Cricketers whose successful IPL innings should inspire your retirement planning

A career in cricket needs a lot of discipline and flexibility to adapt your style with age. Similarly, financial planning for your retirement also follows the same principles of changing goals and aligning investments with your age. We look at 3 inspiring cricketers who excelled in their second innings at the IPL, post their retirement from ODI.

Adam Gilchrist
One of the best wicketkeeper batsmen to grace the game, Gilchrist played six seasons of the IPL and extended his cricket career well into his 40s. He was one of the mainstays for the erstwhile Deccan Chargers and Kings XI Punjab, captaining the two sides and scoring one of the fastest hundred in 42 balls in IPL history.

Brad Hogg
At 44, he’s the oldest player to ever grace the IPL. Hogg has been a surprise for Kolkata Knight Riders in the current season. With Sunil Narine still adjusting to his new bowling action and finding limited success, Hogg has become the lead spinner for the team. For a cricketer who announced his retirement eight years ago, the IPL has given him a second chance for the last hurrah.

Shane Warne
The master of leg spin and body tan, Shane Warne made an instant comeback by winning the inaugural IPL with Rajasthan Royals. He stayed in the IPL until 2011 and joined the Big Bash league in 2013 in Australia. Warne went on to make his second innings a memorable one.

Honorable mentions – Sourav Ganguly, Zaheer Khan and Rahul Dravid

IAF's top guns brave extreme Alaska

Some of Indian Air Force's best fighter pilots are squaring off with pilots from US Air Force and other top guns from Japan, South Korea and Germany to test their capabilities in the Joint Pacific Range Complex over Alaska.

Codenamed Red Flag Alaska 16-1, the exercises are being conducted in the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, the largest instrumented air, ground and electronic combat training range in the world at more than 65,000 square miles.

RF-A provides US and allied pilots, aircrews and operational support personnel the opportunity to train and improve their air combat skills in preparation for a myriad of worldwide contingencies.

Here are some highlights:

An IAF Su-30MKI fighter aircraft assigned to the 15 Squadron, Sirsa Air Base takes off from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, May 4, 2016, during RED FLAG-Alaska (RF-A) 16-1.Photograph: Staff Sgt Joshua Turner/US Air Force

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An IAF Jaguar jet attack aircraft assigned to the 14 Squadron, Ambala Air Base, takes off from Eielson Air Force Base. Photograph: Photograph: Staff Sgt Joshua Turner/US Air Force

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A US Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 18th Aggressor Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base takes off during RED FLAG-Alaska (RF-A) 16-1. Aggressor pilots are trained to act as opposing forces in exercises like RF-A to better prepare US and allied forces for aerial combat. Photograph: Staff Sgt Joshua Turner/US Air Force

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Maintenance airmen from the Indian Air Force, 14 Fighter Squadron (FS) from Ambala Air Base, India, work to change a shock absorber on their Jaguar attack jet aircraft April 29, 2016, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The 14 FS is one of 23 units from around the world who participated in RED FLAG-Alaska 16-1. Photograph: Staff Sgt Joshua Turner/US Air Force

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Three US Navy EA-18G Growlers assigned to Electronic Attack Squadron 137, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wa., takes off from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska during RED FLAG-Alaska (RF-A) 16-1. RF-A enables joint and international units to sharpen their combat skills by flying simulated combat sorties in a realistic threat environment. Photograph: Staff Sgt Joshua Turner/US Air Force

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Two Jaguars fighters fly alongside an IAF Il-78 refueller over Alaskan terrain during Red Flag Alaska 16-1. Photograph: PRO/IAF

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IAF's Su 30s taxing on the runway at the Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska. Photograph:PRO/IAF

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IAF Su30-MKIs break formation during the Red Flag Alaska 16-1 exercise. Photograph:PRO/IAF

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US Air Force Jan Stahl, 64th Aggressor Squadron pilot from Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, refuels while augmenting the 18th Aggressor Squadron May 3, 2016, during RED FLAG-Alaska (RF-A) 16-1 at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Photograph: Staff Sgt Shawn Nickel/US Air Force

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US Air Force Staff Sgt Joey Putis, an 18th Operations Support Squadron weather technician assigned to Kadena Air Base, Japan, checks weather conditions to build a briefing slide, May 4, 2016, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Putis works with members from the 354th OSS to deliver accurate weather conditions to pilots participating in RED FLAG-Alaska 16-1 from Eielson and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Photograph: Staff Sgt Ashley Nicole Taylor/US Air Force

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How to deal with a co-worker you dislike

Follow these 3 rules.

It is a well-established fact that being a good worker is not enough; one must also be a team player and share camaraderie with colleagues.

However, no matter how amicable you may be, it is practically impossible to be agreeable to everyone around you.

After all, you will have an opinion that may be vastly different from someone else's at some point of time.

Most of us end up having that one colleague we don't quite get along with.

So while it's perfectly normal to be in this pickle, you need a modus operandi in place to deal with unpleasant situations.

Let's see how we can agree to disagree, thereby co-exist without obstructing work or annihilating office environment:

1. Avoid concluding too quickly

It is generally a good idea to give people the benefit of the doubt at the first instance, because you will always have the option of forming an opinion and disliking them later!

Sometimes, we can misunderstand people with our limited knowledge.

If your co-worker snapped at you or made a snide remark on some occasion, it may help to overlook it the first time.

Over-thinking can sometimes be counter productive and make non-existent problems look real.

However, if his/her behaviour persists, one can always keep the interaction limited to work and not let it affect productivity.

After all, it is humanly impossible to be friends with and liked by everyone.

Plus, let's face it, when you need to get work done sometimes you have to lose the congeniality and be an effective project manager.

It is also important to remember that we all go to work with the ultimate objective of doing well professionally, so staying focussed on your mission is critical.

2. Maintain work etiquette

No matter how much you may dislike a colleague, it is important to stay cordial and exchange pleasantries.

Returning calls and emails promptly is also a way of showing courtesy to colleagues (even if you do not like them).

You must be as objective as possible if you happen to work on a project together and not let personal opinions come in your way of accepting or extending work-related support.

It is also advisable to consciously keep personal conversations at bay to avoid impending conflict/argument.

Keep the conversation polite and yet to the point and you will manage to sail through without experiencing or causing any discomfort.

3. Maintain your dignity, that's what defines you

If the co-worker is evidently sabotaging your progress or constantly putting you down, turn a blind eye to it.

It is sometimes natural to retaliate, even more so to prevent this becoming a norm.

However, disengaging from an unpleasant discussion and walking away will actually help you take control and decide your course of action.

Rather than falling right into their trap, be as dignified and passive as possible.

This will not only take your colleague by surprise but also deny them the joy of ruining your day.

Coming across unfazed can, in fact, be the best way to get back at a colleague trying to act nasty.

It is virtually impossible t

Manmadurai-Rameswaram Rail Track To Become 1st Green Corridor

Railways have installed more than 20,000 bio-toilets in trains till now and has set a target to fit 17,000 more this fiscal. (Representational Image)

NEW DELHI: 

HIGHLIGHTS

1. Trials are on to ensure the 117-km long route becomes discharge free zone
2. A zero toilet discharge means all trains on the route to have bio-toilets
3. Railways have installed 20,000 bio-toilets, aim of 17,000 more this year

 Stepping up efforts to make rail tracks discharge free zones, Indian Railways will convert into green corridor and zero toilet discharge section the nearly 114 km route between Rameswaram and Manmadurai in Tamil Nadu by the end of this month.

"Currently the trial is going on the route to ensure that the section becomes the first discharge free zone in railways. It will be formally declared as green corridor in the last week of May," said a senior Railway Ministry official involved in the bio-toilet project.

A zero toilet discharge section envisages all trains passing on that particular route would have bio-toilets which eliminate open discharge of waste on the tracks.

There are about 14 stations between Rameswaram and Manmadurai and about 16 passenger trains use the track in a day.

All coaches of trains passing through the Manmadurai and Rameswaram section are now equipped with bio-toilets so there will be no waste discharge on the track, said the official.

Bio-toilets eliminate open discharge of waste on the track as the waste is digested by specially developed bacteria and only small amount of clean water is discharged in the process.

In the second phase, "Kanalus-Dwarka-Okha and Porbunder-Wansjalya section in Gujarat have been identified to be made zero toilet discharge sections.

"Our aim is to make tracks free from discharge of waste from toilets by installing environment-friendly zero discharge toilet system in the coaches and we will do it in phases," he said.

According to the plan, Jammu-Katra route will also be made a zero-discharge section.

Railways have installed more than 20,000 bio-toilets in trains till now and has set a target to fit 17,000 more this fiscal.

 It costs about Rs. 3.5 lakh to install four Zero Discharge Toilet Systems in a coach.

the Startup todays

How some IIT & IIM graduates are ruining it for all of us in the startup world

Source: http://twinfinite.net/2016/01/worst-season-passes/burningmoney/

It’s a Sunday morning and I am skimming through InShorts to get a quick overview of what is happening elsewhere. Amongst the 60 odd unread stories, I am not surprised to read of two startup shutdowns. Then, later in the day, I hear of another startup shutting operations. This one happened to employ a close friend (obviously he lost his job).

There exists a serious problem here that nobody is talking about and that is the unique nature of the Indian market which itself is an opportunity to innovate and thrive. Recent graduates from top notch schools in India believe they can clone businesses from other countries and that they will prove to be profitable in their entirety in India as well. Venture capitalists blinded by the founders’ alma mater have been following a hackneyed strategy to provide funding to entrepreneurs who are attempting to clone an idea or business model from USA or China. Their strategy goes something like this for early stage funding:

1. 1–2 founders from IIT/IIM fitting the criteria receive 1–2 million dollars.
2. 3–5 founders from IIT/IIM fitting the criteria receive 3–5 million dollars.
3. 7+ founders from IIT/IIM fitting the criteria and you’re in for a lottery.

Investors overlook the fact that Chinese entrepreneurs can afford to clone because their economy is closed, thus providing little or no competition. European entrepreneurs too can effectively clone, because the European pattern of consumption is similar to that of US(and the Rocket brothers are exceptional at their job).

Having failed to realize this, entrepreneurs, are squandering their funds on businesses that are completely unviable in the Indian market. It is impossible to imagine how you can fail so fast with so much money. The more people I talk to, the more apparent the problem becomes. This parochial approach to starting a business is what is causing investors to tighten their purse strings and this is going to hit the diligent entrepreneur hard. Given the current uneasiness in the market, this slump in investment is likely to continue for at least a year.

From my various conversations with entrepreneurs, investors and employees of startups, I have gleaned the following three fundamental issues contributing to the downturn.

1. High Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC)

There are startups (not taking names) spending close to 5000 bucks for customer acquisition. This is what FMCGs spend years into existence. The age old strategy of door to door marketing which the founder has to do is forgotten. As a result, founders are unable to reduce the CAC and end up spending an obscene amount on acquiring one customer who might only sign up without spending much time on the website or make just one transaction. Apart from the 5K spent on luring the customer to the site to conduct a single transaction the company ends up discounting the price of the service or the product to show higher Gross Merchandise Value (GMV). This in turn adds to the cost.

2. Media attention

Another issue I find in the startup ecosystem is the media attention startups and founders seek. Some founders forget that PR is a means to an end and NOT THE END itself.

Publicity is only a tool to be used to get the word out. An article in the paper does not amount to increased revenue. It is thus important for founders to be involved in the day to day functions and probably work more than any other employee at least for couple of years instead of focusing on media presence.

3. Slacking and expensive employees

Often as a startup begins to receive increased funding, the founders become lax and this results in slacking. Sometimes funds are mismanaged and disbursed as salary hikes or used to recruit expensive talent that may not really be required. Large amounts of money is also spent on food travel and entertainment for the employees. For God’s sake it’s still a STARTUP. What’s more important is to realise that a business takes 4–7 years to build and even then, money needs to be spent wisely.

Off the top of my head, here is a list of startups who have raised unnatural amounts as funding and have failed or are close to doing so:

Peppertap (IIM founders)

Grofers (IIT founders)

Housing (IIT founders)

Purple Squirrel (IIT founders)

Tinyowl (IIT founders)

Foodpanda (IIM founders)

Fabfurnish (IIT founders)

Amber wellness (IIT founders)

This shows one thing and that is, given the poor education system in India with no practical application of what you learn, the university tag doesn’t really matter. What matters are the soft skills, the ability to put pieces together and the hunger to learn.

Most people in this game are hoping to become wildly successful instantaneously without having to put in the hard work. Some entrepreneurs readily accept invitations to talk in events (not a problem if there is a business strategy linked to it) where they harp on about how they faced hardship in raising funds and the difficult time they encountered. If I was an investor, I would never invest in a founder who calls this a difficult time. It is an adventure, a story you are carving and this has to be enjoyed to the fullest. Entrepreneurship is not for the weak minded.

Maybe the time has come to look beyond the IITs and IIMs to find real entrepreneurs who can sense the pulse of the Indian market. The time for a new generation of entrepreneurs who can cause a metamorphosis in the startup ecosystem in India. The time for a revolution.

Disclaimer: The opinions mentioned above are mine and mine alone. Would appreciate if you can critically evaluate this piece. Drop in a line tokg@explorate.in.

Nehru erased from Rajasthan school textbook

Last updated on: May 08, 2016 19:03 IST

Students of class VIII in Rajasthan schools will no longer study the contribution of Jawaharlal Nehru in their social science textbook as references to the first prime minister have been dropped.

The references to Nehru have been removed in two chapters in the revised textbook which will be introduced from this academic session for class VIII in schools affiliated to

Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (or Ajmer Board).

Though the book is not available in the market yet, the information has been uploaded on the website of the Rajasthan State Textbook Board, which publishes the book for the state board.

The new name that has been included in the textbook is that of freedom movement leader Hemu Kalani. While the names of Mahatma Gandhi, Veer Sawarkar, Bhagat Singh, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Subhas Chandra Bose are among those figured in the textbook, there is no mention of Nehru either in the chapter on Freedom Movement or in that on India After Independence.

The revision of several textbooks has been carried out under curriculum restructuring by the Udaipur-based State Institute of Education Research and Training.

The earlier edition of the book titled 'Social Science for Class VIII' also had a table on 'Major Leaders of National Movement' that featured the names and briefs on contribution of Dadabhai Naoroji, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and Subhas Chandra Bose.

In that particular box, the reference to Nehru stated, "After becoming a barrister, he joined the national movement He later became the president of Congress, leader of the

Interim government and the first prime minister of Independent India."

That particular box, besides other references to Nehru in the book, is also not there in the new edition of the book. Opposition Congress has hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party saying that the state government has touched a "new low" by omitting references to Nehru in the school book.

"The BJP government in Rajasthan is carrying out its agenda and touching a new low by omitting references to the freedom fighter and the first prime minister of India who had

great contribution in the freedom struggle and in the foundation of independent India," Rameshwar Dudi, Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly, told PTI.

He said the issue will be taken up in a major way.

Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot said, "This is a shameless act of the government of Rajasthan. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh could not find a place in the glorious history of India but now the BJP government is removing the contribution of Nehru from history and people will teach them a lesson."

He said, "Nehru's contribution to Rajasthan is major. The Panchayti Raj system started from the state. The act reflects the state government's narrow-mindedness and a campaign should be undertaken to expose the government in public."

Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot while decrying the move said public will give a fitting reply to the BJP government in the state which is "politicising education and distorting history".

The government is taking politically motivated steps and distorting history deliberately, he said, alleging that schemes and programmes named after former prime ministers like Nehru and Indira Gandhi are also being renamed which shows the "mentality of the BJP".

People's Union for Civil Liberties wrote an open letter to Rajasthan Education Minister Vasudev Devnani demanding that the syllabus should not be changed as per the "RSS ideology".

In a statement, PUCL alleged that "transparency" was not maintained while "changing" the syllabus and said that books should not be "inspired by RSS ideology".

Fadnavis seeks Rs 10,000 crore from Centre to tackle Maha drought

May 07, 2016 19:15 IST

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday sought Rs 10,000 crore from the Centre for the three years to complete pending irrigation projects in his drought-hit state.

Briefing the media after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, Fadnavis said, “I apprised the prime minister of the drought situation in the state. We have asked for a package of Rs 7,500 crore for completion of irrigation projects in Marathwada and Vidarbha in coming three years, while a special package of Rs 2,500 crore for completing pending irrigation projects in drought prone region of Western Maharashtra. On both these issues, we have received a very positive response from the Centre.”

Senior officials from the Centre, and Maharashtra, were also present during the meeting.

Fadnavis said the Centre has accepted his government's request to submit a supplementary memorandum as an additional 11,000 villages in the state are now facing drought.

Fadnavis said they also discussed the short- and long-term measures to tackle drought situation.

“The Centre has been helping us and has also assured of more assistance if needed to deal with drought situation. We also rolled out a plan to save water as monsoon is approaching,” he added.

He also explained his state’s efforts to complete critical irrigation projects in the Marathwada and Vidarbha regions in a time-bound manner. He also spoke of the work done to bring more farmers under the umbrella of institutional credit.

Meanwhile, Modi took to Twitter to divulge the details of the meeting.

‘CM @Dev_Fadnavis & I held wide-ranging discussions on the drought in parts of Maharashtra & how to mitigate it. Stressed on vitality of increasing water use efficiency through sprinkler & drip irrigation including in sugarcane cultivation,’ he said.

‘Usage of modern solid & liquid waste management practices in urban areas will also benefit the adjoining rural areas.CM @Dev_Fadnavis apprised me about the Jal Yukt Shivar Abhiyan & State Govt's efforts to complete irrigation projects across the state (sic),’ he added.

Fadnavis informed the prime minister that the state is focusing on climate resilient agriculture; and has proposed a climate resistant agriculture modernisation project for a World Bank loan, to ensure water security at the farm level. He thanked the Centre for expeditiously recommending this project to the World Bank.

The PM also insisted that the Centre fully supports the project for a World Bank loan, which is worth $600 million (Rs 400 crore).

Initiating the discussion, the prime minister stated that the Centre, states, local bodies, non-governmental orgaisations and citizens have to work together to resolve the problems posed by the drought. He also called for focus on medium- and long-term solutions for drought-proofing.