Swati CA

Swati_CA column in The Hindu Business Line

Monday, May 29, 2006

What a dismal status of financial literacy we have amidst us!


Financial illiteracy among investors?
From my bag, I extracted the day's newspaper and unfurled the stocks pages. "How many of you understand these pages?" Suddenly, everybody was ominously silent. My next question was, "How many of you invest in shares?" Manyhands went up cheerfully.
"What is your investment strategy? How do you make your investment decisions?" I asked and looked around. Kiran replied first: "I ask the broker." Pavitra aunty announced, "My friend tells me what to buy and sell." And Ramu uncle said, in a hush, "Don't tell anybody. The trick I follow is to toss a coin!"


More

Monday, May 22, 2006

'Most savage and unnatural!


How heartless it is to let cops thrash unarmed students!
During the week, I volunteered to help out at a makeshift pandal where agitating medical students were providing attention to sick patients. Using the skills that I'd learnt as a girl guide and thereafter from Red Cross, I monitored temperatures, filled in the columns of case sheets, and measured blood pressure. Meanwhile, outside the pandal, striking doctors and students were staging a noisy protest. All of a sudden, there was some scuffle and the next thing I saw was the heartless thrashing by cops of unarmed students. 'Most savage and unnatural!' I told myself, remembering a line from King Lear.
More

Monday, May 15, 2006

Technology to minimise the cost of recruitment, both to the employers and the candidates


Don't we have enough technology to minimise the cost of recruitment?
When I paused for breath, Gupta interrupted, "So, what's your suggestion? Don't recruit anybody?" Everybody laughed, and I took that humour in my stride. "You may laugh again if I were to tell you that we can tap the talent in villages."
Strangely, there was total silence for a few moments, possibly because none in the room expected something as audacious as ruralising recruitment.

More...

Monday, May 08, 2006

Legal process outsourcing


Perfect marriage between professional skills and IT
"Will you be able to argue cases in courts abroad, working from here?" I asked Jambu, and he didn't rule out such a possibility. Looking at my enthusiasm in knowing more about LPO, he said, ruefully, "How I wish I could employ you in my company! Pity you don't have a law qualification." I was not giving up, though. "Perhaps, I'll join a course with NALSAR... say, in ADR!"
More...

Monday, May 01, 2006

Do elections have relevance for the poor?