December 21, 2011

A visit to remember...




Yet another proud moment for  TAPMI… A milestone for Atharva...

T. V. Mohandas Pai, former CFO of Infosys, was on an official visit to our beautiful TAPMI campus. He was voted ‘CFO of the Year’ in 2001 by IMA India. He won the ‘Best CFO in India’ award from Finance Asia in 2002, and ‘Best Chief Financial Officer in India’ in the Best Managed Companies poll conducted by Asia Money in 2004.

Mr T. V. Mohandas Pai was here on an official visit to meet our respected Director and Deans. Post the interactions, he also enquired about the progress of ATHARVA and discussed various topics worth debating upon at POLEMIC, where he will be the Moderator. POLEMIC is an event wherein we get to see the industry stalwarts and academicians from diverse backgrounds battle it out on stage in an exciting and thrilling corporate debate against their resolute opponents. Though the topic for the debate has not been finalised yet, it willl surely be a current hot topic concerning business, politics, corruption, inflation, cultural renewal, etc. which has an impact on our country as a whole. With the arguments and counter arguments that will be flowing in, one will be able to appreciate the multiple perspectives which are backed by sound experience and knowledge.


The discussion also revolved around the choice of speakers, where Mr. Mohandas Pai  insisted that there should be representatives of today’s youth. Our focus would therefore be to invite young and successful entrepreneurs, politicians, socialists, who provide a completely different perspective towards prevailing issues. 

Indeed a moment to cherish for Atharva, which has taken a giant leap forward in leaving an indelible mark for years to come! With our theme being “Renaissance” this year, we would like to draw the attention to the power of youth in transforming the outlook of the society and future managers in the process of gearing them up for all future endeavours. Looking forward to a prodigious stimulation of neurons…….. :)    

December 16, 2011

All about the online battle field...


Confucius said : No good thing in life comes without a preliminary round.
OK, we made that up. But with good reason, of course. J

Atharva ’12 is to be held in Jan, from the 20th to the 22nd. However, the wheel has already been set in motion from early November, with something that has been familiar to every b-school ever associated with the event - the Waves.

Fancily named, yet crucially important, the Waves constitutes of two parts ; the first of which is  Atharva Online - exciting online quizzes ranging over a plethora of management streams designed to give students across the country a taste of what they can expect, come Jan.  And of course, considering the interest we have seen over the years for Atharva's Management Games, preliminary quizzes for every event are a part of the Waves mix.
Innovative questions served up with the typical Atharvan joi de vivre, and the prospect of earning some extra pocket money off those grey cells for the reluctant geniuses, Waves was kicked off on November 15th with the unique Sports-Business quiz, Bizkick.

Specifically designed for those who could tell their Robinhos from their Mourinhos, the online Bizkick quiz was taken with great enthusiasm by over 150+ students across the country, culminating with team XIM-B taking home a sweet deal of INR 2000.


And it was ON. Swiftly followed by Brandish, the- 'You guessed it!'-  Brand Quiz, which saw an exponential increase in the level of participation.



During every single quiz, the Atharva Den housed a group of anxious and excited Atharvans, few of them monitoring the technicalities, and few others guarding the phone - all set to respond to participant queries! Next in line was the tough yet necessary task of shortlisting students who had to come down to TAPMI to be a part of Atharva and test their mettle against students from other top b-schools.
Preliminary quizzes for almost all the major events have seen an overwhelming participation from major colleges. On the way, we have seen fine examples of sportsmanship and class, all culminating in us identifying the lucky (!) teams who will be representing their respective colleges for OUTCRY -  the unique trading game, CHAKRAVYUH – the Marketing Maze. SAHAYOG and SANCHAY are on the cards next.
As a wise man once said : Nothing can substitute true spirit. Atharva Online will continue to surprise, entertain and tickle those rusty ol’ brain cells (hopefully) with newer quizzes up until the D-day. J

December 13, 2011

And how it all began....



Amidst all the anticipation, commotion and chaos that surrounded the process of getting into committees, Atharva was overwhelmed with the number of applications for its team this year. More than half of the batch had listed Atharva as their top preference! A “Live Atharva” Campaign was conducted that tested the newbies on their knowledge of Atharva. This concluded with the winners sharing breakfast with the Mystery Atharvan, who was none other than the Chairman, Prof. Gururaj Kidiyoor. What a way to start off!


3 panels simultaneously conducted the process of interviews for a couple of days. These grueling sessions nearly extended into the wee hours of the morning most times. The seniors sure had a tough time selecting the special team, who would keep the spirit of Atharva alive!

The new team was welcomed into the den, only to realize that their first task was to clean up the place. They sure did a wonderful job of not just cleaning up, but making it feel like home. The seniors who were pleasantly surprised, rewarded and welcomed the juniors with an amazing evening at the beach, a splendid dinner and a huddle on the greens that led to a warm bonding of the entire team.

Work Hard, Party Harder! The message was clear! Portfolios were assigned and the juniors got to work. The seniors, of course, have always been there, supporting and guiding the vibrant and enthusiastic team. The immediate task at hand was to create a website for Atharva. To put this in place, the design, creative and content team worked at length. In less than a month, a dazzling website was set up!
As the event draws closer, a lot of expectations, a lot of excitement is in the air. Ask the Atharvans what is in store, Is Atharva 2011 going to be the grandest ever? They say this is just the beginning! Watch this space for more.

December 10, 2011

Renaissance - What it means to Atharva 2012


Several centuries ago, the light of renaissance changed the future of a continent and decided the fate of the world. Time witnessed development so rapid that it could hardly keep up. It was a courageous few who were looked back upon by future generations as the architects of the present. This year, 2011, will also be seen by future B-Schools as the time that TAPMI changed the world of B-School competitions forever. Atharva 2011-12 will usher in a new era of B-school competitions by undergoing a complete metamorphosis from its earlier form.  Atharva of yester years was consistently ranked as one of the top B-School fests in the country, and the few who have been part of it are testimony to the fact. But there was still something wanting, the desire to exceed expectations and set precedents, and from this desire spawned the new Atharva.   



Atharva overhauled is bigger and better than ever before. Veterans from various fields have congregated and associated themselves this year with one of the biggest B-School fests in the country. Mr. T.V. Mohandas Pai, former CFO of Infosys and the best CFO in India for 2001, will be the Moderator for Polemic, our cut-throat, no holds bar, corporate debate. Mr.Giri Balasubramaniam, one of the biggest names in quizzing in India, will be the quiz master for Quiz on The Beach, a scenic setting to a nerve wracking battle of minds and wits. Xpressions brings to you electrifying performances by the dynamic duo Salim-Sulaiman, which is sure to set the atmosphere ablaze in the small and peaceful town of Manipal. It is not every day that one can see T.V.Mohandas Pai, Giri Balasubramaniam and Salim-Sulaiman on a single platform, but Athrava is all about revolutionizing conventions. Apart from an enviable list of high profile guests Atharva 2011-12 has an array of events, each of which has been meticulously planned to bring out the best in a contestant, if he or she proves their worth that is. Events such as  Abhivyakti, Sankalp, YBL, Outcry, Sanchay, Chakravyuh, and Sahayog are one of their kind, and puts forth a platform for the best minds in the country to battle it out, with new challenges like never faced before. And if you thought that all events were only for the left-brained minds, you're mistaken, as Xpressions will help you unwind and rejuvenate the creative side of you.
 
It is not often that an opportunity arises to be a part of history, to be a part of something that is looked at as a pivot point in the future. Atharva 2012 is most certainly Renaissance in every sense!!