CONTENTS
Unit No. Title Page No.
SEMESTER - II
1. Presentations 01
2. Group Discussion and Interviews 13
3. Group Communications : Meetings 27
4. Conference For Communication 34
5. Public Relations 40
6. Trade Letters 51
7. Complaints, Claims and Adjustments 64
8. Consumer Grievance Letters 74
9. Right to Information Queries 85
10. The Sales Letter 95
11. Report Writing 101
12. Summarising Text 112
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Unit-1
PRESENTATIONS
Learning objectives :
To focus on the growing importance ofmaking
presentations forvarious objectives with the help of
technology.
To discuss the various components that make a
presentation effective and tooffer practical tips in
preparing apresentation.
Introduction :
The quantum leap intechnology has made presentations a
favourite tool of the present day communicator.
Presentations are used for various objectives –from
delivering lectures to making sales pitches, from
disse minating information topersuading people, from selling
products and projects tousing them assubstitutes for live
demonstrations. Infact, even theover -head projector that
was once sopopular asamode ofpresentation has paved
way forthe power packed ,power -point presentation. So
popular and universal is its use that it is considered an
indispensable facility available for use onthecomputer. The
useofcolour, images and dramatic effects available with the
program notonly lend anaesthetic appeal toyour campaign
but also make itlively and interesting. One of the chief
advantages ofthis mode isthat itisvery economical; the
matter ofthepresentation packed into toomany slides can
now beeasily carried onthe CD, floppy orpen-drive. With a
computer, aprojector and ascreen, itcan bedelivered with
justtheclick ofa MOUSE.
Nowonder theability tomake effective presentations
isconsidered to be akin toafine art.
Various inputs are required tomake amemorable
presentation, but like any other skill this too can be
perfected with practice. Institutions ofhigher education and
business schools have made itanintegral part ofcourse
content. Itistherefore necessary to examine the
components that gointo the skill ofmaking wonderful
presentations.munotes.in
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To begin with there are three important steps :
A.Determining thepurpose.
B.Preparation.
C.Delivery.
A.THE PURPOSE.
Atthevery outset one should define thespecific objective of
thepresentation. Generally, itcould one ofthefollowing: to
inform, topersuade or to entertain.
Toinform :This isthe chief objective when one has to
teach, toinstruct, todemonstrate orinduct employees ina
company. Aprogress report orsales report of an
organization would also beprimarily imparting information.
When theinformation to be imparted isvast itmakes good
sense tocategorise itinto smaller units under common
factors. This allows the presenter and the audience to
marshal alotofinformation into manageable bits, easy to
understand, retainorreproduce.
To persuade :Whatever the immediate objective ofa
presentation, inthe long run, every presenter has to
persuade the audience that the presentation isworth
listening to,that itwould benefit them. Itisonly when one is
sopersuaded that one would bewilling toattend toit,more
sowhen itisanunsolicited presentation that one has not
asked for. Butthere aresome presentations that aremeant
purely forpersuasion, particularly those that areaimed at
sales ofproducts, projects orservices, orthose aimed at
getting contracts.
Such presentations should incorporate the principles for
sales inaddition tothose ofagood presentation ifthe
desired objective ofwinning thecontract isto be achieved.
To entertain :Some presentations would seek tomerely
entertain the audience. For example, presentations
delivered atgatherings and meetings that arenotpurely for
business oreducational purpose. These may bedelivered at
informal orsocial meetings, forexample, eminen t persons
from various fields, invited todeliver atalk, aspeech ora
presentation. Any presentation should have some
entertainment value. Aliberal dose oflight hearted humour
acts asastress reliever and provides awelcome change to
enable listeners toconcentrate better onthe important
matters that follow.munotes.in
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B.PREPARATION :
Athorough planning isthemain ingredient ofaneffective
presentation. There is no substitute for adequate
preparation. One should plan thepreparation sothat itcan
begiven atrial aswell. Itisnecessary toremember that
spending too much time onpreparation may result in
relatively little time for atrial run.
Often preparation may involve alotofprimary research
such ascollecting facts and figures, orsecondary resear ch,
which iscollecting and gleaning data from research work
already done articles, journals and magazines.
The data and information gathered isattimes sovoluminous
that organizing itand compressing ittofit into thelimit of
given time could be a daunting task. Itis therefore advisable to
organize allrelevant material into aworkable outline. Ideally
the outline tooshould be around five tonine points. This
helps in organizing data systematically and discarding
unwanted and irrelevant details.
Needless tosay the outline and thepresentation should be
designed around anintroduction, abody and aconclusion.
One should first plan anappropriate title. Astriking, catchy
and anapt title often creates agood first impression and
gives anidea about the rest ofthe presentation. For
example,
The Best ofTimes, The Worst ofTimes The Globalized
World !Adramatic introduction using striking visuals,
newspaper headlines oraquotation help toarrest the
attention of the audience. The body, indealing with the
actual content ofthetopic, should beorganized logically and
systematically tomake the main point. Finally, the
conclusion also should aim atcreating animpact on the
audience .Tomake iteffective, one could use aquotation or
arhetori cal question oreven arehearsed interactive episode
with the audience.
Aspart ofpreparation, particularly ifthepresentation has
the important agenda ofclinching asales deal, it is
advisable forbeginners totake atrial run. This means also
ensurin gthetime limit. Exceeding thetime limit, orfalling
short ofit,both could be disastrous.
Itisalso advisable, toselect oreven choose atopic oneself.
This allows the student to be more enthusiastic, more
convincing and more confident. Preparation also implies
obtaining audience profile –such asage group, interests,munotes.in
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occupations etc. Testing the place for sound, light,
ventilation and seating arrangement isabig help inensuring
the equipment does not fail atthe crucial moment. If
possible, one should fixthetiming ofthepresentation tosuit
itspurpose. For example apost -lunch session isavery
difficult and challenging slotaspeople tend to be sluggish.
C.DELIVERY.
The delivery of the presentation covers two aspects –
i) the visual and ii) t he oral.
The visual aspect refers tothetext and theimages used.
One must ensure that theslides are attractive in terms of
color, effects, images and text, for which power point
packages offer agreat variety. And yet, they should notbe
soattractive as to cause adistraction! Facts, figures and
spellings should beaccurate aserrors when displayed on
thescreen areglaringly conspicuous.
The oral delivery ofthepresentation isequally oroften more
important than thevisuals and itshould both compl ement
and reinforce thevisuals. Careful attention should bepaid to
voice modulation, correct Pronunciation, use oftones
appropriate choice ofwords with pauses attheright place to
emphasize apoint.
Apart from thevoice body language is yet another i mportant
factor ofapresentation. Research and experience have
proved that the speaker‘s posture, gestures, facial
expression and dressing, impact anaudience asmuch or
more than thecontent and delivery ofspeech. For formal
presentations, isitforbusiness or at aformal gathering,
formal dressing isbest suited? The clothes should beabove
allcomfortable and complement the speaker, notdistract
the audience. Practice would instill confidence and poise
whereas nervousness would bevisible intheabsen ceofa
natural ease and asmile.
Eye contact isavery important feature ofany interface. It
makes each person inthe audience feel asense of
inclusiveness and helps the speaker judge the instant
feedback from thefacial expressions ofthelisteners. Italso
acts asapowerful deterrent tothose who are fidgety and
likely tocause disturbance. Agood speaker has tomake a
conscious effort inthebeginning tomake eyecontact with all
sections and with experience this may happen naturally.
Often, beginn erstend tobenervous and edgy. Butpractice
and rehearsal before friends, oreven bef ore amirror inmunotes.in
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privacy, goes along way indeveloping confidence. Italso
helps inmaking aconscious effort tobreathe deep just
before delivery, inorder todispel nervousness.
Last, and certainly nottheleast, one must remember that a
generous dose ofHUMOUR isasignificant and essential
part ofanygood presentation. When thetopics areheavy or
with alotofcomplex matter, humour not only provides a
necessary relief butthevariation enables theaudience togo
back tothe topic easily. Apresentation peppered with
humorous anecdotes orquotations often leaves an indelible
mark inthememory ofthelisteners!
A.) Evaluating your presentation: A checklist. Conte nt : Key
Elements
1.Istheintroduction adequate and appropriate?
2.Istheorganization ofmaterial appropriate?
3.Isthetransition from onekeyelement toanother smooth ?
4.Isthe use ofsupporting materials appropriate?
5.Isthe use ofvisual aids appropriate?
6.Isthe use oflanguage appropriate?
7.Isthesumming upappropriate?
Delivery : Key Elements
1.Istheeye-contact sufficient?
2.Are the gestures appropriate?
3.Are the facial expressions appropriate?
4.Istheappearance poised and confident?
5.How isthevocal expres siveness voice modulation ?
6.Istherate ofspeech appropriate ?
7.How isthevocal emphasis?
8.Isthearticulation clear, pronunciation correct, speed of
words appropriate? Are the pauses at the right places ?
AN EXAMPLE OF THE OUTLINE AND A FULL LENGTH
PRESENTA TION.
Title : Run For Your Life!
Sub-title : The need, importance and benefits of physical exercise.
1.Introduction: Nature ofmodern fast paced life.
2.Effects oflifeonthefast track.
3.Need for exercise mental, physical, spiritual.
4.Benefits ofexercise.
5.Modern dayforms ofexercise.
6.Conclusion.
Introduction. Shahrukh Khan goes for 6pack abs. Amir
Khan upto8pack abs.munotes.in
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Leena Mogre opens her hi -style gym. Fitness First opens in
Oshivara.
Cloud 9 opens its 9 thoutlet in Bandra.
Respected judges, profess orsand friends, Are allthese a
symbol ofarising and shining India? Yes, but much more,
they asign ofthechanging times, anincreasingly body and
health conscious people ofafast developing country India.
1.Friends you must beaware that with ahappy rising GDP
and asatisfying soaring sensex there isalso adistressing
increase insuicides, hyper tension, diabetes, depression
and heart ailments. Infact ithas been predicted that India
willbethediabetes capital oftheworld. And who orwhat is
to beblamed for this state ofaffairs? Notjust the nature of
thefast-paced modern life but also thewrong health habits
ofthepeople.
2.Life onthefast track has itsown advantages and pitfalls.
Today‘s youth isfocused and inahurry toachieve success.
One may get agood job, income, lifestyle and all the
trappings ofsuccess, butatwhat cost? They have little time
tosavour the little pleasures oflife, The result islong
working hours, lack ofsleep, stress and hyper tension.
Surely lifeisnotallabout financial security and professional
success alone? One needs good health toenjoy thefruits of
success.
3.Itisnotuncommon orstrange that practically everyday
newspapers and other media areadvocating theimportance
ofexercise and right diet. Exe rcise istothebody what active
usage istoany machine. Take theexample ofany car ora
sewing machine that isnot put touseforacouple ofmonths.
Itisbutnatural that after acouple ofmonths ofdisuse the
car‘s battery would have discharged, themachinery rusted
orclogged. Butarunning machine would beinexcellent form
giving peak performance with anoccasional servicing.
4Similarly the mind too gets sharper and more effective
with mental exercise and training aswell asright
thinking. Sotoo the spirit and soul ofman would bemore
receptive toawareness and acceptance ofdivine grace
when kept ingood shape with the spiritual exercise of
prayer, meditation and fasting.
5.The benefits ofexercise aremanifold. Anexercised body
isready forpeak performance because it is energetic. A
person has greater stamina. Itincreases heart rate and
blood supply toall the parts ofthebody. Exercise releasesmunotes.in
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endorphins which impart tothe body aheightened
awareness and asense ofwellbeing as well as
alertness. Itengenders thevalue ofself-discipline and hard
work. Itmakes one focused and sure and determined. The
sense ofwell being makes aperson cheerful and
enthusiastic. These qualities are key drivers inaperson‘s
attitude to work and relationships. Such anindividual would
also bepositive, easy toget along with and anactive
contributor tosociety.
6.Having said that weneed toconsider thedifferent ways of
bodily exercise. The modern world offers arich variety of
ways. There are ofcourse the modern gyms which have
become sopopular. There are the older variations ofthe
humble home grown gyms, thevyayamshalasandthe
akharas.Thepoleclimbing and wrestling and boxing as
much asthekarate and thejudo are other forms ofboth
exercise, sport and body fitness combined. There isour very
own Yoga, now aninternationally renowned form ofboth
mental and physical fitness. But what about thecheapest
and commonest form offitness and exercise that any one
canuse? Why it is the the simplest walking and jogging or
running. No need ofspending hefty amounts infashionable
gyms ortraining schools. Any one can walk orgradually
progress torunasmall stretch oftheroad. This explains the
popularity ofthepubl icparks with running tracks and tracks
forwalking. They are the popu larNana Naniparks and
friends ifyou notice there arepeople ofallages and sizes
and shapes, notjustgrandparentsandoldies.Evenifthe
parks arenamed forthem! This also expla insthepopularity
ofthe oldadage:Aftersuppe rrestawhile,afterdinner
walk amile. Ofcourse one doesn‘t advocate running after
dinner. Also observe how the doctors are all always advising
people towalk everyday for at least half anhour daily. A
brisk walk oraslow run are what can dowonders, and allat
nocost!
7.The Marathons are yet another feature that explain the
popularity ofrunning. Watch how young and old have all
enthusiastically taken toitand not just inIndia butallover
theworld. They have also helped focus attention onacause
and helped multinational and national companies contribute
their bit by demonstrating corporate responsibility. And so
inconclusion friends Ican only stress the importance of
running tomake your lifelonger, healthier and happ ierby
saying:Keepawaystrife,TakeyourwifeandRunforyour
Life.munotes.in
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B)The ( OHP ) ---the Over -Head Projector
The OHP or the Over -Head Projector is another popular tool used
for making presentations where the computer facility for a power -
point presentation (PPT) is not possible. It is a low cost alternative
affording an interactive environment, especially to educators.
The OHP consists of a large box containing a very bright lamp and
a fan to cool it, on top of whi ch is a large lens. Above the box
extends an arm with a mirror at its end. The lens focuses and
redirects the light forward instead of up above.
Transparencies (sheets of thick transparent plastic, with the matter
to be projected either printed or written on it) are placed on top of
the lens for display. The light from the lamp travels through the
transparency and on the mirror, where it is shone for display.
The mirror allows both the presenter and the audience to see the
image at the same time, the pres enter looking down at the OHP
top and the audience at the screen. The height of the mirror is
adjustable to help focus the image on the screen.
The advantage of the OHP is that it is portable (though it is heavy!)
and the transparencies, once prepared, ca n be put to repeated use
and can be easily carried and preserved. They can be used to
photo -copy text and illustrations, in colour or in black, and when itmunotes.in
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is not possible to photo -copy one can write and illustrate oneself,
using the special markers or pen s.
As in a ppt, care should be taken that the text is not in small font or
detailed. Only bold font size should be used in outline or point -
form. The same attention, as for a ppt, should be paid namely ,
correctness, the correct order, (preferably numbered ),
attractiveness, (notdistraction) , and clear visibility.
C)The Use ofVisual Aids and Graphics.
The success ofanycommunication depends not only onhow
one accesses information and organized it,butalso onhow
well one presents it.Inorder to make amessage , or a
presentation orareport more comprehensible ,graphics or
visual aids areused.
In this section, students will learn the importance and effective use
of visual aids that will help them in making effective presentations
oral and written. Comm only used visual aids are tables, bar charts,
line-charts, pie charts, maps, flowcharts, diagrams and
photographs.
Why are the visual aids used?
1.Visual aids are used tosimplify thematter. Complicated
data canbesimplified with the help ofconceptual mo dels,
diagrams, and charts.
2.Visual aids clarify numerical information, procedures,
trends.
3.They areused toemphasize, toimpress and toattract the
attention ofthereceiver.
4.They areused tosummarise thedata.
5.They are used toestablish linkage orunity indiverse
points.
6.Their impact islong lasting.
Types ofVisual Aids.
1.Tables: Tables include vertical columns and horizontal
rows. Facts and figures could bepresented with thehelp of
tables.
Tables are good for precise numerical data. However, they a re
tedious to prepare.
For e.g:munotes.in
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Combined First –Year Cost For Four Sites Locations
Cost (in Rs.) Kandivali Borivali Dahisar Miraroad
Lease 90,000 95,000 80,000 75,000
Property Tax 20,000 20,000 18,000 13,000
Maintenance 20,000 20,000 15,000 13,000
Transportation 50,000 50,000 60,000 60,000
Total 1,80,000 1,85,000 1,73,000 1,61,000
2.Simple Bar Chart : These are used for quantities or growth over
a period of time.
For e.g.:
3.Multiple Range Bar Chart/ Diagram. : These make use of
vertical and horizo ntal axis. They can besegmented aswell
as clustered. These are generally used to depict proportional
relationships and comparisons. They are often incorrectly drawn
and lead to lack of clarity. For e.g.:
Line Chart :These make use ofvertical and horizontal axis.
One hastousetheright scale topresent thedata. These are
generally used fordepicting trends. However, too many
lines canbecome very confusing. Fore.g.:munotes.in
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5.PieChart :Asthe name indicates, itlooks like apie
and itsdivisions look like the slices ofthe pie. Itis
effectively used formaking quantitative analysis orforthe
presentation oftechnical data. Use ofcolours makes the
presentation attractive. Itisbest used foremphasizing a
comparative data. For e.g.:
6.Flow Charts: Flow charts are easy tounderstand
diagrams that convey information step bystep.
1st Qtr
2nd Qtr
3rdQtr
4thQtr
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7.Organizational Charts: These areused todisplay physical
orconceptual relationships rather than numerica lones. For
e.g.:
These apart, transparencies, sketches, maps, pictograms, posters,
films are the commonly used forms of visual aids.
(For beginners inPresentations it isadvisable tosurf the Net
toavail further tips onmaking power point presentati on
(ppt).Some oftheinteractive sites are
1.www.microsoft.com/office 2007
2.www.actden.com
3.www.internet4cla ssrooms.com
4.www.bcschools.net
5.owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/pp -In addition they
may note that Microsoft Office includes pptsoftware.)
Suggested Topics forPresentations:
iThe Nano effect.
ii.India‘s place intheglobal economy.
iii.Whither youth?
iv.The NET result –thewww.
v.India —2020.
vi.IQand EQ.
*[No Question onTheory]
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Unit-2
GROUP DISCUSSION AND INTERVIEWS
Learning objectives :
Tofocus onthesetofskills required tobesuccessful in
aGroup Discussion
Tounderstand theprocess ofaGroup Discussion
Tounderstand thestructure and styles ofInterviews
Toprepare successfully foranInterview
I.Group Discussion
Introduction:
Group Discussion isamethod used inthecorporate world to
measure certain personality traits and/or skills that an
organization may look for inthecandidates. Itallows agroup
toexchange thoughts and ideas among themselves. GD
helps theorganization getan idea about candidates ina
short time and assess those skills, which normally cannot be
evaluated inaninterview. Agroup discussion generally
follows awritten test. Inthis method, agroup ofcandidates
isgiven atopic orasituation and asked to discuss itamong
themselves for not mo rethan half anhour. Anideal group for
GDconsists of8-10candidates, though figures may vary
depending onthesituation.
Companies conduct group discussions after thewritten test
(which checks the candidate‘s technical and conceptual
skills) tochec kthecandidate‘s interactive and interpersonal
skills. The GD attempts toassess candidate‘s behaviour,
teamwork, leadership skills, initiative, confidence, listening
skills, and open -mindedness inaccepting contrary opinions,
and participation and contri bution inagroup. The focus ofa
GDisthus on
verbal communicative ability
non-verbal cues
leadership skills
persuasive skills
Verbal Communicative Ability :
This includes good knowledge ofthesubject athand and the
power tocommunicate it inaneffective manner. Nothing can
compensate forin-depth knowledge ofthesubject, though it
isaherculean task tokeep oneself up-to-date onallmunotes.in
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possible topics. Agood reading habit with focus onvarious
areas like finance, management, politics, society, sci ence,
technology, sports, entertainment, etc. can help inbuilding
confidence toexpress one‘s views onaparticular topic.
While apositive impact can becreated bytalking forcefully
and convincingly onasubject, this ispossible only when the
candidat ehas enough knowledge ofthe subject under
discussion.
Clarity ofthought and precision ofexpression arepreferred
toverbosity and irrelevant talk. One should speak asmuch
asisnecessary, neither more nor less. The language must
beformal, plain and simple; pedantry and jargon must be
avoided. Slang, informal expressions, etc. should also be
avoided.
Appraisers also look for the ability to listen: the candidate‘s ability
to react to the opinions of other participants. Hence, it is necessary
to listen carefully to others and then react or proceed to add some
more points.
Non-Verbal Cues:
Non-verbal cues are equally important. The importance of
non-verbal cues has already been discussed intheprevious
chapter onnon-verbal communication. The evaluato rwill
scrutinize body language, eye contact, etc. ofthe
candidates. Itistherefore essential tomaintain agood
rapport with fellow participants. Non-verbal gestures, such
as listening intently or nodding while appreciating
someone‘s viewpoint, send across apositive message.
Listening carefully can beaway ofencouraging other
speaker and exhibiting leadership skills aswell. Participants
must communicate with each and every candidate present.
While speaking one must not look atonly asingle member,
andespecially notattheevaluator. Body language says alot
about theindividual -one‘s gestures and mannerisms are
more likely toreflect one‘s attitude than what one says.
Leadership Skills:
The aim ofagroup discussion isalso tojudge acandidate‘ s
leadership qualities. The evaluator recedes into the
background once the discussion starts. The evaluator‘s
attention isonthecandidates and the manner inwhich they
display tact, skill, and understanding and leadership
qualities tomotivate and influe nce other candidates.munotes.in
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Persuasive Skills:
The evaluator also looks atthemanner inwhich acandidate
convinces theother members ofthegroup, and theclarity
with which thecandidate expresses his/her point ofview.
The candidate should therefore bearticulate, generate
ideas, notsound boring, allow others tospeak, and have the
ability toadopt astand onagiven subject. Even when
disagreeing with another candidate, thedisagreement must
beexpressed politely.
The GD Process:
AGD generally consis tsofthree parts: the initiation, the
body ofthe GD, and summarization/conclusion.
Initiation :
The candidate initiating aGDnotonly gets theopportunity to
speak first but also grabs theattention oftheevaluator and
his/ herfellow candidates. Ithelps if the candidate canmake
afavourable first impression with his/her content and
communication skills ininitiating aGD. However, ifa
candidate initiates aGD and falters, itmight dent his/her
chances ofmaking afavourable impression ontheevalu ator.
Ifthecandidate initiates theGD clearly butremains quiet
after that, s/he will end upgiving theimpression that s/he
started theGDonly forthesake of starting itorgetting those
initial brownie points awarded toaninitiator.
Itistheinitiator‘s responsibility toputthetopic into the right
perspective orframework. Soitis better to initiate aGDonly
ifone has in-depth knowledge about the topic being
discussed. Ifone isnot sure ofthetopic athand, it is better
tolisten carefully totheviews being expressed byothers and
then speak. One should notbeinahurry toexpress one‘s
opinion.
The Body ofDiscussion:
This isthemain part oftheGDwhere all the members ofthe
group express their opinions onthetopic. Candidates must
restrict themselves toconveying their viewpoints and not
use the GD as acontest torun down other arguments.
Candidates can politely agree, disagree orchoose toremain
neutral. Aspeaker should never beinterrupted while
speaking. Speaking out ofturn andcutting others short
create anegative impression. Too much aggression can put
offprospective employers.munotes.in
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While speaking, theentire group must beaddressed sothat
everyone isattentive towards what isbeing said. The focus
should never be on theevaluator. Toemphasize thecontent,
relevant proverbs, quotes, definitions, facts and figures,
statistics, etc. may beused. While using figures or
statistics, itmust beremembered that macro figures may be
generalized, while micro figures must bespecific.
Summarization / Conclusion:
Aconclusion iswhere thewhole group decides infavor of
against the topic. Generally, aGD does not have a
conclusion. But the discussion isalways summarized. One of
thecandidates isinvited tosummarize thediscussion. This
signals theend ofthe GD. The candidate must summarize all
that thegroup has discussed. The following can bekept in
mind while summarizing aGD:
The summary must bebrief and succinct.
Allimportant points discussed must beincluded.
The focus must not be on the points made bythe
presenter, alone.
Nonew points must bestated here.
II.INTERVIEWS
Introduction:
An interview isaformal conversation inwhich both
concerned parties attempt tofind outiftheother party offers
something valuable tothem. Allorganisations, irrespective
ofsize orindustry, need and use interviews toselect the
right candidate fortheright job. Joe McDermott definesan
interviewas:―acomp lexinteractionbetweentwoparties
both ofwhom areoffering something while simultaneou sly
seekingtohaveaneedmet.Aninterviewisatwo-way
process ofcommunication where both the concerned
partieshaveaneed ;theinterviewersseekinformation
from the candidate to determine whether s/he is the right
candidate forthejob, while the candidate tries todecide
whether thejoband theorganisation areright forhim/her.
The purpose ofaninterview may vary depending ontheneed
and the situation. Interviews areheld not only forselection of
candidates but also for promotion, redressal ofgrievances,
assessment ofperformance, etc.
I.Types ofInterviews:
A)Selection Interview: This type ofinterview isalso known
as Job Interview,Employmen tInterview,Servicemunotes.in
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Interview etc.Themain objective istoselect theright candidate
for the right position. Apart from the application letter,
curriculum vitae and other documents that aprospective
candidate sends theemployers, it is essential that aface -to-
face meeting take place between the employers and the
candidate tocheck the suitability ofthe candidate forthe
position for which s/he isbeing recruited. This also gives the
employer anopportunity toassess theentire personality ofthe
candidate and choose one from among themany applican tsfor
thejob.
Most recruiters look for three important requirements in a
candidate:
Aptitude and Ability
Commitment
Adaptability
Aptitude and Ability indicate the capacity to do the job.
Through theinterview, theinterviewer tries tofind outifthe
qualities and qualifications mentioned intheCV/Resume are
borne outthrough thereplies ofthecandidate.
Commitment isloyalty and dedication towards thecompany.
The interviewer isinterested inknowing ifthecandidate has
along -term interest inthecompany i.e. will thecandidate
stick on to the job orquit inafewmonths. The interviewer is
obviously notinterested inrepeating therecruitment process
inthenear future.
Adaptability istheease with which thecandidate will fit into
thecompany: interpersonal relationships, theworking style,
values, etc.
II.Interview Styles:
1.Directional: This interview style isextremely structured.
The interviewer asks specific, direct questions inapre-set
order. One reason forusing this format may betheneed to
maintain consistency across candidates throughout the
interview and tomake the selection process easier and
fairer. This style may also beused forrecruitment atlower
levels bylarge organisations that receive too many
applications inresponse totheir recruitment drive.
2.Non -Directional: This style isused mainly forhigher
level recruitment and ismore like aconversation than a
question -answer session. The interviewer uses open -ended
questions todraw outresponses from thecandidate.munotes.in
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3.Behavi oral: This style isused bytheinterviewer tojudge
theperformance ofthecandidate inthesame/similar role in
theprevious company. Inthisstyle, candidates areexpected to
answer questions with specific examples ofhow they have
tackled problems, han dled various situations, etc.
4.Presentation :This isagain used athigher levels
where candidates are expected tomake apresentation
before apanel.
One must remember, however, that none ofthese styles will
be used inisolation. An interview will consist ofa
combination ofthese styles.
III.Format ofInterviews:
1.Pre-Interview Tests :This format isused when an
unusually large number ofcandidates has applied forafew
posts. Itisgenerally intheform ofawritten test which tests
both general and specific technical skills. This iscommon in
ITjobs, government jobs, etc. Incase ofjobs requiring
strenuous physical activity and alertness ofmind e.g. armed
forces, security personnel, bodyguards, etc. there may be
physical and mental tests aswell. Gro upDiscussions may
also betreated as part ofthe pre-interview test. Other
methods could include case study, role-play, etc.
2.Individual :This is aninterview where asingle
interviewer meets the candidate. Generally, the HR
department isinvolved inthis task where, from thestack of
applications, potential candidates arescreened for the main
interview. Inthis stage, the focus isnot onthe technical
know -how ofthe candidate but more oncommitment and
adaptability. The questions willbe based onthecandidate‘s
previous jobs, reasons forleaving, salary, CTC, perks and
allowances, salary expectations, etc. Later, thecandidate
may meet theprospective boss, head ofthedepartment, etc
forsimilar one-on-one interviews where subject knowledge,
techni cal skills willbetested.
3.Panel Interviews :Here, two ormore people form a
panel tointerview the candidate atthe same time.
Generally, thepanel consists ofthehead of thedepartment,
one member oftheHRdepartment, and athird person. There
may be an internal/external expert onthepanel, ifrequired.
The structure ofthe interview will bethe same, the only
difference being that thequestions willbeasked byallthe
panelists, with each ofthem performing adifferent role on
the panel.munotes.in
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IV.Structu reoftheInterview :
The structure ofmost interviews follows asimilar pattern.
Different experts may label it in different ways, but it
essentially consists of an introduction, themain body ofthe
interview –the Q&A session –and closing. Itissomet imes
referred to as the WASP technique :Welcoming the
candidate, Asking questions, Supplying information and
Parting.
IIntroduction: This involves welcoming thecandidate and
making him/her comfortable. Itallows thecandidate time to
arrange his/her bag,files, etc. and settle down. Atthesame
time, the interviewers get anopportunity toassess the
dress, body language and other non-verbal cues ofthe
candidate and form afirst impression. Agood posture,
pleasant smile, afirm handshake may contribut etoan
excellent first impression.
IIThe Q&A session :After theintroduction, theinterview
moves into thesecond round –the Q&A session. The
scene for this round issetgradually bytheintervie wers by
providing information about the organisation, job
requirements, purpose and goal oftheinterview, etc. The
Q&A session isatwo-way process designed totest the
aptitude, ability, commitment and adaptability ofthe
candidate.
Questioning Styles :
Depending on the goal of the interview, different quest ioning styles
may be used. The most familiar ones are as follows :
1)Closedquestions :Theymaytypicallybe ―yes-no‖
questions and mainly used for confirmation. They are
specific and require short answers only.
2)Open -ended questions :These questions cannot be
answeredwithayesorno.Theygenerally begin with How,
What, Why, When, Tell me, etc., drawing outthecandidate‘s
response.
3)Probing questions :These questions areused tofollow
up on what thecandidate may have just replied. Itattempts
toprobe indifferent ways toget detailed answers to
questions and find outifthecandidate ends upcontradicting
what hementioned inthefirstplace .Suchquestionscould
include ―Tellmemoreabou t… ―Whatdoyoumea nwhen
yousaythat…?―Canyouspelloutinmoredetail…etc.munotes.in
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4)Leading questions :They aredesigned tofigure outthe
candidates views, opinions, etc. onavariety ofissues.
Typicalquestions world include : So what doyouthink of…… I
seefrom your resume that……etc.
Six Types of Interview Questions:
1.Behavioural Interview Questions :These questions
attempt toassess the candidate‘s performance inthe
same/similar role intheprevious company. Ahypothetic al
situation isgiven tothecandidate and his/her response to
that situation istallied with the requirements ofthe role.
Some questions could be as follows:
How didyourespond toaparticular stressful situation?
Describe aproblem and how you solved it
What would you doif................................ ....?
2.Competency based Questions: These are questions
that aim atfinding out the aptitude and ability ofthe
candidate togetthejobdone. Ittests theskill sets available
with thecandidate and tallies itwith therequire ments ofthe
job.
How does one read aBalance Sheet?
What are the important Accounting entries tobepassed ?
How will youplan and organise ................................ ....?
What method willyouuse to…………………………… ?
3.Personality based Interview Questions :These
questions aredesigned tolettheinterviewer understand the
candidate‘s adaptability totheculture oftheorganisation.
Tell ussomething about yourself.
What doyoudoinyour free time?
4.Technical Interview Questions :This type of question
seeks tofind outthecand idate‘s level ofknowledge with a
particular software, system, equipment, etc. It could also deal with
knowledge of rules, regulations, principles, formulae, auditing /
accounting standards, etc.
5.Stress based Interview Questions :This mode of
questioning puts the candidate inan awkward and
uncomfortable position totest his response. The focus may
beonthe negative points inthe candidate‘s professional
career. Questions could deal with gaps incareer,
stagnation, lack ofcareer development, etc.munotes.in
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6.Resume based Questions :These questions deal
specifically with details mentioned inthe resume. They
could bequestions based onpersonal details, educational
qualifications, achievements, work experience, earlier
organisations that thecandidate worked wit h,career shifts,
etc.
Towards theend ofthis round, the candidate also gets a
chance toask questions which willhelp determine ifthe job
isright forhim/her.
IIIClosure :This isthelast stage intheinterview structure
and it is important toleave behind agood impression. This
will help theemployers keep theinterviewee‘s profile in mind
asthey decide onthe prospective candidate. The ending
should begradual and not abrupt .It should end onapositive
and cordial note, irrespective oftheresult oftheinterview.
Even ifthecandidate isnotselected, heshould leave the
interview with afeeling ofsatisfaction about thecompany.
This will have abeneficial effect for the company ,forthe
candidate will speak ingood terms about thecompany to
outs iders.
V.Preparing foraSelection Interview:
Alotofpreparation isrequired ifaninterview isto
accomplish itsobjectives. Both the interviewer and the
candidate have toprepare themselves thoroughly to
achieve thepurpose oftheinterview.
i)Preparati ononpart of the interviewer:
Inmost organisations, it is the HR department that is
involved intheinterview process. The interviewer must be
extremely clear about the purpose ofthe interview. The
interview should achieve itsobjective and not become a
waste oftime, money and resources fortheorganisation.
The organisation should keep thefollowing inmind :
Applications received must be scrutinised and
prospective candidates shortlisted for the interview.
Call letters toprospective candidat esshould besent well
inadvance ofthedate oftheinterview with details ofday,
date, time and place oftheinterview. Ifalotofcandidates
areto be interviewed, astaggered time may beallotted tothe
candidates. The letter should also indicate documents that
the candidate should carry along with him/her tothe
interview.munotes.in
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Aninterviewer/ panel must beformed inadvance and the
interviewer/s must beinformed inadvance about their
appointment on the panel. A file with the
candidates‘resumes must beprovided to them ,sothat
they have some information about the candidates even
before the interview begins.
The interviewer/s must know details about the job profile,
organisation, rules regarding appointment, salary, perks,
other benefits, etc.
Adata sheetforrecording grades and noting comments
should bemade available totheinterviewers onthedayof
theinterview.
Onthe day oftheinterview, seating arrangements should
bemade forthecandidates asthey wait for their turn.
Some companies also provi derefreshments tothewaiting
candidates.
Documents /forms tobefilled bythe candidates
appearing fortheinterview should be kept ready tobe
given tothecandidates asthey come in.
Separate staff should beinstructed totake care ofthe
needs ofthecandidates.
ii)Preparation onthepart oftheCandidate:
Itisnotjust thesubject knowledge buttheentire personality
ofthecandidate that isassessed attheinterview. Hence, the
interviewee has topay adequate attention tophysical,
mental and psycho logical preparation fortheinterview.
Physical Preparation: Physical preparation is an
extremely important part ofthe candidate‘s groundwork
before aninterview. Itconsists notonly ofgrooming but also
ofadocument check ontheday before theintervi ew. The
required documents, certificates, testimonials, extra copies
ofresume, copies ofpublications, etc. should beplaced in
separate folders inafile sothat they can beproduced
without anydifficulty when required.
Personal appearance and cleanlin ess areequally important
factors, asthecandidate must present awell-groomed look
attheinterview. One must pay attention tobody odour, bad
breath, hair, nails, hands and other aspects ofpersonal
hygiene. Make -up,accessories, wardrobe play asignif icant
role indetermining the personality ofthe candidate. Itis
essential toensure that these factors are suitable tothe
occasion. Make -upshould not begarish and accessories
should beminimal. Clothes should beneatly pressed and as
formal astheoccasion demands. Itwould beagood idea to
avoid bright colours and flashy outfits. Shoes should bemunotes.in
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well-polished. The clothes should beappropriate tothepost
applied for. Generally, suits for men and formal saris for
women isthe preferred style ofdress ing. However, it is
better towear anoutfit one iscomfortable in(like asalwar
kameez instead ofasari, oraformal shirt with atieinstead
ofasuit, because oftheweather) rather beuncomfortable
inadress one isnotaccustomed to.
Rehearsal ofnon-verbal cues canhelp inconcealing signs of
nervousness, restlessness, agitation, etc. Candidates
appearing foraninterview forthefirst time must practice
control over facial expressions, body language and on
speaking confidently without faltering .
Mental Preparation: Research and preparation canstand a
candidate ingood stead during theinterview. The candidate
must research thecompany and the job profile tofind outif
s/he fits into the organisation. Well preparedness
demonstrates tothe interviewers that the candidate has
done hishomework and isserious about the job. These
days itiseasy toaccess details about thecompany through
internet websites. The crucial area ofresearch should bethe
organisation‘s culture, company‘s products, serv ices, profit
margins, recent balance sheet, number ofbranches and
values, and recent news reports about thecompany.
Job description includes job title and department, the
responsibilities and duties that come along with the job , and
the organisational structure, conditions ofemployment,
benefit schemes, etc.
Aself-assessment isalso essential :does one have theright
qualifications and experience, necessary skill sets, special
expertise and most importantly, aSWOT analysis ofoneself.
Adry run ofpossible questions will help anticipate questions
and give confident replies.
The candidate should also be prepared to discuss sticky issues like
quitting previous jobs, negotiating salary, etc.
Psychological Preparation: Apositive mind and self-
assuranc ecan help overcome pre-interview jitters, but this
poise can result only from excellent groundwork and
preparation forthe interview. The candidate must have
presence ofmind, sharpness ofintellect, must exhibit
flexibility and adaptability tochange, andthe humility to
learn that which hedoes notknow.
Knowledge ofone‘s strengths and weaknesses can help in
giving honest replies toquestions, especially when one doesmunotes.in
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not have theanswer toafewquestions. Instress interviews
especially, where thecandidate isdeliberately putunder a
stressful situation and has questions fired at him ,astrong
presence ofmind iscrucial toanswer thequestions.
Some Potential Interview Questions :
Tell ussomething about yourself.
What doyour colleagues/superiors sayabout you?
How canyoucontribute toourorganisation?
Mention your three greatest strengths andweaknesses.
What areyour long -term career goals?
Why doyou wish toquit your current job?
What prompted thiscareer change?
Why doyouwant tojoin our organisation?
The list of questions is not exhaustive. It will include questions on
the candidate‘s education, work experience, problem -solving and
decision -making ability, initiative, team -work, interpersonal
relationship, time management, management styl e, values, work
ethic, leadership qualities, etc.
A)Appraisal Interview:
Acandidate does not come tothe end ofinterviews with
his/her selection foraparticular post in an organisation .In
fact, theprocess continues onaregular basis toassess and
evaluate the performance oftheemployee. The appraisal
interview isgenerally used asameans ofsharing the
employer‘s views ontheperformance oftheemployee with
the employee himself/herself. Ithelps inimproving
performance, building employer -employe erelations, ironing
out differences, attending togrievances and, above all,
recommending theemployee forpromotion and incentives. It
is therefore essential that both the parties tosuch an
interview arepositive, forthright, open and ready forafrank
discussion. The discussion may include past performance,
setting benchmarks and targets forthefuture, future plans of
the company and the role of the employee init, the
employee‘s future prospects with thecompany, etc. Awell-
conducted appraisal interview can accomplish thegoals set
down bythe organisation foritself and contribute tohigh
levels ofemployee motivation.
B)Exit Interview:
This type ofinterview takes place when anemployee leaves
theorganisation. Anemployee may leave the orga nisation
forbetter prospects orbecause heisdissatisfied with
colleagues, the work culture ofthe organisation, etc. An
interview atthetime ofleaving willmake theemployee speak
his mind freely as he need not fear making adverse
remarks. The intervi ew should, however, beconductedmunotes.in
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discreetly ifitsobjectives areto be fulfilled. The interviewer
should invite the employee to speak frankly about the
problems faced bytheemployee and invite suggestions to
rectify them. The employee may be rude and make
unpleasant comments onfellow colleagues and superiors,
but this must behandled tactfully bytheinterviewer. The aim
istoseek information that will ultimately help the
organisation toimprove, grow and smooth out dissension
among existing employees. The information provided bythe
employee should however beused judiciously asitcould
sometimes contain exaggeration and falsehood. The
dexterity with which the interviewer handles the interview
willhelp theemployee topart on an agreeable note. Thus the
exitof an employee can beapproached positively and turned
tothe benefit oftheorganisation through theexit interview.
C)Grievance Interview:
The Grievance interview isconducted inorder toaddress
the complaints orgrievances ofthe employees. A llowing
employees toairtheir grievances help the management
iresolve issues which otherwise could assume larger
proportions
ii.gain aninsight into theproblems faced bytheemployee in
order torectify them
iii.win the goodwill and confidence of the employees
iv.create anatmosphere ofharmony within theorganisation
byresolving conflicts
Atsuch aninterview itis necessary fortheauthority to listen
totheemployee‘s grievances attentively and with concern.
The employee should beinvited tovoiceher/his grievances
freely. Inthe end the authority should summarise the
message from the employee and present agist ofthe
grievance toensure that hehas heard thecommunication
correctly, and then suggest remedial measures. One ofthe
biggest advant ages ofthe grievance interview isthat the
employees get anopportunity tovent their feelings and
emotion, suppression ofwhich can cause major problems to
the organisation. The very fact that management has
provided them with a grievance mechanism which issensitive
totheir concerns goes along way instrengthening
employee -employer relations.
Tasks :
1.Assume that you are appearing for your first selection
interview. Answer, thefollowing questions inabout four to
fivesentences each:
i.What areyour strengths and weaknesses?munotes.in
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ii.Where doyouseeyourself five years from now?
iii.Tell ussomething about your parents.
iv.Tell usabout yourself /introduce yourself.
v.Should the subject Business Communication be
introduced atT.Y. instead of at F.Y. level inthe
Commerc ecourse?
2.Why does anorganisation hold Selection/ Appraisal/ Exit/
Grievance interview?
3.What preparation does aninterviewee/ interviewer have
tomake foraselection interview?
4.Form apanel offiveparticipants and discuss thefollowing
issues. Write outagistoftheparticipants views.
i.With theever increasing reach oftelevision newspapers
arenolonger needed.
ii.Reality shows infact areunreal shows.
iii.Only theyouth have thepower tocreate an egalitarian
society.
munotes.in
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Unit-3
GROUP COMMUNICATION: MEETINGS
Learning objectives:
Understanding group communication
Purpose of meetings and their importance in the corporate
environment
Drafting Notice, Agenda, Resolutions
I.GROUP COMMUNICATION
Introduction :
Amajor objective ofcommunication istohelp decision -
making by collecting, processing and transmitting
information. Adecision -making process must involve
discussion, consultation and consensus. For example, the
members ofthe examination committee meet before
conducting an examination todecide on the dates,
schedules, time required forevaluation, and declaration of
results. Any decision, taken individually onbehalf of an
organisation without consultation with others, isconsidered
arbitrary and autocratic.
Advantages ofgroup communication :
Agroup isareserve ofcollective intellect, diverse opinions,
different perspectives aimed atcreating apool ofideas to
obtain the best possible results ofany endeavour. Apart
from helping thecommon cause, itenriches individuals in
the group byexposin gthem toplurality ofideas. Italso
engenders asense ofinvolvement inanorganization, and
strengthens relationships between the management and
employees. A collective decision -making process
encourages latent talents. Members learn tovalue
compromise and still contribute tothe cause. Delphi
techniques, meetings, conferences, seminars and
workshops, brain -storming sessions are thevarious ways
ofgroup decision making intheorganization.
Disadvantages of group communication :
Working inagroup on a nidea isatime -consuming affair,
particularly when aconsensus isrequired. Levels of
background research, knowledge, sense ofresponsibility
and intelligence vary, bringing about unintelligible
differences and lack ofparticipation. Often, the actualmunotes.in
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purpose ofameeting islost inendless circumlocution. A
better idea oropinion can get sacrificed inthe collective
bargain, rendering the process awaste oftime and
resources.
Consensus: Adecision supported bymajority members ofa
group isknown asdecision byconsensus. This common
agreement isarrived at by analysing different views. While
arriving atadecision, anindividual may have tosetaside his
opinion and accept that ofthemajority. Consensus teaches
suppressing one‘s ego inthelarger interest.
Meetings :
A Meeting: A Meeting is a collective decision making process.
Organizations generally have appointed groups to supervise
specific areas, commonly known as committees.
LouisAllendefinesitas―Abodyofpersonsappo inted
orelected tomeet on an organized basis for the
consideration ofmattersbeforeit‖.Acomm itteeisalso
seenas ―agroupappointed bythe parent organization
which meets toinvestigate aproblem and, later, to
formulate itsreport and recommenda tions‖.
Acommittee meets
togetaclear perspective onagiven proposition
toarrive atadecision, based onfacts and figures
tofindoutviews, attitudes and emotions oftheparticipants
while tackling aproblem orfacing achallenging situation
toexplore themost appropriate solution toaproblem to
collect data
There aretwotypes ofcommittees: executive and advisory.
Anexecutive committee isaformal body with elected /
appointed /nominated members. Ithas aformal structure
and constitution, and members meet only when aformal
notification isissued. Itlooks into administrative issues of
theorganization.
Anadvisory committee isareservoir ofknowledge and
experience, comprising nominated members, entru sted to
provide guidance whenever required and has norole inthe
daily administration of an organization.
The working of acommittee meeting : A meeting is
convened bycirculating anotice amongst itsmembers. The
chairperson, inconsultation with thesecretary, decides the
agenda ofameeting. Anotice informs themembers about
theday, date, time and venue ofthemeeting, apart frommunotes.in
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briefly describing theagenda. Anagenda isalistofitems
that aretobediscussed atthemeeting.
The notice and theagenda help members tocomplete their
background research and prepare forthe meeting. The
meeting begins when there isaquorum one-third ofthetotal
number ofmembers constituting that particular body.
The chairman initiates discussion according totheagenda.
Each item isdiscussed indetail allowing members tovoice
their opinions. This isknown asthediscussion phase ofthe
meeting. After the discussions that examine the pros and
cons ofagiven matter, adecision isarrived atand the
modalities oftheimplementation are discussed .This isthe
implementation phase ofthemeeting.
A decision could bearrived atbyconsensus orbyputting the
proposition tovote. Decisions arerecorded bythesecretary
ofthecommittee. When they arerecorded during themeeting
they are called resolutions. Resolutions, when recorded in
theminute book, arecalled minutes.
The Role ofthe Leader/ Chairperson inacommittee
meeting :
The role oftheleader /chairperson /head ofthegroup is
crucial forthe success ofameeting. He/she must bea
person with clear vision, drive and good communication
skills to be able toprovide direction tothegroup. The group
must work towards achieving itsgoal within the allotted
time.
1.Achairperson must set the objective ofthemeeting,
whichcanrangefromdiscussing =strategiesto
increasesales‘toreducingthequantumofleave
taken byemployees.‘ Ameeting can have one ortwo
such major items ontheagenda. The chairperson must
know what hewants outofsuch ameeting.
2.The chairperson must know themembers of the group
and their profiles. What aretheir biases? Arethey going
toconform orarethey going toresist thedecision?
3.After checking thequorum, thechairperson begins the
meeting bywelcoming allmembers.
4.He /she must spell out the agenda and invite
participation from members.
5.He/sheshould take upitems oftheagenda one byone.munotes.in
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6.He / she must allocate sufficient time for discussion of the
item and then take a decision on it.
7.He/she should ensure that themembers gettime to
voice their opinions but atthe same time donot
overshoot the time that has been allocated foreach
item.
8.Incase ofconflict within the group, he/she must
intervene swiftly toensure that theprocess ofdecision -
making isnothampered and that theatmosphere isnot
vitiated.
9.He/She must tryfordecision byconsensus but, if
unable to do so,he/she should ensure that thegroup‘s
unity remains intact despite voting onagiven point.
10.He/She has toinstruct thesecretary tokeep therecord
ofthedeliberations and theresolutions passed.
11.Prior tothemeeting he/she has to circulate notice of
themeeting and set the agenda forthemeeting.
12.He/She has tomake proper arrangements forseating
where members can see each other and converse with
each other.
13.Besides writing pads and pens, any other gadgets or
technological support required should be provided for.
14.He /She must ensure that the new members are
introduced tothesenior members.
Chairing ameeting isanart.Itisaleadership skill which can
belearnt orimproved with practice.
The Role ofthe Participants :Ameeting isademocratic
process ofarriving atadecision that encompasses
interests ofallthepeople concerned. The role ofparticipants
representing all the people is important. Theyhave toparticipate
ina decisive way to bring the meeting toitslogical
conclusion.
1.The participants must study the agenda and prepare
themselves mentally forthemeeting.
2.They need tounderstand their importance inthegroup
and must contribute toitssuccess.
3.They should have astand/perspective based onfacts.
They should not voice opinions without factual support.
4.They have tounderstand that meeting isaplace wherein
divergent views willbeexpressed.munotes.in
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5They must voice their opinion inthetime allotted to them in
aclear and concise manner. They should not try to
monopolise time by being circumlocutory and waste
everybody‘s time.
6.Decision -making in agroup isarrived atthrough
consensus. Which means one must be prepared to
compromise, togive upsomethi nginthelarger interest
7.They should not argue for thesake ofarguing oroppose
therival viewpoint. At no point should they make itaprestige
issue
Drafting ofNotices, Agenda, Resolutions
The first step inconvening ameeting istodraft thenotic e
which informs members about thelocation, time, date and
purpose ofthemeeting. Unless anotice issent, ameeting is
notconsidered formal orlegal.
Irrespective ofwhether it is aformal meeting or an informal
one, intimation about the venue, time an dpurpose of
meeting hasto be sent out.
Any formal intimation of the meeting must bear the following items:
The signature ofauthority. Normally, the secretary, in
consultation with the chairperson, drafts thenotice. A
formal notice should therefo recontain thesignature ofthe
secretary and thechairperson
Itmust betyped onthecompany‘s letterhead.
Itmust mention thevenue which should beconvenient to
allthemembers
Itmust state theday and time ofthemeeting
Itmust state thedate onwhich themeeting willbeheld.
The notice should becirculated minimum twoweeks /14
days inadvance.
[In the case ofthe AGM 21days, Board ofDirectors‘
Meeting, 7days]
Itmust state thenature ofthemeeting (AGM, Statutory,
Board ofDirectors‘ Meeti ng, committee meeting etc)
Itmust spell out the purpose ofthe meeting under the
heading=agenda ‘
Agenda:
AnAgenda isalistofitems tobedeliberated upon in a
meeting. The reason behind circulating the agenda istomunotes.in
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inform members about thepurpose ofthemeeting, sothat
they can come prepared and participate inthemeeting.
Example :
Infra Structure Finance Company Ltd. 123, Mehata Street, MIDC,
Andheri [E] Mumbai 400077. Tel: 022 23334445
Notice
30 June 2008
Notice ishereby given that the 31stAnnual General
Meeting ofIFC Ltd will beheld onWednesday, July 16,
2008 at =Burlap Ambusher Sahara‘, 19,Marine Lines,
Mumbai 400 020, at3.00 p.m., totransact the following
business:
Agenda
Ordinary Business:
1.Toread theNotice ofthemeeting
2.Toconfirm theminutes ofthe AGM held onJuly 16,2007
3.Toreceive, consider, and adopt the audited profit and
loss
Resolution :Resolution isthedecision taken atameeting.
The secretary isexpected tomaintain arecord ofthe
deliberations and decisions made at ameeting. While
keeping such arecord ofthedecisions taken, thedecis ions
are recorded inthepresent tense. However, while making
their entry in the minute book , they arerecorded inreported
speech.
A resolution may begin in the following ways:
―Itisherebyresolvedthat………. .
―Resolvedthat………
Example :
1.―ItisherebyresolvedthatMessrs.PanelKerrFrostier
beand are hereby reappointed asbranch Auditors forthe
year 2008 -09,onsuch terms and conditions and onsuch
remuneration asmay befixed bytheBoard ofDirectorsof
theCorpo ration.‖
[Minu teof the same would read as ―It was then resolved to
reappoint…]
2.―ResolvedthattheCorporationherebydeclaresa
dividend ofRs2 pershare toeach shareholder whose name
appears onthecompany‘s register up to 30 July 2008‖.munotes.in
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[Thesameiteminminuteswouldreadas ―Itwas
resolved that the Corporation declared a
dividend……………..whose names appeared ]
Tasks :
1.Asabranch manager ofABC Ltd. you receive afaxfrom
thehead office announcing aninspection ofthebranch ina
week‘s time .You have tocall an emergency meeting ofthe
branch personnel toinform them oftheinspection, and to
decide onthesteps to be taken for the inspection. Draft a
notice conv ening ameeting intheconference room at 10
a.m.
2.Atthe Annual General Meeting ofHarsiddhi Co-
Operative Housing Society, thefollowing items were onthe
agenda. Draft carefully worded resolutions forthem
1.Tobuyacomputer for the society‘s office
2.Toappoint anaccountant towrite day accounts
3.Tosend anotice torecover outstanding dues from Mr.S.
N.Rana who hasdefaulted thepayment ofthesociety.
3.What isthe importance ofagroup inorganizational
decision -making?
4.What are the problems ofgroup communication?
5.Why istherole ofthechairperson/participants important
inameeting?
6.You are the organizer oftheInter -Collegiate festival. Draft
theNotice mentioning theagenda forthefirst meeting ofthe
committee. Aschairperson what measures wouldyou take
while conducting themeeting?
munotes.in
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Unit-4
CONFERENCE FOR COMMUNICATION
Learning objectives :
Tointroduce students totheconcept ofaconference asa
means ofinternal and external communication.
I.CONFERENCE
Introduction:
Aconference isameeting forconsultation, discussion, or an
interchange ofopinions orviews. The wordconferenceis
derivedfromtheLatinconferwhichmean stoconsult
together.Asthedefinitionsuggests,aconference isthe
coming together ofindividuals who belong toaparticular
field. These individuals are invited tolook ataparticular
matter ingreater detail and communicate their view points
and disseminate information among people belonging tothat
particular field.
Conferences could beheld for avariety ofreasons. They
could beorganized toraise general public awareness, or
within theorganization tostudy aparticular problem, or to
update theknowledge oftheemployees regarding thelatest
developments intheorganization.
What i s the difference bet ween a conference and a meeting ?
While acommittee, aswell asaconference, isatype of
group communication, inacommittee meeting thenumber
ofmembers issmall, there isawell defined agenda and
decisions taken are legally bindin gontheorganization. A
committee meeting istherefore avery formal affair, asits
members areappointed, ornominated, and themeeting is
organized with aview tosolving apertinent problem, or to
implement adecision.
Aconference, ontheother hand, isarelatively informal get-
together ofalarger group that meets inaninformal manner;
thedecisions taken at a conference are of aconsultative or
advisory nature. Participants inaconference donot have
any voting right. Inaconference, agiven problem/ subject is
analysed from allangles inorder toarrive atthe bestmunotes.in
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possible solution /option. These decisions are put forward in
arecommendatory fashion.
For instance , a bank organising an in -house conference, before
introducing the ATM facility t o its customers, may invite general
discussion on various aspects of the proposition, such as
What istheprofile ofthecustomer?
What would betheir reaction tosuch ascheme?
What kind ofreception would thisnew facility receive?
How should thebank break thenews toitscustomers?
What effort should ittake tobreak their resistance?
How should itaddress their security concerns?
What should betheadvertising strategy?
Itisonly after athorough study ofallthese aspects, and in
the light ofthe recommendations received, that apolicy
decision onwhether such afacility should beintroduced,
where itshould beintroduced first, what will bethetask of
thePublic Relations Department etc, will betaken.
i)Organising aConference:
I.A conference couldbeorganized forin-house personnel orit
could beforanexternal audience. Itcould beorganized
locally or at the state, national or international level.
For example :
1.AllIndia Conference ontheNew Techniques inDentistry.
2.International Conference onFeminism.
II.Organising aconference requires planning and effort.
Generally it isthetask ofthePublic Relations Department
toorganize such anevent.
1.Preparation begins with deciding thesubject orthearea
that theorganization needs toexplore.
2.Depending upon thescope ofthesubject, alistofinvitees
and guest speakers isdrawn up.
3.The main subject could bedivided into sub-topics and
these could bediscussed during several technical/plenary
sessions.
4.Depending upon thescope ofthetopic, thetotal period
over which theconference would beheld isdecided. [It
could beaOne-day /Two-Day/Three Day conference.]munotes.in
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5.Budget ofthe conference isworked out. Attimes,
sponsors arecontacted toraise thenecessary funds for
theconference.
6.The date ,time and venue oftheconference areplanned.
Generally, theconvenience ofallthose involved istaken
into consideration.
7.Programme for the conference isdrawn up, after
contacting the resource persons and ensuring their
availability.
8.Arrangements such as accommodation and
transportation aremade forout-station participants.
9.Research papers /Extracts ofpapers from participants on
thegiven topic areinvited.
10.Aformal invitation outlining thedetails oftheprogramme
isprinted Aformal invite issent totheinvitees and the
resource persons. Invitations, along with entry forms, are
sent toparticipants who represent theorganizations .
11.PRD has tohandle all the publicity fortheevent. This
includes aformal intimation oftheevent tonewspaper sand
news channels inorder toorganize press coverage ofthe
conference.
ii)Ontheday ofthe conference thefollowing activities
areundertaken bythehost:
12.Aregistration desk isarranged fortheenrolment ofthe
participants.
13.They are provided with filescontaining the extracts of
speeches /papers submitted bytheguest speakers. Pens,
badges etc are distributed along with thestationery.
iii)Holding aConference:
Aconference isinaugurated bythe Chief Guest, who
outlines thepurpose, need and the poss ible outcomes ofthe
conference. This speech isknown astheKey-Note Address.
This isfollowed bythe Technical Sessions, inwhich the
resource person gives his/her perspective/s and invites
interaction from participants .Each session isofficiated bya
Chairperson who introduces thespeakers, allocates time for
their presentations, and sums upthe key ideas attheend of
thesession. He/She also mediates between thespeakers
and participants during the interactive session. Atevery
technical session there isarapporteur, who records the
proceedings aswell asthe outcome ofthe session. The
Conference concludes with aformal valedictory function.
The Chief Guest highlights thekey ideas thrown upbythemunotes.in
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conference and comments onitsoverall success. Allthe
participants are given certificates /souvenirs for
participation, and these arepresented bytheChief Guest.
Organisers have tomake arrangements forcertificates,
souvenirs etc. Feedback from participants, including their
suggestions areinvited tobring about improvements, ifany.
Arrangements forfood breakfast, tea, lunch, snacks etc.
aremade bythehost. Apart from these, arrangements for
technological support such as mikes ,LCD /and other visual
aids arealso made bythehost.
After theconference isover, a careful analysis ofthefeedback
ismade. Guest speakers aresent thank you letters along with
copies oftheir photographs.
iv)Outcome ofaConference:
Awell organized conference gives asense ofsatisfaction to
thehost aswell as to theguests /participants /delegates. In
aconference agiven problem islooked atcomprehensively.
This creates understanding ofthe problem. Solutions are
worked at. Interaction among the delegates helps inthe
broadening ofunderstanding. Professional interaction helps
inthe strengthening ofbonds, creation ofnetwork and
fraternity feeling . Organising aconference isamajor Public
Relations exercise. Itbuilds theimage oftheorganization
and earns the good will ofthe public. Italso accords
leader ship position toorganisaions that host conferences on
aregular basis.
Nowadays many companies organize conferences asa
business -cum-pleasure exercise. The purpose ofsuch a
conference istohold thethought -generation exercise ina
relaxedatmosphere .Such a conferenceis held off -siteor
offlocale,ataplacewheremembe rscangosight-seeing
orshopping. Pharma companies holding conferences for
doctors inplaces likeSingapore orCape Town areexamples
ofsuch conferences.
v)Example ofaSchedule foraConference: One Day
State Level Conference on
Searching New Directions in Education : Creating an
Interface between Education and Industry.
11th August 2008 Venue :Hotel Ambassador Registration:
9:30a.m. to10:30a.m.
1.Inaugural Session: 10:3 0a.m. to11:15 a.m.munotes.in
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Chief Guest: Dr.A.Ramaswami, Vice -Chancellor, Mumbai
University
Vote of Thanks : Mr. A. Jadhav, Principal, D.B.College
2.Technical Session: 11:20a.m. to1:30 p.m. Chairperson :
Mr.A.N.Sane, Industrialist.
(a)Guest Speaker: Mrs. Nina Thaper, CEO, ICICI Bank.
Topic: Careers inBanking and Insurance Sector Time:
11:30a.m. to12:15p.m.
(b)Guest Speaker: Dr. L.Fernandes, X.Y.College Topic:
Careers inRetail and Subsidiary Sectors Time: 12:15p.m. to
1:15p.m.
(c)Interactive session: 1:15p.m. to1:30p.m.
Vote of Thanks.
Lunch Break: 1:30p.m. to 2:30p.m.
3.Technical Session: 2:30p.m. to4:30p.m. Chairperson:
Dr.N.S.Mohanti, Director, IIT.
(a)Guest Speaker: Mrs.S. Garg, Principal, Teachers‘ Training
College
Topic: Need for Teacher Training and Orienta tion.Time:
2:30p.m. to3:30p.m.
ii)Other Forms of Group Communication
1.Seminar :Aseminar isadiscussion byagroup that
gathers toanalyse aresearch paper, or an advanced study,
presented byaparticipant orally, orinawritten manner.
Presentation ofmaterial isfollowed bydiscussion ofthe
report ormaterial ingreater detail. Itispossible that ata
seminar more than one paper orsubject ispresented.(b)Guest Speaker: Mr.K.R.Sahu, CEO, Power Chain
Stores
Topic :Logistics andMethodologies.
Time: 3:30p.m. to4:30p.m.
(c)Interactive session :4:30p.m to5.00p.m.
Vote of Thanks
Valedictory Function: Time: 5:00p.m .to6:00p.m.
Chief Guest: Dr. A.P.Sarang, Pro -Vice-Chancellor, Mumbai
University
Distribution ofcertificates.
Vote of Thanks.munotes.in
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2.Symposium :This isaget-together ofpeople atwhich
people belong ingtoaspecialized field make presentations
towhich theaudience can respond. This isaninteractive
activity between general audience and experts from a
specialized field.
3.Tele-Conference /on line conference: Two ormore
persons conferring with the helpoftelephones at an appointed
date and time isknown asteleconferencing. Teleconferencing
with the help ofthe internet isanother way ofconducting
conferences ormeetings. Yahoo, Skype are some ofthe
popular networks that offer teleconferencing faci lities. The
advantage ofthis mode ofCommunication is that
participants can participate from their own geographical
locations ,atacommonly agreed time.
4.Video Conference :Fiber Optic Network Connection in
conjunction with Satellite makes itpossib leforpersons to
use web-cams and confer with one another at anappointed
day and time. Since people can see each other thisbecomes
alive, face toface communication. This mode of
communication isused bybusiness houses that have a
global presence.
Tasks :
1.Why isaconference held? Inwhat way is itdifferent from
acommittee meeting?
2.Imagine that you have joined abank, which wishes to
introduce anew Insurance -cum-savings product toits
customers. You have been asked toorganize anin-house
conferen ceforitssales personnel. Answer thefollowing
questions:
(i)What will bethe subject ofyour conference? (ii) How
many technical sessions can you plan? (iii)How many
days, doyou think, theprogramme should take?
(iv) How will you devise the invitation card aswell asthe
schedule for such aconference?
3.Atthe above conference you have toorganize guest
speakers. What steps would youtake for this?
4.What kind ofpreparations would you make on theday of
theconference ?
munotes.in
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Unit-5
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Learning objectives :
Toenable students tounderstand themeaning, definition
and scope ofpublic relations inthecontext ofthemodern
day world.
Tolist and explain thefunctions and tools ofaPRO and
toidentify thequalifications and skills needed toexcel inthis
field.
Public Relations
Introduction:
Public relations is an important management tool which an
organisation uses to establish, sustain and improve its
reputation among the people, organisations or government
bodies it has to interact with. Organized and well executed
public relations activities help develop and maintain good
relationship between an organisation and its publics. This
goes a long way in helping the organisation survive and
prosper. In this globalised and competitive world public
relations play an important role in building the image of an
organisation.
Definition:PublicRelations is the deliberate planned and
sustained effort ofanorganization toestablish and maintain
mutual unde rstanding between anorganization andits
publics.
The word ‘Publics’ refers to ‘certain group of people’. An
organisation’s publics are all those groups of people with
which it wants to be in communication. This may include the
personnel of the organisat ion, its customers, suppliers,
investors, competitors and even the community it is a part of.
An individual may be a member of two or more ‘publics’. He
could be an employee of the company, he may own shares
in the company and may even be residing in the s ame
locality. Every organisation has its own set of publics and
some will be more important to it than others. Their relative
importance will vary depending on the activities of the
organisations, current problem areas and its impact on the
public’s or tar get audience connected.munotes.in
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i)Functions ofPR: Ascommunicators they can ascertain
the very pulse ofthe public, and their perceptions can
inform and influence policy decisions ofanorganization, be
itfor finance, marketing, community ,government or
environment purposes. They aretherefore able toplay a vital
role asadvisors tothemanagement ondiverse aspects. In
thiscapacity they canhelp shape company policy.
The public relations division can act astheimage makers
fortheorganization ortheindividual and, byadopting the right
medium and appropriate content, can influence public opinion.
Agood assessment ofpeople‘s culture specifics enables it
to devise suitable strategies in determining an
organization‘s goals.
The ability tocommunicate qualifies ittoact as
intermediary with lobbyists or to itself lobby fororganizations
with people, governments orinternational bodies tosecure
deals.
Though event management isbeing carved asaspecial
niche, this isessentially what aPRprofessional routinely
handles.
Events would include diverse programmes likemusical
extravaganzas or book launches. But organizing
conferences, meetings, symposia orexhibitions are again
traditionally aPRprofessional‘s responsibility.
Crisismanagement issynonymous with PR. But more
important istheability tokeep theantennae up and alert and
pre-empt problems. PROs (Public relations officers)
therefore have toact assirens that warn ofimpending
trouble. When acrisis occurs, they arethe first ones soughtOther
organisationsGovernment Suppliers
Personnel
Personnel
CommunityMediaCustomersFinancers Shareholders ORGANISATON
munotes.in
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todefuse thesituation, orrestrict and control damage. They
have toact asspokespersons for the organization. In
rendering first-aidinacrisis situation, they often help by
deflecting public attention from an unpleasant and
unsav oury occurrence towards apositive and beneficial one.
They have, therefore, been regarded asdoingawhite
washing‘ exercise .Bethatasitmay,theyare credited
withachievinga =turnaround ‘inpublicperception
and restoring the shine toatarnished image.
PROs are the natural and first choice as spokespersons
foranorganization and need toroutinely interact with the
media, thegovernment orother agencies.
Byvirtue ofhandling both external aswell asinternal
audiences their role overlaps with that ofthe HRD. In
challenging times ofstrikes, go-slow motions, lock-ups,
mergers and/or acquisitions, they are ideally suited in
addressing and occasionally redress ingtheconcerns ofthe
employees of an organization.
Tools of PR : The principal and basic tools of PROs are the spoken
word, the written word and the image. The nature and the need of
the audience determine the form or the medium.
A)PRand External Comm unication :The PROs have a
wide range oftools attheir command to be used according
totheneeds oftheaudience they require toaddress.
External Public Relations : The Publics [The external audience]
of an organization may comprise its dealers, custom ers,
transporters, trade association members, competitors, or
government bodies that it needs to interact with in the course of its
day to day business, its investors, other financial bodies as well as
opinion makers and the public at large.
One of the be st ways, therefore, to reach such a wide spectrum of
audience is through mass media. Though the TV is one of the most
effective means, its prohibitive cost makes it a deterrent for most
except the financially sound companies. But there are other cost
effec tive means. These could be the press, (the newspapers
normally publish a press release of an event without charge ),
staging an open house by inviting its various stakeholders to visit
the company at its office or plant, sponsoring events and displaying
thecompany‘s name and logo prominently, or by conducting or
participating in fairs and expositions. Companies which have the
financial means also go in for films, or documentaries of public
interest, highlighting the company‘s role or association with the
project. The widening of technology has offered one more means,
the web page, which, however, needs constant updating, as failuremunotes.in
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to do so reflects badly on the organisation‘s ability to keep abreast
with the times.
i)Media Planning
The best means of outreach to the public is through the
newspapers, the television, and now the radio which is seeing a re -
birth through the FM channels. Issuing press hand -outs before a
press conference or press releases about an organisation‘s
forthcoming events is important. Itisimportant to bear in mind that
a press release must be clear, accurate, brief and objective. With
the television and the radio being expensive media forms, their use
would be limited, reserved for only extreme cases of crises when
an organization‘s view point would need to be expressed.
Asthe press isone ofthe most effective tools ofmass
communication, it isvital that aPRO maintain an up -to-date
listofsub-editors towhom the press release would be
addressed. Itisalso necessary todoadiscre et follow up.
One should ensure that thepress release is in theform ofa
newspaper report with allrelevant and complete information
included.
Example:
In addition to the press or other media, some of the other forms of
interface with the external s takeholders are exhibitions, fairs, open -munotes.in
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house days, documentary films, as also organizing sweepstakes,
competitions and community programmes.
Organising press coverage forimportant events in the
organisation, getting senior executives tocontribute articles
toleading newspapers, participating indebates onTV
channels ispart oftheimage -building exercise ofPRO .
The Internet isthelatest and most modern medium tobe
harnessed bythePRDepartment tohelp initsjob. The web
isaninteractive medium with the widest reach, astheterm=
worldwide‘ appropriately suggests .Hence,notonlyisthe
web page animportant tool inpublicising thecompany, its
profile, itsachievements and itsplans, butitbecomes the
ideal medium to be in touch with publi csentiment, its
perception and reaction toacompany‘s policy orevent.
ii)Customer Relations: Customer Complaints, Corporate
Social Responsibility:
a)Answering customer queries, handling customer complaints
with sensitivity and promptness, providing vital information
tocommon public isthejoboftheCustomer Relations Officer.
b)PRtries toreach outtoavast number ofcustomers by
paying prompt attention to customer grievances . Growing number
ofBusiness Processing Units bear testimony tothefact that
attending tocustomers isofvital importance tosurvive the
competition.
With therecent enactment oftheRTIAct, and ageneral rise
inconsumer awareness, the management ofconsumer
complaints becomes animportant part ofthePRdepartment.
Often, comp anies orservice providers , in abidtoretain
goodwill, may even offer some adjustment, interms of
discount coupons orfree coupons, tocompensate forthe
shortfall and retain goodwill. Here isanexamp le:
Shangri -La Resort, Madh Island,
Malad -W, Mumba i.
Nov 18, 2008.
Mr. Ravi Pant,
25, Emerald Heights, GK, New Delhi.
Dear Sir,
We have been honoured tohave you as a regular patron for
the past many years. We were, therefore, highly distressed
tolearn from your letter that you were subjected to
disco urteous behaviour atthe reception desk after an
unconscionable delay bythepick-upvan, upon your arrival
attheairport.munotes.in
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We assure you, Sir that we made immediate enquiry, as such a
complaint by our valued and longstanding customer demanded top
priority. We learnt that the unforeseen delay was caused by minor
mishap that had taken place enroute, which had necessitated a
very long detour. In normal circumstances, our drivers, as per
standing instructions, are present at the airport fifteen minutes
before the arrival of the flight. Your arrival coincided with the
change in shift duty at the resort. The night receptionist was just
going off duty, and the day replacement was on the way to the
desk after breakfast. We have learnt that it was a new trainee o f
the housekeeping department who was discourteous. Needless to
say he has been duly reprimanded. We assure you, Sir, that our
regular employees receive complete training and would doubtless
have handled the situation more competently, as your own past
experience would confirm.
However, wedeeply regret that one ofourregular customers
was puttoinconvenience. Asanoffer ofgoodwill wewish to
offer you acomplimentary lunch voucher fortwo atthe
prestigiousNizam‘satGreaterKailash,NewDelhi.We
assureyou, Sir, ofour continued impeccable service and
hope toreceive youagain onyour next visit toMumbai.
Sincerely Yours,
Rajiv Krishnan. (Manager, P.R.)
c)There isalotofbuzz inthecurrent corporate scenario
about CSR or Corporate Social Respon sibility .There is a
growing awareness and expectation that acompany that
prospers and does well financially should ideally attempt to
give back to society insome form or the other.
Accomplishing, aswell asadvertising this, becomes the sole
responsibil ityofthe PRD [Public Relations Department]. For
example ,a pharmaceutical company may organize
photographic exhibitions atpublic sites, such asrailway
stations, explaining through visuals and commentary about
thescourge ofAIDS and methods ofpreventi on. Orabout
blindness, and the preventive measures that can be
adopted.
iii)Organising Conferences, Seminars, Workshops: PRD
undertakes this exercise inorder totake aleadership
position inscholarship, and innovation among organizations
dealing insimilar ventures. Tobring leading thinkers and
people ofeminence together, and make their research
available toprofessionals, forms the core part ofthis
exercise. Conferences are held tocreate linkages and
establish networks.munotes.in
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iv).Fairs, Exhibitions and Shows: Organising such events
onone‘s own, orparticipating insuch events, isyetanother
PR activity. This exercise helps anorganization togain
maximum visibility and reach out tocross -sections ofthe
society. Showcasing one‘s products, interacting with
competitors and establishing one‘s position become
important objectives ofthisexercise.
v)Conducting Opinion Polls and Obtaining Customer
Feedback through Questionnaires :Agood relationship
with those whom one interacts with and who arenot part of
thecompany isvery essential. Companies work, notonly
towards portraying a good image to the world atlarge, but
also, from time totime, attempt afeedback on the public
perception ofthecompany. Forexample, Reliance Energy,
JetAirways, ICICI and HDFC banks have aregular feedback
forminwhichquestionslike,Wereyousatisfiedwiththe
timetakentoattendtoyourquery?‖areincluded.
vi)Itcould also arrange anOpen House :This is an occasion
when members ofthe public, orfamily and friends of
employees, can visit the plant orfactory and begiven a
conducted tour that explains the functioning ofvarious
departments ofthecompany. Indian Navy celebrates Navy
Week in the first week ofDecember and organizes
conducted tours ofsome ofitswarsh ipsforthebenefit of
common public. The purpose ofsuch anexercise isto
entertain and inform.
Vii) Trade Events such asorganizing seminars orexpert
talks byeminent professionals are yet another way for
companies toestablish and maintain good relat ions in
society. Forexample, when the new budget isannounced, it
iscommon practice forfinancial and tax-related companies
toorganize talks byeminent financial experts for both, the
general public orthetaxprofessionals oftheir association.
Viii) Films areanother popular way ofreaching outtothe
public. These canbeintheform of relevant documentaries or
onthecompany‘s profile and itscontribution tosociety. The
commissioning offilms, however, is an expensive affair and
it isonly companie swhich have deep pockets that can go in
forsuch amedium.
ix) Sponsorship is a very popular means of both publicity and
good PR. It is assumed that a company would sponsor only those
events orprogrammes that areinline with their policies and
thinking .The Souvenirs produced bynon profit making
associations orNGOs, forexample, are ameans toraise
funds through advertisements. Sponsorship not onlymunotes.in
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provides high visibility but also, through financial help,
enables the execution ofprogrammes and helps garner
goodwill for the company. College competitive events,
television programmes, sports events, orsocial projects
such ashealth awareness drives become an excellent means
tothecompany tobuild agood rapport with society.
B)Internal PR: The interna l audience of an organization
comprises itsemployees atvarious levels. The PROs can
effectively use tools such asthe in-house journal or
magazine or the notice boards. Featuring articles,
photographs, news and views, competitions, quizzes and tit
bits about acompany‘s events, achievements, employees‘
promotions, wedding details, births and deaths
announcements, etc., help tolend apersonal touch and go
along way increating inclusiveness and asense ofbonding
and belonging. Apart from these , organi zing picnics, get-
togethers for employees with their families, oroff-site
programmes, film screenings orannual sports day orother
competitive activities, are other ways of creating and
maintaining good relations with employees. Providing
congenial work and recreation places isvery essential too.
Creative use ofimagination and availability offunds can
result in innovative measures ofmaintaining good and
harmonious relations with the staff.
The Internal Audience of an organization comprises its
employ ees atvarious levels. Itisof paramount importance to
maintain cordial and congenial relations with theemployees
for,inthefinal analysis, it is they who are the actual people
who help theorganization achieve itsgoals.
The functions of Internal PR are to
(i)motivate theemployees and boost their morale
(ii)create fraternal feeling
(iii)ensure free flow ofcommunication inorder toearn the
trust oftheemployees.
i).The Print Medium is the first, easiest and simplest tool.
Itcan beused inavariety ofways. Bulletins areused to
give the employees news about thelatest developments.
In-house journals and magazines orperiodical booklets are
also apopular means. These usually contain amessage
from the management, and an editorial focusing onthe
latest events orproducts. Inaddition, tomake them more
interactive and participative, they may include articles by
employees, news about them such asmarriages orbirths
and deaths, orother relevant and significant events such as
thecompany‘s victory incompetitive matches and games, ormunotes.in
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news that concerns them, like promotions ornotes of
appreciation.
ii)Films , both documentary orentertainment, are agood
way ofengaging with the employees. When these are
followed bydiscussions, they afford anideal platform for
interacting with them in an informal setting and
strengthening theemployee -management bond. They could
serve theadditional purpose ofinstruction ortraining.
iii)Open House isawonderful device forimage building with
theemployees and their families. This achieves thepurpose
ofinstilling asense of involvement with and commitment to
thecompany. Picnics with employees also serve asimilar
objective.
iv)Off-site training programmes are becoming another
popular way for companies to achieve their dual objective of
providing both training and entertainment totheir employees
inaninformal setting. Conferences ,whether internal or
external, become awonderful PRexercise tomotivate the
employees, toup-date their knowledge and, indirectly,
benefi tthecompany.
v)Exhibitions and Competitions form yetanother form of
instructing, encouraging and, thereby, motivating
employees.
vi)Documentation ofPress Clippings: becomes an
important tool foranorganization tokeep track of theimage
itenjoys inpubl ic,justastheopinion pollfindings reveal the
perception of external orinternal audiences about itself.
Large companies, infact, have well trained and specific
employees, who regularly cutoutthearticles that include a
mention ofthem, and maintain amaster copy, aswell as
respective ones forthevarious departments. This enables
anorganization torefer tothem toascertain public opinion or
theperceptions ofvarious stakeholders before finalising a
policy decision.
vii)Implementation of programmes: like Advice and
Counselling, orSuggestion Schemes help instrengthening the
bond between the management and employees. The
importance ofcongenial working conditions cannot bestressed
enough inmotivating employees and encouraging them togive
oftheir b est. Ithas been remarked, and rightly so,that, while
themodern workplace seems toresemble more and more a
place ofrelaxation, sport, which isseeing increasing
competition, isbecoming more and more ofahard job!munotes.in
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III.Qualifications foraPRO:
From thepreceding detailed description ofthe job profile of
PROs ,it is evident that they have to be primarily and
essentially good communicators. This implies that they not
only beable toread, write and speak one ormore languages,
butalso possess soft skill sindealing with people tactfully.
They may becalled upon towrite and often edit written work.
They need togroom juniors and train them totake on
greater responsibility. In dealing with the internal
employees, they need toaddress their problems. This
implies that they have tobegood listeners too. Redressing
grievances, settling disputes, organizing orre-organizing
the workforce, and motivating them, call fordeveloping
empathy and understanding.
As PROs deal also with the image, the ability to wie ld the camera
for photography or films is a great asset. In fact photo journalism
and documentary film making are very useful tools in
communicating an organization‘s plans and progress. Modern
technology, which has shown a dramatic progress, has further
empowered and facilitated communication with video cams,
cameras with mobile phones, and computers, which enable not
only power point presentations but also video -conferencing and
film making. Since they are called upon to interact with media
persons, wheth er print or audio -visual, i.e., the press or the T.V., it
is imperative that they be confident as speakers.
In fact, organisations appoint one person as their official
spokesperson. These spokespersons need to be senior,
experienced, tactful, with a cool temperament in order to field
difficult and often tricky questions posed by media persons
intending to extract inadvertent, hasty and spontaneous replies that
could be used, out of context, to damage an organization‘s image.
Appointing just one spokespers on who alone is authorized to
speak for the organization ensures that there is but one uniform
response and not multiple ones that could be misconstrued. This
prized ability to speak judiciously and be able to impact the public
at large is what earns the PROs the tag of engineers of public
opinion, which, though perhaps not flattering, speaks of the
immense influence they can wield.
In conclusion, one could say that PROs of the present day have
indeed come a long way from the time of their original, humb le
practice to occupy a pre -eminent position, particularly in the
context of a globalised economy. But one also needs to bear in
mind that in times of a downturn, they are the first victims on the
chopping block, the first to be fired, as their job profile is not so skill
specific as to be considered indispensable. But in times of crisis
they, by conveying the right kind of information, at the right placemunotes.in
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and at the right time, can convert the resentment and ire of the
public to sympathy for the organizatio n. They dispel ignorance and
provide the correct details. They can wean the public from apathy
and an uncaring attitude to an interested and committed one. They
can help dislodge prejudice and bring a turnaround to a better
understanding. Thus, they can ac hieve the enviable feat of
effecting a significant shift by transforming a negative perception
about an organization to a positive one. Little wonder, then, that
more and more institutes are offering a full fledged course in this
interesting and challen ging professional opportunity, enabling a
growing number of youngsters with requisite skills to avail of a
demanding but satisfying job option.
Tasks :
1.Define PR and discuss its scope in the modern day context.
2.Enumerate and briefly explain themultifario us functions that
PROs need to perform.
3.Name the two kinds of audiences PROs face and the
appropriate tools to address each.
4.Varied skills go into the making of PROs. Specify situations that
require the practice of each.
5.Discuss indetail anytwomeasures ofexternal /internal PR.
6.Draft apress release toinform ofthetenth anniversary of the
tourist festival in your city, which is to be inaugurated by the
State Minister for Travel and Tourism.
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Unit-6
TRADE LETTERS
Learning objectives:
To enable students to understand the nature and purpose of
routine and persuasive business correspondence.
Introduction :
Commercial correspondence normally fallsintothree categories:
i.Business to business letters
ii.Business tocustomers and
iii.Customers to business letters.
In this chapter students will learn about trade letters that are
normally exchanged between the two parties: traders and
customers.
Trade letters include [in t he order of their occurrence]
1.Inquiry
2.Order
3.Complaints, claims, adjustments
4.Consumer Redress Letters
5.Credit
6.Collection
7.Sales
1)Inquiry: A letter that seeks information about a product or a
service is known as a letter of inquiry. Unless a buyer colle cts
information about the product, he cannot place an order. His first
step, therefore, is to collect the information about the product.
Drafting a letter of inquiry: Like any business letter, an inquiry
letter should have a beginning, a middle and an end .
Openings
The buyer may/can mention an advertisement as the source of
information.
a)I refer to your advertisement in the ……….of………date
advertising the new range of…………….and I wish toinquire
about it.munotes.in
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b)I write to inquire about …….advertised by you in the Times of
India, dated …..
or The individual or the firm may furnish a brief self -introduction
a)We are a large chain of retailers and we are looking for………..
b)We wish to replace steel cutlery in 25 of our J.P.Group of
Hotels.
Or the firm may begin by stating the purpose right away. a)We are
an established chain of hotels in North India We wish to replace
the crockery in all our establishments.
Middle
Buyer requests for the price -list and catalogue:
We request you to send your price -list/catalogue/quotation at your
earliest/latest by….
End
Buyer inquires about the discounts/ concessions given:
a)We request you to provide more details about your 20%
discount scheme.
b)We expect 10% discount on current prices offered to
educational in stitutions.
Buyer tries toinduce seller intogiving himmost competitive
/reasonable prices.
Reasonable prices, excellent quality product and service will
induce us to place future replacement orders with you.
Example: Inquiry
Shah Computer Accessorie s
……………………. 23rdApril 2008.
Anupam Stores
……………..
Dear Sir,
Irefer toyou advertisement intoday‘s Times ofIndia,
announcing thelatest range ofcomputer accessories.
Mycomputer shop enjoys sound reputation inthe area .Iam
interested inthe new products advertised byyou. Asmy
requirement is of avaried nature, Irequest you tosend your
latest price -listand catalogue.munotes.in
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The advertisement mentions aspecial discount onlarge orders.
Please furnish mewith more details about this.
Yours truly
………….
2)Reply toinquiry :This isaletter which theseller writes
when heresponds tothe buyer‘s letter ofinquiry. He
thanks the buyer for showing interest inhis products;
encloses his best prices/catalogue/quotations; makes a
special mention ofdisco unts so as to induce thebuyer to
place anearly order.
Example : Reply to inquiry
Anupam Stores
…………………… 29thApril 2008
Shah Computer Accessories.
……………………… Dear Sir,
We thank you for your interest in our latest range of computer
3)Order: After having collected the price -lists and
quotations from various traders, thebuyer places anorder
forgoods. This letter isknown as an order letter. Anorder
letter isgenerally written inanorder -form. Ifan organisation
does not have anorder -form, the buyerneeds towrite a
letter. Heplaces asample order to begin with. This isknown
asatrial order. This will be followed byone or two repeat
orders and thesubsequent routine/regular order.
Drafting a letter placing an order:
Opening
Reference to the r eceipt of price -list and catalogue.
Wearehappy toreceive your letter dated ….quoting your
latest prices and the catalogue containing detailed
illustration. After having found your prices most competitive ,
wehave decided to place ourfirst order/ tria l order for…….
Middle
This willcontain adetailed description ofthe order, such
asspecifications regarding the required quantity, quality,
colour, model, packaging instructions, terms and
conditions, cancellation clause ifgoods are notup to the
mark, orarrive late etc., modes ofpayment —advance,
partial, payment ondelivery .munotes.in
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End
Specifies the expected date of the supply of order and a future
promise clause.
Example
Blow Plast
25thNov 2008 Shanman Toys
……………..
Trial Order
Dear Sir,
We than kyou for your prompt reply toour inquiry forShaman
toys. Aswefind your prices reasonable, wewish toplace atrial
order for 50sets oftoys worth Rs.60,000/ -,thedetails ofwhich
areenclosed.
Please note that theorder must reach us by the firstweek of
December. Excellent workmanship and use ofnon-hazardous
colours would create away forfuture orders.
Payment willbemade onC.O.D. basis. We will expect a10%
discount ontheinitial order. Please note that goods supplied in
excess, orofinferior quality, or in damaged condition willbe
returned toyouatyour cost.
Yours truly,
………….
Encl :
Detailed Order
The buyer, ifsatisfied, asmentioned earlier, may place a
repeat order. But ifs/he isdissatisfied on account ofpoor
quality, service, ordelayed delivery, s/he may beforced to
cancel her/his order. Insuch cases, s/he may return the
order and askfora refund .Or, s/he may keep the order but
askpermission tosellthegoods at adiscounted price.
4)Credit and Status Enquiry :Attimes thebuyer may have
tobuy hisproducts oncredit ; which means he may notbe
able tobuy them oncash basis.
Thewordcreditoriginatesfromtheword‘Credo’which
mean s‘IBelieve’.Creditisthusanarrangemen tbetween a
buyer and aseller,bywhich thebuyer canavail goods today
and for which hecanmake payment atalater /future date.
Before granting credit to the prospective buyer, the seller will
try and find out if the buyer is credit -worthy; whether s/he [the
seller] can recove r her/his amount form the buyer. Thismunotes.in
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investigation about the credit -standing ofthebuyer or her
/hiscredit worthiness isknown asstatus inquiry.
Iftheinformation about buyer ispositive, theseller grants
her/him credit. Ifit is not, then thesellertactfully refuses to
supply theorder oncredit, and induces thebuyer tobuy the
product oncash basis.
Following are the steps involved in credit correspondence :
[Status Inquiry]
1.Abuyer applies toaseller forthesupply oforder on
credit
2.The sellerrequests thebuyer tofurnish Trade References/
Bank references/ Financial Documents etc.
3.The buyer, after seeking referees ’consent ,supplies
references totheseller.
4.The seller then takes upthese references. Which means
she/he writes tothese refer ees and inquires about the
credit standing ofthebuyer.
5.Referees ’replies form the next step in credit
correspondence. The reply from the referee could be
positive, negative, non-committal or partially favourable or
unfavourable.
[Credit]
6.Letter grantin g credit/ The seller grants credit tothe
buyer
7.Letter refusing togrant credit/The seller refuses togrant
credit tothebuyer.
Credit Correspondence:
Example1 : Buyer‘s application.
Compulink
…………...
1stFebruary, 2007
Seamless Computer Suppliers
…………………..….
Dear Sir,
Sub : Credit Order.munotes.in
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Example 2:Seller requests References
Example 3: Customer Supplies References
Compulink
………….
20thFeb, 2007
Seamless Computers
…………………….….
Dear Sir,
Sub: Supplying References
Weacknowledge therece iptofyour letter asking ustosupply the
names oftrade referees.munotes.in
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Example 4 : Seller taking up references.
[The next stage isthat ofreferees ’response. The referee
may give apositive, negative, partial ornon-committal reply.
While replying toacredit enquiry the referee will avoid
commenting onthecharacter oftheapplicant. Hewillrestrict
hiscomment tohispersonal experience oftheapplicant. He
willavoid advising theseller. All such replies willbemarked
“PrivateandConfidential”.]
Example 5: Referees ’replies: (a) Favourable
M/s ……………..
………………….
24thFeb, 2008
Seamless Computers
…………………
…………….….
……….….….….munotes.in
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We are happy toinform you that we have been doing business
with them for the last 15years and wehave found them
trustworthy and reliable. They have placed regular credit orders
with us in thepast andhave always paid their dues ontime.
We hope thisinformation willbehelpful and understand that you
willtreat it as confidential.
Yours truly
………….
b)Example: Unfav ourable Reply
Private and Confidential
M/s ……………..
24thFeb, 2008 Seamless Computers
…………………….…. Dear Sir,
Sub: Reply to Credit Inquiry
Weacknowledge thereceipt ofyour letter dated …….. requesting
credit information about ……………
We have been deali ngwith them for almost tenyears now. They
placed regular orders with us in the past. While, initially, they
always paid their dues onnetdates, they occasionally did not do
so.Infact, inrecent times, after their failure topay ontime, we
started dealing with them only oncash basis.
We feel that one should exercise caution while dealing with them.
We have exchanged this information ingood faith , and we
trust youwilltreat it as strictly private and confidential.munotes.in
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Example 6: Lettergranting Credit
Example 7: Letter refusing Credit
One has to be tactful while writing negative replies. The
seller generally refuses credit when hereceives negative
replies about thecredit standing ofthebuyer. Yet, it is
unwise totell the buyer that s/he [seller] has received a
negative reply about her/him [the buyer]. The seller, while
saying no,tactfully avoids giving adirect negative response
and tries toput the message inaspositive terms as
possible.munotes.in
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4.Collection orDun ning Letters: Letters that arewritten to
recover outstanding amounts are known ascollection
letters. Despite every possible care having been taken by
theseller before supplying order oncredit, it ispossible that
the buyer fails torepay ontime. These letters are then
written tocollect such outstanding payments.
Since a credit order isextended after a cautious scrutiny,
when thebuyer fails topay ontime, itisbelieved that the
buyer may behaving agenuine difficulty due towhich hehas
failed tomake payment; orthe lapse may bedue to an
oversight. Before declaring thebuyer adefaulter, theseller
wants togive him the benefit ofdoubt. Therefore, hesends
letters instages toenable thebuyer tomake payment. After
having written three such letters, the seller takes afirm
stand and demands payment within a stipulated period of
time. Hemay also extend a helping hand tothebuyer in
order tomake thebuyer respond positively. Finally, when he
isleftwith noalternative, hesends awarning lett er, giving
thebuyer aspecific period inwhich tosettle hisdues. Ifthe
buyer fails topay upeven then, legal action istaken against
thedefaulting buyer.
There are five stages of collection.munotes.in
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Examples of Collection Series: Letter No. 1
Letter No. 2
Matrix…………..
25thFeb, 2008
Allwyn Fernandes
………………
Dear Sir,
Sub: Your Outstanding Account : 1streminder
We are surprised that we have neither received our payments
forRs.25000/ -outstanding ontheabove account, norhave we
received any reply t o our letter of 5 th Feburuary, wherein we had
enclosed a copy of the statement.
We once again enclose the copy of the statement. We hope that this
letter will catch your immediate attention.
Yours truly
………….munotes.in
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Letter No. 3
Letter No. 4
Matrix …………..
1stApril ,2008
Allwyn Fernandes
………………
Dear Sir,
Sub: Your Outstanding Account : 3rd reminder
We very much regret that wehave received noreply tothefollow -
upletter wesent youon 15 March, ………………… requesting you
torespond toour reminder sfor your outstanding paym ent of
25000/.
This total silence is not only going to cost us our business
relationship but it is also going to affect your reputation. we are now left
no option but to take recourse to law, unless you call us tod ay to discuss
a way out of this situation.
Yours truly
…………….munotes.in
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Letter No. 5
[These letters form the substance ofroutine external
correspondence intheorganization. While letters ofinquiry
have almost become apart ofhistory, order letters aresent
incustomized and standard formats. Credit and collection
letters aregenerally never handled byjunior staff. They are
handled byeither the senior executives who have the
requisite experience, orbythe Company Secretary or a
more competent authorit y.]
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Unit-7
COMPLAINTS, CLAIMS AND
ADJUSTMENTS
Learning objectives :
Toenable students todraft letters ofcomplaint andclaims
To enable students to draft letters of adjustment
Complaints and Claims
Introduction :
i)What isacomplaint letter ?
Acomplaint letter is written by adissatisfied
customer, expecting theorganization to resolve theproblem
byoffering him/her adequate compensation. The contention
may bewith regard tothequality, quantity , pricing orafter -
sales service incase of a product.It may berelated tothe
nature, competence, orefficiency in case ofaservice. The
letter should logically explain the dispute, supported by
documents and other kinds ofevidence.
ii)What isaclaim?
Aclaim may bedefined asademand of action made by
acustomer tocompensate him/her forany mechanical,
physical orfunctional defect in a product purchased, and
perceived inadequacies inservice obtained .
Granting claims and making adjustments:
Being sensitive tothe concerns and demands of
customers, promptly handling their claims, and amicably
resolving problems reap obvious benefits for an
organization. Inacompetitive marketplace, itearns the
goodwill and loyalty ofcustomers. Good customer relations
areapriority for any organisation which wants togrow. The
Consumer Protection Act, 1986, aids consumers torecover
damages, prompting companies totake appropriate steps to
resolve customer complaints.
Itiswell within therights of an organisation toverify
thecomplaint and offer compensation only when it is found
genuine. Aresponse toacomplaint letter detailing action
taken iscalled aletter ofadjustment.munotes.in
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iii)When does acustomer make acomplaint?
A customer complains when
heisdissatisfied with thequality orquantity oftheproduct
thepricing isincorrect orthere isamistake inbilling
the packing isnot tostandard specifications for a
particular product
the order arrives late, is in excess, in a damaged condition, or is
different from the one placed
heisdissatisfied with theservic e,orafter -sales service
Apart from these, there could bemany other situations when
acustomer may have to take recourse tosuch letters.
II. Drafting a Letter of Complaint:
While drafting acomplaint letter, one must be
rational and use reason inste adofemotions. Getting a
timely and adequate compensation depends onwhether the
dispute isexplained and phrased logically. The writer could
i.begin with aclear statement ofaproblem sequentially
ii.support hisclaim with documents, endorsements and
estab lishhiscontention
iii.clearly state what kinds ofcompensation heexpects
Or
i.begin by providing the details of order
ii.state the nature of complaint
iii.suggest action/compensation
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Example 1 :
II.Drafting aLetter ofAdjustment /Settlement
Aletter ofadjustment hasthree goals:
1.toreach outtothecustomer and verify thecomplaint
2.toexplain thecause /reason behind the inadequacies
inproduct orservice
3.toregain the confidence ofthe customer and promote
further businessmunotes.in
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Letters of Adjustment
A letter of adjustment is written to
1.acknowledge the receipt of the letter of complaint and thank the
customer for writing it
2.express regret forthecause ofcomplaint 3.explain the
situation
4.state theaction taken.
5.communicate one‘s genuine concern
Example 1 : Response to complaint letter
Cranberry India Ltd.
Worli, Mumbai
Ref no.320/ cw/01
Dec 26, 2007
Mr Abhiram Athwale,
4, Jeevan Vikas,
Dadar Central,
Mumbai 400 006.
Dear Sir,
Response toyour Letter ofComplaint about Fruit‘n‘
Nut Chocolates.
Wesincerely thank you for informing usabout worm infestation in
theGift Boxes ofFruit‘n‘Nut chocolates, and deeply regret the
inconvenience caused toyou by this. Following your letter, we
have immediately withdrawn theentire batch ofchocolates from
markets across thecountry.
We are aresponsible corporate concern and since this is
indeed avery serious issue asrightly pointed out by you, we
immediately launched aninvestigation into the matter.
We were relieved tofind that there was nothing wrong with the
packaging ormanufacturing processes. The chocolates were
stored inimproper temperature, which made them soggy and
moist, leading tothegermination ofworms.
Oninquiring, ourdistributors claimed that prolong edperiods of
power -cuts ledtothecurrent crisis. Now, wehave convened a
meeting ofour distributors along with our R&D experts totake
appropriate measures sothat such asituation never recurs.
As a token of our appreciation of your concern, we send y ou a
carton of fresh chocolates which you can distribute among themunotes.in
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Example 2 : Complaint regarding Service
Example 2 : Complaint regarding Letter
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Example 3 : Adjustment Letter
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Example 4: Letter of Complaint: Poor Quality
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Example 5 : Response to Letter of Complaint : Poor Quality
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II.Handling Negative Messages: Refusal to Settle
Claims:
It is not possible for a seller to grant all the claims,
particularly when the demand of the customer is unreasonable. To
communicate politely to the customer/s one‘s inability to accede to
the unreaso nable demands, and still retain their goodwill is a
challenging task.
To draft such a letter is a delicate matter. One‘s refusal must
not translate into blaming the customer, even if he is at fault. The
seller must sound concerned and understanding, and t ry to be as
objective as possible in his explanation.
Example 1:Refusing Adjustment
Example 2 : Refusing Adjustment
defect developed in your Acer Laptop, purchased from ‘The
Electronic Shoppe’ on February 19, 2007.
According to our hardware engineer who attended to your
complaint immediately, the source of the problem is the electrical
wiring in your house. The laptop itself is in perfect working
condition.
We request you to get the electrical wiring in your house changed
immediately. If problems pe rsist even after the change of wiring, we
promise to replace the piece, while it is in its warranty period.
Yours truly
…………..munotes.in
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Tasks :
Draft a complaint letter for the following situations :
1.S.K. Architecture placed a large order with Jayanti Caterer s for
snacks that led to food poisoning after consumption.
2.Rohit Das purchased a collection of DVDs from Sony
Entertainment at a total cost of Rs. 2000/ -, which have turned
out to be blank.
3.Alviras purchased groceries form Indiabulls for Rs. 2500/ f or
home delivery. The bill, however, showed the amount as Rs.
3500.
4.Mr. Gopinath placed an order for a Kohli Food Processor by
paying Rs.5000/ -. The food processor makes alarming noise
while grinding.
5.You purchased two fruit drink cans from Bizz Ba zzar under the
‘Buy One Get One Free’ offer. The date on both the containers,
however, is well past their expiry date.
Draft an adjustment letter for the following situations :
1.Mrs. Anita Lamba has written to inform you that the carton of
paints she r eceived from you has less number of items than she
had placed order for.
2. Messrs. Tare and Bros. have written to Abha Sales that the
furniture they had ordered has arrived in a damaged condition.
3.Mrs. Geeta Chandra has asked for replacement of her CCM
washing machine which caught fire as soon as it was switched
on.
4.Major Anand has asked for the complete refund of his ticket
fare, as the airline overbooked the tickets and failed to
accommodate him on the flight.
5.A student form Adtech has written t o Adtech Computer Centre
asking for full refund of fees as the centre failed to provide him
with the necessary practice time and hands -on experience as
promised in the prospectus.
Draft a letter refusing to make adjustment for the following
situations:
1.A customer has complained that he placed an order for a navy
blue carpet he had selected from the catalogue. The carpet he
received, however, is of a different shade of blue and not the
one he had selected.
2. You have received a letter from Ahuja and So ns complaining
about the copier they purchased a month ago, which returns the
paper blank.
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Unit-8
CONSUMER GRIEVANCE LETTERS
Learning objectives :
Tomake students aware oftheir rights as consumers .
Toacquaint students with the provisions oftheConsumer
Protection Act, and theprocedure forfiling acomplaint
under theCPA
Introduction :
I. What is Consumer Guidance?
Consumer Guidance means imparting education,
information, instruction and training toconsumers with
regard totheir buying activities. The first and foremost
objective ofthe Consumer Guidance Cell istomake
consumers aware that they have legitimate rights as
consumers. The purpose ofthe Endeavour istomake
consumers aware about thepossible malpractices and the
consequent v ictimization on account oftheir lack of
knowledge about the consumer‘s rights. Inacountry like
India, amajority ofconsumers are uneducated, poor and
unorganized. They fall aneasy prey tothe exploitative
practices oftraders. Consumer education equip s them to
exercise their rights asconsumers. Consumer organizations
work towards consumer education, establishment oflegal
redressal systems, appropriate punitive measures against
offenders and, ingeneral, forprotection ofconsumers from
themalpractic esinthecommercial world.
In this chapter, you are going to understand the CPA
[Consumer Protection Act] of 1986 –the law that revolutionised the
life of a consumer, and also learn how to redress consumer
complaints.
[It has been decided by the Govern ment of India to celebrate
December 24 as the National Consumer Day in India. It was on this
day that the President of India gave assent to the Consumer
Protection Act in 1986. The World Consumers‘ Rights day is
celebrated all over the world on March 15.]
I. THE CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT, 1986
Though a consumer is ideally the king, he has been the most
vulnerable entity in the entire marketing system in India. He has
been subjected to the worst kind of exploitation at the hands ofmunotes.in
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mighty traders. The Governm ent of India enacted a comprehensive
legislation called The Consumer Protection Act, in order to
safeguard the interests of consumers. The Consumer Protection
Act, 1986, applies to all goods and services, excluding goods for
resale or for commercial purpos e, and services that are rendered
free of charge and under a contract for personal service. The
provisions of the Act are compensatory in nature. It covers public,
private, joint and cooperative sectors.
II. Who is a Consumer?
According to the act, “A con sumer is any person who buys
any goods for a consideration [price], and is the user of such
goods, where the use is with the approval of the buyer, any person
who hires/avails of any service for a consideration [price], and any
beneficiary of such services , where such services are availed of
with the approval of the person hiring the service. [www.cgi.com]
This means that if Mrs. Pandya purchased a car for her
personal use by making full payment, she is a consumer. If she has
made a partial payment, or pai d her first installment of Rs. 45000/,
she is still a con sumer. If Mrs. Pandya availed herself of any
services –like airline, railways, medical treatment, she is a
consumer. However, if she is a trader, who has purchased a car
with an intention to sell, she is not a consumer.
Goods: The act defines ‘Goods’ as any movable property which
also includes shares, but does not include any auctionable claims.
Service: It defines ‘Service’ as service of any description such as
banking, insurance, transport, proc essing, housing construction,
supply of electrical energy, entertainment, board or lodging.
III. Rights of the Consumer: CPA has framed the following rights
of the consumer.
Right to be protected against the marketing of goods and
services which are haza rdous to life and property?
Right to be informed about the quality, quantity, potency, purity,
standard and price of goods or services, so as to protect the
consumer against unfair trade practices.
Right to be assured of, wherever possible, access to a var iety of
goods and services at competitive prices.
Right to be heard and to be assured that consumers’ interests
will receive due consideration at appropriate forums.
Right to seek redressal against unfair trade practices and
unscrupulous exploitation of co nsumers.
Right to consumer education.munotes.in
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IV. Nature of complaint: A consumer can complain against
i. Any unfair trade practice or restrictive trade practice adopted by
the trader
ii. Defective goods
iii. Deficiency in service
iv. Excess price charged by th e trader
v. Unlawful sale of goods which is hazardous to life and safety
when used.
V. How to lodge a Complaint?
A complaint, handwritten or typed, can be filed by a
consumer to a registered consumer organisation, Central or State
Government, and by one or more consumers where there are
numerous consumers having the same interest. No stamp or court
fee is needed. The nature of complaint must be clearly mentioned,
as well as the relief [compensation] sought by the consumer.
Complaint must be in quadruplica te [four copies], in district forum or
state commission. Else, additional copies are required to be filed.
Complaint is to be filed within two years of buying the product or
using the service.
Complaint needs to be in writing, and should be acknowledged.
Letters should be sent by registered post or should be hand -
delivered against acknowledgement.
In the complaint, consumer should clearly mention the name
and address of the person who is complaining and against
whom the complaint is being filed.
Copies of relevant documents must be enclosed. The consumer
must mention details of the problem and the demand on the
company for compensation. This could be replacement of the
product, removal of the defect, refund of money, or
compensation for expenses incurred an d for physical/mental
torture. However, he has to ensure that the claims are
reasonable.
The consumer must preserve all bills, receipts and proof of
correspondence related to the case. He must avoid using voice
mail or telephone because such communications cannot be
proved.
The complaint can be in any Indian language, but it is better to
use English.
There is no compulsion to hire a lawyer. Main cost consists of
correspondence and travelling to consumer forum for the
hearing.munotes.in
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VI. Grant of relief [Nature o f compensation]: CPA provides for
following types of compensation.
a.Repair of defective goods
b.Replacement of defective goods
c.Refund of the price paid for the defective goods or service
d.Removal of deficiency in service
e.Refund of extra money charged
f.Withdrawa l of goods hazardous to life and safety
g.Compensation for the loss or injury suffered by the consumer
due to negligence of the opposite party
h.Adequate cost of filing and pursuing the complaint
Normally, complaints should be decided within 90 days from
the date of notice issued to the opposite party. Where a sample of
any goods is required to be tested, a complaint is required to be
disposed of within 150 days; it may take more time due to practical
problems.
VII. Consumer Protection Councils :
Councils have been set up in all States and at the Centre to
promote and protect the rights and interests of consumers. These
councils are advisory in nature and can play an important role in
recommending consumer oriented policies to the State and Central
Governm ents.
The objective of the act is to:
i.provide simple, speedy, inexpensive redressal to consumer
grievances.
ii.provide this three -tier quasi judicial machinery at the national,
state and district level
National Consumer Dispute Redressal Commiss ion: Deals
with claims above Rs. 1 crore and above
Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission or State
Commission: Deals with claims from Rs.20 lakhs to 1 crore
Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum or District Forum:
Deals with claims upto Rs.20 Lakhs.
Theset-up of the consumer forum is geared to provide relief
to both parties, and discourage long litigation. In a process called
‘informal adjudication’, forum officials mediate between the two
parties and urge compromise. The forum is expected to dispose of
a complaint within three months from the date on which notice is
given to the opposite party. On receiving a complaint, the company
against whom the complaint is received is intimated, with a copy of
the complaint letter. The concerned company is supposed to replymunotes.in
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within 45 days of receiving the notice from the forum. Once the
company sends its reply, the Forum can set the date for a hearing,
where the complainant and the opposite party can present their
arguments. If the opposite party does not appear in court despite
repeated notices and reminders, the court may decide the matter in
its absence and give an ex -parte decision. The Forum can
sentence the party to a maximum of three years‘ imprisonment and
impose a fine of Rs. 10,000. The Forum can also issue warrants to
produce defaulters in court. It can use the police and revenue
departments to enforce orders.
One should once again note that consumer courts provide redress
only in cases of products or services for personal use. They do not
entertain compla ints about, or provide any redress for, defects in
products used for commercial purposes.
VIII. Some of the active consumer organisations:
Mumbai Grahak Panchayat
Grahak Bhavan, Sant Dhyaneswar Marg,
Juhu Vile Parle Development Scheme,
Near Cooper Hospita l, Mumbai 400056.
Tel: 022 -6209319.
Consumer Guidance Society of India
‘J’ Hutment, Mahapalika Marg,
Opp Cama and Albless Hospital,
Mumbai 400001. Tel: 022 -2621612
Common Cause
A-31, West End, New Delhi 110021.
Tel: 011 -6876666.
Voluntary Organisation i n Interest of Consumer Education
F-71, Lajpat Nagar II, New Delhi 110024.
Tel: 011 -6918969/6315375.
In Mumbai and Thane complaints at the district level should be
addressed to:
1. The President [City Limits],
Bombay District Consumer Disputes Redressal Fo rum
Madhu Industrial Estate, 1stfloor,
Panduranga Budhkar Marg,
Worli, Mumbai 400 013.
2. The President [ Suburban Limits]
Consumer Redressal Forum
Sudarshan Building,
Gokhale Road,
Dadar, Mumbai 400028munotes.in
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3. The President
District Consumer Redressal Forum, 2nd floor
Collector‘s Office, Court Naka
Thane [W], 400601
II. Drafting of Redress letters under Consumer Guidance:
A consumer redress letter is drafted like any complaint letter.
However, it is only after the seller has ignored, or failed to respond
to a customer‘s complaint, that the customer should approach the
consumer forum. He should give all the details of the complaint and
substantiate them with all the necessary documents. He should
then request the consumer redress cell to take up his matter o n his
behalf and ask for justice. He should also clearly state the kind of
compensation he has in mind.
There is a format in which consumer guidance letters are generally
drafted. This includes
a)The name of the complainant
b)The name of the company/o rganization/concern i.e. the
opposite party against whom the complaint is being made.
c)The nature of the complaint.
d)Prayer i.e. Terms of Compensation
Example 1: Consumer Redress Letters
Mr. Amar Khan
B-16,Alam Gir Apts.
Azad Rd. Thane[W] , 40120 3. September 15, 2008
The President
Consumer Guidance Redressal Forum
………………….
Complainant: Mr.Amar Khan
Dispute Against / Opposite Party: Mohata Builders Nature of
Complaint: Levying of excess charges.
Dear Sir,
Irequest you totake upmy dispute with Mohata Builders,
who have failed togive methepossession ofmyflatat5
B,Ajanta Gardens situated atGorai Rd, Boriwali [W], as
promised.
Ihad entered into aproper agreement with Mohata Builders,
when Ibooked aone BHK flat admeasuring 540 sqftfor
Rs. 20lakhs, intheir newly constructed housing scheme at
Gorai. Inaccordance with theterms ofagreement, Ipaid
After thepayment ofmylast installment on18thDecember,
2007, onrequesting thekeys totheflat, Iwas told bythe
supervisor that Iwould begiven thekeys on2ndFebruary, as
some work was stilltobecompleted. Ingood faith Iagreedmunotes.in
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towait till 2ndFebruary, 2008.
When Iapproached them on 7thFebruary, 2008, the
supervisor made ademand of an additional amount ofRs.1
lakh, towards the increased cost ofconstruction. Onmy
refusing topaytheextra amount, herefused tohand over
thekeys tome.
Almost eight months have passed and Ihave still not been
given the possession oftheflat. After having failed tomeet
the Mohatas inperson, Isent them three registered letters,
towhich Ihave received noanswer tilldate.
I,therefore, request youtotake upmymatter and help me in
getting thefollowing compensation:
1.Immediate possession ofmyflat
2.The amoun tpaid towards rent atRs. 15,000/ permonth
forthelast8months
3.Awritten apology for the harassment Ihave been
subjected to
I am enclosing
1.ACopy oftheregistered agreement
2.Receipts ofthepayments made
3.Copies oftheregistered letters andpostal receipts
Ihope toreceive asympathetic response soon.
Yours truly
……………..
Example 2 : Consumer Product
Mrs.Anaita Dewani
C-6, Bella Donna Apts.
Bhanushali Rd, Khar [w]
Mumbai 4000013.
February 10,2009
The President
District Consumer Forum
………… …….
Opposite Party … :Waly’s Departmental Store
Nature ofComplaint : Delivery ofadifferent model of
Videocon TV
Dear Sir,munotes.in
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I seek your assistance in solving my dispute with the famous
Waly‘s Departmental Stores , at Bandra [W].
On23rdDecember, 2008,Ipurchased a51inches Videocon
Plasma T.V., [brand name Tiara], for Rs.1 lakh 10thousand,
from Wali‘s Stores atBandra [W]. Since thestore promised
home delivery, Ileftthestore after making the payment in
cash.
Wali‘s Stores made thedelivery after two days. Onopening
thecarton, however, Irealized itwas not thebrand that I had
selected and paid for. The store had sent mea49inches Sim
Sim brand, instead ofthe51inches Tiara brand.
Irefused tosign the delivery papers and rang up W ali’s
Stores forreplacement ofthe TV. Butthemanager refused to
accept thefact that Ihad selected amodel different from the
onethat was delivered tome.
After this, Ifirst tried topersonally contact and explain the
problem tothemanagement, buttonoavail. Subsequently, I
sent two registered letters notifying my complaint indetail ,
and asking forareplacement. Ihave not received any
response form thestore‘s management tilldate.
I,therefore, request you tointervene and help meingetting
replacement oftheTVthat Iwas wrongfully delivered. Ialso
want awritten apology and anaward ofRs. 2000/ towards all
theexpenses that Ihave incurred inpursuing this matter.
I am enclosing the receipt for payment, the receipts of the
registered le tters, and photocopies of the letters sent.
I hope to receive your immediate attention.
Yours truly,
Anaita Dewani
Enclosures:
1.Receipts ofpayment
2.Receipts oftheregistered letters
3.Photocopies oftheregistered letters.munotes.in
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Example 3 :
Magaza Mauni
A/20, Amar Apts.
Meera Iyer Road
Andheri (E)Mumbai 400099.
20th August 200
The President
District Consumer Redressal Forum
Mumbai
Complainant : Mrs.Magaza Mauni
Opposite Party : Dodophone Service Provider.
Nature of Complaint:
1.Service provider selling personal data.
2.Levying charges fortheschemes onehasnotDear Sir,
This istorequest you totake upthematter oftheprivacy
issues ofcustomers like me with Dodophone Service
provider.
Iamapost -paid customer of Dodo phone telecom .I have
been harassed bysales calls from various insurance and
share -broking agencies forthe purchase of their product.
Sometimes Ireceive asmany as 25 calls aday.
On my enquiring with one such agent Irealized that the
company had allmypersonal data, which I had not parted
with. This raises serious doubts about thesafety ofour
My second issue is that of the service provider forcing certain
schemes, such as =Laugh -a-minute‘ Scheme, on unsuspecting
customers without their prior consent, and then levying extra
charges for them. It is bad enough being forced to listen to
senseless jokes, and then, being asked to pay for them really hurts.
I had taken up both the issues with my service provider. On
receiving no satisfactory response, I sent three complaints via e -
mail to their on -line grievance -cell. It is two months since I did so,
but I have received no response from th em.
I, therefore, request you to take up this matter and put a stop to the
exploitation of customers like me.munotes.in
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I request
1. Refund of all the extra -charges levied on me beginning March
2007.
2. Devising of a code of conduct where customer -consent become s
mandatory.
I am enclosing my bills and print outs of the e -mails I sent to
Dodophone telecom.
With regards,
Yours truly,
Magaza Mauni
Enclosures:
Bills [3]
E-mail Print Outs [3]
Tasks :
Draft redressal letters for the following situations :
1. You were admitted to Holy Heart hospital for an appendix
operation. On receiving bills you realize that you have been
charged for 10 days’ stay at the hospital, instead of the actual
stay of 7 days. Your oral and written protests have gone
unheard, and you we re compelled to pay the levied amount in
order to reclaim your medical reports, bills and other
documents.
2.You had to appear for an interview in Mumbai. You had booked
your flight ticket from Kolkata on Hi Fli Airlines, a low cost
carrier, one day prio r to the interview. On reaching the airport
you were informed by the airline, which had overbooked itself,
that there was no seat on the flight, and that you could not fly on
the same day. You tried getting the refund but the staff at the
counter refused t o reimburse the money, claiming that you had
reported late, although this was not so. You bought a ticket on
another airline, as you had to reach Mumbai by a certain time.
This, however, has forced you to incur huge and unexpected
expenditure.
3.You purc hased a brand new XYZ laptop computer/ cell hone/
washing machine/ceiling fan from the much advertised Topsy
Turvy Mall, which has turned out to be a defective piece. Your
personal visits to the mall for its replacement have not produced
any results.
4.Your mobile service provider has charged you Rs.500/ -for a
‘Latest Ringtones on your Mobile’ facility, when you had not
subscribed for it.munotes.in
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5.You took admission, by paying Rs. 7000/, for a course
scheduled to start in January. It did not start on the prom ised
date, owing to less number of enrolments. The organization has
refused to return your money on the pretext that it would start
the course as soon as they enrolled sufficient number of enough
number of students. Two months have elapsed and the course
has still not started.
munotes.in
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Unit-9
RIGHT TO INFORMATION QUERIES
Learning objectives :
To make students aware of the provisions of the RTI Act
To enable students to draft RTI letters
“In a government of responsibility like ours, where the agents
of the public must be responsible for their conduct, there can be but
a few secrets. The people of this country have a right to know every
public act, everything that is done in a public way by their public
functionaries. They are entitled to know the particulars of every
public transaction in all its bearings.”
[Supreme Court in State of UP vs Raj Narain in 1975, Posted by
RTI Act 2005 on June 25, 2006]
“What we have is an elective democracy, not a participatory
democracy. This is beca use we have missed the essence of
Lokshahi –which means Logon ki Shahenshahi. The essence of
democracy is that the individual Citizen is a sovereign in her/his
own right, and s/he gives up part of the sovereignty to the State, in
return for which s/he gets the rule of law. This respect for YOU, -
the sovereign Citizen of India, and for the rule of law has been
missed completely. Our Institutions have become playgrounds of
the powerful, where the individual is helpless. If a Citizen
approaches an elected rep resentative, he may or may not get a
hearing in 24 hours; if s/he writes to a Public servant s/he may or
may not get an answer in 12 days; and if she approaches the
Courts a BMW will metamorphose into a truck and the final decision
will probably be obtaine d after a decade. The individual Citizen,
instead of being respected, has become the ‘bechara’. If Tilak were
here today he would have again said, “Swaraj ha maza janmasiddh
hakk ahe, ani to me milawnarch”, karan Swaraj keva aalach nahi.
15th August, 1947 only saw a transfer of Raj from the whites to the
browns.”
[This is an extract from Shailesh Gandhi‘s speech, via e -mail,
while accepting the Nani Palkhiwala Memorial Award on January
12, 2008.]
The Right to Information Act
I. Introduction :
The com mon citizen of India owes a debt to activist Shailesh
Gandhi and, prior to him, to many others, who fought for the Rightmunotes.in
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to Information Act and brought it into force. Its enactment, on 12
October 2005, by the Indian Parliament, in a sense is a culmination
of a movement for the empowerment of the common man that had
begun in 1990.
Purpose of the RTI Act:
An average citizen in India is at the mercy of authority that
exploits him on account of his lack of information. Instances of a
common man having to bri be the authority to collect the dead body
of a relative from a government morgue, to collect birth/
employment/death certificate, to avail of a ration card, passport or
pension has become a common norm. There are enumerable
examples where he has become a v ictim at the hands of
unscrupulous officials. With the RTI, it is now possible to make
public servants accountable and to bring in transparency in the
functioning of the government. The RTI empowers the common
citizen with his fundamental right to question the authority and
make it answerable. To be able to exercise this right, it is essential
that students, who are the future of Indian democracy, become
aware of the RTI Act and its provisions.
The RTI ACT [2005]
The RTI Act mandates timely response to c itizen requests
for government information. Any ordinary citizen, regardless of
caste or creed, can file a Right to Information application and the
Government of India is compelled to respond.
1. What does Information mean?
Information means any materi al, in any form that includes
records, documents, memos, e -mails, opinions, advices, press
releases, circulars, orders, logbooks, contracts, reports, papers,
samples, models, data material held in any electronic form, and
information relating to any privat e body, which can be accessed by
a public authority under any other law for the time being in force,
but does not include ‘file notings’ [S.2(1)].
2. What does Right to Information mean?
IIt includes the right to
inspect works, documents, records.
take notes, extracts or certified copies of documents or records.
take certified sample material.
obtain information in the form of printouts, diskettes, floppies,
tapes, videocassettes, or in any other electronic mode, or
through printouts. [S.2 [1) ]
3. What is the Application Procedure for requesting information?
Apply in writing or through electronic means in English or Hindi
or in the official language of the area, to the PIO [Publicmunotes.in
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Information Officer], specifying the particulars of the info rmation
sought.
Reasons for seeking information are not required to be given;
Pay fees as may be prescribed (if not belonging to the below
poverty line category).
4. What is the time limit to get the information?
30 days from the date of applicati on
48 hours for information concerning the life and liberty of a
person
5 days shall be added to the above response time, in case the
application for information is given to Assistant Public
Information Officer.
If the interests of a third party a re involved, then time limit will be
40 days (maximum period + time given to the party to make
representation).
Failure to provide information within the specified period is
deemed a refusal.
5. What are the penalty provisions?
Every PIO will be liabl e for a fine of Rs. 250/ -per day, up to a
maximum of Rs. 25,000/ -, for
not accepting an application
delaying information release without reasonable cause
malafidely denying information
knowingly giving incomplete, incorrect, misleading informatio n
destroying information that has been requested
obstructing furnishing of information in any manner.
The Information Commission (IC) at the Centre and the State levels
will have the power to impose this penalty. The Information
Commission can also re commend disciplinary action for violation of
the law against an erring PIO. (S.20)
II. How to file an RTI Application?
The process of filing the RTI query is simple.
Step 1
The letter asking for information must be addressed to the
concerned Public Info rmation Officer (PIO). In the following
example the PIO is from the Ministry of Communications and
Technology. His address is:
Shri B.B.Bahl,
Joint Director and PIO (RTI)
Office of PIO (RTI)
Room No 1016 Electronics Niketan
Department of Information Techn ology (DIT)munotes.in
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Ministry of Communications and Information Technology
6, CGO Complex, New Delhi
Tel: 011 -24301116
Fax: 011 -24363099
Email: pio.dit_hq@mit.gov.in
Step 2
The subject of the letter could, for example, read like this:
SUB: Request to Informatio n Regarding the Blocking of
Internet domains
SUB: Request to information regarding the acquisition of
land at Chinch Bhuvan Nagpur for the proposed Mihan Cargo -hub
project.
The letter could begin thus:
I would like to use the Right to Information Ac t to ascertain
the following:
1.Has there been a directive issued by the Ministry of
Communications & Information Technology to block the
domains http://www.blogspot.com, http://www.typepad.com and
http://www.geocities.com?
2.If so, why has this blanke t block come into force?
3.Why have these particular domain names been specifically
blocked?
Or
I own a 1500 sq ft plot of land at Chinch Bhuvan, which I am
told has been acquired by the Aviation Ministry for the proposed
cargo hub project. Could you please show me the notification that
states this?
1.Could you tell me if the Government of India has devised any
compensation plan for the land thus acquired?
2.Who is the competent authority whom we could approach?
Please give us the names, addresses, contact details of the
authority appointed to handle these issues.
Note: Under the RTI Act, 2005, you are not compelled to give any
reason for your application. So you can only include the questions if
you like.munotes.in
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Step 3
Include your name and your full postal address at the end of
the letter. This is extremely vital, so that the PIO can respond to
your request. The information will be sent to you via post.
Step 4
Go to your nearest post office. A list of post offices accepting
RTI applications is giv en here:
http://www.indiapost.gov.in/rtimanual16a.html
Step 5
Submit your application and pay Rs.10 at one of the eligible Post
Offices and ensure that you get your receipt. This is once again
vital as proof of your application. Make copies of your applic ation
for your future reference.
Step 6
Come home, and wait for the response. Allow 5 days for the Post
Office to deliver the application to the PIO concerned, and 30 days
after that for the PIO to respond to you. So within 35 days, the PIO
MUST RESPOND.
Sample Form [http://www.rtiindia.org Page 1]
THE RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT 2005
APPLICATION FOR OBTAINING INFORMATION
Date:
By speed Post AD
FILE NO.:__________ YEAR: _____________
Central Public Information Officer
Regional Passport Office,
__________ _________________________
Place ______________________________
1. Name of the applicant:
2. Full address [with phone No.]:
3. Particulars of information required :
as per enclosed list.
4. Details of payment of filing fees:
Indian Postal Order No. _______ dated _________for Rs.10/
favouring ―Regional Passport Officer [payable at place of
submitting application] is enclosed.munotes.in
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OR
photocopy of my BPL card/certificate is enclosed for exemption
from fees.
5. Details of enclosures if any:
Photocopy of application dated ______for issue/renewal of
passport.
6. Please rush the information to me by speed/registered post.
Signature of Applicant
[This format is prepared by an NGO in order to help people. It can
be downloaded from the sites mentioned in the chapter. Ho wever, it
is not necessary that the application should be made in this format
only. Any hand written or typed letter will also be accepted.]
Sample Application Letter
Example 1 :
Shri B.B.Bahl
Joint Director and PIO (RTI)
Office of PIO (RTI)
Room No 1 016, Electronics Niketan
Department of Information Technology (DIT)
Ministry of Communications and Information Technology 6,
CGO Complex, New Delhi
Date:
Sub: Information regarding the blocking of internet website
domains
Dear Sir,
This is to bring to your notice that I, along with several other
internet users across the country, am unable to access the
following websites:
http://www.blogspot.com
http://www.geocities.com
http://www.typepad.com
As well as the following sub -domains:
http://sub -domain.blogspot.com
http://sub -domain.typepad.communotes.in
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Onasking therelevant ISPs, their users were told that these
websites have been blocked under adirective oftheMinistry
of Communications and Information Technology,
Government of India.
Iwould liketouse the Right toInformation Act toascertain
thefollowing:
1.Has there been any such directive issued by the Ministry of
Communications & Information Technology?
2.If so, why has this ban come into force?
3.Why have these particular domain names been
specifically banned?
4.When willthis ban cease toexist?
5.Ifnosuch directive has been issued, why are these
websites being blocked?
6.Who isresponsible forensuring that Indian citizens have
thefreedom toaccess these websites?
7.Ifthere has been adirective from the Ministry of
Com munications and Information Technology to block
these websites, then, considering thefact that most of
the websites blocked do not contain pornography,
speeches ofhate, contempt, slander ordefamation, or
promote gambling, racism, violence orterrorism, the
question arises whether theMinistry of Communications
and Information technology isviolating articles 14, 19, and
21 of theConstitution ofIndia byissuing such adirective.
8.Please provide aphotocopy ofall the documents relating
tothequestions above, including butnotlimited to:
a.The directive issued bythe concerned Ministry to
Internet Service Providers
b.The listofallthe specific domain names that have
been blocked
c.The Act under which the Government ofIndia is
empowered toblock domain name sinIndia.
I must emphasize here that these websites are used by thousands
of ordinary Indian citizens to express their views, thoughts and
ideas. Indian Citizens have the right to express their views freely,
and to have an unhindered exchange of thought s and ideas.
Blocking these websites universally and notallowing Indian
Citizens toread any ofthem istantamount tohindering the
freedom ofexpression ofthousands of ordinary Indian
citizens.
Irequest you tokindly look into this matter. Thank you in
advance foryour co-operation.munotes.in
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Yours sincerely,
[Courtesy : Mr. Shivam.Vij, Journalist, Tehelka]
Example 2 :
To enquire about the Status of the Passport
[Sample Form Downloaded from http://www.rtiindia.org
Page 2]
List of information requested by __________under RTI ACT 2005.
Application dated _________pertaining to his file no. ___________
and year ________for issue/renewal of passport.
1.Please inform me about/Please furnish me with the daily
progress made on my applicati on till date of your reply.
2.Names, designations and office addresses of the officials with
whom my application was lying during this period, and date wise
period with each official and action taken by him/her.
3.Please give evidence of receipt and dispatch o f my application
in the office of each of these officials.
4.Please inform me, according to your rules or citizens’ charter or
any other order, the number of days in which such a matter
should have been dealt with and resolved. Please also provide
a copy of these rules.
5.As the officials have not adhered to the time limit mentioned in
the rules and are guilty of violating these rules, please give a
copy of their conduct rules and details of action taken by the
RPO against erring officials.
6.In case no action ha s been initiated for dereliction of duties
against erring officials, the reasons be made known to me.
7.Please inform me the name of the police station/dept to whom
application was referred for police verification with outward
number, date of dispatch and da te when reply was received by
you. Photocopy of letter addressed to police for verification and
proof of mailing be submitted to me.
8.Please let me know when I am likely to receive my passport.
9.Please inform me of the days taken by your office in
issuing/re newing passports in last 25 applications, excluding
days required for police verification.
10.Please inform me of the number of complaints for delay in
issuing/renewing passports that were received against your
office in last one year or last financial year.munotes.in
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Signature of Applicant
As can be seen from both the examples, the writer must
begin by stating the purpose of drafting the letter.
I. She/He must state the kind of information required and the
subject of the letter in simple and clear terms.
For exam ple:
i)To enquire about my Provident Fund Application.
ii) RTI query about the Admission Procedure to 11th Std.
II. This should be followed by specific questions / queries so that,
when these queries are answered, a detailed picture emerges.
There is no s tandard format in which these letters should be
written. The applicant can follow the routine business letter format if
s/he so desires.
However, if s/he follows the =small query’ format s/he is likely to get
precise and clear information. Besides, this is a simpler method of
taking up a specific issue.
For example:
I would like to use the RTI Act to know about my provident fund
applicatio n/ pension file/ submission of my application for Mhada
flats.
1.What is the current status of my application/ file?
2.Who is the officer -in-charge who is handling this division/ these
cases?
3.What is the serial number of my application?
4.What i s the procedure followed?
5.Please tell me the total number of applications received by the
concerned authority on ………….
6.How many of these applications have been processed as
on……..
7.What is the criterion for selection?
8.When will I be informed of my selection/rejection?
III. Appeals:
In case the applicant fails to receive information within a
stipulated period, or he is not happy with the decision he has
received, he can appeal to the higher authority. The appeal has to
be filed within 30 da ys of the receipt of the first decision. The
photocopy of the response received from the previous authority
must be attached. If the applicant is not satisfied with the response,
s/he can subsequently go for a second appeal, which has to be
made within 90 days from the receipt of the judgment of the first
appeal.munotes.in
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You can find more information here:
http://persmin.nic.in/RTI/WelcomeRTI.html
http://www.rtiindia.org --a complete Online Portal for Right
to Information India.
Now it is possible to process your RTI application on -line. Refer to
any of the sites mentioned above for RTI processing.
Tasks:
Draft RTI queries for the following situations:
a)You have been denied admission by a prestigious college
despite a high percentage of marks in your previous /qualifying
examination.
b)You had applied for an N.O.C. for a piece of land you purchased
in Pune. You have made several trips to the Talati‘s office, but
in vain.
c)Your application for an educational loan is not processed
despite your having completed all the formalities.
d)You wish to know how the funds of the Students’ Council/
Gymkhana/ N.S.S./ Ganapati festival/ Navaratri celebration are
spent by the Council.
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Unit-10
THE SALES LETTER
Learning objectives :
To acquaint students with the place and purpose of the sales
letter as a tool of direct marketing.
To explain the AIDA model that the sales letter adopts.
To enable students to draft inte resting and attractive sales
letters.
A. The Sales Letter
I. Introduction:
In the current scenario of an increasingly competitive
commercial world characterized by rising advertising and
operations costs, the sales letter forms an important and strategic
tool of direct marketing. This is because the sales letter scores with
its distinct advantages over direct and door -to-door sales.
The first important factor to consider is the cost. Using sales
letters is much, much cheaper, as the organisation does not incur
the cost of hiring space and sales personnel. It saves on the
maintenance charges of the former, and the training and salary of
the latter. Even taking into account the cost of designing, printing
and postage, the cost to the company for the sales l etter is
negligible as compared to other forms of sale. Secondly, the sales
letter can have an extended reach and be dispatched far and wide.
It is also more focused in its target and can be directed at only a
particular segment of the potential customer w hom the product or
service may benefit. By virtue of being a personalised letter, it can
appeal to customers who appreciate a personal touch. Moreover,
the reading of a sales letter can secure the reader‘s attention
without other competitive factors such a s music, TV, or actual
speech, as one can read the letter at one‘s convenience.
Companies and other commercial establishments vie with one
another to compile precious consumer data banks which help in the
dispatch of the sales letter, as well as other form s of sales, such as
telemarketing.
A creatively well -designed and an attractively written sales
letter could be a powerful tool. But drafting such a letter has its own
challenges. Firstly, in this busy world with its frenetic, rushed pace,
not many people have the time to go through a letter carefully.
Secondly, if one is not interested in making a purchase, the best
letter may be in vain. In fact, if statistics are to be believed, sales
letters result in just a meagre one or two percent of readers actuall ymunotes.in
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making a purchase. However, when compared to the cost of other
means, it is still far economical. Lastly, since it forms unsolicited
communication, it may cause irritation and impatience. It can have
the same effect as ‘spam’ or unsolicited e -mail or una sked -for sms
text messages received on mobile phones. They are simply deleted
without a look, or totally discarded as ‘junk -mail’.
It is therefore imperative that a sales letter be crafted with
great care. Some useful tips may be borne in mind:
i)Use the you-attitude to make it personalized.
ii)Make it attractive and eye -catching, both in appearance and
text.
iii)Try and evoke the curiosity of the reader to ensure that it gets
read.
The above objectives can be achieved in various ways. The
use of col ours and graphics is an important tool that cannot be
dismissed. The envelope itself often succeeds in grabbing the
readers’ attention. The announcements of discounts, offers of free
gifts or surprise items can also prove effective.
As marketing and sales form one of the very pillars on which
the success of the business depends, much research and study
has been carried out on consumer behaviour, especially the art of
persuasion that results in purchase. Persuasion means succeeding
in causing people to do s omething that they would not otherwise
have done. A sales pitch is aimed at targeting the potential buyer‘s
perceived need by appealing to one or more of varied factors.
Several models have been drawn up to explain the
behaviour of consumers, from the mom ent they notice a product to
the point when they actually buy the product or service. However,
the most popular of them all is the AIDA model, where A denotes
Attention, I, Interest, D, Desire and A, Action.
i)‘A’-The sales letter therefore has to firs t and foremost arrest
the attention of the reader. Apart from the use of colour and
images as mentioned earlier, the letter in the introductory
paragraph could also use a quotation or statistical data or a
popular proverb or even pose a rhetorical question .
For example:
i.for a self -help book: “An optimist sees an opportunity in every
difficulty, a pessimist, a difficulty in every opportunity.” Sir
Winston Churchill.
ii.for a savings plan: Do you know that 60% of people have no
concrete plans in place for post -retirement financial needs?
iii.for a leak -proof cement filling: A stitch in time saves nine.munotes.in
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iv.for a safety house -lock: Would you neglect the safety of your
house before you leave on vacation?
One of the popular ways to attract attention is also by using
an unusual format, particularly the ‘Hanging Indented’ one (as
shown in the example at the end).
ii)‘I’-To evoke the interest of a reader, one could appeal to
emotion, rationality or the fear factor. The appeal to emotion is the
strong est determinant. One may appeal to the emotion of love or
fear. Thus, love and care of family may prompt a home -maker to
buy a particular brand of healthy oil. The appeal to safety, again,
may determine her choice of a water purifier. The factor of fear ma y
be the motivating factor in selling insurance policies or a car with
safety features like air -bags. Appeal to rationality will focus on the
reasons why one may go in for a product. For example, the reasons
why one should join a particular gym: the multip le benefits it will
yield in terms of health, good physique, and confidence, all in a
hygienic and pleasant ambience. To sum up, a sales letter
succeeds if it makes an appeal to the ‘buying motive’ of the
customer.
iii)‘D’-An effective sales letter wil l succeed in making the reader
desire the product or service. This can be achieved by providing
information about the benefits the product will give the buyer.
For example :
i.This T -shirt is sure to make you stand out in a crowd!
ii.This SIP (Systemat ic Investment Plan) will put all your financial
worries at rest without pinching your pocket!
iii.For a wrist watch: Be in tune with tomorrow. Be the envy of your
company!
iv)‘A’-Finally, it is imperative to ensure that the reader of the sales
letter takes action at the right time. To propel the reader towards
this step, companies may again make promotional offers, or
offer discounts or free gifts, or tension -free delivery and service.
For example:
i.Hop into the nearest dealer‘s and collect your fre e gift with an
immediate purchase. Hurry! limited offer!
ii.Post the reply paid card in the nearest post -box and await your
surprise next week!munotes.in
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Example : 1
The Personality Development Centre
27, Coronet Plaza,
Mumbai -400 030.
15 May, 2008.
Ms. S anaa Talwar,
6, Palm Court,
Mumbai -400 050.
Dear Ms. Talwar,
Time once lost is lost forever!
Surely you are not just one of those youngsters who only flow with
the tide? If you wish to make the most of the long post -school
vacation and exciting colle ge years ahead, you couldn‘t do better
than join the =Personality Plus Programme‘.
This is an ideal three week course specially designed for fresh
college entrants. It will help you develop confidence in speech,
deportment and making presentations, thereby aiding you in
making a mark in your college. This rich value -addition will not only
make your college years a time to cherish, but also groom you for a
corporate career.
Time and tide wait for no one. Ensure your participation in this
prestigious Programme by early registration, as on ly a limited
number of students with potential have been invited, and the seats
will be filled on a first come, first served basis.
Please note that registrations will end on May 25, 2008.
Sincerely yours
(Ekta Rathi)
Directormunotes.in
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Example : 2
SWASTHYA
The Complete Fitness Boutique
21, Pali Hill, Bandra
Mumbai 400 050.
January 3, 2009.
Ms. Nausheen Nayar,
42, Hill Road,
Bandra,
Mumbai -400 050.
Dear Madam,
‘Health is Wealth’ is a timeless adage. The modern Indian’s health
is under onslaught as never before, with the pressure of the
growing economy, increased competition, air, water and food
pollution, and a hectic lifestyle.
“SWASTHYA” is now here to relieve you of all your health
problems. From timely check -up reminders to pick -up and drop
back service, fitness and nutritional experts working in tandem to
advise on your specific needs, a 24 hr emergency service –all at a
nominal cost for members. In addition you also get to avail of the
library and recreational facilities, all in clean, hygi enic, pleasant and
world class ambience.
Do drop in at your convenience, for we know that seeing is
believing. You may also wish to refer to some of our well known
members from your neighbourhood for your own satisfaction. Since
the concessional membershi p scheme for the ‘Golden Club’ offered
to the ‘50 plus’ is for a limited period only, we urge you not to trade
this opportunity for a lifetime of regret!
We await your call to fix an appointment for the walk -around and
demo tour.
Yours truly,
Seema Malh otra
B. Handouts or flyers, also otherwise known as pamphlets, leaflets,
fliers, handbills or brochures, are an alternate way of reaching out
to the public in a more cost effective manner. They refer to a single
sheet of paper, folded or plain, but not b ound, that is attractively
designed to draw the reader‘s attention to a product, an event, a
cause or special meeting.munotes.in
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Generally an A4 or A5 size paper is used. DTP or Desk Top
Publishing has made it very easy for even amateurs to use these.
Although for ideal designing one could call for competence and
excellence in terms of colour, design, graphics and layout, it is the
verbal content that one needs to consider here. Apart from
readability and legibility, one needs to also know the target
audience so as to effectively communicate the content or the
message. While readability refers to the ease with which the text
and the graphics can be deciphered, legibility looks at the clarity, or
the ability to convey the intended message.
Needless to say, the tex t should be brief and succinct. It is
not necessary that there be complete sentences; even phrases or
stand alone words would suffice.
Here is an example:
The Indian Pizza Festival
Romance the Unique Delectable Blend
of
The Italian Pizza
with
The Ind ian Toppings
both in
Veg and Non -Veg !
at
The Mumbai Festival Only!!
An Opportunity You
Can‘t Afford to Miss!!!
Tasks :
1.Explain the importance and role of the sales letter as a tool of
direct marketing.
2.Write a note on the AIDA model.
3.Draft attractive sales letters for the following:
i.Liquid gel -flo pen.
ii.‘Back -Packers’ hiking expeditions.
iii.‘Instameal’ : a fast -food delivery scheme.
iv.‘Clickflick’ DVD film delivery scheme.
v.‘Mathemagic’ : Vedic Maths classes.
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Unit-11
REPORT WRITING
Learning Objectives:
To help students to understand the importance of report writing.
To help students to classify reports into different types such as
investigative report, feasibility report and so on.
To familiarize students with the basic techniques of drafting a
business report
Introduction:
Report is a well organised representation of facts or a
statement of a plan of action.
A report provides information –either sets of facts or result of
an investigation. Reports are i mportant means to facilitate decision -
making, solving a problem, sharing information. A report studies
generally presents the desired outcome about the future course of
action. In short, report studies a problem or a situation and offers a
solution to the problem. Reports are important means of upward as
well as horizontal communication. Reports may be short or long,
oral or written, formal or informal.
Since a report is designed to give a complete picture of what
is taking place at a distance or away from the person who receives
it, it must be detailed and comprehensive –it must not leave out
relevant information. A good report leaves no question unanswered
in the mind of the person to whom it is addressed. There are many
types of reports
Types of report s:
1.Informational reports : Informational Reports collect and
present data for the reader. E.g. sales report, quarterly report,
accident reports are investigative reports etc.
2.Recommendations reports :Recommendations reports
recommend actions or suggest a solution. E.g. feasibility
reports, problem solving reports.
3.Analytical reports :Analytical reports study and interpret data
but do not offer suggestions or recommendations. E.g. annual
reports, audit reports.munotes.in
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Here, we are more concerned with investi gative report and
feasibility report with formal written form.
oInvestigative report : An investigate report is written as an
outcome of an inquiry conducted either by an individual or a
committee. An expert or experts who are impartial and neutral are
authorised to investigate the cause, nature and impact of the
problem and suggest ways and means of solving it as well as
ensure that it does not recur in future. Accidents reports are
examples of investigate reports. The reports submitted by various
high-powered commissions set up by the government to inquire into
scams, corruption charges, air and rail accidents are examples of
investigative reports.
oFeasibility report: A feasibility report is written prior to an event
or project undertaken by an organisat ion. It is entrusted to an
expert or experts, those who are in a position to make
recommendations for or against the proposed activity. The report is
prepared and tabled before the authorities who then deliberate and
decide on the next course of action.
Reports may be written in the schematic or letter format. The
longer formal report follows the schematic format whereas the
shorter informal report uses the letter format.
What a Report Usually Contains -
Short reports which could be in the form of letters, have their
contents (sometimes paragraphs) arranged in the following
manner:
1.The Authority
2.Terms of Reference
3.Procedure
4.Findings and Conclusions
5.Recommendations, if any.
Detailed (longer) reports have the following arrangements:
1.A title page
2.Table of contents
3.A synopsis or summary
4.Introduction including authority and terms of reference
5.Procedure and investigation methods followed
6.Findings and conclusions
7.Recommendations
8.Acknowledgements and thanks to those who have helped.
9.Appendixes.
1.The author ity–The authority under which the report is being
written is mentioned first. Thus an individual submitting a reportmunotes.in
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must mention the person or resolution by which he has been
authorised to write the report. Similarly sub -committee or committee
reports m ention the resolution of the board of directors by which
they have formed themselves into committee.
2.Terms of reference –This section clearly spells out what
aspects are to be covered by the report writers by focusing their
attention on the main issue. T hus the terms of reference of a
committee might be to report on poor quality of work put in by the
workers in the factory. This means that the committee will have to
address itself to this problem and should not stray into the field of
economics or finance or the disadvantages of location, etc.
3.Procedure –Here the report writers mention the procedure they
followed in obtaining their data or information. How and when they
visited different places, whom they met, with whom they
corresponded and the details of the questionnaires issued, if any.
4.Findings -Based on the data, facts and information collected
the report writers will draw definite conclusions which are called
‘findings’. The findings are summarised statements of all the data
collected.
5.Recommenda tions -Based on the findings the report writers
will give their recommendations or suggestions as to the best
course of action to be followed. It is in this section that the real skill
and intelligence of the report -writers is revealed.
The student shoul d note that the five parts of the reports given
above are by way of guidelines and not compulsory to all report
writing. Thus a “cash -flow” report which only gives figures of
amount of cash coming in or going out in a week or months will not
contain “autho rity”, “terms of reference” or “recommendations”.
Similarly a directors report will not contain “authority” or “terms of
reference” though it may touch upon such other topics as the
economy of the country or the political situation, etc.
If the report is likely to be long one, the writer should use headings
or sub -titles to break up the text and to refocus the reader attention
An organisation may appoint an individual or committee to
prepare a report and the format of report will be on that.
Reports writ ten by individuals
A report written by an individual may be sent in the form of a
letter. If, however, the report is likely to be a long one with several
sub-titles and sections then it should be written in the form of an
impersonal statement with a cover ing letter.munotes.in
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Reports by individuals must be written in the first person
singular and they are of great use to the report writer himself as
they enable him to give expression to his talent and ability. Reports
by secretaries and experts come in this catego ry. The report must
be signed by the individual writing it. Short reports, sent by
individuals, tend to be personal in nature. They involve a personal
relationship and concern a personal investigation.
Committee reports
Reports written by committees or s ub-committees are more
impersonal in tone and formal in phraseology. They usually contain
phrase like “the committee came to the conclusion” or “the
committee was of the opinion” the report is signed by the chairmen
on behalf of the committee or by the mem bers of the committee
themselves, if they are not too many. While drafting such reports
care should be taken to see that
If any member of the committee has dissented from the
general opinion of the committee a NOTE OF DISSENT, containing
that member’s vi ews is attached to the report. As committees in the
business world, which submit reports are not political bodies, no
importance is attached to unanimity. Indeed a committee member
who expresses dissent often gives the authorities a clearer picture.
Examp le of investigative report (committee) -
Date:
The Managing Director,
Washing Machine Company,
Vikhroli East,
Mumbai 400 024
Subject -Report on the causes of decline in the sales of washing
machine
Dear Sir,
This is in response to your letter asking me to find out the reasons
for decline of the sales of the company’s washing machine.
I am happy to inform you that I have probed into the matter and
compiled this report for your perusal.
I interviewed 30 customers who had purchased washing machines
in the month of December and also studied the complaint letters
received from the customers.
The customers were found to be unhappy mainly for the following
reasons:munotes.in
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1.The machine made a lot of noise
2.The outlet pipe became loose too often, spilling water all over
3.Not taking water through pipe
4.The steel body of the machine rusted in short period of time
In order to find out if these complaints were specific to
machines produced under a specific batch, I looked at all the
complaint letters received by the company and realised that was
not the case. Complaints against machines purchased within last
three months were similar in nature.
It seems that product design is defective and needs urgent
rectification. Once the product design is improved, the company will
have to focus on an advertising and publicity campaign to regain its
lost image, as well as the trust of the customers.
Giving additional incentives to retailers can help promote the
machine and improve sales.
With regards
Report of the committee on studen t’s participation in co -
curricular activities.
1.Authority and Terms of reference :
A committee was appointed following the resolution passed
by the local managing committee in its meeting held on 20 Dec
2020 “resolved that a committee be and is hereby for med to look
into the reasons behind lack of participation in various extra -
curricular activities organized by the college. The committee would
submit its report to the principal of the college by the 26thJan 2021.
2.Procedure :
The committee met twice to f ormalize the procedure. A
questionnaire was formulated to be administered to the students.
The committee collected the exact number of students who
participated in each of the various extra -curricular activities
organised by the college during this year an d previous year.
3.Findings:
After collecting data and comparing the figures obtained over
two years, the committee arrived at the following conclusions:
Students interest in these activities was decreasing
Majority of the students had enrolled either f or professional
courses, or tuition classes, or had jobs.
Participation in sport meant rigorous practice, for which they had
no time.munotes.in
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4.Conclusion:
Students are not interested in extra -curricular activities. They
have neither the time nor the inclination to participate in such
activities.
5.Recommendations:
Considering that extra -curricular activities are necessary for
overall personality development, the sub -committee recommended
the following measures:
oCreating awareness among students about the impor tance of
extra -curricular activities
oProjecting such activities as stress busters.
Place -
Date -
Signature
Chairman,
Secretaries,
Members.
Examples of investigative report (individual) -
25 March 2020
The Principal
______College Mumbai
Subject -Submission of Report on Students ‘Grievances
Dear Madam,
As the General Secretary of the Students ‘Council, I was
asked, in the meeting held on 20 March 2020 to study complaints
from the students and submit a report within 15 days, making
suggestions to th e Grievance Committee. I am glad to inform you
that I have successfully completed the scrutiny of complaints and
here is the report. There were 15 complaints in July and August,
which were sorted and categorized as follows:
i)A majority of the complaint s, fifteen in all, were about the
functioning of the library. Since there were only two computers
in the library, majority of the students could not avail themselves
of the internet facility.munotes.in
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ii)The complaints were also about the space available in the
library. According to the complainants, the reading room in the
library could not accommodate more than 150 students at a
time. More space was needed to accommodate larger number
of students.
iii)Five complainants specifically said that the library staffs were
unnecessarily hostile towards the students.
iv)Students were dissatisfied with the marks given to them in the
subject of Economics.
Conclusion: Students were dissatisfied largely with the library
services, functioning of the office and the examin ation committee.
As a representative of students, I would like to suggest the
following:
1.Management should take note of the complaints and act on
them.
2.College should make provision for more computers.
3.The office staff should be more efficien t and student friendly.
4.Students who have serious grievances regarding examinations
should be called personally, and an interactive session,
The chairman of the examination committee and the
students should be organized to resolve the matter. I sinc erely
thank you for giving me this opportunity to look into the matters that
concern students.
Yours faithfully,
Examples of feasibility report -
Report of the subcommittee on feasibility of a Smart Card
service by BEST for regular commuters.
The Chair men,
BEST committee
Dear Sir,
Sub-Report on improvement of BEST services.
In association with the instructions contained in resolution of
the BEST committee, held on_____, the signatories of the
accompanying report studied and considered the feasibil ity of
improvement of existing BEST facilities.
As the chairmen of the committee, I am pleased to submit
this report and request you to place it before the managing
committee for their consideration.munotes.in
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Yours faithfully,
(General Secretary)
1.Terms of Reference : A committee comprising of the following
members was formed in accordance with the resolution passed in
the Annual General Meeting of BEST held on………….., to look into
the feasibility of introduction of smart cards for commuters availing
themselv es of BEST services. The subcommittee was asked to
present its report by 28 February 200 —
2.Procedure: The subcommittee met on 3rd, 4th and 5th March
and decided to adopt the following course of action: a. Get
feedback from commuters b. Identify routes t hat would be covered
under the scheme c. Decide on the modalities —amount to be
charged, the schemes to be offered, outlets for the distribution of
cards, and the de tails for application.
3. Findings:
i.Most commuters welcomed the idea of having a sm art card; it
was perceived as a convenient alternative for daily payment.
ii.The BEST employees like conductors and depot managers
welcomed the move and showed will ingness to adapt to this
new way of transaction.
iii.They felt that this move will hel p BEST to project an image as a
commuter -friendly service.
iv.Administration showed willingness to make smart cards
available to commuters in a month ‘s time.
4.Conclusion : The committee concluded that the move to
introduce smart cards would benefit bo th the public as well as the
BEST services, and that such a scheme should be introduced
without further delay.
5. Recommendations :
i.Proper publicity of the scheme before its introduction.
ii.Organizing proper training to depot -managers to be able t o
provide information to commuters.
Example -Report on improvement of college Canteen facilities
Flat 101 Sharad chs
Wadala east
Mumbai
The principal,munotes.in
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Anthony College
Sion east
Dear Sir,
Sub-report on improvement of college canteen facilities
In association with the instructions contained in resolution of
the college council committee, held on 5thmarch, the signatories of
the accompanying report studied and considered the feasibility of
improvement of existing canteen facilities offered in the col lege.
As the chairmen of the committee, I am pleased to submit
this report and request you to place it before the managing
committee for their consideration.
Yours faithfully,
(General Secretary)
I.Authority and terms of reference:
In accordance wi th the instructions contained in resolution of the
college council committee was appointed to study and consider
improving the canteen facilities offered in the college.
II.Resolution:
That a committee be formed to study and consider improving the
canteen fa cilities offered in the college
That the committee would consist of following members -
1) __________,
2) __________,
III.Procedure :
The committee visited four well -established colleges of
Mumbai to study the facilities provided by them. During the visit the
Principals, General Secretaries and Health Inspector were also
interviewed.
A meeting to the staff and the student’s council of our
college was held where the matter were discussed in detail.
The members of the college council committee were met
and their v iews noted.
A random survey was conducted of students from classes to
get their views and suggestions on the topic.munotes.in
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IV.Findings:
The existing canteen offers limited food variety,
There is no permanent chef who can make different dishes,
At a time only 50 s tudents can have food in the canteen,
V.Recommendations:
The committee is of the view that the time is right to improve the
existing canteen facilities offered in the college -
1)Health fund to be granted by the college council committee
should be used.
2)Cante en capacity should increase to 150 students minimum.
3)Need to hire a professional chef and some workers for
maintenance of the canteen
Place: Wadala, Mumbai
Date: 23rdmarch 2020
Example –Reportabout the possibility of starting hobby
courses in the ins titute.
New Delhi
Date_____
The director
The institute for Secretarial Services
University of Delhi
Delhi
Dear Sir,
Sub-Report about the possibility of starting Hobby Courses
in the institute
I have been assigned the task of submitting report abou t the
possibility of starting “Hobby Courses” during summer vacations in
the institute. Accordingly, I beg to submit my report on the subject.
The two Hobby Courses viz. Secretarial Practice and Tourism may
easily be started at the institute for duration o f 3 to 4 weeks during
the summer holidays because of the following reasons:
1)That a large number of students in Delhi are available who may
take up the aforesaid two courses. I have collected the data and
it is expected that there would be no problem in giv ing
admission to about 250 students for these courses. Four groups
may easily be formed.
2)That the faculty members may also be available. The concerned
lectures would be available for conducting these courses and
they have also consented to take up classes during the summermunotes.in
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vacation. Their consent, in writing, to this effect has been
obtained and enclosed with.
3)That the details about the additional income from fees and the
expenditure are given in the statement enclosed herewith. A
perusal of the said statem ent would reveal that the institute will
have an additional surplus of income over expenditure
amounting to Rs.1000 from the summer vacation hobby
courses.
4)That the matter has also been discussed with the principal of
the institute and he has kindly given necessary permission for
conducting the aforesaid courses.
In my opinion, there is every possibility of starting hobby
courses during the summer vacation. Where, on the one hand, it
will give a surplus net income to our Institute, on The other hand,
there will be the best utilisation of vacations from the students’ point
of view.
Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
Questions –
a.A committee has been formed to investigate the possibilities of
starting a co -operative store in your college. Draft the report of
the committee with favourable recommendations.
b.The principal has received several complaints about poor
service in the college canteen. A committee has been formed to
study and give suggestions to improve the situation. Draft the
committee’s report.
c.As the General Secr etary of the Student’sCouncil, you have
been asked by the principal to prepare a report on the
performance of students at various inter -collegiate cultural
events. Submit your report along with recommendations.
d.As the Secretary of the Gymkhana, you have be en asked by the
Principal to draft a report on poor participation of students in
sports events.
e.As the General Secretary of the Students Council, you have
been asked by the Principal to prepare a report on the recently
conducted ‘Personality Development’ p rogramme. Submit your
report with recommendations.
f.As the secretary of the Gymkhana, you have been asked by the
Principal to prepare a report on the recently conducted ‘Athletics
Camp’ in the college. Submit your report with recommendations.
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Unit-12
SUMMARISING TEXT
Learning objectives :
To familiarise students with the technique of summarisation.
Writing good summaries
I. Introduction :
The word ‘summary’ is defined by the Oxford Advanced
Learner‘s Dictionary as “a short statement t hat gives only the main
points of something, not the details”. It means a short synopsis or
outline of the important ideas and points of the passage. The
summary should read like a piece of continuous writing, with a
sequential arrangement of ideas express ed in it and a clear
reflection of the main and sub -points. It should, however, be borne
in mind that the comments, opinions and views of the summary
writer must be avoided at all costs. The summary must deal with
only the views of the writer of the passag e that is being
summarised.
Summarising text requires the ability to identify the main
argument of the passage and to reproduce the points in one‘s own
style of writing with a sound logical sequence. This skill is helpful in
summarising excessive inform ation, lengthy reports, articles and
books, etc. to isolate the fundamental ideas which are of
significance without missing any points. It is easy to pick out the
main argument in passages that are argumentative, analytical or
informative in nature. When t he passages are lengthy and contain
more than one paragraph, it would be a good idea to note down the
topic sentence of each paragraph in one‘s own words. This will help
in preparing the summary. Generally, the main argument is in the
form of a general sta tement that is supported by examples, data,
numbers, figures, etc.
Points to keep in mind while writing a Summary :
a]Read the passage carefully first and note down the main
b]Note down the topic sentence for each paragraph (if the
passage consists of many paragraphs) or the sub -points being
made.
c]Write out the first draft based on the key points that have been
jotted down.
d]Compare the draft with the original passage to check for any
omissions, deletions, additions, irrelevancies, etc.munotes.in
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e]It would be a better idea to use one‘s own vocabulary as it will
help in rephrasing the points in simpler terms.
f]While preparing the second draft, rewrite the first draft to form a
logical piece of writing. Be concise and eliminate repetition.
g]Write ou t the summary neatly without any errors of spelling or
grammar. Here are a few examples to help you understand the
technique of summary writing:
Example 1
Peer pressure is probably the worst enemy of the parental
purse. My friend Ravi and his wife Maya were having trouble with
their 12 year -old son, Rohan. The boy seemed incapable of
delaying his gratification: he had to have everything now. He lacked
confidence, and because of peer pressure, he wanted everything
his friends got —not just toys, but also m ore expensive stuff, like
clothes, mobile phones and other things. Rohan apparently thought
his parents were very rich, with an unlimited reservoir of money.
At a loss to deal with this, Ravi and Maya sought my help,
and we ended up having a lengthy dis cussion on financial literacy
for kids. Rohan is hardly a ‘problem child’ where financial literacy is
concerned; it is an issue with a lot of children who are exposed to
affluence at a tender age. Perhaps the main reason for this is the
lack of clear commu nication about money. Often, all a child has to
do to get parents to part with money is to ask for it. Parents should
talk to their kids about money as comfortably as they talk about
cricket or a trip to the mall. Children need to understand what their
parents do for a living, and not harbour the illusion that money
grows on trees.
Financial literacy basically means having a solid
understanding of how to get money, spend it wisely, and handle
credit. It means being able to distinguish between good, bad and
ugly debt, and to live on a budget. It means protecting what you
have, through insurance. It means understanding the kinds of risks
you‘re exposed to, how best to mitigate them, and how to invest.
And last but not the least, it means understanding how to use your
money for the betterment of the world.
[Excerpts from Amar Pandit‘s, (Director, My Financial Advisor.
www.timesyourmoney.com) article in TOI, Sept 2008]
II. Analysis:
What is the paragraph about?
The paragraph is about Financial Literacy. It is about the need to
make children financially literate.
What is the topic sentence?munotes.in
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Financial literacy basically means having a solid understanding of
how to get money, spend it wisely, and handle credit.
What is the purpose of the first paragraph, wher e Maya‘s and
Ravi‘s son‘s example is given?
The example is given to illustrate the key point why parents need to
make their children financially literate.
The Key Idea : Financial literacy basically means having a solid
understanding of how to get money, spend it wisely, and handle
credit.
Supportive point 1: It means being able to distinguish between
good, bad and ugly debts, and to live on a budget.
Sub-Point 2: It means protecting what you have, through
insurance.
Sub-Point 3: It means understanding the kinds of risks one is
exposed to, how best to mitigate them, and how to invest.
Sub-Point 4: And last but not the least, it means understanding
how to use your money for the betterment of the world.
Illustration: Maya, Ravi, and Rohan‘s example illu strates the
problem of -peer pressure, Llack of financial awareness in children
and parents’ helplessness in handling problems arising out of it.
Conclusion: There is need for clear communication between
parents and children regarding money.
Let us summ arise the paragraph now :
1.Main Point : Parents should make their children financially
literate.
Problem: How to handle children‘s unreasonable demands?
Reasons : Children have no idea where the parents‘ money
comes from.
Peer group pressure impels chil dren to make demands on
parents which they feel parents are obliged to fulfill.
Children are ignorant about matters relating to money.
Solution : Parents must talk money with their children.
Summary:
Educating children on the all aspects of the family‘ s finance
is the need of the hour. Parents are at a loss while dealing with
their children, who under peer pressure, keep demanding thingsmunotes.in
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from them. Making children realise the value of money, helping
them to prioritize their needs, teaching them to spend the money
wisely is the responsibility of parents. There is, therefore, a need for
clear communication between parents and children regarding
money.
Example No. 2
The tragedy of India is that instead of seeing what‘s wrong
with us and taking steps to c orrect it, we indulge in hysterics and
look for scapegoats. Right now, everyone‘s busy blaming the coach
and the captain. But India has a long record of playing badly away
from home, which precedes both Rahul Dravid and Greg Chappel.
So why single them out ?
The real problem, I believe, lies with the system. Not just
cricket, but in virtually any walk of life, we are unwilling to put in
hard work and live with discipline. Other countries are so neat,
clean and well -organised but Indian cities are in a mes s, because
we are simply not willing to respect rules. We can succeed, not just
in cricket, but in everything else if only we follow four basic
principles: strictly adhere to meritocracy, be willing to work hard,
adopt global best practices in training and follow absolute
discipline.
We need to pick the best guys available, based purely on
merit and no other considerations. And the same applies to the
coach. People keep asking whether we need a foreign coach. I
don‘t think that‘s an issue at all. We shou ld ask, who is the best guy
for the job? \Whoever it is should get it.
Next, once you have given someone a mandate, let him
imple ment it without interference. At Infosys, we have our debates,
arguments and discussions before it‘s decided who‘ll be
responsible for something. Once it is decided that X is the boss, all
arguments stop and everyone rallies behind him. We shouldn‘t be
undermining the coach by trying to second -guess him.
I know ‘process’ has become a much -mocked term, but at
Infosys, we fir mly believe in following processes and it‘s always
worked for us. If Cahhappel‘s process didn‘t work, may be it was
not followed properly, or he wasn‘t allowed to implement it in full. I
have read that some senior players were allowed to get away with
indiscipline and that‘s totally unacceptable. No matter how big a
star you are, if you‘re disruptive to the team, you need to be shown
the exit. Never mind if we lose a few matches. If you follow the
correct process, positive results are bound to eventually fo llow.
Frankly, I don‘t think having a coaching camp for a few days
helps. I’d suggest that we pick the 30 guys who we believe are themunotes.in
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best in the country. They should all be given good salaries by BCCI
and closeted in a hi -tech training centre round the year. Rotate
them so that even if 15 are playing a series, the other 15 are
training.
Ensure that everyone gets to train intensively during the
year. Follow best practices from around the world, give the players
the best facilities and make them work r eally hard –eight hours a
day. If anyone refuses to practice or follow the rules, axe him
immediately. Follow these principles and you are bound to have a
world beating team.
[Narayan R. Murthy, TOI, Sept., 2008.]
What is the write up about?
Establishing the right system/ process and following it
rigorously is absolutely essential if one wants to win /
succeed / good results / is a key to success.
What are the examples given that support the main idea?
Examples of Greg Chappel and his system, and practice s
followed at Infosys.
Summary:
If one wants to win one must evolve a system that delivers
the results and follow it rigorously. Such a system must be based
strictly on merit, hard work, absolute discipline, and be open to
adopt the best global inputs. When a system fails to deliver, instead
of finding scapegoats like Greg Chappel to put the blame on, one
must take immediate corrective steps by analysing what has gone
wrong with the process. Putting the correct process that delivers
the results in place is the key to success.
Here are some passages that you can try and work on
yourself:
Passage 1
Some scraps of evidence bear out those who hold a very
high opinion of the average level of culture among the Athenians of
the great age. The funeral speec h of Pericles is the most famous
indication from Athenian literature that its level was indeed high.
Pericles was, however, a politician and may have been flattering his
audience. We know that thousands of Athenians sat hour after hour
in the theatre liste ning to the plays of the great Greek dramatists.
These plays, especially the tragedies, are at a very high intellectual
level throughout. There are no letdowns, no concessions to the
lowbrows, or to the demands of ‘realism’, such as the gravediggers‘
scene in Hamlet. The music and dance woven into these plays
were almost certainly at an equally high level. Our opera –not the
Italian Opera, not even Wagner, but the restrained, difficult opera of
the eighteenth century –is probably the best modern parallel. Themunotes.in
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comparison is no doubt dangerous, but can you imagine the entire
population of an American city (in suitable instalments, of course)
sitting through performances of Mozart‘s Don Giovanni or Gluck‘s
Orpheus? Perhaps the Athenian masses went to these pl ays
because of lack of other amusements. They could at least
understand something of what went on, since the subjects were
part of their folklore. For the American people, the subjects of grand
opera are not a part of their folklore.
i)What is the main i dea of the passage?
ii)Are there any examples to substantiate the main idea?
iii)What are the sub -points to the main idea?
iv)What comparison between two cultures is drawn in the
passage?
v)Based on your answers to the above questions, attempt a br ief
summary of the above passage.
Passage 2
To a philosopher, wisdom is not the same as knowledge.
Facts may be known in prodigious numbers without the knower of
them loving wisdom. Indeed, the person who possesses
encyclopaedic information may actually have a genuine contempt
for those who love and seek wisdom. The philosopher is not
content with a mere knowledge of facts. He desires to integrate and
evaluate facts, and to probe beneath the obvious to the deeper
orderliness behind the immediately given facts. Insight into the
hidden depths of reality, perspective on human life and nature in
their entirety, —in the words of Plato, to be a spectator of time and
existence –these are the philosopher‘s objectives. Too great an
interest in the minituae of sc ience, may, and often does, obscure
these basic objectives.
Philosophers assume that the love of wisdom is a natural
endowment of the human being. Potentially every man is a
philosopher because in the depths of his being there is an intense
longing to f athom the mysteries of existence. This inner yearning
expresses itself in various ways prior to any actual study of
philosophy as a technical branch of human culture. Consequently,
every human being, insofar as he has ever been or is a lover of
wisdom, has , to that extent, a philosophy of life.
i)State the main argument of the passage.
ii)Are there any sub -points?
iii)What is the writer‘s essential point of view?
iv)In your own words write out the topic sentence of paragraph 2.
v)With the help of the above, attempt a brief summary of the
passage.
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APPENDICES
I
I. Objective Questions : [I term Portion]
1.The word communication is derived from the Latin word ……….,
which means ……………
2.Feedback is the ……………….. given by the ………….. to the
……………….
3.The process of putting the message into a set of symbols is
known as …………….
4.…………………. means interpretation of the message.
5.…………………. is the mode of transmission of a message.
6.In ………… ………….. messages are sent from superiors to
subordinates.
7.Inviting employee -feedback is the objective of
……………….communication.
8.Communication between peers ,or colleagues, or persons
belonging to comparable status is known as …………………….
9.Horizontal communication is also known as ………………….
10.Orders and in structions are the objectives of …………….………
11.Morale is defined as …………………………………………….
12.Motivation means ……………………………………………………
13. Persuasion is the art of ……………………………………………
14.………………….. is the informal type of communication in the
organisation.
15.AnE mail is …………. ………… of communication.
16.Voice mail means………………… ………….
17.Intranet is…………………………………………….
18.One of the major advantages of written communication over oral
communication is ……………………………………………………
19.One of the major disadvantages of oral c ommunication is
………………………………
20.The term Non –verbal communication stands for
…………………………………………
21.The long form of w.w.w. is ………………………..
22.The word barrier means …………………………………………
23.Semantic barriers are also known as ……………………………..
24.Psychological ba rriers are……………………………………..
25.Environmental barriers are also known as ……………..…………
26.The inside address is the address of ……………………………
27.In full block form the arrangement of all the components of a
business letter is to the ……. …………….. ………………..
28.Courtesy means……………………………………………….….
29.You attitude means…… ….. ……………………………………
30.Listening means …………………………………………….……
31.Proxemics is a study of …………………………….………..…..
32.Kinesics is the study of ……………………………………….…
33.Control over personnel and order are the objectives of ………….
channel of communication.munotes.in
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II. A. Which one the following is correct?
a)Yours Sincerely c)Your‘s sincerely,
b)yours sincerely d)your‘s sincerely,
e)Yours sincerely,
B.The=You Attitude‘ implies
a) thinking and writing from the sender‘s point of view
b) thinking and writing from the reader‘s point of view
c) thinking and writing from the organisation‘s point of view
C.‘Distracting sounds, uncomfortable seating arragnge ment’ are
examples of
a) physical barriers b) physiological barriers
c) psychological barriers
D.In order to be understood, an oral communication should be
a) legible b) audible
c) eligible
E.Hearing disorders that interfere with the process of
communication fall under
a) psychological barriers b) physiological barriers
c) physical barriers
F.Warning an erring employee is an objective of
a) Horizontal Communication
b) Upward Communication
c) Downward Communication
G.Persuasion means
a) giving instruction to the receiver
b) nforming the receiver
c) making an effort to influence the mind of the receiver
H.Open Day is a feature of
a) upward communication b) downward communication
c) horizontal communication
I.Grapevine is a…
a) the most reliable communication network
b) an official network
c) a personal network
. …in an organization
J.Advice and Counselling are features of
a) upward communication
b) lateral communication
c) downward communication
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II
PHONOLOGY AND VOCABULARY
Students are aware that ability to pronounce words correctly
has become a necessity. A job seeker, battling with the influence of
mother tongue, finds it even more imperative that he is acquainted
with the commonly unde rstood and acceptable pattern of
pronunciation. In this chapter students are acquainted with the pure
vowel sounds in English.
I. PHONOLOGY :
Look at the following words : Cat, Call, Casino, Case. They
have the vowel letter “a” in common. But in each wo rd= a = is
pronounced differently. In English, a,e,i,o,u —the five letters of
alphabet represent 12 vowel sounds and 8 diphthongs. Following
are the phonetic symbols for the vowel sounds in English.
I.Pure Vowels or monothongs :
1. /i/ sit, gift, bl iss, knit, swift
2. /i:/ fee, receive, teacher, feat, fever
3. /e/ let, elder, sweat, pen, head
4. /ae/ man, tap, clap, flatter, chapter
5. /a:/ fast, father, heart, alarm, smart
6. /u/ put, foot, look, book, good, should, would
7. /u:/ food, tooth, suit, do, loose
8. / / pot, slot, box, bottle, cod, not
9. / / bought, short, bond, caught, sought
10. / / but, cut, shut, shrug, slug
11. / / about, allow, away, apart
12. / / bird, curds, third, mirth,munotes.in
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Dipthongs: A dipthong literally means ‘two vowe ls’ or ‘gliding
vowels’. It is a unitary vowel, which glides from one vowel to
another in rapid speech.
There are in all eight dipthongs in English.
1. /ei/ gate, eight, great, day, play
2. /ai/ fine, five, time, shine height
3. /oi/ boy, ploy, toy, jo y, employ
4. /ou/ go, soul, hold, fold, know
5. /au/ how, loud, proud, house, bow
6. /ie/ sheer, dear, theory, mere, fear
7. /u / sure, fluent, poor, cure, tour
8. / / dare, fare, fair, chair, there, heir.
III. Let us group words according to vowel l etters.
1. a. /ae/in fan 2.e. /e/ in let 3.I i/in sit
/e/ in any /i:/ in comlete /i:/ in marine
/a:/in farther /a:/in clerk /ai/in fine
/ / in alone / /in cover
/ei/in pace
/ / in fall
4. o / / in hot 5. /u/ in put
/u/ in wolf / / in but
/u:/in lose / / in up
/ou/in go / / in hurdle
/i/ in women
Exercise:
a) Identify 6 words in the following list which have similar vowel
sounds.
tight, hard, bird, tall, late, meet, fate, first, boy, height, all, knead
i …………….. …………… ………
ii …………….. ……………………
iii …………….. ……………………
iv …………….. ……………………
v …………….. ……………………
vi …………….. ……………………
b) From the following list pick out 4 pairs of words with similar vowel
sounds. Ignore the extra words.
hold, hit, house, hot, have, hea d, heel, hint, spouse, feed, blip, cold,
spot doll, play, mad.
i …………….. ……………………
ii …………….. ……………………
iii …………….. ……………………
iv …………….. ……………………munotes.in
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II. VOCABULARY
Vocabulary: WORDS LIKELY TO BE CONFUSED AND MISUSED
[Words that are similar in form o r sound, but different in meaning.]
1.All ready: prepared. Dinner is all ready.
Al ready: by the time. It was over al ready.
2.All right = satisfactory. His performance was all right.
Alright = variant spelling.
3.Accede : consent, I cannot acced e to your request.
Exceed : surpass, His expenditure exceeds his income .
4.Accept : to receive with favour. I accept your offer.
Except : to omit or exclude. Excepting the last term, I shall
accept the contract.
5.Access : approach or admis sion. =A poor man has no access to
the King.
Excess : more than enough. He smokes to excess.
6.Adapt : to make suitable; to adjust properly. We must adapt
ourselves to changing circumstances.
Adopt : to accept and approve. They adopted a child. He
adop ted my scheme.
Adept : One who is skilled. He is an adept at painting.
7.Advise : (Verb). Please advise me what to do.
Advice : (Noun). He paid no heed to my advice.
8.Affect : (1) to influence. Bad weather affects her health.
(2) to pretend.
Effect : (1) Verb. The prisoner effected (made) his escape.
(2) Noun. What will be the effect (result) of this?
9.Allusion : an indirect reference. If your allusion is to any woman
present here, please name her.
Illusion : an imaginary appearance. A mirag e is an optical
illusion.
10.Altar : a place for offerings. The pious old man bowed before the
altar.
Alter : to change. Nothing can alter my decision.
11.Antic : foolish behaviour. =We laughed at her antics.
Antique : valuable object. It is an antiqu e piece.
12.Ascent : going upwards. The balloon is on the ascent.
Assent : agree; consent, I cannot give assent to your proposal.munotes.in
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13.Bail : security. He was released on bail.
Bale : bundle, Fifty bales of cotton were burnt.
14.Berth : a sleeping pl ace in a train or on a ship. I got a berth
reserved for me in the first class compartment .
Birth : She gave birth to a child.
15.Bear : endure. I cannot bear this insult.
Bare : uncover. She bared her soul to her friend.
16.Born : (Past Participle o f bear). He was born on Tuesday.
Borne : carried. The message was borne to her.
17.Canon : rule. Every nation has its own canons of morality.
Cannon : a large gun. Cannon to the left of them, cannon to the
right of them.
18.Canvas : a kind of coarse c loth. Shoes made of canvas are not
durable.
Canvas : solicit votes. Will you canvass votes for me?
19.Casual : occasional; irregular. Casual reading is better than no
reading.
Causal : relating to cause. The causal connection between food
and health.
20.Censor : to subject to an official examination. The news is
censored.
Censure : to criticize adversely. They censured her conduct
bitterly.
21.Cession : the transfer of territory by one country to another.
Nothing short of the cession of the territory would satisfy the
invader. Cessassion= ceasing
Session : a term or a meeting period, as of a court, a legislature,
or any organized assembly. The winter session of the Assembly
is over.
22.Cite : to quote. He cited verses from the Bible.
Site : a place chosen for some special purpose. The site for the
school building was selected by the Headmaster.
Sight : view. A horrible sight met our gaze.
23.Coarse : rough. He wears coarse clothes.
Course : direction. She has taken a wrong course (path).
24.Com pliment : regard. Tender my best compliments to your wife.
Complement : that which makes up. My work complements Mr.
Gupta‘s.munotes.in
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25.Confidant : one who is trusted with a secret. My confidant
betrayed me.
Confident : sure. She is confident of success.
26.Council : an assembly for conference or deliberation. He is a
member of the Social Welfare Council.
Counsel : (1) to advise and instruct : Fathers usually counsel
their sons against excess. (2) advice; a legal adviser or
advocate. He has engaged a counsel t o defend him in the High
Court.
27.Childish : is used in a bad sense and suggests silliness,
foolishness, and weakness. Your talk is becoming childish.
Childlike : is used in a good sense and suggests innocence,
simplicity, and trustfulness. Her childlik e innocence appealed to
all.
28.Conscious : aware. She is conscious of her faults.
Conscientious : obedient to conscience; scrupulous. He is a
conscientious worker and always does his duty.
29.Contemptuous : showing contempt of; scornful. She gave a
contemptuous reply.
Contemptible : deserving contempt; despicable. He is a
contemptible fellow who does good to no one.
30.Continual : always happening; recurring. There was continual
rain. We were continually uninterrupted.
Continuous : uninterrupted in t ime or sequence. He worked
continuously from morning till night.
31.Credible : believable. His report of the accident is credible.
Creditable : estimable; that which deserves praise or honour.
She has done a creditable piece of work.
Credulous : applies to persons who believe things too readily.
The credulous youth believed in the existence of ghosts.
32.Draft : preliminary written outline. Where is the draft of the
Agreement?
Draught :/dra:ft/ the quantity drunk at a time. As in draught of
wine.
Draug ht :/dra:ft current of air . As in draught of air.
Drought :/draut/ prolonged absence of rain. owing to the draught
a famine was feared.
33.Decent : well -behaved and respectable. She is a decent girl.
Descent : derivation; slope, Her descent from a noble family
was also taken into account. The journey down the descent was
easy.munotes.in
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Dissent : disagreement. Murmurs of dissent were heard at the
meeting.
34.Deference : respect. Treat your elders with deference.
Difference : ―There is a great difference between these two
statements.
35.Defy : challenge. He defied all authority.
Deify : worship. The leader was deified by the people.
36.Dependant : person supported,esp,financially by another.
Be kind to your dep endants.
Dependent : rely. =He is dependent on his wife.
37.Disease : illness. Consumption is not a fatal disease.
Decease : death. A severe disease may cause decease.
38.Dual : double. I do not believe in this dual policy of the
Government.
Duel : a combat between two men. He fought a duel in his
youth.
39.Dying : (the Present Participle of die). People are dying of
disease every day.
Dyeing : (the act of colouring). This laundry does cleaning and
dyeing.
40.Elicit : draw out. I could not elicit a ny truth from her.
Illicit : unlawful. Those who carry on illicit trade in opium are
liable to be prosecuted.
41.Elude : to escape. He cleverly eluded the police.
Allude : to refer to. Which is the woman you alluded to in your
speech?
42.Emigrant : a p erson who leaves one country to take up
residence in another. The Irish emigrants settled in Canada.
Immigrant : one who comes to one country from another to live
there permanently. Most of the Americans are English
immigrants.
43.Eminent : prominent. He is an eminent doctor.
Imminent : It applies especially to danger or misfortune that
threatens to happen immediately. She was saved from imminent
death.
44.Its =belonging to: Its like a cat chasing its own tail.
It‘s =it is. It’s a long journey.munotes.in
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45.Farther : actual distance or extension in space. It is farther from
Delhi.
Further : additional They discussed the matter further.
46.Fare : price of journey on public transport. =What is the railway
fare from Delhi to Bombay?
Fair : fine or favourable The weather is fair. ; Just. Her dealings
are fair. not dark. As in fair complexioned.
Beautiful [archaic]; transcript free from corrections. As in a fair
copy.
47. Hoard : store. Do not hoard grains in times of war.
Horde : (a wandering tribe). Wandering ho rdes attacked
villagers huts.
48.Honourable : worthy of honour. The Prime Minister was an
honourable man.
Honorary : holding office without receiving any salary. He was
an Honorary Magistrate.
49.Human : relating to man. Human nature cannot stand such
insults.
Humane : sympathetic; tender -hearted. The humane treatment
of prisoners is now advocated by all.
50.Ingenuous : artless; frank; plain. The ingenuous talk of the child
impressed us all.
Ingenious : skilful. He is an ingenious mechanic.
51.Jealous : He is jealous (envious) of my reputation.
Zealous : ardent; enthusiastic. She is a zealous worker in the
cause of Harijan welfare.
52.Industrial : relating to industry. There has been much industrial
development in India.
Industrious : hard -workin g. An industrious man cannot starve.
53.Judicial : applies primarily to judges and formal judgments.
Judicial decision are all in her favour.
Judicious : sensible; prudent. He made a judicious selection of
books.
54.Lovable : worthy of love; inspiring love. She is a woman of
lovable nature .
Lovely : beautiful; charming. The lovable girl plucked a lovely
flower.
55.Legible : capable of being read. She writes in a legible
handwriting.
Eligible : fit to be chosen. He is eligible for the post.munotes.in
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56.Loose : to unfasten. not tightly held. Loose this knot, please.
Loose : morally lax. It was assumed that she is a person of
loose character.
Lose : cease to have. Don‘t lose your purse.
57.Metal : Platinum is a precious metal.
Mettle : spirit; courage. I wi ll put your mettle to the test.
58.Order : command. An order must be obeyed.
Ardour : fervour; zeal. He is full of youthful ardour.
59.Practical : is opposed to theoretical; functional; realistic. Your
scheme does not appeal to practical minds.
Pract icable : that can be done. Her scheme was not
practicable.Space communication has proved to be practicable.
60.Precede : to go before. Study should precede teaching.
Proceed : to continue. Let us proceed with the work.
61.Precedent :previous case tak en as example for subsequent
cases justification. There is no precedent for this.
President : one who presides at a meeting. The President
delivered his speech in Hindi. President= Head of the Country.
62.Principal : chief of the college, important, main . These are the
principal languages of the world. The Principal of the college is
a very strict person.[ A sum of money is also called the principal
as distinguished from the interest.]
Principle : law; rule; maxim. Our Principal is a man of high
principle s.
63.Raise : to lift. She raised her head to see what was happening.
Raze : to completely destroy. The building was razed to the
ground.
64.Refuge : shelter. He took refuge in an old house.
Refuse : (1) worthless stuff. The refuse must be burnt.
(2)not to accept. She will refuse a gift from you.
65.Right : correct. He knows the right use of words. All right with
the world. Might is right. That is a fault that will right itself. It
belongs to him by right. [Legal entitlement]. God defends the
right.
Rite: a religious or solemn ceremony. His funeral rites were
performed yesterday.
66.Route : road; path; course. This was the route taken by the
traveller.
Rout : the defeat of an army. The Germans put the English army
to rout (utterly defeated).munotes.in
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Root : source or origin. Love of money is the root of all evil.
67.Spacious : roomy. This is a spacious house.
Specious : plausible but wrong ; fair or right on the surface.
I do not believe in specious arguments.
68.Stationary : fixed. The Pole Star is stationary in the heavens.
Stationery : writing -materials. He deals in stationery.
69.Sensible : of good sense; reasonable.
i. That is very sensible of him.
ii. No sensible man would abuse a girl.
Sensitive : acutely affected by external impressions. She is very
sensitive to both praise and blame.
70.Sole : only. He is the sole proprietor of the firm.
Soul :spiritual or immaterial part of person. We believe in the
immortality of the soul.
71.Temper : disposition of mind. He is a man of fiery temper .
Tamper : meddle with , make unauthorised changes in. After his
death, they tampered with his will.
72.Tenor : settled or prevailing course or direction. Such was the
peaceful tenor of their life.
73.Tenure : period of holding. During his tenure of of fice, many
strange things happened.
74.Unity : oneness. Work for national unity.
Union : being united. Union is strength, Trade Union.
Unison : harmony. Her voice was in perfect unison with the tune
of the piano.
75.Vain : conceited. She is quite vain about her beauty.
Vein : manner. She said this in a humorous vein.
76.Waive : to forgo voluntarily. I have waived my claims in her
favour.
Wave : The Boat is tossing on the waves.
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III
READING AND WRITING SKILLS
A)Read the paragraph carefully. Imagine that you are reporting
this matter to your friend. Paraphrase the paragraph.
Although B.Ramlinga Raju has sought to take full responsibility for
cooking Satyam‘s accounts, it‘s clear that = Operation Fudging’ at
the company was a complex exercise and was meticulously
planned and executed with precision. There were scores of
meetings with dozens of people to falsify the documents of the
company that was listed on the New Yor k Stock Exchange.
[Times of India, 8/2/2009]
B)Read the following interview between Dr. Jain and a journalist
from NDTV 24 x7 .Frame suitable questions for the answers.
Q1............................................................................... ......................?
Ans1. Dr. Jain: Epilepsy is a condition that is characterised by
seizures, so seizures are an integral part of epilepsy but all
seizures are not due to epilepsy. Having seizures does not
necessarily mean that the person has epileps y, but all people with
epilepsy will have seizures.
Q.2 ...................................................................................................?
Ans2. Dr. Jain: The symptoms are predominantly seizures but
having seizures does not necessarily mean having epilepsy.
Q.3 ...................................................................................................?
Ans 3. Dr. Jain: The most important thing is an eyewitness account
of the seizure. Then you take into account the age of the pe rson,
the circumstances in which the seizure occurred, the number of
seizures and a detailed examination of the patient.
Q4…………………………………………………………………………?
Ans 4. Dr. Jain: Seizures occur because of an abnormal discharge
of an electrical activity from certai n areas of the brain. So
depending upon which area is firing at that time, a seizure would
occur. It is like an electrical storm in the brain. You can have
abnormal thought process, abnormal behaviour, unconsciousness,
jerking of the body or just a sensati on in the body.munotes.in
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Q5…………………………………………………………………………?
Ans 5. Dr. Jain: It is said that anyone who has a brain can develop
epilepsy at anytime during his lifetime. Most people have their first
seizure while they are still in school, so it is a condition that us ually
starts at young age. The other causes that are known to cause fits
include lack of sleep, daily alcohol consumption, and flickering
lights, especially at a particular frequency. Occasionally, especially
in small children, if the blood glucose is low it can lead to fits.
Lastly, high fever at any age can precipitate a fit.
Q6………………………………………………………………………..?
Ans 6. Dr. Jain: Yes, epilepsy is treatable. With drugs almost 60%
to 70% of the patients can have full control of their fits or seizures.
The patie nts respond very well to these drugs. These drugs are
easily available and don‘t cost much.
C) Read the following alert or a warning given by a bank to its e -
customers. Make a gist of the contents.
WHAT IS PHISHING :
Phishing is a modus operandi where in a customer gets an e -
mail that deceptively claims to be from a particular enterprise
(like your Bank) and asking for account sensitive information.
Phishing is a spoofed e -mail that closely resembles the Bank
notices. The mail aims to convince custo mers to divulge
account sensitive information such as Credit Card Numbers,
Passwords and PINs, Bank Account Details etc.
These Phishing mails have a legitimate -looking URL or an
image, which when clicked directs the affected user to the
Phishing site wh ere in the account sensitive details are
captured.
Alternatively, sometimes the customer is asked to download and
install “Security” software attached to the spam e -mail and doing
so by the customer, the scamster can retrieve all the account
related det ails.
Some tips to Identify Phising Mails!
These emails generally ask for sensitive account information
like Usernames, Passwords, Credit Card or Debit Card
Numbers over the email.
The emails may include content, which is bound to make you
react. F or example, the email may have content which would
state, “Please click here to update your Account Information in
order to keep your Bank Account active”. …. Bank will never
send such emails. In such cases, always back check with the
Bank.munotes.in
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PROTECTION FROM PHISHING :
Be wary of e -mail messages that ask for your account sensitive
information such as Customer Id and IPIN details, Card related
details or any other sensitive information in reference to your
account.
Unless the e -mail is digitally signed, you can never be 100%
sure of its source!
Do not click any links inside an e -mail of which you have the
slightest suspicion. Instead use a web browser to reach a
particular web address. (Type http://www.hdfcbank.com) instead
of clicking on the link.
Ensure that any Web site visited is secure when submitting
sensitive information such as Credit Card numbers or using your
NetBanking IPIN.
1.One indication that a Web address is secure is if it starts with
https:// rather than http://.
2.Another indi cation is a padlock icon at the bottom of the screen,
which when clicked, displays a security certificate.
Ensure that your browser requirement is up -to-date for
accessing Net Banking.
Consider installing security software such as those offered by
anti-virus specialists that can help detect virus, filter SPAM
and/or ensure secure Internet Usage (firewalls).
Turn off your computer when not in use, to avoid criminals
gaining access and misusing it for fraudulent purposes, which
includes launching Phi shing attacks.
If you receive any suspicious e -mail or website prompts which
are asking for your private and confidential information in
relation to your account with the Bank, please inform us
immediately. You can forward the mail to us at fake email
@.................. or call the nearest Phone Banking Numbers.
access to it.
D) Complete the following sentences in the following passage by
referring to the original words.
When the Principal discovered that one of the students in the first
year, Alok Na ndan, despite oral warning warnings, had been
playing truant, he summoned him to his office. He looked at the boy
sternly and asked him …… (1). Alok replied that ……… (2). The
principal looked astonished and asked him …………… (3). Alok
explained ……… (4), but that……..(5). The principal asked ……….
(6), and the boy said………..(7). Then the principal enquired
whether………..(8). Alok answered that ……… (9) and addedmunotes.in
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that….(10). The principal thought for a moment and then remarked
that…..(11). He went on to say, however… …. (12).
The original words were :
1)“Why do you bunk? ”
2)“I don‘t know sir.”
3)“What do you mean? ”
4)“I haven‘t any particular reason.”
5)“I don‘t want to study further.”
6)“How old are you, Alok? ”
7)“Eighteen and a half, sir. ”
8)“Do you know wh at you want to do if you leave college?”
9)“I want to become an actor. ”
10)“My parents are willing to let me. ”
11)“Perhaps that is the best thing you can do. ”
12)“I wish I could still persuade you to complete your graduation.”
E. As the sun disappeare d, the darkness of the night enveloped the
world. Yet, the presence of the full moon and the twinkling stars
made the evening beautiful. I was tempted to go out for a ride, and
was about to set out when I heard a footfall on the steps behind
me. I turned r ound to find nobody there.
In about 300 words write what could follow from this introduction.
F. Read the following passage and answer the questions based on
it.
It‘s hard to believe that desktop computers have only been around
for 25 years or so, and t he World Wide Web for even less time that
. But just as the personal computer (PC) changed the way we
organized and accessed information, the cell phone is transforming
the ways in which we can find and use information. In the last
decade, mobile phones ha ve become more than just instruments to
make and receive telephone calls. A new breed of mobiles, called
smart phones, have features that were once exclusive domain of
PCs, such as spreadsheets, e -mail, word processing and Web
browsing. These smart phones carry out our personal information
and provide access to the internet, while increasingly being used to
navigate the real world.
Even in these tough economic times, smart phones have continued
to sell. A recently released study indicates that about 23 per cent ofmunotes.in
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all handset sales in the US during the fourth quarter of 2008 were
of smartphones. This figure is only expected to rise. As the
computing power of these phones increases, the sort of tasks they
will be able perform will also become more complex. A lready,
smartphones are an amalgam of various other devices they are
phones, media players, cameras and even navigation systems.
New software applications have made it possible for such
phones to act as GPS devices. Not only can users view maps on
their phones to figure out where they are, or to find a restaurant or
the nearest petrol station, new software lets people locate other
people. This has privacy implications, sure, but it also has the
potential to change the way people think about their space.
Location -aware phones will let consumers ‘look’ behind buildings
and around the corners to find little shops and cafes they might
otherwise have overlooked.
There are four billion cellphones in use around the world.
India has 280 million of them. The m obile phone market in this
country continues to grow indefinance of global trends. Not all of
these are smartphones -. Indeed, most are not. But as time passes,
the technology will get cheaper. For instance, colour screen
mobiles was high technology just a few years ago, but is now a
standard feature , while more and more phones ship with cameras.
Future generations of smartphones could become the Swiss army
knives of portable electronics. They will be able to handle
everything from communications to our en tertainment needs. And,
just about everyone will have one.
[TOI, Editorial, 25March, 2009]
Read the passage carefully and answer the questions based on it.
Q1. The passage was titled as “World In My Pocket”. Do you think
it‘s a good title? Justify your a nswer.
Q2. What is the passage about?
Q3. How many technological inventions are mentioned in the
passage? In what way have they impacted communication?
Q4. Enlist the uses of smart phones.
Q5. Even in these tough economic times, smart phones have
conti nued to sell‘. What does this show?
Q6. What is the future of smart phones?munotes.in
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IV
Dialogue Writing : A dialogue is basically a conversation between
two or more persons.
Read the following dialogue carefully.
Operator : “Good Morning! …………….. Bank. H ow can I assist
you?”
Mr. Ameya : “Good Morning !. I am…………… I hold an online
trading account with you”.
Operator : “Could you tell me your the Trading Ac Number? Mr.
Ameya : “It is 444433222”
Operator : “Could you tell me your Date of Birth?”
Mr. Ameya : “May 1, 1960”
Operator : “Please tell me your D -mat account number, sir.”
Mr. Ameya : “29999345. ”
Operator : “Thank you sir. You token number is 2345. What can I
do for you?”
Mr. Ameya : “I hold 75 shares of HFC. I want to sell them.”
Operator : “The shar e is currently trading at 250.19 / -sir.”
Mr. Ameya : “Good. I want to sell it.”
Operator : “At market? ”
Mr. Ameya : “Yes . At market. ”
Operator : “I will repeat sir. You wish to sell 75 shares of HFC at
market.”
Mr. Ameya : “That is right. ”
Operator : “Is there any thing else I can do for you sir? ”
Mr. Ameya : “No , Thank you.”
Operator: “Have a good day, sir!”
Tasks :
A. You wish to enquire about the = order a caller tune of your
choice‘ scheme. Write a dialogue between you and your service
provider.
B.Read the following passage carefully and try to reconstruct the
original dialogue which must have taken place between the
newspaper reporter and the survivor of the earthquake:munotes.in
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The reporter asked Mrs. R Swami, one of the surviors of the
earthquake, what had happened? Mrs. Swami replied that she had
just gone to bed at half past eleven when she felt the first tremor.
The bed started to tremble and she noticed the candle -stand,
which hung from the ceiling, was swaying. The reporter asked her
what she did then, and she said that she got out of the bed quickly
and went to look out of the window. As she saw the wall of the
opposite house come crashing down, she realized what was
happening. She grabbed her slippers and rushed down the
staircase alerting her ne ighbours. There was a terrible noise of
constructions giving way and falling into rubble, people screaming,
and clouds of dust in the air. The trembling stopped after full four
minutes. She said what was an exclusive NRI colony looked like a
ghost town.
C) “Mr. Dubash? Good Evening!. I am Amitabh Bacchan calling
from “Kaun Banega Crorepati?”
Imagine a friend of yours is participating in the famous TV show. He
has opted for one of the life lines, “phone a friend ”and asked for
your assistance. The beginning of such a dialogue is given above.
Complete the dialogue between you and the host of the
programme.
D) Write the conversation that is likely to take place between the
Inquiry Officer and a passenger at the railway station. Make use of
different types of q uestions and grammatical constructions.
E)Read the following dialogues and answer the questions below:
A.Shopkeeper: What can I do for you, sir?
Customer: Do you have a pencil box?
Shopkeeper: I have a few.
Customer: What is the price for this one?
Shopkeeper: Rs. 50/ -
Customer pays money.
Shopkeeper: Thank you.
Customer: Thank you.
i)What are the functions of thank you in this dialogue?
ii)What does the use of a few suggest?
iii)What type of questions are asked in this extract? Are they
performing the same function?
iv)Can you call this a communication situation? Explain.munotes.in
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B.Student A: Shall we bunk lectures today?
Student B: Yes, that‘s a very good idea.
C.Student A: Shall we bunk lectures today?
Student B: Yes, provided we sit in the library.
i)Pick out the sentences which express feedback.
ii)State the types of feedback and their functions.
iii)Which grammatical construction is used for expressing
feedback?
iv)Which modal auxiliary is used in the question asked by Stu dent
A? What meaning does it convey?
F)Mr. Sen has just met Mr Patil, the new recruit, who is supposed
to share his cabin. What questions will Mr Sen ask Mr Patil in order
to know him better? Write a dialogue that is likely to take place
between the two.
munotes.in
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V
Speeches : What is a Speech?
A Speech is a public address. The purpose of a speech varies.
It could be to inform, to persuade, or to entertain. It is different from
a presentation in that a presentation is a carefully resear ched view -
point, put forth with the help of visual aids, in order to convince the
audience of a certain proposition.
An executive is expected to deliver impromptu, informal or
formal speeches.
This chapter deals with speech drafting.
There are two aspe cts to speech drafting. 1. The draft —the written
material and 2. It‘s delivery.
A.Look at the following two examples: {Study the drafts.]
Example 1.
*Keep the Spark*
Inaugural Speech for the new batch at the Symbiosis BBA program
2008
Chetan Bhagat -
Good Morning everyone and thank you for giving me this
chance to speak to you. This day is about you. You, who have
come to this college, leaving the comfort of your homes (or in some
cases discomfort), to become something in your life. I am sure you
are excited. There are few days in human life when one is truly
elated. The first day in college is one of them. When you were
getting ready today, you felt a tingling in your stomach. What would
the auditorium be like, what would the teachers be like, who a re my
new classmates -there is so much to be curious about. I call this
excitement, the spark within you that makes you feel truly alive
today. Today I am going to talk about keeping the spark shining. Or
to put it another way, how to be happy most, if n ot all the time. [Ice -
breaker, an introduction of the topic/theme] Where do these sparks
start? I think we are born with them***
I see students like you, and I still see some sparks. But when
I see older people, the spark is difficult to find. That mea ns as we
age, the spark fades. People whose spark has faded too much are
dull, dejected, aimless and bitter. Remember Kareena in the first
half of Jab We Met vs the second half?That is what happens when
the spark is lost. So how to save the spark?munotes.in
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To nu rture, always have goals. It is human nature to strive,
improve and achieve full potential. In fact, that is success. It is what
is possible for *you*. It isn‘t any external measure -a certain cost to
company pay package, a particular car or house.
Most of us are from middle class families. To us, having
material landmarks is success and rightly so. When you have
grown up where money constraints force everyday choices,
financial freedom is a big achievement.
But it isn’t the purpose of life. If that was the case, Mr
Ambani would not show up for work. Shah Rukh Khan would stay
at home and not dance anymore. Steve Jobs won’t be working hard
to make a better iPhone, as he sold Pixar for billions of dollars
already. Why do they do it? What makes them com e to work
everyday?
They do it because it makes them happy. They do it because
it makes them feel alive. Just getting better from current levels feels
good. If you study hard, you can improve your rank. If you make an
effort to interact with people, you will do better in interviews. If you
practice, your cricket will get better. You may also know that you
cannot become Tendulkar, yet. But you can get to the next level.
Striving for that next level is important.
Nature designed with a random set of gen es and
circumstances in which we were born. To be happy, we have to
accept it and make the most of nature‘s design. Are you? Goals will
help you do that.
I must add, don‘t just have career or academic goals. Set
goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word
balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health,
relationships, mental peace are all in good order.
There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your
breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts.
Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.
You must have read some quotes -Life is a tough race, it is
a marathon or whatever. No, from what I have seen so far, life is
one of those races in nursery school. Where you have to run with a
marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no
point coming first. Same with life,where health and relationships are
the marble. Your striving is only worthit if there is harmony in your
life. Else, you may achieve the succe ss, but this spark, this feeling
of being excited and alive, will start to die. One last thing about
nurturing the spark -don’t take life seriously. One of my yoga
teachers used to make students laugh during classes. One studentmunotes.in
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asked him if these jokes w ould take away something from the yoga
practice.The teacher said -*don’t be serious, be sincere*. This
quote has defined my work ever since. Whether its my writing, my
job, my relationships or any of my goals[. I get thousands of
opinions on my writing ev eryday. There is heaps of praise, there is
intense criticism. If I take it all seriously, how will I write? Or rather,
how will I live? Life is not to be taken seriously, as we are really
temporary here. We are like a pre -paid card with limited validity. I f
we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just
2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up? It’s ok,
bunk a few classes, goof up a few interviews, fall in love. We are
people, not programmed devices.
I‘ve told you three thi ngs-reasonable goals, balance and
not taking it too seriously that will nurture the spark. However, there
are four storms in life that will threaten to completely put out the
flame. These must be guarded against. These are disappointment,
frustration, un fairness and loneliness of purpose.
Disappointment will come when your effort does not give you
the expected return. If things don‘t go as planned or if you face
failure. Failure is extremely difficult to handle, but those that do
come out stronger. Wh at did this failure teach me? is the question
you will need to ask. You will feel miserable. You will want to quit,
like I wanted to when nine publishers rejected my first book. Some
IITians kill themselves over low grades –how silly is that? But that
ishow much failure can hurt you.
But it‘s life. If challenges could always be overcome, they
would cease to be a challenge. And remember -if you are failing at
something, that means you are at your limit or potential. And that‘s
where you want to be.
Disappointment‘ s cousin is frustration, the second storm.
Have you ever been frustrated? It happens when things are stuck.
This is especially relevant in India . From traffic jams to getting that
job you deserve, sometimes things take so long that you don ‘t know
if you chose the right goal. After books, I set the goal of writing for
Bollywood, as I thought they needed writers. I am called extremely
lucky, but it took me five years to get close to a release.
Frustration saps excitement, and turns your i nitial energy
into something negative, making you a bitter person. How did I deal
with it? A realistic assessment of the time involved –movies take a
long time to make even though they are watched quickly, seeking a
certain enjoyment in the process rather than the end result –at
least I was learning how to write scripts , having a side plan –I had
my third book to write and even something as simple as
pleasurable distractions in your life -friends, food, travel can helpmunotes.in
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you overcome it. Remember, nothin g is to be taken seriously.
Frustration is a sign somewhere, you took it too seriously.
Unfairness -this is hardest to deal with, but unfortunately
that is how our country works. People with connections, rich dads,
beautiful faces, pedigree find it eas ier to make it –not just in
Bollywood, but everywhere. And sometimes it is just plain luck.
There are so few opportunities in India , so many stars need to be
aligned for you to make it happen. Merit and hard work is not
always linked to achievement in th e short term, but the long term
correlation is high, and ultimately things do work out. But realize,
there will be some people luckier than you. In fact, to have an
opportunity to go to college and understand this speech in English
means you are pretty dar n lucky by Indian standards. Let‘s be
grateful for what we have and get the strength to accept what we
don‘t. I have so much love from my readers that other writers
cannot even imagine it. However, I don‘t get literary praise. It‘s ok. I
don‘t look like Ai shwarya Rai, but I have two boys who I think are
more beautiful than her. It‘s ok. Don‘t let unfairness kill your spark.
Finally, the last point that can kill your spark is isolation. As
you grow older you will realize you are unique. When you are littl e,
all kids want Ice cream and Spiderman. As you grow older to
college, you still are a lot like your friends. But ten years later and
you realize you are unique. What you want, what you believe in,
what makes you feel, may be different from even the peopl e closest
to you. This can create conflict as your goals may not match with
others. . And you may drop some of them. Basketball captains in
college invariably stop playing basketball by the time they have
their second child. They give up something that mea nt so much to
them. They do it for their family. But in doing that, the spark dies.
Never, ever make that compromise. Love yourself first, and then
others.
There you go. I‘ve told you the four thunderstorms -
disappointment, frustration, unfairness and isolation. You cannot
avoid them, as like the monsoon they will come into your life at
regular intervals. You just need to keep the raincoat handy to not let
the spark die.
I welcome you again to the most wonderful years of your life.
If someone gave me the choice to go back in time, I will surely
choose college. But I also hope that ten years later as well, you
eyes will shine the same way as they do today. That you will Keep
the Spark alive, not only through college, but through the next
2,500 weeken ds. And I hope not just you, but my whole country will
keep that spark alive, as we really need it now more than any
moment in history. And there is something cool about saying -I
come from the land of a billion sparks.munotes.in
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A speech has a beginning that con nects with the audience,
and sets the tone for the view point the speaker is going to put
across. It has a middle , where the speaker elaborates on his
premises, thoughts . It‘s a kind of justification that he puts forth with
the help of examples, anecdote s, illustrations. He concludes the
speech by summarizing his key arguments.
Example 2.
An open letter from Shailesh Gandhi permalink
Noted activist Shailesh Gandhi was awarded the Nani Palkhiwala
Memorial Award on Friday at Mumbai. Here is a reprodu ction of a
public email form Shailesh Gandhi found in a Yahoo group, in
connection with the said event.
From: Shailesh Gandhi
Date : Jan 12, 2008 2:07 AM
Subject: Acceptance
To: Citizens of India
Fellow Citizens of India,
It is indeed a great privilige and honour to receive this award
instituted in the memory of Shri Nani Palkhiwala. He towered above
most of us by his intellectual prowess, and insistence on adhering
to values and the truth at all times. The hallmark of this man was
that he followed his c onscience with an outstandingly honest
commitment to logic and facts. I feel humble in receiving this award
instituted in his memory. It is also a privilige to have been selected
by an Institution and a jury of great repute. I am conscious that this
award is really more a recognition for the revolution of Right to
Information, -than for me. RTI has swept across the Nation gaining
strength by Citizen participation and activism.
The first campaign for Right to Information was started in
1990 in rural Rajas than by MKSS, -led by Aruna Roy, Nikhil Dey
and Shankar Singh. Across the country many people have been
championing the cause of transparency and for codification of this
fundamental right of Citizens. To name a few; -H.D. Shourie, Ajit
Bhatacharjee, Prabh ash Joshi, Jean Dreze, Maja Daruwala,
Prashant Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal, Prakash Kardaley and Shekhar
Singh were amongst the many who have over the years agitated
and lobbied for a good Right To Information Act. In Maharashtra we
owe a great debt to Shri A nna Hazare not only for getting a good
State Act, but also for spreading it as a Public movement, and
continuously ensuring that the Government takes steps to improve
its implementation.munotes.in
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Lokmanya Tilak‘s epic call still rings in our years —“Swaraj
ha m aza janmasiddh hakk ahe, ani to me milawnarch ‖. We have a
reasonable system of elections. Citizens are able to change their
elected representatives, but the Swaraj we dreamt of, never came.
What we have is an elective democracy, not a participatory
democracy. This is because we have missed the essence of
Lokshahi -which means Logonki Shahenshahi. The essence of
democracy is that the individual Citizen is a sovereign in her own
right, and she gives up part of the sovereignty to the State, in return
for wh ich she gets the rule of law. This respect for YOU, -the
sovereign Citizen of India, and for the rule of law has been missed
completely. Our Institutions have become playgrounds of the
powerful, where the individual is helpless. If a Citizen approaches
an elected representative, he may or may not get a hearing in 24
hours; if she writes to a Public servant she may or may not get an
answer in 12 days; and if she approaches the Courts a BMW will
metamorphose into a truck and the final decision will probably be
obtained after a decade. The individual Citizen instead of being
respected has become the bechara. If Tilak were here today he
would have again said, “Swaraj ha maza janmasiddh hakk ahe, ani
to me milawnarch”, karan Swaraj keva aalach nahi. 15th August,
1947 only saw a transfer of Raj from the whites to the browns.
While we see a soaring sensex, a double digit growth of
GDP and malls, and a growing number of billionaires, over 70% of
my countrymen live on less than Rs.20 per day, and more than
45% of ou r children suffer from malnutrition. These Citizens of India
bow with servility before the Public servant, prostrate themselves
before their arrogant elected representatives and do not even dare
to approach the judiciary. Investigations of criminal complai nts in
Slum Rehabilitation Authority matters have been stalled and the
Criminal Procedure Code suspended by the Maharashtra
Government, despite High Court orders. The Court waits for Godot,
while the underworld has now taken over these matters. If the
Comm on Citizen challenges the powerful criminals in Court, he
might end up sacrificing decades of his lifetime for this folly. Six
decades after Independence, India is seeing a reincarnation of the
Princes and Zamindars in their new Avtars; -as monopolists and
SEZ owners who actually dictate policy and implementation. The
State provides the lathaits and the armies for these. The
Government itself admits that around 25% of India‘s districts have
chronic and endemic violence. Dr. Binayak Sen, has been locked
up w ithout any crime and with the knowledge of the highest court in
the land.
Many others suffer across the Nation and they do not even
weigh on our conscience —since they are invisibles —the ‘̳Le
Miserables‘ who will perhaps someday have to threaten our growth,munotes.in
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progress and peace with violence to get their just dues. In 1982 Mr.
Palkhiwala had described the plight of the Citizen in this verse:” His
speech is of mortgaged bedding, On his vine he borrows yet, At his
heart is his daughter‘s wedding, In his eye foreknowledge of debt.
He eats and hath indigestion, He toils and he may not stop; His Life
is a long -drawn question Between a crop and a crop.”
After a quarter century, i feel it could ha ve been written
yesterday.
Most institutions have failed India since they have become
the domains of the powerful. Brazenly they have appropriated what
belongs to the people, -lands, money and power. In this grim
scenario there are two possibilities; -either a movement towards
violent solutions by the disempowered, or a campaign for greater
accountability and empowerment by Individual Citizens to monitor
the Government and implement the laws. The contract is between
each individual sovereign with the State. Right To Information
provides an avenue for the Common Citizen to question his
Government, get accountability, find out about policy
implementation, expose corruption and get respect for the majesty
of the Indian Citizen. The elegant law provides an inexpensive,
timebound and simple instrument to Citizens, which can be used by
them from their own house with an input of less than an hour and
around 50 rupees.
Individual citizens have used RTI to curb corruption in the
issue of ration cards, Incomet ax refunds, pensions and so on. A
RTI application made the Government install jammers to stop the
use of mobile phones by its inmates in Arthur road prison, while
another forced a rapist cop to be dismissed. RTI reveals that 550
lessees in Mumbai illegally occupy 1200 acres of lands as illegal
occupiers, though their leases have expired. This is done with the
connivance of the Government. We the People lose over 8000
crores annually in Mumbai alone on this count. Privatisation of
water supply was stopped in Delhi. A RTI query to JJ School of Arts
made them realize the priceless paintings they were holding! Thus
there are many varying and different ways in which Citizens are
using RTI to monitor government performance, support the honest
Public servants, curb corruption and get proof of laws being broken.
Most importantly the individual Citizen -the Sovereign of India, -is
feeling empowered and is beginning to impact on the Governance
of the Country. He is seeing the possibility of getting the Swaraj
which esca ped her 60 years back. RTI is growing without any one
organization or National leadership guiding or dictating it, -in short
without any hierarchy. This is truly a Citizen empowerment
revolution which is sweeping across the Country, awakening the
common Ci tizen.munotes.in
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As I stand here, I would like to acknowledge my deep
gratitude to the many well wishers, friends and my family who have
given me immense love and warmth. My special thanks to my
parents, -who are no more, -my daughter and son -in-law Ayesha
and Ome sh, and my wife Bharti who have supported me
consistently in pursuing my convictions.
All of us individually share this historic opportunity to be the
agent for the change we desire. Right to Information is helping to
uncover the facts, the reality whic h exists in our Public Authorities.
It is indeed a search and quest for transparency and truth. Sixty
years back Satya helped us to rid the Country of our white masters,
now RTI will help us to attain the Swaraj we missed. It is critical that
we the People defend and nurture this Right for the next few years.
The authority and the responsibility vest with you and me, -the
Sovereign Citizens of India. I accept this award on behalf of the
Common Citizen of this Nation, who is now empowered with his
Right to In formation to change the Governance of the Country.
Shailesh Gandhi
Love
shailesh
All my emails are in Public Domain.
Defeat is not final when you fall down. It is final when you refuse to
get up.
This is the acceptance of award speech sent via an E –mail.
This draft has a beginning that speaks of the renowned
lawyer, the late Nani Palkhiwala , and the writer‘s expression of
gratitude for being selected for such an honour.
It then connects to the main theme –the reason for
conferring the award —his endeavour to make the RTI act available
to the common man, as a weapon against exploitation. He sums up
the speech reiterating the theme of empowerment of the common
man.
B. Drafting of Speech :
I.An executive will be expected to give formal and infor mal, pre -
planned and impromptu speeches. One must begin by making a
plan for the speech.
I.Beginning :
A speech must have a beginning. A most common strategy is to
underline the theme -munotes.in
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a)We are gathered here to celebrate……..
b)I welcome you to th e inauguration of …….
c)We are happy to announce the launch of ………
d)It gives me a pleasure to welcome our chief guest ……. who
has won the prestigious award.
e)We have gathered here to condole the tragic demise of/ to
mourn the sad passing away of ……………
II. The Middle : This will elaborate the main idea. For instance –
a)I have known Mr……. for the last twenty years. I remember our
first meeting, an accidental one……… What struck me was his
simplicity, forthright attitude…….,
b)Our product come into being, notionally, two years ago when
Mr…… suggested that …………
c)Our guest Mr. …….. has been chosen rightly for the award. His
massive body of works includes……………
III. End: This must connect to the main theme or restate the main
idea, giving the speech a complete wholeness.
a)We pray for her soul……. May God give the strength to
face…… She will always be remembered…
b)We tell Mr. …. that we look forward to ……….. He has made us
proud.
II. Delivery : A speech is about connecting with the audi ence.
Hence the manner of delivery becomes very important. A speaker
must train himself to speak audibly, clearly and with conviction.
He must use his body language appropriately. He must look
relaxed, stand upright and establish eye -contact with the a udience.
The speaker, at initial stages, may rehearse his speech. But it
should not look as if he is parroting the lines. Use of voice
modulations, pauses is a must.
A speaker can evolve himself into a good orator if he brings
in a dramatic element an d perform like a consummate actor, who
gives a natural, effortless performance.
C.Routine Events and Drafting of Speeches :
1. Welcome and Introduction: In a welcome speech speaker
welcomes the guest and gives information about him to the
audience. He then highlights the achievements of the organization
and introduces the organization to the speaker.
The speech begins with an expression of welcome to the
chief guest, other guests and the audience .This is followed by an
introduction of the chief gue st, which is prepared from the bio -data
of the guest. The introduction is partly biographical and partly
highlights those qualities of the guest that the audience will findmunotes.in
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interesting. This is followed by a short history or report of the
organisation‘s ac hievements. The mention of the occasion, its
importance too will be a part of introductory speech.
2. Inaugural Speech : Inaugural marks the start of an activity. The
guest begins his speech by commenting on the occasion —e.g:
Opening of a hospital, Open ing of a book exhibition —. After few
opening remarks the speaker can highlight social relevance of the
activity.
3. Vote of Thanks : This speech comes at the end of the function
and it is an expression of gratefulness towards the speaker as well
as the a udience. The speaker should make a list of all the people
he must thank. He must summarise the guest‘s remarks. He must
acknowledge everyone who has contributed to the success of the
programme.
4. Farewell / Send off : A farewell or send off speech is gi ven
when a person retires, resigns from the organization. It is an
emotional occasion. The speaker must summarise the career
graph/ achievements of the colleague who is leaving the
organization and combine it with speaker‘s personal experience of
the colle ague as a person. This means combining of speaker‘s
experience of the colleague as a co -worker and as a person. The
speech ends with good wishes for health, achievements,
happiness, contentment, further achievement of the colleague.
5. Condolence : The t one and content of this speech should to be
solemn. Opening sentences mention the cause and circumstances
of death. This is followed by a brief life sketch of the person -
highlighting his/her contribution to organization/ society. This has to
be combined with the speaker‘s personal memory or experience
that highlights the qualities of the departed person. The speech
ends with an expression of a sense of grief and loss. It could end in
a prayer for the departed soul or with an expression of support for
family.
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VI
BOOK REVIEW
I. Book Review :
There are two approaches to book reviewing: the descriptive
and the critical. A descriptive review is one in which the writer gives
the essential information about a book in an objective manner. He
does so by summarizing the theme, by describing the narrative
technique used by author, by stating the perceived aims and
purposes of the author, and by quoting striking passages from the
text. A critical review is one in which the writer evaluates the book,
in terms of accepted literary and historical standards, and
substantiates this evaluation with evidence from the text.
This chapter focuses on the drafting of a simple, descriptive
and analytical review of a book.
Here are some of the tips :
1.Summarise the theme or main topic at the beginning of the book
so that the reader gets a fair idea what the book is about.
2.What aspects of the genre does it use? Is it a mystery,
romance, travelogue, autobiography?
3.What aspects of the book you like-theme, narrative,
characterization, style? What is the author‘s/narrator‘s -voice‖
like?
4.Substantiate your arguments with short quotes from the book to
illustrate your points.
5.Your review should explain not only what the book is about but
also your response to it. A good review should express the
reviewer‘s opinion. It should also influence the reader.
6.Research on the biographical information of the author can help
you not only to formulate your opinion but to give you that
additional edge.
“Remember, a book is a product of an author‘s mind, and
therefore it may be help ful to know something about the author
and how she or he came to write the book. For instance, a little
research will reveal the following about author Harper Lee:
To Kill a Mockingbird, which won the Pulitzer Prize, is the
only book she‘s ever publishe d.
The town she called Maycomb is really Monroeville,
Alabama. Many of the residents thought the author had
betrayed them by writing the book.munotes.in
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Some people think she based the character Dill on Truman
Capote, a famous writer, was her childhood friend. ”
[Rodman Philbrick, www.teacher.scholastic.com]
There is, of course, no set formula, but a general rule of
thumb is that the first one -half to two -thirds of the review should
summarize the author‘s main ideas and at least one -third should
evaluate t he book.
Example: Where have All the Leaders Gone? By Lee Iacocca with
Catherine Whiteney. 2008.Scribbner. Pages 288.
Lee Iacocca‘s latest stricture on the political leader or the
absence of one, could not have come at a better time. / come at a
more opportune time -it was published in April,2008, before a
disillusioned , disheartened America went to polls in November
2009. Iaccoca, at 82, considers it his patriotic duty, to raise his
voice to wake up fellow Americans. He wants to arrest America‘s
fall from its super power status into the abyss of ignominy. By
raising his solitary, grandfatherly voice, he wants to shake America
out of its complacency.
When told by his friends to ‘leave the rage to young people’
Iaccoca tells them that he would lov e to leave the job to youngsters,
= as soon as I can pry them away from their iPods for five seconds
and get them to pay attention‘. He holds these mindless voters and
the non -voters responsible for putting the wrong people in office,
whose wrong decisions cause pote ntial damage to a country and its
people.
He holds the incompetent Bush administration responsible
for all the mess —political, social and economic –the country finds
itself in. He brings in his experience from the field of management
to define the qua lities—9 Cs of a good leader. These are –
Curiosity, Creativity, Communication Skills, Character, Courage,
Conviction, Charisma and Common Sense. He feels it is important
that voters look for these qualities in the candidate, who they are
going to entrust with country‘s top job.To Iacocca, a leader is not
born but made and that the leadership is forged in times of crisis.
Though the book bemoans the absence of good leadership
in America, Iacocca exhorts fellow Americans to make a choice
between silentl y accepting what the incompetent political class has
done to them or to do something about it. He is asking them to
choose the latter. He is a doer and believes that a turnaround was
possible when he headed Chrysler. Similarly, a turnaround for
America is possible too, if right people are chosen to make
decisions for it.munotes.in
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Written in a conversational style and colloquial idiom, this
book is straight from the heart. A must -read for all Indians, who go
to polls in April 2009 and who vented similar anger towa rds the
selfserving political class, post 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
munotes.in
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VII
DRAFTING A REPRESENTATION
A representation is a complaint, oral or written, or a polite
protest made to an authority by an individual or a body of
individuals, who have a common interest. Example: A
represent ation of Residents’ Association to the Muncipal Ward
officer, about the piling up of garbage and its hazardous effects on
health. While a representation is similar to a complaint, its scope is
much wider. It is made for a common cause and the complainants
may suggest a course of action and persuade the authorities to
follow it.
A representation should be divided into two parts :
1.First part is devoted to put across the case in point.
2.Second part should give possible solutions/ suggestions to
overcom e a problem or a crisis.
Bo-Commuters‘ Association.
January1, 2009.
Example :
Hon‘ble Mr……………
Minister for Railways
Government of India.
Dear Sir,
We the members of the Bo -Commuters‘ Association, wish to draw
your urgent attention to the problems face d by commuters
commuting between Borivali and Churchgate.
1. At the outset, let us put on record our appreciation for the efforts
made by Metropolitan Railway authorities, to successfully expand
the services in order to accommodate the growing number of
commuters, by adding two additional platforms –no 7 and 8 to the
existing ones.
The authorities, however, at the same time, by allocating platform 1
for Virar -bound trains and platform 3 for Virar –Churchgate fast
trains, have done away with all the gains , the commuters from
Borivali may have benefited with.
2. To catch a train from platform numbers 7 and 8 commuters end
up walking for additional 10 to 15 minutes, as these platforms are at
a distance from the main platforms. There are no exit/ entrance
points. Reaching these platforms, as it is, is a quite trying exercise.munotes.in
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But it becomes a nightmarish experience, when the trains get
rescheduled to leave from these platforms and commuters have to
navigate their way through the crowds. This, unfortunately is
becoming a routine happening, which is putting additional stress on
regular travelers.
3. you are well aware that it is next to impossible to board any
Virar –Churchgate train during peak hours. And hence regular
commuters are left stranded.
Thus, though a majority of trains start from Borivali, the commuters
are greatly inconvenienced under this new scheme of things.
We, therefore, request the following :
1. Let platform number 1 and 2 be restored back to commuters
from Borivali. Platform number 3 coul d be used for Virar bound
trains.
2. There should be no last minute announcements cancelling trains
from the regular platforms and their rescheduling on 7 and 8, as it is
near impossible to make the distance in two to three minutes.
We request your urgent attention to these problems, as your
ignoring these woes could escalate into a full -fledged crisis.
Yours faithfully,
Bo-Commuters Association
Tasks:
1.Write citizens’ representations for the following :
a) Increasing levels of noise pollution
b)Congestion on roads
c) Ragging in professional colleges.
munotes.in
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VIII
PRECIS WRITING
Introduction:
The word =précis‘ is derived from French and means ‘exact’ or
‘concise’. It has been defined variously by different people but
generally stands for a short, precise restatement of the important
ideas and po ints made in a given text. There is no standard set as
to the length of the summary written down; the generally accepted
length is one -third of the original passage. However, it is essential
to keep in mind that the précis is not simply a list of the main points
of the original passage or a mere paraphrase. It should read like a
piece of continuous writing, with a sequential arrangement of ideas
expressed it and a good use of relevant vocabulary. Comments,
explanations, elaborations, criticisms, personal op inions of the
writer of the précis must be avoided at all costs.
The précis tests the talent of the writer in his/her ability to
grasp the basic points/ main ideas of the passage and the ability to
reproduce the main points in his/her own style of writ ing without
drifting away from the basic premise of the original author. The skill
of précis writing is considered highly important for this reason
alone. The skill of précis writing is helpful in summarising excessive
information, lengthy reports, article s and books, multiple data sets,
etc. to isolate the fundamental ideas which are of significance
without missing any points. A good précis should be clear, concise
and complete in all respects.
Points to keep in mind while writing a Précis:
I]Read the p assage carefully:
Read the passage first skimming for details.
Re-read the passage the second time and underline the
main ideas/points/phrases/words, etc.
Jot down the essential points and ignore the rest.
II]Preparing the first draft:
Write out the fir st draft based on the key points that have
been underlined/ jotted down.
Compare the draft with the original passage to check for any
omissions, deletions, additions, irrelevancies, etc.
Words/ Phrases from the passage can be used, but it is a
better idea to use one‘s own vocabulary as it will help in
reducing the length of the passage.
It is a good idea to check the length of the passage here. If it
exceeds the limit, unnecessary words, phrases may be
deleted or sentences rewritten to bring the passage to
approximately one -third of the original passage.munotes.in
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III]Preparing the second draft:
Rewrite the first draft so as to form coherent sentences and
a logical piece of writing.
Express all the points in a generalised form.
Avoid examples, illustrations, literar y flourishes used by the
author.
Retain conciseness and eliminate repetition or irrelevant
details.
Read the draft once again focussing this time on spelling
and punctuation. Look out for grammatical errors.
Compare with the original passage to ensure that it covers
all the points mentioned in the original and emphasises the
same points.
Check for clarity, conciseness and completeness.
IV] Writing the Précis:
Write out the second draft neatly without any errors.
If required, mention within brackets the num ber of words
used in the précis at the bottom right -hand corner of the
précis.
Write ‘Rough’ above the first two drafts or strike them out.
The technique of writing a précis is handy not just for the
office executive but also for a student in essay writ ing, note -taking,
researching papers and writing answers to text -based questions.
The technique though simple is not easy to master and requires
practice. It requires a better grasp of vocabulary and the ability to
substitute a word/phrase for a group of w ords without altering the
meaning of the sentence.
Here are a few examples to help you understand the
technique of précis writing:
Example 1:
Human rights are rights held by individuals simply because
they are a part of the human species. They are ri ghts equally
shared by everyone regardless of sex, race, nationality and
economic background. They are universal in content. Across the
centuries, conflicting political traditions have elaborated different
components of human rights or differed over which elements had
priority. In our day, the manifold meanings of human rights reflect
the process of historical continuity and change that helped shape
their present substance and helped form the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights adopted by the General Asse mbly of the United
Nations in 1948.
(101 words)
Let us now use the above mentioned method to draft a good
précis:munotes.in
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First of all, let us underline the key words, phrases as we read:
Human rights are rights held by individuals simply because
they are a part of the human species. They are rights equally
shared by everyone regardless of sex, race, nationality and
economic background. They are universal in content. Across the
centuries, conflicting political traditions have elaborated different
components o f human rights or differed over which elements had
priority. In our day, the manifold meanings of human rights reflect
the process of historical continuity and change that helped shape
their present substance and helped form the Universal Declaration
of Hu man Rights adopted by the General Assembly of the United
Nations in 1948.
What are the main points in the passage? Let us jot them
down, as far as possible, in our own words:
i)Human rights are given to individuals because they are human
beings.
ii)They are universal and available to all.
iii)They have been defined differently by different groups through
history.
iv)These different meanings are reflected in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations.
Now, let us put toget her the points in a coherent and
continuous form. The précis will read as follows:
Human rights are universal and available to all human
beings. The different meanings attributed to the concept by several
groups through history are reflected in the Univ ersal Declaration of
Human Rights of the United Nations.
(35 words)
Example 2:
Accounting is the language of business. Corporations need
to communicate their results to the world. Their audience includes
employees, investors, creditors, customers, suppl iers and
communities. Within the company, accounting information provides
a means to control, evaluate and plan operations. Whatever the
audience or function, accounting is numbers. Accountants “count
the beans” so that business activity can be recorded, s ummarized
and analysed. Accountants have been around from the beginning
of time and professors don‘t let you forget it. In biblical times the
accountants kept track of how much grain was stored in the
community‘s silos. How do you think King Solomon knew t hat there
was only a thirty -day supply of grain during a drought? It was from
the accountants. Throughout the ages accountants have kept track
with their fingers, abacuses and calculators. In modern timesmunotes.in
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accounting has gone beyond the physical count of gr ain in storage
to complex accounting activities.
(148 words)
You can underline the key points of the passage as you read
it. Let us move on to jotting down the main points:
i)Accounting is needed to communicate company results to the
world.
ii)Internally, accounting is essential for planning and control.
iii)Accounting is a numerical method of summarising and
analysing business.
iv)Accounting in different forms has been around since the times
of King Solomon.
v)Today, accounting has become a h ighly complex activity.
Now, let us put together the points in a coherent and
continuous form. The précis will read as follows:
Accounting is a numerical method of summarising and
analysing business. It is required internally, for planning and contro l
and externally, to communicate company results to the world.
Accounting in simple forms has been around for ages though today
it has become a complex business activity.
(45 words)
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IX
PUNCTUATION
Punctuation is the system of symbols (. , ; ! ? : etc) that is used to
separate sentences and parts of sentences, in order to make their
meaning clear. Each symbol is called a “punctuation mark”. There
are in all 14 punc tuation marks in English.
I. Sentence Endings [(.),(?),(!)]
Three punctuation marks are appropriate for use as sentence
endings. They are the period or full stop(.), question mark(?), and
exclamation mark(!).
1) The period or (.) Full Stop is placed at the end of declarative
sentences .
For example:
Let us understand the punctuation marks.
• After an abbreviation: a.m., A.D., B.C.
2) Use a question mark (?) to indicate a direct question or an
interrogative sentence.
For example:
How is the minister n ow?
3)The exclamation point/mark (!) is used when a person wants to
express an intense
emotion or add emphasis.
Within dialogue: “What a lovely idea!”
To emphasize a point:
It is so shameful!
II The Comma (,), Semicolon (;) and Colon (:)
The com ma, semicolon and colon are used to indicate a pause in a
series.
1) The comma (,) is used to indicate a separation of ideas or
elements within the structure of a sentence.
a)i)Separation of elements within sentences:
Students were provided with pens, pencils, boxes and
water bottles.
ii)Separation of phrases within sentences:
The police charged down the street, turned into a small
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b)Separation of clause within sentences :
Since it was raining heavily, he waited at the busstop,
jumped into the first bus that came along, only to find that it
was the wrong bus.
c)It is used in letter writing after the salutation and closing.
Letter Salutations: Dear Sir,
Yours sincerely,
d)Separation of two complete sentences:
We went to the sale , and we went to the restaurant.
2)a)The semicolon (;) is used to connect independent clauses
that indicate a closer relationship between the clauses than
a period does.
For example:
He was hurt; her words further ad ded insult to injury.
b)To separate elements in a list when the elements
themselves contain commas. Fill up the form; attach
photocopies of the mark -lists, two passport size
photographs; submit these to the office.
3)A colon (:) is used -
a)before a word introducing a quotation,
He said : “Hey Ram!”
b)while citing an explanation, an example, or a series
Following members were present :
There are three kinds of oil: vegetable, animal and mineral.
c)within time expressions , to separate the hour and minute:
For example:12 : 15 p.m.
III.The Dash[ -] and the Hyphen [ -]
1)A hyphen ( -) Use a hyphen between the parts of a compound
word to join up two words .
a) Between a compound name:
b) Within a compound word: back -to–back, sis ter-in-law
2)A dash( -) is used
a)To mark a pause before an explanation
The green houses gases –CO2,methene
b)To show a range
Dr………………..,1920 -95munotes.in
158
c)To enclose a parenthesis
If we can speculate in the volatile –potentially fluctuating –
market
d)To sum up the elements preceding Ritha, Amala, Heena –all
the Indian herbs are mixed together.
IV.Brackets, Braces, and Parentheses
Brackets, braces, and parentheses are symbols used to
contain words that are a further explanation or are co nsidered a
group.
Parentheses () are curved notations used to give additional or
qualifying information. Parentheses can be replaced by commas
without changing the meaning in most cases.
For example: The heart specialist (Dr.Panda) was specially flown
in.
Square brackets ([]) are used for technical explanations or while
inserting words which are not a part of the original quote.
Braces ({}) are used to contain two or more lines of text or listed
items to show that they are considered as a unit.
V.Apostrophe( =), Quotation Marks(== ‖), and Ellipses(...)
The final three punctuation forms in English grammar are the
apostrophe, quotation marks, and ellipses.
1)An apostrophe ( =) is used to used to indicate
a) the omission of a letter or letters from a word : It‘s [It is]
b) the possessive case : Martyr‘s Day
2)The quotations marks ( ―‖) are the punctuation marks that
are used primarily to mark the beginning and end of a passage
attributed to another and repeated word for word.
a) “A thing of beau ty is a joy forever...”
b)Single quote marks( =) are used most frequently for quotes
within quotes.
“It is rightly said,‘ Teach a man , you teach a person. Teach
a woman, you teach a family.”
3)The ellipses is generally represented by three periods ( . . . ),
and occasionally with three asterisks (***). They indicate an
omission, especially of letters or words. Ellipses are frequentlymunotes.in
159
used within quotations to jump from one phrase to another,
omitting unnecessary words that do not interfere with the
meaning.
You were never really caught in a traffic jam. You are the
traffic jam [Lead India Campaign -TOI]
Example :
…A recent report by the IT industry trade group, Nasscomm,
made a startling declaration -only one in four engineering graduates
in Indi a are employable, a conclusion that was based on a thorough
assessment of their tech skills, fluency in English, inclination
towards teamwork, and presentation skills. What‘s more, the study
is not an isolated aberration…. Dr.APJ Abdul Kalam , asserted tha t
only 25 per cent of graduating students were employable, and that
students were lacking in areas such as technical knowledge,
English proficiency and critical thinking…. [ Education Times, TOI,
Feb 21, 2008]
Task : Punctuate the following paragraph.
…And yet it‘s not a fair deal
Just look at what we get in return How many of our candidates are
truly morally qualified to decide the way we live Honestly with a
past as dubious as some of theirs there can only be one loser at
polls Us…
[Lead India =09]
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