PUBLIC RELATIONS

The British Institute of Public Relations defines PR as 'The deliberate, planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain mutual understanding between an organisation and its public'.

Public relations is an ongoing inclusive activity and required planning. A cheerful greeting by a receptionist, an efficient clerk, a polite peon, a well drafted letter, social undertakings, all contribute toward better Public Relations. Thus every person in an organisation directly or indirectly is a PR person. However, due to increasing competition, most large organisations have a dedicated PR Department or Officer or they outsource their PR needs to a PR agency or company.

FUNCTIONS OF THE PR DEPARTMENT

1. PRESS RELATIONS - The PR department disseminates information to the press about the various events, activities, social undertakings etc. This enables increase in publicity.

2. PRODUCT PUBLICITY - Information about the product is presented to the media in the 'Paid sapce'. This is read or heard by a company's customers and prospective customers. It can also publicise the product through sponsorships

3. CORPORATE COMMUNICATION - PR departments promote the understanding of the company and its prodcts and services through internal and external communication.

4. LOBBYING - It means dealing with legislators and governmental officials to promote regulations to the advantage of the company.

5. COUNSELING - PR departments advise the top management on matters related to PR. This also includes advising the company in the event of product mishap. e.g. Maggi

6. IN-HOUSE JOURNALS / NEWSLETTERS / BROUCHERS / ANNUAL REPORTS - Many institutions distribute these to stakeholders as these enable spread information about the company and its products.

7. SPECIAL EVENTS - PR departments also help organisations attract media attention by arranging events, sponsoring events, funding NGOs etc.

8. STAFF WELFARE - Activities for members of the staff are also organised in order to increase their morale. e,g. Achievement recognition, best employee awards, etc

REPORT WRITING

 According to the Oxford English Dictionary: A report is a statement of the results of an investigation or of any matter on which definite information is required.

A report is a well-organized representation of facts or an objective statement of an event that has taken place or exists. It must contain relevant facts and figures. The drafting of a report requires collection of data, analysis and arranging the facts in a logical manner. This is necessary to facilitate decision-making, solving problems, sharing information, investigating incidents, etc. Reports are important means of upward as well as horizontal communication. Reports may be short or long, oral or written, formal or informal.

Formal report writing in professional, technical and business contexts have evolved certain conventions regarding format, style, referencing and other characteristics. These vary in detail between organizations.

All types of reports must be:

-         Reader oriented

-         Precise and concise

-         Accurate

-         Relevant

-         Objective and unbiased

TYPES OF REPORTS

1.    Informational Reports: Collect and present data for the reader. E.g. sales report, quarterly report, accident report etc.

2.    Analytical Reports: Study and interpret data but do not offer suggestions or recommendations. E.g. annual reports, audit reports

3.    Recommendation Reports: recommend actions or suggest solutions. E.g. Feasibility reports, problem solving reports etc

Reports may be written in the schematic or letter format. The longer formal reports follow the schematic format whereas the shorter informal report uses the letter format.

The schematic format is structured as:

1.    Introduction

-         Covering letter

-         Title Page

-         Table of contents

-         List of illustrations

-         Abstract or summary

2.    Body of the Report

-         Terms of reference and authorization (gives the background, scope and objective as well as name of the authorized person)

-         Procedure (Methods adopted for collecting data / information e.g questionnaire, interview or observation)

-         Findings (the outcome of the data collected)

-         Conclusions (deduction based on findings)

-         Recommendations (suggestions or solutions)

3.    References

-         Bibliography

-         Glossary

-         Appendices

-         Index

SAMPLE REPORT

                                                                               Senders Address

                                                                               _________________

                                                                               _________________

                                                                               Date

Receiver’s address

________________

________________

Dear Sir,

Subj: Report on_________________________

Body _______....

Conc _______...

                                                                                      Yours faithfully

                                                                                                Sd/-

                                                                                       Senders name

                                                                                              (Post)

CONFERENCE

The word 'Conference' is derived from the Latin word 'Conferential' which means 'to bring together'. Being a group communication activity, it is a tool of learning, training and development. People are thus able to have discussions and exchange opinions.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A CONFERENCE

- It is a platform for serious intellectual discussion.

- Participants are known as delegates.

- Decisions are not taken at Conferences.

- There is no maximum or minimum number of participants, however, a reasonable number of participants / delegates must be present in order to have a meaningful discussion.

ADVANTAGES OF CONFERENCES

- Conferences encourage exchange of ideas and opinions.

- Issues can be studied in detail and from varied angles.

- Communication is face to face and feedback is immediate.

- Employees are allowed to participate in conferences and this helps in motivating them./

- Conferences help broaden a person's outlook.

- Conferences enhance image of the organizers and sponsors.

- The discussions at conferences provide a valuable base for committee activities in the future.

DISADVANTAGES OF CONFERENCES

- Conferences are not Decision-making bodies and therefore it tends to be a fruitless intellectual exercise.

- At times only a few delegates dominate the discussion and thus there is only limited exchange of ideas.

- If the Chairperson is weak or too dominating, the conference discussion suffers.

- Vague and unrealistic conclusions do not help but rather complicate and cause more confusion.


MODERN OR CONTEMPORARY METHODS OF ORGANIZING A CONFERENCE

TELECONFERENCING - A 'Teleconference' is also called a 'Phone Meeting'. It is a conference via a mobile phone, telephone or network connection. It is an inexpensive method that facilitates more than one person to interact simultaneously. It is time saving and inexpensive as it reduces the need to travel and meet in person.

VIDEOCONFERENCING - It is a medium which provides real-time two way audio-video communication between the presenters and participants over a distance. It is widely used for business as well as academic activities. It can include media such as video clips, animation, graphics, audio, and thus enables better understanding and retention.

ORGANIZING A CONFERENCE

- The Date for the conference must first be finalised keeping in mind that it does not clash with public holidays, festivals or competing events as this will impact participation.

- The Venue for the conference must be suitable to the scale of the conference. The venue should be equipped with facilities such as microphones, LCD projectors, photocopying facilities, etc.

- The conference should be publicised via advertisements, emails, invitations to delegates and guest speakers and a confirmation must be sent well in advance.

- Arrangements for seating, stationary, refreshments, overnight stay if necessary must be made.

- On the day of the Conference a registration desk must be set up and delegates must be provided with badges, schedule of events, a folder containing the abstracts of presentations, evaluation and feedback forms, writing material, etc.

- The Inaugural Session should be well planned as it sets the mood of the conference. The Chairperson should coordinate the sessions and must deliver the concluding session. The conference must conclude with the Vote of Thanks.

SUMMARIZATION

A Summary is a short statement or statements that give the core information excluding the excess / additional details. It expresses the main points of a speech, article, or book

GUIDELINES FOR SUMMARIZATION

- Read the given passage carefully
- Make note of the important / relevant points
- Minimize the use of adverbs, adjectives, descriptions, statistics, etc
- Do not quote proverbs, examples, etc
- Avoid needless repetitions
- Include all major ideas
- Use substitutions (one word substitution / short sentences)
- Use short and simple sentences
- Write your summary

GROUP DISCUSSION

Group discussion is a discussion among individuals in a group on a specific subject. It is a testing device to assess group skills like reasoning ability, leadership ability, inspiring ability, flexibility, creativity, out of the box thinking, listening and articulation skills, social skills, situation handling ability, interpersonal skills, ability to function as a team player, body language and attitude. These skills are required in order to become a successful professional as well as an asset to the institute and will help during placements. Group discussions are a modern screening technique used widely for job selection, elimination as well as placement.

Group discussion topics can be from a wide range of issues; current events, business, sports, politics or any thing in general. The wider your reading interest, the better prepared you will be to face the group discussion.

Here are some tips for effective participation in a GD:

• Understand - Understand the topic before attempting to contribute.
• Speak - Try and get a chance to speak. If you can't get a chance to speak make your chance.
• Initiate - Take the initiative to begin the discussion, if possible.
• Structure - Structure arguments logically - justify your stand.
• Summarize- Summarize the discussion effectively
• Involve- Take active part throughout the GD.
• Assert- Be assertive.
• Articulate- Work continuously towards articulating your ideas into meaningful sentences to make the best impact. Be clear in your speech.
• Emphasize.-Use non-verbal communication to emphasize points.
• Listen- Be an attentive listener.
• Quality, not quantity matters- it's not 'how much' you say, but 'what' you say that's important.

To prepare for a group discussion, keep track of happenings around the world. Make a habit of reading newspapers and magazines, watch interesting documentaries and profiles on television to get a wider perspective on issues. As a team player, your ability to lead and play in team is measured in the GD.

You will have to pursue the following points if you want to be successful in a group discussion. The points are as follows:

• Make sure that you read as much news as possible. Generally the topic is chosen from some of the current happenings. Hence you should be aware of current events. 
• Make sure that you speak loudly and clearly. This is one of the most important things and you could find yourself in difficulty if you do not speak loudly and clearly in a GD.
• You should know that you are not really bounded to think in one way. You are free to think on your own and put forward some new ideas. It is good for you and also for the GD since new ideas will definitely make it interesting.
• You should know what the topic is really about. If you have no clarity then you should wait for some time and let the other speak at first. When the matter is quiet clear  then you should start speaking with new ideas in mind.

IMPORTANT
Knowledge: Knowledge about the subject can never be replaced in a GD. No matter how good you might be communicating, but if your sentences don't reflect that you are knowledge bank then it's probably not going to work out. You are required to talk in a GD but inputs that don't contain any substantial value will not help in any way. One has to keep himself updated by knowing what all is happening around the globe.

Alertness and presence of mind: In a GD you are required to carefully listen to the other person's thoughts and keep an argument, example or a supportive statement, fact, example ready to participate in the discussion. This shows how alert you are, how much importance you give to when someone is putting his or her point forward. This also shows how good listener you are, at time, things turn up to be a mess when you feel that what is being said is not making sense. Don't get irritated. Remember that you need to be calm and composed. Many times after a mess happening in a GD, candidates who are calm are selected.

Out of the box thinking: This reflects that you have a different way of looking at things. You need to be creative and have to put points that might amaze the panel. Remember, while working there are times when we need to find out solutions to the problem in a better way, thinking out of the box helps you finding smart and good solutions at times.

• Group strength is usually 8 to 12 members
• Correctly saying what you want to say- speaking effectively and efficiently is very important
• Be a good listener
• Never use technical language while speaking
• Not knowing is not a problem, do not try to bluff

FUNDAMENTAL DUTIES - INDIA

According to Article 51 A, it shall be the duty of every citizen of India:

- To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem

- To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom.

- To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India

- To defend the country  and render national service when called upon to do so

- To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women

- To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture

- To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures

- To develop a scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform

- To safeguard public property and abjure violence

- To strive toward excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement

- A parent or guardian must provide opportunities for education to his child, or as the case may be, ward between the age of six and fourteen years

While the Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles lay down what the State must do for its citizens, the Fundamental duties describe that the citizens must do for the State. 

MNS - MAHARASHTRA NAVNIRMAN SENA

In 2001 Balasaheb Thackeray appointed his son Uddhav Thackeray as his political successor, thereby bypassing his nephew Raj Thackeray. In January 2006, Raj Thackeray resigned from the Shiv Sena to form the Maharashtra NavNirman Sena (MNS).

The main agenda of the MNS includes but is not restricted to:

- It is committed to raising the status of Maharashtra State, its people and the Marathi language

- It is concerned about the State of Maharashtra and its cultural and material prosperity.

- It will bring people of Maharashtra together irrespective of caste, religion, sect or class for the development of Maharashtra

- It will strive to resolve all problems that obstruct the development of Maharashtra State and the Marathi Manus and will engage at all levels.