Dear Readers, Friends & Belgaumites;
I have truly enjoyed posting here and have been thrilled you have been coming to read it. Thank you for taking time out to check in with me. Also, special thanks to people who have linked to AAB. To us this is just another milestone in a very long journey and we never work here for milestones, they just keep along while you work. A special mention for my Leadingminds designing team.
Sharing knowledge is so important and it is really heartening that AAB has got excellent contributions by way of articles and photographs from endearing readers. I have thoroughly enjoyed posting them and reading your insightful and appreciative comments. With 349 email FEED readers who have been following me from long, thank you.
Some Facts:
Site launched on August 27, 2007 with 3 hits daily for 10 days.
Facebook Fan Page launched on June 23, 2009.
July 21, 2008 - 25, 000 hits
December 08, 2008 - 50, 000 hits
21 June 2009 -1 lakh hits
9 April 2010 - 4 Lakh Hits

Thank you all for your visits and till we meet again, best wishes for a healthy life ahead.
Yours humbly
Uday & Team AAB

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has so far sanctioned projects for conservation and management of 58 polluted and degraded lakes in urban and semi-urban areas of the country at a cost of Rs.883.94 crore. This is on 70:30 cost sharing basis between the Central Government and the respective State Governments.
 

Lake	Approved cost (in Rs.crore)	Funds released during last 3 years (in Rs.crore)
Kotekere lake, Belgaum	5.64	0.66

Photo: Uday
Source: PIB

Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) on Wednesday declared a hike in milk prices across the State from Rs 3 to Rs 4 per litre. The new prices will come into effect from Thursday.
 

Milk Type	Old Rate	New Rate
Full Cream Milk	22	26
Homogenized Milk	18	22
Standardized Milk	20	24
Double Toned Milk	15	18

It is said that this increase will give the farmer Rs.2.5 per litre more but all this is done keeping in mind the Gram Panchayat elections scheduled in May.

The Mayoral election's hangover is still at place. The 38 member Belgaum Development Front(BDF) staged a dharna at the gate of City Corporation at the time of the arrival of the Commissioner.
The councilors, led by Latif Pathan, Kiran Sayanak, Dhanraj Gauli and Parshuram Dhage, staged a dharna on the corporation premises, to protest against rejection of all but one set of nomination papers for the post of Mayor. Seven sets of nomination papers were filed for the post, including those by Mr. Pathan and Mr. Gauli. They demanded the certified copies of the nomination papers filed for the mayor and deputy mayor's posts.
The BDF plans to take this matter to court and they can file a petition within 15 days of the election. To file the petition certified copies of the nomination papers are required. The councilors alleged that the corporation officials are intentionally delaying the process of providing the certified copies, bending to political pressure of a local MLA.
As Commissioner S G Patil assured to provide the certified copies on Wednesday the dharna was taken back.

Belgaum based UrbanBuzz.in have launched their SMS services for IPL.
One has to just send a sms CRICKET TO 9742455100
and you will get the latest live score on your mobile.
UrbanBuzz.in also has other services under its SMS services cluster.
Persons interested in advertising on this medium can see UrbanBuzz.in for more details.

The India Meteorological department on its website has daily temperature recordings on its site of major cities of India. AAB keeps following it daily for variations and today there were two pages of the same site which showed two different temperatures.
The variation isn't much but still the timing of recording is the same but temperature is different. AAB followed this variation for over two days and same continued. Why is this I cannot say.

One page says 38 and another says 36.6.
Both sites are the same. Earlier it was imd.gov.in and now on the same site a new site has been designed as mausam.gov.in. All these temperatures are recorded at Sambra.
Till then you all can enjoy the heat and the say its too hot than the temperature recorded.

 The art of communication and presenting oneself before prospective hirers/bosses is very important. You might be an all rounder when it comes to academics, but if you fail to impress your interviewer/boss with the right CV and the right words; your knowledge is of no use. Communication skills are very authoritative as they are required to go through the Group Discussion /Personal interview while chasing their dreams of landing at a leading business school of their choice. Directors, deans and professors of leading business schools, have reiterated the fact that one of the factors they see in GD/PI is how well a candidate can express himself.
















Amit Soundalgekar is an entrepreneur adept on communications and soft-skills training. Amit has a Bachelors degree in Science from GSS college Belgaum and a Post Graduate Diploma in business management from Local self GOVERNMENT. He did his schooling from Oriental School Belgaum and has corporate training experience of over 9 years. An excellent motivational speaker with a specialization on communication skills, team building and body kinesics. In addition to training for ICMIS, he is associated as a corporate trainer with Kotak Life insurance, AKP Foundries, JP Foundries, Hewlett Packard, Goldman sachs, CRISIL, GeneralMotors, Duke University ,Goodrich, Convergys,IBM,Novell, Identified as the Training partner for Linfox of Australia & other organizations.
 A Corporate Consultant with wide experience in corporate training and consulting with a range of industries, across levels and functions. Experienced in strategizing, pre-validating, designing customized training interventions and facilitating for development of skill and effective behaviors to help organizations meet defined objectives. Addressed areas of Sales Effectiveness, Customer-ism, and Behavior Management, using Classroom and Outdoor Adventure based training interventions.
 Amit has previous manufacturing experience in water treatment equipments and sales experience in the pharma industry. Through his personal and professional experiences, Amit gradually became a specialist in Negotiation skills, Project Management, Leadership programs, Focused groups, Cross culture Communication, Communication skills, Presentation skills, and Team building
Amit has been part of c2c since its inception with other expert trainers at C2C Training & Consulting Pvt. Ltd.
He has experience working with clients in Europe, Middle east, Africa, Far east. He has made presentations in Netherlands for valve Manufacturers and Amit was invited for a Management talk show on Radio Mirchi and Radio Indigo.
 Some excerpts of an interview: 
What made you take up Corporate soft skill training was it an accident or you wanted to be one?
Amit ---> It is a shear accident. Because before getting into training I was into manufacturing of water treatment equipments. I accidentally took up an assignment at the cyber college in Kolhapur. Their i met the branch manager of Kotak life insurance, who mentioned that they were looking for some trainers in Insurance. That was the beginning of a long and pleasurable journey. I always had a flair for public speaking but never did it cross my mind that I can make a career out of speaking to people. Because I started as a automotive paints seller then pharma sales and even toilet cleaning acid.
How important is communication in the field of management, according to you?
Amit ---> I feel communication is a tool to inspire people.
I would say the more articulate, patient and assertive you are, the more you can gather information and make the best out of communication. To me communication is to achieve shared understanding At the same time I always say “communication is not what is said, but what is heard and understood”. To me in management communication is a very important skill and especially kinesics. I am almost branded in Belgaum as Body Language
How can an individual overcome their spoken English and bad body language?
Amit ---> First is the willingness to better your speaking skills and then the resilience to keep reading and being bold to communicate in English. Not shying away at every learning opportunity and be willing to fail. Beyond that one technique that I suggest is that one should read a article and then try to speak out the gist of it into a recorder. Then play it for yourself,or even share it with someone whom you consider is better in language skills. Persoanly I have seen people finding amazing results for themselves.
And when it is about body language, we all are aware that a chunk of the meaning in communication is understood through body language. Be a good observer and a quick learner to adopt different postures and expressions or hand movements. I am a big fan of body language as a study. I am almost branded as Mr Body language in Belgaum. Every act or mood of an individual is easily reflected through body language. You can see through a person through his or her Body language.

Any idols that you admire?
Amit ---> I definitely admire Gandhiji for the simple fact that he was able to inspire an entire nation singlehandedly and at the same time inspired some world leaders of his own generation e.g. Nelson Mandela,Martin Luther king. To me that is amazing, being able to inspire a whole generation of leaders.
 You have given training in many corporates in India and abroad is there any difference?
Amit ---> Culture is the biggest difference. Every individual from a different culture reacts in a different way to the same information. Thats one challenge which I usually cherish. I need not stereotype my experience but it’s a general observation. Because I get to train people from various organization and at different levels. To name a few would be ABB,CRISIL,LINFOX,HEWLETT PACKARD,IBM,NOVELL. Every organization throws a different challenge in terms or organization culture and national culture.
 Do you think being in Belgaum is advantageous or otherwise?
Amit ---> It’s a definite advantage. On a very positive note I am able to devote a lot of time for myself and my family. Not spending time in traffic is the biggest advantage and my sole purpose of being in Belgaum is that I wish to share my experiences with the industry or student fraternity of Belgaum, everything that I keep learning world over.
 How was the Radio experience and speaking there?
Amit ---> My radio experience was one of a kind. Going live on air was like”I cant go wrong”.I was nervous the moment I was introduced as a management consultant and a corporate trainer. But as we progressed through the talk I received a few compliments by the editor of the show and that eased my nerves. But honestly speaking I felt like a kid getting some well deserved gift.
 How is the family support when u took this job?
Amit ---> I cannot ask for more from my family. I personally believe that the biggest sacrifice anyone makes for your success is your family. Hats of to my wife and my parents for being exceptionally supportive. I need to make a special mention that my wife having worked for a multinational herself and studied in Italy as an Italian language specialist,Understands how demanding my profession is. The best part is everybody including my brothers and their family stay involved about what I am doing,where I am traveling,and feel proud about the small things that I have achieved till date.
 You travel a lot how does your family take this?
Amit ---> I sometimes come home only to exchange my baggage and leave for another destination.
I work hard and at the first opportunity I spend most of my spare time with my family. Though they don’t complain I know I am falling short in spending some quality time with my kid,wife and parents.
 What would you say to other enthusiast trainers out there who aspire to be what you have achieved?
Amit ---> Be passionate. Being ready to learn and not hesitant to accept mistakes,will ensure that you would go a long way in being a good trainer. I am at my motivated best the moment I enter the training room.
 Your favorite place / food in Belgaum?
Amit ---> Ramkrishna ashram and in particular the room where Swami Vivekanad stayed.
As far as food in Belgaum,it cannot be any better place than my own house as I am hardly home. I love home made food but if I still need to make a choice I would say Sun n Sand,and Rasraj (a small Savaji outlet near Ushatai Gogte Grils high School).
 Your views on ITBelgaum group and its effectiveness?
Amit ---> I see IT Belgaum group gathering momentum in their activities and It Belgaum becoming a brand.
In your view is this website(AAB) doing good for Belgaumites?
Amit ---> I need to congratulate Uday on coming up with the idea of ABB. I first got to know about it through a friend of mine and then when I visited the site I felt it was worth. One other thing that I need to share is ABB has helped me know Belgaum better than ever before. I am sure most Belgaumites who visit ABB regularly share the same view.

Aditya Gajanan Vernekar has brought laurels to his town by winning the second prize in The Ideation Award at the recently held Malaysian International Furniture Fair 2010 (MIFF 2010).
The Ideation Award offers a platform for students to showcase their talent and innovativeness in furniture design. It is being held for the first time and is open to those studying design or architecture at a recognized Malaysian institution.
Aditya did his PUC from GSS college and his civil engineering from GIT. He won the 2^nd prize while he was facing tough competition from students from 22 countries. He had designed a multi purpose stool “QUBE”. Which has many uses. Currently he is pursuing his studies at the Limkokwing University of creative technology Malyasia.
THE IDEATION AWARD is held with aims to offer a platform for students to showcase their talent and innovativeness in furniture design, as it is only open to all students studying design or architecture at a recognised Malaysian institution. Besides that, the Organiser hopes that THE IDEATION AWARD will encourage newcomers to be involved in the furniture design industry and will help promote the development of the Malaysian furniture industry internationally.

Home audio encompasses a wide array of product categories, including everything from AV receivers to surround sound speakers to iPod speakers and tabletop radios. One will find selected standout products that represent some of the best values in the home audio arena, but you will also find more affordable alternatives as well. For even more selections in specific product categories, check the products on display like Denon,JBL,Dune,Wharfadale,Paradigm. All this will be available for the first time in Belgaum.

RESONANCE BEATS, First Floor,Shri Krishna Towers,Khanapur Road ,Above ICICI Bank,Belgaum-6
Shop opens Sunday 4^th April, 2010 11 am.

MANNAT (Managing And Nurturing Natural Talents) happens once in every two years aiming to stimulate and explore the natural talents and the hidden potentials within individuals, nurture them and mold them to build superlative managerial skills. This year the 2-day national Level inter-collegiate Management Festival - ‘MANNAT’ 10’, from 5-6 April 2010.
The theme of the event for this year is GREENATHON, an initiative to protect Mother Nature. The theme was chosen to emphasize it is high time now we realize that, if we do not take any steps to protect our nature, we will have to buy Oxygen (O2); and the generation next will see the wild-life only in pictures.
Nearly 180 participants from 20 Management Institutes from all over India are expected to participate in the Management Festival. The Festival aims to bring out talents of the Institutes from different arenas – Marketing, Finance, Human Resource, General Knowledge, Cultural etc.
Karnatak Law Society’s Institute of Management Education and Research (IMER), Belgaum, ranked as an A+ B-School by Business India and ranked 36th among promising B-Schools in India by Competition Success Review.
All the following events in the Festival are based upon the main theme Greenathon:
Foreshock – Icebreaker
Green Corona – Best Manager Event
Green opine – Case Analysis
Green Pandemic – Marketing Event
Fin planktons – Finance Event
Green Stewards – HR Event
Knowledge Warming – B-Quiz
Catalization – Cultural Event.

People in Deshnur (Bailhongal Taluk) village were stunned to see a low flying helicopter at about 75 meters with something hanging down moving around their village for many hours. It is nothing but the areal survey of Belgaum, Bagalkot and Bijapur districts for uranium deposits.
 In addition to the field survey that has been going on in Deshanur village, Bailhongal taluk, Belgaum district and the ongoing process to acquire land for uranium extraction in Gogi village, Shahapur taluk, Yadgir district.
In fact, the helicopter, which has been flying low over the city, had caused panic among the people as it is fitted with electromagnetic equipment and has a loop of 15 - metre radius dropped down by a 45-metre long cable.
 Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research of the Department of Atomic Energy (AMDER) has been surveying the area with prior permission from the district authorities for a possible availability of uranium in this region.
Office of Department of Atomic Energy, Hyderabad, confirmed to the Belgaum district administration that the helicopter was engaged in geophysical surveys in parts of Belgaum, Bagalkot and Bijapur districts of Karnataka and parts of Kolhapur district of Maharashtra.
The chopper contains equipment like the Time Domain Electro- Magnetic sensor, Magnetometer and Gamma Ray spectrometer.
Other instruments housed inside the helicopter are computer-based data acquisition system and DGPS Navigation system.
The survey covers a large an area of 12,000 sq.km covering four districts.