Seven Reasons You Should Participate in a Competition

Why should you spend the time and effort to participate in a competition, when you are not even sure that you will get something for the effort?

Hope that after reading this, you would able to answer yourself if you should really participate in a ‘competition’…

Learning, Learning, Learning

The main reason to compete is that you learn a great deal by participating in a competition. A student competition is a great setting to learn in, failure does not bear any severe consequences and you can measure your skills in the subject against others, in a fail-safe environment. When producing your contribution, you dig deep down into a subject and become better at it – and it‘s fun! By participating in competitions where the topic is not in your main field – you learn a lot and can also discover that it happened to be exactly that field which you were great at.

It’s a guaranteed thing that while making whether a moot memorial or a conference paper, the subject matter or the area of study, becomes interesting and the knowledge one gains while doing the research is the best learning (in the best mode) one can do for such topic.

Don’t believe me… ask anyone who has gone for ‘any’ moot till date!

You Often have a decent chance to win

Despite huge prize sums and extravagant prizes, there are many competitions that do not get that many contributions. We constantly hear competitions moaning about how difficult it is to get students to send in contributions, so please, someone, make them happy by winning their prizes.

The more ‘niche’d a competition is, the higher the chance that the number of participants is low and hence, you have a much greater chance of winning them. So if you select a field like infrastructure law or energy law (there is a conference lined up in April in NALSAR) or say a particular field of IP (we are deemed to be experts at that), there would be no reason to not to win the competition.

Its good for your CV

Companies know that participating in a competition is a great effort for a student and therefore value it when they are looking for candidates for their jobs. It shows that you are ambitious and that you are not afraid to compete or get measured against others.

Moreover, one should see these events as opportunities to meet potential recruiters and building network among the ‘law fraternity’. Also, it is not surprising to find winners or the good performers being offered internships and/or such incentives by the ‘big’ people attending the events.

Like to Think Big – Start with Small Steps !

If you have considered starting something of your own, participating in a competition is a great way to get started. You are then forced to think about your idea and write down your plan, which makes it easier to. There is lots of entrepreneurship, idea and business plan competitions, both global and local, where you can win the money, advice and other resources needed to get going with your business idea. Most competitions offer feedback and coaching for your idea as well.

The amount of discussion and ideas you get in such competitions/events is tremendous and it is normal to be left motivated at the end of the day. (I met the founder of lawkhoj.com in NLSIU even before the project was about to be launched in one such seminar!)

There may be a Shortcut to Success

Your grades are not as good as they should be, but you still feel that you are really clever? Prove that you are still competitive by participating in – and winning competitions! The winners in such events are not necessarily brainiacs in their life, but have proven their value in battle by winning competitions. It is a volatile, but viable strategy to reach success in life.

Join your first competition today and experience the joys of competing. Naturally, you may not always win and will probably not do so initially, but if you keep on competing you will learn the game and eventually, you will win. The charm of participating in a competition is that the outcome is up to you and your skills and the satisfaction when you actually master something is incomparable.

Experience Doesn’t Counts

Looking at some of the achievements of our students, in their first time ventures would, I hope give us enough reasons of putting in the effort and taking the risk in participating in competitions.

Whether it was 4th position achieved by of Saurabh in ‘NALSAR-Contract Drafting Competition’ or Nakul-Vishu being being adjudicated as Top-10 for their essay competition in Symbiosis or papers written on ‘Sports Law’ (that too in less than 3 days notice) by Ayushman-Biplab and Honey-Kalpana ranked in Top-10 in a competition in Shaurya-2010 or selection of Satyoki and Prashant’s Paper in two different conferences (in NLU Jodhpur & HNLU) or selection of Prerna’s Paper in an IPR conference in Mumbai or that of Apurba’s paper for an international conference in GNLU (none of them went and presented, thats a different issue)… Whether it was reaching semifinals by two different teams of National Moots (read Nakul-Honey-Kalpana in Amity Moot-2010 and Ankit-Satyoki-Prashant in HNLU Moot-2010) or reaching quarterfinals by Nikesh-Abhinav-Punyatma in Army Law College Moot-2010 or even by Surendra-Vivek-Modhura in KLA Moot-2010, when they were in just first year.

The common thread that runs between all of them is that such excellences were achieved by all of them in their first attempt only. They all were under the similar ‘academic pressure’ that we have right now and yet, were able to make their mark substantially. I am sure I have missed several other accomplishments of our friends, especially of the first batch seniors, but what I would love is to see many more of them… Such a list, where it would be impossible to even compile!!

And last but not the least - Money Matters

Enough said, lets just talk numbers. Starting from the most recent, Vipul-Sehej won an essay competition organised by Trinity College a sum of around $500 & similarly last year, our senior Kanika Mam won $250 in a legal writing competition organized by Virginia Journal of Law and Tech. Talking about home, Kalpana-Honey-Gargi won `20,000 and last year, team of Kanika-Saukshmya-Prashant won `15,000 in Senate, the Parliamentary Debate in Kshitij.

Though little unlucky, but if the smallest margin which was missed by our semifinalists in moots would have been covered, it would have been another number flare with huge prizes at stake there also (wanna know the real ‘numbers’, go ask them and be ready to listen their dolor in detail ;)

In short, apart from the reimbursement received from the institute, there is indeed lot of ‘monies’ involved in all the competitions. So, whats wrong in atleast trying!

Challenge Yourself – Challenge the World!!

p.s. Found this article at www.studentcompetitions.com/posts/five-reasons-you-should-participate-in-a-student-competition, edited it to fit it for RGSOIPL J

- B Prashant Kumar

Just another pic

Just a Pic

Rajneeti

When I watched Mrityudand on our old VCR while I was a kid, may be I didnt understand it at all and must have watched it just because of Madhuri there. But whenever I watch it again on SET MAX (where it is shown every week as blockbuster movie) I started liking it a bit, but still could not watch it completely ever. Never realised that the man behind the movie was actually just in the making.

Then with my adolescence, came Gangajal and hey, Prakash Jha had finally arrived with a bang. He gave Indian cinema, a complete new direction. Established Ajay Devgan into a new arena and made people crave for more. And then came Apaharan. Another absolute brilliance! I remember how we struggled to get a ticket at the last minute with one of my hostel friends and yes, it was complete worth of taking the pain.

It was a long time that nothing came out of his dexterous hands and then came the heavily loaded Promos of Rajneeti. With news like Katrina playing pseudo Sonia Gandhi, Ranbir, the foreign studying son aloof from the politics does wonders while taking revenges and all other stuff created an impressive the gravity for the movie and I am sure the halls were overbooked even before it was released.

But again and again, after I promise to stop expecting from anyone in life, I don’t know why I enter the theatre with the same anticipation. That’s what happened again for Rajneeti. You know that you love Prakash Jha;s movies. There is sure Ajay Devgan in the meal, with tadka of Manoj Bajpai and Sir Nana Patekar, with freshness of Ranbir Kapoor and masala of Katrina Kaif (and ya, a ‘model turned actor’ Arjun Rampal is also there !) the movie has to be great.

The anticipation does not remain for long time though. Nana sir is there from first scene itself (and there was Sir Naseeruddin Shah also for a brief period of time) but once the story comes to present times (after hinting you within 10 min that as the copyright over Mahabharata lies with no one, one is free to take ‘inspiration’ from it and so did the director here) you are made to see Arjun Rampal playing quite a leading and important role. I wonder was that a still camera used which could not detect his facial e-motions or was it a normal motion camera and his normal still face. The only time I liked him was in ‘Rock On’ where he could do his natural acting and yet make sure he was not out of place. (Just like Kangana Ranaut, who does natural acting always.. u know it… of the drug addict girl !!)

Ajay Devgan has always been marvelous at serious roles (I hope he read this and stops experimenting with comedy.) So was he here. Playing the role of Kabbadi Champion turned Dalit Leader (that too in just a matter of probably two days) which later is revealed as the Jyestha Bhrata (Karna from Mahabharat) of Rampal and Ranbir (thanks to the reviews you read before hitting the theatre, it was obvious now) but somewhere he was not put to use properly. On a later analysis, it would seem that it was the only role that he could fit in the movie, but using him in more proper way could have done more wonders for the film.

Ranbir was truly a surprise pack. Again he tried not to copy his Kapoor ancestors (he did this successfully in Wake Up Sid! Also) and that would for me, be the main reason that he really stole the show. He looked good doing this serious, tough kind of role for the first time and truly proves that he can pull off a movie alone without just doing the usual comedy.

Kudos to Sir Nana Patekar for holding the movie together and for me, he was the real ‘hero’ of the movie. But at the same time, the energy he carried with him, may it be Apaharan or even Taxi no. 9211, was missing here. Not his fault, but the script writers can also not be blamed. There was so much to be shown in those 3 hours. So much of twists and turns, drama, assassinations and highly potent people (read Naseeruddin, Ranbir, Rampal) - a “single” sex with whom, makes the women (read Nikhila Trikha, Sarah Thompson and Katrina respectively) pregnant without fail. The plot may allow you to ponder as to which is the positive character, arguments being present for both the sides but the director has tried to make sure that atleast one is a villain for the usual hindi movie audience.

In conclusion, the movie is just fine. Has more than required things happening in the matter of time of campaigning of a single election. Prakash Jha deserves the applaud for atleast making a decent movie on the political front (sorry, I have not watch ‘Rann’ yet). But nothing more than that.

The HAPs: Ranbir does exceptionally great. Good that it does not have any songs at all. Keeps you on toes all the time but that’s because so many things happen in such a short time.

The SADs
: I don’t think in real politics a withdrawal of support from the government is announced over a party or that a funeral for a young leader is visited by more than 10,000 people (ofcourse all clad in Pure White Kurta-Pajama) or that the Chief Minister candidate is either a young MLA (read son of ex CM) or even a widow who has not even fought a single Municipal Election. Never heard before if old party workers weep as they have just been orphaned because a ‘young’ CM candidate (read nephew of ex MLA and the rival CM candidate) dies. Nor does anyone keeps the cloth or the necklace found on a baby at banks of Banaras (which is now their son!) outside the home so that when someone locks them from outside, they have easy access to it.
In short, go to the theatre with minimal level of expectations, be ready to compare the scenes with Mahabharata (and in case you have seen the Godfathers, than according to my co-movie-watcher, to that also).

My Taare: 3/5 (well its Prakash Jha and if the movie would have been even slightly better and realistic, could have earned a lot more ;)

Karthik Calling Karthik

Made a Kolkata trip just after mid sems to have a break from the boring KGP life.. didnt think the quite exciting and fun get away would end up with this movie !

After a lot of good and bad reviews about KCK, when it suddenly won over '3 leaves' (teen patti ;) I expected a more than just some skin show of Deepika Padukone.. Once again I have been reminded that "never fall to the trailers". Now on retrospection, I realised that those who liked the movie were the ones who have not watched either Urmila in Bhoot or any other movie with any psychically disordered character. Can someone even forget Russell Crow in Beautiful Mind !

Anyways, coming to point, it is again one of those movies which tells the most expected ending even beofre you get used to the darkness of the theatre, that the central character has more than one personalities and that even Aparichit was better than this (yes even the 'Hindi' dubbed version). I am actually sad for Farhan Akhtar who 'tried his best' to give the maximum out of his caliber to the role, he portrayed his best show though he has done all before. The comic instincts from the 'Oye its Friday' to the subtle n serious look of 'Rock On' (the time when he was busy doing business n all). Though the romantic side was little odd for him, but I would say, he was overall fair work.

The problem I would say was with the debutant director Vijay Lalwani. He, accepted, tried to bring down the level of assertiveness required for a character suffering with multi personality disorder (no its not busting the secret, you can see it once the phone rings for the first time itself !!) for Indian Mass Audiences but he should have given some strength to Farhan's Role. It lacked the attitude and passion required for such roles. I am not saying it should be as violent as Urmila's role in Bhoot (ya RGV, I am talking about your work twice, but its just because of Urmi,ok) but even Russell Crow was subtle enough yet he had that zeal and feel of such character. Here it was all dull and boring barring some exceptions. I can't even compare this to Ajay Devgan when he did that brilliant 'fake split personality' act in Dewaangee (which again starred Urmila) and there he, with so much grace and perfect amount of aggression, didn't once let anyone know about the whole plot will interval (His look there holding the window grills and then the 'O Kaale Coat' still sends a shiver through my spine).

Though Deepika, with all my BIASNESS to her was quite good. She actually has done good work here and shown that she has grown a lot since OSO. In a completely new look, showing off herself in just the perfect manner (not revealing her n pack abs this time unlike that Billo Barber song she did) and looking awwww... wait for it, SOME in 'uff teri adda' (the only part of movie trailer which has no lies behind it). She suited herself perfectly in playing the 'Bong' Shonali Mukharjee. Even Shefali Shah who appers for a small role as psychiatrist was elegant in her performance and was looking quite smart.

Though the movie is able to make you sit through the end byt hooking you to some suspense as how Farhan gets rid of his problems, but as any Hindi Film, the end was very very much expected one which makes even such efforts a turn off.

The Haps: apart from Deepika Padukone, some gags showing how a Farhan comes out of the SAFE GUY (FRIEND ZONE) to actually pataoing DP and some sachha pyaar types stuff.
Also, the scene where Shefali gets scared and runs away while trying to help Farhan with his 'calls'.

The Sads : The last part of movie where Farhan tries helping himself from all the 'calls' where the story unnecessarily drags and it starts getting boring after a point of time especially when for some 15 minutes, you dont understand what the Director wants to say and then the confusion reaches the peak when you stop thinking about anything else but to get the movie to be over soon !!

My TAARE: 2.5/5 (Subject to reduction on my watchin of teen patti ;)

4 idiots !!

hi everyone.. (who am i HIing to, who reads it anyway :!)

after having watched 3 idiots again and again (DC++ brings everything to your laptop), and of-course, mixing it with DCH, I could not stop myself from writing down after long time. After all, relationships last, nothing else matters, right !!

So, here I am writing about 4 guys, 4 Best Friends, who started all the same and now are sitting miles away in the four corners of the nation, in places no one ever thought of. I wont call they were destined to go there but yet they are there, because they took their road themselves.

It was I think Class 7 (or may be 8) in a small school of average sized town, where few new students had taken admission in this session. There was KAPS who was very shy, trying to sit mum, controlling all the galore of words inside him (this would be known to others in some months of time only, that who this guy actually is). There SAM & SANJU who were sitting together, just because their roll numbers were consecutive and either knew none other. And there was KUMAR-one of the oldies (not much, he came 3-4 years early only) but was more than confident about anything, and as usual barged into all these three people's lives (as of all other oldies and newbees) because of his unlearnable HABIT of making new friends.
And this was the beginning... no one ever was the same thereafter, except of-course kumar.

Slowly and gradually they kept going along. Though kumar lived in another corner of the town, had different friends (friendIIs actually) on the way home and kaps, sam & sanju were the ones who sticked together more often, because of the residential proximity, but then in school nothing was done alone. It was a small class & socialising with everyone was something automatic, still, a long lasting friendship was somewhere in the making... There would be situations where all of them would go to their female friends places to manually destroy their own future and make them Rakhi Sisters.
There would be times when kumar would be hearing lines like 'u r different man, we cannot be like you' just because the rest of the gang cannot be that comfortable with the girls, who knew that he would be single forever and finally have an 'Arrange' Marriage.. (kaps, the shy guy, unexpectedly would be the first lucky guy with a girl !!)

There would be times when all the teachers would treat them as one unit. Whether its the science projects or the 'plays' for annual day celebrations, they would all be unneurotic.

They would all take Sanskrit in 9th, just to be in same class. Come High School, they would all suffer economics, just to remain in same school ! The school library was being revamped and suggestions for new books taken. The Arihant Series for IIT would be pitched in unison, which then would be all issued together. Kaps would go a step further by issuing all his quota into Arihant books and books for boards would be shared by others.
Sam's place would be second home and studying late, solving maths would be just another thing. Going to sam's house would be a ritual after the school hours not because of it being en-route or something, but because of the sumptuous snacks that aunty offered every time the unabashed people went there.

Come March and comes the exam time.. Before even the Boards are finished, the competitive exams are round the corner...

TO BE CONTINUED.....

the new phase of my life..

hi all,
i think now its the time to get up from my phase of laziness and start writing something on this free blog that is provided to everyone and any one ,irrespective to caste, creed, colour or language (thus, the most and probably the only thing that exists in this world which is non racial, non biased thing created by man)

Anyways, after the momentary of splurt of adrenalin (when i gt suddenly excited on seeing my so many frens having such wonderful and FOLLOWED blogs) which made me make this blog and that was it.. nothing since then.. reason being, you write what you feel, either happy or sad, or may be mixed feeling of them. But for me, I was never sure what I was feeling for last some days, months rather. I was in TCS Kolkata, almost on bench, all my friends (all of them, school, college n ILP) were so far away from me, yet there were some very good new friends made in kolkata.

I was doing something or the other thing, but didnt know, where my life was going or what is going to actually happen with me. I was feeling incomplete, slogging in quite a monotonous life of doing nothing but just flowing with tranquility around me. I didnt understand that where went all my energy, that zeal, that excitement about even minutest things. I never felt my life in such haywire ever before. Although the only good thing happening with me was that i was having, after a long time, a regular supply of income.And THANKS to my past experiences, i was able to save quite a bit of it this time. Still, there was this feeling of void inside me which was not giving me the kinda satisfaction i expect out of myself.

And then, FINALLY decided that the only one who can help me is again ME (as usual) and the only way to get back to track to reach the ultimate goal is to by hook or by crook, leave this JOB (read BOJh from reverse) and more than anything, leave the sad place called Kolkata... No offences to anyone, but yaar if you dont like any place, because of any reason, you cannot change your mind in any case..

Anyways, i did quite a bit of work, studied again for a while, made a nice exit strategy (which actually worked ;) and here i am..
got admission into RAJIV GANDHI SCHOOL OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW IIT KHARAGPUR !!! can u even imagine.. a dream of a life time.. a almost. rather much more than 7 year dream was finally fulfilled.. I GOT INTO IIT :D
and as i said, by hook or by crook, i had to get back to my track, which i got on..

Now, although just less than a month i am here, now i can say that I am feeling much better.. although, all the friends are still away, and now even those kolkata friends too, but anyways, i have my phoneS and they have theirs so thats not a big problem and meeting new friends i believe is the most important part of life so live it fully.

Now i can say confidently, that the broad road in front of me having in numerous lanes, has narrowed down a bit, now i know WHERE I MAY BE GOING which is much better then the previous feeling of WHERE I AM GOING !!

Thanks to all those people who wished for me and thanks to all those too who didnt coz u know me, i cant wish not good for anyone.. too much of altruistic, what say :P

HAAPI INDEPENDENCE DAY to one and all.......