Is Humour Missing From Your Life?
iCE-N 10 SECRETS Volume 1 Issue 6
July 2011
YOUR HR WON’T TELL YOU
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WORRIED OVER PRICE HIKE?
EASY STEPS FOR YOUR BUDGETING
Civil Engineering Wonders
Road trip to Leh
Nanotechnology in Infrastructures
INSIDE THIS ISSUE 3
From the Editor
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Afraid of Public Speaking? Tips on improving your public speaking skills.
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What is Work Ethics? Explanation of a forgotten topic @ workplace.
6 Easy Step for Your Budgeting Cover Page Articles
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A guidance to plan your budgeting.
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Is Humour Missing from Your Life? How to get back humour in your life?
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10 Secrets Your HR Won’t Tell You Some secrets, for improving your interviews, shared
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Nanotechnology in Infrastructures Application of nanotech and its future
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Civil Engineering Wonder The Akashi Kaikyo Suspension Bridge
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Four Wives Motivational Story
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Road Trip to Leh Photologue shared by our reader
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Jokes iCE-N
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FROM THE EDITOR The Semestrial edition of iCE-N is here! Time is like the wind, it lifts the light and leaves the heavy. Time goes by so fast for everyone and iCE-N is no exception. I still remember the first release of iCE-N in February’11 and very soon we are here, witnessing the 6th edition of our very own newsletter! HR managers are like a knife and knifes can cut or shape! Our cover page article tells you some secrets about what should be avoided during the ‘encounter’ (read it as ‘interview’) with these recruitment gods. Recent price hikes in fuel and consequent hike in almost every daily need of the aam janta has highlighted the necessity of a well-planned budget in every house. ‘6 Easy Steps...’ will guide you to plan your budget, hopefully. Laughter is the best medicine. We have heard this expression time and again. For decades, researchers have explored how humor helps us relieve stress and heal. ’Is humour missing...’ rediscovers your sense of humour. This special edition also features ‘Road Trip to Leh’ - incredible photographs of Leh-Ladakh, submitted by one of the iCE-N readers. We have noticed that ‘Guess the CE-Nebrity’ contest has been the most favorite feature in all our issues so far. Readers have admitted spending 90% time on guessing and 10% on actually reading iCE-N. Hence, we have added a twist to this contest; I leave it to our readers to discover it. Other articles like ‘Afraid of Public...’, ‘Nanotechnology...’, ‘Civil Engineering Wonders’ and special stories and jokes will make it a happy reading time for our readers. I hope that our readers will like this special edition more than, or as much as the earlier issues. - Ritesh Patil iCE-N@ce-n.com 3
LIFE
Afraid of Public Speaking? By Vikram Farakte
Effective speech is the one of the best quality of our personality and it shows how much confident you are. Here’s how to conquer the fear. Public speaking or Speech is an integral part of our daily life and activities. Everyone should know how to present a speech when called upon a stage whether you are prepared or not; whenever there is a necessity to deliver a speech for our colleagues and for public. There are several tips available to improve our speech, better and in easy way. CONFIDENCE Building confidence means building an effective speech. You need to cultivate positive sensory orientations when it comes to speech, thus you need to have the confidence. It is quite disheartening as there are no shortcuts to build 4
confidence; all you need to do is practice and practice often until you are sure that you have gained the confidence. This confidence will represent so much about you when you speak in reality. The best way to gain this confidence is to practice daily in a loud voice in front of mirror when you are alone or in front of friends, family members and so on. This will definitely help you to improve your confidence level in an easy way. Don’t hesitate at all when doing this practice. Always remember that whenever you are in front of crowd for speech, lots of peoples are having ability to distinguish between a confident speaker and an iCE-N
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uncertain one. You surely don’t want to be seen as the uncertain one. Right? SPICE UP YOUR SPEECH For presenting an enticing speech and to have great skills, one needs to spice up the speech. Whenever you are called upon to present a speech, it will remain or linger at all time in the mind of audience thus you have to make it tasty so as to hold the attention of listeners and keep them interested. The best way to make ‘spicy’ speech is to add some quotes, alliterations and some innovations. Also, you can watch the videos of speeches from great speakers or attend their live functions to boost this one. POSTURE The posture means your body movements while delivering a speech. A good speech may get affected badly due to bad body language or posture. You need to ensure that you have firm control over your body movements and try to avoid the unnecessary movements that may divert the attention of listeners. EYE CONTACT The most important thing in delivering a speech is eye contact. Strong and proper eye contact ensures that you are very confident and firm. You should try
to avoid looking at something or someone or here and there. If you will do this it will impact negatively on your speaking and it will also show that you are not confident. If perfect eye contact is not possible, keep glancing at the nose level of the listener. WATER Water is required for those speakers who are speaking in louder voice and are also less calmer than women. Without water if you will maintain your tone, you may end up losing your voice in the middle of the speech. To avoid this, you have to arrange enough drinking water before making speech and problem is solved. PRACTICE Practice makes man perfect. To become a good speaker, you need to practice. You might be a good speaker but you have to keep on practicing so as to become a perfect. ENDING Everybody should know how to end your speech because this is very important or critical part of the speech. The ending should summarize your speech so that the audience can understand the whole subject of your speech well, even if they have missed parts of it.
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WORK
What is Work Ethics? By Ritesh Patil
Ethics is the activity of man directed to secure the perfection of his own personality. Let’s understand how we can be ethically correct and seek perfection. Very recently, I was reading the Monthly Review sheets and I came across a review question and some funny answers to it. Question was: Comment on the work ethics of the month. And the answers? Well, they were not good enough to publish here. But they surely compelled me to provide an explanation, yet again. Work Ethics is a set of standards, rules and values, that an employee possesses and exhibits in his place of work, which make him trustworthy, reliable and dependable. The success of any company depends on its human assets i.e. the employees. That is why; companies today focus on their employees and offer them the 6
best work environment as they can! However, organizations differ. Similarly, every employee in a particular organization also differs. Ethical and professional employees are always preferred for promotions. Hence it is important for everyone to be aware of the work ethics. The most important work ethics are explained below. Loyalty By not revealing business secrets to competitors, by not bad mouthing the organization in front of customers, other employees or public in general, by doing one's work with full commitment and by following the rules and procedures laid out in the office iCE-N
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manual, an employee shows that he is loyal towards the organization. Co-operation Being a good team player, having excellent interpersonal skills, good listening as well as communication skills, co-operation with others, refrain from creating any kind of negativity in the workplace, an employee who helps his team achieve targets by giving and taking opinions and help, is considered to be ethical.
results are achieved. Positive Attitude Ability to maintain one's calm, even in highly stressful situations or when the work pressure is immense, and maintaining a positive attitude that everything can be worked out well. Punctuality By being punctual, a person shows that he values time and wants to make good use of it by working hard.
Respectful
Dedication
Work ethics say that an employee should be friendly with all. He should respect his co-workers, seniors as well as the staff who works under him. He should avoid any kind of fight, violence or conflict in the workplace, as maintaining a peaceful work environment is of utmost importance.
Giving his best to his work and doing it in the most perfect manner and in such a way that not only him, but his seniors too are proud of it.
Honesty This is a much valued work ethic; honesty towards one's work is what most organizations expect from their employees. Commitment Commitment to the organization, to the team goal, to individual goal, ability to see the tasks through, staying on the job till it is finally done, being persistent in one's effort and being patient till the
Accountable An employee should be such that his work is reliable and accountable. He takes equal responsibility in case of poor results and tries his level best to make things right. If an employee inculcates all these work ethics, he will indeed be considered a thorough professional by his organization, someone who is trustworthy, hardworking and Mr. dependable!
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MONEY
6 Easy Step for Your Budgeting
Planning and using a budget should not be hard and this article will show you how to plan your budget step-by-step.
Budget planning is very important for managing and controlling your finances. If you plan your budget properly, you will know where you stand financially. You will know your future expenses and will not overspend. It will also help you to stay out of debt and live within your means. Many people reckon that planning for a budget is difficult but this is not true. 1. Set goals Before you begin to plan, it’s important to know what your financial goals are. Do you want to save for a new home? Have you always wanted to travel overseas? Are you thinking about your children’s 8
educational future? If you have a family, plan the budget together. Make sure all your family members understand the financial goals. If everyone understand the goal and commit to reaching it, you are going to have a successful budget plan. 2. Determine your income You can’t plan a budget if you don’t know your income. So, you need to have an exact calculation of how much money you are earning in a month. 3. Write down your monthly expenses Figure out all the monthly bills and other expenses that you need to spend. Of course, needless to say that you need to earn enough money to cover all your iCE-N
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monthly expenses before you can establish a budget. List every bill your family has regardless of how often it’s paid. Group expenses together (insurances, credit cards, etc.) to make them easier to calculate. Include cash for each day, such as money for gas, lunches, tolls or parking. 4. Include savings in your budget plan This is a very important component, you must put aside some money after paying all the needed expenses. Without savings, it is impossible for you to reach your financial goals. There is commitment involved in building up savings. Make sure everyone in your family understands that.
benefits. It allows you and your family to live within your means. It also allows you to manage your finances easily. With a proper budget, you can be sure that you are only spending on those stuffs that you and your family really need. It also helps you not to overspend and stay out of debt. Proper budget plan also makes you aware about your essential expenses. It helps you to stop spending on something that is not necessary or something that is outside your budget. Make sure you follow the steps above when you plan for your budget.
Guess the CE-Nebrity
5. Subtract expenses from income Add together all income sources and then add together all expenses. Subtract the expenses from the income, and this will tell you what financial shape your family is in.
After subtracting your expenses from income, you should have some amount of money left otherwise you can’t continue with this step. Put aside some money in some investment instruments, get a financial planner to help you do that.
Be the first one & win a prize!!! *
A proper budget plan has many
(Send your answer here)
* Conditions Apply. See page 24.
6. Invest some of your money
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LEISURE
Is Humour Missing from Your Life?
It is you who can make the choice to either laugh at the challenges of work and life and get a good night of sleep, or be stressed from the minute you wake up in the morning. You wake up in the morning, all grouchy and irritated about not being able to complete all the tasks on your to-do-list. Isn't it a terrible start to another terrific day? Read on to rediscover your sense of humour and willingness to be lighthearted. Collect lively things: Keep the fun element alive by accumulating things that are full of life and energy at your workstation like witty bookmarks, funny showpieces etc. Do things or collect pieces that say you are not at work. Leave work at work: We grew up hearing from our elders that don't bring work home, however 10
not many of us practice it in today's times. Remember work is what you do, it is not who you are. Don't be stressed about work all the time. Learn to keep things in perspective and leave the worries at office. Thinking about work once you are home, helps on one, least of all you. Catalyst for creativity: Have you ever thought that humour can also act as a catalyst for creativity? Don't believe it? Let's understand the similarities between the two. Creativity is looking at the same thing as everyone else, however, seeing something totally unexpected or different. Same is the case with humour. (Continued on page 14)
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GREETINGS
BIRTHDAYS @ JULY
Swapnil Bhor - 3rd July Mangesh Nitnavare - 7th July Rahul Telang - 8th July Nidhi Sharma - 11th July Rajendra Kolhe Kolhe–– 12th July Pradeep Sajjan Sajjan–– 22nd July Neetesh Pandav - 26th July Ritesh Patil - 30th July RECRUITMENTS @ JULY
Parag Deshmukh Joins CE-N, India as CAD-BIM Engineer
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SECRETS YOUR HR WON’T TELL YOU Human resource pros tell you what to do - and what not to do when meeting to discuss an employment opportunity. 1. HR Manager’s do not like when you ask them “Can you tell me about your business?” There is Internet available for everything. Look it up yourself. 2. It is harder to get a job if you are fat! 3. Don’t just silence your phone for the interview. Turn it all the way off. 4. They surely notice if your handshake is weak, improve on it. 5. Make sure you’re nice to everyone, especially the admin person or the one at the front desk. If you’re not, they’ll hear about it. 6. Never tell them that you were 12
fired from your previous job/s. They have no way of finding it out! If you do this mistake, your resume will automatically go down the trash. 7. Know how to pronounce their name, even if you have to call and ask the receptionist before you walk-in. 8. Persistence does not pay off. If you call and call and call, you’re not going to get the job, because you’re annoying the HR. 9. Sometimes they’ll tell you that they ended up hiring someone internally - even if they didn’t just to get you off their back. 10.If your former supervisor hated you, don’t give his direct line for a reference. Instead, give the number of the HR. They will give out only the dates of your employment and what your title was. iCE-N
JULY 2011
TECHNOLOGY
Nanotechnology in Infrastructures By Bhushan Save
Nanotechnology in Infrastructure is a stateof-the art reference source describing the latest developments in nano-engineering.
Nanotechnology is being proving the future of all engineering, which brings a world to us in NANO way. Nanotechnology is the use of very small material particles. A nanometer is the billionth part of the meter. Nanotechnology has very significant contribution in Infrastructures. Nanotechnology is already strengthening the concrete, making it more durable, making it still tougher. Even the glass is cleaning itself with nanotechnology as well the paints are more insulating and water repelling. Nanotechnology in Steel Fatigue is the important issue in failure of steel structure, when subjected to cyclic loading. Stress Raisers are
responsible for the initiation of cracks which results fatigue failure. Research has prove that the addition of copper nanoparticle is reducing the stress raisers by reducing surface unevenness of steel. Progression in this would increase safety, less monitoring and more efficient material use in construction. Doping of nanoscale copper particles with steel helping steel to maintain its structural integrity up to 1000 F of temperature. Research in refinement of cementite phase of steel to a nano size results stronger cables. This helps to reduce the cost and period of construction. High rise structures require high strength joints means we need high strength bolts. 13
The capacity of these bolts is normally resized through Quenching and Tempering; the microstructure of such product has tempered martensite. When the tensile strength of this martensite steel exceeds 12000 MPa, a small amount of hydrogen embrittle the particle which cause the failure of the steel material during use. Vanadium
and Molybdenum nanoparticle improves fracture problems in high strength bolts during use. Such methods of doping with various nanoparticles have added the more strength, durability, cost reduction in steel and all this is by just improving the micro-structure.
Is humour missing from your life? (Continued from page 10)
Understand humour: Humour, for most of us, means reading a book of jokes or playing pranks on colleagues. A perfect way to healthy humour at work would be laughing about stressful mornings or sharing funny anecdotes from your previous workplace or even personal life. Also everyone can easily relate to jokes about the quirks of society or human nature or any neutral topic, however, it is advisable to avoid comments based on race, sex or group, which could be offensive to someone. If you have doubts about how the joke will be 14
received, it is better to keep it to yourself. Office is not the right place to experiment. Let loose: Form a group with few colleagues and start fun activities such as decide on a dress code once a month, create a humour@work bulletin and post funny quotes, funny photos etc. and ask suggestions from colleagues for adding fun to the workplace. Planning an outing on a weekend could also be a good way to connect to one's fun side. If at the risk of failure, you can make the work environment lively and a better place to be, it is well worth the risk. iCE-N
JULY 2011
EXCLUSIVE
Civil Engineering Wonder The Akashi Kaikyo Bridge
The Akashi Kaikyo Suspension Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the world and it is probably Japan's greatest engineering feat. It took two million workers ten years to construct the bridge, 181,000 tonnes of steel and 1.4 million cubic metres of concrete. The steel cable used would circle the world seven times. It has six lanes and links the island of Awaji and the mainland city of Kobe, a distance of four miles. The concept of building a bridge across the Akashi Straits became urgent after a disaster in 1955. A ferry carrying over one hundred children sank after colliding with another ferry, in the busy shipping lane. One hundred and sixty eight children
and adults died in the disaster. Political pressure for a bridge increased and in 1988 construction began. The Akashi Straits is four miles wide at the bridge site with sea depths of one hundred metres and currents averaging fourteen kmph. The Akashi Straits is one of the busiest sea lanes in the world with over a thousand ships per day travelling through it. Furthermore, the bridge is in a typhoon region in which winds can reach speeds of 290 kmph. The construction of a suspension bridge involves the use of two main cables stretching between two towers. The roadway beneath these is suspended by more cables. To stop the towers, roadway and cables collapsing, they are 15
held at either end by large anchor blocks (the Akashi anchor blocks weigh 350 000 tonnes). In the case of the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, suspension bridge technology was pushed to the limit. The Japanese designers and engineers tested their designs by building complex models. These were tested in wind tunnels which helped them refine the design so that the bridge could cope with severe weather and typhoon conditions. After vigorous testing had taken place, construction of the real bridge could begin. The two towers stand on two large circular foundations. The moulds for the two foundations were built in dry dock weighing 15 000 tonnes and 60 metres in height. In March 1989 a major stage of construction was reached with the moulds for the foundations to the towers being towed out to their positions in the sea by numerous tugs. When in position the moulds were flooded with two hundred and fifty million litres of water, taking eight hours to complete. By the time the moulds were full, they were resting on the sea 16
bed. Each of the two foundations were filled with 265 000 cubic metres of concrete. However, ordinary concrete does not mix with water and so the Japanese had to develop special concrete which was capable of mixing with sea water. When the towers were completed a temporary cable was stretched between both and a wire mesh gangway built so that workers could start construction of the main cables. Workers and machinery pulled the main cables from one tower to the other. Once the main cables and the vertical cables were in position the deck / roadway was fixed hanging below them. This work took place in 1994. Large purpose built cranes were used to lift the sections, 4000 tonnes each, were bolted into position, one after another. 290 sections make up the entire bridge. The final section of the deck was bolted in position in September 1998 and the bridge was opened to the public on the 5th of April of the same year.
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MOTIVATION
There was a rich merchant who had 4 wives. He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with rich robes and treated her to delicacies. He took great care of her and gave her nothing but the best. He also loved the 3rd wife very much. He's very proud of her and always wanted to show off her to his friends. However, the merchant is always in great fear that she might run away with some other men. He too, loved his 2nd wife. She is a very considerate person, always patient and in fact is the merchant's confidante. Whenever the merchant faced some problems, he always turned to his 2nd wife and she would always help him out and tide him through difficult times. Now, the merchant's 1st wife is a very loyal partner and has made great contributions in maintaining his wealth and business as well as taking care of the household. However, the merchant did not love the first wife and although she loved him deeply, he hardly took notice of her. One day, the merchant fell ill. Before
FOUR WIVES
A story about a rich merchant and his 4 wives. He ignored his first wife and loved the other 3 for all his life. But at the end of his life, first wife is still with him while others left.
long, he knew that he was going to die soon. He thought of his luxurious life and told himself, "Now I have 4 wives with me. But when I die, I'll be alone. How lonely I'll be!" Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you most, endowed you with the finest clothing and showered great care over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife and she walked away without another word. The answer cut like a sharp knife right into the merchant's heart. The sad merchant then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you so much for all my life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me 17
He then asked the 2nd wife, "I always turned to you for help and you've always helped me out. Now I need your help again. When I die, will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!" replied the 2nd wife. "At the very most, I can only send you to your grave." The answer came like a bolt of thunder and the merchant was devastated. Then a voice called out : "I'll leave with you. I'll follow you no matter where you go." The merchant looked up and there was his first wife. She was so skinny, almost like she suffered from malnutrition. Greatly grieved, the merchant said, "I should have taken much better care of you while I could have !" Actually, we all have 4 wives in our lives a. The 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish in making it look good, it'll leave us when we die.
there for us when we're alive, the furthest they can stay by us is up to the grave. d. The 1st wife is in fact our soul, often neglected in our pursuit of material, wealth and sensual pleasure.
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Answer: IQ Test (June Issue)
b. Our 3rd wife? Our possessions, status and wealth. When we die, they all go to others. c. The 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how close they had been 18
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* Conditions Apply. See page 24.
and keep me company?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is so good over here! I'm going to remarry when you die!" The merchant's heart sank and turned cold.
Photologue: Road Trip to Leh By Nidhi Sharma
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There is something magical about the Himalayas and very irresistible for an adventurous traveler like me. This time around I was in ecstatic Leh, the capital of Ladakh, situated at about 11,000 feet above the sea level, on the banks of the Indus in Jammu & Kashmir.
Chang La : A Pass on the route of Pangong Lake
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Tanglang La : A Pass before Upshi, on the route to Leh
Khardung La : Leh Srinagar Road on route to Nubra Valley and Kargil
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The ‘Jab We Met’ route...
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Experience the Spiritual Serenity @ Shanti Stupa
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Laugh!
When a man opens the car door for his wife, it's either a new car or a new wife.
along, finds out their problem, and proceeds to remove the pole from the ground and measure it easily. When he leaves, one engineer says to the other: "Just like a mathematician! We need to know the height, and he gives us the length!"
Interviewer: "We need responsible for this job."
someone
Interviewee: "Sir your search ends here! In my previous job whenever something went wrong, everybody said I was responsible." What is the difference between Mechanical Engineers and Civil Engineers? Mechanical Engineers build weapons, Civil Engineers build targets.
A crow sat on a tree doing nothing. A rabbit thought to do the same and sat on the ground doing nothing but a tiger came and ate him.
It’s a big inspection on a construction site. The boss tells the workers: “What ever happens just act as usual.” The inspection committee were inspecting when a wall collapses. Worker (looking at his watch): “10:15, just on time.”
Moral: To sit and do nothing, you need to be on top!
A team of engineers were required to measure the height of a flag pole. They only had a measuring tape and were getting quite frustrated trying to keep the tape along the pole. It kept falling down, etc. A mathematician comes 23
PASTIME Puzzle CE-N Systems Pvt. Ltd. CommerZone, Bldg. # 4, 2nd floor, Samrat Ashoka Path, Off. Airport Road, Yerwada, Pune - 411006. Maharashtra. India
Which letter is missing?
Using the numbers 0-5 inclusive, write one number in each small circle so that the values around each large circle add up to 10. * Guess the CE-Nebrity: This issue features 2 persons for the contest. Only one of these is a CE-Nebrity. Your skill is to find out and reply the correct one! Only one (first) answer per person will be considered.
This newsletter is for internal circulation in CE-N only. Published on behalf of CE-N, India by Santosh Kolhe. Letters to the editor and contributions can be sent by e-mail to: iCE-N@ce-n.com
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