Lies, damned lies and fake blogs

It feels strange to issue a clarification about an imaginary expose written about on an anonymous blog created 48 hours ago with 0 links (and I won't gratify them by providing the first one). But since Gaurav has blogged about it, and it's in the public domain, here's the deal:

The anonymous blogger wrote
"An article by a dubious small-time publication called JAMMAG on IIPM was sponsored by Amity, it turns out. Aaj tak ran a sting operation where it was revealed on camera that JAMMAG, accepted money in cash from Amity group of educational institutions to write a negative story on IIPM, Amity's cmopetitor for business education programs at the post graudate and undergradute level.

The Aaj tak story has JAMMAG employees on camera talking of the deal... and referring to another such deal for a engineering college which wanted to smear the respected IIT Mumbai."

Yeah, right! And the Pope is fasting because it's the holy month of Ramzan!!

There has been no story on Aajtak re: JAM magazine.
There is no expose because there is nothing to expose.

JAM is a magazine which, in the student interest, printed an article to verify some of the claims made by MBA institute IIPM in its advertisements.

Incidentally, the institute spent Rs 5.1 crores on advertising in May 2005 alone, making it the highest advertiser in print for that month, according to the Economic Times.

As for Amity, here's what I've written about them in the recent past

Credibility Crisis
Considering how 'dubious' and 'small time' JAM is purported to be, someone out there is sure going through a LOT of trouble anyways.

A series of 'blogs' (3 created two days ago and 7 created one day ago) have sprouted up, extolling the virtues of studying at IIPM. They are named:

IIPM Infrastructure
IIPM Rankings
IIPM Rankings 'The Real Truth'
Great Lecture by Sir Geoffrey Owen at IIPM
Placements IIPM
Summer Placement in Planman
IIPM is ahead of its time
IIPM's Publication and Research
Real Gaurav Sabnis (To know what Gaurav 'flesh and blood blogger' Sabnis has to say about that click here)

And they even feature 'comments' such as this:

IIPMstudent9 said...
I dont agree - Hindustan Lever, McKinsey and Bank of America came to campus in IIPM Bangalore - but they only offer 7 lac - 8 lac packages! My friends were happy, buit I'm looking for 12 lac packages... guess the international placements will be able to do that... I heard in New York IIPM students get 20 - 25 lacs...
2005 Student

RealGauravSabnis said...
This IIPM movement is really catching on ... here in the UK everyone is talking about your institute after Prof. Arindam Chowdhry attended meetings with Prime Minister Blair, to promote his book The Great Indian Dream,... Cheers!

And oh, 'The Real Gaurav Sabnis' has also blogged about attending a lecture by Prof. Raymond Richardson from the London School of Academics...

There is nothing more I have to say. Or can say. Except send me a copy of that tape! And do mark a copy to Aajtak!!