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been quite an easy exam but SNAP2008 seems to have reversed the trend in it being a lot more difficult than expected. The

change this year was the introduction of 2 mark Qs in every section which clearly identified the ‘difficult’ questions for

the students. Let us now look at the individual sections:

Analytical & Logical Reasoning

The Analytical & Logical Reasoning section of SNAP has the least number of questions but the maximum weightage in terms of

marks. In the past this section was quite difficult and SNAP2008 has continued the trend by giving a paper which was

considerably tougher than the average paper of the past. A good strategy for any student would have been to spend a higher

proportion of time in this section on account of the higher marks per question which implies a higher return for time spent.

A student pursuing this strategy should have tried to work out the set based questions to maximise their score. The puzzle on

Cubes was as easy as it could get and students who had done reasonable practice for CAT would have found this to be a breeze.

The puzzle on a group of 5 persons playing different games should have been attempted and so were the questions on the

diagram. The individual questions were the trickiest and students should have picked the questions with care to avoid making

too many errors.

A good time allocation strategy for this section would be around 35-40 minutes. Attempts in the range of 18-22 should be

considered to be very good.

General Awareness

The introduction of differential marking in this section clearly helped students segregate the difficult and easy questions

(if at all any question can be called ‘easy’). A cursory glance at the section may deceive us into believing the section was

easy but after having gone through each question in a fair bit of detail, this view is bound to change. As was the case in

previous years, there was a preponderance of questions on Economy and Science & Technology. Questions on History were

conspicuous by their absence. Quite a few questions would have confused students on account of the nature of the question and

the wording used, for example the question on the odd one out was difficult as the basis to classify one as ‘ODD’ could be

many and thereby lead to different answers.

A good time allocation strategy for this section would be around 15 minutes. Attempts in the range of 22-26 should be

considered to be very good.

Quantitative and Data Interpretation & Sufficiency

This section has 10 Qs from Data Interpretation, 2 from Data Sufficiency/Redundancy and 23 Qs from the Quantitative area.

This section was slightly more difficult than the SNAP papers of the past and thus the scoring could be restricted. A student

who had done sufficient practice for CAT and other management tests would have been able to attempt quite a few questions in

this section. Since this section was a combination of Quant, DI and DS most students would have been able to pick questions

from their strong areas and maximise their score. A couple of the 2 markers were doable but the others were definitely

difficult and would have taken a lot of time to solve. The DI set on movie watchers was based on speed calculations and was

probably the easiest of the DI sets. The Quant Qs were predominantly on Arithmetic and students who had done sufficient

practice would have been able to maximise their attempts and thus their score.

A good time allocation strategy for this section would be around 30-35 minutes. Attempts in the range of 17-19 should be

considered to be very good.

General English

The section carried 35 questions that tested the candidates’ abilities, in considerable width, in the areas of

1. Comprehension

2. Vocabulary (meanings, appropriate use, idiomatic use, idioms)

3. Grammar and Composition (Recognition of function, error identification, sentence correction, arrangement of jumbled

sentences)

The three comprehension passages were not difficult to read or understand. However, while the questions seemed easy enough,

at first look, some, especially those that looked at interpretation and central idea, were difficult since the choices were

quite tricky, and required careful thought. Those questions that looked at direct detail were not too difficult. A few of the

vocabulary questions were difficult. Well-prepared candidates (and those with a regular reading habit) would have been able

to deal with the others without much difficulty.

The grammar questions would have taken some time to answer because the errors were slight and not easy to spot. 2 questions

were very difficult as the choices were such that the best of the available options were to be picked. 1 jumbled sentence

question was also quite difficult.

A good time allocation strategy for this section would be around 25-30 minutes. Attempts in the range of 22-24 should be

considered to be very good.

Sectional Scores and Overall Cut-Off

The SNAP2008 bulletin has clearly specified that the participating institutes decide on the sectional and overall cut-offs

that they would be using on their own. We have used this to advise our students to ensure that they do well in all sections

of SNAP. The procedure followed by any of the Symbiosis institutes in 2007 has little bearing on what they would do this

year.

One should note that many of the participating institutes using SNAP scores in 2007 had sectional and overall cut-offs. It

would not be a surprise to see most of them using the sectional filter this year as the number of test takers has increased

quite sharply. A safe score to get calls from the top two institutes would be around 80+ with good scores in all four sections.

Source: time4education.com

So you may enjoy each day in comfort.

I wish you the Love of friends and family…
And Peace within your heart.

I wish you the Beauty of nature…
That you may enjoy the work of God.

I wish you Wisdom to choose priorities…
For those things that really matter in life.

I wish you Generousity so you may share…
All good things that come to you.

I wish you Happiness and Joy…
And Blessings for the New Year.

I wish you the best of everything…
That you so well deserve.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIEND!

~ Author Unknown to me ~

H ours of happy times with friends and family
A bundant time for relaxation
P rosperity
P lenty of love when you need it the most
Y outhful excitement at lifes simple pleasures

N ights of restful slumber (you know - dont’ worry be happy)
E verything you need
W ishing you love and light

Y ears and years of good health
E njoyment and mirth
A angels to watch over you
R embrances of a happy years!

~ Author Unknown to me ~

Happiness deep down within.
Serenity with each sunrise.
Success in each facet of your life.
Family beside you.
Close and caring friends.
Health, inside you.
Love that never ends.
Special memories of all the yesterdays.
A bright today with much to be thankful for.
A path that leads to beautiful tomorrows.
Dreams that do their best to come true.
Appreciation of all the wonderful things about you.

~ Author Unknown to me ~

I look to the new year and my wish for you;

Peace within your heart
Love from family and friends
Faith to guide your way
Hope to to make it through each day
Sunshine to light the day
Heavenly Stars to wish upon
Rainbows to to let you know there is a tomorrow
A tear to show compassion
A heart to hold the love
But most of all I wish for you
to feel my hand in yours,
To know I am here if you stumble or fall.
To bring you cheer, to bring you love,
to return the love you always share with me.

~ Author Unknown to me ~

Perhaps a bit wiser,
a bit kinder, too,
a little bit braver,
a heart that’s more true,
a touch of believing
I’ve not known before,
in joys I’m receiving
a little bit more.

A little more anxious
to reach out my hand,
despite hurt or problems
to still understand,
accepting the heartache
that life often brings,
a little more beauty
in life’s simple things.

A prayer when I’m weary
as onward I trod,
a little more trusting,
believing in God,
’tis this I would wish for
within moments dear,
not a lot - just a little
this wondrous new year.

~ Garnett Ann Schultz ~

Source: rosebriar.uk.com

SNAP Exam’s (held on 21st December 2008) Answer key will be put up on competeindia.com shortly.

Miss World 2008 Contestants

Millions of women across the globe aspire for the title of Miss World. They work hard to bag the most prestigious beauty

pageant in the world. The year-long event is held in several stages. Hundreds of contestants compete in the initial stages.

The numbers shrink to a few more than a dozen on the final day. 110 contestants are expected to participate in Miss World

2008 contest.

Country Contestant Age Height
Albania Egla Harxhi 17 175
Angola Brigith dos Santos 18 180
Antigua & Barbuda Athina James 18 180
Argentina Agustina Quinteros 17 176
Aruba Christina Trejo 20 175
Australia Katie Richardson 20 178
Austria Kathrin Krahfuss 23 177
Bahmas Tinnyse Johnson 21 176
Barbados Natalie Griffith 18 168
Belarus Volha Khizhynkova 21 184
Belgium Alizée Poulicek 21 175
Belize Charmaine Chinapen 21 174
Bolivia Jackelin Arias 18 177
Bosnia & Herzegovina Herzegovina Tanja Vujicic 18 178
Botswana Itseng Kgomotso 19 178
Brazil Tamara Almeida 22 174
Bulgaria Julia Yurevich 19 177
Canada Leah Ryerse 20 178
Cayman Islands Nicosia Lawson 25 175
Chile Nataly Chilet 23 175
Mei Yan Ling China PR 24 180
Chinese Taipei Jamie Lin 24 173
Colombia Katherine Medina 17 180
Congo DR Christelle Ndila 18 174
Costa Rica Amalia Matamoros 19 175
Croatia Josipa Kusic 20 182
Curacao Norayla Francisco 23 181
Cyprus Mari Vasileiou 18 168
Czech Republic Zuzana Jandová 20 180
Denmark Lisa Lents 21 177
Dominican Republic Nathali Montes de Oca 21 175
Ecaudor Marjorie Cevallos 22 183
Egypt Sanaa Ismail Hamed 24 175
El Salvador Gabriela Gavidia 18 173
England Laura Coleman 22 175
Ethiopia Hibret Fekadu 18 180
Finland Linda Wikstedt 19 174
France Laura Tanguy 20 175
Georgia Khatuna Skhirtladze 18 177
Germany Anne Katrin Walter 21 172
Ghana Frances Takyi-Mensah 22 180
Gibraltar Krystel Robba 22 178
Greece Angeliki Kalaitzi 24 173
Guadeloupe Frédérika Charpentier 23 175
Guatemala Maribel Arana 23 174
Guyana Christa Simmons 23 173
Honduras Gabriela Zavala 23 183
Hong Kong Skye Chan 24 168
Hungary Szilvia Freire 24 174
Iceland Alexandra Ívarsdóttir 18 180
India Parvathy Omanakuttan 21 175
Indonesia Sandra Angelia 22 168
Ireland Sinéad Noonan 21 175
Israel Tamar Ziskind 23 176
Italy Claudia Russo 25 178
Jamaica Brittany Lyons 19 166
Japan Mizuki Kubodera 21 173
`Kazakhstan Alfina Nassyrova 20 175
Kenya Ruth Kinuthia 22 184
Korea Choi Bo-in 22 169
Latvia Ina Avlasevica 20 180
Lebanon Rosarita Tawil 20 178
Lithuania GabrieleMartirosianaite 17 176
Macedonia FYRO Suzana Al-Salkini 24 176
Malaysia Soo Wincci 23 170
Malta Martha Fenech 17 170
Martinique Elodie Delor 18 183
Mauritius Olivia Carey 19 170
Mexico Anagabriela Espinoza 20 180
Moldova Iana Varnacova 17 180
Mongolia Anun Chinbat 23 173
Montenegro Mariana Mihajlovic 18 180
Namibia Marelize Robberts 21 180
Netherlands Carmen Kool 22 178
New Zealand Kahurangi Taylor 17 180
Nigeria Adaeze Igwe 18 173
Northern Ireland Judith Wilson 23 180
Norway Lene Egeli 21 178
Paraguay Gabriela Rejala 19 173
Peru Annmarie Dehainaut Velezmoro 18 175
Philippines Danielle Castaño 18 174
Poland Klaudia Ungerman 20 180
Portugal Andréia Rodrigues 24 175
Puerto Rico Ivonne Orsini 20 175
Russia Ksenia Sukhinova 21 178
Scotland Stephanie Willemse 19 180
Serbia Nevena Lipovec 19 175
Seychelles Elena Angione 22 168
Sierra Lione Tyrilla Gouldson 24 188
Singapore Faraliza Tan 22 175
Slovakia Edita Krešáková 19 180
South Africa Tansey Coetzee 23 174
Spain Patricia Rodríguez 18 179
Sri Lanka Rochelle Correa 24 180
St Lucia Joy-Ann Biscette 22 173
Swaziland Tiffany Simelane 20 172
Sweden Jennifer Palm Lundberg 22 176
Tanzania Nasreem Ndiye 22 174
Thailand Ummarapas Jullakasian 23 173
Trinidad & Tobago Gabrielle Walcott 23 170
Turkey Leyla Tugutlu 19 175
Uganda Dora Mwima 18 175
Ukraine Irina Zhuravskaya 18 177
United States Lane Lindell 18 177
Uruguay Fatimih Dávila 20 176
Venuzuela Hannelly Quintero 22 176
Vietnam Duong Truong Thiên Lý 19 169
Wales Chloe Morgan 22 175
Zambia Winfridah Mofu 19 172
Zimbabwe Cynthia Muvirimi 25 170

Source: pageants.india-server.com

DDA housing scheme results out, over 5000 flats allotted

Here’s a piece of good news for the applicants of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) housing scheme. The two websites that were displaying the results of the draw are now opening. Earlier, many were facing problems while logging onto the sites. The sites - www.dda.org.in or www.urbanindia.nic.in, were not opening till afternoon.

Besides the sites, the DDA has also promised to publish the results in major newspapers on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, a number of calls were received at NDTV.com with people complaining that they were unable to view the results on the DDA website and asking for an alternative way to do so.

It was a day many in Delhi had been waiting for with fingers crossed - the DDA allotted 5,000 flats through a computer lottery. At the Vikas Sadan office where applicants had been collecting since morning, the display of results had mixed news. An exultant Ratnesh Kumar Maheshwari, whose name appeared in the list, said, Earlier, I used to stay in a rented house. But now, I’ll have a flat of my own.

On the other hand, Harish Kumar, whose name did not figure in the list, said he was not lucky this time. I will try next time because it is still affordable, he said.

The lottery process, which began at 12 noon, saw hundreds of applicants protesting and shouting slogans outside the DDA’s office at Vikas Sadan. The protesting applicants said they were told that the draw would be shown live to them on a screen to ensure transparency. But they were not being allowed inside the building. Instead, they’ d been asked to check the result at 3 pm on the DDA website.

The 5,000 DDA flats range from Rs 7 to 77 lakh in cost. They’ve been built in some of Delhi’s most-wanted colonies like Dwarka, Rohini and Vasant Kunj.

The fact that they are 50 per cent cheaper than market rates for these areas makes them priceless. And to avoid any controversy, the lottery was supervised by IIT teachers.

Source: ndtv.com

providing “one rank-one pension” to similarly placed officers and jawans after their retirement.
Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Defence M M Pallam Raju said the demand was “not found

acceptable” due to administrative, financial and legal reasons.

Moreover, Raju said, the pensionary benefits of personnel below officer rank, particularly of the three ranks of Sepoy, Naik

and Havildar have been significantly increased by increasing weightage from five years to ten, eight and six years

respectively.

They were also allowed pension before January 1996 to be computed with reference to the maximum of the pay scale introduced

from January 1, 1996.

With the Pay Commissions increasing the pay of armed forces and men every 10 years, the gap between the pension received by

those who retired before the implementation of the respective commissions widened.

Similarly placed retired officers (with same ranks and number of years of service) were receiving different amounts as

pension, which has been opposed by lakhs of ex-servicemen all across the country and hence the demand from them for “one

rank-one pension.” In another reply, Raju said the government had already received representations from ex-servicemen

regarding their grievances against various recommendations of the Sixth Central Pay Commission. PTI

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told reporters on the sidelines of the Janata Darbar on Monday, implementation of the Pay Panel recommendations would undoubtedly put an extra burden on the state exchequer, “still we want to implement it in the interest of the state government employees”.

Kumar said, “We told the chairman of the 13th Finance Commission Vijay Kelkar that it will be fair if the states are given at least 50 per cent financial assistance for the additional burden of implementing the recommendations”.

The empowered committee of the state finance ministers has already submitted a memorandum to the 13the Finance Commission in this regard, Kumar said.

Expressing displeasure over, what Kumar termed as, the “slow progress” on the projects sanctioned for Bihar when he was the Railway minister, the Chief Minister said he would pose six questions to Lalu Prasad as to why no action was taken on the projects okayed by him.

The projects include setting up of Harnaut rail factory in Nalanda, construction of Munger railway bridge, Kosi Mahasetu, Digha railway bridge and doubling of Patna-Gaya railway line.

“Lalu was instead laying foundation stones of several railway projects for Bihar with the Lok Sabha elections round the corner’, he said.

- PTI

The increase will be from 30 to 60 per cent depending on the seniority and grade and will benefit around five lakh employees, including grant-in-aid employees, and 2.5 lakh pensioners. The decision was taken at the Cabinet meeting here presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and will be placed in the Assembly Monday. The cut-off date was fixed on November 30, 2008 before which the pay will be treated as arrear.

Forty per cent of the arrear will be paid along with the enhanced salary in December. Rest will be paid in 2009. Sources said that 40 per cent arrear and enhanced salary of December, January and February along with increased pension will cost the exchequer a whopping Rs 2,255.36 cr. Provision for this has been made in the first supplementary budget which was passed on November 26.

The number of payscales has been brought down from 28 to 5 band of scales. The payscales of administrative officials have been brought down to three bands from seven scales. Sources maintained that the posts special secretary, additional secretary senior grade and additional secretary will be in the highest grade with starting scale of Rs 37,400 while their grade pay will differ. The highest grade pay in this band will be Rs 9,000.

The highest gross pay will be around Rs 53,000 per month while the lowest will be around Rs 15,000. The lowest pay band is reported to have been fixed at Rs 4,700. The Dearness Allowance (DA) has been made zero in January, 2006. After that, there has been revision of DA five times, the latest in July, 2008. The DA, after the implementation of the fitment committee recommendations, will be 16 per cent.

The House Rent Allowance for employees posted in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack has been revised to 20 per cent while for rest of the State, it will be 10 per cent. Block grant for 1,694 high schools, 100 girls high schools and 860 upper primary schools have been increased from 40 to 60 per cent. This will cost the exchequer Rs 68.68 cr per year. The proposal for third peon post in block grant high schools was accepted.

Other decisions included appointment of village level workers (VLWs) as panchayat executive officers for which the Orissa Gram Panchayat Act will be amended. Cadre rules of data entry operators was approved.

Source: expressbuzz.com

Bhubaneswar (Orissa): Orissa Finance Minister Prafulla Ghadai on Monday announced that the State Government would implement

revised pay scales for its employees on the basis of the Sixth Pay Commission in State Assembly.

With this the State would bear an additional burden of Rs.6300 crore. For arrears Rs.4200 crore and Rs.2100 towards current

pay and pension additional liability will be created, Ghadai informed the House.

Employees will be given revised pay with effect from 1 January 2006, while pension in the revised scale will be given from 1

December 2008, he added.

At least 28 pay scales have been prescribed of which 3 interim scales with grade pay and remaining 25 scales are compressed

in 4 pay bands with appropriate grade pay.

Lowest pay scale is Rs.4,440- 7,440 with grade pay of Rs.1300 per month and the highest scale is Rs.37,400- Rs.67,000 with

grade pay of Rs.9000 per month, he said.

Revised pay scales will also be applicable to work-charged employees, fully aided educational institutions having regular

posts with scales.

Urban bodies can be allowed to give the revised pay scale to their employees if they can manage through their own resources,

he said.

Assured Career Progression (ACP) has been introduced for all the State Government employees up to Group A for continuing in

one grade and one scale on completion of 15 years, 25 years and 30 years instead of present TBA after 15 years and benefit of

one increment after 25 years.

House rent allowance has been enhanced in case of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack from 15 to 20 per cent. House rent allowance in

other 20 urban areas will be given at 10 per cent basis.

Maximum gratuity has been raised to Rs.7.5 lakh from Rs.2.5 lakh. The commuted value of pension has been enhanced to 40 per

cent.

Maximum qualifying service for pension has been reduced to 25 years from 33 years. Additional pension will be given to

pensioners and family pension aged 80 and above as per with the Government of India, the Minister closed.

Source: odishatoday.com