Ajay Shankar Bidyarthy at IIT Guwahati Graduation tea pary 2013

Ajay Shankar Bidyarthy at IIT Guwahati Graduation tea pary 2013

Ajay Shankar Bidyarthy at IIT Guwahati Graduation tea pary 2013

Ajay Shankar Bidyarthy at IIT Guwahati Graduation tea party 2013 batch B.tech

Ajay Shankar Bidyarthy at IIT Guwahati Graduation tea pary 2013

REFERENCE BOOKS FOR PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION: General Studies

REFERENCE BOOKS FOR PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION: General Studies

Download NCERT Books Free

1. Indian History - India Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra; NCERT Books ( XI & XII )
2. Geography - Spectrum
3. Indian Polity - Constitution of India by Bakshi
4. Indian Economy - Plus One, Plus Two Books, Pratiyogita Darpan
5. General Science - Tata Mc Graw Hill Guide
6. Mental Ability - Quantitative Apitude by R.S. Aggarwal
7. Current Affairs - Some magazines and Newspapers

i. The Hindu/The Times of India
ii. Frontline
iii. Civil Service Chronicle
iv. Chanakya
v. Competition WIZARD
vi. Civil Services Today

8. Guides

1. Tata Mc Graw Hill
2. Spectrum
3. Unique

Topic Wise Reference On General Studies

Books on Indian History & Culture:
NCERT (+ 2 level) — Ancient India, Medieval India, Modern India.
Publication Division : Gazetteer of India (Vol 2 : History & Culture)
Gandhi Nehru Tagore & Ambedkar — Gopal Krishna
Bipin Chandra - Modern India
A.C.Banerjee - History of Modern India Raghavan Aiyer — Mahatma Gandhi

Books on Geography:
NCERT : Physical Geography of India for X - XII Std
A Good School Atlas
Sharma & Cotinho : Economic and Commercial Geography of India.
Khullar : India- A Comprehnsive Geography
Charles Farro : General Principles of World Geography
Charles Farro : Monsoon Asia Reports published by Centre for Science and Enviornment And Tata Energy Research Institute
National journal - Kurukshetra, Yojana etc.
Down to earth

Books on Indian Economy:
NCERT (+1 level)—Evolution of Indian Economy(I C Dhingra).
Mishra & Puri or Dutt & Sundaram - Indian Economy
Economic Survey
The Economic Times,Business Standard
Yojana

Books on Social and National Issues :
Social Problem - Ram Ahuja
Social Welfare Magazine - Published by ministry of social welfare
Yojana/Kurukshetra
IIPa Journal

Books on Indian Polity:
NCERT (+1 level)—Indian Political System
N.L. Madan : Bhartiya Rajya Vyavastha
D.D. Basu—Indian Constitution
Kashyap—Constitution of India
Publication Division—Subhash C. Kashyap : Our Parliament
P.M. Bakshi—Indian Constitution
Our Constitution : Subhash C. kashyap
Perspective on Constitution : S.C. Kashyap
Frontline Magazine
IIPa Journal

Books on Science & Technology:
NCERT : (10 level) : Science, (+2 level) : Biology.
Popular Science Series (CSIR)
Reports Of the Ministry of Science and Technology Yojana
Science Reporter
Science and Technology in India - Spectrum

Books on Statistics:
(NCERT +1 level) Elementary Statistics
S.C.Gupta : Statistical Methods

Books on India and the World :
Journal of peace Studies
World Focus
Strategic Analysis
South Asian Journal

Other Books for General Studies:
1. India Year Book latest
2. One competitive Magazine
3. Guides like Tata Mc Graw Hill, Spectrum or Unique For General Reference 4. The Pearson General Studies Manual

The story of my Experiments with Truth by M.K. Gandhi

The story of my Experiments with Truth by M.K. Gandhi

As 30th January is Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s (Gandhiji’s) Death Anniversary, I wish to share his “Experiments with truth”
Pages: 478
Genre : Autobiography/inspirational

The book is divided into 5 parts. My Experiments with Truth (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). 

 

The first part is his journey from Birth , Childhood, Child Marriage with Kasturba, Death of his father, and famous misgivings. This chapter contains several anecdotes which are taught at school for character building. Also, he speaks of the authoritative husband he was, and his insecurities. Nursing his father, he would often think of Kasturba and the associated lustful emotions. Gandhiji is one of us, but what transformed him? 

 

As you move on to the second part which begins with his journey to South Africa for studying law where an equivocal Gandhiji transforms into a confident person. Battling his vices, he reforms into a public servant. In few occasions, he saves an indentured labourer, Subramaniam, who is beaten by his master. Gandhiji, through his various practices connects  with life and with common people. 

 

The third part, is Gandhiji’s return to India, to serve the public. On a certain occasion where he had to clean washrooms (toilets), he does it with no hesitation. On family front, he convinces Kasturba and his three children to learn gujrati before moving on to other languages of study. Though Harilal resists, the other kids follow suit. Gandhiji consumes only Satvik Ahaar, as he believes that the food we consume affects our mind. He stops drinking milk as 1. It is the right of the calf and 2. It stimulates the vice, lust. 

 

The fourth part speaks of continuing his food habits and also, experimenting with truth in the Bar (Court). Gandhiji took cases which supported truth. On one occasion when the client was a false one and he knew it in the court, he refused to fight the case. He fights for the passengers in the third class train and apart from his own sacrifice,  Kasturba;s sacrifice are elaborated in separate chapters.

 

In the fifth part, Gandhiji takes a tour to Kumbh Mela, Lakshman Jhula, where he is overwhelmed by the irony in the religious practice, where one side, the festivities are taking place, another side, animals are being sacrificed. The book ends with a farewell from Gandhiji and he surmises we know what happened after 1921 as now his life is public. Hope this book takes your life into a fresh chapter.

The book from Page 1, is a journey which will take you on a journey lest you read the book sans prejudice. While walking with Gandhiji through the puffs of smoke, eating meat at the riverside, stealing money, it feels as if Gandhiji was not an angel dropped from heaven but a phoenix moulded with his self control chiseled the vices. Experiences, aplenty maketh a man. Gandhiji proves it right by going through many such experiences. The book is all about how a lascivious Gandhi ji becomes a Brahmacharya. How a meat-eater, though through force, became a vegetarian by choice.

 

Following the truth, experimenting with it and discovering the power of the mind. Following tenets like 1. Satya 2. Dharma and most importantly 3. Humanity, Gandhiji takes you on a self-reflective slow moving journey. Also, he speaks of movements like civil Disobedience, Non-coorperation, Jallian wala Bagh Massacre and various landmarks of Indian Freedom history, yet the main subject remains Gandhiji’s resilience, persistence within to transform himself to serve better.

Recommended for all those who wish to experiment with truth and triumph in their experiments. One can apply these rules, any day. Happy Journey through this book.

 

Excerpts:Experiments with Dietics

As I searched myself deeper, the necessity for changes both internal and external began to grow on me. As soon as, or even before, I made alterations in my expenses and my way of living, I began to make changes in my diet. I saw that the writers on vegetarianism had examined the question very minutely, attacking it in its religious, scientific, practical and medical aspects. Ethically they had arrived at the conclusion that man’s supremacy over the lower animals meant not that the former should prey upon the latter, but that the higher should protect the lower, and that there should be mutual aid between the two as between man and man.

 

Train Journey
On the boat going to Rangoon I was a deck passenger. If excess of attention embarrassed us in Sjt. Basu’s house, grossest inattention, even to the elementary comforts of deck passengers, was our lot on the boat. What was an apology for a bath room was unbearably dirty, the latrines were stinking sinks. To use the latrine one had to wade through urine and excreta or jump over them. This was more than flesh and blood could bear. I approached the Chief Officer without avail. If anything was lacking to complete the picture of stink and filth, the passengers furnished it by their thoughtless habits. They spat where they sat, dirtied the surroundings with the leavings of their food, tobacco and betel leaves. There was no end to the noise, and everyone tried to monopolize as much room as possible. Their luggage took up more room than they. We had thus two days of the severest trial. On reaching Rangoon I wrote to the Agent of the Steamship Company, acquainting him with all the facts. Thanks to this letter and to Dr. Mehta’s efforts in the matter, the return journey though on deck was less unbearable.

Satvik Ahaar – Simple Vegtarian food containing no stimulants which arouse the senses for pleasure

Brahmacharya – one who observes celibacy

The Story of My Experiments With Truth by m.k. gandhi - review

The autobiography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, subtitled The Story of My Experiments With Truth, focuses on Gandhi's struggles for non-violence and civil disobedience through the acts of Satyagraha, literally meaning "holding firmly to truth." In each of the chapters, he talks about instances in life in which he had struggled with Truth, considering Truth being the ultimate source of energy.
The question many might ask is: how can one who is so skinny, one who had to live with a stick throughout his struggles, get such energy?

It was because of his experiments and the trials that Gandhi developed dietetics, non-violence, hydropathy, naturopathy etc. After finishing his studies in England, he came to South Africa where he changed from a typical lawyer to one who was remarkable. It's more surprising that with the ideologies he produced from studying law, eastern and western philosophy, he kept them all by his side and followed them to the extreme. He was conservative to his thoughts in any situation and in following them perhaps, to some, inflexibly so.

One reason I become overwhelmed by Gandhi is his simplicity, wearing a single dhoti (an Indian clothing) and living solely by vegetables. Even when he was or his son was on his deathbed, he insisted that eating anything other than vegetables was wrong. He considered that through those necessities — in line with his teachings — it is possible that one can live freely. This means one can live without food or drink, without anger or desire, if they are to follow a simple code of behavior. This book thus teaches one in practical life on how to live without any of the material needs.

3 Ways to Answer “What’s Your Biggest Weakness?”

 

When you’re asked “what’s your greatest strength?” in an interview, you’ve got it covered: You showcase your professional skills and talk about how there’s no one better suited for the job. But, “what’s your biggest weakness?” That question can be much tougher to answer.
But it’s not a trick question. What your interviewer is really trying to do—beyond identifying any red flags—is to gauge your self-awareness and honesty. So, “I can’t meet a deadline to save my life” is not an option—but neither is “Nothing! I’m perfect!” A good answer can show how you can overcome challenges, paint you as a committed professional who continues to improve herself, and actually highlight your strengths.
Here are three strategies to ensure that talking about your weakness won’t be the weak spot in your next interview.

1. Show How You’ve Overcome Something

Everyone has areas that could use improvement, but if you can describe how you’ve mitigated yours, you’ll seem strong, capable, and in charge of your professional development. So, think of something that you struggle with but that you’re working to improve. You could explain that you’ve never been strong at public speaking, but over the past few years, you’ve asked for team leadership roles, run successfully meetings, and found tools to help you be more comfortable when addressing a crowd.
Another smart tactic is to describe something that was once a weakness, but that you now can point to as an accomplishment. For example, “I’ve always had to work at math. But I took a course in Excel, and that’s helped me tackle quantitative analysis projects much more easily. In fact, let me show you a report I recently developed.”

2. Address Uncertainties in Your Background

If your background doesn’t completely match up with the requirements in the job description, or if you know that the employer has hesitations about parts of your experience, this question is a great time to address those uncertainties.
You can talk about something she already knows is a hurdle, but at the same time, turn it around to highlight your strong points. For example: “It might seem that my biggest weakness in applying for this position is that I don’t have any inside sales experience. But the skills I’ve gained during my five years of fundraising are incredibly relevant to the position—let me tell you why.”

3. Paint a Weakness as a Strength

Choose a shortcoming that can be explained in the most positive light possible. Are you neurotic, stubborn, or incapable of delegating? Instead, try using words that are seen as professional strengths, like dedicated, persistent, or thorough. For example: “I tend to be a perfectionist, so sometimes I have a hard time letting a project leave my hands until it’s absolutely finalized.” This answer addresses an area you need to improve, but explains it in a positive way.
Just be sure to follow it up with how you’ve addressed this “shortcoming,” such as: “But I’ve found that sometimes it’s more effective to get feedback on a project along the way, even if it is not yet complete. I try to strike a balance between getting things done right the first time and being open to others’ input.”

Whatever strategy you choose, the trick is to sound genuine and to end things on a positive note. Rehearse your response so that you can give it easily, and more importantly, concisely—if you spend too much time talking about your flaws, it’s easy to dig yourself into a hole. Get past the “weakness” part of your answer as quickly as possible, so you can get back what’s most important: your (many!) strengths.

Readers Respond: Best Answers to What is Your Greatest Strength

Optimistic Approach

I approach my work in an optimistic fashion. Once I set my mind on something I make sure I get the job done.

—Guest Harman

Optimistic and Friendly

i can finish work even those that i dislike and can maintain good relationship with my co-workers.

—Guest honey

Skilled Communicator

I am a good listener. My attentiveness makes people open up to me. I have empathy, kindness and patience that enable me to relate with different kinds of people.

—Guest sashy rita

Self-Control

I have good tolerance and patience, which helps me to remain calm when I am making any vital decision.

—Guest Akanksha Arora

Winning

I always like to win and at the same time, I also know that winning is not everything. Sometimes even after I lose I learn a lot of new things. I see that as a positive thing.

—Guest pravin

Ambiguity

My greatest strength is managing through ambiguity. I don't really know what the end result is going to be but it does not stop me from moving forward.

—Guest surry

The Quest

My life is a challenge and I will meet it! My life is a dream and I can realize it! My life is a game and I want to play it! My life is a love and I want to enjoy it!

—Guest iniyamathi

Continuous Learning

I always look forward to learning new skills and acquiring knowledge for self-growth.

—Guest Em

My Smile

Smile while you answering the phone. The person on the other side can feel the friendliness in your voice, and it's a nice feeling.

—Guest Sdu

Commitment

My greatest strength is my commitment to the work I do.

—Guest tinashe

Calm Thoughtful Problem Solver

My greatest strengths are my ability to listen without judgement and with empathy; and to develop creative solutions and strategies that are communicated with confidence to the willing participant.

—Guest VinG

Intuitive and Calm

My biggest strengths are my ability to spot and address with tenacity potentially negative situations and my ability to be lucid, calm and take charge in an emergency situation when others around me are in a panic. I'm good at reading people's energy, identifying their weaknesses and building upon their strengths.

—Teacher__

Responsible Team Player

I take responsibility that I have been given. I enjoy working with a team, and it has taught me to respect other people's opinions and ideas.

—Guest Guest MARRY

Boldness

My boldness to face new things in day to day life is my greatest strength. I'm bold enough to excel my skills, accept my mistakes and even come forward to point out others' mistakes. (-:

—Guest Saranya

determination

Even until the last second of my game my aim is to do as I much as I can. I don't want to give up.

—Guest sai

What are Your Strengths?

Original article by the authors of best-job-interview.com
"What are your strengths?" is one of the most common job interview questions and can be difficult to answer. Prepare before the interview by using the simple guidelines to identify your strengths.

Before you can successfully answer the job interview question "What are your strengths?" you need to understand your specific strengths.
What is a strength?
A strength can be defined as a combination of talent, behavior, skills and knowledge that you apply consistently to produce a successful result.
To identify your strengths you need to look at four criteria.
What activities make me feel involved and engaged?
Ask yourself these questions:

• When I am busy with this activity do I think about other things and when it will be over or am I totally concentrated on the task at hand?


• Do I look forward to doing this activity again?

What are my spontaneous reactions to the situation and activity?
Ask yourself:

• When do I feel a sense of "rightness" and enjoyment?


• What activities give me a sense of satisfaction?

What activities consistently produce the desired results?
Ask yourself:

• Where do I perform at a high level?


• What provides a consistent pattern of successful results?


• What seems to be done well and effortlessly?

Where and when do I experience rapid learning?
Ask yourself:

• What activities and tasks have I been able to learn quickly?


• In what areas and activities have I experienced quick insight and understanding?

Use the strengths-finder list below to identify possible activities/skills/knowledge-areas/behaviors that can be translated into strengths by answering the questions above.

What are Your Strengths?

1. activating, adapting, administering, analyzing, arranging
2. budgeting, building, briefing, balancing
3. communicating, controlling, co-ordinating, creating, checking
4. deciding, detailing, developing, directing, devising
5. empathizing, evaluating , examining, explaining
6. finding, fixing, formulating, finalizing
7. guiding, gathering, generating
8. helping, handling, hosting
9. imagining, implementing, influencing, initiating, innovating, improving
10. judging
11. keeping
12. learning, listening, locating, launching
13. managing, mentoring, monitoring, motivating
14. negotiating, navigating
15. observing, organizing, overhauling
16. persuading, planning, preparing, presenting, problem-solving
17. questioning, qualifying
18. researching, resolving, reporting, recording, repairing
19. scheduling, selling, setting -up, supervising, simplifying, speaking
20. teaching, team-work, trouble-shooting, training, tracking
21. understanding, uniting, upgrading, updating
22. verbalizing, volunteering, verifying
23. writing, working

If it feels good when you are performing an activity the chances are that you are using a strength. Your strengths are things that come naturally and relatively easily to you.
Once you have identified your strengths it is important to understand what they mean on a practical, work-related level in order to answer the question What are Your Strengths and Weaknesses? Relate your strengths to the tasks and activities involved in the job you are interviewing for. Get help with answering this typical interview question at Free Interview Answers
View this comprehensive List of Strengths and Weaknesses
More about how to answer Interview Questions about Weaknesses
These are the 12 Core Competencies identified as essential for successful job performance.
View common Job Interview Questions and Answers such as Tell me about yourself and Why should we employ you?
Top Interview Questions & Answers
Standard Interview Questions
Typical Interview Questions & Answers
View these Free Job Descriptions to find out the competency and skill requirements for different jobs. Match your strengths to these in your job interview answer.
Focus on your strengths when you are changing careers. Use this Career Change Cover Letter Advice to help you secure a new career.
Please Note - This article is owned by Best-job-interview.com and permission to republish it must be granted by the authors in writing.
Go to Interview Articles Homepage to view the latest articles covering job search and interviewing skills. Use the expert advice and information to help you get the job you want.