Understanding this need Shri Kamal Nath, Honble Union Minister of Commerce & Industry, Government of India while delivering his keynote address at FICCIs India Rural Business Summit said, If we are to ensure that growth is both inclusive and equitable, then we will have to align and integrate our rural areas with the economic processes that are transforming our country at a rapid pace. The rural-urban divide that exists in our country must be bridged.

Speaking to MBAUniverse.com, Prof Subir Verma, Chairman, Corporate Relations and Placement Committee, said, We have received PPOs from 10 companies as on date, and expect to bag almost 30 PPOs. Last year, 12 students from MDI were offered PPOs -- 9 were from PGPM and 3 from PGP-HR. The final placement week at MDI is slated for February 25.

When their mock-test scores are not shoring up, they are asking: should I start preparing for CAT 2008. Mr Sai Kumar, Course Director at Triumphant Institute of Management Education (TIME), one of leading MBA test prep companies, answered this query and said, Students should realize that what they are working towards is a seat at a top notch B-School and not necessarily doing well in CAT. CAT is the toughest B-School test anywhere in the world, but it is not the only one!

The central theme of the conclave will be rediscovering the potential of India -- Bharat ek Khoj. The conclave will feature discussion on three sub-themes: Rediscovering Rural India, Unleashing India Inc. and Unlocking the Human Potential.

IIM-K informs MBAUniverse.com that the conclave includes a case study competition, which focuses on Singapore as a workplace destination and a online quiz.

The theme for this edition of the lecture series is: Idea to Action. The event will be held at SIC Auditorium, at the Hinjewadi campus.

The Leadership Series is the flagship event of SIIB for the past decade of the institutes existence. According to SIIB, this event provides a platform where students get to listen to the experiences of some of the top honchos of the Indian Inc.

The MoU is signedfor offering specialized banking and insurance proLaunching the initiative, Mr KV Kamath, Managing Director & CEO, ICICI Bank, said, To fulfill Indias global aspiration and sustain the growth trajectory industry needs to invest in preparing industry- ready human talent. A high proportion of highly capable Indians have no means to quality specialized education. This initiative of ours with Manipal is to expand the industry ready talent pool.

The symposium will featured onFinancing corporate Indias growth: Trends issue and opportunities. On the occasion, the keynote address will be delivered by Mr M Damodaran, Chairman, SEBI.

Mr. Mittal will assume the office of the President from January, 2008. He is presently the head of services business of Hewlett-Packard for Asia-Pacific and Japan region.

Mr Mittal holds a B.Tech from IIT, Kanpur and an MBA from Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad. He has been through advanced programs at Harvard and IMD.

In this exclusive article for MBAUniverse.com Aspirant Zone, Mr Gejo Srinivasan, MBA Product Head of IMS Learning Center offers advice to all CAT takers how to use the last few weeks. Excerpts from the article:
When the CAT is just around the corner

By Gejo Srinivasan
Last remaining days before the CAT knocks at your door! Can I really make a difference now? Life has taught us that the last mile to any race is crucial in any case; in the last few laps, in the last few milliseconds you lose or you win.

Many Associate level jobs are pouring in for IIM-C would-be managers. According to information shared by IIM-C with MBAUniverse.com, so far five students have got the coveted associate level offers. In comparison, last year only 4 students managed to bag these offers, and the placement week is several months away. IIM-C informs that these profiles typically attract salaries hitting the magical rupees one crore mark.