High Performance Innovation Framework

Based on work over the past decade with companies across multiple sectors and geographies, Monitor Group has developed “High Performance Innovation” framework that outlines the key elements required to drive innovation leadership. In addition to innovation environment, the framework has four elements: leadership, strategy, structure/processes, and people. Since innovation is managed as a system, weaknesses in any one of these elements can result in poor innovation performance.
The external Environment of a company helps define the growth objectives of a company and intensity required to compete. These factors then translate to the urgency and importance of innovation as a pillar for survival, growth and leadership.Leadership is the clarity of the vision for driving innovation in the firm. It includes how committed leadership is on the topic of innovation; how clearly and often the importance and urgency of innovation is communicated to the organisation; and how it is linked to the strategic intent of the firm.The top half of the diamond represents the Strategy element of the framework and evaluates the sophistication of the innovation strategy of a company. It tests questions like does the firm view innovation strategy as search for a silver bullet or as an organisational capability? How does the company manage risk, uncertainty and ambiguity? What is the role of partnerships? Are there notions about options and hedges?The bottom half of the diamond covers the hardware and linkages needed to allow ideas to move quickly and effectively from concept to commercialisation. Specifically, it covers issues with Organisation, Processes, Systems and Assets.The Culture and Metrics satellites spinning around the diamond represent the importance of people and culture in making innovation happen. This element helps reveal the propensity for an organisation and individuals to take risk, collaborate, and be entrepreneurial.
source::Business today

Love or Duty

Love or Duty, an 1871 chromolithograph by Gabriele Castagnola. The painting depicts a nun and an artist who have fallen in love, but the nun is torn between her heart and her duty to God. The image contains several symbolic suggestions. From her wrist, two charms can be seen: a human skull and a crucifix; the latter partially hidden in her sleeve. Meanwhile, the artist's cape has shifted slightly to reveal a dagger.

Neuschwanstein Castle

A photochrom print of the front of Neuschwanstein Castle, Bavaria, Germany taken as few as ten years after the completion of the castle's construction. The palace was built by Ludwig II of Bavaria as a retreat and as a homage to Richard Wagner, the King's inspiring muse. About 1.3 million people visit annually, making it one of Germany's most popular tourist attractions

Education Quality in India

More Indian children are in school than ever before, but the quality of public schools such as the one in Lahtora, in the background, has sunk to spectacularly low levels.Above pictures will surely give light to present situation of rural education of INDIA .Happy Republic Day.JAI HIND

Makar Sankranti
Makara Sankranti (It is a sanskrit word) is the harvest festival of India. Sankranti means transmigration of Sun from one Rashi (something akin to the zodiac) to the other. Hence there are 12 such Sankrantis in all. But the transition of Sun from Dhanu Rasi to Makara Rasi marks the starting of Uttarayana which means northern movement of Sun. Since Uttarayana is Considered as auspicious time, Makara Sankranti is celebrated as the beginning of that period It is celebrated by many cultures in different manners.
In North India,
Punjab - Lohri
Uttarakhand - Uttarayani
West Bengal and Assam - Bhogali Bihu
Gujarat and Rajastan - Uttarayan (Kite flying festival)
Maharashtra - Makar Sankrant
In South India,
In Kerala and Tamilnadu and Tamils in Sri Lanka - Pongal
In Andhra Pradesh,Karnataka - Sankranthi
Other places as Makara Sankranti.
The Gujarati people are the most prominent in celebrating Uttarayana, which is a prominent part of Gujarati culture by flying kites all over Gujarat and in Mumbai, India. Sankranthi is the most important festival of Telugu people, like Deepavali is for Tamil people.

Indians are rushing headlong to get behind the wheel, as incomes rise, car loans proliferate and the auto industry churns out low-cost cars to nudge them off their motorcycles. They bought 1.5 million cars last year, and by some estimates India is expected to pass China this year as the fastest-growing car market. That car mania was on display at the Auto Expo in New Delhi this week, as Maruti Suzuki unveiled a concept car.

Two bees collect nectar from Cirsium arvense (commonly known as Creeping Thistle) flowers. Although this plant is considered as a weed and invasive species, it provides food for the Goldfinch and Linnet, as well as over 20 species of Lepidoptera, including the Painted Lady butterfly, and the Engrailed, a species of moth, and several species of aphids. It is also edible by humans, but rarely used due to its propensity to induce flatulence in some people.