India's monsoon and impact on economy

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's monsoon rains are likely to be within long-term averages in 2012, the weather office head said on Monday, reassuring farmers ahead of next week's official forecast from New Delhi.

Global weather experts will gather in Pune on Thursday to assess the outlook for the overall south Asian monsoon at a meeting seen as a precursor to the official India prediction.

The June to September rains are crucial for India with 60 percent of its arable land dependent on them.

With the end of the La Nina weather pattern, associated with heavy rains in south Asia, and its opposite El Nino unlikely to start until August when much sowing is completed, neutral conditions are seen in India for the crucial first half of the season, a weather expert said on Wednesday.

"Normal rains are likely this year as the La Nina ended and has entered a neutral phase which is expected to continue till August," said D. R. Sikka, former director of the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology.

India has had two consecutive years of monsoon rainfall within long-term averages after 2009's worst drought since 1972.

CLASSIFICATION

A normal or average monsoon means rainfall between 96-104 percent of a 50-year average of 89 centimetres in total during a four-month season from June, according to the India's weather office classification.

In 2011, the monsoon rains were 101 percent of the long period average.

Rainfall below 90 percent of the average is considered as a drought. T he last time there was a drought with rains below this range was 2009 and before that, in 2004.

Rainfall above 110 percent of the average would mean an excessive monsoon -- not as damaging as drought but potentially hurting yields of sugar cane.

ARRIVAL

The monsoon season starts with the arrival on the Kerala coast on about June 1 and covers the whole country by mid-July. Its progress triggers planting of summer crops.

PROGRESS

After hitting the Kerala coast, it takes about a week to cover the coffee, tea and rubber growing areas of south India.

It spreads to the rice areas of eastern parts in the first 10 days. It usually covers half of the country in the first fortnight and enters the oilseed-producing areas of central India in the third week of June. Cotton-growing areas in the western region get rains by the first week of July.

Half of India's farm output comes from crops planted during the first half of the June-September season.

The quantum of summer rains also influences winter food crops such as wheat and rapeseed which are grown in irrigated areas which use water in reservoirs dependent on monsoon rains.

Distribution of the rains across key arable regions is also a major factor in farm production.

Here are some facts on the monsoon and its impact:

CROPS

RICE -- Farmers sow paddy at the start of the monsoon season in June and the key areas are in eastern and southern regions. The crop is heavily dependent on rains for irrigation.

A bumper harvest last year led the government to lift a four year ban on exports and rainfall within averages will erase any chance of a return of the export ban for the world's second largest producer of the grain after China.

India is likely to emerge as the world's second largest rice exporter in 2012, selling around 7 million tonnes, while Pakistan's shipments are expected to bounce back to about 4 million tonnes amid the high prices of rival Thailand, the world's biggest exporter.

India produced 103 million tonnes of rice in the crop year to June 2012, according to the farm ministry, while it consumes around 90 million tonnes of rice annually.

SUGARCANE: An average monsoon will help the world's top sugar producer after Brazil to keep exports flowing for the new season from October 1. India has allowed 3 million tonnes of sugar for overseas sales in the 2011/12 season and could consider more.

India is expected to produce a total 26 million tonnes in 2011/12, higher than annual demand of about 22 million tonnes, with at least 25 million tonnes likely in 2012/13.

OTHERS: Corn, lentils, oilseeds and cotton -- important crops in western and central India -- have some dependency on the seasonal rains. India remains a net importer of lentils and cooking oils and domestic output can alter overseas purchases.

An average monsoon could also allow the world's second biggest producer of cotton to lift its current ban on exports after record overseas sales in 2011/12 on a bumper harvest.

ECONOMY AND MARKETS

-- The monsoon rains are vital for farm output and economic growth in India, the world's second-biggest producer of rice, wheat, sugar and cotton. Agriculture accounts for about 15 percent of India's nearly $2 trillion economy, Asia's third biggest.

-- India is largely self-sufficient in major foodgrains such as rice and wheat, but drought can send the country to global markets. In 2009, India had to import sugar, sending global prices to record highs and pushing up inflation.

-- If monsoon rains lift farm output, that can boost domestic demand as it raises incomes of rural people, who make up about two-thirds of India's population of 1.2 billion. The consequent higher demand for goods and services can boost economic growth.

-- Higher farm output would also rein in food prices and help the government to take steps to cut the fiscal deficit and farm subsidies. India's food inflation rose to 8.22 percent in March from 6.62 percent in February, latest figures show.

-- A stronger economic outlook can lift sentiment in equity markets, mainly of companies selling products in rural areas, including consumer goods and automobiles.

-- Monsoon rains impact demand for gold in India, the world's top consumer of the metal, as purchases get a boost when farming incomes rise amid high crop output. Rural demand is about 70 percent of India's annual gold consumption as bullion is a popular investment in areas where banks are scarce.

IRRIGATION, POWER

-- Monsoon rains replenish reservoirs and lift ground-water levels, allowing better irrigation and more hydropower output.

-- Higher rainfall levels can trim demand for subsidised diesel, which is used to pump water from wells for irrigation when rainfall is scant. Diesel accounts for about 40 percent of India's oil products demand.

Communications at work

Communications at work

Face-to-Face communications at work..

Today, most of your clients, colleagues and stakeholders are just a phone call or email away -- technology has made communication that simple. However, while tools like telephones and computers score high on convenience and speed, they lack the warmth and emotion that face-to-face communication provides.

Appreciating colleagues

In the words of Helen Keller, 'We are all walking with a signboard on our forehead which reads -- 'Appreciate me'.' It seems we have replaced the pat on the back with 'Thank you' and 'Good job' emails. But there is nothing that motivates someone more than seeing their boss walk up to them and appreciate them in front of everyone. Read more after the break...



Go to your colleague's cubicle and congratulate them on the great report they sent or the presentation they made recently. I remember one of my ex-bosses who used to call us team members to his cabin just to say 'thanks' and pat our backs. The team immediately took a liking to him as most people expect a warning or feedback when the boss invites them to their cabin.

"It's difficult to build rapport over an email; I would feel much better if my boss appreciates me in person," says Ashok Krishnan, a CA with Nestle.

Criticising or providing feedback

When you provide feedback over an email or a phone call, the receiver may have a completely different perception about its relevance. This effect is amplified when you are not communicating face-to-face. The reader or listener may think you are cold and indifferent and that's why you avoided meeting them in person to discuss the issue. A face-to-face meeting gives you the opportunity to put your point across, while being sensitive and diplomatic at the same time.

"I have noticed that colleagues often use emails to avoid confronting the real issue. If someone fails to meet their target, I would prefer they tell me in person than offer an explanation over email," says Vidhanshu Bansal, a director with Pixel Webtech.

Assigning new responsibilityThere is a great risk of the message getting diluted when a responsibility gets delegated through email or a phone call. Don't be surprised if your team does not show a sense of ownership or complete tasks on time if you are not communicating face-to-face. Nonverbal communication, such as tone of voice, facial gestures and eye contact help individuals understand the importance of a task and the need to complete it on time.

"We rely on conference calls, video conferencing and online meetings but, from my experience, there's nothing more impactful than meeting the team in person," says Delhi-based Ashu Gosh, a manager with Aviar IT Consulting.

Damage control with clients
If you haven't provided the product or service the client expected, you are putting your relationship with the client at stake. An apology mail would not suffice in a sensitive issue like this. Go to the client's office, if possible, without them having to call you for an explanation, and reassure them that the confidence they demonstrated when they gave you business was not misplaced. Your client would be pleasantly surprised that you took the time to come and meet them, especially when things went wrong.

"I used to interact on almost a daily basis with a client over emails without ever figuring out whether the person was male or female. When a report I was supposed to send got delayed, I made a rude comment about a female colleague which offended the client who happened to be a lady herself," says Deepak M.L, a manager with Convergys.

Resolving conflicts

Workplace conflicts are common in most organisations. The lack of interpersonal communication only worsens the situation. It's important to remember that 55 per cent of meaning in an interaction comes from facial and body language and 38 per cent comes from vocal inflection. Only seven per cent of an interaction's meaning is derived from the words themselves. So, trying to resolve a conflict over email or a phone call is often a bad idea.

"A colleague complained about another colleague and copied the senior management on the mail. I was surprised to see that mail translating into a flood of mails providing and seeking explanation. The person who sent the original mail was just one floor above the person who was at the receiving end. I had to sit down with both of them in person to resolve the conflict," says Kailasam R, a manager with Lufthansa Airlines.

Your communication style says a lot about you as a professional. In the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, 'You are always under examination by people around you, awarding or denying you very high prizes when you least think of it.' So leave the comfort of your cubicle and build trustworthy relationships by communicating face to face.

Dress For Interview

Dress For Interview

While the college campus may be the perfect forum in which to exhibit your flair for the latest in fashion style, the interview is not the place to do so. With very few unusual exceptions, sandals and sweatshirts are out. Oxfords and business suits are still in. A necktie is still a fact of life in interviewing. Even though many companies have relaxed the internal company dress code, interviews still follow the conservative standard. Don't buck the trend.

Unfortunately, most college grads are woefully underprepared with proper interview dress. They feel they can "get by" with what is already in their wardrobe. Usually not. Dress for the world outside college is quite different from the campus scene. Remember that stylish is not conservative. You should be doing the talking, not your clothes. Read more after the break...

This is not to say that you need to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. Go for quality over quantity. One or two well-chosen business suits will serve you all the way to the first day on the job and beyond. Then, when you are making some money (and have a chance to see what the standard "uniform" is for the company), you can begin to round out your wardrobe. For now, no one will fault you for wearing the same sharp outfit each time you interview. If you desire some variety within a limited budget, you might consider varying your shirt/blouse/tie/accessories as a simple way to change your look without breaking your wallet.

For those of you who need a quick review of the basics, follow these guidelines for successful interview dress:

Men and Women

• Conservative two-piece business suit (solid dark blue or grey is best)
• Conservative long-sleeved shirt/blouse (white is best, pastel is next best)
• Clean, polished conservative shoes
• Well-groomed hairstyle
• Clean, trimmed fingernails
• Minimal cologne or perfume
• Empty pockets--no bulges or tinkling coins
• No gum, candy or cigarettes
• Light briefcase or portfolio case
• No visible body piercing (nose rings, eyebrow rings, etc.)

Men

• Necktie should be silk with a conservative pattern
• Dark shoes (black lace-ups are best)
• Dark socks (black is best)
• Get a haircut; short hair always fares best in interviews
• No beards (unless you are interviewing for a job as a lumberjack!)
• Mustaches are a possible negative, but if you must, make sure it is neat and trimmed
• No rings other than wedding ring or college ring
• No earrings (if you normally wear one, take it out)

Women

• Always wear a suit with a jacket; no dresses
• Shoes with conservative heels
• Conservative hosiery at or near skin color (and no runs!)
• No purses, small or large; carry a briefcase instead
• If you wear nail polish (not required), use clear or a conservative color
• Minimal use of makeup (it should not be too noticeable)
• No more than one ring on each hand
• One set of earrings only

If you are still not sure how to dress for the interview, call them and ask! That's right--call the employer. But this is one time when you do not want to call the Hiring Manager--instead, ask to be put through to Human Resources and say:

"I have an interview with _____ in the _____ department for a position as an _____. Could you please tell me what would be appropriate dress for this interview?"

Sure, you run the risk of someone in HR thinking you are a social imbecile, but that's a lot better than having the Hiring Manager distracted by inappropriate interview dress.

While many work environments have shifted to business casual as the work standard, business suits are still the interview standard. When in doubt, it is almost always better to err on the side of conservatism.

One final note on interview dress: while it goes without saying that your interview clothes should be neat and clean, very few interviewees give the same time and attention to their shoes. Shoes? Yes, shoes. I am aware of at least one Corporate Recruiter who forms first impressions based solely (pardon the pun) on shoes. This person does not have a shoe fetish--he subjectively judges that those who pay attention to details like their shoes are also likely to be diligent in their work life. And it is not just that person's opinion. Many have said that you can judge a person by their shoes. You will find that many ex-military officers (many of whom have found their way into management positions in corporate America) are especially aware of a person's shoes. It is not enough to be clean, pressed, and ironed. Make sure your shoes are conservative, clean, and polished.

Dress For Interview

Dress For Interview

While the college campus may be the perfect forum in which to exhibit your flair for the latest in fashion style, the interview is not the place to do so. With very few unusual exceptions, sandals and sweatshirts are out. Oxfords and business suits are still in. A necktie is still a fact of life in interviewing. Even though many companies have relaxed the internal company dress code, interviews still follow the conservative standard. Don't buck the trend.

Unfortunately, most college grads are woefully underprepared with proper interview dress. They feel they can "get by" with what is already in their wardrobe. Usually not. Dress for the world outside college is quite different from the campus scene. Remember that stylish is not conservative. You should be doing the talking, not your clothes. Read more after the break...

This is not to say that you need to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. Go for quality over quantity. One or two well-chosen business suits will serve you all the way to the first day on the job and beyond. Then, when you are making some money (and have a chance to see what the standard "uniform" is for the company), you can begin to round out your wardrobe. For now, no one will fault you for wearing the same sharp outfit each time you interview. If you desire some variety within a limited budget, you might consider varying your shirt/blouse/tie/accessories as a simple way to change your look without breaking your wallet.

For those of you who need a quick review of the basics, follow these guidelines for successful interview dress:

Men and Women

• Conservative two-piece business suit (solid dark blue or grey is best)
• Conservative long-sleeved shirt/blouse (white is best, pastel is next best)
• Clean, polished conservative shoes
• Well-groomed hairstyle
• Clean, trimmed fingernails
• Minimal cologne or perfume
• Empty pockets--no bulges or tinkling coins
• No gum, candy or cigarettes
• Light briefcase or portfolio case
• No visible body piercing (nose rings, eyebrow rings, etc.)

Men

• Necktie should be silk with a conservative pattern
• Dark shoes (black lace-ups are best)
• Dark socks (black is best)
• Get a haircut; short hair always fares best in interviews
• No beards (unless you are interviewing for a job as a lumberjack!)
• Mustaches are a possible negative, but if you must, make sure it is neat and trimmed
• No rings other than wedding ring or college ring
• No earrings (if you normally wear one, take it out)

Women

• Always wear a suit with a jacket; no dresses
• Shoes with conservative heels
• Conservative hosiery at or near skin color (and no runs!)
• No purses, small or large; carry a briefcase instead
• If you wear nail polish (not required), use clear or a conservative color
• Minimal use of makeup (it should not be too noticeable)
• No more than one ring on each hand
• One set of earrings only

If you are still not sure how to dress for the interview, call them and ask! That's right--call the employer. But this is one time when you do not want to call the Hiring Manager--instead, ask to be put through to Human Resources and say:

"I have an interview with _____ in the _____ department for a position as an _____. Could you please tell me what would be appropriate dress for this interview?"

Sure, you run the risk of someone in HR thinking you are a social imbecile, but that's a lot better than having the Hiring Manager distracted by inappropriate interview dress.

While many work environments have shifted to business casual as the work standard, business suits are still the interview standard. When in doubt, it is almost always better to err on the side of conservatism.

One final note on interview dress: while it goes without saying that your interview clothes should be neat and clean, very few interviewees give the same time and attention to their shoes. Shoes? Yes, shoes. I am aware of at least one Corporate Recruiter who forms first impressions based solely (pardon the pun) on shoes. This person does not have a shoe fetish--he subjectively judges that those who pay attention to details like their shoes are also likely to be diligent in their work life. And it is not just that person's opinion. Many have said that you can judge a person by their shoes. You will find that many ex-military officers (many of whom have found their way into management positions in corporate America) are especially aware of a person's shoes. It is not enough to be clean, pressed, and ironed. Make sure your shoes are conservative, clean, and polished.

Money Facts

Money Facts

• The word millionaire was first used by Benjamin Disraeli in his 1826 novel Vivian Grey.
• If you stack one million US$1 bills, it would be 110m (361 ft) high and weight exactly 1 ton.
• A million dollars' worth of $100 bills weighs only 10 kg (22 lb).
• One million dollars' worth of once-cent coins (100 million coins) weigh 246 tons.
• TIP is the acronym for "To Insure Promptness."
• The term "Blue Chip" comes from the colour of the poker chip with the highest value, blue.
  (Read more facts after the break...)
  
  
• Nessie, the Loch Ness monster is protected by the 1912 Protection of Animals Acts of Scotland. With good reason - Nessie is worth $40 million annually to Scottish tourism.
• Of the more than $50 billion worth of diet products sold every year, almost $20 billion are spent on imitation fats and sugar substitutes.
• Annual global spending on education is $80 billion.
• US and European expenditure on pet food is $17 billion per year.
• The global expenditure on healthcare and nutrition is $13 billion.
• Money notes are not made from paper, it is made mostly from a special blend of cotton and linen.
• In 1932, when a shortage of cash occurred in Tenino, Washington, USA, notes were made out of wood for a brief period. The wood notes came in $1, $5 and $10 values.
• The world's largest coins, in size and standard value, were copper plates used in Alaska around 1850. They were about a metre (3 ft) long, half-a-metre (about 2 ft) wide, weighed 40 kg (90 lb), and were worth $2,500.
• The first credit card was issued by American Express in 1951.
• About 30% of consumers use their credit card as their main means of buying Christmas goodies, 70% do not save to buy Christmas gifts and 86% of consumers do their Christmas shopping during December.
• Excessive use of credit is cited as a major cause of non-business b@nkruptcy, second only to unemployment.
• Statistics show that people with high, medium and low income groups spend about the same amount on Christmas gifts.
• In the 1400s, global income rose only 0,1% per year; today it often tops 5%.
• The average age of Forbes's 400 wealthiest individuals is 63.
• In 1955 the richest woman in the world was Mrs Hetty Green Wilks, who left an estate of $95 million in a will that was found in a tin box with four pieces of soap.
• In 2001 the richest woman was Liliane Bettencourt, the daughter of L'Oreal's founder. She has a net worth of $14 billion (depending on how the stock market did today).
• In 2000, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands is the second wealthiest woman, with $5,2 billion.
• Queen Elizabeth II is one of the 10th wealthiest women in the world.
• The $ sign was designed in 1788 by Oliver Pollock.
• The term "smart money" refers to g@mblers who have inside information or have arranged a fix, the g@mbling term for insuring the outcome of an event by illegal methods.
• Small-time g@mblers who place small bet in order to prolong the excitement of a game are called "dead fish" by game operators because the longer the playing time, the greater the chances of losing.
• In g@mbling language, for a g@mbling house a "sure-thing" is a wager that a player has little chance of winning; "easy money" is their profit from an inexperienced bettor, an unlucky player is called a "stiff."
• Australians are the heaviest g@mblers in the world; an estimated 82% of Australians bet. That is twice as much per capita as Europeans or Americans. Yet, Australia, with less than 1% of the world population, has 20% of the world's poker machines.
• There are more than 7 million millionaires in the world.
• 80% of millionaires drive second-hand cars.
• In 1900, the price of gold was less than $40 per ounce. It reached $600 in 1930, now struggling to reach $400 per ounce.
• If Los Angeles County was a country, it would be the 19th largest economy in the world.
• If California was a country, it would be the 5th largest economy in the world.
• Tobacc0 is a $200 billion industry, producing six trillion cig@rettes a year - about 1,000 cig@rettes for each person on earth.

• In 1965, CEOs earned on average 44 times more than factory workers. In 1998, CEOs earned on average 326 times more than factory workers and in 1999, they earned 419 times more than factory workers.
• The income gap between the richest fifth of the world's people and the poorest measured by average national income per head increased from 30 to one in 1960, to 74 to one in 1998.
• A third of the world's people live on less than $2 a day, with 1,2 billion people living on less than $1 a day.
• In the 17th century, wool fabrics accounted for about two-thirds of England's foreign trade. Today, the leading wool producers are Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and China.
• The NASDAQ stock exchange was totally disabled in on day in December 1987 when a squirrel burrowed through a telephone line.
• In 1990, the word "recession" appeared in 1,583 articles in The Wall Street Journal.
• Global sales of pre-recorded music total more than $40 billion.
• Tourism is the world's biggest industry, affecting 240 million jobs.
• In 1865, Frederik Idestam founded a wood-pulp mill in southern Finland, naming it Nokia. It rapidly gained worldwide recognition, attracting a large number of workforce and the town Nokia was born. In 1898, the Finnish Rubber Works company opened in Nokia, taking on the town name in the 1920s. After WWII, the rubber company took a majority shareholding in the Finnish Cable Work. In 1967, the companies consolidated to become the Nokia Group. The recession of the 1990s led the group to focus on the mobile phone market.

Online CV

Online CV

Ways of Putting your CV online...

In a technology-enabled world, even your resume has to be tailored to find a good job. Most companies prefer receiving job applications via e-mail, as it is convenient, simple and also environment-friendly.

While traditional techniques like sending a properly formatted, professionally written and eye-catching resume printed out from a computer remains relevant, a Web-based format will enhance your possibilities of finding a good job. This format refers to your approach to resume-preparation based on how you want it to be delivered to the recipient. We highlight a few formats you must consider:

Text-based CV (also known as ASCII)
A simple version that can be pasted directly into the body of an e-mail. ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) is a code for representing English characters as numbers, with each letter assigned a number from 0 to 127. The format is simplistic and the focus has to be on content. Most computers use ASCII codes to represent text, which makes it possible to transfer data from one computer to another. Read more after the break...


As this is a text-based resume, try not to make it flashy. The resume should be readable and any computer system can read a file in this format. The downside is its universal acceptance limits your ability to use graphics and special fonts like italics, etc.

Tip: This format is best suited for non-creative jobs like manufacturing, operations, engineering, technical support, etc.

Scan-able CVThis kind of a resume can be run through a scanner that has character recognition capabilities. The employer can store your resume in their database and search it using key words for any future openings.

Put your name at the top of each page if your resume exceeds one page. Use industry or job-specific keywords so your resume is easily searchable within the database. Some keywords, for instance, could be 'market research', 'sales consultant', 'project manager', 'result oriented', etc. Avoid any graphics or images in this kind of a resume, as it may make scanning difficult.

Tip: This format works best when applying for jobs directly on the company's portal. Your resume gets stored in the company's database, so ease of search must be given the highest priority.

Personal Resume Web site
A very convenient way of sharing (and showing off) your skills, accomplishments and abilities is by creating a personal resume Web site. This doesn't need to be a very complicated site, but it should display your work favourably. It can include articles you have written, artwork and photography you have created, or software you have developed. You can even provide links to reports, papers, studies, brochures, projects, presentations, testimonials, letters of recommendations, any kudos you have received -- from customers, clients, colleagues, past employers, professors, etc. The biggest advantage is having your resume available 24/7 to all potential employers.

A number of sites host Web pages. To find some, try Free Web Space.

Tip: This format is best suited for creative professionals like Web site designers, animation and design professionals, etc.

CD PortfolioA digital copy of your portfolio can easily be burnt on to a CD that can be used in the CD-ROM drive of a potential employer. A CD can easily fit into your briefcase or bag and you will have a resume that will be on the move with you. Moreover, you will not have to struggle with carrying around a tremendous, oversized binder, or a huge case filled with your samples.

Tip: This format works best if you are an artist, photographer, fashion designer, model, etc and you need to demonstrate a portfolio or body of work to a prospective employer or client.

Word or PDF attachmentIf you want to e-mail a fancier version of your resume to an employer by attaching a Word document or Acrobat PDF file, go right ahead. Just make sure the file is of a reasonable size (100K or less) and you still include the plain-text version in the body of your e-mail, just in case your recipient can't open or print the attachment. In case of a PDF file, make sure the font size is a minimum of 14 or readability will take a backseat.

Tip: The benefit of this resume is it is highly compatible and consistent in appearance across platforms, though difficult to place directly into databases. Check out Web-based resumes of Alex Bischoff, a freelance designer.

An online friendly resume will project you as a candidate who takes initiative, is tech savvy and has relevant skills. It will also open multiple doors for you in an extremely competitive job market.