evening.

Amul also posted a video demonstrating where the consumer had gone wrong. The video, which was uploaded on YouTube, has received around 7,000 hits so far.

Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation’s marketing arm Amul, however, used Facebook to show how seriously it took customer complaints that could hurt its brand image. The dairy giant responded to photographs uploaded on Facebook by a Gurgaon customer on October 10 showing ‘Amul Gold’ milk purchased by her resembling slop after she tried to heat it. The pictures were shared some 89,000 times and she proceeded to file complaints via e-mail and over the phone.

Amul’s response

The company’s response was immediate. Upon investigating, it found that the expiry date of the product was October 9, and questioned the basis of the complaint.

Rs. Sodhi, Managing Director, GCMMF, toldBusinessLine that Amul deals with complaints swiftly. “This particular complaint stemmed from her using expired stock. Milk is a perishable commodity to be used within the specified time. When the pH level dropped and she tried to make cheese by heating it, such a result was bound to happen,” he said.

The company gave a detailed response through its official Facebook page, where it stated that after visiting the customer at her home twice, she was informed that no problems had been found in any of the ‘Amul Gold’ batches.

The post on Amul’s official Facebook page garnered over 5,000 ‘likes’ and had been shared more than 2,500 times till late in the evening.

Amul also posted a video demonstrating where the consumer had gone wrong. The video, which was uploaded on YouTube, has received around 7,000 hits so far.

SOURCE:::: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com

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” Three Things I Have Learned From Warren Buffett “…. Bill Gates

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I’m looking forward to sharing posts from time to time about things I’ve learned in my career atMicrosoft and the Gates Foundation. (I also post frequently on my blog.)

Last month, I went to Omaha for the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting. It’s always a lot of fun, and not just because of the ping-pong matches and the newspaper-throwing contest I have with Warren Buffett. It’s also fun because I get to learn from Warren and gain insight into how he thinks.

Here are three things I’ve learned from Warren over the years:

1. It’s not just about investing.

The first thing people learn from Warren, of course, is how to think about investing. That’s natural, given his amazing track record. Unfortunately, that’s where a lot of people stop, and they miss out on the fact that he has a whole framework for business thinking that is very powerful. For example, he talks about looking for a company’s moat—its competitive advantage—and whether the moat is shrinking or growing. He says a shareholder has to act as if he owns the entire business, looking at the future profit stream and deciding what it’s worth. And you have to be willing to ignore the market rather than follow it, because you want to take advantage of the market’s mistakes—the companies that have been underpriced.

I have to admit, when I first met Warren, the fact that he had this framework was a real surprise to me. I met him at a dinner my mother had put together. On my way there, I thought, “Why would I want to meet this guy who picks stocks?” I thought he just used various market-related things—like volume, or how the price had changed over time—to make his decisions. But when we started talking that day, he didn’t ask me about any of those things. Instead he started asking big questions about the fundamentals of our business. “Why can’t IBM do what Microsoft does? Why has Microsoft been so profitable?” That’s when I realized he thought about business in a much more profound way than I’d given him credit for.

2. Use your platform.

A lot of business leaders write letters to their shareholders, but Warren is justly famous for his. Partly that’s because his natural good humor shines through. Partly it’s because people think it will help them invest better (and they’re right). But it’s also because he’s been willing to speak frankly and criticize things like stock options and financial derivatives. He’s not afraid to take positions, like his stand on raising taxes on the rich, that run counter to his self-interest. Warren inspired me to start writing my own annual letter about the foundation’s work. I still have a ways to go before mine is as good as Warren’s, but it’s been helpful to sit down once a year and explain the results we’re seeing, both good and bad.

3. Know how valuable your time is.

No matter how much money you have, you can’t buy more time. There are only 24 hours in everyone’s day. Warren has a keen sense of this. He doesn’t let his calendar get filled up with useless meetings. On the other hand, he’s very generous with his time for the people he trusts. He gives his close advisers at Berkshire his phone number, and they can just call him up and he’ll answer the phone.

Although Warren makes a point of meeting with dozens of university classes every year, not many people get to ask him for advice on a regular basis. I feel very lucky in that regard: The dialogue has been invaluable to me, and not only at Microsoft. When Melinda and I started our foundation, I turned to him for advice. We talked a lot about the idea that philanthropy could be just as impactful in its own way as software had been. It turns out that Warren’s brilliant way of looking at the world is just as useful in attacking poverty and disease as it is in building a business. He’s one of a kind.

SOURCE:::: Bill Gates in http://www.linkedin.com

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Some Common Daily Habits That Might be Standing in Your Way of Happy and Healthy Heart ….

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Could These Daily Habits Be Increasing Your Risk Of Heart Disease

Cardiovascular disease is a very common condition. There are many seemingly harmless everyday habits that might also be leading to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Here are some of the most common daily habits that might be standing in your way of a healthy and happy heart.

You don’t take care of your teeth
Poor dental hygiene is a surprising cause of heart diseases. Taking care of your teeth and gums not only leaves you with pearly white teeth, but also keeps your heart healthy. According to research, there is a link between cardiac risks and dental hygiene. This is because when gums are inflamed, bacteria enter the blood vessels, which then travel to the coronary area. This narrows the passages, leading to lesser blood flow.

You tend to bottle up your emotions
If you are feeling depressed, hostile or stressed, it could take a toll on your heart’s health. It is not uncommon for all of us to feel these emotions at some point in our lives, but it is how you handle them that makes all the difference. If you tend to bottle up or internalize stress, you may be in grave danger. Laughter and social support have been clinically proven to positively affect for stress and heart health.

You spend hours on the couch in front of your television set
Sometimes you just want to block out the world and become a couch potato, but if this becomes a daily habit, it could start to affect your heart. Sitting for hours at a stretch can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke, even if you exercise on a regular basis. The lack of movement is not compensated by intermittent exercise. This sedentary position affects blood levels of sugars and fats. If you must laze on your couch, at least get up and walk around every now and then.

You have an erratic sleep schedule
You may be at risk of a heart disease if you have an erratic sleep schedule. Sleeping less than five hours or more than nine hours a night may have an adverse affect on your heart health, because both extremes affect your levels of stress hormones and blood pressure.

You snore
Snoring, while annoying for your sleeping partner, may be a sign of a more serious condition – obstructive sleep apnea. This disorder, marked by breathing that is interrupted during sleep, has been known to cause blood pressure to shoot up when you are snoring in your sleep. You should consult your doctor immediately if you sleep regular hours but wake up feeling lethargic and tired.

Your exercise routine isn’t consistent
If you feel particularly motivated to exercise on a Monday morning, but then through the week, your motivation seems to dwindle, you are setting yourself up for heart damage. If you work out inconsistently, say by exercising rigorous one day and then taking the next week of because you have overstressed yourself, it could be bad for your heart health. The best thing to do would be to aim for a routine that is slow and steady so that your heart can get accustomed to the physical exertion and be able to adapt accordingly.

You tend to have too many cocktails
While getting belligerent once in a while on an occasion is completely acceptable, if you make it a regular feature, you will put yourself at risk of high blood pressure, heart failure, and high level of blood fats. If you have to drink socially, make sure you have just one drink a day.

You find yourself binge eating very often
One of the main risk factors for heart disease is excess weight. If you add binge eating to the equation, your heart is sure to suffer. Many people tend to overeat when they are stressed, bored or emotional, but it is in your heart’s best interest to stick to small portions.

You procrastinate on visiting the doctor for regular checkups
Just because you aren’t showing symptoms of heart disease, that doesn’t mean you are absolutely safe. Heart conditions have a nasty way of creeping up on you and affect just about anyone. The best way to stay safe is to visit your doctor for regular checkups and keep you weight, diabetes, cholesterol, blood pressure and smoking in check.

You tend to withdraw from the world
On some days, you feel you just want to shut out everyone and everything and go into your shell. That is fine once in a while, but if you make it a habit, it will manifest in some way or the other, most likely in the form of your health. People who have stronger ties with friends, family and society in general tend to live healthier, more fulfilled, longer lives. While it is important to have alone time every so often, reaching out to others and keeping in touch is equally important.

  in http://www.lifehacker.co.in

Natarajan

Black Swans Take up Feeding Carp as a hobby and habit @a Nature Reserve…!!!

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This is a scene you probably won’t spot at the pond down at your local park. Dozens black swans at Shenzhen Safari Park seemed to be feeding carp.

The hungry fish thronged by the banks of the lake as the graceful black birds craned their long necks to feed them mouth to mouth.

The credulity stretching scene is a regular occurrence at the Guangdong Province zoo, where keepers said the swans have been feeding their carp friends every day for the past ten years.

Bizarre: Black swans feed golden koi carp at Shenzhen Safari Park in Guangdong Province, China

Bizarre: Black swans feed golden koi carp at Shenzhen Safari Park in Guangdong Province, China

Good friends: Keepers at Shenzhen safari park say the scene is a daily occurrence when they feed the swans

Good friends: Keepers at Shenzhen safari park say the scene is a daily occurrence when they feed the swans

Sharing is caring: A hungry carp opens his mouth to swallow feed pellets dropped in the lake by the swan

Sharing is caring: A hungry carp opens his mouth to swallow feed pellets dropped in the lake by the swan

But why? Of course there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation, and its not that the swans and carp have made some kind of unholy cross-species alliance.

Zoo keepers told the Guangzhou Daily the black swans are not consciously trying to feed the fish, but it is a habit that has developed over time.

The swans’ feed consists of rather dry pellets, the keepers said, and the birds got into the habit of dipping them into the water first to make them more palatable.

Once the feed is moistened, it makes it easier for the long-necked swans to swallow.

Another helpful black swan feeds Koi fish at the Hyatt in Maui

Habit: The ritual began because the swans' feed is so dry they need to dip it in the water to make it palatable

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Habit: The ritual began because the swans’ feed is so dry they need to dip it in the water to make it palatable

Besties: The carp soon caught on to where the food was coming from and now crowd around at feeding time

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Besties: The carp soon caught on to where the food was coming from and now crowd around at feeding time

The carp started getting involved after stray pellets drifted into the middle of the lake.

They soon realised where it was coming from and now they are comfortable coming right up to the birds and eating it from their beaks.

Shanghaiist reports that the black swans and koi carp have been happily coexisting in this way since 2004.

SOURCE::::: mailonline.com uk

Natarajan

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2795488/rarer-sight-black-swan-birds-feeding-carp-hobby-nature-reserve.html#ixzz3GKFXLpWX

” This Teenager From West Bengal is the True Hero …” Malala Yousafzai

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As the world celebrates Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai winning the Nobel Peace Prize, Malala herself is celebrating the courage of a little known young girl from West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali area who has been quietly working against the trafficking of young girls from the region.

Anoyara Khatun, 18, from North 24 Parganas, has, with the support of other children and non-governmental organisations, built a strong network to resist trafficking of young girls and prevent child marriages in the region.

“Malala and the Malala Fund celebrate Anoyara’s exemplary courage and leadership. She has helped reunite more than 180 trafficked children with their families, prevented 35 child marriages, rescued 85 children from the clutches of child labour and registered 200 out-of-schools (drop-outs) into schools,” says a Facebook post by the Malalafund, an initiative by Malala.

The post made on October 13, International Day of the Girl, only a few days after Ms. Malala was awarded the Nobel Prize, has described Anoyara as “a true girl hero.”

When The Hindu met Anoyara at Sandeshkhali on Wednesday, she was aware of the Facebook post and could not stop talking about Malala. The first year student of a local college has also collected a number of vernacular newspapers that published news of Ms. Malala’s award and shared it with her friends.

“Though I have not met Malala, I did meet her father Ziauddin Yousafzai at Brussels in June 2012,” she said. She made the trip to Belgium when she was nominated for The International Children’s Peace Prize.

“Trafficking of young girls and child marriages were rampant in the villages here. Poverty and lack of awareness and education provided the ideal conditions for traffickers to operate here,” Ms. Anoyara said.

In 2008, Save the Children, an international non-governmental organisation working for child rights, helped establish a number of multi activity centres in the Sandeshkhali area. These centres help create awareness among the children of the region about the dangers of trafficking and similar crimes. Anoyara recalls stories of how she and others chased away traffickers who came offering jobs and marriage to young girls in the region.

Jatin Mondar, the State Programme Manager of Save the Children, West Bengal said that through these centres, the organisation had managed to put in place a “committee-based child protection model” in Sandeshkhali since 2004.

“Now, if someone approaches the villagers with the proposal to take a girl to Delhi or anywhere else for work, that person is sure to be handed over to the police by us,” Anoyara said.

Keywords: Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize, Anoyara Khatun, Malala mentor

SOURCE:::: The Hindu.com

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Meet Mr. Arvind Subramanian … Chief Economic Adviser to Govt. Of India…

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After his candidacy first emerged in August, US based economist Arvind Subramanian has finally been selected as chief economic adviser by the Indian government.

 

This announcement came at a newsconference in New Delhi where Subramanian was present. He is a development economist who worked closely with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Raghuram Rajan when both were at the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

According to analysts, one of the prime factors that tipped scales in favour of Arvind Subramanian was his proximity to RBI governor Raghuram Rajan. Narendra Modi personally handpicked Arvind to be his chief economic adviser.

Confirming his appointment in an impromptu news conference outside the Finance Ministry, Mr Subramanian said: “It is a great honour… to serve in a government that has a mandate for reform and change.” He said macro-economic stability and creating favourable conditions for investment will be priorities.

Traditionally, the chief economic adviser is responsible for producing the annual Economic Survey – a document on the state of economy that underpins the drafting of the Budget – and a mid-year economic update that is presented to Parliament.

Recently, Mr Subramanian criticised the Indian government’s decision to derail a WTO deal struck last year to streamline trade procedures by tying it to a separate controversy over food subsidies.

He also criticised Mr Jaitley’s maiden budget in July for being too optimistic in its revenue forecasts.

Mr Subramanian was educated in India and Britain and went on to serve at the IMF and at the forerunner to the World Trade Organization, before taking senior academic posts at Harvard and Johns Hopkins universities in the United States.

In 2011, Foreign Policy magazine has named him as one of the world’s top 100 global thinkers. He obtained his undergraduate degree from St. Stephens College, Delhi; his MBA from the Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad, India; and his M.Phil and D.Phil from the University of Oxford, UK.

Below is a small bio of Arvind Subramanian (Courtesy- Peterson Institute of International economics) 

Arvind Subramanian is the Dennis Weatherstone Senior Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and senior fellow at the Center for Global Development. His book Eclipse: Living in the Shadow of China’s Economic Dominance was published in September 2011, and he is coauthor of Who Needs to Open the Capital Account? (2012). Foreign Policy magazine has named him as one of the world’s top 100 global thinkers in 2011.

He was assistant director in the Research Department of the International Monetary Fund. He served at the GATT (1988–92) during the Uruguay Round of trade negotiations and taught at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (1999–2000) and at Johns Hopkins’ School for Advanced International Studies (2008–10).

He has written on growth, trade, development, institutions, aid, oil, India, Africa, and the World Trade Organization. He has published widely in academic and other journals, including the American Economic Review (Papers and Proceedings), Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of International Economics, Journal of Monetary Economics, Journal of Public Economics, Journal of Economic Growth, Journal of Development Economics, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Oxford Review of Economic Policy, International Monetary Fund Staff Papers, Foreign Affairs, World Economy, and Economic and Political Weekly.

He has also published or been cited in leading magazines and newspapers, including the Economist, Financial Times, Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, and New York Review of Books. He contributes frequently to the Financial Times and is a columnist in India’s leading financial daily, Business Standard.

He advises the Indian government in different capacities, including as a member of the Finance Minister’s Expert Group on the G-20. His book India’s Turn: Understanding the Economic Transformation was published in 2008 by Oxford University Press.

With agency inputs  

Source::::www.dnaindia.com

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” Being Kind is More Important than Being Right …” !!!

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Story: Great Justice!

An Indonesian judge by the name of Marzuki was sitting in judgment of an old lady who pleaded guilty of stealing some tapioca from a plantation.
In her defense, the old lady admitted to the Judge that she was indeed guilty of the crime because she was poor and her son was sick while her grandchild was hungry.

The plantation manager insisted that she be punished as a deterrent to others.

The judge going through the documents then looked up and said to the old lady, “I’m sorry but I cannot make any exception to the Law and you must be punished accordingly”.

The old lady was fined Rp.1 million (USD 100) and if she could not pay the fine then she will be jailed for 2 1/2 years as demanded by the Law.
She wept as she could not pay the fine.

The Judge then took her hat and put in Rp.100,000 into the hat and said, “In the name of justice, I fine all present in the Court @ Rp.50,000 (USD 5.50) each as dwellers of this City for letting a child starve until her grandmother is compelled to steal to feed her grandchild. The Registrar will now collect the fines from all present.”

The Court managed to collect Rp 3.5 million (USD 350) including the fine collected from the plantation manager, whereby the fine was paid off and the rest was given to the old lady!  

SOURCE:::: UNKNOWN…input from a friend of mine

Natarajan

World”s Most Influential Teens Named By TIME …

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Nobel Peace prize winner Malala Yousafzai, Obama’s daughters and Joshua Wong, the face of the Hong Kong protests against China have been named by Time magazine among its list of the 25 most influential teenagers of 2014.

Pakistani schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai, the joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, waves after speaking at Birmingham library in Birmingham, central England. Photographs: Darren Staples/Reuters

“Teens today might have a mixed reputation, but there’s no denying of their influence. They command millions of fans on Twitter and Vine, start companies with funds they raised on Kickstarter, steal scenes on TV’s most popular shows, lead protests with global ramifications, and even win Nobel Peace Prizes,” Time said as it analysed factors like social-media followings, cultural accolades and business acumen to compile the list.

Mid-Atlantic Region pitcher Mo’ne Davis (3) throws a pitch in the first inning against the West Region at Lamade Stadium. Photographs: Reuters

The youngest on the list is 13-year-old Mo’ne Davis of Pennsylvania, a female baseball player who appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Obama’s daughters Sasha, 13, and Malia, 16, are also on the list.

“A lot of dads get squeamish about their daughter’s first prom, but only Malia Obama’s date status could be called “classified information”, as the President joked,” on TV earlier this year.

Time said the elder Obama sibling has “emerged as a figure of national interest” and her appearance at Chicago’s Lollapalooza Music Festival caused almost as much of a stir as the musicians themselves.

U.S. President Barack Obama and his daughters, Malia (C) and Sasha (L), depart the White House for the presidential retreat Camp David in Maryland. Photographs: Larry Downing/Reuters

While Malia’s name has “spiked in popularity” after her father’s election, Sasha has become an icon in her own right.

Wong, 18 has become the face of the Hong Kong protests, a civil disobedience movement demanding that China stages unfettered elections for Hong Kong’s top political position.

Joshua Wong, leader of the student movement take a pause after delivering a speech to protesters outside of Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying offices in Hong Kong. Photographs: Carlos Barria/Reuters

“To some, he’s a symbol of hope — a youth rallying his peers to fight for a cause they believe in. In mainland China, however, many argue Wong is an extremist and an emblem against China’s storied national order,” Time said.

Jazz Jennings, 14, has been lauded by Time for her support towards transgender rights. Jennings started living as a girl at the age of 5.

Transgender teen Jazz Jennings arrives at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at JW Marriott Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles, California. Photographs: Jonathan Alcorn/Reuters

She co-wrote a children’s book, “I Am Jazz”, loosely based on her life that aims to help other kids understand what the term ‘transgender’ means.

Yousafzai, 17,  became the youngest-ever recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize two years after Taliban gunmen shot her in the head while she was riding to school.

“The accolade caps an impressive — albeit early — career for Yousafzai, who has used her organisation, the Malala Fund, as a platform to promote girls’ education, help Syrian refugee children and demand the return of the Nigerian girls kidnapped by Boko Haram, among other things,” Time said.

In April, she received an honorary doctorate in civil law from the University of King’s College in Canada.

“Malala is a testament that women everywhere will not be intimidated into silence,” former Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who also survived a shooting incident, wrote of Yousafzai in this year’s Time 100.

“We will speak, no matter how hard it is to do so.”

The list also includes 15-year-old Flynn McGarry, who has emerged as a chef in the culinary industry and 15-year-old Erik Finman, founder of a website that offers tutoring over video chat for teens.

The other names in the list include actor Will Smith’s 16-year-old-son Jaden Smith, 17-year-old Lydia Ko, who ranks third among women golfers in the world and 17-year-old Salma Kakar, the lead rider on the co-ed Afghan National Cycling Team.

Actor Jaden Smith attends a hand and footprint ceremony for actor Jackie Chan at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California. Photographs: Jonathan Alcorn/Reuters

Kakar’s dream is to “wave the flag of Afghanistan at the Olympics one day, and to show the world how far Afghan women have come.”

Ciara Judge, 16, Emer Hickey, 17, and Sophie Healy-Thow, 17, from Ireland also made it to the list because they took home the grand prize at the Google Science Fair after wowing the judges with their discovery ‘Diazotroph’, a bacteria that sucks nitrogen from the atmosphere into soil, speeding up the germination of cereal crops and increasing their yield.

SOURCE::::Rediff.com

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Message For the Day…” What is Non-Violence …” ?

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The observance of non-violence has been described as the highest form ofDharma. All the violence in the world today is due to the fact that people do not lead righteous lives. It has been said that the body has been given essentially to pursue Dharma. Among the teachings of the Buddha, the foremost was Ahimsa (not causing harm to anyone). Non-violence is not merely refraining from inflicting injuries on others with one’s limbs or weapons. Non-violence has to be practised with Thrikarana Shuddhi (purity of thought, word and deed). There should be no ill-feelings, which is itself a form of violence. To cause harm to others through one’s body is himsa(violence). No one should be harmed even by speech; our words should be sweet, pleasing and wholesome. All actions should be helpful to others

Sathya Sai Baba