Showing posts with label IIPM-Business School. Show all posts
Showing posts with label IIPM-Business School. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Barack Obama’s Kony capitalism

Ugandan Joseph Kony’s past is reason enough to target him as a crime perpetrator; but the grand involvement of United States in such a myopic issue clearly seems to be only with an objective to capture oil resources in the Ugandan region than for any other altruistic reasons

Joseph Kony. By some accounts, he’s a raving lunatic. By other accounts, he’s purely a cult religious fanatic. By almost all independent and reliable accounts, the man is a cut-down-to-size erstwhile extremist on the run who might previously have had fair resources under his command, engineering random killings, ethnic cleansing and abductions not only in Uganda – his former homebase from where he used to lead the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) – but also in South Sudan, Congo and Central African Republic. But by no sane account is the man currently worth the title of a global terrorist.

Of course, two decades ago, Kony was a different man, with a larger-than-life persona, commandeering armed men under the LRA umbrella ostensibly fighting for “freedom”. But over the years, the LRA – which sources claim had above of 100,000 fighters during the 1990s, including a significant number of children – has been decimated quite impressively by Ugandan forces. As of date, some estimates mention that the LRA – if it at all exists anymore as an entity – couldn’t have more than a hundred so-called fighters, and those too operating discretely without any central command. And the reason for that is that Kony’s been on the run for quite a long time; and his motley LRA crew – which Uganda strongly claims is being ‘supported’ by Sudan – wouldn’t even have been known in countries outside Africa had the US not decided to get in their spin doctors into the act and brand Mr. Kony as the new Osama bin Laden.

In other words, Kony – who is often now referred to even as a plain vagabond criminal – is not worth betting your grandmother’s Edward shilling on. Far lesser is he worth creating a Lord’s Resistance Army Disarmament and Northern Uganda Recovery Act (which Mr. Obama created in May 2010) or demanding more funding from Congress primarily to target Kony and his coterie (which the US President again did in November 2010) or sending “combat-equipped” US defence forces into Uganda with a prime objective to remove Kony and destroy LRA (which Mr. Obama again managed in October 2011). And to top it all, the spin doctors even released a Youtube video called Kony 2012 in March 2012 (it’s been viewed more than 100 million times on Youtube and Vimeo as this magazine goes to print). The video documents Kony and LRA’s various ‘atrocities’ and demands action.

The gaumless ridiculousness of Mr. Obama’s so-called altruistic moves got highlighted to worse levels when on March 21, 2012, the US Senate passed a resolution against “the ruthless guerrilla group” and backed efforts to target Kony and LRA. Seriously, is all of this for a man who has, as per the US government’s own admission (Donald Yamamoto from the US State Department revealed the figures), just 150 fighters left? Kony had been operating for decades and the US did nothing. Then why now, when Kony is already almost extinct?


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2013.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
 
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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Still very Stuck with a ‘P’rofound ‘E’xuberance

Though Sensex has been Correcting itself Since Last November, at Current PE, it looks Overvalued. And with Jittery Corporate profit growth Forecasts, it is surely due for Further Correction.

24.15 was the PE multiple (price to earnings) of Sensex when the BSE benchmark scaled its lifetime high of 21,005 for a day in November last year. At the same time, that was the value which made many analysts act like disciples of Yale professor Robert Shiller calling the market movements “irrational exuberance” (Author of Irrational Exuberance Shiller, using Cyclically Adjusted PE model, had claimed at the peak of dotcom bubble that markets are overvalued and soon it succumbed to the bubble burst bringing glory to the author). And as we know since then, the Sensex has rolled down 12.21% to close at 18,439 on March 14, 2011. But the million dollar question that still worries a common investor is that, with the Sensex PE reading 20.02 currently – against 10-year average (quarterly) of 18 – can we say that the index is operating at a sustainable value or is it just a breather before another major correction?

Before getting into the details one first needs to understand what does PE multiple of an index stand for? In simple words, Sensex PE at 20 means Sensex is now valued at 20 times the cumulative earning power of its 30 constituents. Even if it sounds arbitrarily high for a common investor, in true terms, it is nothing new for the Sensex, more so for that the index has sustained over this value for over 18 months between 2006 and 2008. So, what is the problem that we are talking about?

Well, it’s actually the change in conditions, both economic and market. The most critical fact about the PE multiple of Sensex is that it is based on the anticipated earning power of the companies and while the economic conditions were suitable in 2006-07 to achieve rapid growth, it’s bleak at present. Although the reviving demand, both in the domestic market and globally, will provide Indian companies a boost in sales, the real task is to maintain the kind of profit margin that they are used to. If a substantial rise in raw material prices in the last year was not enough to dampen the momentum, rising crude oil price (already gone past $100 per barrel) is ensuring that the corporate profit in the coming months falls below market expectations. And the trend is already setting in. Considering the quarter-on-quarter cumulative net profit of Sensex companies in 2010, the growth quotient has fallen from 15.41% in the March quarter to 8.45% in December, threatening the market confidence and of course, the future value of the index.

In fact, discounting for the negative sentiments, the Sensex, which offered a mind boggling 157% between March 2009 and November 2010, has already lost over 12% since then. Whereas, global indices like Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 have advanced 4.3% and 6.3% respectively during the same period. For that matter, despite being on the receiving end, other BRIC benchmark indices have confined their losses to 6 to 8%. In fact, the Russian RTS index has gained a mind-boggling 18.5% during the same period.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

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Monday, March 18, 2013

“We Need a Real Estate Regulator”

Kamal Khetan, CMD, Sunteck, has taken Sunteck to Unimaginable Levels Within a decade. He talks to Mona Mehta about The Present and The Future
Sunteck Realty started their business in 2000 from Mumbai and have gone on to become Mumbai’s second largest real estate player with a plethora of premium offerings in the residential and commercial segments. Kamal Khetan, the founder promoter and present Chairman and Managing Director of the Sunteck Group, reveal the success model of the story and the fast changing real estate landscape in the country in an exclusive interview:

B&E: How do you rate Sunteck Realty’s performance on the financial front and what have been the kind of targets achieved till now and also set by you?
Kamal Khetan (KK): Our financial performance this year has been extremely good. The cumulative sales are Rs.1.43 billion (bn) and customer advances stand at Rs.4.35 bn in September 2010. We continue to achieve higher volumes and higher sales realization across our projects. This is a growth of about 40% over the corresponding period last financial year on revenue. We are confident of achieving our target of FY11 and have targeted cumulative sales of Rs.20 bn by year end out of which, we have already achieved more than Rs.1.6 bn till date. On all projects, we are achieving a minimum premium of 25% to 30% in each market.

B&E: What has the major focus of the top management in terms of managing cash flows especially when home equity is increasing with regards to loans? What has been your overall growth strategy so far?
(KK): The company remains focused on acquisitions it also believes in utilizing each rupee generated from internal accruals for further acquisitions. Our cash flow remains strong and our volumes and price points are only growing. We don’t believe that the increase in home equity (required for home loans) is impacting the volumes or price point of our products.

B&E: How do you believe that the real estate industry has evolved over the years in India and what are the major policy or institutional changes required in the near future?
(KK): The real estate industry will continue to be a high growth sector, with a significant potential not only to provide homes and business locations but also sustainable employment. In the medium to long term, we expect the industry to benefit from newer construction technology, design and building automation, as well as green technology. We expect to form larger partnerships with government and local bodies to develop comprehensive high density developments with requisite infrastructure and public amenities for all. We believe that the country requires a real estate regulator. This will help in making the sector more organized and customers and stakeholders to gain confidence in the industry.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles

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Thursday, March 07, 2013

Vulcanos Erupt at 145 Decibel...

When Several AK-47 and Vulcanos Erupt at 145 Decibel...

A firecracker is a Class-7 explosive, and if it doesn’t meet the prescribed norms, it could be classified as an explosive. Another prime concern is that the manufacturers do not print the decibel output of a firecracker on the packet. This leads to further ambiguity pertaining to the noise impact of the cracker.

Otorhinolaryngologist Dr. Ajit Man Singh of Max Hospital, Saket seconds that the inflated noise emissions could be potentially harmful to the ear. “Children and senior citizens are most vulnerable,” he says. The thorny truth is that even noise-free zones like hospitals lie exposed. Max Hospital, for instance, is surrounded by residential colonies where joyous residents celebrate Diwali with synergetic passion. But therein lies another problem. While the SC had Okayed manufacturing 125dB output crackers, it subsequently imposed a noise restriction of 55 dB in residential areas. Thus further complicating things for the already inefficient enforcers.

Diwali in India is more than just a festival of Hindus. It’s a celebration that reflects communal harmony, to say the least. But as the beautiful sparks and rockets juxtapose and disappear into the night sky, the constant ‘explosion’ resonating in the background is anything but a symphony. Come to think of it, the unnecessary bass has been added to Diwali only after a certain evolution in technology. After all, the people of Ayodhya did celebrate Lord Ram’s victory over Raavan by lighting up the city, with no peculiar soundtrack in the background...


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles
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Wednesday, March 06, 2013

Taliban was not only willing to hand over Bin Laden to the US

Documents suggest that in the years leading to 9/11, Taliban was not only willing to hand over Bin Laden to the US but also warned the latter of an impending terrorist attack

For example, an ISI official told visiting US Congressmen that “Pakistan will always support the Taliban”. This “policy cannot change”, he continued, because “it would prompt rebellion across the Northwest Frontier Provinces, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and indeed on both sides of the Pashtun-dominated Pak-Afghan border.”

It is now common knowledge that the US had been asking the Taliban to hand over Laden since 1999. These discussions stopped only a week before the 9/11 attack. However, the US was so adamant on its stand that Laden be tried by the Department of Justice— and not in a third country as Taliban suggested— that Taliban refused to hand him over. Officials described it as a missed opportunity. The former CIA station chief Milt Bearden said, “We never heard what they were trying to say. We had no common language. Ours was, ‘Give up bin Laden.’ They were saying, ‘Do something to help us give him up’.” Bearden added, “I have no doubts Taliban wanted to get rid of him. He was a pain in the neck but this never clickedwith us”. The US thought it was “unreasonable” on Taliban’s part to ask for evidence indicting Laden. Taliban, on its part, even cautioned the US that Laden was planning a big attack on American soil. In fact, former Taliban foreign minister Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil maintained that his repeated warnings, delivered because of apprehensions that the US would respond by waging war against Afghanistan, had been dismissed. US officials admitted to this fact but said that warnings were dismissed because they were “hearing a lot of that kind of stuff”.

Declining the Taliban’s offer to have Laden handed over shows that the US rather followed the policy of regime change well before the 9/11 happened. India was considered to have joined Russia, the USA and Iran in a conjunct front against Taliban, which enclosed aid for Northern Alliance, including “information and logistic support” from Washington. Former Pakistani Foreign Secretary Niaz Naik claimed that he had been informed by senior US officials as early as in July 2001 that military action would be taken against the Taliban by the middle of October. Readies had already been coordinated with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Russia. Naik also said that “it was doubtful that Washington would drop its plan even if Bin Laden were to be surrendered immediately by the Taliban.”


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles


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Monday, February 04, 2013

‘SEC’luded from power

Transferring SEC’s power will not solve the problem in the US

T he aftermath of the current financial turmoil in the US can be gauged from the very fact that the institution formed to protect investors’ interests after the Great Depression, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is now itself searching for protection! A legislation introduced earlier this year now aims at diminishing the power of the SEC by taking away its control of the entire gamut of financial products. As expected, the move, even before it was announced, has already spurred a high-voltage controversy between the various regulators. Mary Schapiro, Chairperson, SEC has announced that SEC would ‘profoundly’ question any move to strip it off its power. But the million dollar question remains, has SEC actually justified the powers bestowed on it?

Well, certainly not. Be it the decade old story of Enron or the latest of the lot, Madoff; SEC has failed to prove its pro-activeness. It was visible in the case of Enron and now one can hear the same for Madoff as well. SEC turned a blind eye to the entire issue of Bernard Madoff’s $65 billion Ponzi scheme despite repeated red signals being given from various agencies. Mary Schapiro asserts, “Different regulators have different perspectives and the best solutions come from the clash of varying viewpoints.” Well, aren’t things bad enough when the regulators are not getting in each other’s way?

Now the second critical question is who’s going to get those powers? Although nothing has been confirmed officially, it’s expected that the ball will land in the US Federal Reserve’s court. But, aren’t the Fed’s administrative abilities already in question ever since they allowed the banking ‘giants’ to jeopardise investor’s money by infusing them in sub-prime mortgage backed securities, which created the entire turmoil in the first place? Also, don’t you think that excessive concentration of power with the Fed may give rise to bigger troubles later, if it fails to handle the situation? So, what’s the solution then?


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

GENERAL MOTOR CO.: FAILURE

...and the shareholders get their pants walloped!

Swing & Miss #3: GM’s premature focus on hybrids cost the company too much. Despite being in the news for over 15 years now, hybrids only contribute to about 2.15% of all vehicle sales! Then there are reports which prove how by 2020, oil production will cross a smashing 1,600 million barrels annually – 6667% more than what was produced in 2003! In other words, hybrids are not required in the near future year, but Wagoner still believes it, for he has to swing!

Swing & Miss #4: Wagoner’s confused branding strategies have ensured that high-end sports cars (like the Corvette Z01) & small cars (like the Spark) are sold under the same tag, Chevrolet? Apparently, he skipped branding management lectures too! Swing & Miss #5: During his tenure, this “easy-going” CEO destroyed a blood-freezing 98% of GM’s Mcap, shaving-off of a clean $90 billion of shareholder wealth. And just before he was booted-out by the Obama administration last month, he had the most wonderful gift for all at GM – a record $52.8 billion in losses for FY2008!

Well, today, Wagoner’s out, but GM has to live on. But will it? “A lot of things depend on the survival plan that GM will present but filing for bankruptcy makes sense as of now,” claims Christian Breitsprecher, Industry expert, Sal Oppenheim. Well, June 1 is not far away. Fingers crossed...


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri

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Friday, November 30, 2012

From CM to PM in one jump?

Mayawati is now eyeing to become the Prime Minister. Her records show that it would be difficult to stop her

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mayawati was never known for her courteous or suave behaviour. She always had a reputation of being an arrogant and ruthlessly ambitious politician. She recently added another chapter to her reputation by refusing to lend land for construction of a Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Rae Bareli Рthe parliamentary constituency of UPA Chairperson, Sonia Gandhi Рbarely two days before Sonia Gandhi was supposed to lay its foundation stone. Though she returned the land to railways five days later Рprimarily because of a new legislation that authorises Railways to acquire any land for development purpose Рshe once again demonstrated she cared two hoots if she needed to prove a point. In fact, she baffled political observers in 2003, when after falling out with coalition partner, BJP, within a year of taking over as CM, she decided to dissolve the State Assembly. The BJP then propped up her b̻te noire, Mulayam Singh Yadav as CM. An unfazed Mayawati, bereft of trappings of an official post Рcampaigned hard for three years and secured a clear majority on her own in 2006. People might wonder about sagacity of her political decisions, but she is never in doubt about what she was doing and the consequences.

Her fourth innings as CM was bound to be stormy and more ruthless than ever since this is the first time her government didn’t need BJP’s crutches. She started off by ordering inquiries into decisions taken by Mulayam Singh. But that was just the beginning. As Left Front withdrew support from the UPA government at the Centre and Mulayam’s party extended support to the UPA, Mayawati seized the “opportunity of her life.” In the run up to the Vote of Confidence at the Centre, she found a host of leaders – from Left stalwarts Prakash Karat & AB Bardhan to TDP’s Chandra Babu Naidu and from Janata Dal (S) Chief, HD Deve Gowda to Rashtriya Lok Dal Chief, Ajit Singh, queuing up at her doorstep.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

LIFESTYLE: INDIAN

Taste the West while being in East

For generations, Indians did their daily shopping at fresh-food markets and regarded packaged foods as ‘stale’. However, just like their Western counterparts, a new generation of busy urban Indians is starting to appreciate the convenience and choice offered by packaged foods.

Therefore the professional Indians are getting a lifestyle of the developed world even after being in India. This adds to the belongingness and cultural compatibility to the affluent lifestyle they already have and would like to have. The bonus is the legacy of ‘best of both worlds’ to the young and vibrant professionals and upwardly mobile Indians.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

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Thursday, November 01, 2012

Environment and Wildlife Film Festival

Although Vatavaran, Environment and Wildlife Film Festival was not exactly that, it was nothing short of one either!!

Awareness generation is the first step toward bringing about action. And people will take action only if they are aware of the situation, whether it is about the harm that global warming might cause to the world tomorrow or it is about the fact that some species might be washed away for good”, explained an organiser of the Film Festival.

Although films were the biggest draw at this event, eventually, it was not just the documentaries that brought people to CMS Vatavaran. There were also seminars and panel discussions by wildlife experts and environmentalists. Besides, there were workshops on wildlife filmmaking conducted by renowned wildlife filmmakers – the Bedi Brothers (Ajay and Vijay Bedi) for budding and aspiring wildlife filmmakers. Recognising this platform that addressed alarming issues through films and discussions, Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dixit graced the occasion to reinforce the message, while filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt gave away the award for the Best Documentary Film of the event.

“Through this event, we aim to capture young minds and create awareness about these alarming issues, so that they become guardians of the world tomorrow”, mentioned a panellist, filmmaker and wildlife activist, Rita Banerji. And indeed, inspiring and inciting, the CMS Vatavaran, Environment & Wildlife Film Festival would have surely left an indelible impression on all minds, young and old.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012. An Initiative of IIPM, Malay Chaudhuri
and Arindam Chaudhuri (Renowned Management Guru and Economist).

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 
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IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
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Thursday, October 25, 2012

The ‘welch’ of innovation

Bringing technology to the bedside of patients and ensuring that it fits the pocket size of the poor is bearing fruits for GE Healthcare in India

“You have just got to constantly focus on innovation. And more competitors. You’ve got to constantly produce more for less through intellectual capital. Shun the incremental, and look for the quantum leap.” These words of Jack Welch would still be resounding in the hearts and minds of GE employees long after he quit the hot seat. And the spirit is visible in the way GE Healthcare has developed a strong business model in India. “In India, for India” may sound a bit queer in the context of the $35 billion (expected to reach $75 billion by 2012 and $150 billion by 2017) Indian healthcare industry, which is struggling to make its offerings more accessible and affordable to the common man. But then, that’s where General Electric (GE) Healthcare India plans to make big money and as such, has been focusing upon “bringing technology to the bedside of the patient and to fit the pocket size of the poor.”

For the $17 billion global entity (GE Healthcare), the mission to take modern healthcare to semi-urban and rural India certainly seems to be an ambitious one. But, considering the 15-17% annual growth rate with which the $3 billion medical equipment and devices market in India is galloping ahead (expected to reach $4.97 billion by 2012), the imagination, to a certain extent looks like a healthy one. However, here lies the catch! Given the fact that the propensity to pay is much lower in India, the domestic market in all probability will offer lower profit margins. So, how can GE Healthcare India, which contributes to about 3% of the parent’s topline, remain competitive in the long run?


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.

For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
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Monday, September 10, 2012

Frog odours, anyone?

A number of worthless and frivolous researches are giving the World of science and reason a boorish tinge; we say ban them!

Research and development across fields and disciplines has achieved great heights in its outcomes. But at the same time, some exercises and endeavours have also breached the depths of naivety. Consider this: Professor J. Mack and D. Jacobs of Harvard Medical School and Temple University published a paper that made a startling conclusion with respect to the people who believed they were kidnapped by aliens from outer space. They concluded from their pathbreaking research that “the focus of abduction is the production of children”.

This is not an exception. The University of Michigan (ranked 15th in the world) conducted a research in 2008 that attempted to find out whether doing exercises helps reducing weight rather than sitting and watching television all day long. No marks for guessing what they found. Or if you’re dying to find out this, consider the University of Alberta (ranked 127th), which came out with a research on the relationship among height, penile length and foot size. One is left guessing which industries such a research would benefit. Or take the ‘Technical’ University of Denmark (ranked 122nd), which published a paper on the impact of wet underwear on thermoregulatory responses and thermal comfort in the cold.

University of Adelaide (ranked 73), Australia, published a paper that researched odorous secretions in 131 species of frogs, and found out the odours that frogs produce under stress. Which biological benefit to mankind would this serve, is left to suspense. Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Research Organisation calculated the number of photographs one must take to more or less ensure that nobody in a group photo has his/her eyes closed.

University of Spain calculated ultrasonic velocity in cheddar cheese as affected by temperature; Stockholm university (ranked 168) established a relationship between chicken and humans by proving that chickens prefer beautiful humans; Newcastle University (ranked 152) shows that women prefer taller men for good one night stands and shorter men for committed relationships.


Source : IIPM Editorial, 2012.
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
 
IIPM : The B-School with a Human Face
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Wednesday, August 22, 2012

A world that still waits

More resources need to be diverted to reduce MMR in developing and underdeveloped countries, particularly from military spending

Every time a woman dies while giving birth to a child due to an inefficient and ill equipped medical facilities it is a crippling shame for humanity. Considering how such tragedies still happen in huge numbers, it’s evident that we aren’t really learning or repenting enough.

Recent data revealed by The Lancet, a UK-based medical journal, showed that for the first time in decades, the world has seen a significant decline in death due to pregnancy and childbirth to 342,900 in 2008 from 526,300 in 1980. But the death toll in developing and underdeveloped countries remains pretty startling. Around 85% of the world’s maternity-related deaths take place in Africa alone. Sierra Leone has the highest MMR, as 2,000 out of 1,00,000 population die every year. Over 36,000 women die every year in Nigeria.


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Monday, August 13, 2012

Talk away pain? Now you’re talking!

Your low-back ache can be considerably aggravated by your thoughts and notions. Try a bit of CBT, and you might just be talked out of causing debilitating pain to yourself

Roughly 80% of the world suffers from this at some point in their life. It is singularly responsible for more sick leaves and disability than any other disorder in the world. Popularly characterised by a lady whimpering ‘ooh, aah, ouch!’ on the telly, lumbago or low-back pain is what we’re talking about, and talking about the pain is exactly what the doctors are advising to its victims! The study was conducted by Professor Sarah E Lamb and her colleagues from The University of Warwick and the University of Oxford, and their findings were published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), a short-term treatment that challenges and reframes negative beliefs, has been judged as an economical option to aid recovery by this study. While back pain is a physical problem, a person’s mental make-up affects the way he/she manages their health, which can significantly benefit or deteriorate the patient’s condition. The study found that people who were provided with CBT group-support sessions experienced greater physical fitness and enjoyed a better quality of life than those who were given a one-off advice session.

CBT sessions involve talking about beliefs relating to physical activity, helping resolve negativity and teaching patients to relax and be less fearful about their situation. Most people’s reaction to lower-back ache is to avoid activity, which only goes on to make the muscles more stiff and so contribute to the existing pain. CBT ensures people don’t fall into this vicious circle, and instead provides advice on appropriate activities they should pursue for faster recovery. At the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, CBT is an accepted tool for the treatment of backaches and a psychologist is a member of the team treating backaches.


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