1. I ____________ Candies with my best friend.

2. My grandfather always turns up the TV volume high so he can ________ It.

3. What __________ Of music do you like?

4. My company has got a stand at the trade _________ .

5. The interview didn't ________ as long as I expected.

6. A room has size 6.75 metre long x 5.75 metre (wide) is to be paved with square tiles.  What is the minimum number of square tiles required?

7. The average age of a team of 10 people remains the same as it was 3 years ago, when a young person replaces one of the members. How much younger was he, than the person whose place he took?

8. The sum of the ages of 2 brothers is 50. Ten years ago, the elder brother was twice the age of the younger. What is the present age of the elder?

9.  Simplify: 18-[5-{6+2(7-¯8-5)}]

10. Find the number of bricks measuring 25cm in length, 5cm is breadth and 10cm in height for a wall 40 metres long, 75cm broad and 5 metres in height.

11. 2tan² 45° + cos²30° - sin²60° =

12. A word consists of 9 letters; 5 consonants and 4 vowels. Three letters are chosen at random. What is the probability that more than one vowel will be selected?

13. For a moderately skewed distribution, if the mean and median are 21 and 22 respectively, then its mode is approximately

14. A certain sum of money is borrowed by a person at 8% simple interest for 4 years. If he has to pay Rs.7384 as interest, what is the total amount he has to pay?

15. A vendor sells 60 percent of apples he had and throws away 15 percent of the remainder. Next day he sells 50 percent of the ramainder and throws away the rest. What percent of his apples does the vendor throw?

16.A school sold drama tickets for Rs.100 each for donating to an orphanage. One member sold 75% of his tickets and had 80 tickets left. How much money did the member collect?

17.The surface area of the three coterminous faces of a cubold are 6, 15, 10 sq.cm respectively. Find the volume of the cubold.

18. The average of 20 numbers is zero. Of them, at the most, how many may b greater than zero?

19. The greatest number of four digits which is divisible by 15, 25, 40 and 75 is

20. A man covers a certain distance by car driving at 70 km/hr and he returns back to the starting point riding on a scooter at 55 km/hr. What is the average speed of the whole journey?

21. Directions for Questions 21 to 23: Six persons-Akshay, Bobby, Celina, Dimple, Esha and Faisal took up a job with XYZ Consultants in a week from Monday to Saturday. Each of them joined for different posts on different days. The posts were of Clerk, Officer, Technician, Manager, Supervisor and Sales Executive, though not in the same order. Faisal joined as a Manager on the first day. Bobby joined as a Supervisor but neither on Wednesday nor Friday. Dimple joined as a Technician on Thursday. The officer joined the firm on Wednesday. Esha joined as a clerk on Tuesday. Akshay joined as a Sales Executive.

21. Who joined the firm on Wednesday?

22. Directions for Questions 22 to 23: Six persons-Akshay, Bobby, Celina, Dimple, Esha and Faisal took up a job with XYZ Consultants in a week from Monday to Saturday. Each of them joined for different posts on different days. The posts were of Clerk, Officer, Technician, Manager, Supervisor and Sales Executive, though not in the same order. Faisal joined as a Manager on the first day. Bobby joined as a Supervisor but neither on Wednesday nor Friday. Dimple joined as a Technician on Thursday. The officer joined the firm on Wednesday. Esha joined as a clerk on Tuesday. Akshay joined as a Sales Executive.

22. Who was the last to join the firm?

23. Directions for Questions 21 to 23: Six persons-Akshay, Bobby, Celina, Dimple, Esha and Faisal took up a job with XYZ Consultants in a week from Monday to Saturday. Each of them joined for different posts on different days. The posts were of Clerk, Officer, Technician, Manager, Supervisor and Sales Executive, though not in the same order. Faisal joined as a Manager on the first day. Bobby joined as a Supervisor but neither on Wednesday nor Friday. Dimple joined as a Technician on Thursday. The officer joined the firm on Wednesday. Esha joined as a clerk on Tuesday. Akshay joined as a Sales Executive.

23. On which of the following days did the Sales Executive join?

24. My most interesting visitor comes at night, when the lights are still burning a tiny bat who prefers to fly in through the open door and will use the window only if there is no alternative. His object in entering the house is to snap up the moths that cluster around the lamps. All the bats I have seen fly fairly high, keeping near the ceiling; but this particular bat flies in low, like a dive-bomber, zooming in and out of chair legs and under tables. Once, he passed straight between my legs. Has his radar gone wrong, I wondered, or is he just plain crazy?

16.Consider the following statements

1. The tiny bat flew in low like a dive bomber.

2. The tiny bat like all bats keeps near the ceiling

3. It has lost direction because its radar has gone wrong

4. It wants to entertain the author with its skill in flying.

Which of the above statements may be assumed to be true from the information given in the passage?

25. My most interesting visitor comes at night, when the lights are still burning a tiny bat who prefers to fly in through the open door and will use the window only if there is no alternative. His object in entering the house is to snap up the moths that cluster around the lamps. All the bats I have seen fly fairly high, keeping near the ceiling; but this particular bat flies in low, like a dive-bomber, zooming in and out of chair legs and under tables. Once, he passed straight between my legs. Has his radar gone wrong, I wondered, or is he just plain crazy?

17. The bat entered the room

26. My most interesting visitor comes at night, when the lights are still burning a tiny bat who prefers to fly in through the open door and will use the window only if there is no alternative. His object in entering the house is to snap up the moths that cluster around the lamps. All the bats I have seen fly fairly high, keeping near the ceiling; but this particular bat flies in low, like a dive-bomber, zooming in and out of chair legs and under tables. Once, he passed straight between my legs. Has his radar gone wrong, I wondered, or is he just plain crazy?

18. After comparing the habits of the tiny bat with those of other bats, the author was

27. My most interesting visitor comes at night, when the lights are still burning a tiny bat who prefers to fly in through the open door and will use the window only if there is no alternative. His object in entering the house is to snap up the moths that cluster around the lamps. All the bats I have seen fly fairly high, keeping near the ceiling; but this particular bat flies in low, like a dive-bomber, zooming in and out of chair legs and under tables. Once, he passed straight between my legs. Has his radar gone wrong, I wondered, or is he just plain crazy?

19. The author calls the tiny bat an "interesting visitor". This means

28. My most interesting visitor comes at night, when the lights are still burning a tiny bat who prefers to fly in through the open door and will use the window only if there is no alternative. His object in entering the house is to snap up the moths that cluster around the lamps. All the bats I have seen fly fairly high, keeping near the ceiling; but this particular bat flies in low, like a dive-bomber, zooming in and out of chair legs and under tables. Once, he passed straight between my legs. Has his radar gone wrong, I wondered, or is he just plain crazy?

20. what, according to you, can be the most suitable title for the passage ?

Reading Comprehension Part II

The Alaska pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean. It stretches southward across the largest and northemmost state in the United States, ending at a remote ice-free seaport village nearly 800 miles from where it begins. It is massive in size and extremely complicated to operate. The steel pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of delicate tundra that tops the frozen ground. It weaves through crooked canyons, climbs sheer mountains, plunges over rocky crags, makes its way through thick forests, and passes over or under hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter, and up to 2 million barrels (or 84 million gallons) of crude, oil can be pumped through it daily. Resting on H-shaped steel racks called "bents," long sections of the pipeline follow a zigzag course high above the frozen earth. Other long sections drop out of sight beneath spongy or rocky ground and return to the surface later on.

The pattern of the pipeline's up-and-down route is determined by the often harsh demands of the arctic and subarctic climate, the tortuous lay of the land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost (permanently frozen ground). A little more than half of the pipeline is elevated above the ground. The remainder is buried anywhere from 3 to 12 feet, depending largely upon the type of terrain and the properties of the soil. One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately $8 billion and is by far the biggest and most expensive construction project ever undertaken by private industry. In fact, no single business could raise that much money, so 8 major oil companies formed a consortium in order to share the costs. Each company controlled oil rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and paid into the pipeline- construction fund according to the size of its holdings. Today, despite enormous problems of climate, supply shortages, equipment breakdowns, labor disagreements, treacherous terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement, and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completed and is operating.

29. The passage primarily discusses the pipeline's

The Alaska pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean. It stretches southward across the largest and northemmost state in the United States, ending at a remote ice-free seaport village nearly 800 miles from where it begins. It is massive in size and extremely complicated to operate. The steel pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of delicate tundra that tops the frozen ground. It weaves through crooked canyons, climbs sheer mountains, plunges over rocky crags, makes its way through thick forests, and passes over or under hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter, and up to 2 million barrels (or 84 million gallons) of crude, oil can be pumped through it daily. Resting on H-shaped steel racks called "bents," long sections of the pipeline follow a zigzag course high above the frozen earth. Other long sections drop out of sight beneath spongy or rocky ground and return to the surface later on.

The pattern of the pipeline's up-and-down route is determined by the often harsh demands of the arctic and subarctic climate, the tortuous lay of the land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost (permanently frozen ground). A little more than half of the pipeline is elevated above the ground. The remainder is buried anywhere from 3 to 12 feet, depending largely upon the type of terrain and the properties of the soil. One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately $8 billion and is by far the biggest and most expensive construction project ever undertaken by private industry. In fact, no single business could raise that much money, so 8 major oil companies formed a consortium in order to share the costs. Each company controlled oil rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and paid into the pipeline- construction fund according to the size of its holdings. Today, despite enormous problems of climate, supply shortages, equipment breakdowns, labor disagreements, treacherous terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement, and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completed and is operating.

30.According to the passage, 84 million gallons of oil can travel through the pipeline each

The Alaska pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean. It stretches southward across the largest and northemmost state in the United States, ending at a remote ice-free seaport village nearly 800 miles from where it begins. It is massive in size and extremely complicated to operate. The steel pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of delicate tundra that tops the frozen ground. It weaves through crooked canyons, climbs sheer mountains, plunges over rocky crags, makes its way through thick forests, and passes over or under hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter, and up to 2 million barrels (or 84 million gallons) of crude, oil can be pumped through it daily. Resting on H-shaped steel racks called "bents," long sections of the pipeline follow a zigzag course high above the frozen earth. Other long sections drop out of sight beneath spongy or rocky ground and return to the surface later on.

The pattern of the pipeline's up-and-down route is determined by the often harsh demands of the arctic and subarctic climate, the tortuous lay of the land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost (permanently frozen ground). A little more than half of the pipeline is elevated above the ground. The remainder is buried anywhere from 3 to 12 feet, depending largely upon the type of terrain and the properties of the soil. One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately $8 billion and is by far the biggest and most expensive construction project ever undertaken by private industry. In fact, no single business could raise that much money, so 8 major oil companies formed a consortium in order to share the costs. Each company controlled oil rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and paid into the pipeline- construction fund according to the size of its holdings. Today, despite enormous problems of climate, supply shortages, equipment breakdowns, labor disagreements, treacherous terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement, and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completed and is operating.

31. The phrase "Resting on" is closest in meaning to

The Alaska pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean. It stretches southward across the largest and northemmost state in the United States, ending at a remote ice-free seaport village nearly 800 miles from where it begins. It is massive in size and extremely complicated to operate. The steel pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of delicate tundra that tops the frozen ground. It weaves through crooked canyons, climbs sheer mountains, plunges over rocky crags, makes its way through thick forests, and passes over or under hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter, and up to 2 million barrels (or 84 million gallons) of crude, oil can be pumped through it daily. Resting on H-shaped steel racks called "bents," long sections of the pipeline follow a zigzag course high above the frozen earth. Other long sections drop out of sight beneath spongy or rocky ground and return to the surface later on.

The pattern of the pipeline's up-and-down route is determined by the often harsh demands of the arctic and subarctic climate, the tortuous lay of the land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost (permanently frozen ground). A little more than half of the pipeline is elevated above the ground. The remainder is buried anywhere from 3 to 12 feet, depending largely upon the type of terrain and the properties of the soil. One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately $8 billion and is by far the biggest and most expensive construction project ever undertaken by private industry. In fact, no single business could raise that much money, so 8 major oil companies formed a consortium in order to share the costs. Each company controlled oil rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and paid into the pipeline- construction fund according to the size of its holdings. Today, despite enormous problems of climate, supply shortages, equipment breakdowns, labor disagreements, treacherous terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement, and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completed and is operating.

32. The author mentions all of the following as important in determining the pipeline's route EXCEPT the

The Alaska pipeline starts at the frozen edge of the Arctic Ocean. It stretches southward across the largest and northemmost state in the United States, ending at a remote ice-free seaport village nearly 800 miles from where it begins. It is massive in size and extremely complicated to operate. The steel pipe crosses windswept plains and endless miles of delicate tundra that tops the frozen ground. It weaves through crooked canyons, climbs sheer mountains, plunges over rocky crags, makes its way through thick forests, and passes over or under hundreds of rivers and streams. The pipe is 4 feet in diameter, and up to 2 million barrels (or 84 million gallons) of crude, oil can be pumped through it daily. Resting on H-shaped steel racks called "bents," long sections of the pipeline follow a zigzag course high above the frozen earth. Other long sections drop out of sight beneath spongy or rocky ground and return to the surface later on.

The pattern of the pipeline's up-and-down route is determined by the often harsh demands of the arctic and subarctic climate, the tortuous lay of the land, and the varied compositions of soil, rock, or permafrost (permanently frozen ground). A little more than half of the pipeline is elevated above the ground. The remainder is buried anywhere from 3 to 12 feet, depending largely upon the type of terrain and the properties of the soil. One of the largest in the world, the pipeline cost approximately $8 billion and is by far the biggest and most expensive construction project ever undertaken by private industry. In fact, no single business could raise that much money, so 8 major oil companies formed a consortium in order to share the costs. Each company controlled oil rights to particular shares of land in the oil fields and paid into the pipeline- construction fund according to the size of its holdings. Today, despite enormous problems of climate, supply shortages, equipment breakdowns, labor disagreements, treacherous terrain, a certain amount of mismanagement, and even theft, the Alaska pipeline has been completed and is operating.

33. How many companies shared the costs of constructing the pipeline?

Business Analysis

"The situation is grave, very grave." Ishaat Hussain, group finance director and CFO of Tata Steel in the 1990s, remembers telling union leaders in Jamshedpur. The year was 1993, a difficult one for the Tata Group. Free market winds were forcing flagship Tata Steel to trim its employee base. Eventually, over a span of 13 years, more than 20,000 workers were retrenched from the company's Jamshedpur plant. Although the smooth process of de-linking so many workers without creating tensions in a small town like Jamshedpur has been rated highly by management experts, Hussain remembers feeling nervous.

"How did we do it?" he asks, and answers, "By being sensitive and honest. I made a presentation to the unions to show them what the financial position of the company really was and why we needed to retrench all those workers."

Tata Steel spent₹800 crore to ensure that their former workers got a fair deal. Several analysts and consultants were dismayed to think of the strain these payouts would put on the company's financials. "However, it was not a completely altruistic decision. We were also being practical businessmen," says Hussain, who has been with the group for nearly three decades. He is keen to point out the fine balance the Group maintains as it protects stakeholders' interests while adhering to the Tata value system. "I hate typecasting people, but there is one thing known to all Tata people — that the means are as important as the end," says Hussain.

It's not difficult to see why there are two Tata enterprises in the Top 10 BW-IMRB Most Respected Companies list this year — Tata Steel and Tata Motors. The Tata Group has earned respect of the kind that is difficult to emulate. India and Indians look up to the House of Tatas for its particular brand of compassionate capitalism. LEADERSHIP WITH TRUST

A. Sen, 32, who has been working with a private company in Mumbai for the last five years, agrees, "In Mumbai, Tatas are seen as a huge conglomerate, but in Kolkata, they stand for social welfare: whether in the beautifully planned city of Jamshedpur, in the academic institutions they support, or the Tata Memorial Hospital that treats the poorest of the poor. In the east, we think that the Tatas are genuine people; they don't cheat unlike many other industrialists of stature."

India has long benefited from the Tatas' generosity in institution building - whether it is nuclear research (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), cancer treatment and research (Tata Memorial Hospital) in Mumbai and, now, Kolkata too, or social studies (Tata Institute of Social Sciences).

The Tata family's considerable contribution to science and education began in 1896, even before Tata Steel was a reality, when Jamsetji Tata offered half his fortune — a princely 14 buildings and four pieces of land worth ₹30 lakh to the British government to set up a University of Science. It was only in 1904, a year after Jamsetji's death, that the government agreed to set up the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore with the authorities' funds equalling that of Jamsetji's.

Ratan Tata, the Tata Group's current chairman, continued to honour the tradition of investing in the community. It was under his stewardship that, in 2006, the group decided to build a cancer hospital in Kolkata. After Tata Steel acquired Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus to become the sixth largest steelmaker in the world, it quickly drafted plans to engage with people in distress areas like Port Talbot in South Wales, where Corus operates. As Hussain says: "Neither do we displace the management where we go (as with Corus), nor do we disrupt the communities we go into. People have heard of us. Hopefully, through our work, we will demonstrate to them our leadership with trust' philosophy of operating in the businesses that we are in."

100 YEARS OF SOLIDARITY

"When compared to many of its peers, over the past hundred years, the Tata Group has proved that you can be socially responsible and still make money," says BCG India chairman Arun Maira, who was formerly an executive director at Telco. It is a philosophy that has served the Tata Group well. The Group's revenues and market capitalisation have risen by 275 per cent and 700 per cent respectively in the last 10 years.

"We don't have stock options; we get paid good salaries Hussain says. "Mr Ratan Tata is not on any millionaires' list, leave alone any billionaires' list. I must say the fact that I come here and spend the better part of my waking life knowing that a substantial part of my effort goes back to charities is a huge motivating factor."

While 66 per cent of Tata Sons is owned by charitable trusts set up by the Group's founders, philanthropy is not the only reason the Tatas are seen as the most respected business group in the country. For investors like Janak  Mathuradas, 54, a resident of Kalbadevi,  Mumbai, who has 50 per cent of his portfolio in Tata Group stocks, the Tatas mean more than just hefty dividends. His family has held on to Tata Group shares, like Tata Steel, Tata Power, Tata Motors and TCS, for the last four generations. "In the old days, Tata Group shares were known as 'widow shares', as they offered returns you could quite conceivably live off. Tata companies have a clean management, they offer handsome shareholder returns, and almost all of them are market leaders. We have not sold our shares. Instead we have re-Invested the dividend income. I feel emotionally close to the Group."

For young management graduates, being wooed by global and Indian companies, the Tata Group stands for freedom to pursue one's dreams. "Not all young graduates from business schools look for the same thing," says Saballeel Nandi, 31, a senior manager in the Tata Group's executive office. "However, they all do look for a place where you have the freedom to follow your dreams, where you are held accountable but also given the flexibility to make mistakes, and where you can escape the monotony of a daily job through a change in roles and portfolios. The Tata Group offers you all that. I joined Tata Motors in 2001 and was given the flexibility to move from IT to marketing to sales. Two years ago, I joined the Group executive office. Besides, whether it is at a conference or when you interact with outsiders, your visiting card gets you respect respect not for the group's market capitalization or size, but for its legacy."

SWIFTER, HIGHER, STRONGER

Some of that respect also comes from the Tata Group's ability to establish leadership positions across sectors as diverse as automobiles, chemicals, consumer products, telecommunications and information technology, which has come about especially after 1991. The House of Tatas has 96 operating companies, of which 28 were listed with a market capitalisation of roughly 2,91,100 crore last week. The Group's profits of ₹11,380 crore arise out of operations in India and 80 countries worldwide. Excluding Corus' staffers, the Tata Group has about 270,000 employees. "The Tata Group has turned on its head the management theory that conglomerates are messy creatures that don't make money or create value for their investors," says Maira, - The man on the street agrees. "The Tata group won't sink because of its deep pockets. It gives good dividends and treats its employees well. I also like the fact that the group has products and services for the middle class," says Basant D., 45, a daily commuter from Kalyan to mid-town Mumbai and an avid dabbler in stocks.

Having attained the leadership position in domestic markets, the Tata Group is now setting its sights on the global market. It is always raising the bar, always setting new benchmarks, whether it is by buying a company the size of Corus or by promising a Rs 1 lakh car that has caught the imagination of carmakers and buyers worldwide. Several of the Tata Group companies are among the biggest in their category worldwide. Tata Tea is the world's second largest company in the branded tea segment (after the Tetley buyout in 2000). Tata Chemicals is the sixth largest manufacture of soda ash globally. Tata Motors is one of the top five manufacturers of vehicles in the world. Tata Steel is now the sixth largest steelmaker. In the next five years, the Group plans to invest ₹1,02,500 crore. in sectors such as automobiles, power, hotels, steel and telecom.

A gentle giant that has made every effort to win goodwill. the Tata Group is not without its share of challenges. The Group has its hands full with the ongoing integration of workforce, operations and values in its global buy-outs. In India, the Group is facing a debilitating backlash from protesting farmers at Singur, the venue from where the first ₹1-lakh car will be rolled out. Environment groups such as Greenpeace have mounted a campaign against the destruction of a turtle habitat a proposed Tata project in Orissa is likely to cause. The ₹1 lakh car has raised concerns of negative ecological impact. To remain India's most respected group, the Tatas must continue to create value for both shareholders and communities. It's a fine line to walk. Respect is never easily earned - or kept - but nobody knows the game better than the House of Tatas.

DIRECTIONS: The questions that follow relate to the preceding passage. Evaluate, in terms of the passage, each of the items given. Then select your answer from one of the following classifications.

A) A MAJOR OBJECTIVE in making the decision: one of the goals sought by the decision maker.

B) A MAJOR FACTOR in making the decision: an aspect of the problem, specifically mentioned in the passage, that fundamentally affects and/or determines the decision.

C) A MINOR FACTOR in making the decision: a less important element bearing on or affecting a Major Factor, rather than a Major Objective directly.

D) A MAJOR ASSUMPTION in making the decision: a projection or supposition arrived at by the decision maker before considering the factors and alternatives.

E) AN UNIMPORTANT ISSUE in making the decision: an item lacking significant impact on, or relationship to, the decision.

34. Retrenchment of 20,000 workers by Jamshedpur Plant of Tata Steel and the group's further success.

"The situation is grave, very grave." Ishaat Hussain, group finance director and CFO of Tata Steel in the 1990s, remembers telling union leaders in Jamshedpur. The year was 1993, a difficult one for the Tata Group. Free market winds were forcing flagship Tata Steel to trim its employee base. Eventually, over a span of 13 years, more than 20,000 workers were retrenched from the company's Jamshedpur plant. Although the smooth process of de-linking so many workers without creating tensions in a small town like Jamshedpur has been rated highly by management experts, Hussain remembers feeling nervous.

"How did we do it?" he asks, and answers, "By being sensitive and honest. I made a presentation to the unions to show them what the financial position of the company really was and why we needed to retrench all those workers."

Tata Steel spent₹800 crore to ensure that their former workers got a fair deal. Several analysts and consultants were dismayed to think of the strain these payouts would put on the company's financials. "However, it was not a completely altruistic decision. We were also being practical businessmen," says Hussain, who has been with the group for nearly three decades. He is keen to point out the fine balance the Group maintains as it protects stakeholders' interests while adhering to the Tata value system. "I hate typecasting people, but there is one thing known to all Tata people — that the means are as important as the end," says Hussain.

It's not difficult to see why there are two Tata enterprises in the Top 10 BW-IMRB Most Respected Companies list this year — Tata Steel and Tata Motors. The Tata Group has earned respect of the kind that is difficult to emulate. India and Indians look up to the House of Tatas for its particular brand of compassionate capitalism. LEADERSHIP WITH TRUST

A. Sen, 32, who has been working with a private company in Mumbai for the last five years, agrees, "In Mumbai, Tatas are seen as a huge conglomerate, but in Kolkata, they stand for social welfare: whether in the beautifully planned city of Jamshedpur, in the academic institutions they support, or the Tata Memorial Hospital that treats the poorest of the poor. In the east, we think that the Tatas are genuine people; they don't cheat unlike many other industrialists of stature."

India has long benefited from the Tatas' generosity in institution building - whether it is nuclear research (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), cancer treatment and research (Tata Memorial Hospital) in Mumbai and, now, Kolkata too, or social studies (Tata Institute of Social Sciences).

The Tata family's considerable contribution to science and education began in 1896, even before Tata Steel was a reality, when Jamsetji Tata offered half his fortune — a princely 14 buildings and four pieces of land worth ₹30 lakh to the British government to set up a University of Science. It was only in 1904, a year after Jamsetji's death, that the government agreed to set up the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore with the authorities' funds equalling that of Jamsetji's.

Ratan Tata, the Tata Group's current chairman, continued to honour the tradition of investing in the community. It was under his stewardship that, in 2006, the group decided to build a cancer hospital in Kolkata. After Tata Steel acquired Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus to become the sixth largest steelmaker in the world, it quickly drafted plans to engage with people in distress areas like Port Talbot in South Wales, where Corus operates. As Hussain says: "Neither do we displace the management where we go (as with Corus), nor do we disrupt the communities we go into. People have heard of us. Hopefully, through our work, we will demonstrate to them our leadership with trust' philosophy of operating in the businesses that we are in."

100 YEARS OF SOLIDARITY

"When compared to many of its peers, over the past hundred years, the Tata Group has proved that you can be socially responsible and still make money," says BCG India chairman Arun Maira, who was formerly an executive director at Telco. It is a philosophy that has served the Tata Group well. The Group's revenues and market capitalisation have risen by 275 per cent and 700 per cent respectively in the last 10 years.

"We don't have stock options; we get paid good salaries Hussain says. "Mr Ratan Tata is not on any millionaires' list, leave alone any billionaires' list. I must say the fact that I come here and spend the better part of my waking life knowing that a substantial part of my effort goes back to charities is a huge motivating factor."

While 66 per cent of Tata Sons is owned by charitable trusts set up by the Group's founders, philanthropy is not the only reason the Tatas are seen as the most respected business group in the country. For investors like Janak  Mathuradas, 54, a resident of Kalbadevi,  Mumbai, who has 50 per cent of his portfolio in Tata Group stocks, the Tatas mean more than just hefty dividends. His family has held on to Tata Group shares, like Tata Steel, Tata Power, Tata Motors and TCS, for the last four generations. "In the old days, Tata Group shares were known as 'widow shares', as they offered returns you could quite conceivably live off. Tata companies have a clean management, they offer handsome shareholder returns, and almost all of them are market leaders. We have not sold our shares. Instead we have re-Invested the dividend income. I feel emotionally close to the Group."

For young management graduates, being wooed by global and Indian companies, the Tata Group stands for freedom to pursue one's dreams. "Not all young graduates from business schools look for the same thing," says Saballeel Nandi, 31, a senior manager in the Tata Group's executive office. "However, they all do look for a place where you have the freedom to follow your dreams, where you are held accountable but also given the flexibility to make mistakes, and where you can escape the monotony of a daily job through a change in roles and portfolios. The Tata Group offers you all that. I joined Tata Motors in 2001 and was given the flexibility to move from IT to marketing to sales. Two years ago, I joined the Group executive office. Besides, whether it is at a conference or when you interact with outsiders, your visiting card gets you respect respect not for the group's market capitalization or size, but for its legacy."

SWIFTER, HIGHER, STRONGER

Some of that respect also comes from the Tata Group's ability to establish leadership positions across sectors as diverse as automobiles, chemicals, consumer products, telecommunications and information technology, which has come about especially after 1991. The House of Tatas has 96 operating companies, of which 28 were listed with a market capitalisation of roughly 2,91,100 crore last week. The Group's profits of ₹11,380 crore arise out of operations in India and 80 countries worldwide. Excluding Corus' staffers, the Tata Group has about 270,000 employees. "The Tata Group has turned on its head the management theory that conglomerates are messy creatures that don't make money or create value for their investors," says Maira, - The man on the street agrees. "The Tata group won't sink because of its deep pockets. It gives good dividends and treats its employees well. I also like the fact that the group has products and services for the middle class," says Basant D., 45, a daily commuter from Kalyan to mid-town Mumbai and an avid dabbler in stocks.

Having attained the leadership position in domestic markets, the Tata Group is now setting its sights on the global market. It is always raising the bar, always setting new benchmarks, whether it is by buying a company the size of Corus or by promising a Rs 1 lakh car that has caught the imagination of carmakers and buyers worldwide. Several of the Tata Group companies are among the biggest in their category worldwide. Tata Tea is the world's second largest company in the branded tea segment (after the Tetley buyout in 2000). Tata Chemicals is the sixth largest manufacture of soda ash globally. Tata Motors is one of the top five manufacturers of vehicles in the world. Tata Steel is now the sixth largest steelmaker. In the next five years, the Group plans to invest ₹1,02,500 crore. in sectors such as automobiles, power, hotels, steel and telecom.

A gentle giant that has made every effort to win goodwill. the Tata Group is not without its share of challenges. The Group has its hands full with the ongoing integration of workforce, operations and values in its global buy-outs. In India, the Group is facing a debilitating backlash from protesting farmers at Singur, the venue from where the first ₹1-lakh car will be rolled out. Environment groups such as Greenpeace have mounted a campaign against the destruction of a turtle habitat a proposed Tata project in Orissa is likely to cause. The ₹1 lakh car has raised concerns of negative ecological impact. To remain India's most respected group, the Tatas must continue to create value for both shareholders and communities. It's a fine line to walk. Respect is never easily earned - or kept - but nobody knows the game better than the House of Tatas.

DIRECTIONS: The questions that follow relate to the preceding passage. Evaluate, in terms of the passage, each of the items given. Then select your answer from one of the following classifications.

A) A MAJOR OBJECTIVE in making the decision: one of the goals sought by the decision maker.

B) A MAJOR FACTOR in making the decision: an aspect of the problem, specifically mentioned in the passage, that fundamentally affects and/or determines the decision.

C) A MINOR FACTOR in making the decision: a less important element bearing on or affecting a Major Factor, rather than a Major Objective directly.

D) A MAJOR ASSUMPTION in making the decision: a projection or supposition arrived at by the decision maker before considering the factors and alternatives.

E) AN UNIMPORTANT ISSUE in making the decision: an item lacking significant impact on, or relationship to, the decision.

35. Free market winds and retrenchment.

"The situation is grave, very grave." Ishaat Hussain, group finance director and CFO of Tata Steel in the 1990s, remembers telling union leaders in Jamshedpur. The year was 1993, a difficult one for the Tata Group. Free market winds were forcing flagship Tata Steel to trim its employee base. Eventually, over a span of 13 years, more than 20,000 workers were retrenched from the company's Jamshedpur plant. Although the smooth process of de-linking so many workers without creating tensions in a small town like Jamshedpur has been rated highly by management experts, Hussain remembers feeling nervous.

"How did we do it?" he asks, and answers, "By being sensitive and honest. I made a presentation to the unions to show them what the financial position of the company really was and why we needed to retrench all those workers."

Tata Steel spent₹800 crore to ensure that their former workers got a fair deal. Several analysts and consultants were dismayed to think of the strain these payouts would put on the company's financials. "However, it was not a completely altruistic decision. We were also being practical businessmen," says Hussain, who has been with the group for nearly three decades. He is keen to point out the fine balance the Group maintains as it protects stakeholders' interests while adhering to the Tata value system. "I hate typecasting people, but there is one thing known to all Tata people — that the means are as important as the end," says Hussain.

It's not difficult to see why there are two Tata enterprises in the Top 10 BW-IMRB Most Respected Companies list this year — Tata Steel and Tata Motors. The Tata Group has earned respect of the kind that is difficult to emulate. India and Indians look up to the House of Tatas for its particular brand of compassionate capitalism. LEADERSHIP WITH TRUST

A. Sen, 32, who has been working with a private company in Mumbai for the last five years, agrees, "In Mumbai, Tatas are seen as a huge conglomerate, but in Kolkata, they stand for social welfare: whether in the beautifully planned city of Jamshedpur, in the academic institutions they support, or the Tata Memorial Hospital that treats the poorest of the poor. In the east, we think that the Tatas are genuine people; they don't cheat unlike many other industrialists of stature."

India has long benefited from the Tatas' generosity in institution building - whether it is nuclear research (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), cancer treatment and research (Tata Memorial Hospital) in Mumbai and, now, Kolkata too, or social studies (Tata Institute of Social Sciences).

The Tata family's considerable contribution to science and education began in 1896, even before Tata Steel was a reality, when Jamsetji Tata offered half his fortune — a princely 14 buildings and four pieces of land worth ₹30 lakh to the British government to set up a University of Science. It was only in 1904, a year after Jamsetji's death, that the government agreed to set up the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore with the authorities' funds equalling that of Jamsetji's.

Ratan Tata, the Tata Group's current chairman, continued to honour the tradition of investing in the community. It was under his stewardship that, in 2006, the group decided to build a cancer hospital in Kolkata. After Tata Steel acquired Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus to become the sixth largest steelmaker in the world, it quickly drafted plans to engage with people in distress areas like Port Talbot in South Wales, where Corus operates. As Hussain says: "Neither do we displace the management where we go (as with Corus), nor do we disrupt the communities we go into. People have heard of us. Hopefully, through our work, we will demonstrate to them our leadership with trust' philosophy of operating in the businesses that we are in."

100 YEARS OF SOLIDARITY

"When compared to many of its peers, over the past hundred years, the Tata Group has proved that you can be socially responsible and still make money," says BCG India chairman Arun Maira, who was formerly an executive director at Telco. It is a philosophy that has served the Tata Group well. The Group's revenues and market capitalisation have risen by 275 per cent and 700 per cent respectively in the last 10 years.

"We don't have stock options; we get paid good salaries Hussain says. "Mr Ratan Tata is not on any millionaires' list, leave alone any billionaires' list. I must say the fact that I come here and spend the better part of my waking life knowing that a substantial part of my effort goes back to charities is a huge motivating factor."

While 66 per cent of Tata Sons is owned by charitable trusts set up by the Group's founders, philanthropy is not the only reason the Tatas are seen as the most respected business group in the country. For investors like Janak  Mathuradas, 54, a resident of Kalbadevi,  Mumbai, who has 50 per cent of his portfolio in Tata Group stocks, the Tatas mean more than just hefty dividends. His family has held on to Tata Group shares, like Tata Steel, Tata Power, Tata Motors and TCS, for the last four generations. "In the old days, Tata Group shares were known as 'widow shares', as they offered returns you could quite conceivably live off. Tata companies have a clean management, they offer handsome shareholder returns, and almost all of them are market leaders. We have not sold our shares. Instead we have re-Invested the dividend income. I feel emotionally close to the Group."

For young management graduates, being wooed by global and Indian companies, the Tata Group stands for freedom to pursue one's dreams. "Not all young graduates from business schools look for the same thing," says Saballeel Nandi, 31, a senior manager in the Tata Group's executive office. "However, they all do look for a place where you have the freedom to follow your dreams, where you are held accountable but also given the flexibility to make mistakes, and where you can escape the monotony of a daily job through a change in roles and portfolios. The Tata Group offers you all that. I joined Tata Motors in 2001 and was given the flexibility to move from IT to marketing to sales. Two years ago, I joined the Group executive office. Besides, whether it is at a conference or when you interact with outsiders, your visiting card gets you respect respect not for the group's market capitalization or size, but for its legacy."

SWIFTER, HIGHER, STRONGER

Some of that respect also comes from the Tata Group's ability to establish leadership positions across sectors as diverse as automobiles, chemicals, consumer products, telecommunications and information technology, which has come about especially after 1991. The House of Tatas has 96 operating companies, of which 28 were listed with a market capitalisation of roughly 2,91,100 crore last week. The Group's profits of ₹11,380 crore arise out of operations in India and 80 countries worldwide. Excluding Corus' staffers, the Tata Group has about 270,000 employees. "The Tata Group has turned on its head the management theory that conglomerates are messy creatures that don't make money or create value for their investors," says Maira, - The man on the street agrees. "The Tata group won't sink because of its deep pockets. It gives good dividends and treats its employees well. I also like the fact that the group has products and services for the middle class," says Basant D., 45, a daily commuter from Kalyan to mid-town Mumbai and an avid dabbler in stocks.

Having attained the leadership position in domestic markets, the Tata Group is now setting its sights on the global market. It is always raising the bar, always setting new benchmarks, whether it is by buying a company the size of Corus or by promising a Rs 1 lakh car that has caught the imagination of carmakers and buyers worldwide. Several of the Tata Group companies are among the biggest in their category worldwide. Tata Tea is the world's second largest company in the branded tea segment (after the Tetley buyout in 2000). Tata Chemicals is the sixth largest manufacture of soda ash globally. Tata Motors is one of the top five manufacturers of vehicles in the world. Tata Steel is now the sixth largest steelmaker. In the next five years, the Group plans to invest ₹1,02,500 crore. in sectors such as automobiles, power, hotels, steel and telecom.

A gentle giant that has made every effort to win goodwill. the Tata Group is not without its share of challenges. The Group has its hands full with the ongoing integration of workforce, operations and values in its global buy-outs. In India, the Group is facing a debilitating backlash from protesting farmers at Singur, the venue from where the first ₹1-lakh car will be rolled out. Environment groups such as Greenpeace have mounted a campaign against the destruction of a turtle habitat a proposed Tata project in Orissa is likely to cause. The ₹1 lakh car has raised concerns of negative ecological impact. To remain India's most respected group, the Tatas must continue to create value for both shareholders and communities. It's a fine line to walk. Respect is never easily earned - or kept - but nobody knows the game better than the House of Tatas.

DIRECTIONS: The questions that follow relate to the preceding passage. Evaluate, in terms of the passage, each of the items given. Then select your answer from one of the following classifications.

A) A MAJOR OBJECTIVE in making the decision: one of the goals sought by the decision maker.

B) A MAJOR FACTOR in making the decision: an aspect of the problem, specifically mentioned in the passage, that fundamentally affects and/or determines the decision.

C) A MINOR FACTOR in making the decision: a less important element bearing on or affecting a Major Factor, rather than a Major Objective directly.

D) A MAJOR ASSUMPTION in making the decision: a projection or supposition arrived at by the decision maker before considering the factors and alternatives.

E) AN UNIMPORTANT ISSUE in making the decision: an item lacking significant impact on, or relationship to, the decision.

36. Tatas being considered as being social welfare oriented in the east and the image of Tatas.

"The situation is grave, very grave." Ishaat Hussain, group finance director and CFO of Tata Steel in the 1990s, remembers telling union leaders in Jamshedpur. The year was 1993, a difficult one for the Tata Group. Free market winds were forcing flagship Tata Steel to trim its employee base. Eventually, over a span of 13 years, more than 20,000 workers were retrenched from the company's Jamshedpur plant. Although the smooth process of de-linking so many workers without creating tensions in a small town like Jamshedpur has been rated highly by management experts, Hussain remembers feeling nervous.

"How did we do it?" he asks, and answers, "By being sensitive and honest. I made a presentation to the unions to show them what the financial position of the company really was and why we needed to retrench all those workers."

Tata Steel spent₹800 crore to ensure that their former workers got a fair deal. Several analysts and consultants were dismayed to think of the strain these payouts would put on the company's financials. "However, it was not a completely altruistic decision. We were also being practical businessmen," says Hussain, who has been with the group for nearly three decades. He is keen to point out the fine balance the Group maintains as it protects stakeholders' interests while adhering to the Tata value system. "I hate typecasting people, but there is one thing known to all Tata people — that the means are as important as the end," says Hussain.

It's not difficult to see why there are two Tata enterprises in the Top 10 BW-IMRB Most Respected Companies list this year — Tata Steel and Tata Motors. The Tata Group has earned respect of the kind that is difficult to emulate. India and Indians look up to the House of Tatas for its particular brand of compassionate capitalism. LEADERSHIP WITH TRUST

A. Sen, 32, who has been working with a private company in Mumbai for the last five years, agrees, "In Mumbai, Tatas are seen as a huge conglomerate, but in Kolkata, they stand for social welfare: whether in the beautifully planned city of Jamshedpur, in the academic institutions they support, or the Tata Memorial Hospital that treats the poorest of the poor. In the east, we think that the Tatas are genuine people; they don't cheat unlike many other industrialists of stature."

India has long benefited from the Tatas' generosity in institution building - whether it is nuclear research (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), cancer treatment and research (Tata Memorial Hospital) in Mumbai and, now, Kolkata too, or social studies (Tata Institute of Social Sciences).

The Tata family's considerable contribution to science and education began in 1896, even before Tata Steel was a reality, when Jamsetji Tata offered half his fortune — a princely 14 buildings and four pieces of land worth ₹30 lakh to the British government to set up a University of Science. It was only in 1904, a year after Jamsetji's death, that the government agreed to set up the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore with the authorities' funds equalling that of Jamsetji's.

Ratan Tata, the Tata Group's current chairman, continued to honour the tradition of investing in the community. It was under his stewardship that, in 2006, the group decided to build a cancer hospital in Kolkata. After Tata Steel acquired Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus to become the sixth largest steelmaker in the world, it quickly drafted plans to engage with people in distress areas like Port Talbot in South Wales, where Corus operates. As Hussain says: "Neither do we displace the management where we go (as with Corus), nor do we disrupt the communities we go into. People have heard of us. Hopefully, through our work, we will demonstrate to them our leadership with trust' philosophy of operating in the businesses that we are in."

100 YEARS OF SOLIDARITY

"When compared to many of its peers, over the past hundred years, the Tata Group has proved that you can be socially responsible and still make money," says BCG India chairman Arun Maira, who was formerly an executive director at Telco. It is a philosophy that has served the Tata Group well. The Group's revenues and market capitalisation have risen by 275 per cent and 700 per cent respectively in the last 10 years.

"We don't have stock options; we get paid good salaries Hussain says. "Mr Ratan Tata is not on any millionaires' list, leave alone any billionaires' list. I must say the fact that I come here and spend the better part of my waking life knowing that a substantial part of my effort goes back to charities is a huge motivating factor."

While 66 per cent of Tata Sons is owned by charitable trusts set up by the Group's founders, philanthropy is not the only reason the Tatas are seen as the most respected business group in the country. For investors like Janak  Mathuradas, 54, a resident of Kalbadevi,  Mumbai, who has 50 per cent of his portfolio in Tata Group stocks, the Tatas mean more than just hefty dividends. His family has held on to Tata Group shares, like Tata Steel, Tata Power, Tata Motors and TCS, for the last four generations. "In the old days, Tata Group shares were known as 'widow shares', as they offered returns you could quite conceivably live off. Tata companies have a clean management, they offer handsome shareholder returns, and almost all of them are market leaders. We have not sold our shares. Instead we have re-Invested the dividend income. I feel emotionally close to the Group."

For young management graduates, being wooed by global and Indian companies, the Tata Group stands for freedom to pursue one's dreams. "Not all young graduates from business schools look for the same thing," says Saballeel Nandi, 31, a senior manager in the Tata Group's executive office. "However, they all do look for a place where you have the freedom to follow your dreams, where you are held accountable but also given the flexibility to make mistakes, and where you can escape the monotony of a daily job through a change in roles and portfolios. The Tata Group offers you all that. I joined Tata Motors in 2001 and was given the flexibility to move from IT to marketing to sales. Two years ago, I joined the Group executive office. Besides, whether it is at a conference or when you interact with outsiders, your visiting card gets you respect respect not for the group's market capitalization or size, but for its legacy."

SWIFTER, HIGHER, STRONGER

Some of that respect also comes from the Tata Group's ability to establish leadership positions across sectors as diverse as automobiles, chemicals, consumer products, telecommunications and information technology, which has come about especially after 1991. The House of Tatas has 96 operating companies, of which 28 were listed with a market capitalisation of roughly 2,91,100 crore last week. The Group's profits of ₹11,380 crore arise out of operations in India and 80 countries worldwide. Excluding Corus' staffers, the Tata Group has about 270,000 employees. "The Tata Group has turned on its head the management theory that conglomerates are messy creatures that don't make money or create value for their investors," says Maira, - The man on the street agrees. "The Tata group won't sink because of its deep pockets. It gives good dividends and treats its employees well. I also like the fact that the group has products and services for the middle class," says Basant D., 45, a daily commuter from Kalyan to mid-town Mumbai and an avid dabbler in stocks.

Having attained the leadership position in domestic markets, the Tata Group is now setting its sights on the global market. It is always raising the bar, always setting new benchmarks, whether it is by buying a company the size of Corus or by promising a Rs 1 lakh car that has caught the imagination of carmakers and buyers worldwide. Several of the Tata Group companies are among the biggest in their category worldwide. Tata Tea is the world's second largest company in the branded tea segment (after the Tetley buyout in 2000). Tata Chemicals is the sixth largest manufacture of soda ash globally. Tata Motors is one of the top five manufacturers of vehicles in the world. Tata Steel is now the sixth largest steelmaker. In the next five years, the Group plans to invest ₹1,02,500 crore. in sectors such as automobiles, power, hotels, steel and telecom.

A gentle giant that has made every effort to win goodwill. the Tata Group is not without its share of challenges. The Group has its hands full with the ongoing integration of workforce, operations and values in its global buy-outs. In India, the Group is facing a debilitating backlash from protesting farmers at Singur, the venue from where the first ₹1-lakh car will be rolled out. Environment groups such as Greenpeace have mounted a campaign against the destruction of a turtle habitat a proposed Tata project in Orissa is likely to cause. The ₹1 lakh car has raised concerns of negative ecological impact. To remain India's most respected group, the Tatas must continue to create value for both shareholders and communities. It's a fine line to walk. Respect is never easily earned - or kept - but nobody knows the game better than the House of Tatas.

DIRECTIONS: The questions that follow relate to the preceding passage. Evaluate, in terms of the passage, each of the items given. Then select your answer from one of the following classifications.

A) A MAJOR OBJECTIVE in making the decision: one of the goals sought by the decision maker.

B) A MAJOR FACTOR in making the decision: an aspect of the problem, specifically mentioned in the passage, that fundamentally affects and/or determines the decision.

C) A MINOR FACTOR in making the decision: a less important element bearing on or affecting a Major Factor, rather than a Major Objective directly.

D) A MAJOR ASSUMPTION in making the decision: a projection or supposition arrived at by the decision maker before considering the factors and alternatives.

E) AN UNIMPORTANT ISSUE in making the decision: an item lacking significant impact on, or relationship to, the decision.

37. Jamsetji Tata offering half his fortune for setting up science university in the year 1904 and brand name creation.

"The situation is grave, very grave." Ishaat Hussain, group finance director and CFO of Tata Steel in the 1990s, remembers telling union leaders in Jamshedpur. The year was 1993, a difficult one for the Tata Group. Free market winds were forcing flagship Tata Steel to trim its employee base. Eventually, over a span of 13 years, more than 20,000 workers were retrenched from the company's Jamshedpur plant. Although the smooth process of de-linking so many workers without creating tensions in a small town like Jamshedpur has been rated highly by management experts, Hussain remembers feeling nervous.

"How did we do it?" he asks, and answers, "By being sensitive and honest. I made a presentation to the unions to show them what the financial position of the company really was and why we needed to retrench all those workers."

Tata Steel spent₹800 crore to ensure that their former workers got a fair deal. Several analysts and consultants were dismayed to think of the strain these payouts would put on the company's financials. "However, it was not a completely altruistic decision. We were also being practical businessmen," says Hussain, who has been with the group for nearly three decades. He is keen to point out the fine balance the Group maintains as it protects stakeholders' interests while adhering to the Tata value system. "I hate typecasting people, but there is one thing known to all Tata people — that the means are as important as the end," says Hussain.

It's not difficult to see why there are two Tata enterprises in the Top 10 BW-IMRB Most Respected Companies list this year — Tata Steel and Tata Motors. The Tata Group has earned respect of the kind that is difficult to emulate. India and Indians look up to the House of Tatas for its particular brand of compassionate capitalism. LEADERSHIP WITH TRUST

A. Sen, 32, who has been working with a private company in Mumbai for the last five years, agrees, "In Mumbai, Tatas are seen as a huge conglomerate, but in Kolkata, they stand for social welfare: whether in the beautifully planned city of Jamshedpur, in the academic institutions they support, or the Tata Memorial Hospital that treats the poorest of the poor. In the east, we think that the Tatas are genuine people; they don't cheat unlike many other industrialists of stature."

India has long benefited from the Tatas' generosity in institution building - whether it is nuclear research (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research), cancer treatment and research (Tata Memorial Hospital) in Mumbai and, now, Kolkata too, or social studies (Tata Institute of Social Sciences).

The Tata family's considerable contribution to science and education began in 1896, even before Tata Steel was a reality, when Jamsetji Tata offered half his fortune — a princely 14 buildings and four pieces of land worth ₹30 lakh to the British government to set up a University of Science. It was only in 1904, a year after Jamsetji's death, that the government agreed to set up the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore with the authorities' funds equalling that of Jamsetji's.

Ratan Tata, the Tata Group's current chairman, continued to honour the tradition of investing in the community. It was under his stewardship that, in 2006, the group decided to build a cancer hospital in Kolkata. After Tata Steel acquired Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus to become the sixth largest steelmaker in the world, it quickly drafted plans to engage with people in distress areas like Port Talbot in South Wales, where Corus operates. As Hussain says: "Neither do we displace the management where we go (as with Corus), nor do we disrupt the communities we go into. People have heard of us. Hopefully, through our work, we will demonstrate to them our leadership with trust' philosophy of operating in the businesses that we are in."

100 YEARS OF SOLIDARITY

"When compared to many of its peers, over the past hundred years, the Tata Group has proved that you can be socially responsible and still make money," says BCG India chairman Arun Maira, who was formerly an executive director at Telco. It is a philosophy that has served the Tata Group well. The Group's revenues and market capitalisation have risen by 275 per cent and 700 per cent respectively in the last 10 years.

"We don't have stock options; we get paid good salaries Hussain says. "Mr Ratan Tata is not on any millionaires' list, leave alone any billionaires' list. I must say the fact that I come here and spend the better part of my waking life knowing that a substantial part of my effort goes back to charities is a huge motivating factor."

While 66 per cent of Tata Sons is owned by charitable trusts set up by the Group's founders, philanthropy is not the only reason the Tatas are seen as the most respected business group in the country. For investors like Janak  Mathuradas, 54, a resident of Kalbadevi,  Mumbai, who has 50 per cent of his portfolio in Tata Group stocks, the Tatas mean more than just hefty dividends. His family has held on to Tata Group shares, like Tata Steel, Tata Power, Tata Motors and TCS, for the last four generations. "In the old days, Tata Group shares were known as 'widow shares', as they offered returns you could quite conceivably live off. Tata companies have a clean management, they offer handsome shareholder returns, and almost all of them are market leaders. We have not sold our shares. Instead we have re-Invested the dividend income. I feel emotionally close to the Group."

For young management graduates, being wooed by global and Indian companies, the Tata Group stands for freedom to pursue one's dreams. "Not all young graduates from business schools look for the same thing," says Saballeel Nandi, 31, a senior manager in the Tata Group's executive office. "However, they all do look for a place where you have the freedom to follow your dreams, where you are held accountable but also given the flexibility to make mistakes, and where you can escape the monotony of a daily job through a change in roles and portfolios. The Tata Group offers you all that. I joined Tata Motors in 2001 and was given the flexibility to move from IT to marketing to sales. Two years ago, I joined the Group executive office. Besides, whether it is at a conference or when you interact with outsiders, your visiting card gets you respect respect not for the group's market capitalization or size, but for its legacy."

SWIFTER, HIGHER, STRONGER

Some of that respect also comes from the Tata Group's ability to establish leadership positions across sectors as diverse as automobiles, chemicals, consumer products, telecommunications and information technology, which has come about especially after 1991. The House of Tatas has 96 operating companies, of which 28 were listed with a market capitalisation of roughly 2,91,100 crore last week. The Group's profits of ₹11,380 crore arise out of operations in India and 80 countries worldwide. Excluding Corus' staffers, the Tata Group has about 270,000 employees. "The Tata Group has turned on its head the management theory that conglomerates are messy creatures that don't make money or create value for their investors," says Maira, - The man on the street agrees. "The Tata group won't sink because of its deep pockets. It gives good dividends and treats its employees well. I also like the fact that the group has products and services for the middle class," says Basant D., 45, a daily commuter from Kalyan to mid-town Mumbai and an avid dabbler in stocks.

Having attained the leadership position in domestic markets, the Tata Group is now setting its sights on the global market. It is always raising the bar, always setting new benchmarks, whether it is by buying a company the size of Corus or by promising a Rs 1 lakh car that has caught the imagination of carmakers and buyers worldwide. Several of the Tata Group companies are among the biggest in their category worldwide. Tata Tea is the world's second largest company in the branded tea segment (after the Tetley buyout in 2000). Tata Chemicals is the sixth largest manufacture of soda ash globally. Tata Motors is one of the top five manufacturers of vehicles in the world. Tata Steel is now the sixth largest steelmaker. In the next five years, the Group plans to invest ₹1,02,500 crore. in sectors such as automobiles, power, hotels, steel and telecom.

A gentle giant that has made every effort to win goodwill. the Tata Group is not without its share of challenges. The Group has its hands full with the ongoing integration of workforce, operations and values in its global buy-outs. In India, the Group is facing a debilitating backlash from protesting farmers at Singur, the venue from where the first ₹1-lakh car will be rolled out. Environment groups such as Greenpeace have mounted a campaign against the destruction of a turtle habitat a proposed Tata project in Orissa is likely to cause. The ₹1 lakh car has raised concerns of negative ecological impact. To remain India's most respected group, the Tatas must continue to create value for both shareholders and communities. It's a fine line to walk. Respect is never easily earned - or kept - but nobody knows the game better than the House of Tatas.

DIRECTIONS: The questions that follow relate to the preceding passage. Evaluate, in terms of the passage, each of the items given. Then select your answer from one of the following classifications.

A) A MAJOR OBJECTIVE in making the decision: one of the goals sought by the decision maker.

B) A MAJOR FACTOR in making the decision: an aspect of the problem, specifically mentioned in the passage, that fundamentally affects and/or determines the decision.

C) A MINOR FACTOR in making the decision: a less important element bearing on or affecting a Major Factor, rather than a Major Objective directly.

D) A MAJOR ASSUMPTION in making the decision: a projection or supposition arrived at by the decision maker before considering the factors and alternatives.

E) AN UNIMPORTANT ISSUE in making the decision: an item lacking significant impact on, or relationship to, the decision.

38. Tata group building a cancer institute and its social concern.

Directions: This section comprises of two passages. After each passage questions consisting of items relating to the preceding passage are given. Evaluate each item separately in terms of the respective passage and choose your answer as per the following guidelines:

A. If the item is a MAJOR OBJECTIVE in making the decision; that is the outcome or result sought by the decision maker.

B. If the item is a MAJOR FACTOR in arriving at the decision; that is consideration, explicitly mentioned in the passage that is basic in determining the decision.

C. If the item is a MINOR FACTOR in making the decision: a less important element bearing on or affecting a Major Factor, rather than a Major Objective directly.

D. If the item is a MAJOR ASSUMPTION made deliberately; that is a supposition or projection made by the decision maker before considering the factors and alternatives.

PASSAGE II

Mr. Edward Crom, a building contractor by profession, met with an old friend, Mr. Ratan Dass, a marketing consultant. Mr. Crom was excited about a business opportunity and wanted to obtain Dass's evaluation of its prospects. Formmat, a small company producing foam rubber mattresses, was in financial trouble, and its owners were anxious to sell it. The company had been established some twenty years, but its market share had steadily declined over the last five years. Since Mr. Crom had no previous experience in the mattress business, he requested that his friend to find out what he could about the company.

Mr. Dass first analyzed the company's resources. Its best resource was its product and brand name. Foam rubber mattresses are made of imported latex and are extremely firm, unlike synthetic rubber mattresses made of polyurethane. However, synthetics are much cheaper than foam rubber mattresses. Latex mattresses are known for their orthopedic and anti-allergic qualities, among others. The Formmat brand name had very nearly become a generic term for all types of rubber mattresses. Formmat, however, was the only latex mattress produced locally.

Apart from a superior product, the company had few resources. Its equipment, while satisfactory, was old and  had been fully depreciated. It operated in leased premises on a year-to-year basis, although the landlord was willing to conclude a long-term agreement on favourable terms.. On the other hand, the company's labor force was experienced and dedicated and its production manager had more than ten years' experience in latex manufacturing.

Mr. Joe Davies, president of the company, was past seventy years-old and was anxious to retire. He had tried to retire previously, but had failed to train a successor. Apart from Gordron Frederick, the sales manager, no one else shared responsibility for marketing or administration. Gordron Frederick let Ratan Dass know that if the company were sold, he had no intention of remaining. Frederick had eighteen years' experience in the mattress industry, including twelve years with Formmat. If Frederick left the company, Crom might be hard pressed to find a suitable replacement. This was another issue that Ratan Dass would have to study.

Formmat's financial position was precarious. The company was heavily in debt and its line of credit fully extended. There was some question as to whether the company would be able to purchase enough latex to keep production going, but Mr. Davies assured Ratan Dass that the company had a bank letter of credit to purchase an additional three months' supply.

In spite of Mr. Davies's optimism, the fact was that his company had steadily lost market share. Once a dominant mattress manufacturer, with fifty percent of the local market. its market share had now declined to less than ten percent. Mr. Davies attributed this decline to inroads made by spring mattress manufacturers, who had only begun production five years ago. Spring mattresses now accounted for seventy percent of the total market, Davies's company ten percent, with the remaining twenty percent shared by a number of small plants producing synthetic rubber mattresses. Spring mattresses had some attributes similar to those of foam rubber, such as orthopedic qualities. They were less costly to manufacture, but sold to the consumer at about the same price as Formmat mattresses.

Because of Formmat's financial difficulties, it ceased advertising in newspapers and on radio. Little if any advertising had been done in other media over the past five years. As a result, retailers were reluctant to handle the product line. By contrast, two of the larger spring mattress manufacturers had advertised heavily in the mass media. One of these manufacturer's products was sold exclusively by the largest furniture chain in the country

During his study of the mattress market, a number of retailers had expressed the opinion to Mr. Dass that a whole generation of young people were largely unaware of Formmat products because of the lack of advertising. One retailer was quoted as saying: "It is true that older people remember Formmat, but these mattresses last for almost twenty years. The big market is not the replacement market, but sales generated by family formation. Thousands of young couples get married every year, and every marriage means another mattress sale. But these young people only see advertisements for spring mattresses. It is obviously easier for my salesman to sell a mattress which his customers have seen in countless advertisements than one which is relatively unknown."

Dass was aware of the fact that if Formmat was ever to regain some of its lost market share, it would have to launch a major advertising program to educate young adults about the important attributes found in its products. A major question that needed an immediate answer was: "To what extent are people aware of Formmat mattresses and their attributes?" Other questions involved the attitudes of people toward foam rubber mattresses in general and how these attitudes compared to those towards spring mattresses.  Mr. Dass ordered a market research survey to obtain answers to his questions. In brief, the study revealed that a large segment of the population over twenty-five years of age was aware of Formmat mattresses and had favorable attitudes toward their attributes. About three-quarters of these people expressed a preference for foam rubber mattresses for their children (by contrast with other mattresses for their own use). Awareness among younger segments of the population of the attributes of foam rubber mattresses in general, and of Formmat in particular, was very low. Few young people expressed an intention to buy foam rubber mattresses.

On the basis of the preliminary research results, Crom was optimistic that he could turn the company around. In support of his belief, he cited the recognition of the company among a significant portion of the population, and the fact that they would buy a Formmat for their children. He believed that once retailers became aware that new management had taken over the company, they would be willing to stock the product. Crom was aware that the research findings were not always in agreement with his conclusions. However, the finding that young people were relatively unaware of Formmat did not seem to worry him. He felt that a well-designed advertising program would convince may people to buy a foam rubber mattress, rather than any competing type. Moreover, the introduction of a new management team would instill confidence among Formmat's bankers. Credit lines would be increased, thereby improving the company's financial position. However, before making a final decision as to whether to purchase Formmet, Mr. Crom waited for Ratan Dass's final report and recommendations.

39. Public awareness of the high quality of Formmat mattresses

Directions: This section comprises of two passages. After each passage questions consisting of items relating to the preceding passage are given. Evaluate each item separately in terms of the respective passage and choose your answer as per the following guidelines:

A. If the item is a MAJOR OBJECTIVE in making the decision; that is the outcome or result sought by the decision maker.

B. If the item is a MAJOR FACTOR in arriving at the decision; that is consideration, explicitly mentioned in the passage that is basic in determining the decision.

C. If the item is a MINOR FACTOR in making the decision: a less important element bearing on or affecting a Major Factor, rather than a Major Objective directly.

D. If the item is a MAJOR ASSUMPTION made deliberately; that is a supposition or projection made by the decision maker before considering the factors and alternatives.

PASSAGE II

Mr. Edward Crom, a building contractor by profession, met with an old friend, Mr. Ratan Dass, a marketing consultant. Mr. Crom was excited about a business opportunity and wanted to obtain Dass's evaluation of its prospects. Formmat, a small company producing foam rubber mattresses, was in financial trouble, and its owners were anxious to sell it. The company had been established some twenty years, but its market share had steadily declined over the last five years. Since Mr. Crom had no previous experience in the mattress business, he requested that his friend to find out what he could about the company.

Mr. Dass first analyzed the company's resources. Its best resource was its product and brand name. Foam rubber mattresses are made of imported latex and are extremely firm, unlike synthetic rubber mattresses made of polyurethane. However, synthetics are much cheaper than foam rubber mattresses. Latex mattresses are known for their orthopedic and anti-allergic qualities, among others. The Formmat brand name had very nearly become a generic term for all types of rubber mattresses. Formmat, however, was the only latex mattress produced locally.

Apart from a superior product, the company had few resources. Its equipment, while satisfactory, was old and  had been fully depreciated. It operated in leased premises on a year-to-year basis, although the landlord was willing to conclude a long-term agreement on favourable terms.. On the other hand, the company's labor force was experienced and dedicated and its production manager had more than ten years' experience in latex manufacturing.

Mr. Joe Davies, president of the company, was past seventy years-old and was anxious to retire. He had tried to retire previously, but had failed to train a successor. Apart from Gordron Frederick, the sales manager, no one else shared responsibility for marketing or administration. Gordron Frederick let Ratan Dass know that if the company were sold, he had no intention of remaining. Frederick had eighteen years' experience in the mattress industry, including twelve years with Formmat. If Frederick left the company, Crom might be hard pressed to find a suitable replacement. This was another issue that Ratan Dass would have to study.

Formmat's financial position was precarious. The company was heavily in debt and its line of credit fully extended. There was some question as to whether the company would be able to purchase enough latex to keep production going, but Mr. Davies assured Ratan Dass that the company had a bank letter of credit to purchase an additional three months' supply.

In spite of Mr. Davies's optimism, the fact was that his company had steadily lost market share. Once a dominant mattress manufacturer, with fifty percent of the local market. its market share had now declined to less than ten percent. Mr. Davies attributed this decline to inroads made by spring mattress manufacturers, who had only begun production five years ago. Spring mattresses now accounted for seventy percent of the total market, Davies's company ten percent, with the remaining twenty percent shared by a number of small plants producing synthetic rubber mattresses. Spring mattresses had some attributes similar to those of foam rubber, such as orthopedic qualities. They were less costly to manufacture, but sold to the consumer at about the same price as Formmat mattresses.

Because of Formmat's financial difficulties, it ceased advertising in newspapers and on radio. Little if any advertising had been done in other media over the past five years. As a result, retailers were reluctant to handle the product line. By contrast, two of the larger spring mattress manufacturers had advertised heavily in the mass media. One of these manufacturer's products was sold exclusively by the largest furniture chain in the country

During his study of the mattress market, a number of retailers had expressed the opinion to Mr. Dass that a whole generation of young people were largely unaware of Formmat products because of the lack of advertising. One retailer was quoted as saying: "It is true that older people remember Formmat, but these mattresses last for almost twenty years. The big market is not the replacement market, but sales generated by family formation. Thousands of young couples get married every year, and every marriage means another mattress sale. But these young people only see advertisements for spring mattresses. It is obviously easier for my salesman to sell a mattress which his customers have seen in countless advertisements than one which is relatively unknown."

Dass was aware of the fact that if Formmat was ever to regain some of its lost market share, it would have to launch a major advertising program to educate young adults about the important attributes found in its products. A major question that needed an immediate answer was: "To what extent are people aware of Formmat mattresses and their attributes?" Other questions involved the attitudes of people toward foam rubber mattresses in general and how these attitudes compared to those towards spring mattresses.  Mr. Dass ordered a market research survey to obtain answers to his questions. In brief, the study revealed that a large segment of the population over twenty-five years of age was aware of Formmat mattresses and had favorable attitudes toward their attributes. About three-quarters of these people expressed a preference for foam rubber mattresses for their children (by contrast with other mattresses for their own use). Awareness among younger segments of the population of the attributes of foam rubber mattresses in general, and of Formmat in particular, was very low. Few young people expressed an intention to buy foam rubber mattresses.

On the basis of the preliminary research results, Crom was optimistic that he could turn the company around. In support of his belief, he cited the recognition of the company among a significant portion of the population, and the fact that they would buy a Formmat for their children. He believed that once retailers became aware that new management had taken over the company, they would be willing to stock the product. Crom was aware that the research findings were not always in agreement with his conclusions. However, the finding that young people were relatively unaware of Formmat did not seem to worry him. He felt that a well-designed advertising program would convince may people to buy a foam rubber mattress, rather than any competing type. Moreover, the introduction of a new management team would instill confidence among Formmat's bankers. Credit lines would be increased, thereby improving the company's financial position. However, before making a final decision as to whether to purchase Formmet, Mr. Crom waited for Ratan Dass's final report and recommendations.

40. The anti-allergic qualities of Formmat mattresses

Directions: This section comprises of two passages. After each passage questions consisting of items relating to the preceding passage are given. Evaluate each item separately in terms of the respective passage and choose your answer as per the following guidelines:

A. If the item is a MAJOR OBJECTIVE in making the decision; that is the outcome or result sought by the decision maker.

B. If the item is a MAJOR FACTOR in arriving at the decision; that is consideration, explicitly mentioned in the passage that is basic in determining the decision.

C. If the item is a MINOR FACTOR in making the decision: a less important element bearing on or affecting a Major Factor, rather than a Major Objective directly.

D. If the item is a MAJOR ASSUMPTION made deliberately; that is a supposition or projection made by the decision maker before considering the factors and alternatives.

PASSAGE II

Mr. Edward Crom, a building contractor by profession, met with an old friend, Mr. Ratan Dass, a marketing consultant. Mr. Crom was excited about a business opportunity and wanted to obtain Dass's evaluation of its prospects. Formmat, a small company producing foam rubber mattresses, was in financial trouble, and its owners were anxious to sell it. The company had been established some twenty years, but its market share had steadily declined over the last five years. Since Mr. Crom had no previous experience in the mattress business, he requested that his friend to find out what he could about the company.

Mr. Dass first analyzed the company's resources. Its best resource was its product and brand name. Foam rubber mattresses are made of imported latex and are extremely firm, unlike synthetic rubber mattresses made of polyurethane. However, synthetics are much cheaper than foam rubber mattresses. Latex mattresses are known for their orthopedic and anti-allergic qualities, among others. The Formmat brand name had very nearly become a generic term for all types of rubber mattresses. Formmat, however, was the only latex mattress produced locally.

Apart from a superior product, the company had few resources. Its equipment, while satisfactory, was old and  had been fully depreciated. It operated in leased premises on a year-to-year basis, although the landlord was willing to conclude a long-term agreement on favourable terms.. On the other hand, the company's labor force was experienced and dedicated and its production manager had more than ten years' experience in latex manufacturing.

Mr. Joe Davies, president of the company, was past seventy years-old and was anxious to retire. He had tried to retire previously, but had failed to train a successor. Apart from Gordron Frederick, the sales manager, no one else shared responsibility for marketing or administration. Gordron Frederick let Ratan Dass know that if the company were sold, he had no intention of remaining. Frederick had eighteen years' experience in the mattress industry, including twelve years with Formmat. If Frederick left the company, Crom might be hard pressed to find a suitable replacement. This was another issue that Ratan Dass would have to study.

Formmat's financial position was precarious. The company was heavily in debt and its line of credit fully extended. There was some question as to whether the company would be able to purchase enough latex to keep production going, but Mr. Davies assured Ratan Dass that the company had a bank letter of credit to purchase an additional three months' supply.

In spite of Mr. Davies's optimism, the fact was that his company had steadily lost market share. Once a dominant mattress manufacturer, with fifty percent of the local market. its market share had now declined to less than ten percent. Mr. Davies attributed this decline to inroads made by spring mattress manufacturers, who had only begun production five years ago. Spring mattresses now accounted for seventy percent of the total market, Davies's company ten percent, with the remaining twenty percent shared by a number of small plants producing synthetic rubber mattresses. Spring mattresses had some attributes similar to those of foam rubber, such as orthopedic qualities. They were less costly to manufacture, but sold to the consumer at about the same price as Formmat mattresses.

Because of Formmat's financial difficulties, it ceased advertising in newspapers and on radio. Little if any advertising had been done in other media over the past five years. As a result, retailers were reluctant to handle the product line. By contrast, two of the larger spring mattress manufacturers had advertised heavily in the mass media. One of these manufacturer's products was sold exclusively by the largest furniture chain in the country

During his study of the mattress market, a number of retailers had expressed the opinion to Mr. Dass that a whole generation of young people were largely unaware of Formmat products because of the lack of advertising. One retailer was quoted as saying: "It is true that older people remember Formmat, but these mattresses last for almost twenty years. The big market is not the replacement market, but sales generated by family formation. Thousands of young couples get married every year, and every marriage means another mattress sale. But these young people only see advertisements for spring mattresses. It is obviously easier for my salesman to sell a mattress which his customers have seen in countless advertisements than one which is relatively unknown."

Dass was aware of the fact that if Formmat was ever to regain some of its lost market share, it would have to launch a major advertising program to educate young adults about the important attributes found in its products. A major question that needed an immediate answer was: "To what extent are people aware of Formmat mattresses and their attributes?" Other questions involved the attitudes of people toward foam rubber mattresses in general and how these attitudes compared to those towards spring mattresses.  Mr. Dass ordered a market research survey to obtain answers to his questions. In brief, the study revealed that a large segment of the population over twenty-five years of age was aware of Formmat mattresses and had favorable attitudes toward their attributes. About three-quarters of these people expressed a preference for foam rubber mattresses for their children (by contrast with other mattresses for their own use). Awareness among younger segments of the population of the attributes of foam rubber mattresses in general, and of Formmat in particular, was very low. Few young people expressed an intention to buy foam rubber mattresses.

On the basis of the preliminary research results, Crom was optimistic that he could turn the company around. In support of his belief, he cited the recognition of the company among a significant portion of the population, and the fact that they would buy a Formmat for their children. He believed that once retailers became aware that new management had taken over the company, they would be willing to stock the product. Crom was aware that the research findings were not always in agreement with his conclusions. However, the finding that young people were relatively unaware of Formmat did not seem to worry him. He felt that a well-designed advertising program would convince may people to buy a foam rubber mattress, rather than any competing type. Moreover, the introduction of a new management team would instill confidence among Formmat's bankers. Credit lines would be increased, thereby improving the company's financial position. However, before making a final decision as to whether to purchase Formmet, Mr. Crom waited for Ratan Dass's final report and recommendations.

41. Attitude of older consumers towards Formmat mattresses

Directions: This section comprises of two passages. After each passage questions consisting of items relating to the preceding passage are given. Evaluate each item separately in terms of the respective passage and choose your answer as per the following guidelines:

A. If the item is a MAJOR OBJECTIVE in making the decision; that is the outcome or result sought by the decision maker.

B. If the item is a MAJOR FACTOR in arriving at the decision; that is consideration, explicitly mentioned in the passage that is basic in determining the decision.

C. If the item is a MINOR FACTOR in making the decision: a less important element bearing on or affecting a Major Factor, rather than a Major Objective directly.

D. If the item is a MAJOR ASSUMPTION made deliberately; that is a supposition or projection made by the decision maker before considering the factors and alternatives.

PASSAGE II

Mr. Edward Crom, a building contractor by profession, met with an old friend, Mr. Ratan Dass, a marketing consultant. Mr. Crom was excited about a business opportunity and wanted to obtain Dass's evaluation of its prospects. Formmat, a small company producing foam rubber mattresses, was in financial trouble, and its owners were anxious to sell it. The company had been established some twenty years, but its market share had steadily declined over the last five years. Since Mr. Crom had no previous experience in the mattress business, he requested that his friend to find out what he could about the company.

Mr. Dass first analyzed the company's resources. Its best resource was its product and brand name. Foam rubber mattresses are made of imported latex and are extremely firm, unlike synthetic rubber mattresses made of polyurethane. However, synthetics are much cheaper than foam rubber mattresses. Latex mattresses are known for their orthopedic and anti-allergic qualities, among others. The Formmat brand name had very nearly become a generic term for all types of rubber mattresses. Formmat, however, was the only latex mattress produced locally.

Apart from a superior product, the company had few resources. Its equipment, while satisfactory, was old and  had been fully depreciated. It operated in leased premises on a year-to-year basis, although the landlord was willing to conclude a long-term agreement on favourable terms.. On the other hand, the company's labor force was experienced and dedicated and its production manager had more than ten years' experience in latex manufacturing.

Mr. Joe Davies, president of the company, was past seventy years-old and was anxious to retire. He had tried to retire previously, but had failed to train a successor. Apart from Gordron Frederick, the sales manager, no one else shared responsibility for marketing or administration. Gordron Frederick let Ratan Dass know that if the company were sold, he had no intention of remaining. Frederick had eighteen years' experience in the mattress industry, including twelve years with Formmat. If Frederick left the company, Crom might be hard pressed to find a suitable replacement. This was another issue that Ratan Dass would have to study.

Formmat's financial position was precarious. The company was heavily in debt and its line of credit fully extended. There was some question as to whether the company would be able to purchase enough latex to keep production going, but Mr. Davies assured Ratan Dass that the company had a bank letter of credit to purchase an additional three months' supply.

In spite of Mr. Davies's optimism, the fact was that his company had steadily lost market share. Once a dominant mattress manufacturer, with fifty percent of the local market. its market share had now declined to less than ten percent. Mr. Davies attributed this decline to inroads made by spring mattress manufacturers, who had only begun production five years ago. Spring mattresses now accounted for seventy percent of the total market, Davies's company ten percent, with the remaining twenty percent shared by a number of small plants producing synthetic rubber mattresses. Spring mattresses had some attributes similar to those of foam rubber, such as orthopedic qualities. They were less costly to manufacture, but sold to the consumer at about the same price as Formmat mattresses.

Because of Formmat's financial difficulties, it ceased advertising in newspapers and on radio. Little if any advertising had been done in other media over the past five years. As a result, retailers were reluctant to handle the product line. By contrast, two of the larger spring mattress manufacturers had advertised heavily in the mass media. One of these manufacturer's products was sold exclusively by the largest furniture chain in the country

During his study of the mattress market, a number of retailers had expressed the opinion to Mr. Dass that a whole generation of young people were largely unaware of Formmat products because of the lack of advertising. One retailer was quoted as saying: "It is true that older people remember Formmat, but these mattresses last for almost twenty years. The big market is not the replacement market, but sales generated by family formation. Thousands of young couples get married every year, and every marriage means another mattress sale. But these young people only see advertisements for spring mattresses. It is obviously easier for my salesman to sell a mattress which his customers have seen in countless advertisements than one which is relatively unknown."

Dass was aware of the fact that if Formmat was ever to regain some of its lost market share, it would have to launch a major advertising program to educate young adults about the important attributes found in its products. A major question that needed an immediate answer was: "To what extent are people aware of Formmat mattresses and their attributes?" Other questions involved the attitudes of people toward foam rubber mattresses in general and how these attitudes compared to those towards spring mattresses.  Mr. Dass ordered a market research survey to obtain answers to his questions. In brief, the study revealed that a large segment of the population over twenty-five years of age was aware of Formmat mattresses and had favorable attitudes toward their attributes. About three-quarters of these people expressed a preference for foam rubber mattresses for their children (by contrast with other mattresses for their own use). Awareness among younger segments of the population of the attributes of foam rubber mattresses in general, and of Formmat in particular, was very low. Few young people expressed an intention to buy foam rubber mattresses.

On the basis of the preliminary research results, Crom was optimistic that he could turn the company around. In support of his belief, he cited the recognition of the company among a significant portion of the population, and the fact that they would buy a Formmat for their children. He believed that once retailers became aware that new management had taken over the company, they would be willing to stock the product. Crom was aware that the research findings were not always in agreement with his conclusions. However, the finding that young people were relatively unaware of Formmat did not seem to worry him. He felt that a well-designed advertising program would convince may people to buy a foam rubber mattress, rather than any competing type. Moreover, the introduction of a new management team would instill confidence among Formmat's bankers. Credit lines would be increased, thereby improving the company's financial position. However, before making a final decision as to whether to purchase Formmet, Mr. Crom waited for Ratan Dass's final report and recommendations.

42. Willingness of retailers to stock Formmat products in the future

Directions: This section comprises of two passages. After each passage questions consisting of items relating to the preceding passage are given. Evaluate each item separately in terms of the respective passage and choose your answer as per the following guidelines:

A. If the item is a MAJOR OBJECTIVE in making the decision; that is the outcome or result sought by the decision maker.

B. If the item is a MAJOR FACTOR in arriving at the decision; that is consideration, explicitly mentioned in the passage that is basic in determining the decision.

C. If the item is a MINOR FACTOR in making the decision: a less important element bearing on or affecting a Major Factor, rather than a Major Objective directly.

D. If the item is a MAJOR ASSUMPTION made deliberately; that is a supposition or projection made by the decision maker before considering the factors and alternatives.

PASSAGE II

Mr. Edward Crom, a building contractor by profession, met with an old friend, Mr. Ratan Dass, a marketing consultant. Mr. Crom was excited about a business opportunity and wanted to obtain Dass's evaluation of its prospects. Formmat, a small company producing foam rubber mattresses, was in financial trouble, and its owners were anxious to sell it. The company had been established some twenty years, but its market share had steadily declined over the last five years. Since Mr. Crom had no previous experience in the mattress business, he requested that his friend to find out what he could about the company.

Mr. Dass first analyzed the company's resources. Its best resource was its product and brand name. Foam rubber mattresses are made of imported latex and are extremely firm, unlike synthetic rubber mattresses made of polyurethane. However, synthetics are much cheaper than foam rubber mattresses. Latex mattresses are known for their orthopedic and anti-allergic qualities, among others. The Formmat brand name had very nearly become a generic term for all types of rubber mattresses. Formmat, however, was the only latex mattress produced locally.

Apart from a superior product, the company had few resources. Its equipment, while satisfactory, was old and  had been fully depreciated. It operated in leased premises on a year-to-year basis, although the landlord was willing to conclude a long-term agreement on favourable terms.. On the other hand, the company's labor force was experienced and dedicated and its production manager had more than ten years' experience in latex manufacturing.

Mr. Joe Davies, president of the company, was past seventy years-old and was anxious to retire. He had tried to retire previously, but had failed to train a successor. Apart from Gordron Frederick, the sales manager, no one else shared responsibility for marketing or administration. Gordron Frederick let Ratan Dass know that if the company were sold, he had no intention of remaining. Frederick had eighteen years' experience in the mattress industry, including twelve years with Formmat. If Frederick left the company, Crom might be hard pressed to find a suitable replacement. This was another issue that Ratan Dass would have to study.

Formmat's financial position was precarious. The company was heavily in debt and its line of credit fully extended. There was some question as to whether the company would be able to purchase enough latex to keep production going, but Mr. Davies assured Ratan Dass that the company had a bank letter of credit to purchase an additional three months' supply.

In spite of Mr. Davies's optimism, the fact was that his company had steadily lost market share. Once a dominant mattress manufacturer, with fifty percent of the local market. its market share had now declined to less than ten percent. Mr. Davies attributed this decline to inroads made by spring mattress manufacturers, who had only begun production five years ago. Spring mattresses now accounted for seventy percent of the total market, Davies's company ten percent, with the remaining twenty percent shared by a number of small plants producing synthetic rubber mattresses. Spring mattresses had some attributes similar to those of foam rubber, such as orthopedic qualities. They were less costly to manufacture, but sold to the consumer at about the same price as Formmat mattresses.

Because of Formmat's financial difficulties, it ceased advertising in newspapers and on radio. Little if any advertising had been done in other media over the past five years. As a result, retailers were reluctant to handle the product line. By contrast, two of the larger spring mattress manufacturers had advertised heavily in the mass media. One of these manufacturer's products was sold exclusively by the largest furniture chain in the country

During his study of the mattress market, a number of retailers had expressed the opinion to Mr. Dass that a whole generation of young people were largely unaware of Formmat products because of the lack of advertising. One retailer was quoted as saying: "It is true that older people remember Formmat, but these mattresses last for almost twenty years. The big market is not the replacement market, but sales generated by family formation. Thousands of young couples get married every year, and every marriage means another mattress sale. But these young people only see advertisements for spring mattresses. It is obviously easier for my salesman to sell a mattress which his customers have seen in countless advertisements than one which is relatively unknown."

Dass was aware of the fact that if Formmat was ever to regain some of its lost market share, it would have to launch a major advertising program to educate young adults about the important attributes found in its products. A major question that needed an immediate answer was: "To what extent are people aware of Formmat mattresses and their attributes?" Other questions involved the attitudes of people toward foam rubber mattresses in general and how these attitudes compared to those towards spring mattresses.  Mr. Dass ordered a market research survey to obtain answers to his questions. In brief, the study revealed that a large segment of the population over twenty-five years of age was aware of Formmat mattresses and had favorable attitudes toward their attributes. About three-quarters of these people expressed a preference for foam rubber mattresses for their children (by contrast with other mattresses for their own use). Awareness among younger segments of the population of the attributes of foam rubber mattresses in general, and of Formmat in particular, was very low. Few young people expressed an intention to buy foam rubber mattresses.

On the basis of the preliminary research results, Crom was optimistic that he could turn the company around. In support of his belief, he cited the recognition of the company among a significant portion of the population, and the fact that they would buy a Formmat for their children. He believed that once retailers became aware that new management had taken over the company, they would be willing to stock the product. Crom was aware that the research findings were not always in agreement with his conclusions. However, the finding that young people were relatively unaware of Formmat did not seem to worry him. He felt that a well-designed advertising program would convince may people to buy a foam rubber mattress, rather than any competing type. Moreover, the introduction of a new management team would instill confidence among Formmat's bankers. Credit lines would be increased, thereby improving the company's financial position. However, before making a final decision as to whether to purchase Formmet, Mr. Crom waited for Ratan Dass's final report and recommendations.

43. Formmat' present market share

Data Sufficiency Q. NO 24 to 30

24.How is M related to F?

I. F is the sister of N who is the mother of R.

II. M has two brothers, R is one of them.

Give answer

25.Kumud is facing which direction?

I. Nikhil is facing North and if he turns to his left he faces opposite direction as that of Kumud.

II. Saroj who is facing East is to the right of Kumud

Give answer

26. Who amongst P, Q, R, S and T is the tallest?

I. P is taller than Q. T is not the tallest.

II. R is taller than P. S is not the tallest

27. Among Sanjay, Suresh, Navin, Prakash and Karan, who has secured maximum marks in Mathematics?

I. Karan has secured more marks in Mathematics than Suresh and Navin.

II. Sanjay and Prakash have secured less marks in Mathematics than Navin.

28. How is A related to B?

I. A is the sister-in-law of C, who is the daughter-in-law of B, who is the wife of D.

II. B is the mother of A's son's only uncle's son

29. How many students are there in the class?

I. There are more than 20 but less that 27 students in the class.

II. There are more than 24 but less than 31 students in the class. The number of students in the class can be divided into groups such that each group contains 5 students.

30. If a and b are both positive, what percent of b is a?

I. a = 3/11

II. b/a = 20