http://www.deccanherald.com/content/207280/b-schools-placements-like-pushkar.html

Annual placements at top business schools are like the ''cattle fair'' held at Pushkar every year, Tata Sons Chief (Group HR) Satish Pradhan said today.

"The placements held annually (at B-schools) are like the annual cattle fair held in Pushkar, Rajasthan, where every cattle which is to be sold is paraded before its potential buyer," he said at the 13th Annual Confluence at IIM-A -- an annual three-day B-School meet with participants from India as well as business schools abroad.

Pradhan said everybody competes hard to get into institutes like the IIM-A and after getting in, compete even harder to get ahead.

"By and large for me, the pinnacle of getting ahead is the cattle auction. When the highest price tag symbolises the highest accomplishment of two years," he said.Pradhan posed some tough questions to the audience on competition.

"Is it a zero sum game (where one gains at the cost of other) in our mind that we will compete and will continue to compete as we become leaders of industry, institutions, organisation, multilateral agencies, government?" he asked.

"Will we compete with the sense of a zero sum game or is there something that we will bring to the perspective of pursuing excellence and to make things different?", he further queried.

When everyone is competing for a pie and a good life ahead, the cattle fair is justified. One can't get ahead in competition without participating in it, at least. Call it whatever you may. Afterall, IIMs also charge a hefty fee that needs to be paid and recovered by the paraded students.

Pursuing excellence and make things different? Yes, sure! But, you need to feed yourself first as well.

So, what is Mr.Pradhan's point? Why doesn't he lead everyone into the utopian future by excluding the Tata group from the recruitment process. It is easy to spew philosophy without offering concrete solutions to perceived problems