The Insider - October December 2012

Page 1

Volume I - Issue 1

October - December 2012

The Insider

feature story

financial literacy exclusive interview

chairman sinha humour

political correctness entertainment

appreciating music

fitness

everyone can run

travel

turkey

staff events SHAKTI is a women’s initiative in SEBI, meant to organize programmes for the benefit and enrichment of SEBI colleagues, particularly the female employees. That has however not deterred SHAKTI from reaching out to the less privileged - courtesy the generosity of all SEBI colleagues.

Blood

Shakti Presents

Donation Drive

S

EBI SHAKTI, in association with Mahatma Gandhi Seva Mandir Blood Bank organized a blood donation drive for staff members on September 11, 2012. An air conditioned van equipped to collect blood from three donors at one go, was parked within the premises of SEBI Bhavan. Juliet Quadros, one of the organizers said “We received an overwhelming response, about 90 donors voluntarily gave blood”. The enthusiasm reached epic proportions as the drive saw many first time donors. Many others could not donate blood due to reasons such as low body weight, anaemia, being under medication, etc. The session also included a talk on awareness about blood donation where the social importance of donating blood and it being safe to donate blood, once in three months was emphasized. “Initially, I was very nervous about it, but afterwards, I felt really good to be a part of such a noble cause” said Jayanthi Gopalakrishnan, a first time donor.

Nadi

Pariksha Camp

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adi Pariksha (Pulse Diagnosis), an ancient Ayurvedic technique of diagnosis through the pulse, identifies both physical and mental diseases and imbalances. Around 350 staff members attended the camp.

Visits To Sneha Sadan - Street Children Home Provided them with basic items such as bathing soaps, mats, eatables, etc. Little Sisters of the Poor - Home for the Aged Provided them necessities including eatables, medicines, soaps, etc. Financial Assistance to the Needy Assistance to an outsourced staffer PICTURES: VISIT TO HOME FOR THE AGED, ANDHERI EAST, MUMBAI

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The Insider

October - December 2012

Volume I - Issue 1 O Oc October t be to er - December Dece De cemb ce m er 2012 mb 201 0 2

The Insider Editorial Team Asha Shetty Babitha Rayudu Biranchi Narayan Sahoo Hariharan N Vineeta Sinha Content Team Amrita Shukla Aparna Thyagarajan Divya Kulshrestha Mohita Chaudhary Design Team Kambala Ananda Rao Sonia Khosa Vikas SS Co-ordinator Samuel Babu M

In-House Magazine For Internal Circulation Only Publisher Securities and Exchange Board of India C4-A, G-Block, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra (E), Mumbai - 400051 Š All Rights Reserved No part of the magazine may be reproduced without specific permission, in writing from Securities and Exchange Board of India, Mumbai Disclaimer All views expressed in the magazine are personal views of the respective contributors. The same are not endorsed by the Securities and Exchange Board of India. Your Letters & Contributions Comments on the magazine, articles and other content are most welcome as are all original contributions by staff members and their family members. You may send them to the Editorial Team by email to editorial@sebi.gov.in

‚㣞ãà ã

‥ãŠãè ‥ãŠÊã½ã Ôãù ...

from the

chairman’s desk

ãäšãÆžã Ă”ããŠããè,

My Dear Colleague,

ϋĂŒĂŁ ĂŒĂŁĂ“ĂŁĂƒ ‥ãŠãè Ă–ããäªĂƒâ€ĄĂŁĹ ºã£ããĆ’Ăƒ !

Season’s Greetings!

Ă”ãùºããè ‥ãŠãè Ă˜ĂŁĂ°Ă–šããä¨ã‥ãŠã â€œÂŞ Ć’ϋÔãュÀâ€? ‥ãŠã šãĂ–ĂŠĂŁĂŁ ‚ãâ‥㊂ããšã‥ãùŠÖãŠããò ½ãò Ă–Ăľ Ă˝ šããä¨ã‥ãŠã ‥ãŠãù ƒÔã ½ãÏ‥ãŠã½ã Œã‥㊚ãÖÏúÞããœãù ĂŒĂŁĂŁĂŠããè ›ãè½ã ‥ãŠãù ½ãÜ â€žϋ‥ãùŠšãÆžããĂ”ããò ‥ãùŠãä拠ºã£ããĆ’Ăƒ ªùŒãã Ă–ĂŽĂş Ă˝ —½|½Ă‹ ˜½g½j½Ă‚Â?½ °Ă? ½žg½j cŽ½ “½½žÂ‚½g½j½ g½j½Ă‹ ”½Ă‹°Â„ Ž½Âš½°½ q½½Â˜½Ă‹²½½ Ă— ƒÔã Ă˜ĂŁĂ°Ă– šããä¨ã‥ãŠã ‥ãŠã ‥ãòŠ³ ãäºãâªÏ Ă–Ăś ‚ããšã - Ă”ãùºããè ‥ãùŠºãùĂ–ÂŚĂŁĂ€ãèœã Ô›ãšãŠý ãä‥ãŠÔããè Ÿããè Ă”ãâĂ”Šãã ‥ãùŠ‥㊽ãĂƒĂžãããäĂ€žããò ‥ãŠãè Œãã‥㊌ã Ă–ãè „Ôã‥ãŠãè ‚ãšãœããè Œãã‥㊌ã Ă–ãùŒããè Ă–Ăľ ‚ããþÀ Ă”ãùºããè ‥ãùŠšããÔã ÂŚĂŁĂŁĂą †ùÔãù “½ ½žÂ€½Â”½Âˆ g½j—½Â?¸½½½žÂšÂ˜½½ĂŒ g½j½Ă‚ w½Ă‚—½ °Ă? q½½Ă‹ b½Â“½Â?½½Ă‚ Ž½ŸŽÂƒ½½ g½Ă‹j „ÿùĂ?žããò ‚ããþÀ ĂŠãà žããò ‥ãŠãù šãÎÀã ‥ãŠÀœãù ‥ãùŠãäÊã†‥ãŠãžãĂƒ ‥ãŠÀ š°Ă‹ °Ă? Ă— ˜½° ”½°Ă†Â€½ q½ÂœÂš½Ă‚ °Ă? ½žg½j °Â—½ b½Â“½Â?½Ă‹ g½j½Â˜½½Â?¤½Â˜½½Ă‚Â?½ â€ĄĂŁĹ ÂŚĂŁĂƒĂŒžããò ‥ãŠãù šãÎĂ€ãè ãäœãĂ“Ÿã ‥ãùŠÔããŠã ãäœãŸããžãò Ă˝ šãĂ€ ƒÔã‥ãùŠÔããŠã Ă–ãè, Ă–½ãò šãŸœã, Ă”ãâĂ˜ããèŒã, ãäĂžã¨ã‥ãŠãÀãè... †ùÔãù ãä‥ãŠÔããè Ÿããè Ă?ããþ‥ãŠg½Ă‹j ½ž¤½f –½½Ă‚ Ž½Â—½Â˜½ ½žÂ?½g½j½¤½Â?½½ ¸½½½ž°f ½žq½Ž½Â—½ĂŒ °Â—½ b½Â“½Â?½Ă‹ “½Ă†jšŽ½Â€½ g½Ă‹j “½¤½ ½žÂ”½Â€½½Â?½½ ¸½½°ĂŒ Ă— cŽ½½ž¤½f ˜½° ”½°Ă†Â€½ q½ÂœÂš½Ă‚ °Ă? ½žg½j °Â—½ b½Â“½Â?½½Ă‚ g½j½Â˜½½Â?¤½Â˜½½Ă‚Â?½ ½žĂ•q½ŸÂ„²½½Ă‚ b½½Ă?š ½žÂ?½Ă•q½½Ă‚ ½žĂ•q½ŸÂ„²½½Ă‚ —½ĂŒ €½½¤½Â—½Ă‹¤½ ”½Â?½½Â˜½Ă‹ šl½ĂŒ Ă— cŽ½½Ă‚ Ž½½Ă‹¸½ g½Ă‹j —½Ă™Ă‹Â?½Ă•q½Âš â€œÂŞ Ć’ϋÔãュÀâ€? g½Ă‹j œ“½ —½ĂŒ Ž½Ă‹Â”½½Ă‚ g½Ă‹j g½j—½Â?¸½½½žÂšÂ˜½½ĂŒ g½Ă‹j ½ž¤½f fg½j fĂ‹Ž½½ —½Ÿ¸½ €½Ă?˜½½Âš €½Ă?˜½½Âš ½žg½j˜½½ ²½Â˜½½ °Ă? q½°½Ă” dÂ?½g½j½Ă‚ b½½Ă?š dÂ?½g½Ă‹j “½½žÂšŒ½½Âš q½Â?½½ĂŒ g½j½Ă‚ “½ ½žÂ€½Â–½½ Ž½½Â—½Â?½Ă‹ b½½ Ž½g½Ă‹j b½½Ă?š Ž½½Âƒ½ Ă–ãè, Ă”ãùºããè šããäĂ€ĂŒĂŁĂŁĂ€ ‥ãùŠÔãŸããè ÔãªÔžããò ‥ãŠãù „šãžããùĂ˜ããè ŒãŠãã ÀãùÞã‥ãŠq½½Â?½g½j½Âš½Ă‚ –½½Ă‚ ½žÂ—½¤½ Ž½g½Ă‹j Ă— “½½žÂ‚½g½j½ g½j½Ă‹ “½Ă–~g½jš ”½Ă‹°Â„ b½½Â?½ŸÂ„ b½½Â˜½½ b½½Ă?š —½Ă†|½Ă‹ ˜½g½j½Ă‚Â?½ °Ă? b½½Â“½g½j½Ă‹ –½½Ă‚ ˜½° š½Ă‹¸½g½j ¤½²½Ă‹²½½Ă‚ Ă— cŽ½g½Ă‹j ½žq½Ž½ “½°¤½Ăˆ Â?½Ă‹ —½Ă†|½Ă‹ ŒããÔã ŒããþÀ Ôãù šãÆŸãããäĂŒĂŁÂŚĂŁ ãä‥㊞ãã ĂŒĂŁĂ– žãĂ– ãäâ€ĄĂŁĹ â€œÂŞ Ć’ϋÔãュÀâ€? ½ãò Â?½ g½Ă‹jŒ½¤½ fĂ‹Ž½Ă‹ ¤½Ă‹l½ °Ă? q½½Ă‹ ”½Ă‹°Â€½Âš½Ă‚Â?½ g½j°Ă‹ q½½ Ž½g½j€½Ă‹ °Ă? ”½½ž¤g½j cŽ½Â—½ĂŒ ”½¸¸½½ĂŒ g½Ă‹j —½Â?½½Ă‹ÂšÂźq½Â?½ g½j½ Ž½½Â—½½Â?½ –½½Ă‚ °Ă? Ă— ‚ããšã‥ãŠãù ‚ããþÀ ‚ããšã‥ãùŠšããäĂ€ĂŒĂŁĂŁĂ€ ‥ãŠãù Ă?ãϟã‥ãŠã½ãœãã†â Ă˝

The first issue of SEBI’s in-house magazine “The Insider� is in your hands. I would like to congratulate the team, that has brought out this publication, for their efforts. I am sure that the magazine will be received with enthusiasm. The main focus of this in-house magazine is YOU - the wonderful employee of SEBI. The strength of any organisation depends on the strength of its employees and in SEBI, we have a team of committed employees who have been working towards achieving the organizational goals and objectives. It is very important that we work hard with utmost sincerity in discharging our official duties. At the same time, one should also find time to pursue other interests like reading, music, painting – whatever one likes to do during leisure time. It is, therefore, important that we ensure a good balance between our official duties and our personal life. In line with this thinking, “The Insider� has been conceived as a platform for showcasing the talents of the SEBI employees and their family members and in the process, provide useful and interesting information to all the members of the SEBI family. I enjoyed going through the magazine and am sure that you will also find it quite absorbing. I particularly liked the fact that besides having some very nice and eminently readable articles, “The Insider� has some interesting activities for children as well. I take this opportunity to wish you and your family all the very best. Best Regards,

(žãÎ. ‥ãùŠ. ãäÔãœÖã) (U. K. Sinha) October - December 2012

The Insider

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contents editorial

T

COVER PHOTO: RANGOLI AT THE RECEPTION OF SEBI BHAVAN BY SEBI STAFF

Feature Story 16 Financial Literacy

Message 03 From the Chairman’s Desk 04 From the Editorial Team

Exclusive Interview 07 Chairman Sinha

Official Events 20 20 21 21 21 20

Jaipur LO Inauguration Bangalore LO Inauguration Bhubaneshwar LO Inauguration SRO Building Inauguration Visit by FM Leading into the future

Mixed Bag 05 13 22 14 15

Appreciating Music Political Correctness My Perspective of Life Hissa Maa

response has been overwhelming, to the extent that even as we go to press, articles are pouring in! So much material - so little time or space! Conventional wisdom therefore demands that we space it out since this is a quarterly feature.

We have to admit that when we started out seeking contributions for the magazine; we never expected such a response. It was hugely encouraging to receive material on varied topics ranging from literature to music, photography to travel, art and culture to gadgetry, fashion and fitness to cookery - the list is endless. The

We encourage all such contributions in future and we also look forward to your feedback.

In this edition, we offer you an inspiring peek into the psyche of the person who inarguably has one of the toughest jobs in the world of finance, his dreams and aspirations, the initial years of his career and the challenges addressed, his mantra So dear readers, welcome to the inaugural on marital bliss, the enduring journey of issue of our house magazine “The Insider” his life - both personal and professional. There is also a stimulating mix of articles comprising of contributions received - insightful, informative, humorous and from all of you. What is the significance poignant, poems that reflect the innerof the title, you may well ask. For one, most thoughts, photographs that speak among several other names suggested a million words, puzzles, drawings and by the Team, this was the one arrived at, through an internal poll, conducted by the paintings, all of which explore the latent talent of our personnel and the members Team where a thumping majority of the SEBI personnel across the Board, voted in of their families, events that go into the making of SEBI as an incredible place and favor of it. More relevantly, the feeling of inclusion as apparent from the name was so much more. endorsed by most of you, conveying the sense of pride of belonging to this institu- We are certain that the best is yet to come. With the next few editions, you can expect tion. much more in terms of looks and content. As a team, we are happy to be involved in Given the clear mandate, how can we ignore your voices? So it was decided, so laying the ground work; we cannot wait to see what comes next. it shall be.

Kids & Fun

23 Everyone Can Run

26 28 28 29

Lifestyle

Going Places

Technology

10 Turkish Delights

25 Must Have Apps

The Insider

So dear readers - sit back and sample our offerings. For now, Happy Reading !!

Health & Fitness

15 Feminine Journey 14 Zindagi

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editorial team

his year, SEBI completes two decades and is going from strength to strength ! The transformation in every contemplated sense possible is nothing short of astonishing. More interesting by far however, is what goes on within the glass and steel structure and in the minds of the people inhabiting it – the insiders - their perspectives on life and love, in general. Given the significance of the moment, it is only apt that their voices be heard.

24 Book Review 24 Style Check 29 Recipe

Rhyming Words

from the

October - December 2012

Peek-a-boo Fairy Tale Crossword Find 15 Differences Help the Fairy Find her Way

Best Wishes 30 Staff Matters 31 Farewell

entertainment music

Appreciating Music Pradeep Ramakrishnan takes us through the various genres of music

“If music be the food of love, play on” ~Shakespeare

M

usic is such a pervasive element in our lives that one cannot imagine life without it.

The question is how does one appreciate music. Is there a yardstick for appreciating music? Definitely not. There are some people who admire songs for the beauty of the lyrics. There are a lot of elements in a song to be admired. The vocals, the percussion, the orchestral brilliance, the usage of new sounds and the originality in the song. Then there are background scores. Sometimes, the use of silence, even for few fleeting seconds, adds to the beauty of a song or a Background Music or BGMs as they are known. There is an oft repeated cliché – old and new music. It is almost fashionable to say, particularly in India, that “the songs of those days were.....”. Frankly, this statement amuses me. Firstly, there is no such thing as an “old song”. Every old song was new at some point of time, isn’t it? Music evolves with time and it is but natural that the sounds of one period do not emulate the other. In fact, they should not. Else, there would be monotony. There is good music at every point of time. Of course, what is “good” is certainly relative. There is no shelf life for music. In early times, there were not many means to listen to music. Even if there were, not everyone could afford them. Hence, it appeared that a song from those times had more shelf life than that songs made today. But, thankfully, today, there are many avenues through which one can listen to music. Plus, we are exposed to a lot of music, unlike earlier. Hence, the so called shelf life appears to be less. Saying so would be myopic. Sometimes when people listen to music, they immediately start imagining the

“source” of the song, thus premeditatedly discrediting the music composer. This stunts the “appreciating sense” in the listener. One should dissect a song, to see the beauty in it. Of course, originality matters. Lastly, one should “listen” to music and not “hear” music. The right way to appreciate music is that one should not have leanings towards one period or one person’s brand of music. Well, one can be patronising towards one genre of music, say Blues, Rock etc. Some of the popular, “easy on the ears” music and one that generally appeals to all ages is “bubblegum” pop. One of the many examples of bubblegum pop would be the song “Ho Gayee hai Mohabbat” by Mohammed Aslam. It is soft on the ears, has a catchy hook and is addictive. Film music is a blend of everything which is why it is so popular, especially in India. There has been some fantastic magic created in Indian film music by way of songs and background scores. The great composer - Ilayaraja, was a pioneer as regards BGMs in Indian film music. His scores in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam have elevated the drama portrayed in the movies to greater heights. See the Telugu film “Rudraveena” directed by K Balachander, for which Raja won a national award, to see how fantastic BGMs can elevate films to great heights. In Hindi film music, one of my all time favourite background scores has been in the Hindi film “Lagaan”. A R Rahman just transformed the viewer to the 1850s with pure magic. He created a music bit for almost every character in the film. All of us have seen the serial “Mahabharat” by B R Chopra. Recently, Amit Trivedi has been able to create good scores in Hindi. I am sure all can remember the music bit that accompanies the character “Shikhandi”

whenever he appears on the screen! Such is the impact BGM can create. Hard Rock, hitherto a genre not very much present in Indian film music, has slowly started to make a mark. The song “Bhaag D K Bose” by Ram Sampat in the Hindi film “Delhi Belly” and “Sadda Haq” by A R Rahman from the Hindi film “Rockstar” are recent ones that come to mind. There are rock bands in India but they are not very popular. One of the reasons hard rock is not very prevalent in Indian music has to do with our ethos. One of the advantages of listening to music today is that there is a mind numbing variety available at economical prices. In most cases one can just download any kind of music free of cost. But to be a connoisseur, one should have a ear for all types of music. Language should not be a barrier to listen to music. The more variety of music one hears, one can be exposed to the mind boggling talent in music that lies across the world. The band - Enigma used just African chants and beats to great effect in their albums. Country music, anyone?

about the

writer

Pradeep Ramakrishnan is an AGM at the Southern Regional Office, Chennai. He is a self-confessed foodie and loves music and international cinema.

October - December 2012

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SKETCH BY: TATHAGATA BISWAS

exclusive interview

Chairman Sinha In a free-wheeling conversation with Aparna Thyagarajan and Divya Kulshrestha, Chairman UK Sinha opens up about his thoughts on public life and his interests beyond

Can you tell us something about your school / college days?

the inspiration for me to join the services, that I had to live upto his dream.

I studied in a school which is described as a Bora school. Bora is Hindi or Bengali word for gunny bag. I studied in a school which did not have chairs or furniture. So we had to carry a gunny bag from home to sit on. I studied there for 3 to 4 years after which I migrated to a secondary school to continue my studies. I come from a small town: Gopalganj in North western Bihar. I did the usual things in School. Besides academics, had interest in poetry, literature, debating, etc. like any other student. Then I went to college in Patna, named as Patna Science College. I won some competitions in Essay writing in All India level, Science Talent Awards, etc.

Can you narrate an unforgettable incident from your long career as a civil servant?

Who or what inspired you to join the civil services? My grandfather was a licensed legal practitioner. In local language, it was called Mukhtar. Mukhtar is like someone in the medical side whom we call a Licensed Medical Practitioner as against a full fledged MBBS. For pursuing that, you should have done your matriculation as entrance and a diploma level exam. Once you are done, you are allowed to practice in a Magistrate’s Court as a Mukhtar. You are not allowed to practice in the District Courts or the High Courts. So, he wanted his son to become an advocate. From a licensed legal practitioner, he wanted his son to become an advocate, which happened - my father became an advocate. Then, he wanted that his grandson should become a Hakim, a magistrate. So it was instilled in my mind since I was very young that I should become a Hakim. So, appearing in the IAS was in my mind since I was 10 or 12 years old. Of course, when I joined the IAS, my grandfather was no more. But that was

There have been many. But I will share a couple of specific instances with you. My first posting was as a Sub- divisional Magistrate in Jamshedpur - it is now in Jharkhand, that time it was in Bihar. There was an incident where some tribal children and few tribal women were drowned in a river because they were picking up slag from a dumping ground of Tata Steel. In Tata Steel there was a

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Appearing in the IAS was in my mind since I was 10 or 12 years old.

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contract that from the blast furnace, the slag would be taken out by a contractor and be dumped near the low lying area of the river bed. It was quite common that by conniving with the security staff, they also used to bring out some valuable things. Not only slag, but also valuable things. Several trucks used to come and it was easy to do this. So what used to happen was that once it was dumped in the river bed, their employees used to collect that and sell it in the market - some brass and iron pieces. Since it was lying in the open, it was also quite common that the neighbourhood tribal children used to come and collect it, rather steal it. So a stolen thing was being stolen again. One day what happened was that, early morning, some tribal children were picking up materials from the slag dump - it was near the Subarnarekha river. The security staff of

the contractor started chasing them. It was early morning, dark, and they ran for their life, they ran in the opposite direction and they had to jump into the river. About 6 or 7 of them got drowned. Obviously, we had to take some criminal action against these people. I came out with the idea of forming a co-operative society of these tribals and requested Tata Steel to give the contract to this Society. So, we formed this co-operative society where the first criterion was that you should be a tribal. I got some grant from the Govt. to start this society and we prevailed upon Tata Steel to give this contract for one rupee. Earlier, they used to get about 8 to 10 lakh rupees per annum, but they gave it to us for `1 since it was beneficial for them also. They realised that if the Tribal co-operative society is doing the work, there will be no incentive to steal things from the dumping ground. So they were also assured. By the time I left the place after one year, we had a bank balance of about Rupees One Crore - we had set up a School, a Dispensary and a Crèche for women. Even today this has been the most memorable experience. At that time I was very young… in my twenties… it was my first job. Even today, I cherish this one experience. Later on, in UTI we did the micro pension scheme, I am very fond of this too. I also did a scheme with the Chief Minister of Bihar for the girl child below poverty line. It is called Kanya Suraksha Yojana. So, all these are schemes that have been helping the society. Still the first one is the most memorable. How do you think that the work environment and challenges have changed now compared to what they were earlier - say few decades back?

October - December 2012

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exclusive interview criticising it. For example, on clauses like in exceptional circumstances, the HPAC or Whole Time Member can review the matter, but there are people who have said, “look, your intentions are not clear, you still want to favour people”. So you are subjected to that challenge again and again. These are not really understood. But we have to change our mindset. There cannot be training programmes that can prepare young officers towards these challenges. Whatever they are going to do – what is the impact that it will cause - needs to be understood.

For public service - you and me – the major challenge that has come up now, is that we have to gear up ourselves for a very close, intensive and almost online scrutiny, which was not there earlier. I remember that in the past, a civil servant could virtually do anything, and people would still give the benefit of doubt that may be, he is doing it in the best of intentions. Today, the situation has got just reversed. Anything that you are doing is being viewed with suspicion - as to why have you done it. So, this complete reversal of mindset of the people, about administration, about public service and society, is a major challenge even for younger people. Even for younger people in SEBI, you may be doing what you feel is correct; but it is perhaps useful to also see this from the point of view of an outsider, a completely unconnected person – how he is going to perceive it. So, now, people are more questioning; there is the social media which is very active. The Right to Information is prevalent now. Earlier, even in SEBI, an officer could have the satisfaction that whatever he or she was writing, in the best of intentions, is only between him and his boss; even a person in the other division cannot demand. You had the comfort that you are protected for whatever you write. There was a sense of satisfaction that is completely gone now. And that is a challenge that we have to be geared up to. This challenge is from both within and outside SEBI.

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The Insider

You have known SEBI so closely for the last so many years. You have also been part of SEBI for the last more than one and half years. What is the difference you feel, when you look at SEBI from outside and when you are part of the organisation?

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It is very important that both the spouses must work. That is something that I believe as a Mantra- and not from the economic point of view. But one spouse working and the other one being free is a recipe for disaster in modern societies.

”

I can give you hundreds of examples. For example, the consent process circular. From Day One, I made it clear that in order to increase the organisational image and for SEBI to be seen as a transparent organisation and efficient, we have to have a system where if I have committed an offence, what should be the amount of penalty, and this should be consistent and predictable. I had said it should be something which can be calculated in a mathematical fashion. On this, when we were discussing this widely, many people opposed it. Even the ones who initially supported it, had opposed it later. Because, nobody likes that sort of a transparency. There were a variety of reasons for this. Some people thought that my own power and discretion was being compromised. Some thought this was not workable and not prevalent in other parts of the world. Finally, when these guidelines are out, people are still

October - December 2012

If you recollect, perhaps, one of the first initiatives I took is to address the employees. And I honestly believed in it. And I am planning to do another one sometime soon. I had given three important messages that time – One was the message of humility and that there should be an approach where we are not working in silos. These are two important messages. I had also quoted an Urdu poetry to make my point about humility – on what am I doing and who am I – After all, if you look at the larger scheme of things and the financial sector, we are only one of the players. It is not as if the world starts and stops here. So, what I have seen, if I can claim so, in the last one and a half years, is that there is a definite change in the attitude of SEBI officers towards being more receptive to outside concerns. I would like to qualify that – when I say outside concerns, it doesn’t mean that we have to accept every single suggestion that we receive. But com-

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The type of things that we do in SEBI and the impact that it can have for the larger society, the mental and emotional reward, cannot be measured in money

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exclusive interview

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I like good food, but I’m not a great cook

”

paratively speaking, earlier the tendency was that we know everything, we are the best. People used to feel that anybody who comes to SEBI has a vested interest. Now I am finding happily that there is a change. Ideas are being examined with an open mind and that is why we have been able to do certain things that were earlier not possible. How do you spend your free time, if at all you get some? I enjoy listening to music. I have a reasonably good collection. I try to read a lot. I like good food – but I am not a great cook. You also like to listen to Ghazals. Is there any particular singer who is your favourite?

surgery, was on the highest dose of Chemotherapy, he recovered and overcame the disease merely because of his guts, stamina and will power; and he became the Champion of Tour De France. Do you get time to watch movies and which one was the latest you could watch? Is there any particular favourite movie star whose movies you really enjoy? Rockstar, Barfi are couple of movies that impressed me amongst the recent ones that I saw.

“

Have pride in your job. At the same time, do not be proud.

”

How are you able to balance the pressures of office and the family responsibilities?

I like reading biographies. I have stopped reading fiction for a while now. Nonfiction - I like reading on contemporary history, contemporary philosophy. Recent ones are Prof. Sandler’s Justice and Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs.

It is very important that both the spouses must work. That is something that I believe as a Mantra -and not from the economic point of view. But one spouse working and the other one being free is a recipe for disaster in modern societies. So both must have job satisfaction in what they are doing in their individual capacities on their individual merit. If that happens, balancing your personal life with your professional life becomes that much easier. Of course, when you have children to rear, it means extra burden. But that’s for a short period of time. For the rest of your life, both spouses working is the best solution. My wife works for The World Bank in the area of education and Corporate Social Responsibility. That is how we manage.

Yet another recent book is the autobiography of Lance Armstrong - the Biker. He is no longer a favourite because he has been found doping, but the book has only a passing reference of doping. What is inspiring is that at the age of 24, during his peak of his career, he was detected with a serious cancer which had spread across the body. He was asked to undergo a surgery within two days and he did that - he underwent more than one

A lot of youngsters these days prefer an employment in the private sector to the Services or being part of the Govt. or its allied organisations. There is a general public perception that government jobs are not for the active, career-oriented ones and that they do not have a great work culture. What do you think should be the driving factors that should draw young and efficient talents towards Govt. jobs?

I like Begum Akhtar, Shobha Gurtu, Kishori Amonkar, Pt. Channulal Mishra. I like Hindustani Classical, Puraviya which is the eastern style. So you have things like Dadra, Thumri, Bajri and I like Urdu Poetry. Can you tell us about some author or book which had left an imprint in your mind?

The type of things that we do in SEBI and the impact that can have for the larger society, the mental and emotional reward, cannot be measured in money. I was working for an organisation where I was getting market compensation. The salary that I am getting now is absolutely no match for the pay that I used to get there. But I still chose to come here. And I am very happy that I took that decision. Of course, what I am saying cannot be true for every person. As long as the basic financial needs are met, working for the Govt. or public service is much more rewarding - from a simple point that it rewards a larger section of the society. That reward is tremendous. When I was a young officer at that co-operative society, I still remember it. Now, even if you give me crores of money, what do I do with that money? I remember, I used to handle communal troubles, naxalite troubles. When I was Secretary, PWD, I opened several bridges, constructed several roads.People trust you and when problems get resolved on your assurances, the happiness you get is immeasurable .. .! In SEBI, for example, we were talking about IPO reforms, MF reforms – now these are things that will give me happiness for the next 10 years. What would be your message to all SEBI employees? My message would be to develop self pride in your organisation. Don’t think that the work that you are doing is not important. And my understanding is that whatever we are doing in SEBI, if we do it with sincerity, we can make a tremendous amount of difference. And that would be a huge satisfaction. Don’t be cynical. May be something that you may feel is correct, may not happen. Disappointments are a part of life. Have pride in your job. At the same time, do not be proud. Have humility. Have the hunger to learn. The greatest satisfaction even at this age is when I learn something new.

AT & DK: Thank you very much, Sir, for speaking to us. It has been very inspirational!! AT & DK

October - December 2012

The Insider

9

travelogue international

TURKISH DELIGHTS Aparna Thyagarajan

BLUE MOSQUE ISTANBUL

T

rue to my yearning to discover the world, LFC Trip 2012 was decided as Turkey, the Eurasian country. After all, not often during our travel research, do we come across regions with so many unheard of names. Our week long trip began with a day’s halt at Istanbul, the economic capital of the land. And what a start it turned out to be! Istanbul being a transcontinental city – you could cruise from the European side of the city to the Asian side in about half an hour – has a perfect cultural mix of both the races. Nestled between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea, it is a charming city with a rich cultural history dating back to 660 BC during the Byzantine empire. The present version of the city is a witness of the several invasions and civilisations that it has seen from the ancient Persians, Athenians, Romans to the more recent Ottomans. Some interesting attractions like the Blue Mosque, Hagia Sophia Museum, the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar, combined with a Mediterranean weather and food made it a perfect start for the holiday.

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Next on course was Ankara, the political capital. It was a brief stay here with respects paid to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the Father of modern Turkey, at the Anitkabir Mausoleum, before proceeding on to the more interesting Cappadocia. The drive to Cappadocia was, by itself, a feast to the eyes with some mindboggling landscapes and vast expanses en-route.

rocks of all shapes and sizes in the region. A visit to such ancient settlements only makes us wonder the evolution of civilisations, offering us all the comforts that we are blessed with in our modern societies.

This destination, Cappadocia, is a prehistoric natural wonder situated in the eastern Anatolian region of Turkey. It is a hilly region with several volcanic peaks containing remnants of ancient settlements dating back to the pre-Hellenistic era (Persians, Hittites, Greeks) followed by the Armenians during the Byzantine era. The place is a living example of several under-ground cities used by early Christians as hiding places before Christianity became an accepted religion. These settlements/ under-ground cities were basically houses and churches with ventilation chimneys, abbeys, waterwells, wine production places, etc., that were carved out of the several volcanic

Pamukkale (“Cotton Castle” in Turkish) is a city with several hot water springs and travertines of mineral deposits, particularly lime-stone, formed by a process of precipitation of such carbonate mineral deposits. This text book definition apart, the place is akin to one huge spa with several geo-thermal springs with medicinal properties, making it look like fluffy heaps of cotton. Hence, the name ‘Cotton Castle’ or ‘Cotton Fortress’, as is known in the tourist circuit. Inarguably, our 2 day stay here was the most relaxing of the week-long holiday. This white-castle region is situated at the top of the ancient Greco-Roman city of Hierapolis which is a UNESCO World Heritage Centre by

October - December 2012

Before we thought we had, perhaps, covered the most exceptional place of the tour, came Pamukkale, our next halt.

travelogue international itself with several ancient ruins of the city whose other attractions include a huge amphitheatre and the Cleopatra swimming pool. After yet another series of ‘Wows’ of the awe-struck beauty, we resumed our journey to visit the next wonder that was probably the most familiar of the names in the itinerary. Aphrodisias is the city named after Aphrodite, the Greek God of Love, with the chief attractions here being the Temple of Aphrodite (which is presently in ruins) and the Stadium. Measuring approx. 890 ft. by 200 ft., the stadium is one of the best preserved and largest, ancient architectural structures in the Mediterranean and was used for athletic events and Roman style gladiatorial games, until it was destroyed by an earthquake. From here, we proceeded to the coastal, port-town of Kusadasi located on the sea-side Aegan coast of Turkey. It had the perfect resort-town kind of a feel to it with a bird’s eye view of a few Greek islands en route. This was the halt town from where we visited Ephesus, the last destination of our tour. Ephesus is, again, an ancient, classical Greco-Roman city with a history dating back to 1st Century BC. Located in the province of Izmir, a beach coastal town, the City is most famous for the Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was a structure built and dedicated to Artemis, the Greek Goddess, and is in ruins now after a series of building, re-building and eventual destruction. The ruins of the

PAMUKKALE

Library of Celsus and the huge, open air amphitheatre which was used for Roman style gladiatorial combats were amazing sights to behold for a life time. By the time we were done visiting all these unheard of places and got ready to get back to Istanbul to catch the flight back home, we were still left in a state of amazement, marvelling at the very thoughts of all those jaw-dropping places that we had been to and the yummy aftertaste of Lokum & Baklava, the traditional Turkish delights.

BOTTOM: AMPHITHEATRE AT HEIRAPOLIS

ABOVE: A PLAY ON WARRIORS FROM TWO COMBATING NATIONS. A TRIP BACK INTO HISTORY AT EPHESUS UPPER RIGHT: WALL CARVING AT ATATURK MAUSOLEUM AT ANKARA RIGHT: TEMPLE OF APHRODITE

October - December 2012

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11

travelogue international These were the most fascinating things about Turkey during the tour:t &YQFSJFODFE )BJMTUPOFT GPS UIF ĂśSTU UJNF t $PWFSFE UXP DPOUJOFOUT XJUIJO B HBQ PG half an hour t 4VSWJWFE POMZ PO GSFTI .FEJUFSSBOFBO fruits for days together t 4BX EBZ MJHIU CSJHIUOFTT UJMM BCPVU QN t 7JTJUFE VOGPSFTFFO UFSSBJOT MJLF B DJUZ PG rock formations and mineral deposits t 7JTJUFE B DJUZ JO SVJOT XJUI B QSPNJTF UP WJTJU )BNQJ UIF SVJOFE *OEJBO DJUZ OFYU

t 8FOU UP B CVJMEJOH UIBU IBT CFFO CPUI B church and a mosque in the past, and is OFJUIFS OPX )BHJB 4PQIJB

CAPPADOCIA

Indeed, Turkey, is as exotic as it can get and a land of contrasts. It truly bridges the Eastern & the Western world.

Fast Facts How to Get there: 7-8 hours by Air to Ataturk Airport, Istanbul from Mumbai or Delhi; other places in Turkey are accessible by Taxi What to Eat: Vegetarians can stick to fresh salads & exotic mediterranean fruits & Meat eaters have no dearth of variety. Don’t forget to try the desserts Lokum & Baklava and the local ice cream Dondurma Where to Stay: Wide range to suit every wallet, make advance reservation to avoid disappointment especially during peak season What to Do: Bathe in a Turkish Hamam; while in Cappadocia, try Hot Air Ballooning Expensive: Reasonably pricey; most outlets accept Turkish Lira, Turkey has now joined the Eurozone & has Euro as the official currency Best Time of the Year: April to June and September to November when the weather is pleasant; Avoid July to Mid-September, the hot & humid months

ABOVE: SPICE BAZAAR ISTANBUL

about the

writer

BOSPHOROUS CRUISE

12

The Insider

October - December 2012

Aparna Thyagarajan is an AGM at Head Office, Mumbai. Besides being an avid traveller, she is a driving enthusiast and blogs at http://aps123.blogspot.com.

daily life humor

Political Correctness In a diverse world of increased sensitivities, Kranti Sardesai talks about the humor created in daily life due to this tendency.

A

fter penning down this title, it dawned on me that it might just be mistakenly interpreted as correctness in politics. Correctness, synonymous with rightness and virtuousness, has become almost an antonym to politics, which requires more of virtuosity than virtue. So, I hasten to assure my gentle reader that I will certainly not commit hara-kiri by making futile ventures into the foggy world of politics. This piece will be most solemnly confined to this topic of political correctness in our daily lives. Political correctness is required in every place, every moment and with every person. However, it is even more relevant in a country like India whose vastness and sheer diversity baffle the etiquette. It is also more relevant for people like me who attract gaffes like a honey comb does bees. I have been afflicted by the ‘foot-in-mouth’ syndrome for so long now that I fear that either my foot would be shrunk from constant activity or my mouth would have widened. What is the way out? I have tried to be on my guard numerous times –and each time ended up with egg on my face. Once, I gave vent to my admiration for lathe like figures and was only roused by the affront visible on the face of a figure that would have put our legendary TunTun to shame. On another occasion, I ended up censuring the food at a dinner party and was rather surprised to perceive the indignation on the face of a till then genial person, till I realized that he was my host’s first cousin! I have invariably ended up praising centrist politics to leftists, and Maoist doctrines to the most persevering rightists!

I am forced to take refuge in application of scientific theories in the most esoteric fashion .The theory of attraction of opposite magnetic poles, for instance. What else explains the power that draws me to criticize somebody either to him, or at least to his close friend? Since all my efforts to guard either my mind or my tongue have come to naught, I have chosen an ad hoc remedy till something else works. A complete set of rules or commandments, to be written in gilt and hung at 3-4 places in my house for me to read and re-read and hammer into my impervious brain.

1

I will refrain from commenting on our unique political establishment. Rightists, centrists, leftists will all be my comrades-in-thought. Of course, fulsome praise and sycophancy will be used in abundance. I wouldn’t want to end up as a trussed chicken, much less a headless one.

2

I will make it a point to use at least one euphemism per couple of adjectives. For example, a voice that is dry enough to grate on the nerves, will forever be described by me as ‘husky’.

3

I have noticed that many celebrities in other fields fancy themselves a lot as singers. Braving the damage to my eardrum, I will praise their singing to the skies and recommend them as singers for the festive nights of my unacknowledged enemies. Two birds with one stone! (I hope I won’t be the target of animal rights activists for my violence of words to animals here! There’s incorrectness for you!)

4

One more sore point is the furnishings used in the houses of many of my acquaintances. Even if I feel lost seeing

an assortment of logs of wood, bewildering paintings or a profusion of brightly coloured artificial flowers, the only word that will escape my lips is ‘charming!’, in a tone of wonder and disbelief if possible.

5

Clothing is possibly the cause of most contentions. I will preclude any controversies there by memorizing sentences like ‘This colour becomes your complexion so well’, ’Where did you pick up this amazing designer outfit?’ etc.

6

As a general rule, I will make it a practice to only praise people and things, at least when I am in the company of more than one person. It would be flouting my avowed norm to wind up without a disclaimer- “These norms or commandments are merely JMMVTUSBUJWF BOE OPU FYIBVTUJWF "OZPOF wishing to contribute to human happiness and safety by adding a few more, is more than welcome!� Oh, and I shouldn’t forget the perennial favourite- “this is purely a work of fiction and any resemblance to any person, living PS EFBE JT JN QVSFMZ DPJODJEFOUBM �

about the

writer

Kranti Sardesai is an AGM at Head Office, Mumbai. She likes writing, travelling, books, history and music and blogs at http://mesmer.sulekha.com.

October - December 2012

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articles poetry

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The Insider

½¾Õq½¼ ²½½Â

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about the

writer

Arun Kumar Shukla is an AM at Head Office, Mumbai. He takes a keen interest in Hindi Literature.

October - December 2012

ÄÅwÄà ¹ÄÄÉ hiÄl Ä·Ò«ÄÄÉ iÄl ÄÄÉ µÄ¿Ä «Ä¹Ä ÄÄÉ iÄl ÄÄÉ ÄÏ iÄl ÄÄÉ hiÄl µÄ Ä ÄÄ dÄÄÖ¡ iÄl ÄÄÉ ¨Ä Ä iÄl ÄÄÉ «Ä¹Ä ÄÄ ·Ö ÄÅiÄl Ä ÄÄ iÄÍl~ Ò ¹Äe¤ iÄl ÄÄÉ «Ä¹Ä ÄÄ ·Ö ÄµÄ «ÄÒ ·ÄÉ ¹Äe¤ ÄÅiÄlµÄÄÉ ÁÄ Ä «Ä¹Ä ÄÄ ·Ö u iÄl} ÄÄÉ Ä·ÄÊv dÄÄÖ¡ ÄÅiÄlµÄÄÉ ÁÄ Ä ¢iÄl ÄÄÉ ·ÄÉ Ä·ÄÊv ÄÅiÄl Ä ÄÄÉ ·Ö¡Ä Ä ·ÏÛ Ä× ÄÅiÄl eµÄÒ iÄÖlµÄÒ wÄÄÉ ÄÏà " ÄÄÉ~Ò ÒnÄÏà dÄĹÄÒ ÄÄ dÄÄwÄ ÄÓ ¡·ÏÛ" Ä·ÄÉ wÄ­ÄÄ Ä ·Ö ÄÅ Ä«Ä ÄÄ ÄÅiÄl eµÄ Ä·Ò«ÄÄÉ iÄlÄÒ ÄÏ ÄÄ ·Ö fµÄ ÄÒ ÄÅwÄµÄ ÄÒ ¹ÄÏÝ ¡·µ Ä ·Ö wÄÄ ÄÄ ÄÅiÄl Ä· Ä«Ä ·Ö µÄ Ä iÄÍl~ eµÄÒ ­ Ä Ä¤ Ä ¹Ä­ÄÄ ÄÄ µÄÄ¡ÄÉ ÍÄÅ­Ä ÄÄhà · Ä ÄÒ ·Ö Ä ÄÄe¤ ­Ä¡ ÄÄ ÄÅwÄà ¹ÄÄÉ ÄÄÒ Ä·Í Ä µÄÍ«Ä ÄÄÉ ·Íe¤ ·Ö ÄÄe¤

about the

poet

Ruchi Chojer is a DGM at Head Office, Mumbai. Her interests include reading, reflecting and fitness.

Prose poetry ย ร ร ยกร ยฝร ยก iร lร ร ~ย ร iร lร ร dร ร ร ยก wร ร ย ร ร ยญร ร ยซร ร ร ยตร ร ร ร ร ร ย ย ร ร ร iร ร l gย ร ยก hiร l ย ร ร ย ร ยก ยซร ยนร ร ยทร _ eยตร ร ร ย ร ร ย ร ยก ย ร ยก ร ร ยฟร ร ร ร ย ย ร ร ย ร ร hiร l ยฝร ร ร ยตร ยซร ร ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ร _ ยตร ร ย ร ยท iร lร ร ย ร ยทยซร ร ร ร ร iร lยกย ร ร ร nร ยซร ย ร ร ยทร h ย ร ร lยซร ยญร ยซร ยทยซร ยทร ย ร ร ยทร h ย ร ร ร ย ย ร ร ร ย ร ร ร iร ร l ยตร ร ย ร ยตร ร ยกร ยฝร ยก ร ร ยฟร ร ร ร ย ย ร ร iร lร ร ยฟร ยทยฟร ยทร ยท} ยตร ร ยนร ร ร wร fย ย ร ร _ fยตร iร lร ร ยฟร ยทยฟร ยทร ยท} ย ร ร ร ยกยญร ร ยก iร ร l ย ร ร ย ร ย ร ร wร ร ยนร ร ร ยฅ ย ร ยฟยฟร ร ร iร lร ร ย ร ร ร ย ร ร ย ร ร ร ย ยตร ร wร ยนร ร ย ร ร ร _ ยฝร ยก iร ร l ยตร ย ร ร ร ยตร ย ยตย ร fยตร ย ร ย ร ร ยก ยฟร ยทยฟร ยทร ยท} ยตร ร ยทร ร fย ย ร ร _ iร ร l~ ร ร ย ย ร ร ร ย ร ร ย ยซร ยนร ร ร ร ยฟร ร ร ร ย ย ร ร ย ร ร dร ย ร ย ร ร ยฝร ร ร ยตร ยซร ร ย ร ร dร ร ย ร ร ร ย ย ร ร ยทร _ hiร l ร ร ย ย ร fยตร ยฝร ร ร ยตร ยซร ร ย ร ร ย ร ย ร ร ยตร ย ยตย ร ร ร iร lร ร ย ร nร iร lยก ย ร ย ร nร ร ยฎร ร ร ยตร ร ย ร ยก ยนร ย ร ร _ ร ร ยฟร ร ร ร ย ย ร ร iร ร l ย ร ย ยทร ย ร ย ยทร ย ย ร ร ยกร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร ยฝร ร ร ยตร ยซร ร ยตร ร ย ร ร ร iร l ยกยทร ย ร ร dร ร ร ยก ยฝร ยก iร ร l ย ร ย ยทร ย ร ร ย ร ร fย ยทร ย ร nร nร ร ยฎร ร ร ยตร ร ย ร ร lยซร ร ย ร ยทร ร ยตร ย ร ร ยกยทร ย ร ร _ hiร l ร ร ย ย ร fย ร ร ย ร ร ร ย ร nร ร hiร l ย ร ยฟยฟร ร ยฎร ร ย ร ย ยฝร ร ร ยตร ยซร ร ยตร ร ย ร ร ร ยฟร ร ร ร ยนร ยก ยนร ย ร ร ย ร ร _ ยญร ยท ยฟร ร ย ร ยฟร ร ย ร ยตร ร ร ร ร ร ย ย ร ร ร ย ร ยก ย ร ร ย ร ย ร ร ยญร ยท ย ร ร ยฟร ร ยกร eย ร ย ร ร ~ร ร }ร ย ร ร ร ร iร l ย ร ร ย ร ร ร fยตร ร fร ย ย ร ร dร ร ย ร ร ย ร ร dร ร ร ยก ย ร ยทร ร ยญร ยท ยฟร ยทยฟร ยทร iร lยก dร ย ร ย ร ร ร ย ร ร ร iร lร ร ย ร ร ยซร ร ยตร iร lย ร ร ย ร ร _ fยตร iร lร ร ย ร ร ร fยตร ยตร ย ร ย ร ย ร ย ร ร ยฟร ร ยนร ย ร ร ยนร ย ร ร ร ย ร ร ร _ fยตร ร fย ร iร lยก ยฝร ร ร ยตร ยซร ร ย ร ร ยญร ร ย ร ยตร ยกnร ย ร ร ย ร ร ย ยก ยซร ยนร ยกยทร ย ร ร ร ร iร l iร lยทร ร ยญร ยท ยฝร ย ร ยกร iร lยก ยญร ร ย ร ยตร ย ร ร ร ยนร ยก ย ร ร ย ร _ ยตร ร ย ร ยทร ร ย ร ยฟร ย ร ย ร ย ร ร ยตร ร ย ร ร ร ย ร ยท ย ร ร ย ร ย ร ร ร ย ร ร ย dร ร ยนร ย ร ร ร ร ร iร l dร ยนร ยก ร ร ยฟร ร ร ร ย ย ร ร iร ร l dร ร ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร iร lร ร iร lร ร eยค eร ยตร ร ย ร ~ร ย ร ย ร ร ร fยตร iร lร ร ยนร ร ย ร fยตร ย ร ร dร ร wร ร ย ร ร ร ยทร dร ร ร ยก ร ร ย ร lยก ยญร ยท ร ร ยฟร ร ร ร ย ย ร ร fยตร dร wร ย ร ย ร ร ร ยนร ร ย ร iร ร l iร lร ยกย ร dร ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร iร lร ร nร ร ย ยทร ร ย ร ร ยก ย ร ย ร ร ร ยทร _

ย ยฝยฝร

ย ร ร ย ร ร dร ยทยตร ร ยตร ยทร dร ร ร ร iร l ย ร ร ร ร ร ร iร lย ร ย ร ร ร ย ร ร ร dร ยตร ยทร ย ร ยทร ร ร ร iร ร lย ร ร dร ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร iร lร ร ย ร ยกร ยฎร ร ย ร ร ร ย ร nร iร lยก ยญร ยท dร ย ร ย ร ร ร dร ยตร ยทร ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ร ยซร iร lยก dร ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร iร lร ร ย ร ยกร ยฎร ร ย ร ร ร iร lร ร ย ร ยก iร lยกย ร ร iร lร ย ร ยงย ร ย ย ร iร lยกย ร ร ร ยทร _ dร ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร iร ร l ร ร ยซร h ยญร ยท ย ร ร ย ร ร ย ร ร ร iร lย ร iร lร ย ร iร ร l ร ร ยซร h ย ร ร ร iร lร ร ร ร ยฎร ยฎร wร ร ยกร ร ยกnร ย ร ร ร ยทร iร mย ร ร ร ร ร iร l ยญร ยท ย ร ร ร ยทร _

ย ร ร ร ร ย ร ร ย ร ยก ย ร ร wร ย ร ร ร ยฟร ร ร ร ย ย ร ร ย ร ย ร ร ยฟร ร ยนร iร lยก ยซร ร ร }ร ร ย ร ร ร ยฝร ร ร ยตร ยซร ร ย ร ร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร iร lร ร ย ร ย ร ร iร lยก eย ร ยก fย ร ยก ย ร ร lย iร lย ร ร ยซร ยนร ร ร _ eย ร ยก ย ร ร ยฟร ร ยก ย ร ยฟยฟร ร dร ย ร ย ร ร ร ย ร ร ร iร lร ร ยตร ร ย ร ย ร ร ร ย ร ร ยกยทร ย ร ร ยซร ร ร ร iร lย ร ย ร ย ย iร ร l ร ร ยซร h ย ร ร iร lร ยก ย ร ยทร ร ย ร ร ยกยทร ย ร ร _ fย ร ย ร ร ร ย ร ร }ร iร lร ร ย ร ร ย ร ยตร ร ร ย ร ร ย ร ย ร ย ร ยคยตย ร ยฎร ร ร ย ร ร ร _ wร ย ร ร ร ยฟร ร ร ร ย ย ร ร dร ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร iร lร ร ย ร ร ร ย ยกยทร ร ย ร ร ร ย ร ย ร ร ร ย ร ร ย ร ร hiร l dร nร ย ร ร ยก iร ร l ยตร ยทร ยกร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร iร lร ร ยญร ยทร ร ยกnร ร ร ย ย ร ร wร ยทร ร ร ร ยฟร ร ร ร ย ย ร ร ย ร ร ย ร ร ร ย ร ร ร ย ร ร dร ร ย ร ร ร ย ร ร ร _ dร ย ร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร dร ร ร ยก ย ร ร ย ร ร ย ร ร ร eร ย ร ร wร ร ยก iร lยกย ร ร ยซร ยนร ร ร ร iร l iร lย ร ย ร ร ร fยตร ร ย ร nร ย ร ร ร ยทร _

fยตร ร ยซร ยนร ย ร ร ยทร dร ยนร ยซร ร ร ยตร ร ย ร ยท fยตร iร ร l ย ร ยฟยฟร ร iร ร l wร ร ร ยญร ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ย ร ร fย ยตร ร ยท ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ร nร ย ร wร ร ย ร ร ยนร ร ร dร ร ร ยก ยฎร ร ย ร ย ยซร ร ย ร ร ยนร ร ร iร ร l~ fย ย ร ร ร ย ร ร ร iร l fยตร iร lร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร ยตร ย ร ยตร ร dร ร ยนร ร fร ย wร ร h dร ร ร ยก dร ร ยตร ย ร ร ย ร ย ร ร fร ย ย ร ร ย ร ร ~ร ร ร ร nร ยซร ย ร ร ยทร h ย ร ร lยซร ยซร ยทยกร ร ย ร ยกร ร ยญร ร ร ร ย ย ร ร ร iร lร ยกยทยตย ร ยตร ย ร ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ร dร ร ร ยก fยตร ร nร ร ย ย ร ยก ย ร ยกร ร ยตร ร dร ร wร ร h _ eยตร ร ร ยญร ยฎยญร ร ยตร dร ร ร ยก dร }ร } ย ร ยงร ย ร iร ร l iร lร ยกย ร ยทร ร ย ร ร ร ยญร ยท ย ร ร ร iร lยทยซร ร ย ร ร ร ยทร _ eยตร ร ร ร ร ยซร h ย ร ร ร fยตร ร ย ร ยนร ยญร ร ย ร iร lร ย ร wร ร ยค ร ร ย ย ร ร ยนร ย ร ร ยทร _ hร ยตร ร ร ยทร ร ย ร ร ร ยทร ย ร ร ร

ย ร ยนร ยญร ร ย ร iร lร ยฎร ร kร l ยทร dร ร ร ร iร l ย ร ร ร ร ย ร ร ย ร ยก ย ร ร ร ร ยฟร ร ร ร ย ย ร ร ยญร ยทร ร dร ร ย ร ร ร dร ร ร ยก dร ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร iร lร ร ย ร nร iร lยก wร ร ร ยก wร ร ร ยก ยตร ร ยฟร ยทยฟร ยทร iร lยก dร ย ร ย ร ร ร nร ร ยฎร ร ร iร lร eร wร ยทร ยก iร lยกย ร ร ยซร ยนร ร ร _eยตร ยฟร ยทยฟร ยทร ยท} ย ร ร iร lยฃย ร ร dร ร ร ยก ย ร ย ร ย ร ร iร lร ร ร ร ย ร ยซร ร ร wร ร ยซร ร ร ย ร ร iร lร ยก ย ร ร ร _ยญร ยท ย ร ร ยก ย ร ร ยก ย ร ยฟยฟร ร iร ร l ย ร ร ยตร ยฟร iร miร lยก iร lร }ย ร ร ยซร ยนร ร ร _fยตร ร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร iร lร ร ยญร ร ย ร ยตร ยฝร ร ร ยตร ยซร ร ย ร ร ยซร ร wร ร ย ร ร iร lร ร iร lร ร eยค ย ร ร ร ร ย ร l ยตร ย ร ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ยทร ร dร ร ยกยทร ร ย ร ร ร _ ยญร ยท dร ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร iร ร l ย ร ร ยตร wร ร iร lยก ย ร ร ย ร ร dร ร ร ยก ย ร ร ยก ย ร ร ยก fร ย iร lยก fยตร ร ย ร ย ร ร ย ร ร ยซร ยนร ร ร ร ร iร l fร ย ร iร ร lยตร ร wร ร ย ร ร ยทร _ ยญร ยท fยตร ร fร ย ย ร ร ยตร ร ร nร ร ยกยทร ร ย ร ร ร _ ยญร ยท wร ร ย ร ย ร ร ร ย ร ร ร ร ร iร l fยตร iร lร ย ร ยฟยฟร ร ~ร ร }ร ยทร ร ร ย ร lยก ย ร ร ร ยญร ยท iร lร ร ร ร ยฎร ยฎร iร lยกย ร ร ย ร ยทร ร ~ร ร ร ย ยกยทร ร ย ร ร ร _

A Feminine Journey The tall compound walls left unclimbed The late night movies left unwatched That short pair of shorts left unworn The night-out-with-friends that never happened The over-night trips that were never made Those dates left unaccepted Isnโ t that the story of the โ protectedโ Indian girlhood? But then, just as a pupa turns Into a butterfly, So, womanhood bestowed on me Blessings unimagined. Liberty- you finally found me! The colours of womanhood In pink, burgundy and red, Livened me up no end. The freedom to pass comments unchecked

Clothed in sweet feminine guile. When I cry at the movies Or impishly act childish -I am, but thought more womanly I can wear my hair at any length, any hue and Iโ m Athena, too-lovely I can fake my height with stilettos steep And be looked up to by all and sundry. I do let my eyes brim and Thus weather masculine winds of wrath. And I do lose my temper at will And then blame it all on woman-fickle. Command, direct, order -Yes, you are a woman of power. Beseech, plead, complyYes, you are the softest-o, woman. Symmetry- my best friend, Lending me a nice time- accesorizing, accentuating and redefining my contours.

about the

writer

Preeti Maheshwari is an AGM at Head Office, Mumbai. She likes writing, travelling and reading.

And then, the crowning gift- induction into that warm fraternity where the girls ALWAYS look out for you: From warning about the bossโ s mood To tips on dressing good. From weighty calorific info To light afternoon fluff-o! I celebrate womanhood, Here I do belong.

about the

poet

Rashmi Menon is a Manager at Head Office, Mumbai. Her interests include reading varied books & writing.

October - December 2012

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15

feature story

Financial Literacy SEBI has spearheaded investor education amongst investors in securities market and has carried the agenda of financial literacy to remote corners of the country. Mohita Chaudhary talks about the slew of initiatives by SEBI through Bollywood numbers.

2

ekum do, 2 dooni chaar

2 tiya chhe, 2 chauke aath 2 panje dus, ………… (2 oneza two, 2 tooza four 2 threeza six, 2 forza eight 2 fiveza ten ……..) Listening to the rhythmic recitation of ‘2 ka pahada’ (Table of 2) by school kids in Bahadurgarh, a small district in Haryana at a distance of about 36 kilometers from Delhi, transports you back to your own school days. As you turn away with memories related to your own rudimentary lessons in maths, don’t be surprised if you witness fundamental lessons in finance being imparted to a group of teens and adults in the very vicinity of these schools. Over the past few years, Bahadurgarh along with several other small cities and towns has witnessed programs aimed at increasing financial literacy. SEBI, as the securities market regulator, has aimed at increasing investors’ trust and participation in securities market by organizing several investor education and financial literacy programs, a necessity for ensuring investor protection. SEBI’s initiatives at increasing financial literacy and investor awareness may also be described by lifting certain lines from Hindi film songs.

TOP: RETIREMENT PLANNING WORKSHOP FOR VILLAGERS AT SARSWATI HIGHER SECONDARY SCHOOL, NARSINGHPUR DIST (M.P.) OCT 2011 ABOVE: WORKSHOP FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN AT DADA CHAUDHARI VIDYALAYA, AHMEDNAGAR, SEPTEMBER 2012 FACING PAGE: WORKSHOP FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN AT SARASWATI TIWARI HINDI GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL, NAGPUR, AUGUST 2012

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October - December 2012

Nanhe munhe bachche teri muththi mein kya hai In 2008-2009, a financial literacy program named ‘Pocket Money’ for school students was jointly initiated by SEBI and National Institute of Securities Market (NISM). Targeted at students studying in 8th and 9th standard, the program aims to position financial literacy as an

feature story

important life saving skill among students through orientation programmes for school principals and training programmes for teachers. Idhar chala, main udhar chala Since March 2011, SEBI officers have been allowed to conduct investor education campaigns across the country. About 110 SEBI officers voluntarily empanelled themselves as Resource Persons (RPs - people trained and empanelled for conducting financial education workshops for SEBI across the country) and have conducted 53 programs across the country. Musafir hun yaaron In June 2010, SEBI launched a financial education drive, including financial education for school children, middle income group, self help groups, investment planning for executives, retired people and home makers, through RPs. The content is being translated in 13 regional languages for distributing it free

of cost to the participants in the workshops conducted by SEBI. Through these RPs, about 5,700 financial workshops in about 309 districts covering 25 states and 3 union territories have already been conducted. Saathi haath badhana SEBI together with Investor Associations (IAs), Exchanges, Depositories and several trade bodies, such as Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), conducts workshops for investors. Speakers from the participating organisations are invited and educative material developed by SEBI is distributed free of cost in these workshops. Investor grievance redressal mechanism in SEBI features as a common topic in these programs. Further, feedback from regular interactions with the IAs recognized by SEBI is considered while making policy decisions. Mera gaon mera desh Since October 2011, SEBI in association with various exchanges, depositories and trade bodies, has been organizing

regional seminars across the country. These seminars concentrate primarily on increasing financial awareness among people residing in Tier II and Tier III cities. Till date, 54 regional seminars have been conducted across 46 Tier II and Tier III cities. Jaago jaago ab tum, neend mein ho kyun tum SEBI continuously updates educational material across various topics in securities markets to ensure that it remains relevant for an investor. Brochures on investor grievance redressal mechanism and mutual funds were unveiled by Shri U. K. Sinha, Chairman, SEBI in two investor awareness programs conducted in Jaipur and Chennai, respectively. These brochures are published in regional languages. Bom Bom Bom Bombay to Goa In February 2012, an International Conference on Investor Education - ‘Towards a more Inclusive and Secure Financial World’ was held in Goa. Co-organised by

October - December 2012

The Insider

17

FINANCIAL EDUCATION WORKSHOP FOR YOUNG INVESTORS AT SIR M VISVESVARAYA INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES & RESEARCH, MUMBAI, SEPTEMBER 2012

FINANCIAL EDUCATION WORKSHOP FOR YOUNG INVESTORS AT THE BUSINESS SCHOOL, UNIVERSITY OF JAMMU, NOVEMBER 2011

Continued from page 17.... the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and SEBI, the event witnessed an international audience of about 200 experts from 45 countries. The conference included discussions related to the rationale for investor education initiatives, they key agenda involved and the role of these initiatives within broader national strategies for financial education. Behavioral and emotional biases that should be taken into account while designing investor education programmes were also discussed to improve content and its delivery. Meri saamne wali khidki mein SEBI opened the window of knowledge through its dedicated website (http://investor.sebi.gov.in) for investor education. The website, which was rated as four on a scale of one to five by International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) in 2011, provides study material in different languages on various topics related to the securities markets and grievance redressal. The website has been revamped to make it more userfriendly.

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Dauda Dauda Bhaaga Bhaaga Sa 124 Runners from SEBI participated in the Mumbai Marathon 2012. The Dream Runners ran with the theme “Empowering Investors Through Education” and carried placards in Hindi and English with messages on investor education. Some of the placards carried words of advice “Bull Run or Bear Run, Run Cautiously” and the usual line “Read Offer Documents Carefully before Investing”, some said “Alert Investor, Happy Investor”. Some others carried words of warning “Do Not Invest with Borrowed Money”, “Do Not Deal with Unregistered Intermediaries”, “Do Not Fall prey to Market Rumours”. etc. The platform was also used to showcase the new “SCORES” portal launched by SEBI for lodging complaints electronically and also the new toll free number.

October - December 2012

REGIONAL SEMINAR CONDUCTED IN ASSOCIATION WITH BSE AT RANCHI, JUNE 2012 - TOPICS COVERED VALUE INVESTING & PRIMARY MARKETS Yeh galiyan yeh chaubara Since February 2011, SEBI has invited students from about 51 schools, colleges and professional institutes who are interested to learn about SEBI and its role as a regulator of securities market. After all, who doesn’t agree with Mr. Amitabh Bachchan, when he as the host of current season of Kaun Banega Crorepati, proclaims that ‘Sirf gyaan hi aapko aapka haq dilata hai’? (Only knowledge enables you to get your due).

feature story SEBI OECD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON INVESTOR EDUCATION AT GOA, FEBRUARY 2012

SEBI TEAM AT MUMBAI MARATHON 2012 WITH THE THEME “EMPOWERING INVESTORS THROUGH EDUCATION”

FINANCIAL EDUCATION WORKSHOP FOR MIDDLE INCOME GROUP AT PALOHA BADA, DIST. NARSINGHPUR (M.P.), SEPTEMBER 2011

Factual Inputs and Photo Courtesy: Office Of Investor Awareness and Education, Head Office.

October - December 2012

The Insider

19

RIÀFLDO events

Inauguration of

Jaipur

/RFDO 2IÀFH

Inaugurated by WHOLE TIME MEMBER RK AGARWAL

Inauguration of

Bangalore

/RFDO 2IÀFH

Inaugurated by WHOLE TIME MEMBER RK AGARWAL

Leading into the future

ISB

Hyderabad

Valedictory Address WHOLE TIME MEMBER PRASHANT SARAN

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October - December 2012

RIÀFLDO events

New Premises

SRO Chennai

Inaugurated by FORMER CHAIRMAN GV RAMAKRISHNA

Inauguration of

Bhubaneshwar Inaugurated by WHOLE TIME MEMBER PRASHANT SARAN

/RFDO 2IÀFH

Sapling Plantation

Go-Green at SEBI Bhavan

Visit by FINANCE MINISTER P CHIDAMBARAM October - December 2012

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daily life musings

My Perspective of Life Maharukh Hozdar talks about her life as a Parsi

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here is a lot of difference in a woman’s life before and after her marriage. Like all other women, I too got married and was honored to get married into a family of priests. Little did I know the sacrifices involved or that it would lessen my motherhood days in future. I was gifted with two sons though I always wished I had one daughter and one son. According to our Parsi religion, boys of the priests’ family are entitled to become only priests of our community. Therefore, one generation of the priests’ family grows from the other, provided the parents of the priests’ family take the initiative and train their boys to become a priest of the community. Secondly, in our religion the priest of our community is also allowed to lead a normal life like any other male member of our community which is a very good point. The only thing expected of a priest is that he should be able to perform his prayers and other ritual ceremonies in a dignified way. He should also be able to guide the community members in case he is needed at any point of time. Therefore he needs to study his prayers in the ancient Avestan language and Gujarati, which is our mother tongue. He should also have the possible knowledge about our religion and be able to devote time to his community members by serving God through the prayers he renders to his community. In order to have full fledged and well educated priests, there are two schools in Mumbai for training the boys. Such schools also have SSC curriculum education. One is in Dadar and the other is in Andheri. These schools really put in efforts to train little boys into full fledged priests. They are taught prayers in the Avesta and Gujarati language but not in English, in order to encourage them to learn their mother tongue and the Avesta language. They are also taught history

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about the ancient kings of Iran and all the necessary rituals to be performed by them as priests in future. They have a very difficult time as they are put into these schools at the tender age of 8 years or when they are in the second standard. It is not easy for these boys to cope, since along with their regular school studies, they are simultaneously made to study prayers and religion within the time frame of completion of their first stage of priesthood (known as Navar) by sixth standard and the second stage of priesthood (known as Martab) by seventh or eighth standard. At times, they have to sacrifice their playing time too, if they have not completed their prayer portion as allotted to them. It is not only difficult for these boys but it is also very painful for the parents to part with their children at that age. Though the schools are in Mumbai, the parents are allowed to meet them only on the last Sunday of every month. They can only exchange post cards with each other on a weekly basis but cannot make a phone call to them to check on them. Even when sick, the parents are not informed unless it is very serious. Children only come home during New Year, Diwali, Christmas and summer vacations. My husband and I, upon hearing about this school, decided to send both of our sons for nine years for their spiritual upliftment and betterment and in order to serve the community by providing two full fledged priests. While we decided to sacrifice our time with them for their betterment and for the welfare of the Parsi Community, few of my women colleagues in SEBI went to the extent to tell me that I am a heartless mother and that I should not have taken this step. After explaining the true situation, some of my female colleagues did not agree with my decision. But deep within my heart, I knew I was doing a right thing by suppressing my feelings

October - December 2012

of motherhood towards my children and that nine years down the line, they would become full fledged priests and would be serving our community and that we would be proud of them. Today, when my children perform rituals, participate in the prayer and religious quiz competitions and win prizes, I feel very happy and proud of them and I thank God for helping me and guiding me in taking this right decision for both my sons. There is a saying that there is no gain without pain and so the pain of separation, loneliness and the feeling of disheartedness which I have suffered has been rewarded today with the praise of my children from our community members when they perform any religious ceremonies. What I learnt is that each of our lives is different. I felt pain when I heard those comments but I realized that they are not meant to hurt me. They are comments of outsiders who are not actually part of my circumstances. How can they understand my emotions attached with the decision? I needed to hear them and then take my decision based on my circumstances. With God’s grace, I can say that I took the right decision.

about the

writer

Maharukh Hozdar is a Secretary at the Head Office, Mumbai. She takes a keen interest in culture, travel & books.

health ÂżWQHVV

Everyone

Can

Training for your first Half-Marathon at SCMM 2013

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unning is slowly becoming a part of SEBI culture, going by the rising number of runners for the 21.097km Half-Marathon and one runner finishing the 42.195km Marathon this January. For the next edition scheduled for January 2013, there are 6 runners for the Marathon, 53 for the Half Marathon & 47 for the Dream Run from SEBI. Since many of the participants are first-time half-marathoners, here are some pointers:

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Step it up Slowly: Nothing can be worse than taking up a fitness hobby and getting injured. It is not running that is at fault but the training strategy. The trick is not to run too-far or too-fast early on into training. So, begin with shorter distances and step it up gradually, by not more than 10% per week.

glasses are worthwhile accessories. When it comes to footwear, people have varied preferences, right from running barefoot, to wearing shoes with minimal cushioning or those with heavy cushioning. Do your own research as to which shoe suits you best. Just remember to buy a size larger than your formal shoes as it should accommodate the swollen feet that take all the pounding. Lastly, do not use fresh shoes in a race. Ensure that you break them in with reasonable mileage. All said and done, no amount of gear can prevent a runner from injury if the general posture or the running form is wrong.

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Train Well Ahead: Forget college days where last minute cramming got you a pass mark. Here, it is about the body, which takes time to adapt to the grueling demands of staying on feet for about three hours. So, start at least three months in advance. In the last two weeks before the race, taper down the training, allowing the the body to get race-ready.

Walk-breaks: Get it out of your mind that one should not walk in a running event. For amateurs, it is best to take walk breaks occasionally to allow the heart-rate to settle down and resume once again when one feels better. Using this strategy, however, means that you must take walk breaks right from the start of the race; but set your breaks in advance. The idea is not to run to the point of exhaustion and then walk. Instead, try a one-minute walk every kilometer, or break into a walk for 30 seconds every three to five minutes.

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Training Regimen: Being a runner doesn’t mean running daily. Running thrice a week should be enough. Use free time on weekends for long runs at an easy pace, at which you can hold a conversation. On the weekdays do shorter but quicker runs. Remember to warm up before and stretch after the run. Add two days of gym workout to strengthen key muscles and focus on building core muscles as they stabilize the body. If not a six pack, here is your chance to get flatabs. And don’t forget to take good rest.

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The Right Gear: Granted, humans have been running without clothing or shoes since ages. But, wearing dry-fit clothes is advisable as it wicks out moisture and does not chafe as much as regular clothing would. Cap and sun-

Pace Plan: It is common to see people rushing through the start gantry and sprinting ahead as if it were a 100m dash. It is easy to fall into this trap amidst all the enthusiasm; but resist the temptation. Preferably, begin your race a bit slower than what you have trained for. This helps conserve energy which can be used in the latter half of the race. Sprint the last 200 metres to end on a high.

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Food & Drink: Distance running is an aerobic exercise; so load up on carbs till 12 hours prior to the race. Pasta and potatoes help, but avoid trying anything new. On the D-day, go with two bananas half-hour before the start. Water or sports-drink must be consumed every 15 minutes. The key is to eat before you are hungry and drink before you are thirsty.

Keep a Log: The most accurate but expensive way to record distance and time would be a GPS watch and a cheaper alternative would be a free App like Nike Running, Sports-Tracker, RunKeeper or Endomondo on a GPS enabled Smartphone. The simplest though would be to use a plain stopwatch with distances measured on Google Maps online. Whatever be the means used to measure time and distance, keep a log of it. Some free websites like DailyMile allow users to log their workouts and share it with friends or on social networks. Essentially, one must remember that "Everyone Can Run". So throw away the usual excuses like "I'm too old now", "I'm overweight" or "I never played sports as a kid". In fact, Marathons are not about elite athletes but are about common folk. It is about the average Joe who pushes his own limits, knowing well that he may never win an event in his entire life. Still, it is the closest as you can get to participating in the same arena with the world's best. In fact, theoretically, you are competing with them. Wishing you the very best for healthy, fun filled and injury-free running!! Disclaimer: All information provided here JT NPTUMZ GSPN UIF XSJUFShT PXO FYQFSJFODF Readers may follow these suggestions at their own risk and may do so only after consulting a qualified sports medicine doctor. Serious running enthusiasts may consider signing up with a certified coach.

about the

writer

Vikas SS is an AGM at Head Office, Mumbai. He loves watching movies and reviews them on his blog https://ssvikas.blogspot.com.

October - December 2012

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books lifestyle “The Palace of Illusions”, depicts the untold story of Draupadi or Panchaali. For someone who loves to dig deep into the Mahabharata, it acts as prequel, given the lack of attention the original epic pays to its women characters, who remained shadowed, their roles subservient to those of their fathers, husbands, brothers and sons. Divakaruni exploits this to the fullest, portraying the psychological reasons, the emotions of Draupadi stitching together the honour, grievances, vows, loyalty of the characters into this narrative. The cause and effect pattern of the epic is most evident in this book. Most of Draupadi’s actions are explained by causes in her past.

Book: THE PALACE OF ILLUSIONS Author: CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI

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he Mahabharata, one of the longest epics in the world, weaves a thousand stories seamlessly. The gaps in the weaving provide ample temptations for interpretations. Succumbing to this temptation, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s

Style Check T

he advent of winter brings to mind the freezing cold, the gloom and longing for sunshine. However, winter is one season which provides us with considerable choice in terms of clothing; be it sweaters, coats, blazers, jumpers, sweatshirts, jackets, etc. Dressing up brings me to the issue in question - men’s fashion. In this post, I would like to address the issue of winter formal styles and will be limiting myself to the new trends in men’s formal winter wear read business wear. Formal dressing depends upon different events, meetings and places. Slim, suave and sleek are the latest looks in men’s formal wear. Usually ‘Dress Code’ defines the type of dress to be worn, but different places and cultures have different dress codes for each event. In a business environment, suits are the best way to dress up. A suit should be

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With Draupadi’s first person narration, the book takes the reader on a journey through Draupadi’s life, her thoughts, her version, her voice, the way she saw the world around her, her questioning and at times detesting her place in it. A deeply human story about a woman who, though torn by every emotion possible, remains strong and unforgiving, but at the same time is vulnerable, makes the

character compellingly likable. The book traces Panchaali’s life from her birth, lonely childhood, marriage, motherhood and her own role in the Kurukshetra war. It is the story of a woman born into a man’s world, and her struggle to maintain her dignity and self respect. Expertly written, well formed and fast paced, having the right dosage of suspense and drama, the many stories of this great epic have been weaved together admirably. Hard to put down, “The Palace of Illusions” in spotlighting the oft-maligned Pandavas’ shared wife, offers a fresh and very readable perspective on an epic that can never suffer from a surfeit of related literature.

about the

reviewer Agnes Joseph is a Secretary at Eastern Regional Office, Kolkata. She likes reading & travelling.

“There’s chill in the air, behold! winter is here!!” ~ (Anon.)

Men’s Fashion Trends well fitting and tailored as per the body type. There is saying that “A well tailored suit is to men what lingerie is to women”. My assessment of “what’s in” regarding men’s formal winter wear is: Suits: Colours can vary from dark blue, navy or black as a patent formal dress colour. Though two button single breasted suits are still in, my prediction is double breasted suits are going to be in vogue very soon. Shirts: Shades from the blue family, since it suits most of the people, personalities and complexions. These days, however, colour is a well and truly established feature of menswear and the everyday man’s wardrobe. The enterprising type can dapple with contrasting shirt colour. The softer shades of pastels are in (eg. light lavender, light green, baby blue, light pink). Ties: Ties should be in contrast with the

October - December 2012

choice of suit and shirt. In business wear soft colours are preferred. In terms of tie styles, slim ties are in vogue these days. Shoes: Laced up black / dark tan shoes are ideally suited for business wear. Brogues and pointed toes are in fashion. However I predict round toes will be making their entry soon. Socks: Socks should always be matched with the colour of the trouser. My suggestion - avoid committing fashion faux pas by wearing white socks with black shoes.

about the

style guru Mohammad Atif Alvi is an AGM at Head Office, Mumbai. In addition to fashion, he is addicted to fitness.

technology gadgets

Must Have For Apple, Android & Blackberry Contributors: Cont rib ibutors: Rajendran Rajjendran B and Prateek Prat Pr atee at tee eek k Arora Ar Clik Pocket Physician (myAshwinee)

“Pocket Physician” gives details of medicine either by brand or genre, including Indian brands. You can identify different brands of the same genre and can save money by buying a cheaper brand of same genre, instead of a costly brand prescribed by your physician. It gives an indication about the medicine which can be used, usage, contra indications, warning and precautions, etc. “Pocket Physician” is free for basic use. All you need is to be a registered user in order to download any package. However, some additional features require purchase. Please download free packages “RxDrugs India” available in the application. (Hint: if you have problem in registering, select “medical student” as profession and “others” as specialization.)

Imagine you could walk up to any screen with a browser, point your smart-phone at it and take control. Clik is the new way to play and share YouTube videos and 8tracks mixes, and find new ones to love. All for FREE.

menu? This app can come handy. By using your location helps you with good eating outlets near your location and dish that is recommended by the visitors. Foodies who have visited new eateries can also contribute by sharing their experience via this app.

ShaPlus Caller Info (India) A good application to identify the location of the caller, for calls (both incoming and outgoing) made to an unknown number from an Indian registered mobile number. For landline calls, state and city and for mobile calls, state and operator, is shown. For International calls, country is shown. For detailed call log, position of alert can be set showing Indian state (city also for landline) for Indian numbers and country for international numbers.

Android India Are you interested in knowing the apps developed in India - This one helps you with a list of apps developed in India and India specific applications that are useful to us.

about the

writers

Saavn Pocket Physician is available for Apple, Android and Blackberry platforms. Onavo Count If you have a limited 2G/3G plan and want to monitor applications consuming most of your data, use this app to monitor your data usage and control your data bill. Easy setup limits, three brand new widgets, tailored alerts and automatic blocking tools keep you safe from bloated data bills.

Keen to listen to your favorite Bollywood songs on the move? This is the app to have on your android phone. Unlike most apps, slow buffering is not a problem here - with a 3G connection, it just takes a blink of the eye for the song to load and not to worry, the app is very efficient in terms of data usage. So now you can listen to your favourite Kishore Kumar hits while travelling without spending much on your bill. Foodspotting New to a city which is stuffed with food joints? Not able to decide which restaurant to enter and what’s good on the

Rajendran B is a General Manager at Head Office, Mumbai. He loves trying new gadgets.

Prateek Arora is an AM at Head Office, Mumbai. He is also a foodie and loves dishing out recipies.

October - December 2012

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peek-a-boo Kids Special

K Bhavesh, 11 years S/ S/o K Sathish Babu

Ahona Pan, 5 years D/o Divya & Atanu Pan Avni Agrawal, 8 years D/o Deepti Agrawal

Rujala Joshi, 11 years D/o Shraddha Joshi

R Ritesh, 13 years S/ S/o Sareeta Bhadange

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October - December 2012

peek-a-boo Kids Special

Aryan Masani, 8 years S/o Chandra Sekhar

Bernand D’Mello, 10 years S/o Smita D’Mello

Beatrice, 8 years D/o Juliet Fonseca ca

Tanishk T Patil, 5 years S/o S Pranali Patil

J Varshini ,12 years D/o GK Jaiganesh

October - December 2012

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passtime Leisure

Fairy Tale Crossword

Fun Corner Across 1. He is no bigger than a thumb 3. She lives ‘under the sea’ 5. She lives with the seven dwarfs 6. He loves to blow a house down 8. He defeats a giant 11. She fell in a rabbit hole in wonderland 12. She steals the little mermaid’s voice 14. She loves to wear a red hood made by her grandmother

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Down 2. He was born in the jungle and is friendly with Bageera and Baloo 4. He stamps his foot all the way through the floor 7. He finds a magic lamp 9. This cat loves to wear boots 10. She eats the bear’s porridge 13. They help a poor shoemaker

Find 15 Differences

Solutions to Puzzles on Page 30

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October - December 2012

passtime Leisure

Help this Fairy Find her Way

Prateek Arora’s Kitchen

Chocolate Walnut Brownie

Prep Time: 15-20 Min

Cook Time: 35-40 Min

Ready In: Approx. 1 Hr

ABOVE: PHOTOGRAPH OF ACTUAL DISH PREPARED

Ingredients 400 gms refined flour 300 gms cocoa powder 300 gms icing sugar 2 pinches baking powder 1 tea spoon vanilla essence 3 eggs or 2 cups of curd 150 gms chopped walnuts 100 gms butter 2 table spoon cream

Directions 1. Preheat the oven for 15 minutes at 220° C 2. Mix flour, Cocoa powder, Baking powder and sugar in a bowl. 3. In a pan, melt the butter 4. In a separate bowl, beat eggs/ take curd and add vanilla essence. 5. Add egg/curd & vanilla essence mixture and melted butter to the flour mixture. 6. Whisk the entire mixture till it becomes smooth (To get the right consistency, water may be added to the mixture). 7. Add chopped walnuts to the mixture. 8. Grease the baking tray with butter and pour the mixture gently and evenly. 9. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 220° C or until a knife inserted into center comes out clean. 10. Serve the brownie with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce. October - December 2012

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staff matters

Best Wishes!

welcome

LohitakshYadav born on August 09, 2012 to Lalita and Jai Parkash Yadav. Jai is an ALA at Head Office, Mumbai

national award

WEDDING

Solutions

Pankaj Shinde, AGM at Head Office, Mumbai and Varsha got married on August 03, 2012

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October - December 2012

Down Across 2. Mowgli 1. Tom Thumb 4. Rumplesteinskin 3. Ariel 7. Aladdin 5. Show White 9. Puss in Boots 6. Big Bad Wolf 10. Goldilocks 8. Jack 13. Eleves 11. Alice 12. Ursula 14. Little Red Riding Hood

Fairy Tale Crossword

Vishakha More, AGM at Head Office, Mumbai, has been selected for the National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities - 2012 by the Department of Disability Affairs, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, in the category of Best Employee with Disabilities.

staff matters

Dasvidaniya

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thanks our former colleagues for their long association with SEBI and wishes them the very best for their lives - post-SEBI.

U Usha Narayanan, Former ED SServed SEBI from 1991 to 2012

Neelam Bhardwaj, Former GM M Served SEBI from 1993 to 2012 2

R Rakesh Bhanot, Former DGM SServed SEBI from 1997 to 2012

Jasmine Tartary, Former Secretary ary Served SEBI from 1990 to 2012

October - December 2012

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- PRADIP BHOWMICK

Hunchback of Notre Dame, Paris

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