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http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-psssst_your_boss_is_spying_on_you-1265
These days, even your instant messages are tracked.
May 2010
Think your privacy is protected at the office? Think again. In fact, if you're reading this at work, there's a very good chance that your boss is, too.
While we no longer live in the days when Henry Ford could freely inspect his employees' homes, technological advances have erased the idea of employee privacy at work.
Employers monitor employees not only to rate employee performance but also to assess and prevent security risks, fraud, and sexual harassment. Modern workers are exposed to a wide variety of privacy-invasive procedures such as drug and psychological testing, video surveillance, phone monitoring, location tracking, computer monitoring, email filtering, instant-message archiving, and keystroke logging.
Industries notorious for their extensive practice of employee monitoring include financial services, telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, insurance, and government. But no one with a job is safe from workplace privacy invasions.
How private are your activities at your workplace? Not very. Here are some things you need to know:
Your employer can--and likely does--read your e-mail. More companies than ever are reading employee email. Nearly three-fourths use technology tools to sort the email, but 40 percent actually have a real person who reads and reviews emails. So if you're one of the 79 percent of employees who use a work email account to send or receive personal messages, beware! And you're not even safe using your personal account on your work computer, since emails are sent through the same server, giving employers access to everything.
Your company probably tracks your phone use. Although the law varies among states, employers often monitor employee phone use. According to a recent surveillance study, 51 percent of companies track the numbers dialed and time spent on the phone, 12 percent record phone conversations, and 8 percent review voicemail messages. Some states don't require a warning to employees that this extensive monitoring is in effect; you can find out by asking your HR department.
Your employer may monitor your personal text messages on your company cell phone. Employees of private companies should have no expectation of privacy when using company-issued handheld communication devices. However, unlike emails stored on the company server, text messages are archived by cell phone companies--and many employers do not pay for access.
Even your IM conversations aren't sacred. Back in 2005, only 10 percent of companies tracked their employees' instant messages. However, as IMs have become more pervasive, more companies are investing in tracking software for IM monitoring.
Your boss can monitor your Facebook account, even if you restrict public viewing. If you access your favorite social media profiles on your work computer, you give your employer instant access to your entire profile. In fact, a recent study reveals that more than 70 percent of corporations have access to employees' use of social media.
Your employer can access your personal photos, videos, music, and more. Do you ever charge your phone or camera through your work computer? According to Jeffrey Keener, senior security engineer at Guidance, a company that produces company security software, "If you had an iPod or a digital camera charging through the USB port, we could browse all the files that were stored on the device."
To top it all off, your boss can probably track your every move. If your workplace has a CCTV (closed-circuit TV) system, then you already know you're being watched. But there are subtle ways for employers to track your location. Employee ID "key badges" help employers track where you've been, security software can track how long you spend away from your computer, and the GPS program on your company-issued cell phone can provide your exact location at all times.
With some computer-monitoring programs priced as low as $30, more and more employers see employee monitoring as a valuable investment. So the next time you decide to surf the Web for non-work-related reasons, send a personal email through your work email account, or sneak out for an extra long lunch, just remember that you're likely being watched.
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http://beta.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/article454102.ece
June 12, 2010
Arun Karuppaswamy
Two incidents drove me to write this article. In the first incident, a woman wished that her son became a “Mechatronics Engineer” (Mechatronics deals with the mechanical and electronics principles applied together). She explained that “Robotics” is the future of the world (guess Steven Spielberg has had some influence over her) and “Mechatronics Engineers” would be in great demand in future. She thought her son could build a robot on graduating.
In the second incident, a student from my school got into an IIT recently. One of my schoolteachers mentioned this and added: “He is a brilliant student who is well-planned. He has started preparations to sit for GMAT after his engineering.” GMAT is an examination to get into management schools (primarily in the U.S. and several other English-speaking nations). My teacher believes that engineering, followed by a management course, is a good option.
In this article, I try to make clear some facts about ‘engineering' — facts which will prove the above (and some other) expectations and beliefs to be far from reality.
Engineers are super-humans
People do not understand the reality of ‘engineering.' For them, engineers are “super-humans” who build rockets, robots, electric vehicles and the like. The reason is that when a person says he works on a satellite project, people jump to the conclusion that he knows every detail of building a satellite. In reality, no engineer can know the entire details of projects. For example, it requires people from various disciplines such as electrical, mechanical, chemical and materials engineering to design an electric car.
Since the common man has the “super-human” view in mind, he generally does not accept or appreciate many of the “real” engineering works. For example, a home inverter might not bring about any awe to the common man as does an electric vehicle (though both might be equally challenging to build), because he often finds a technician setting right the problems in a home inverter. The technician just knows by experience what to do, whereas an engineer knows why it has to be done.
Engineering is more valuable than science
First, I will clarify the difference between ‘science' and ‘engineering' through a simple example. The study of optics of materials will fall under science. Scientists (physicists, in this case) will try to explain the optical properties which different materials possess. If someone tries to use the optical properties to make a microscope or a camera, he will be an engineer. Scientists establish facts which engineers exploit to make things useful to society. History would tell you that scientists did a lot of engineering work in the earlier days (between 1700 and 1900 when a lot of development really happened in science and engineering).
Today, with the vastness of the different fields, science and engineering have separated. Now, scientists rarely take up engineering work. Nevertheless, I would say scientists play a greater role as they have to establish the basic facts for engineers to build upon.
Unfortunately, since the result of engineering is the one that fetches money, people have a craze for engineering. It is disheartening to see a Ph.D. student in science getting a lesser stipend than a Ph.D. student in engineering. It should have been the other way round. Any nation that ignores the role of science cannot survive in the long run.
Management studies goes with engineering
A degree in engineering followed by a degree in Management is the much sought-after combination. Again, a ‘myth' that engineering and management are related is at work. Engineering (with science as the basis) has nothing to do with management (which does not involve science). A lucrative salary is what attracts people to management studies.
Furthermore, most institutes do not introduce engineering in a proper way, leaving students without confidence to pursue higher education.
We need more IITs
There are many IITs coming up, ostensibly to help the nation meet the requirement of engineers. Truly speaking, we have enough of engineers. Design, the work of engineers, requires just a few people.
The dearth is not in the number but in the quality of engineers we produce. It is enough if we are able to improve and maintain the quality of our institutes and retain the people graduating from them by creating ample opportunities for them to work in India with a good salary. It is better to improve and maintain the standards of the NITs, the IITs and other government institutes than creating newer ones and diluting the existing standards.
Foreign MNCs do best R&D engineering
Foreign multinationals that claim to have research and development centres in India do not do real engineering work in the country, as it is natural for any company to have real product development on home soil.
Here again, the salary is what attracts people (thanks to the dollar-rupee conversion). This is a case of brain drain, in which the brains are hired not to work. Though many might not accept, the basic aim of the foreign MNCs is to utilise the cheap labour in the developing countries to run their manufacturing units; product development is not their primary goal.
People generally end up doing tasks that are not as challenging as is the work in smaller Indian industries trying to develop products of their own.
A B.E/B. Tech graduate is an “Engineer”
With the vastness of technology, in the present day one cannot call oneself an engineer just on graduating. A B.E. / B. Tech. graduate knows just the basics. I would say that post-graduation is a must. Or at least, one needs to work for a few years to understand and build engineering products. A lot of people believe that a B.E. graduate in aerospace would be able to build rockets on graduating. If it were so, there would be rockets flying everywhere!
I would advise people without an engineering background to talk to people who do real engineering work to take decisions before choosing the field for their children. The aim of education is not merely to land a high-paying job. It should empower you to find a suitable work for yourself.
(email: post2akp@gmail. com)
http://www.theprofessionalcollection.com/Artwork/business.htm
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http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/98292/EDUCATION/Hubs+of+excellence.html
Hubs of excellence
May 22, 2010
1 Banaras Hindu University
The Halls of Ivy
Chanting expansion mantra has catapulted the university to new heights.
Established in 1916, BHU was founded by social reformer and freedom fighter Madan Mohan Malviya who travelled extensively across the country to gather funds and donations to set up the university.
The fact that BHU offers several courses has turned out to be its USP. What has also worked in our favour is the fact that the campus still maintains the socio-cultural ethos of India. -- D.P. Singh, vice-chancellor, BHU |
In his endeavours, he was supported by social activist Annie Besant. Once the foundation of the university was laid, studying in BHU became a rage among the students. Such was the euphoria that at the time of third Parliament around 1962, as many as 137 MPs were BHU alumni. Mahatma Gandhi himself visited the university about 13 times and lived with the students and teachers to guide them on matters related to the freedom struggle and to emphasise on the importance of education. It is no surprise then that the university has produced a number of eminent politicians, scientists, bureaucrats and has churned out numerous success stories.
In fact, BHU's role in setting up the higher education network is often forgotten. BHU played an integral part in setting up the now internationally recognised Indian Institute of Technology. "We had already set up the technology and engineering institutes at a time when there were no such institutes in the country," says Professor B.N. Pandey, head of the media and public relations cell.
In 1918, BHU had its full-fledged engineering institute called the Institute of Technology (IT) with departments like glass technology, geophysics, and metallurgy. Many alumni of this college have been responsible for setting up the modern IITs. "You may highlight the IITs and other institutes, but the fact is that it was BHU that played a pivotal role in the creation of the today's IITs," says an IT professor, adding that almost all BHU students in IT get placed every year while the students of the medical, agriculture and science departments also get lucrative offers. Pandey says that at present BHU registers highest number of research papers and thesises in the country.
Science may seem like BHU's core strength but the humanities form an essential asset to the university. The frontrunner here is the Department of Musicology that has played a pioneering role in developing the theoretical aspect of the discipline. It has also given a number of musicians and instrumentalists to the country like eminent violinist N. Rajan.
Over the years, BHU has included a number of courses in its syllabi, from astrology and metallurgy to visual and performing arts. Spread across 3,000 acres of sprawling land, the BHU campus has more than 30,000 students and more than 2,000 faculty members. "What attracts the students from India and abroad is the variety of courses. I do not think there would be any other university in the country that offers 140 courses under one umbrella," says Vinod Singh, a BHU alumnus working with the All India Radio.
BHU has also come up with innovative ideas such as 'Earn While You Learn', a scheme that has become immensely popular among young people in the campus. The students are given Rs 50 per hour for working in important areas of social work that include working in hospitals. "A number of students who come from the economically poor background get substantial support, thanks to the scheme," says Dr Ashutosh Shukla of the BHU Medical College and Hospital.
The university was rated in the 'A' category by the National Assessment Accreditation Council. Many of its other departments too have received acclaim for the quality of education. For instance, the immunology and biological sciences department was ranked third, agricultural and biological sciences was ranked seventh, biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology was ranked eighth. A number of foreign students also seek admission in this prestigious university.
Its past achievements may be intimidating but expansion and innovation into the future has kept BHU on its feet. The Rajiv Gandhi South Campus of the BHU in Mirzapur, 80 km from Varanasi, offers 45 courses that aim at rural empowerment, and there are plans to expand it further. "We are planning to develop the second campus as a place where students can be guided and work towards rural development," says Pandey. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has allocated Rs 27 crore as grant for the Rajiv Gandhi South Campus.
Vice-Chancellor D.P. Singh has already raised the issue of expansion in front of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. Next in line is the plan to set up Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development with funding from the UGC at the South Campus. "The Prime Minister's Office has itself declared this university best in the top three," says Pandey. With such elaborate plans, the university is on its way to achieve new milestones.
by Subhash Mishra
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View the 9-page PDF version of the article in print copy here:
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Here is the PowerPoint presentation made by our Vice-Chancellor, Prof. D. P. Singh during Dinner Reception held at New Jersey on May 8th, 2010. It was forwarded to us by Chandrakant Trivedi (B. Pharm 1975). The vice-chancellor discussed following two presentations:
a) BHU Facts (27 slides)
This presentation describes overview of the university, past distinguished alumni, rankings by magazines, initiatives taken by the university authority, social responsibility, etc.
To view the presentation, click here.
For Alumni-Part 1-BHU facts.ppsx
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b) BHU Campus photo gallery (50 slides)
This presentation describes Campus landmarks (including hostels, temples, facilities), Rajiv Gandhi South Campus, city area near university, BHU International Alumni Meet, etc.
To view the presentation, click here.
For Alumni-Part 2-BHU Campus photo gallery.ppsx
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(Chronicle note-The new Indian govt. rule asking NRI Indian holding US passports to surrender their old Indian passports have created confusion and havoc among Indian community in US. It is particularly distressing for NRIs planning to visit India in near future. Since a sizable number of our alumni (estimated at about 4,000) live in US, we believe this article will provide some useful information.)
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Latest Update (June 1, 2010)
The website of Consulate general of India in New York has following clarification posted after mass protests from NRI Indians in US:
http://indiacgny.org/php/showHighLightDet.php?h_id=144&key=
Fees for Obtaining Surrender / Renunciation Certificate
In supersession of the rules regarding Surrender/Renunciation Certificate the Government of India have decided as follow:-
Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) who have already acquired foreign citizenship voluntarily till May 31, 2010 shall cease to be Indian citizens upon their acquiring foreign citizenship. However, such persons are required to surrender their Indian passports, whether valid or expired, to the Indian Consulate so that the passport is not misused. Such persons are not required to pay any fee under the Citizenship Act. However, they will have to pay US$ 20/- for Surrender/Cancellation of the passports.
Those Indian citizens, who intend to acquire foreign citizenship on or after 1st June 2010 will have to submit a declaration of renunciation of their Indian citizenship with payment of US$ 175/- as per fee structure under Rule 23 of the Citizenship Rules, 2009.
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http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_nris-face-obstacle-course-in-travelling-to-india_1390356
Uttara Choudhury / DNA
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 4:21 IST
NEW YORK: Thousands of non-resident Indians (NRIs) are beginning to feel like ‘Not Required Indians’ as they endure a bureaucratic ordeal with their old Indian passports. They say New Delhi’s hard-as-nails visa rules are forcing them to navigate an “obstacle course” in travelling home to India.
The two million Indian-Americans who put a human face — not to mention a voter’s face and a campaign contributor’s face — on the lobbying push for the India-US civilian nuclear deal on Capitol Hill say they are “anguished” by the new travel rules. They feel they are paying for the sins of Lashkar-e-Taiba operative David Coleman Headley as India launches a series of visa reforms.
Worldwide, hundreds of thousands of ex-Indian nationals have signed a petition to protest New Delhi’s move to force Indians to renounce their old passports for a stiff fee. Indians who have become naturalised US citizens have to surrender their old Indian passports and obtain a ‘surrender certificate’ for up to $425 before receiving a new visa to travel to India. Failure to provide the ‘surrender certificate’ would mean the denial of an Indian travel visa.
“I lost my Indian passport 15 to 16 years ago and have been travelling to India all these years on my multiple-entry visa. My mother is now dying of cancer and I have to see her. What am I to do?” said businessman GP Shah, 58, who stood in a labyrinthine queue outside the Indian consulate in New York on Saturday. Shah was planning to use the long May 29 Memorial Day weekend holiday in America to travel out to see his mother in Ahmedabad.
Instead, he has spent it running around the consulate furnishing a notarised affidavit saying he has lost his passport. In some cases, Indians are being asked for police reports if they have misplaced their old passports.
The forms for the surrender certificates have changed three times in a span of days. Confusion over the new rule has morphed into outrage at the Byzantine requirements: five copies of the original passport, a copy of the renouncer’s naturalisation certificate and US passport, and outrageous fees that must be paid by money order.
The Indian embassy in Washington says the policy isn’t really new at all but rather “tougher enforcement” of a rule that has been on the books since 1955, but rarely implemented.
“Why are they asking us now for our old Indian passports?” asked Indrani Mukherjee, a librarian from Manhattan who said she lost her Indian passport decades ago. “If this is the law, then it should have been enforced right from the start. It is the Government of India which didn’t follow its own rules for the last four decades. Now they are whipping us!”
Indian consulates across the US have irate hordes descending on them as millions of Indians have obtained foreign citizenship in the past 50 years and obtained Indian visas without having surrendered their Indian passports. “It is a bureaucratic nightmare,” said an Indian embassy official who did not want to be named. “Delhi makes the rules and here we are stuck working weekends trying to sort out the bloody mess and paperwork.”
The Indian government also requires foreign nationals who travel to India on multiple-entry tourist visas to have a gap of at least 60 days between each visit to India. This rule is cruel for Indians with ailing parents as they typically snatch short, frequent tips to India.
“As dual nationality is not allowed by India, an Indian passport should automatically be considered void once an Indian citizen accepts a foreign passport. To require such persons to visit the issue retrospectively after several years is both futile and insensitive,” said Sanjay Puri, chairman of the US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC).
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Additional links:
* Consulate General of India, New York, USA
Renunciation of Indian Citizenship/Obtaining Surrender Certificate-Frequently Asked Questions
http://www.indiacgny.org/php/showHighLightDet.php?h_id=143&key=
* NRIs Protest New Indian Visa/Passport Rules
http://www.indiawest.com/readmore.aspx?id=2250&Sid=1
* Online Petition-Opposition to Retroactive Enforcement of New Rules for Surrender of Indian Passport
http://www.petitiononline.com/ip100521/petition.html
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Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University
Varanasi 221005, UP