December, 2012

July: South Korean musician Psy releases Gangnam Style which becomes the most-viewed and most-liked video on YouTube by November 2012.

Volume V, Issue 4 The ST. Xavier’S College NewSleTTer December, 2012

2012 Flashback

The XaVIer’s Press

January: 5 of Xavier’s alumni win Padma awards. Prof Vidya Dehejia, Shabana Azmi, and Dr Jose Pereira win Padma Bhushan; Mario de Miranda gets a Padma Vibhushan; and a Padma Shri is conferred upon Dr Swati Piramal.

March: 244 years after its first publication, the Encyclopædia Britannica discontinues its print edition.

June: The century’s second and last solar transit of Venus occurs.

June: Lonesome George, the rarest creature in the world, dies making the Pinta Island Tortoise subspecies

extinct.

July: India wins 6 medals at the London Summer Olympics and goes on to get suspended from the International Olympics Committee in December 2012.

July: In the worst power outage in world history, the 2012 India blackout leaves 620 million people without power.

July: CERN announces the discovery of a new particle with properties consistent with the Higgs boson after experiments at the Large Hadron Collider.

August: Xavier’s sees one of the most successful Malhars ever, under the Malhar Local banner.

September: The XPress publishes one issue more than the last academic year.

October: XRCVC takes Antarchakshu to Delhi.

October: Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, dies at Palo Alto.

October: A Taliban gunman attempts to assassinate 15-year-old education activist Malala Yousafzai in Pakistan’s Swat Valley.

October: Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner becomes the first person to break the sound barrier without any machine assistance during a record space dive out of a helium-filled balloon from 39 kilometers over New Mexico.

November: The UN General Assembly approves a motion granting Palestine non-member observer state status.

November: Obama gets re-elected as President of the United States of America.

November: Publishing giant HarperCollins releases Xavier’s Junior College student’s book, But Ira Said.

December: 4chan users vote North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un as Times Person of the Year who leads the poll

with more than two times as many votes as his contender, Jon Stewart.

December: Xavier’s inaugurates its first ever leadership programme for third year students with talks by eminent alumni.

December: Students organise the first ever Science Fest – a combination of public lectures, events, and an MUN.

December: Befitting item number 21 on this list, the world waits to see if the world ends as predicted by the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar, used by the Mayans, which completes a cycle of thirteen b’ak’tuns (periods of 144,000 days each).

Join The XPress as it interviews the people behind the fest that has got everyone talking - Paradigm 2012.

College NewsPage 3

College NewsPage 4

General PagePage 5

Features PagePage 6

Find out about Jal Jyoti, a social enterprise started by four Xavierites, and what got them interested in the solar water bottle project.

You voted, we interviewed. After knowing your Xerox Walas, meet the Watchmen as they lower their guard with our writers.

Read the gripping end to Ishita Chaudhary’s story in parts and lifts. Also in this section: what not to write while applying abroad.W

hat’

s In

side

Where we take you back in time and relive what 2012 meant for the world and our college.With inputs from the entire XPress team

Editors’ Block2

Leave the Rod to RestOn the 5th of December, Indian couple Anupama and Chandrasekhar Vallabhaneni living in Oslo (Norway), were sentenced to more than a year in jail for maltreatment of their seven-year-old son, Sai Sriram. The child had reportedly been burnt by a heated spoon and belted on numerous occasions for misconduct such as lying and bed wetting. The Oslo District Court has found proof of continual abuse which had been taking place for six to eight months preceding the verdict. The child, with his younger sibling, is presently in his Uncle’s custody.

At first glance, it seems absurd, horrifying even. The image of a terrified child crouching in a corner comes to our minds, while his parents whip him with a belt, or brand him with a hot metal spoon. However,

is this a completely unimaginable phenomenon? Have we never seen scowling mothers reprimanding their crying children in public? Does the practice of belting children seem that far-fetched now?

Our awareness of terrible social evils like misogyny, child labour, and the caste system prevailing in our country, have desensitised us to the ‘lesser’ kinks in our lifestyles, our child rearing practices among them. We see a clear lack of remorse, and worse, a belief that this is the right way to rear children.

The Oslo incident is a wakeup call to us all. Will we, as Gen-Y, step up and continue to abuse our children as society condones? Or shall we slip from these darker shadows and raise them with love and care? The choice is ours.

The XPress TeamEditor-in-Chief: Sadia Zafar ’13Editors: Ashwin Chandrasekhar ’14, Kadambari Shah ’15, Nayantara Ghosh ’13, Prthvir Solanki ’15

Writers: Abisha Fernandes (SYJC), Alaric Moras (SYJC), Fawzia Khan (SYJC), Gayle Sequeira ’15, Ishita Chaudhary ’14, Jai Subramanian ’15, Jinal Sanghavi ’13, Madhurima Rajwade ’15, Raadhika Vishvesh ’15, Rhea Gandhi ’14, Prakriti Bhatt (SYJC) Sanjana Kumbhani (SYJC), Shreya Mathur (SYJC), Vaishnevi Paatil ’14

Alaric Moras

Writer of the MonthShreya Mathur likes disapproving of everything, including this fairly accurate description of her.

Join Us As A Writer!Send two prose writing samples and your contact details to [email protected]. Follow us online: facebook.com/TheXaviersPress

And it Happened to Pass

Recently Mattel, the company which produces the iconic Barbie dolls, created a construction

unit for girls. The Barbie Build n Style, seeks to help little girls develop maths and science skills early in life. The construction set, coloured pink, would help girls develop their little left brains into large left brains. Most girls I know prefer blue but we’ll let that pass for now.

The gender divide is best bridged by communism, as over half of the women in the wealthiest top 20 are of Chinese origin as per The Economist which also notes that many firms in emerging markets do a better job of promoting women than their Western rivals. This may stem from the studies of Charles Darwin on natural selection, which

concludes that women have more grey matter than men. In India 11% of chief executives of large companies are female, compared with 3% of Fortune 500 bosses in America and 3% of FTSE 100 bosses in Britain. The study also

indicated that men have larger brains, though we’ll let that pass for now.

Though the current knowledge-based economy is closing the pay divide between the genders and though

women are getting more places at elite universities, with potential higher earning power to follow, a Chartered Management Institute survey last year indicated that at current rates, women’s pay would take 98 years to catch up in UK. But, Britain in contrast, has moved to change the 250 year old inheritance laws that would allow women to inherit titles. Hopefully, 15 other realms of which Elizabeth II is the queen, from Canada to Australia, the Solomon Islands and Tuvalu would all pass the same.

And thanks to Mattel, women now have the tools not just to break but to dismantle the glass ceiling completely and construct the tallest, sturdiest pink ladder ever. What an idea Mattelji! Actually, the set is to build a pink mansion and an ice cream cart but we’ll let that pass for now.

Where writers opine about (inter)national issuesWorld-Wise

Nayantara Ghosh looks behind the pink brick and mortar of Mattel’s latest product in this month’s editorial

prove that Superhero Powers exist,” says Trisha George ’14, PR Officer.

Workshops are another bright spot on the

horizon to look forward to, with

workshops on Hypnosis, S u d o k u

a n d

m u s i c a l instrument making.

Ashwin Chandasekhar ’14, who has his finger in pies other than The XPress, encourages people to “Come for MUN. It’s about alien invasion!” referring to the War Cabinet which will give the participants a chance to engage in the most dynamic of diplomatic and battle stratagem in a critical inter-galactic

College News 3

“It means a different way of looking at things. A new perspective on Science and why we love it,” says Aishik Ghosh ’14, President of the college’s first ever Science fest, on naming it Paradigm. Paradigm boasts of a truly enviable line-up of events. Naomi D’Souza ’14, an organizer of the Alternate Reality Gaming Event says, “All I can reveal right now is that you’d better catch up on your Criminal Minds re-runs!”

If you’re an ardent football fan, then the Fantasy Football Event is for you. You can create your own dream team, buy and sell players in the Summer Transfer Window, and win exciting prizes.

“Paper Presentations sound dull, until you realize that you’re going to present a thesis on trying to

EconundrumWith Malhar a distant memory, Ithaka having ended and Janfest yet to come, what does a Xavierite do? Participate in Econundrum, of course – Xavier’s 3rd

annual Economics festival.

According to Chairperson Abhay Mital ’13, “Econundrum served as a melting pot for the students of St. Xavier’s and other premier colleges from across the country to collaborate and deliberate on pertinent national and global economic issues, analyse them, and work on their real-life applications and solutions.”

Spread over three days from the 16th to the 18th of December, with 10 events to choose from, Econundrum had something for everyone, from State of Affairs, the Public Policy event, for the next Keynes of the world to Cutting

Edge, the Eco-Journalism event, for the future editors of The Wall Street Journal. Econundrum also saw a panel discussion on Indian Economic Reforms: The Second Wave on the 16th and the Lalit Doshi Memorial Lecture by Subir Gokarn, Dy. Governor of the RBI on the 18th. With several distinguished

personalities putting in an appearance, i n c l u d i n g

Tamal Bhandyopadhyay, Editor of Mint and Allen Sanderson from the University of Chicago who spoke about the Economics of Sport, the fest saw a great turnout.

With students from across streams participating in it, what mattered at Econundrum 2012, was enthusiasm, not one’s knowledge of general equilibrium.

A New Way of Thinking: Paradigm

Raadhika Vishvesh

1. It’s Asia’s largest college cultural festival, hosting around 600 colleges from across the nation. This year’s theme is ‘The Tribal Tryst’ which was picked after a nation-wide vote.

2. You can enjoy the serene landscape of IIT Powai where you won’t have Security breathing down your neck.

3. Choose from a variety of events and contests: from the familiar Spelling Bee and JAM to the unusual - sketching a superhero, making an infographic, and clay modelling.

4. Simple Plan, the Canadian punk rock band, headlines MoodI on 22nd December, making it the only punk rock concert in the country this year.

5. The chance to win amazing (cash) prizes.

invasion scenario.

In addition to offbeat events, Paradigm has a series of public lectures for the more laidback. One of the speakers at Paradigm is none other than Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha, Commander-in-Chief of the Western Naval Command (WNC). “Speaking on Naval Aviation, Vice

Admiral Sinha is perhaps a prime example of where technology and sciences meet policy-making,” says Rashi

Pant ’15. Our very own Fr. Joseph will return to Xavier’s to speak about “A Symposium on Science, Religion and Philosophy” along with Mr. Padmanabhan Krishna.

Last but not least, Paradigm has its unique Exhibition competition with the theme ‘The End’ because knowing what’ll kill us, makes us stronger!

Modelling meaning into Economics

Ishita Chaudhary and Rhea Gandhi meet the team behind the Science fest

MoodI5 reasons you should attend it

Vaishnevi Paatil

applauded for rousing the interest of all in a niche field.

A special edition of the annual Microbiology department magazine Michronicle, commemorating the 80th year celebration, will be released at their alumni dinner on the 28th of December. The most anticipated celebration, the dinner will see some of the department’s most renowned alumni get together. Invitees include Gerson Da Cunha, Dr. Zimra Israel and Major General Eustace (who also holds the distinction of being the oldest living alumnus). Dr. Fiona Miranda, an alumna who sponsored the renovation of the Microbiology department and laboratory, will also be present.

Founded in 1931, the Microbiology department of our college was the first in Mumbai to offer the subject to undergraduates. In 2012, it completes 80 years of undergraduate teaching and celebrations are on in full swing.

The department’s year-long celebrations began with a three-part lecture series on public health by Dr. Andrew Lee from Sheffield University, and on the Unique World of Radio-pharmaceuticals by Dr. Tapashi Dasgupta from Nordion, Canada. This series will conclude in January with a talk by the Indian Association of Cancer Research. The department also put up an exhibition titled Micromaxx in July, which was

What if something as rudimentary as an old plastic bottle filled with water could mean the difference between light and darkness? Started by a group of four enterprising Xavierites – Sanjna Malpani ’14, Ashna Roy ’14, Radhika Lokur ’13 and Tasneem Kakal ’13 – Jal Jyoti, a social venture, was conceptualised to make possible the lighting of urban slums without the use of electricity by using a bottle of water through a corrugated tin roof to transform it into a 55 watt light-bulb to light up the dim interiors.

Jal Jyoti, in collaboration with the international Litre of Light, conducted a workshop in October to teach students how to install the water bottle. In return, Jal Jyoti provided them with necessary resources to fix bottles on Indian roofs. Together, they installed 23 bottle lights across Mumbai, the idea behind which was testing its practicality and gauging the receptiveness of the slum dwellers to this new concept. “They were very enthusiastic about this entire scheme and we got several requests from people to set it up in their houses as

well!” said Ashna, “However, we have certain criteria to set up these bottles and if they are not met by that particular slum, we don’t install it there.” Adds Radhika, “We’re looking at fulfilling short term goals at the moment: going back and inspecting the upkeep of the previously installed bottles. We plan to rework our agenda according to what we find so as to ensure sustainability of the bottle lights.”

In the past, they haven’t been charging households for the bottles but found that a free product wasn’t completely valued and often falls into disrepair. To remedy that, their plan is to charge a nominal

price for future installations.

How significantly has Jal Jyoti illuminated its own future? “Jal Jyoti is now officially an Enactus project,” confirmed Tasneem. Enactus is an international non-profit organisation that pulls together student leaders who are guided by academic advisors and business experts to implement their community empowerment ventures around the globe.

Shreya Mathur

4 College News

Ashna is an SYBsc student. She has been a part of Ithaka ’12. She was OG Texx for Malhar ’12 and works on the editorial team for the Life Science journal.

Tasneem is a third year student of Economics and Sociology. She has been a part of Malhar for 4 years, Ithaka for 3 and SSL for 5. She has represented India at leadership programmes in Estonia and Brazil. As a first year student, she was awarded a scholarship to attend the NYU Stern exchange. She’s also the founder of The Campus Bicycle Project.

Radhika is a third year student of Economics and Statistics. She represented Xavier’s at Harvard University as part of HCAP. She has interned in Singapore as well as in the villages of Chhattisgarh under noted economist Jean Dreze. She was OG Finance for Malhar ’12.

Celebrating 80 Micro Years

Lighting Lives – One Litre at a TimeSanjna is an SYBsc student. She works on the editorial team for the Life Science journal, was OG Admin for Malhar ’12, and has won a scholarship to Spain.

A one-day intercollegiate student seminar ‘Advances in Microbiology - Food and Health Care Industries’ is also planned for the 10th of January, 2013. Speakers will include Dr. Girish Mahajan, Piramal Enterprises Ltd., Dr. B. R. Das, SRL Ranbaxy and Ms. Kavitha Kulkarni, 3M India.

Samina Parveen ’13 says, “All the microbiology students have been involved in this event, right from taking care of hospitality to finance. We are looking forward to the finale!”

The sheer enthusiasm of the department promises to make this year one of the most memorable ones in its history.

Abisha Fernandes and Prakriti Bhatt meet the founders of Jal Jyoti

General Page 5

Jinal Sanghavi interviews Karishma Silva ’13 who returned this month after interning with the Grameen bank in Bangladesh.

J: What motivated you to work at the Grameen Bank?Karishma: Inspired by Banker to the Poor, the memoirs of M. Yunus, I applied and was accepted for a month-long internship at Grameen. I am passionate about developmental activities, and wish to learn and work for social upliftment. This opportunity was perfect for that.

J: What was the experience like?Karishma: After a week’s training, all the interns were sent to work in the villages. We communicated with villagers, conducted surveys and worked in the local offices. Grameen has expanded from providing only credit services to enabling education, affordable energy etc. under its numerous sister concerns.

J: What particularly struck you in your work there?Karishma: I came across a very interesting trend, which is that 97% of the loans were taken by women. I think gender inequality problems and women’s empowerment are best addressed by enabling access to finance.

J: What was it like to meet Mohammed Yunus? Karishma: The experience was truly fulfilling. Besides being a true visionary he is also very down to earth. I accidentally called him Momo, and he laughed it off, finding the name very cute.

J: Tell us about your experience at LSE’s summer school and another great initiative you undertook this year.Karishma: This summer I started this NGO called A House for Every Indian, which aims at creating awareness for affordable housing in the society. At LSE I took a course on public policy to understand and critique different policies of the world.

Student of the Monthwhere we interview an extraordinary student

They’re omnipresent, with uncannily sharp eyes and they always know if you’re not carrying your ID card. After Know Your Xeroxwalas, we present to you Know Your Watchmen! The Xavier’s Press would like you to meet Mr. Bharat Zende and Mr. Shashikant Gadam, from Mumbai, who have been faithfully guarding the premises of Xavier’s for ten years. Also meet Mr. Shiv Shankar Tiwari, who’s been at his job for nine years and Mr. Izharool Haq, who joined the others two years back. Both these tough men hail from Uttar Pradesh.

There are no points for guessing what the watchmen hear the most number of excuses from students for. As we were talking to Mr. Zende about the said excuses, he actually caught a student trying to sneak in without an ID card. Our sympathies. “Yes, they give funny excuses. Some of the most popular ones are ‘It’s with my friend’ or ‘I dropped it’ or even ‘I lost it and have to get a new one made’.” The most overused one, according to him was ‘I changed my bag and left it in the old one.’ Xavierites!

Our watchmen do a whole lot more for Xavier’s than we can imagine. During the 2005 floods, they arranged for space in college for students to stay the night, as well as made arrangements to provide food. They remained vigilant till parents arrived to collect their

Fawzia Khan and Madhurima Rajwade

Know Your Watchmenchildren. During the 26/11 attacks, the watchmen stayed back all night and secured the college. A couple of years back, during the bomb scare in college, they calmly evacuated the premises, ushering students out through all the side and front gates without causing panic. And they accompanied Obama’s security team, as the latter searched the premises with their sniffer dogs.

When asked about what they felt being a part of St. Xavier’s, they all expressed love, respect and pride for the college. Says Mr. Gadam, “I like the college a lot. The kids are respectful and I like it that they come here to study.” Mr. Tiwari enjoys keeping the students safe, and says with pride “It’s the number one college!” All of them told the Xavier’s Press that it really makes their day when the students wish them in the morning.

Can you imagine Xavier’s without its watchmen? Lightning would strike us! The enemy would infiltrate our walls! Mayhem would ensue! But, honestly, what would we do without these indispensable gentlemen? Xavier’s wouldn’t survive. So The Xavier’s Press takes this opportunity to thank them, on behalf of the whole student body.

(It’s better than knowing your enemies)

Bharat Zende• From Mumbai• Been hearing excuses for 10 years

Shashikant Gadam• From Mumbai• Been hearing excuses for 10 years

Shivshankar Tiwari• From UP• Been hearing excuses for 9 years

Izharool Haq• From UP• Been hearing excuses for 2 years

Features Page6

A strange scuffling sound distracted her and she felt rather than heard something sliding down.

You’re going to diiiieee…a voice seemed to whisper. Before her eyes could adjust to the darkness, the lights came back on. The large man in the overcoat lay dead in his corner, his throat neatly slashed, his head lolling forward.

‘MURDERER!’ The Woman screamed pointing at the Businessman who awoke as if from a trance and looked at his bloodied shirt in bewilderment. A knife cluttered to the ground next to him. ‘I don’t know what happened…I didn’t do this!’ He shouted. The Woman started to beat the elevator doors as the Nerd slumped down one wall and the Indian Undergrad tore off his goggles and shrunk into a corner.

I’m dead, Clara thought. A mechanical whirring seemed to break through the haze of terror and the elevator started moving. As soon as the doors opened up on the 50th floor, she threw herself out, without daring to look behind. Later on in the day, when the police had established a perimeter around the building, Clara sat shivering on the

pavement; a blanket slumped across her shoulders.

Expecting to see the Businessman leave in police custody, she was surprised when the cops hustled out the Woman and the Nerd and pushed them inside cop cars. ‘Those two were working together,’ a cop said, ‘brown

kid saw it all happen. He’s some hi-fi-gadget hotshot. Was wearing his night vision goggles, he was, bless the child. Apparently, the woman clamped the victim’s arms while little four-eyes here slashed his throat and stuck the knife next to the businessman.’ ‘That’s terrible.’ She whispered, clutching her blanket together. ‘They’d been paid by his wife we think, to frame him for a murder and take all his money.’ He said shaking his head. ‘Oh!’ She realized suddenly, standing up ‘I think I dropped

my purse on the floor we got off.’ She was let inside the building. Picking up her purse, she saw the officers examining the bloodied elevator on the 50th floor and shuddering a little entered the other elevator. As the doors closed, she hummed cheerfully to herself, guilty at her happiness even though she’d just witnessed a murder. Nothing wrong…Something nagged her mind; for two years she had been coming to work in the building and she’d always taken the same elevator. Why hadn’t she ever taken this one?

Because there was only one. Heart hammering in her mouth, she turned around slowly, the strong metallic smell reminding her of the dead body behind her.

‘Help…’ She whispered, trying to find the emergency button. The man with the severed artery opened his eyes and smiled a sad smile at her. Clutching the wall with one hand, he began pushing himself up, his overcoat hanging open to reveal where the blood from his neck had dripped down.

‘Oh MY GO-’ Then the lights went out.

Where we leave you hanging till the next issueStory in Parts

Ishita Chaudhary

With all those overwhelming applications to universities abroad awaiting us, we hope to make the process a little easier by offering you some crucial advice (Note: We are highly experienced).

1. Do NOT use Word Thesaurus and change every easy word in your application answers to a synonymous longer word.

2. Do NOT scribble ‘Jai Mata Di’ on top of every page of your application form.

3. Do NOT enclose a 100 rupee note

when you’re mailing your application form.

4. Do NOT say you like studying/debating/doing something extensively productive for fun. Be honest. (No, that doesn’t mean you say, “I like clubbing on weekends”.)

5. Do NOT write “Active part of the drama club” if you’ve just gone for one of the meetings so far.

6. When the hostel application is asking for food preferences, do NOT mention Butter-Chicken with Lassi as lunch.

7. Do NOT say you were interested in neurosurgery since you were 5. You weren’t. Trust me.

8. Do NOT write on Harry Potter. Around 1 in 4 application essays are about Harry Potter.

9. Do NOT try and give a sneak peak of your oh-so-fabulous resume in your application essay/ SOP.

10. Do NOT mention your father’s connections. For all you know the next application will belong to Obama’s daughter.

10 Things You Shouldn’t Write while Applying Abroad

Shreya Mathur, Sanjana Kumbhani and Ishita Chaudhary

Leisure Page 7

Did you ever think that you could figure out young India’s eternal ‘chokri and naukri’ dilemma, hear Nobel Laureate being ripped apart, and discover Rana Dasgupta’s inspiration at the same place? The literary fests of our country have proved it all.

For the longest time, the Jaipur Literary Festival was regarded as the ultimate authority on literature and culture, but the emergence of alternative festivals has made India a bookworm’s paradise.

While the Tata Literature Live included the book launch of Xavier’s alumnus, Shobhaa De’s Sethji, and a discussion on the evolution of writing in the age of Twitter, it also had a short story competition, panel on India’s real position today in the world, and a delightfully whimsical event consisting of songs inspired by Shakespeare’s

works.

These festivals transcend conventional routes. For instance, the Jaipur Literary Festival hosted Oprah Winfrey. On the same dais, you could hear Fatima Bhutto speaking on the future of

Pakistan and similarly, the Times Carnival saw Aatish Tseer discussing roots and family ties. Not only did the Times Literary Carnival have the snazzy Usha Uthup

to delight their audiences, Chetan Bhagat and Barkha Dutt hosted an incisive session on the desires of young India. From celebrated architects like Rahul Mehrotra, to newsmakers like Arvind Kejriwal, all found a place at this festival.

With interactive workshops, dance performances, literature festivals have turned out to be a true celebration of literature. Shreya Mathur

Books and More1. This is as much a Zoroastrian faux pas as is it a Christian one to wish someone a ‘Happy Good Friday!’‘_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _!’

2. This festival marks the annual visit of a well-celebrated Asura, killed by ‘the fifth incarnation of Vishnu’._ _ _ _

3. An American pop-culture neologism that entails the merging of holidays around two popular festivals, used chiefly by families where each of the parents belongs to a different, popular faith._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

4. Who created the Cartoon Network series, Dexter’s Laboratory?

a) Genndy Tartakovskyb) Van Partiblec) Danny Antonuccid) John Dilworth

5. Which is the longest running Cartoon Network show from these choices?

a) Chowderb) Tom & Jerryc) Courage the Cowardly Dogd) Ed, Edd, n Eddy

6. What is the surname of Muriel and Eustace in the Cartoon Network series, Courage the Cowardly Dog?

a) Scottb) Smithc) Babbaged) Bagge

7. Which broadcasting firm created Cartoon Network?

a) CBSb) USA Networkc) Turner Broadcastingd) ABC

Are you lazy? Inefficient? Lack basic concentration? Allow us to introduce you to your hero – RescueTime.

www.rescuetime.com lets you manage your time better by telling you how much of it you’re wasting. Once you have created a free R e s c u e T i m e account, you tell the software what category of activities you find distracting and productive. Unless you are a social media intern, facebook and twitter will fall straight into the distracting pit whereas typing on Word will push up your productivity percentage. RescueTime tracks not only the web pages you browse and the amount of time you spend on each page,

but also what you do offline on your computer as well. It then matches the time you spend on each activity with your original rating of those activities and gives you a daily and weekly productivity percentage. A user

who wished to remain unnamed (on account of her falling productivity – from 80% to 45% over the last four weeks) says, “I

found out today that I spent 5 hours last week on facebook. And one on Word, typing my dissertation. I think I’ll use Nanny for Google Chrome to make sure I don’t use facebook for more than 10 minutes a day.”

RescueTime saves the day. Literally.

XPress RecommendsOne website at a time

Madhurima Rajwade

Quiz

Answers:

1. Happy Pateti 2. Onam 3. Chrismukkah (Christmas+Hannukkah) 4. a) 5. b) 6. d) 7. c)

Jai Subramaniam