Added two posts

_posts/2014-10-22-in-conversation-of-mr-partha-sen.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: In conversation of Mr. Partha Sen, founder (Fuzzy Logix)
+categories: [wona, column, verbatim]
+tag: verbatim
+---
+
+Mr Partha Sen, an IIT Roorkee alumnus, completed his Majors in Computer Science and Minors in Mathematics from IITR in the year 1990. Right after college he worked with TATA Consultancy Services before joining the Bank of America. He entered the world of entrepreneurship after founding Fuzzy Logix in 2007. Recently he visited IITR, offering internships and placement offers for the students. We got an opportunity to talk to him about his return, future plans and life, in-general. In conversation with Mr. Sen:
+
+###How does it feel to be back here?
+
+Grea! I am taken aback by the lush greenery and cleanliness of the campus. A lot of new things have come up in the campus. The greatest establishment would be the MGM library and various hostels for the students and the teachers. It felt good to see the new placement office and the Department for Management Studies. What is remarkable is that even with or without these buildings the soothing environment of the college is intact.
+
+###Tell us something about the placement process and your plans.
+
+Well, we are here to offer jobs and internships. The applicants for the internships will be selected now while those for jobs have been shortlisted and will be further reviewed in another visit planned in December. I am glad to say that the quality of students which have applied is outstanding. Regarding our plans, we will also be recruiting from IIT Kanpur this year. We had a meeting with the Director of IITR and we promised our co-operation for the propagation of Data Science as a subject in the college. We have opened our doors for internships and even guest lectures, if there’s a need. 
+
+###How do you compare the students from IITs and other foreign institutes?
+
+We have been recruiting from US, of course and I feel that what sets the students of IITs apart is the willingness to learn, the motivation and dedication. As a matter of fact this holds true for all the good institutions in India. I am not saying the students abroad lack this but the peculiar ‘fire in the belly’ is fundamental to a student in IIT.  There are also a few shortcomings when we talk of a student in India. Firstly, the level of independent and free thinking is below the mark and this is the sphere where the Americans get an edge. Secondly, a certain mediocrity exists in presentation of oneself. If you are working in a firm you must be able to speak reasonably fluent English irrespective of your background. This particular quality is prerequisite for working in a global economy.
+
+###What was the glitch in the process because of which placement for your firm was not carried out in this college the previous year?
+
+You people weren’t responsive. There are alumni of this institute who are at the top benches in a number of firms. If proper relations are maintained then not only such sort of malfunctions can be avoided but also many job opportunities can be ensured to the graduates of this institute. Alumni relations needs to be strengthened by keeping record of all the alumni in a directory. Even getting in touch with them via phone and mail or exchanging greetings on festivals can help in the maintenance of good relations! The next year would mark the silver jubilee of the batch of 1990 and I don’t see any work being done by the alumni relations cell to mark that event. You ought to use such an event to demonstrate the institute’s accomplishments to the alumni who are placed at a very suitable position in their companies. The alumni would hence realise the need and worth of the students and might actually consider helping the students. Relations can never be one sided. If you want to have good alumni relations you need to put in a great deal of effort.
+
+###Quitting the Bank of America for your entrepreneurial pursuit would have been a difficult decision to make? Can you describe your journey?
+
+The decision wasn’t tough because it had been decided ever since I left college. The reason it took it so long to come up is that I wasn’t  from a very rich family and had to accumulate some wealth to come up with a business of my own. Today young entrepreneurs can secure venture capital and get investors interested. But back then the public sector and PSUs were booming and with these kinds of projects, investors were a hard fish to catch. Entrepreneurship is not everyone’s cup of tea. It requires a great deal of sacrifice and never keeps up to its promises of glory. To understand the journey, assume that that you take a test and you sore 97. You are happy to score high but then the teacher offers to give you a 100 under the condition that you have to work another 80 hours and you shall be awarded half a mark and then you will have to work for another 160 hours to score the next half mark. If you are thinking of turning that offer down, don’t be an entrepreneur! 
+
+###Do you think it was easy to be an entrepreneur in America than it would have been if you were in India?
+
+Most definitely. The social stigma prevalent here in India prevents you to open an enterprise. Also, people are hesitant to work in startups while the condition is quite different on the other side of the globe. This is an environment India should cultivate.
+Would you like to give a message to the young entrepreneurs of this institute?
+My message to them would be that you have a dream then you should not give up. Firms like Azim Premji Foundation and TATA Venture Capital provides funding to the business ideas. Hence, if you have good ideas and a sincere attitude, you have plenty of chances to rise up. So, just seize the day! Most importantly the companies today invest not in idea but in the man. You have to prove that you have the substance to achieve what you set out to achieve.

_posts/2014-10-22-taekwando-team-achievements.md

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+---
+layout: post
+title: Taekwando Team Achievements
+excerpt: This year 2 students from IIT Roorkee Puneet Kumar – ECE 4th Year and Jyoti Chopra – Chem 3rd Year, represented the Uttarakhand state team in National Taekwondo (Poomsae) Championship. The 7th Taekwondo nationals were held on 31st August at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur. The duo made it to the quarterfinals of pair poomsae where they finished 6th out of 24 teams. Jyoti went on to the finals where after a tough fight she fell short. Kudos to the two as well as our Taekwondo coach Mr. Anand Krishna Yadav who himself is a Bronze medalist at the 2011 Commonwealth Taekwondo Championship.
+categories: [wona, column, news]
+tag: news
+---
+
+This year 2 students from IIT Roorkee Puneet Kumar – ECE 4th Year and Jyoti Chopra - ….. represented the Uttarakhand state team in National Taekwondo (Poomsae) Championship, the 7th Senior National Poomsae Championship held at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium, Jaipur. The students departed on 31st August for the tournament that was to commence on 2nd. “Competing with the players at national level. We got to see the defined and perfect tactics and beauty of Taekwondo in players from all the Indian states, services, defense etc.”, the winning players remarked. There were 3 rounds in each category: preliminary, semifinal and final. Out of all states and services teams, only top 12 are selected for semi-finals and then top 8 in semi-finals make it to the finals. Jyoti Chopra (B.Tech III yr, Chem.) participated in the senior girls (under 30) individual category and made it to the finals. Also, Puneet Kumar (B.Tech IV yr, ECE) and Jyoti Chopra participated in pair poomsae  and finished 6th out of 24 state teams and some services teams like I.T.B.P. Though Uttarakhand could not get any medal in the nationals this year, but such a performance of Uttarakhand after a long time was highly appreciated. The team accredited the coach **Mr. Anand Krishna Yadav, Black belt (6th dan), International Refree and 2011 5th Commonwealth Taekwondo Championship Bronze medalist, for the remarkable performance.**
+
+Despite having an excellent result to show at the state and national levels, the sport of Taekwando remains a neglected entity in IITR. The team still practices with their excellent coach in the garden behind the Saraswati Mandir. Some concrete changes on behalf of the administration are necessary to facilitate efficient training of the players. This should begin by providing them with a covered space with proper equipments and safety support.