Ideas for Group Tasks

Paper clips -
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paper_Clips_Project (just for background info)
http://www.xrysostom.com/paperclip.html (101 uses)
http://www.angelfire.com/az/canuskank/101.html (101 uses for safety pins)

Trash to craft
http://familycrafts.about.com/od/craftsbyproduct/a/trashcrafts.htm
http://www.betterbudgeting.com/articles/frugal/trashcrafts.htm

Visit Exhibitions and Fests -
For eg., at Kala Ghoda fest there was a stall selling decorative products made of empty cans, was the sheer use of Bisleri cans being cut into flowers and leaves and painted or stuck with transparent colored paper to make.
using a bisleri bottle with its bottom cut out is a popular funnel device commonly seen.
CDs as canvases for paintings or strung together as chimes are other innovations.

More later.

Questions - part 1

1) Founder of Wikipedia? - Jimmy Wales (Wikipedia is a non -profit org with just 22 employees)
2) Who is Richard Stallman? - founder of the free software movement associated with the development of the GNU/LINUX platform
3) Highest cricket ground in the world?
4) Paraolympics began in the year?
5) India hosted the Asian games in the years?
6) Number of Olympic medals won by India? (gold and others)
7) Number of world cups won by India?
8) Man Booker winner announced in 2008 went to?
9) Parzania directed by?
10) How many amendments does out constitution have?
11) SAIL - full form? their tag line is ?
12) Intel chips - which Indian is associated with it?
13) A search engine made its way to the Oxford dictionary in 2006 - the name is?
14) Founders of the above?
15) Ajay Devgan has won how many national film awards?
16) The Calcutta Chromosome is written by?
17) The emerald Isle is also known as ?
18) Analog use of Cell phones began in the year?
19) GSM/CDMA/ TDMA are all digital systems used in cellulars - this system was developed in the year? In the place?
20) North Korea allows the use of cellurars?
21) George Sweigert + June 10th 1969 - Relevance?
22) Siemens' HQ in ?
23) Nokia HQ in?

TYC online allows you to download question and answer banks once you register for free.
Business Quiz from SCRIBD
http://www.scribd.com/doc/2240962/Business-quiz-MBA-1
Another Quiz from MSU Baroda
www.msubaroda.ac.in/management/upload/BUSINESS_QUIZ_FINAL.doc

GK Links

Noble Prize
Categories
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize
Winners (Especially note the 2008 winners)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ig_Nobel_Prize_winners
List of Winners - Country wise (Note Indian Winners)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nobel_laureates_by_country

Olympics Winners + Places
Places where Olympics have been held
http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/index_uk.asp
Overall Medal Winners - Countries
http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/95A/GL0000000.shtml
Multiple Medal Winners
http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/INF/GL/99/GL0000000.shtml
Medal Winners in Individual Sports and Records
http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/REC/index.shtml

Pulitzer Prize
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulitzer_Prize

India + Amazing Facts
http://www.indianchild.com/amazing_facts_of_India.htm

Links

Old Site on India Firsts:
http://www.culturopedia.com/first_in_india_misc.html
Technological Aspects + Computer History
http://tdi.uregina.ca/~complit/comphist.htm
India + Geography
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_India
India + Overall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India

India Facts

Overview India Facts
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/print/in.html
http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/india.htm
States and UTs
http://www.nationsonline.org/oneworld/countries_india.htm

Top 10 software companies
http://www.rediff.com/money/2008/jul/17sd1.htm

The Best Airports and Airlines in India
http://goindia.about.com/od/air/tp/apaiawards.htm
About APAI -
http://www.air-passenger.com/

India's Top Industries
http://www.india-news.in/india-business/top-companies-in-india.php

Overview of FMCG
http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Overview-Fmcg-Sector/157119 (2006)
FMCG + Budget 2008 and the past ones
http://www.rediff.com/money/2008/feb/21budget14.htm
Top players in the FMCG sector
http://www.naukrihub.com/india/fmcg/top-companies/

Electricity
http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=141134

Metals
http://seekingalpha.com/article/100687-key-indian-metal-stocks-public-vs-private-sector-performance - Overview stocks

Response to Queries

If you know the names of the directors of important organisations, national and international the projects they are involved with.
The immediate preceding position held by the directors also crucial.

Similarly, know the names of the Ministers of various ministries of the Govt of India and the states they hail from and the other positions held by them currently or in the immediate past.

Know statistics of India - as the highest gender differences in which state, the highest rural unemployment ratio exists in which state, the state with the maximum number of natural resources etc. - Census 2001, Budget 2008 etc.

India - position in world rankings - adult literacy etc. The millennium development report 2008, WTO reports, UN reports etc.

India - budget 2008 - Rural and Agricultural sectors especially, but also education, health etc.

NABARD - for sure

CAPART

Other premier rural development and agri - based institutions

a few NGOs in India - too vast, so this could be optional

Please go through the IRMA papers and you will know what you could easily focus on and score.
You cannot attempt the entire section. You are not expected to! Expend only about 20 minutes on this section. Which means the number of questions would be fewer and the accuracy rate should be ideally high. Do not take too many risks. Beware of the 1/4 negative marking. But do not be too scared to take some smart risks based on the questions and options that you ar presented with in the paper.

BEST of LUCK

International Organizations

UN links

Home page
http://www.un.org/english/
Absolute Must Read: India factsheet
http://www.mdgmonitor.org/factsheets_00.cfm?c=IND&cd=356
Look up links on the left side of this page to get at least the full forms of various UN related organisations:
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
Other possible links within this site that might interest you:

• The Millenium Development Goals Report 2008 http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/The%20Millennium%20Development%20Goals%20Report%202008.pdf (56 pages)
  
• Progress chart on above http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/2008highlevel/pdf/newsroom/MDG_Report_2008_Progress_Chart_en_r8.pdf
  

WTO

Home Page - http://www.wto.org/

India Fact file - http://stat.wto.org/CountryProfile/WSDBCountryPFView.aspx?Language=E&Country=IN

Tariff Profile - top trading partners in 2006 at end http://stat.wto.org/TariffProfile/WSDBTariffPFView.aspx?Language=E&Country=IN

ILO

Home Page - http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm

WHO

India fact file - http://www.who.int/countries/ind/en/

More later.

Best Wishes

NGOs

This links you to a site that provides the most comprehensive info on NGOs in India:
http://www.ngosindia.com/ngos.php
If I come across any more links will let you know.
Similarly, do let me know if you come across links that you think will be useful for your fellow aspirants.

What you need to do with this site is just skim through to look up any major players who have been in news recently or are involved in states or sectors in news recently.

I will try to post particular links that you must look up soon.
Neha, to belabour the point, you need to know which NGO operates in which state and which sector primarily. There are questions that deal with more details on a particular NGO, but you could remember certain things from your readings or skip the few questions that are so designed without harming your chances.
Please do understand your Q paper format to know how IRMA tests you.

A response is posted here since I am not sure if you check the comments section after posting comments there -

Dear Neha,
I am in the process of giving you more links if possible.
However, even the ones mentioned here should get you through if the paper goes as per expected pattern and you are well versed in these topics.
I will try and put up more questions and links ASAP.
P.S. Please post your general queries on the most recent post, it gets easier to check.

Best Wishes

Pagalguy guidelinks for IRMA

On Social Awareness Section -
http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/other-exams-xat-fms-jmet/24796-irma-admissions-2007-official-thread-31.html

http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/other-exams-xat-fms-jmet/24796-irma-admissions-2007-official-thread-32.html

Sample Papers
http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/other-exams-xat-fms-jmet/5321-irma-sample-paper.html

Links to GK Qs as taken from Competition Master
http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/other-exams-xat-fms-jmet/24796-irma-admissions-2007-official-thread-29.html

You would come across more papers if you search for IRMA + test papers. I will try and update this post as well.

IRMA - response to Neha

Please buy Malayalam Manorama Yearbook or the UPSC books, if downloading is time consuming and you prefer reading from books. However, the NET gives you a more detailed analysis of certain institutions that you cannot get from any one book.

As for the IMS GK book - you will notice it does not focus as much on Rural and Agri section. Not that it is not useful, you should be able to attempt quite a few Qs based on the study material.
However, you need more comprehensive knowhow in the social awareness sector to attempt the IRMA paper confidently. Malayalam Manorama Yearbook is far more comprehensive in this regard.

Understand what your paper is about - It is about Rural and Agricultural sector - deals with education, health, economy, policies, schemes, NGOs, govt. organisations, international organisations, philanthropists etc. that are involved in these sectors. It also targets a few social awareness questions on the budget etc.

Look through sample Question papers and previous years' Q papers. These will give you the guidelines to study for this paper. A few links are provided on this blog as well through the Pagalguy guidelinks post.

You should aim to at least score a 20 in the social awareness section of IRMA to clear the cut off. Which means your accuracy has to be very high if your attempts are few. This is the ideal strategy to employ. You also save time this way. Ideal time limit to attempt this section should be around 20 minutes. A few could even attempt it within 15 minutes. Please do understand that cut offs are subjective. Always aim for the higher side.

You will need to brush up quite a bit for the paper. It is the least that the institute expects of its prospective students. The section is an indication of the dedication and aptitude that you have in this field.

A common sensical approach to prepare for this section of the paper goes a long way.

BEST of LUCK

Government of India – Ministries

Government of India

Directory of Organisations and Institutions - http://goidirectory.nic.in/coop.htm
Directory of Commissions and Central Ministries - http://goidirectory.nic.in/exe.htm#min

Ministry of Rural Development Annual Report - 2007-8 (a very heavy file)http://rural.nic.in/annualrep0708/anualreport0708_eng.pdf

CAPART

Home page - http://www.capart.nic.in/
Organisation Diagram - http://www.capart.nic.in/orgn/orgnchart.html
Schemes at a Glance -
http://www.capart.nic.in/scheme/public.html (Micro Finance and Micro Planning - Adopt a village)
http://www.capart.nic.in/scheme/rural.html (ARTS)
http://www.capart.nic.in/scheme/Guidelines_NGA.htm (Nirmal Gram Abhyan)
http://www.capart.nic.in/scheme/dad.html (Disabilities)
http://www.capart.nic.in/scheme/marketing.html (Marketing Development Division)
http://www.capart.nic.in/YP_Scheme/YP.htm (Young Professional Scheme)

Budget 2008

Budgets Current and Past - http://indiabudget.nic.in/

Budget 2008 - http://indiabudget.nic.in/ub2008-09/ubmain.htm
(Check out Key highlights for sure you could look at the Speech link etc as well for better understanding)

Other links like from Economic Survey 2008 are also worth glancing through -
New Initiatives - Agriculture - http://indiabudget.nic.in/es2007-08/chapt2008/chap73.pdf

Census 2001 - India

http://www.censusindia.gov.in/

Please look up links herein - with reference to the Rural sector
Health, Gender, Employment, Housing, Migration, SC/ST population stats - important factors to look up.

You need be more focused on the names of the States that have the highest and the lowest ratios in a particular segment not the figures per se.

Reserve Bank of India

RBI

About RBI - http://www.rbi.org.in/home.aspx - look up basic detail like when it was set up, where, its associates/subsidiaries etc.

Organisational Structure - http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/AboutUsDisplay.aspx?pg=OrganizationStructure.htm

Governors - current and past - http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/AboutUsDisplay.aspx?pg=PastGovernors.htm

Sources of Information (publications) - http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/AboutUsDisplay.aspx?pg=AllPublications.htm#AP (some have to be subscribed to but you could check out the rest - would be useful for IFT exam)

Other Links - http://www.rbi.org.in/scripts/otherlinks.aspx

NABARD

NABARD
A very important aspect of IRMA Social Awareness component is cognizance of NABARD - its director, conception and the schemes it is associated with.

About NABARD - http://www.nabard.org/introduction.asp
History - http://www.nabard.org/history.asp
Major Activities - http://www.nabard.org/majoractivities.asp
Organisation structure - http://www.nabard.org/organisationstructure.asp#dis
Financial Inclusion - http://www.nabard.org/financial_inclusion.asp
Annual Report 2008 link - http://www.nabard.org/fileupload/AnnualReportsDisplay.aspx (This is a 142 page report - very very comprehensive. I will put up Qs on it a bit later if possible).


Look up links within the NABARD site like:
Farmer's Club Programme http://www.nabard.org/development&promotional/farmersclubprogrammemore.asp

A few questions based on links NOT provided here but answers are on the website -
You could use the 'Search' function provided on the site to help you access the pages if needed :)

1) NABARD + ODI – full form
2) BIRD - full form
3) Where is NBSC located?
4) When was SHG Bank Linkage programme begun by NABARD?
5) IS SHG bank Linkage programme a Credit programme?
6) The NGO 'Fellowship" is based in which state?
7) Mother Teresa SHG is based in which state?
8) The software for the project on Computer Munshi has been developed by which NGO?
9) Only banks can form JLGs – True or false
10) The first phase of grain banks was implemented in which State?
11) RMGs – full form and promoted in which state?
12) Full form of OASIS
13) full form of SIDBI and RMK
14) The SEWA bank model is implemented in which state?
15) (MACS) Act is for enabling promotion of self-reliant and vibrant co-operative Societies based on thrift and self-help. MACS – full form?
16) NBFCs are regulated by – NABARD or RBI? Since which year?

IRMA 2008 – Social Awareness

Important Topics:


Budget 2008 and look up 2007 for comparative analysis
India - Census 2001

NABARD
CAPART
RBI
Rural India
Ministry of Rural Development - Annual Report/Schemes
Agricultural Scenario in India

Ministry of Agriculture - Annual Report / Schemes
United Nations reports
WHO /World Bank
NGOs working in Rural and Agricultural sector


References:
Websites
UPSC Books
Malayalam Manorama Yearbook