contents

34 COVER STORY Lead STORY 46

149 50 Industry
Institutions supported
you must know courses
A Careers360 presentation on all the public institutions set up Examining the new breed of career oriented non-degree
by GoI that offer academic programmes certifications supported by a firm or a sector
List of offerings from each institute in 11 diciplines/sectors Detailed analysis of all the 50 courses.

careers and courses

Learning a Foreign Language 58
Mastery over languages throws open vast career
opportunities and salaries too are attractive
66
Fashion as a career 66
Be a celebrity stylist, a fashion editor, or an entrepreneur
who dabbles in top of the line fashion brands

MSc in environment studies  72

Booming career opportunities as most companies
take up corporate social responsibilities

2 careers 360 July 2009

 careers 360
July 2009 l Volume I l Issue 4

Publisher
Maheshwer Peri

GURUGYAN Editor
B Mahesh Sarma
Executive Editor
“More choice will force Moitreyee Chatterjee
Special Correspondents
institutions to adopt Urmila Rao
Sumita Vaid Dixit
transparency norms. It will Design
also eliminate poor quality Art Director
Anshul Sharma
institutions and help in Sr Visualiser

capacity building”
Rajesh Chawla

18 Jr. Visualiser
Thomas Mampilly
Rajendra S Pawar
Research
Dr. Nimesh Chandra
Bharti M Borah

advisory regulars Priya Naik

Shiphony Pavithran

Cracking AIEEE 26 Letters 4 Business Office

An effective preparation strategy to clear Ad sales
the exam In the News 8 North
advt.north@pathfinder360.co.in
West
Online CAT 32 Motivation 24 advt.west@pathfinder360.co.in
Focus on a strong conceptual foundation Early rising, a winning habit Bangalore
advt.blr@pathfinder360.co.in
before fine-tuning your online skills
Teachers’ Talk  30 Chennai
advt.chn@pathfinder360.co.in
Internship 56 Foreign universities in India Hyderabad
An opportunity to experience real work life advt.hyd@pathfinder360.co.in
Scholarship Review 80 East
advt.east@pathfinder360.co.in
Swedish Institute
Head Office

FEATURES IIIT Bangalore  84 AB-12, S.J. Enclave,

New Delhi — 110 029
Charting industry-academia collaboration Tel: 40591800-807;
e-mail:
Students’ Alert  14 Book Review  87 sales@pathfinder360.co.in

Regulations in professional education To do as best negotiators do Mumbai : Tel: 67382222

and the plight of students Kolkata : Tel: 40085012
Career Guidance  88 Chennai : Tel: 28582251/52.
Telefax: 28582250
Pervin Malhotra Bangalore :
IIPM- Yet another lie 16 Tel: 25582806/07;
Fax: 25582810
Post our exposé IIPM changes tack World & India  90 Hyderabad : Tel: 23375776
on foreign degree but the saga of lies Entrepreneurial indicators  Telefax: 23375676

continues Printed and published by

How fair are job fairs? 
Job fairs now are increasingly an image
building exercise for companies
Promise of India 
India’s economy is robust enough for
businesses to grow
Maheshwer Peri on behalf of
20 Ready Reckoner 91 Pathfinder Publishing Private
Limited. Editor: B Mahesh Sarma.
Printed at: International Print-O-
Pac Limited, C 4-C 11, Phase II,
Noida and published from AB-12,
S.J. Enclave, New Delhi — 110 029
76 96
Distributed by Outlook Publishing
Upclose (India) Pvt. Ltd., AB-10, Safdurjung
Imran Khan Enclave, New Delhi-110029

How to pick a Counsellor?  78 “…whatever I’d do, Cover Design

Follow a counsellor or rely on your Anshul Sharma
studied judgement to select a course I would be good at.”

3 careers 360 July 2009

Letters
I congratulate your initiative
which I am sure requires a
lot of constant backbreak-
ing research, and objective
presentation. The detailed
effort is very much visible
when one goes through the
magazine.
I was initially skeptical as
to whether this magazine is
targeting a very narrow read-
ership segment. Much to my
amazement, I found young-
sters reading it. And people
much older to me discussing
with me some information
which had interested them,
and which had appeared in
one of your previous issues.
Initially, I had only browsed
through the first issue. Now,
I realise it is engrossing and
engaging enough to look for-
ward to the next one.
Would appreciate it if you,
at any time in the future,
focus on the need for qual-
ity teachers or an investiga-
tive piece on cubby-holed
coaching classes and wheth-
er students have a right to
demand better facilities
(basic ones).
Shishir Joshi thru email
Hi, Amazing Magazine...just
right for all my needs. Being
from the education sector,
we needed something like
a ready reckoner...and your
magazine is an answer to all
our prayers... Keep up the
good work.
Pawan Solanki, on the web
In the article on open course-
ware Stanford address was
given www.see.stanford.edu
but correct URL is www.soe.
stanford.edu
Gokulnath, on the web
Sir, make it popular. No
doubt this will be a leading
magazine in the world. Many
of the students don’t know
this.
Aslesha, on the web
I’ve come across the lat-
FREE ON ELECTIONS 1951-2009 INSIDE
BOOK
CAREERS 360
June 2009 Rs 40
È@ek\^iXk`e^ est edition of your magazine
CAREERS360; it gives me
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You are immense pleasure to say
that you and your team are
@E;<GK?
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interesting doing a great job in guid-
ing the upcoming talents in
various streams. Your maga-
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zine gives them a complete
picture which helps them in

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identifying the right oppor-
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tunities for themselves.
FIRST PERSON CAMPUS UPSC TOPPER COURSE REVIEW
KIRAN REVIEW TALKS TO COMPUTER
MAZUMDAR SHAW TERI UNIVERSITY CAREERS360 SCIENCE
Also HOW TO CHOOSE A CAREER■ TEACHER TALK: PROF PREM VRAT HOW TO PREPARE YOUR CV
Looking forward to your
■
Final june cover.indd 1 5/22/09 7:08:46 PM
next edition and hoping that
The June 09 issue is quite exciting. It shows you are your team shall continue to
now getting your bearings right. The structuring of the do a wonderful job going for-
contents pages is more user-friendly and to the point. ward.
Navigation is right now much better. The exposé shows, Abu Suri, on the web
you are not yet another magazine out to sell feel good
stuff. Keep up the good work. Publish more advisories. Kudos on bringing forth a
Your piece on getting to a US university is wonderful. magazine that shows light on
lot of career dilemmas. The
I just hope IIPM is not a one story wonder, but standing
article revealing shocking
up for the student is hardwired on to your DNA
information on IIPM is truly
Ranjeetha Kumar, Ranchi an eye opener. Being a com-
merce graduate, I have often
r
seen that no one discusses
Lette e any other career opportuni-
o f t h
h
mont ties for commerce students
other than MBA. I liked the
article on CA/ICWA, but
The Teachers’ Talk by Prof. The story on IIPM is gener- I would like you to cover
Prem Vrat was wonderful. ally good and an eye open- details of other small cours-
Very well said in limited er. But there are scores of es like CFP, CFA (both India
words and encouraging arti- others who offer campus and USA) and also promis-
cle. Matter of chance I was programmes illegally, they ing foreign degrees that has
feeling little deviated from are actually allowed to award huge market value in India
my work and reading this degrees in their jurisdic- life CPA, USA/ACCA, UK
article reminds me to carry tion, but establish centers in and CIMA, UK.
on my work. other cities of another State Suresh Prabhu, Bangalore
Devendra, on the web where they are actually reg-
istered. They charge exor- You guys are doing great job
Great article on IIPM. It’s bitant fees and award fake by exposing these kinds of
time someone stood up for degrees. Sadly the corpo- fraud institutes. Are these
the students’ rights. But a rates too support such ven- articles going into vernacu-
word of caution - 90% of tures and encourage them lar press also? A great num-
the students dont’ need the to flourish. Are you going to ber of people can be made
rights. They know exactly write something about them aware through that medium
what the institute is worth too? only. I hope that IIPM can
and want to have a good time J Sarosh, on the web be brought to book for this
for two years. Articles like kind of hoax.
these might take the good I was lucky enough to go Rohit Agarwal on the web.
times away from them and through the 1st edition of
the institutes might force your magazine and was very Not only are the claims of
them to actually work hard- much impressed and it is this institute false but also
er. Beware we may have tal- more helpful for the pros- that of their consulting divi-
ent explosion in that case. pects for our children. sions too. Employees work-
Vikrant, on the web C.Vasudeva Rao, on the web ing here get salaries based
4 careers 360 july 2009
Letters
on the authority’s whims
and fancies. There is neither
professionalism nor a corpo-
rate culture in this company
and they claim to be India’s
only 360 degree consult-
ing organisation. God only
knows what it means. People
boast of the ad spend to proj-
ect big about the company,
wherein internally there is
nothing strong or profes-
sional.
People do not get salaries,
are fired upon wishes of
managers and need to fight
for reimbursements, etc.
People who study in IIPM
and do not get jobs outside
are taken in this consulting
divisions and claimed place-
ments.
Rip, on the web
I am Manish, a student of
IIPM. The first day when I
attended the IIPM orienta-
tion by Mr Arindam Choud-
hary he claimed that
IIPM is the best uni-
versity on earth, it
gives you knowl-
edge of econom-
ics and CAT is
the stupidest
exam on earth. He
also declared that
90% of the lec-
turers in the col-
lege are pass outs
of IIPM.
There is no
selection proce-
dure for getting into
the college. Just a for-
mality exam and every-
one get into it. People
who got 30% in their
bachelor’s are also eligible
and admitted. I had also vis-
ited GOTA through IIPM.
It’s like regular classes in
other universities. They
don’t even provide food to
you abroad but they will just
give you trivial amount for
you to have your day’s meal.
They will not provide you
any plans to visit the city
and leave it upon you to plan
your own trip. It is similar
to the act of leaving or free-
ing the pets in the jungle to
roam for some time and then
returning to the master.
Manish, on the web
This is extremely scary and
devastating. For all these
years while interviewing
candidates from IIPM and
other such business schools
with tall claims I always
wondered, “How is it pos-
sible that such a supposedly
great B-school is unable to
Dear Shahrukh,
I am one of those mil-
lions who are in awe of
your screen presence and
admire your plain speak in
real life. I’m writing to you
this letter for I know that,
as a pan-Indian icon,
innumerable stu-
dents have lot of
faith and trust in
you and consume
brands primarily
because of your
endorsement. I’m
sure that you are
also aware that it
is the trust and
admiration
that we place
in you that
helps make
business sense
for all brands.
produce quality profession-
als!” Now the truth is out,
students who take up these
courses in such B-schools
are mostly not selected via
merit - it’s the finances. It
is shocking that a scam was
being carried out with such
audacity! Full page ads in
national newspapers!
6 careers 360
I will spread this report far
and wide through my net-
works to ensure that the next
IIPM batch does not see any
students! Students also must
realise that if they secured
admission in one of these
institutes just because they
got the money, there ought
to be something fishy!
Vikas Das, on the web
I attended IIPM way back
in 1986-88. Basically it is
a shop which was run by
Dr.M.C.Chaudhary, now
assisted by his son. They
have been taking students
What has propelled me to
write this letter to you is
your association with a so-
called educational institu-
tion, IIPM. Do you know
that IIPM has been tak-
ing students for a ride, as
Careers360 has compre-
hensively exposed? It suc-
ceeds primarily because it
has successfully mastered
the art of telling lie loudly
and repeatedly. When that
is not enough, it ropes in
people, who have credibil-
ity. And that’s what they
have done with you.
Please don’t endorse a
brand that will take thou-
sands of students into a
black hole.
With regards
Manish
New Delhi
and their parents for one
hell of a ride. This institu-
tion has no credibility in the
corporate world. However,
the father-son duo continues
to rake in money and make a
fool of this country. Minis-
try of HRD should seriously
look into their operations.
Sandeep Singhal, on the web
july 2009


@em\jk`^Xk`fe 
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8jlg\i`fiZflij\#^cfYXc\ogfjli\# BBA/MBA degrees
`ek\ieXk`feXc]XZlckpXe[[fccXijXc$ IIPM CLAIMS to award PG/UG degrees from IMI Belgium. We checked with
NVAO, the accreditation organization of Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium)
Xi`\j#jfZcX`dj@@GD%:Xi\\ij*-'
about IMI Belgium. The response from them is given below. This implies
`em\jk`^Xk\j that the degree that students earn would be useless for higher education or
employment anywhere in the world, where formal degrees are required.
Yp9DX_\j_JXidX
-----Original Message-----
K
his started off as a normal investigation, into From: Axel Aerden [mailto:a.aerden@nvao.net]
the malaise affecting the education system Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2009 8:14 PM
and the checks and balances that need to be
To: mahesh@outlookindia.com; info@nvao.net
brought in. After all, we all know that the gov- Subject: RE: Kind attn: Mr.Axel Aerden, as per telecon
ernment cannot be a sole participant in making the yesterday
youth employable and the country a prosperous one.
Dear Mr. Peri
Everyone that we spoke to was of the unanimous To answer your first question, I would refer to our official
opinion – while a systemic overhaul is essential to register of recognised institutions and degrees: http://www.
improve the quality of many bad institutions in the
highereducation.be . Please read two items in our section
country, the least we could do is to protect students
FAQ:- http://www.hogeronderwijsregister.be/faq/117/48
and parents from being misguided and misled by
- http://www.hogeronderwijsregister.be/faq/117/49
willful wrong-doers. There are institutes where stu-
IMI Belgium is not a recognised higher education institution
dents walk in with their eyes open and know what
(neither in the Dutch nor the French speaking part of
to expect. And there are those where they walk in,
Belgium). Since it is not recognised it cannot award
blinded – misled, misguided and misinformed, by a
recognised degrees.
campaign where media, regulatory agencies and aca-
demia become willing accomplices. While we can’t do
In our position it is difficult to answer your second question.
much about the informed decisions, we have to take
For us only registered institutions with accredited
up the cause of those who were cheated, an act that programmes are considered credible.
robs students of their career and in a way, their life. Best regards
As we scanned the ads, spoke to experts, affected
parties and counselors, we realised that one name
cropped up the most – IIPM. We decided to inves- Campus placement
tigate. We sent mails to all those, that IIPM draws
upon to validate its claims in its advertisements, BASED ON some of the claims about MNC employers participating in the
namely – journalists, editors, foreign universities, campus recruitments at IIPM, we checked with a few of them. We are listing
employers. We spoke to current and former students a few responses, of employers, who have denied having recruited from the
and their parents. What our investigation unravelled IIPM campus from the class of 2008, though IIPM claims otherwise. There
left us cold. Here is an institution that enjoys all the have been a few more, who did not respond and we did not pursue, as we
privileges of an academic institution (according to already got a sample of what is in store. Some gave us information but refused
IT authorities, it claimed exemptions citing Section to come on record.
10(23C) (VI) of the Income Tax act, 1961) with zero
STANDARD CHARTERED BANK,jXpj
responsibility and accountability. Here is an institu-
N\_Xm\_`i\[0jkl[\ekj]ifd@@GDk_`jp\Xi#k_fl^_k_`jnXjefkk_ifl^_k_\
tion that brazenly uses its power and reach to make ZXdglji\Zil`kd\ekgifZ\jj%K_\j\Xi\Xcc]i\j_\ij%
unsubstantiated claims that play with the lives of
students and parents alike. We know we are opening BARCLAYS, DUBAI
a Pandora’s Box, but are prepared for the repercus- @_Xm\cffb\[`ekfk_\Y\cfnXe[n\Xk9XiZcXpj#L8<;lYX`_Xm\efk[fe\Xep
ZXdgljgcXZ\d\ekn`k_k_`j`ejk`klk\%
sions, knowing fully well that you, our readers are
with us. We were shocked by our findings, and what
DEUTSCHE BANKjdji\jgfej\
you are reading is just a part of it. We await your ;\lkjZ_\YXeb_XjefXjjfZ`Xk`fen`k_@@GD`ek\idjf]ZXdgljgcXZ\d\ekj%
verdict. N\dXp_Xm\fe\fiknf\dgcfp\\j]ifd@@GDXkk_\ale`fic\m\cYlkk_XkËjXYflk`k%
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20-23_IIPM.indd 20-21
I am an alumnus of XLRI,
Jamshedpur and a resident
of Dubai...The monthly
house rents are in the range
of 3000-4000 AED...for
a small studio....and this
is after a steep 70% fall in
house rents!!.... How can a
person survive with 3500
AED of salary here? If he
happens to be married, then
it is simply impossible.... I
think this research was long
overdue...the person respon-
sible needs to be put behind
bars ASAP for misguiding
gullible students. This is just
a scheme to make quick fix
money by claiming various
Tax exemptions...The new
HRD minister needs to take
immediate actions in order
to salvage the situation.
Srinivas, on the web
A good researched article
but the comments seem to
be biased. Even I am against
this marketing make-up
of IIPM and their way of
branding and false promo-
tions. It has always targeted
the Tier-2 and 3 cities as
its potential consumers and
they are lured by the gim-
micks. If it was such a fraud
it wouldn’t have survived but
 some action against them. full page advertisement in this is expected because it
But nevertheless you people every national newspaper is run by India’s only self
@E:C8@DJ6 have done a great job....Now
it’s the job of Newspaper
almost every week. I mean
how they will provide facili-
proclaimed management
GURU!
people to carry it further. ties to the students, because
International collaborations
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Mathew, on the web
it is ultimately the students’
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Sameer, on the web

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money which will be used I appreciate the efforts

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@j_flc[ZXlk`fek_Xk@Xdfecpi\jgfe[`e^]fik_\DZ:fdYj

The veracity of your find- for advertisement. Such a made by Career360. It’s
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ings with respect to IIPM waste of money of students’ an eye opening investiga-
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might still be disputed by parents!!! tion and facts are enough
some but it brings to light And see their claims...IIT, to SAY NO to IIPM. How-
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a more pressing issue. The IIMs, Harvard, and Yale... ever IIPM can’t be blamed
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impunity with which purely whatever institute their chief alone. Now-a-days many stu-
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Dear Urmila, commercial establishments knows the name of!! dents think that it’s the insti-
are posing as ‘educational I am a student of National tute which can give them job
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institutions’ is truly alarm- Institute of Technology and or make their career.

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ing. UGC has an important I know how funds have to Those students have no
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link which it updates regu- be carefully managed by an confidence in themselves.

Haas gave us a series of three responses.
See box in the next page

)( :8I<<IJ *-' ALE<)''0

larly http://www.ugc.ac.in/ institute so as to provide IIPM is opportunistic and

inside/fakealerts.html but maximum facilities to a stu- doing business by manipu-
5/25/09 10:41:16 PM

still more needs to be done dent at minimum cost. Insti- lating those students.
it is still strong on its student to disseminate such infor- tutes like IIPM which use Indrajit, on the web
intakes. This essentially mation to the students. so much of their money in
means two things: a) People Amit, on the web advertisements have obvi- Hey someone make SRK
are just plain dumb and are ously the focus of cashing also aware of these facts.
lured into this. b) This school If you guys are really seri- in on more and more money I hope you guys know that
is serving at least some pur- ous about “exposing” such rather than teaching the he recently made a deal to
pose for the students who institutes, u should take it students and building the host their B-School Quiz for
have no knowledge or influ- up with the UGC/AICTE/ nation strong by providing 3 years. I am sure that he
ence to break into a decent Education ministry and see us with good trained man- would never take this if he
job. At the end of it, if one to it that there is some con- power. knew these facts...Believe me
is good and learns to utilize clusion to it. We have seen We should ban such insti- if he is going to host it then
the time in a B-school he is many a such exposé and tutes. no doubt people will still go
bound to get good shot at nothing much has happened Neeraj Shukla, on the web to IIPM despite knowing all
an interview and convert it. later on. Dont just do it to this.
The brand name does matter increase hits and sell more I belong to the batch of Ankit, on the web
and the top 25 B-schools are magazines 2005-2007, I can assure all
definitely niche. There is no Ameya, on the web the readers one thing about This article serves the
comparison between IIPM this institution that it’s an purpose well… by expos-
and IIMs for sure. I have always found it absolute disaster. They ing the fraudulent claims
Pooja, on the web unconvincing that an edu- have lied and made promises of the scamsters, it makes it
cational institute can give they could never deliver. All imperative on us readers to
Hello Careers360 Team, question the very authen-
Congratulations for this awe- ticity of like articles in
some job. I’ve always been Dear Reader the media....we got to start
wondering how come they somewhere right? And
claim to be one of the top Despite our best efforts, we might make mistakes, miss what better way than to
B-Schools in India. Some- out information, allow errors to creep in or even leave confront the frauds with
times even they claim to beat out issues of critical interest to you. facts? And as for the media...
IIMs too. That’s ridiculous. So we invite you to advise us, correct us, suggest story well they may buy the
Keep up the good work ideas and most importantly tell us what is it that we print media…but we have
Amit Gupta, on the web could do to improve this product. a major tool in the form of
electronic medium - don’t
Wow, you have com- This is a journey best undertaken together. we? I guess that’s why we
pletely exposed a fraud rise need to spread this news....
urp ts
institution. But your A S t Awai t and encourage the author for
Gif he Bes Write to us at editor@pathfinder360.co.in
work will go waste T etter an encore!!!
until the MHRD takes L Vivek, on the web

7 careers 360 july 2009

careers NEWS CAMPUS NEWS NEW COURSES EVENTS

Reforming higher education May sees slowdown

Hiring activity was down by 1.9% in
May ’09 as compared to April ’09,
according to the monthly update
of Naukri JobSpeak. The overall job

U nion Minister for Human Resource

Development, Kapil Sibal announced
an ambitious reform plan for higher edu-
index declined by 1.9% from 677 in
April ’09 to 664 in May ’09.
Telecom and pharma sectors saw a
cation system in India. Sibal unveiled a drop of 12% and 14% respectively
string of reform proposals at legislative and during the period.
policy levels to be initiated in his first 100- FMCG, Food & Beverage industry,
days of work. Some of the major initiatives however, registered a growth in
include: hiring by 9% in May ’09.

n An autonomous over-reaching author-

ity (something akin to SEBI for the stock Despite layoffs IT still
markets) that would replace all other regu- Top of the mind
latory bodies like UGC, AICTE, Medical The latest edition of Nel-
Council of India, Dental Council of India, son Campus Track T-Schools
Distance educational Council etc. This fol- study, found that nearly 43%
lows the recommendations of the Yashpal of respondents voted for IT
Committee and National Knowledge Com- as their preferred work sec-
mission report. tor. Accenture, Bosch, Google,
n The minister also proposed formulat- Infosys, L&T, IOC, TCS , and
ing a law to prevent, prohibit and punish Wipro among others, were their
educational malpractices. “This includes top destinations. The study sur-
practices like capitation fees, ragging and veyed nearly 4352 students in
non-adherence to prospectus,” said Sibal. about 151 engineering colleges
n A law to regulate entry and operation of assessment instead. (including the IITs,NITs) and
foreign education providers. n A proposal to review the functioning of other leading regional colleges.
n A law for mandatory assessment and deemed universities is also on the cards. The survey also revealed Ratan
accreditation in higher education through The proposals aimed at overhauling the Tata as the most preferred role
an independent regula- higher education sys- model for the students.
tory authority. This would tem are timely and long
ensure that the quality of overdue. If achieved, they
education would have cer-
“The nature of the would save the pain and Financial Assistance
tain standardization. higher education agony that is caused to a
For SC/ST/OBC/Minority students
n Establishing of a tribunal authority would lot of students and par-
from economically weak sections of
to fast track educational ents who fall prey to the
take shape the population the Govt. of Delhi has
disputes between teachers, mechanizations of a few annouced reimbursement of tuition
students, employees and depending on the institutes. On a brighter fees and other compulsory Fees.
management. committee note, the policy aims to
n Launching of interest ensure that the standard For more details visit the Depart-
recomendations” ment’s website
subsidy on educational of higher education is www.scstwelfare.delhigovt.nic.in
loans taken for professional maintained while open-
courses by the economical- ing it up for foreign uni- Last date for applications:
ly weaker sections for higher education. versities. The regulated entry of foreign 31st August, 2009
n A law to establish a Tribunal to fast-track universities would have the salutary effect
adjudication of disputes concerning stake- of increasing the standard of education Watchout For !
holders ( students, teachers, employees and in India while making the qualifications
managment) in the education system. acceptable universally. UPSC-Geologists Examination 2009
n Launching a new policy for Distance While we may all debate on what needs to The UPSC will hold the Geologists
Education. be done and whether the policies suggested Examination,2009 on 5th December,
n Most importantly, the new policy intends are the right ones, most would agree that 2009 for recruitment to the Geological
Survey of India and Hydrogeological Sur-
to push the process of examination reforms the system needs a large-scale overhaul. vey of India in the Central Ground Water
by making class X examination optional, We wish Mr.Sibal all success in his endea- Board. Last date: 20th July 2009
thus permitting students continuing in the vour to revamp the much neglected higher For further details visit website:
same school and to take an internal school education system in India. www.upsc.gov.in

8 careers 360 july 2009

 Communication
Science Express to roll on conclave
A national conference entitled
‘Communication in global business:
T he ‘Science Express’, a Indo-German venture has completed 17,000 km and covered
51 cities in a span of 182 days. This brought the world of science into the lives of 22
lakh visitors. The train provides the visitors a first experience on various basic scientific
the changing spectrum’ has been
announced by Rajagiri School of
Management. The conference is
principles as well as exciting interactive games. The Department of Science and Tech- open for all interested individuals.
nology helped evolve the 16-coach train that visited various cities for three to four days, The school also welcomes abstracts
allowing people the opportunity to visit the free exhibition. “If India has to be a global of papers/case studies on global
business communication and
power, the push has to come from science. If such experiments can ignite the curiosity of acceptance would be notified by 15th
young minds like this train has, the day won’t be far when India will be a superpower,” said July, 2009. Last date for full paper
Prithviraj Chavan, Minister of State for Science and Technology. The next phase covering submission 16th August, 2009.
60 cities is scheduled to be flagged off on August 12th from Ahmedabad. Log on to www.rajagiri.edu for
complete details.

Reserach at your UP confers university status Oscar winner’s offer

mouse tips
The Information and Library Network
centre (INFLIBNET) will set up an online
archive of PhD thesis from UGC recognized
universities for the benefit of research stu-
dents. This will not only prevent duplicat-
ing research done in the past but will also
help in curbing plagiarism. A world wide
practice, the IISc Bangalore already has an
operational system in place. INFLIBNET
intends to begin with 50 universities and
will eventually cover all 171 universities
under the UGC. Dr. Jagdish Arora, direc-
tor of INFLIBMET, Ahmedabad stated,
“We want to open up our research output to
the world as is the trend worldwide.”
Small towns, new pit-stops for hiring
to SGI,Noida
Sharada group of institutions have been
confered University status by the UP
government. The university would have
14 colleges spread across four campuses
located in Greater Noida, Noida, Agra and
Mathura.
The univeristy offers programmes in man-
agement, engineering, mass communica-
tion, fine arts and environmental sciences.
According to Vice Chancellor Prof. R.P.
Singh, the insitute would endeavour to pro-
vide a stress-free learning experience to
students by adopting a fully flexible credit-
based education system and digital learn-
ing environment.
Infosys BPO Ltd. has gone one
step ahead to small towns to hire
employees. This move would
allow the company to hire at
less cost to company in terms of
salaries offered so that the com-
pany’s growth would be higher due
to cost efficient moves. Amitabh
Chaudhry, chief executive officer,
Infosys BPO stated, “The Indi-
an BPO market will only grow
rapidly over the next five-seven
years.” This could be a move
that works positively for both par-
ties, company would increase its
revenues and employees would
not be required to work grave-
yard shifts.
for one
Resul Pookutty of Oscars fame will
sponsor a student at the Film and
Television Institute of India (FTII),
Pune where he himself studied a
while back. The annual scholarship
with a grant of $5,000 will be
available to one lucky student, “ a
technically talented student’ in the
words of Pookutty. The fellowship
also gives the recepeint the
opportunity to do an internship with
Pookutty in his studio. It would take
effect from the coming academic
year (2010-2011).
A course in animation
technology
Mumbai-based Graphiti is offering
a bouquet of courses in animation
to aspiring professionals. The
courses have been designed in sync
with the industry requirements
and pays particular attention to
making students studio-ready on
completion. Launched at three
levels, the course duration would
vary from one to three years. Led by
Rammohan , a doyen of animation,
the institute also claims to offer
placement assistance to students.
Watchout For !
Institute of Defence Studies and
Analyses-Fellowship 2009
Institute of Defence Studies and Analy-
ses announces Research Fellowship
tenable for 2-3 years and extendable
further,if required,for research in stra-
tegic and security issues.Emoluments
range from Rs.36,000/- for Associate
Fellow to Rs.85,000/- per month for
Senior Fellows. See for details www.
idsa.in

9 careers 360 july 2009

careers NEWS CAMPUS NEWS NEW COURSES EVENTS

CREMA launches new

healthcare MBA
CREMA, a clinical reserach training
provider is now offering an MBA in
heathcare management. The two
year full-time programme offered by
CREMA would prepare the candidate
for a degree from Dibrugarh
University, Assam.
The course has been designed in
tune with the needs of the health care
industry, claims the institution. For
details see www.cremaindia.org

Vocational courses go
highbrow
Vocad , a newly launched vocational
training academy has already set

Investing for innovation; Biocon sets up up eight schools in various parts

of the country that offer courses

a centre at ISB
on lifestyle, telecom, healthcare,
travel and hospitality in order to
provide a larger section of the
youth population with skills to find

K iran Mazumdar-Shaw, Biocon CMD and Executive Board member Indian School
of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, announced the setting up of the Biocon Cell for
Innovation Management under the aegis of the ISB’s Centre for Leadership, Innovation
jobs. The courses on offer will be
of three-month duration and fees
would range from Rs. 5,000 to Rs.
& Change (CLIC). Biocon is slated to invest Rs. 20 crore in the project over a minimum 7,500. The emphasis, company
period of 10 years. This initiative will help companies find and bridge gaps in their ability claims is on providing a wide range
of programmes to enhance and
to innovate, manage risks that go with innovation and produce high quality innovation at facilitate employability, career
low cost. Prof. Kaipa, CLIC Executive Director, said that the board of the Biocon cell will opportunities and entrepreneurship
comprise eminent industrialists besides a Biocon representative and himself. The board skills in the target group.
will play an advisory role and provide research ideas. Mr Ajit Rangnekar, Dean, ISB, said
that they may also allow other companies to join the innovation cell.
Professionals to run a
packaging course
A ‘Total’ job of cleaning out Admission test marks are
Magnificence Academy of
Packaging Professionals
your money still forbidden fruits announces admission to the next
batch of students for its six-month
course on packaging. Commencing
A candidate in Hyderabad found a job An RTI was filed by Nitesh Duhan, a from early July, 09 the course would
opening in a French oil and natural gas MBA student on April 9, 2008 and he still cost Rs 60,000. Minimum eligibility
company in “Total”, put up at XING, a awaits a break-up of marks. So the CIC is 10+ 2 pass or 18 years of age. Job
opportunities include employment
popular job portal. On contacting them, has sent a show cause notice to the Dean
in food sector, wedding industry,
he received a mail from a person identify- of FMS. The CIC notice clearly stated fashion designing industry, event
ing himself as Mr Philip Jorden, head of that the information should be provided management companies, or as an
careers and recruitments of “Total” in by August 14, 2008 but no response was independent packaging consultant.
the UK. provided till March 31, 2009. The CIC
They asked him to fill an application stated recently, “It is apparent that the Watchout For !
form. As all the questions were relevant deemed PIO, Professor J.K. Mitra, dean
to the job he applied, he did not suspect FMS, is guilty of not furnishing informa- ICMR launches new fellowships
any foul play. He was asked to come to tion within the time specified.” The CIC The Indian Council of Medical Research
London for an interview and deposit 33% commented that the stance of FMS was has asked for applications from Indian
of the total expenses inclusive of travel. unacceptable and observed that all offi- biomedical scientists. For details on how
to apply and financial support log on
Oshan deposited £1,489. He was again cers of public authority are bound to obey to http://www.icmr.nic.in. Last date to
asked to deposit another £4,000.Suspi- the law and the structures thereof. FMS receive applications is
cous he logged on to the official website as on date has not officially responded to 15th July, 2009.
of “Total”, only to discover that he has the said notice, as for Nitesh the wait for
been duped. the marks still continues.

10 careers 360 july 2009

 ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED •
Fully Air Conditioned & Wi-Fi Campus •
State-of-art Infrastructure •
Qualified, experience & committed faculty •
Quality Education •
Record Placements & Results •
careers NEWS CAMPUS NEWS NEW COURSES EVENTS

Ragging definition gets modified Narendra Bisht

Wanted: Passionate
Contributors

Careers360 is on a mission — to inform

and empower — which can only succeed if
it is a collective endeavour. Now, we need
people across India to join us.
You may be an academic, student or a
professional. You could be a CEO, a man-
ager or an executive. But, all you need to
have is a flair for writing concisely, have a
nose for data and numbers, be obsessed
with getting facts right, and above all,
have an abiding commitment to the youth
of the country.
What do we expect you to do?
As a contributor, you would be the
primary contact for the magazine in your
geography. We will require you to occa-
sionally do full stories for us, assist our
editorial team in gathering information,
and be engaged with the idea to enable
the delivery of a better product.
COMPENSATION
In addition to the sense of satisfaction
you will gain, we will compensate you
adequately for your efforts.
Write to: editor@pathfinder360.co.in

T he University Grants Commission (UGC) has altered the definition of ragging to keep or call us at 011-46142503.
close vigil to check misdeeds. Addressing it as a conduct issue, it entails “whether by
words spoken or written or by an act, which has the effect of teasing, treating or handling
with rudeness a fresher or any other student” to be all encompassing. The offence would
also include any act “deriving sadistic pleasure or showing off power or authority on one FOR REGULAR UPDATES ON
student on another.” Students and parents would be required to provide undertakings that
they are aware of the anti-ragging laws and the punishments for participating in such an
act. Deepak Pental, Delhi University’s vice-chancellor emphasized, “All forms of coercion New course announcements,
amount to ragging. There is nothing academic about it.” On 20th June, barely days before university/institute news,
the commencement of the new academic session the Government of India launched a toll- conferences,
free 24-hour anti-ragging helpline for distressed students. The helpline (1800-180-5522)
summer schools,
will operate round-the-clock and function as a watchdog.
Job announcements

Job-ready Degrees from Take comfort! The Govt. Log on to our website

School of Open Learning, DU knows where you are... www.careers360.com

Delhi University’s School of Open Learn-
ing (SOL) can be a viable option for stu-
dents not making it to the college of their
choice. SOL had launched five new cours-
es designed in association with private
companies to make the degree holders more
employable. The course also has a built
-in internship offer as well. Savita Dutta,
director of SOL stated, “All these courses
are specifically designed for imparting
professional training to students.” So,
get to SOL and see the available options,
last date to apply is August 27th. Don’t
miss out.
The Ministry of External Affairs realized
the harsh reality that the HRD Ministry
maintains records of only those students
who have gone abroad via exchange pro-
grammes. On account of the recent attacks Campus newsletter: If your school,
on Indian students, a new registration sys- college, institute has one, send us a
tem has been proposed to make records copy. We will feature the best pieces
of students available to Indian missions
abroad so that help is available readily If there is an event, seminar or
for students abroad. The Overseas Indian conference at your institute, mail us
Affairs Ministry plans to provide pre-de- at: news@pathfinder360.co.in
parture tips to students before they leave
the country to study so that they get a fair Mail your letters to us at:
idea of what to expect abroad. editor@pathfinder360.co.in

12 careers 360 july 2009

Students’ Alert Regulation

Professional education; students

While a UGC notification prevents private institutions from setting up off-campus study

by B. Mahesh Sarma

T
he antics of all the actors - insti-
tutes, regulatory agencies, gov-
erning councils, directors and
sundry other actors, in each of
the above case, would be comical, if not
for the fact that, they actually are mak-
ing life hell for a host of students. And
in each case, a little regulatory interven-
tion and a little caution from the affected
parties would have made life easy for the
hapless students.
The biggest factor here is the conflict
of legislations, which institutions use to
their advantage. The game begins with
the 2003 UGC notification on private
universities (See box alongside for the
relevant excerpts), which clearly states
that no private university can ever set up
any off- campus, off-shore or study cen-
tre, anywhere outside the state, in which
they were set up, for the first five years
of their existence. And this policy is in
concurrence with the Supreme Court
ruling as well.
But the establishment of Distance
Education Council (DEC) complicated
June 17, 2009:
matters. The DEC norms say nothing
about UGC restriction of a minimum The Supreme Court comes down heavily on “runaway commer
five year requirement. So, quite a few
private universities had got themselves
protagonists of private education, without any che
conveniently registered with DEC. A
classic case of taking away with the right
hand and giving it back with the left is the Coordinator of the Joint Com- creatures that they are, instead of meek-
hand. mittee” (See relevant excerpts). It is ly taking the offer had the guts to refuse
Now private universities have a means this farce of a regulation that enabled it and fight for their rights. So now we
to bypass the UGC regulation. Even the the Director of Delhi Business School, have truly reached academic nirvana.
UGC notification dated June 11, 2009 Divya Rajput, to inform the Mid-day Students are cattle to be auctioned off to
says so. “For running programmes in journalist with injured innocence that the highest bidder (any DEC Accredited
distance mode, the approval of Joint “She even offered to shift students to University).
Committee of UGC-AICTE-DEC is Punjab Technical University”. Unfor- The regulatory confusion lies in the
required. Distance Education Council tunately for her, the students, ungrateful joint mechanism of DEC-AICTE and

June 10, 2009:

28 students of Delhi Business School, who enrolled for an MBA (Hospital Man
programme by EIILM University of Tripura, which

14 careers 360 july 2009

caught in regulatory ambiguity
centre, the Distance Education Council norms says nothing about this UGC restriction.

June 12 2009:
Madras High Court ordered the closure of all colleges,
which were offering courses from ICFAI University,
Dehradun and the university now claims that none of
these institutions have any relationship with it.

private institutions offering Profes-

cialization of education by the
cks and balances”.
the UGC. Interestingly this evolved
from May 10, 2007, and the DEC web-
site displays a fantastic policy state-
ment on how they had arrived at a joint
mechanism (See relevant excerpts), so
that distance learning permission could
be granted through a single window.
Point 5 of the document proudly says
“As per the recent decision taken in the
Joint Committee meeting held on 12th
Sept, 2008, the Committee constituted
by the Chairman should also include
nominees from UGC and AICTE from
the panel of experts provided by them,
particularly the former in the case
of all Universities and the latter for
sional and Technical Programmes”. In
other words, UGC does not permit off
campus/study centres to be set up by
any private university for the first five
years of its existence. But the same
experts representing UGC have allowed
quite a few private universities to set up
distance learning programmes, which
could not be effectively run without off
campus or at least study centres.
Now one can appreciate the intend of
the UGC regulation. It takes time for an
academic institution to establish itself.
So ideally it should concentrate on its
primary campus for the first five years
of its existence. If that is the case how
could the DEC bypass that intend and
law? It beats me. We have written to
UGC and DEC asking for clarifications.
Look out for these pages in the coming
issues.
But then in most of these cases,
DEC actually has given provi-
sional recognition until the visit of
expert committees. If DEC were the
licensing authority for motor vehicles,
we will have a host of drivers with
conditional licenses to drive, subject
to passing a test somewhere in the
near future. Thankfully it is dealing with
harmless issues like higher education
and student’s future!

agement), discovered they were actually being taught for a distance learning
never had permission to offer such a programme.

15 careers 360 july 2009

 Investigation

IIPM makes yet another claim -

Over to you Mr.Sibal
IIPM claims to award MBA/BBA from University of Buckingham, and the University
denies having any arrangement with IIPM as of date. The false claims continue

15 June (TOI) 18 June (TOI) 22 June

From: Anne Matsuoka [mailto:anne.mat-
suoka@buckingham.ac.uk]
Sent: Monday, June 22, 2009 5:03 PM
To: Mahesh Sarma
Subject: Message from Buckingham
Dear Mr Sarma,
I apologise that I could not respond to your
request before today, and do hope this is
not too late. I have been in touch with the
relevant people and the reply to your que-
ries is as follows:
The ad clearly mentions that the The University does not have a formal
MBA/BBA degrees are from agreement with IIPM although it has been
IMI,Belgium. holding talks with them in Delhi for some
time. The advertisements referred to were
not published with the University’s consent
and no such consent would be forthcoming
by B Mahesh Sarma
until their programmes had been formally

W
accredited under the QAA guidelines for
hen we ended our investiga- Collaborations in Higher Education.
tive piece on IIPM last month, A two page ad, that announces that I hope this will help,
we were hoping for a response IIPM students would earn their degrees With very best wishes,
from IIPM disputing our story. We were from University of Buckingham. Anne
prepared, armed with all information
(some of which we published). The lack
of response proves that IIPM has noth- implies that: the brazenness of these claims; each
ing to contest. However, there was a 1. T  he university of Buckingham hasn’t bigger than the other. Is there a way to
response, through double page ads in consented to the advertisements (and discourage such institutes from making
media. the claims made in it). these false claims in the name of great
One of the many false claims by IIPM, 2.That no such consent would be education? Would Mr.Kapil Sibal, the
that we exposed in the last issue of forthcoming until their programmes current HRD minister and one India’s
Careers360 (www.careers360.com), (IIPM’s programmes) are formally best lawyers, take an active interest to
was about the BBA/MBA degrees on accredited under the QAA guidelines. bring in some transparency to prevent
offer. The degrees awarded by IIPM in 3.That no such arrangement exists as institutes from taking students for a
collaboration with IMI Belgium were, in on date. ride? Can the regulators, government
fact, unrecognized. Even after the expo- The QAA in UK is similar to National and judiciary impose certain account-
sé IIPM continued to use IMI, Belgium. Board of Accreditation (NBA) in India. ability for such claims on all institutes?
As recent as 15th June, an ad released in IIPM’s programmes are not accredited Or would this be another investigation
the Times of India mentioned the IMI by NBA. We wonder, how IIPM would that bites the dust for want of follow-up
degrees on offer. submit its programmes to QAA when it and regulatory action? We have done
On 18th June, post our exposé, we saw refused to submit itself to the NBA. our job. It is over to you Mr.Sibal.
an ad in TOI and Hindustan Times, So as we file this story, the students are Dear readers, we greatly value your sug-
where the BBA/MBA degree was now not guaranteed of a University of Buck- gestions, so visit us at (www.careers360.
being offered from Buckingham Busi- ingham degree. We called up the Vice com) and give us your comments. If you
ness School. Aware of the past history Chancellor’s office of the University of need to maintain confidentiality, drop in
of the claims made by IIPM, we sent a Buckingham on 23rd June and wrote a mail to the editor, at msarma@path-
mail to the University of Buckingham to to him on the 24th of June (after the finder360.co.in.
verify this new claim. Their response left response from their PR department)but
us despairing (see the mail above). The haven’t recieved any response. NOTE: Readers may await the counter view of IIPM/
University of Buckingham’s response However, we are at a loss to deal with response from the University of Buckingham, if received.

16 careers 360 july 2009

Guru Gyan rajendra S pawar

Bring in transparency
Over the years, IT training organisation NIIT reinvented itself many times to ride the lows and highs of economic tide with
remarkable panache. A survivor to the core, the 28- year old organisation has scripted a success story like no other. The launch of
NIIT University adds another feather in their cap. NIIT Chairman and Pro-Chancellor of NIIT University, Rajendra S Pawar
gives Urmila Rao, his take on how students should train themselves early on to embark on a career of their choice, and talks
about paucity of quality faculty in the realm of higher education and liberalisation of the sector

Q: Over the last few years a plethora

of institutions have entered the edu-
cation sector. How does a student
identify which ones are offering qual-
ity education?
A: Today students spend very little time
in investigating the institute and intro-
specting on their career choices. In my
opinion the school system should impart
the necessary skills latest by class XI.
Students are worried about what parents
want them to do, what friends want them
to do and what is nice to do. They miss
out the most fundamental part, which is
what they want to do. The big problem
is that we are not triggering the process
of making a discerning choice early on.
It should start in class X or latest by the
early part of class XI. One of the issues
with kids today is that they know exactly
what they want to be after 10 years. But
if you look at people who have done
engineering or pursued any professional
education, they have changed their line
of work! Students should identify their
passion first but the passion shouldn’t
be on very narrow lines like - I want to
do computer security systems. It should
be broader. Am I more interested in
creative work or am I interested in
tinkering with equipment, am I inter-
ested in writing or in theatre. Passion
has been inhibited for too long because
everybody else has been deciding on the
students’ behalf. In our counselling ses-
sions, many kids quietly ask - “Can you
tell this to my dad because this is what I
want to do.” If students introspect, then
they would at least have a sense of and
know what they are looking for. So the
first step should be introspection fol-
lowed by seeking information. This they

looking forward to the challenge of running

a university

18 careers 360 july 2009

in education
can do by visiting institutions, libraries,
websites and maintaining a good peer
group contact.
Q: Why is it incumbent on the stu-
dents to investigate any institute?
Shouldn’t the institutions voluntarily
adopt full disclosure norms and stop
functioning opaquely?
A: In the areas of higher and vocation-
al education, a young adult can make
informed decisions and he is quite aware
of the consequences of his engagement.
They can make up a tentative economic
equation too regarding the time spent,
the cost incurred and the returns gener-
ated with respect to the choice of insti-
tution they have made. We should start
liberating the education sector at this
level allowing more institutions to open
up. Institutions will then be forced to
adopt transparency norms as there will
be far more choices. The additional sup-
ply will eliminate the poor quality insti-
tutions and will also necessiate capacity
building.
Q: What is your take regarding the
talk of foreign universities being
allowed entry in India?
A: Foreign varsities should surely be
allowed entry. As a country we have
decided to globalise. There is a system-
atic way to do this. The first step is liber-
alisation, followed by privatisation and
then globalisation. Artificial constraints
should be removed. Such hindrances
only create imbalance and shortage and
shortages always create inefficiency.
Liberalisation will act as a catalyst in
building internal ability and capac-
ity. However, entry of foreign universi-
ties should be a moderated and well-
planned process of opening up which
will enable good domestic institutions
to be ready to compete and flourish.
We should also take into consideration
that unlike an industry, foreign educa-
tional institutions will be unable to serve
at price points we need for a while to
come. They will also find it difficult to
function because our market has to
mature and be ready.
Q: Do you think operation of foreign
universities will benefit students out
here?
A: Foreign Universities on Indian shores
will open up a lot more choice to our
students. Today, Indian students spend
anywhere between 4 and 10 billion dol-
lars a year on pursuing studies abroad.
That is a lot of money and if that money
is to be spent on an institution, whether
it is Indian or foreign in India, just imag-
ine the extent of capacity building which
will happen in our land. The benefit will
be that the additional money will be
spent on campus and expertise building,
not to mention the other secondary and
tertiary benefits this will attract.
Students should identify
their passion first.
Passion has been
inhibited for too long
because everybody else
has been deciding on the
students’ behalf. So the
first step should be
introspection
Q: The economic slowdown has
exposed flaws in our education sys-
tem. There is definitely a gap between
industry’s requirement and the edu-
cation imparted in colleges.
A: What slowdowns do is give rise to
conditions that necessitate a reviewing
and realigning of demand and supply.
This results in the supply exceeding the
demand. The moment that happens we
begin to see market forces at work. Peo-
ple now have the luxury to be choosey
19 careers 360 july 2009
- to select. So, why then do we have to
wait for a slowdown. We should have
more capacity even during good times
so that this cleaning up act can con-
tinue. But if, as we have seen so far, you
keep having a situation of short supply
of required services and facilities, then
even shoddy goods and services gets sold
and picked up by hapless customers.
Q: What is the idea behind formation
of the NIIT University? How is it dif-
ferent from other institutes?
A: The founders of NIIT started think-
ing about it in the 90s. By 2008, we
started building the university at Neem-
rana, a fully residential, 100-acre scal-
able campus. The idea is to set up an
example of what a 21st century Univer-
sity should be. The first academic ses-
sion will start in September 2009. This
is our differentiating factor. We will pro-
vide education which is industry-linked,
technology based, research-driven and
is seamless. Undergrads in year one will
start getting into research and will start
working on their projects along with
PhD students so that research skills are
built from the very outset. It would be
seamless in the sense that a maths stu-
dent will know a bit of literature and
history student will know a bit of maths.
It is just the opposite of the prevailing
compartmentalised education we are so
familiar with. This seamless character is
also evident in our campus design.
Q: How are you tackling the issue of
absence of quality faculty?
A: That is actually one of the most chal-
lenging parts which goes into establish-
ing the university. We have recruited
faculty with years of experience behind
them and we will recruit a large number
of fresh faculties too who can be suitably
moulded to be in sync with requirements
of the new system. We see faculty build-
ing as our primary responsibility and
task. Experienced ‘mentor-professors’
will reside on campus and spend time
with students and younger colleagues.
They will dedicate two or three years
to help the young professors develop
their acumen. We will also have a dozen
eminent professors who will be regular
visitors to the NIIT University - they
will be on campus at least once every
three months.
Feature Job Fairs

How fair are job

Job fairs is a concept of boom times. It was meant to attract fresh talent for spot-
hirings. Now they are more of a platform for branding and image building exercise

by Urmila Rao

A
media conglomerate recently
concluded the eighth edition
of its job fair. Brandishing it as
a grand success it pompously
said, “We would have created six to ten
thousand jobs over three days.” Though
exciting, it can’t get more misleading
than this. By using ‘would’, the media
giant itself raises questions on the verac-
ity of the figure it mentions. Upon vali-
dation, these numbers are bound to fall
flat on its face.
For all practical purposes, how much
steam does a job fair hold these days?
One cannot but wonder!

Before approaching a
recruiter decide the
sectors and role
functions you like to
go in for, depending
upon your qualification,
skill and interest

It’s a concept of boom times when

mass recruitments were being done by
companies growing at a hectic pace. The
idea was to attract fresh talent for spot-
hirings. However, of late the nature of
job fairs have undergone a major shift.
Such fairs now merely serve as a plat-
form for branding and image building
exercise for companies. “It is no longer
a career and employment fair,” say HR
experts. On-the-spot hiring activities
have taken a backseat.
At best, candidates drop their résu-
més at various stalls and wait for inter- Illustrations : Gouri Nanda

20 careers 360 july 2009

fairs?
get the best
out of job fairs
Do not go to an employment fair clueless
■■
about your goal. Have clarity as to what
job function you are looking for and which
sectors you want to apply to.
■■ While approaching an organisation, ask
questions like: What would be the nature
of job? Will the company provide training
before one takes up the role responsibility?
What would be the company’s expectation
from him in the first six months? What
is the salary range for executives taking
up that particular function? What are the
company’s growth plans?
■■ Verify all the information that the company
gives, instead of being bowled over by
the spiel. Let not the glossy brochure and
thick literature narrating the company’s
achievement deter you from authenticating
the information.
■■ Ask the company about its feedback
mechanism. If the company gives 90-120
days to revert after giving on-the-spot offer
letter, do get back to the organisation if you
don’t receive a call.
■■ It’s a good idea to map you your skills and
interest while zeroing in on your career goal.
view calls. And companies rue that they
don’t get quality talent.
Moot Question: The question is
why would a talented resource go to a
job fair at all? A traditional or an on-
line medium of recruitment would eas-
ily fetch him a job. So, then why are big
companies even participating in the fairs
knowing well that a quality candidate is
hard to come by?
“It’s a cost-effective way for companies
to get candidates,” reasons M.S Shivaku-
mar, principal consultant, ExpertusHR.
The conversion rate, from submitting
the résumé to getting the job, is dismally
low. The Korean Embassy, which par-
ticipated recently in a job fair, received
more than 1,000 CVs. “Out of which we
hired one person in the New Delhi office
of Daewoo International Ltd., a global
trading company,” apprises Jaya Nayar,
business manager, New Delhi Korea
Trade Center, Korean Embassy.
While job fairs may still hold a charm
in small cities, they are definitely losing
their sheen in metros. Last year, the
above mentioned media conglomerate
had about 100 companies participating
in the job fair held at Pragati Maidan
but saw only 35 firms this year, confirms
an industry source. HR experts strongly
feel that job fairs are outmoded.
All that Jazz: The question is not
as much about quality of the candidates
as it is about unpreparedness of the can-
didate. Most job-applicants, fresh out
of college, are starry-eyed and easily
impressed by jazzy stalls and glitzy bro-
chures of the companies. The informa-
tion doled out by the companies is taken
at face value. No questions are asked
and no information verified. Either the
job-seekers are intimidated or are too
shy to extract the requisite informa-
tion. Companies on the other hand, feel
that while they get bundles of résumés,
most of them don’t fit the profile. Says
Shivakumar, “Companies look to assess
quantitative, analytical and verbal skills
of a candidate and the candidate has
only a minute to impress the recruiter.”
The disappointment comes when this
connect fails to happen.
Prepare some more: Most job-
seekers actually have no clear idea about
their job description, feels Shivakumar.
The sentiment is also endorsed by Sunil
Kalra, a job consultant from a lead-
ing HR firm. Candidates should have
clarity about their goal, he says. Before
approaching a recruiter, decide depend-
ing upon your academic background,
knowledge, skill and interest, the sec-
tors and role functions you would like
to go in for. Don’t feel shy to ask ques-
tions and find answers to your queries
from the prospective recruiter. “If the
job seeker has clarity about his goal
then achieving it is a natural process, as
he will definitely work towards realising
it,” says Kalra.
Before attending the fairs, it’s a good
idea to evaluate your skill-sets by either
taking online skill assessment tests or
visiting a career counsellor who will
evaluate the skills and provide you with
a set of job options.
21 careers 360 july 2009
SVKM’S NMIMS
UNIVERSITY -
NURTURING A VIBRANT
RENAISSANCE IN
PROFESSIONAL
EDUCATION
A
dominant player in
management education,
corporate training and
consulting in the city of
Mumbai since 1981, NMIMS
(erstwhile Narsee Monjee Institute of
Management Studies) was set up by
Shri Vile Parle Kelvani Mandal (SVKM)
with financial assistance from Narsee
Monjee Education Trust. SVKM has
worked untiringly since 1934 to provide
affordable and quality primary, secondary
and higher education. It is today one of
the largest educational complexes in
Mumbai imparting education to more
than 40,000 students each year in over 22
educational Institutions.
MA>LM:FIH?>Q<>EE>G<>
The first ‘Outstanding Management
Teacher Award’ instituted by Bombay
Management Association (BMA) in
1990 was bagged by NMIMS. Since
then NMIMS business school has been
getting this award almost every alternate
year. NMIMS also won the BMA’s ‘Best
Management Institute Award’ for several
years. It was also awarded the ‘Golden
Peacock National Training Award’ in 2004
and ‘Golden Peacock Innovation Award’
in 2007. NMIMS was awarded 5 STAR
RATING in 1999 by UGC sponsored
National Assessment & Accreditation
Council (NAAC) and re-accredited with
Grade A by NAAC in 2006.
GFBFL:L:NGBO>KLBMR
The year 2003 saw the birth of NMIMS
as a University with the aim to offer
innovative programmes in Technology &
Management. Today, the University has 7
schools offering programmes at Bachelor,
Master and Doctoral levels. These are
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academy will train pilots.
NMIMS business school is the driver
of change at the University with its
unique offerings in the area of banking,
capital markets and actuarial science
as also in family managed business
and development of Social Enterprises.
Initiated in 1999 the Family Managed
Business Programme aspires to assist
family-owned businesses understand the
changing dynamics of competition as well
as organization. Weekend Family Business
Management Programme (FMBA) has
been specially designed for members of
progressive business families to update
their knowledge of various aspects of
managing a business in ever- changing
business environment.
LH<B:E>GM>KIKBL><>EE
NMIMS business school has a strong
commitment to influencing the quality
of management in profit and non- profit
organizations. The Social Enterprise
Cell instituted in January 2005 offers
Part time MBA / Diploma in Social
Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Training
for Women (ETW) Programmes.
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NMIMS business school has recently
started a full time, Executive Programme
in Management (EPGDBM) at Bangalore
with the objective of helping participants
move up the corporate hierarchy and make
lateral moves to other industries. Another
innovative programme of the University is 5
year integrated MBA (Tech.) which is a dual
degree programme combing engineering
and management. This programme offers
specializations in the area of IT, Telecom,
Chemical and Manufacturing. Similarly there
is a 5 year integrated MBA (Pharm. Tech.)
programme which combines pharmacy
education with management education.
=H<MHK:EIKH@K:FF>L
Besides the above, the University
also offers doctoral programmes in
management, pharmacy & pharma
technology management, engineering &
technology management and analytical
sciences where it has an innovatively
designed 5 years integrated M.Sc.-
Ph.D. programme in place. Today, there
are 176 Ph.D. students pursuing these
programmes at the University besides 8
have been already awarded Ph.D.
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In a pursuit to create ever lasting
learning experience the University
invests significant amount of money in
the creation of information resources.
The University’s main library has a
collection of over 46,000 books, 220
journals, about 1500 audio visual
material and 15 online databases.
This is in addition to the access the
library has to Harvard Business School
Publishing for cases and other material.
The library provides round the clock
access to over 5000 full text journals,
3 corporate databases, 2 law databases
and marketing databases. In addition to
the above each school is equiped with
required information resources.
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The University has always achieved 100%
placements since its first batch graduated in
1983 and this holds true even in the current
market conditions. Several PSU’s and a large
number of new generation entrepreneurs
are regular recruiters at SBM.
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The Industry Institute Partnership
Cell of NMIMS business school helps
establish a long lasting interface
between the corporate world and the
University providing industry exposure
to the students.
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With an aim to create an international
learning experience, NMIMS has establish
academic relationships with Case Western
Reserve University, Harvard Business
School, University of Houston, ESC Rouen-
France, Grenoble Ecole De Management-
France, Athens University of Economics
and Business-Greece and RMIT University-
Australia.
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The University Governing Board is chaired
by the Chancellor Shri Amrish Patel. Other
top officials of the University namely
the Vice-Chancellor, Pro Vice Chancellor,
Registrar, Finance Officer and nominees
of the parent trust SVKM are members of
the board. It also has senior professionals
from the industry as Chancellor’s nominees.
Besides it has nominees of the Government
of India, Ministry of HRD and UGC. Deans
and Directors of the University along with
three faculty members are also included.
NMIMS business school has been ranked
10th in the latest Business World ranking.
It was ranked number 1 in Learning
Experience, Return on Investment and
International Exposure. Providing trained
socially sensitive human resource to the
country is our mission.
“We are confident of being able to
position our University amongst the top
ten in the country and top 30 University’s
of Asia-Pacific in the next few years.
The University will continue to seek
out opportunities for interdisciplinary
research and strive for excellence in
teaching, research and development. We
will actively promote inclusive growth
and will participate in empowering poorer
communities through education and
development of employable skills” said, Dr.
Rajan Saxena, Vice Chancellor.
“The demographics of Indian market
can be converted into an advantage
only when the benefits of quality higher
education reach segments of Indian
population so far denied the benefits of
formal University education” said, the
Chancellor Shri Amrish Patel.
The NMIMS dream is to help build
increasing number of empowered and
employable youth across different segments
of the society.
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Talk Point motivation

The winning habit of highly

effective people!

Prakash Iyer
Former CEO, Infomedia 18,
now an executive and
business coach
early risers get the worm
Thomas Utsi www.imagebank.sweden.se
G
uess what Jack Welch, Gordon
Brown, Adi Godrej and Dr Manmo-
han Singh have in common?
They are all early risers. In fact, if
you read about the lives of successful people,
you will most likely find a common thread:
they get up early. It’s a habit that’s worked
wonderfully well for all of them. And it could
work like magic for you too.
If there was one habit – one single habit –
that could make a huge impact on your life, it
would have to be this. Wake up early!
You’ve probably heard how every morning in
Africa, a gazelle wakes up knowing it must run
faster than the fastest lion, or it will be killed.
And every morning, a lion wakes up knowing
it must run faster than the slowest gazelle, or
else it will starve to death. The moral of the
story is simple. It doesn’t matter whether you
are a lion or a gazelle. When the sun comes up,
you’d better be up and running!
If you are serious about achieving something
meaningful in your life, take the first step. Get
up early. Starting tomorrow, wake up one
hour earlier than your usual time.
Imagine. If you got up one hour earlier than
you currently do, it would give you an extra
365 productive hours in a year. That’s like get-
ting nine extra weeks at work. You could read
a book, work on your fitness, or spend time by
yourself or with a loved one. What difference
would that make to your career, your health,
your life?
The benefits of joining the Early Risers Club
are many. And it’s not only about the extra
time you create for yourself. The real power
is in the message it sends out to your mind. By
waking up early, you are telling yourself that
you are serious about achieving your goals.
And that you are willing to pay the price.
Getting up early gives you the confidence
to go after all your other goals. You have both
the physical energy and the mental strength to
chase your dreams. The discipline and the will
power that help you get up early will also help
you achieve a lot else in life.
When the alarm bell rings, do you find your
arm stretching out to hit the snooze but-
ton? You probably justify it by telling yourself
‘just ten more minutes…’ That’s the loser’s
mindset, the comfort zone. If you value the
comfort of the bed more than the opportunity
to get ahead, don’t complain when you get left
behind. When the alarm bell rings, it’s actually
opportunity that’s knocking at your door. And
by not getting up, you are telling him to come
later. And opportunity seldom knocks twice.
Do I hear you say that you know it’s a good
habit but you just can’t wake up early? Relax.
Here’s a simple 30-day plan to help you get up
early, every morning.
Set the alarm clock to ring 15 minutes before
your regular wake up hour. If you usually get
up at say 7 a.m., set it for 6.45. Fifteen minutes
won’t really make any difference. Keep the
alarm clock out of arm’s reach. So when it
rings, you can’t hit the snooze button.
Every ten days, advance the alarm by anoth-
er 15 minutes, until you get to your target
wake up time. And every day, jump off the
bed when the alarm rings. In 30 days, you will
be getting up at 6a.m. After a while, you will
probably find that you don’t need the alarm
clock at all!
Remember, your ability to wake up early is
not a function of what time you go to bed, or
how much sleep your body needs. It depends
only on your mind. On your commitment to
your own success.
To achieve something in this lifetime, get up
early. Make that a habit for the rest of your
life. After all, you can always catch up on your
sleep once you are dead!

24 careers 360 july 2009

PRIMER Cracking AIEEE
Fashioning an effective
Clearing AIEEE is not a difficult task. A systematic approach towards its preparation will
Illustrations: Gauri Nanada
by Ramesh Batlish,
Centre Head, Guru Education Ltd.
(FIITJEE Group)
E
ngineering as a discipline has
had a bull run year after year.
AIEEE - All India Engineering
Entrance Examination - has
had the highest number of examinees
in a single day competitive exam glob-
ally. The exam scheduled for April
26, 2009 had 10 lakh students regis-
tered. This marked a record rise in the
number from the previous year
(8.26 lakh examinees had registered
for 2008).
What is AIEEE?
All India Engineering Entrance Exami-
nation is for all Engineering aspirants
who have appeared/passed Class XII
from any national/state recognised
boards. This exam is conducted for
admission to the 20 National Insti-
tutes of Technology (NITs), 4 Indian
Institutes of Information Technology
(IIITs), Indian Institute of Information
Technology and Management (IIITM),
16 Self-Financed Deemed Universi-
ties and other 9 central & state govern-
ment funded institutions. The number
of attempts for this exam is restricted
to three.
26 careers 360 july 2009
Central counselling board for
AIEEE: Admission Procedure
As per the direction of the MHRD, 50%
of the seats in NITs will be filled from
AIEEE eligible candidates of states
where NITs are located and rest 50%
will be filled on all India merit basis.
MHRD will make efforts to establish
NITs for those states/UTs which do not
have NITs as of now. In case, the new
NITs are not established before the start
of admission based on AIEEE 2009,
seats will be made available for the eli-
gible students of such states/UTs which
do not have any NIT, so as to keep the
number of seats for such states/UTs
preparation strategy
help students get admission into one of the top colleges
at the level of 2007, after making due
adjustment for the number of seats filled
by eligible candidates of these states/
UTs. A list of the participating institu-
tions will be furnished by Central Coun-
selling Board 2009 at the appropriate
time and will be available on CCB web-
site at www.ccb.nic.in.
Structure of the exam
Papers I & II
Aspirants have the choice of appearing
in any one of the two types of papers or
both. Paper I is for those who wish to go
only for BE/BTech courses in colleges
accepting AIEEE ranks while Paper II
is for those who wish to pursue a course
in B.Arch/ B.Planning.
Paper I : This is a 3-hour paper com-
prising three sections - Part I - Physics,
Part II - Chemistry & Part III - Math-
ematics. There are 30 questions in each
of the three subjects, Physics, Chemis-
try & Mathematics. The questions are
of objective type i.e multiple-choice
questions with a single correct answer.
In each section there are 26 questions
of 4 marks each and 4 questions of 8
mark each. One must be very careful as
there is 1/4th negative marking for every
question.
Paper II : This 3-hour paper consists
of Part I - Mathematics, Part II -Apti-
tude & Part III -Drawing. The Math-
ematics section has 35-40 objective
type multiple-choice questions with a
single correct option and 1/4th negative
marking. In this part, the syllabus for
Mathematics comprise common top-
ics from XI/ XII CBSE/State board.
The Aptitude section has 10-15 objec-
tive multiple-choice questions with four
options and 1/4th negative marking. This
will test a student for visualising three
dimensional objects from two dimen-
sional drawings, visualising different
sides of three dimensional objects and
also analytical reasoning and mental
ability. The Aptitude Test is designed
to evaluate a candidate’s perception,
imagination, observation, creativity and
architectural awareness. The Drawing
section has two questions for 40 marks
involving sketching of scenes and activi-
ties from memory of urbanscape (public
space, market, festivals, street scenes,
monuments, recreational spaces etc.),
landscape (river fronts, jungles, gardens,
trees, plants etc.) and rural life.
Subjects and level of difficulty
Clearing AIEEE is not a difficult task.
A systematic approach towards its
preparation will help students get
admission into one of the top Nation-
al Institutes of Technology (NITs).
AIEEE consists of CBSE syllabus of
Physics, Chemistry & Mathematics
A step-by-step guide to
problem solving
■■ Try conventional methods first.
■■ If they do not work out, try to understand
the problem again and find clues that can
lead you to the solution.
Go through the concepts related to the
■■
problem once again and see how they can
be applied to the problem in hand.
■■ Try to relate the problem to real-life
situations. It will help you analyze it better.
■■ Consult the solution only when you have
exhausted your limits. See what you had
missed earlier.
Practise similar problems.
■■
■■ Devise your own shortcuts and ways to
tackle particular kind of problems.
and some common topics from 11th &
12th grades of state boards. In AIEEE
2009 Mathematics and Physics were
definitely difficult as compared to
the previous year. Chemistry was
relatively simple. About 25% ques-
tions in the paper are easy, 50%
are average and 25% difficult. The cut-
off for AIEEE is generally between
60 to 70%.
27 careers 360 july 2009
How to prepare for AIEEE?
Two years of planned, organized prepa-
ration for AIEEE is all that is required.
Appropriate study material is the first
thing an aspirant must have. Every set
of problems needs to be approached
differently and with a separate method-
ology. Regular practice makes a student
confident to tackle the problems. Speed
and accuracy is the key to success.
Relevant study material
Books are preferred for shaping your
conceptual understanding. There is a
plethora of problem-solving books. It
will do the student good to solve other
competitive examination problems.
Practise a lot.
Success tips for the exam
●● Speed and accuracy is an important
aspect, which comes from extensive
practice of similar questions.
●● Always exercise time pressure while
solving AIEEE papers. In Maths use
short methods for calculations, skip
irrelevant steps to save time.
●● The most important thing is clarity of
concepts & regular practice in problem-
solving.
●● AIEEE is not difficult, but tricky.
However, its questions do have a need
of being tackled with different tactics
and perspectives.
●● Focus on solving the problems on
your own, while preparing for the exam.
●● Both speed and strike rate matter.
You need to be quick and accurate to
achieve high scores. High speed with less
accuracy can actually ruin your results.
●● Never use calculator while preparing
for the AIEEE. Being adept in mental
calculations can actually increase your
speed to a great extent.
●● Select your questions wisely. If you
solve easy and average questions correct-
ly, you can easily get through. You may
attempt difficult ones to make merit.
●● Gather and implement tips, gain
confidence, be positive, and you will
ace AIEEE.
PRIMER Cracking AIEEE
A. National Institutes of Technology (NITs)
■■ National Institute of Technology, Agartala
■■ Motilal Nehru National Institute of
Technology, Allahabad (U.P)
■■ Maulana Azad National Institute of
Technology, Bhopal (MadhyaPradesh)
■■ National Institute of Technology, Calicut
(Kerala)
■■ National Institute of Technology, Durgapur
(West Bengal)
■■ National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur
(Himachal Pradesh)
■■ Malviya National Institute of Technology,
Jaipur (Rajasthan)
■■ Dr. B R Ambedkar National Institute of
Technology, Jalandhar (Punjab)
■■ National Institute of Technology,
Jamshedpur (Jharkhand)
National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra
■■
(Haryana)
■■ Visvesvaraya National Institute of
Technology, Nagpur (Maharashtra)
■■ National Institute of Technology, Patna
(Bihar)
■■ National Institute of Technology, Rourkela
(Orissa)
■■ National Institute of Technology, Silchar
(Assam)
■■ National Institute of Technology, Hazartbal,
Srinagar (J&K)
■■ Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of
Technology, Surat(Gujarat)
National Institute of Technology, Surathkal,
■■
Mangalore (Karnataka)
■■ National Institute of Technology,
Tiruchirapalli (Tamil Nadu)
■■ National Institute of Technology, Warangal
(Andhra Pradesh)
■■ National Institute of Technology, Raipur
(Chhattisgarh)
Last lap before AIEEE
In the last two weeks before AIEEE,
aspirants must revise all the formulae
and the important points during these
two weeks. One must study all three
subjects each day.
Must do in the last 2 weeks
●● Make a note of important points.
●● Make a timetable for the coming
twelve days to revise your syllabus. Time
table must be developed in such a way
that you give maximum time to your
strengths. For instance, if you are strong
INSTITUTIONS that accept
B. Self-Financed Deemed Universities/
Universities/Other Institutions
(Subject to the final approval from MHRD, Govt.
of India and Central Counselling Board)
■■ International Institute of Information
Technology, Hyderabad(A.P)
■■ Birla Institute of Technology (Mesra Centre),
Mesra, Ranchi (Jharkhand)
■■ Birla Institute of Technology (Patna Centre),
Mesra, Ranchi
■■ Birla Institute of Technology (Deogarh
Centre), Mesra, Ranchi
■■ Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology,
Bhubhaneswar (Orissa)
■■ Shanmugha Arts, Science, Technology &
Research Academy (Sastra), Thanjavur (Tamil
Nadu)
■■ LNM Institute of Information Technology,
Jaipur (Rajasthan)
■■ Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Viswa
Mahavidyalaya,Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu)
■■ Dr. M.G.R. Educational and Research Institute,
Chennai (Tamil Nadu)
■■ Faculty of Engineering & Technology,
Gurukul Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar
(Uttarakhand)
Jaipur National University, Jagatpura, Jaipur
■■
(Rajasthan)
■■ Lovely Professional University, Phagwara,
Distt. Kapurthala (Punjab)
■■ Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University,
Gandhinagar, Jammu Tawi (J&K)
■■ Kalasalingam University, Anand Nagar,
Krishnan Koil (TN)
■■ Sir Padampat Singhania University, Udaipur
(Rajasthan)
■■ Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan University,
Bhubaneswar (Orissa)
in Electrostatics in Physics, then revise
electrostatics, giving enough time to it so
that you are sure and confident of every
concept in it. If you are not thorough in
Modern Physics, then only revise what-
ever topics you have studied. Do not
study anything new in the last week.
●● Cover your syllabus during the next
seven days. Now revise your complete
syllabus once.
●● Take a few Mock Tests to check your
speed and accuracy.
●● Identify the gaps/problem areas
where you are wasting your maximum
time. Whatever mistakes you make
in the first paper try to rectify in the
second. In this way you will be better
28 careers 360 july 2009
C. Indian Institutes of Information Technology
(IIITs, IIITM &IIITDM)
■■ Indian Institute of Information Technology,
Jhalwa, Allahabad (U.P)
■■ Indian Institute of Information Technology,
Amethi , Allahabad (UP)
■■ Atal Bihari Vajpayee Indian Institute of
Information Technology &Management,
Gwalior (M.P.)
■■ Pandit Dwarka Prasad Mishra Indian
Institute of Information Technology, Design
& Manufacturing, Jabalpur (M.P.)
■■ Indian Institute of Information Technology,
Design &Manufacturing, Kanchipuram,
Tamil Nadu
prepared for the main exam. What most
students do is that they revise the entire
syllabus but never attempt a mock test.
Therefore they make mistakes in the
main exam and thus lose the race.
Day before
●● Let your hair down the day before
AIEEE. Do not study anything. Simply
relax and indulge yourself.
●● Stay calm, confident and trust your
ability.
●● Say to yourself ‘I am excited about
AIEEE and I can crack it’.
●● Don’t ask your friends how much
they have studied. It will only create
tension.
●● Have a sound sleep for at least 6-7
hours.
●● Prepare to reach the exam centre an
hour before the commencement of the
exam.
Analysis of AIEEE 2008
If you closely study the AIEEE 2008
paper you will find that there were 105
questions each carrying 3 marks. The
total marks were 315 out of which if you
had scored 180+ marks you were always
safe to get a good college. On analysing
the last year’s paper it was found that in
physics most of the questions were from
electricity, magnetism, modern physics
and mechanics. These topics comprised
about 75% to 80% of the paper. 35%
questions were easy and 60% were nei-
ther too difficult nor too easy.
Chemistry is the broadest branch and
one that is most scoring. An analysis of
AIEEE scores
D. States/UTs
The States/Institutes listed below are likely to
use AIEEE-2009 ranks to fill seats through their
own counselling.
■■ Haryana
■■ Uttarakhand
Himachal Pradesh (All India quota will be
■■
filled through Central Counselling Board)
■■ Army Institute of Technology, Pune,
Maharashtra
■■ 15% All India quota in Delhi College of
Engineering and N.S.I.T., Delhi under Delhi
University will be filled through Central
Counselling Board.
last year’s paper revealed that physi-
cal chemistry had 12 questions, organic
chemistry 12 and inorganic chemistry 11.
What this shows is that physical, organic
and inorganic chemistry are given equal
weight in AIEEE.
Now the part which the students say is
difficult. Mathematics. Post the analysis
it was found that chapters from Calculus
and Algebra are the most repeated in
the previous year papers of AIEEE. In
AIEEE 2008, 24 questions were there
from these two topics alone.
Analysis of AIEEE 2009
In AIEEE 2009 there was a marked
change is the pattern of questions and
marking scheme. The number of ques-
tions in each section was reduced to
E. Other Central Government/State
Government Funded Institutions
Indian Institute of Carpet Technology, Bhadohi
■■
(U.P) (IICT, Bhadohi)
■■ School of Planning and Architecture, I.P. Estate,
New Delhi (SPA,Delhi).
■■ National Insitute of Foundary & Forge
Technology, P.O. Hatia,Ranchi (Jharkhand),
(NIFFT, Ranchi)
■■ Assam University, Silchar (Assam)
■■ J.K. Institute of Applied Physics & Technology,
University of Allahabad, Allahabad- 211002 (U.P)
■■ Tezpur University, NAPAAM, Tezpur (Assam)
■■ M.J.P. Rohilkhand University, Bareilly (U.P)
■■ School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal
■■ School of Planning and Architecture, Vijayawada
30 but students found it tough as
there were 24 questions of 4 marks and
6 questions of 8 marks in each section
along with 1/4th negative marking. The
8 mark questions were time consum-
ing and this was one reason why some
students could not attempt many ques-
tions.
In Physics it was found that 40% ques-
tions were easy, 52% medium level and
8% difficult. More weight was given to
chapters like Heat & Thermodynam-
ics - 17%, Optics - 10%, Modern Physics
- 10%, Electronics & communication -
7% and Properties of matter - 3%.
In Mathematics, 32% questions were
easy, 58% average level of difficulty and
10% difficult. More weight was given
to chapters like Coordinate Geometry
- 13%, Integral Calculus - 10%, Vector
- 3 Dimensional Geometry & Determi-
nants - 10% and Trigonometry - 3%.
In Chemistry, 40% questions were
29 careers 360 july 2009
easy, 50% had a medium level of diffi-
culty and 10% were difficult. 40% weight
was given to Physical Chemistry and
27% to Inorganic Chemistry.
After going through the new mark-
ing scheme and level of difficulty of the
papers we could conclude that if a stu-
dent secured more that 225 out of 432
he could be sure of getting into one of
the 20 NITs.
Special Tip
Importance of chemistry
It is observed that those who crack
AIEEE are the ones who do well in
chemistry. A week before the exam dedi-
cate four hours to brush up your con-
cepts of chemistry - 3 hours for organic
and inorganic chemistry and one hour
for physical chemistry. Try to attempt
Cracking the AIEEE 2010
■■ 1. Have a thorough knowledge of the AIEEE
syllabus
■■ 2. Analyse the exam pattern closely
■■ 3. Know changing pattern of the exam over
the last few years
■■ 4. Adopt the right strategy for the exam
■■ 5.Have the confidence to crack it
■■ 6.Most importantly do not panic. No one is
perfect. Stay calm on the day of the exam
chemistry in the first hour as it has some
easy questions and if you can solve these
questions in the first hour, you will feel
confident. It has been proved that if
you are confident then your efficiency
increases. Inorganic and organic also
cover a substantial portion in AIEEE.
Chemistry is the most scoring subject.
Just read the concepts of thermody-
namics and chemical equilibrium. Some
questions from these parts are purely
conceptual. So clear your concepts and
you can successfully attempt 40% ques-
tions from these two topics.
Expert Advice / Recommendation
Always attempt theoretical questions
first and then questions which require
calculation. Its human nature that if
you attempt a few confident questions
in the beginning then you feel loaded
with positive energy which increases
your efficiency and speed for the rest of
the paper.
Teachers’ Talk Foreign Universities on Indian Shores
Foreign universities’ entry into India will
raise academic standards
Dr C S Venkata Ratnam
Director, International
Management Institute,
New Delhi
I
f foreign universities are allowed entry in
India it will immediately increase com-
petition for Indian institutes with resul-
tant pressure on them to improve quality.
Just as multinational companies have been
transmission belts for state-of-art practices in
management, foreign universities are expect-
ed to bring with them the culture of rigour and
excellence in research and academic stan-
dards with possible spin-off effects on their
Indian counterparts.
Indian students will benefit in terms of get-
ting best education at moderate cost. Second,
if the universities offer internationally accred-
ited programmes in India, the Indian students
will be entitled to transfer of credits globally.
Third, in the context of General Agreement
on Trade in Services (GATS), Indian students
will have skills and qualifications which are
transferable across the globe.
Students will however miss the international
exposure. Institutes like INSEAD in France
and IMD in Switzerland have become global
meeting places. For instance, the 90-plus
HKUST, Hongkong The sun -dial at the administrative
building.
30 careers 360 july 2009
class of IMD Lausanne comprises students
from over 60 countries. The learning that
occurs in terms of living abroad and interact-
ing with students from different countries is
what students studying in a foreign university
on Indian shores will miss.
Entry of foreign universities will not be
an unmixed blessing. They come but with
a commercial motive. With an ageing popula-
tion, increased restrictions on immigration,
fewer employment opportunities and escala-
tion of racial abuse in countries like Australia
and the UK, the foreign universities are find-
ing it difficult to get international students.
Hence, they are now trying to shift the cam-
pus to where the students (the market is) are.
It is common knowledge that the quali-
ty of education offered in these countries
ranges, as in India, from very good to very
bad. There are instances where several hun-
dred students are enrolled into a class and
are made to sit in different classrooms with
access to the faculty on a video screen and
interacting through microphones. The impact
on the quality of education is easy to see.
The government must follow the WTO prin-
ciples of non-discrimination and national
treatment and address the issues of a level
playing field.
It is the Indian institutes more than Indian
students who will be impacted adversely. Most
Indian institutes do not have the internation-
al orientation, financial muscle and brand
equity of the reputed Ivy League institutions.
It is best that Indian students be cautious.
Not all foreign universities offer qual-
ity education. While Indian universities are
known to offer some depth in terms of course
curriculum coverage, some foreign uni-
versities offer degrees more easily with
bare minimum contact hours and course
coverage.
It also remains to be seen whether
and how best foreign universities can contex-
tualize the course offering to make it relevant
for Indian students and the needs of Indian
employers. Students must also check if the
degrees they offer in India are internationally
accredited.
Advisory ONLINE CAT

Cracking the new CAT

In the new computer-based format, a test-booklet will be replaced by a computer
terminal, keyboard and mouse

by Vinayak Kudva
Head – Products (Test Prep - IMS)
IMS Learning Resources

T
he Indian Institutes of Manage-
ment (IIMs) set the CAT amongst
the pigeons by announcing that
the CAT will be a Computer
Based Test (CBT) from 2009 onwards.
Let us try to understand how the pro-
posed computer-based test will be dif-
ferent from to the paper-based format.
This is the question that is topmost on
the minds of all CAT aspirants. Will
there be sectional time-limits? Will we
be allowed to skip questions? Will we be
able to view multiple questions at a time
(as selection of questions has always
been important in the CAT)? Will there
be an essay? Will the test be easier or
will it be tougher?
First and foremost, one needs to under-
stand that irrespective of the format of
the test the CAT will continue to be a
test that tries to identify potential man-
agers. The basic skills and areas assessed
would therefore not change irrespective
of whether the test is paper or computer-
based. However, a computer-based CAT Concept learning Preparation action points
would now possibly enable the IIMs to One needs to understand that only the ●● Make a list of all concepts that have
test additional skills required in a man- test-taking mode has been changed by been assessed in the previous CATs.
ager: like analytical writing, which had the CAT authorities. The basic skills and ●● Make a preliminary analysis of your
been logistically difficult to conduct and areas assessed in the CAT remain the strengths and weaknesses with regards
assess in a paper-based test. same. Therefore test-takers must first to these concepts.
focus on building a strong conceptual ●● Build on your strengths through suffi-
Preparation strategy foundation before thinking of or moving cient practice (solve exercises/take tests
In general, the preparation for CAT on to fine-tune their test-taking skills. based on your strong areas).
or any other aptitude test involves two For example: To answer a typical CAT ●● Work on your weakness. Learn the
important stages: concept learning and question “What is the ten’s place digit concepts, go through solved examples,
test-taking practice. The first stage of 12345678?”, it really does not mat- solve practice questions and assess your
requires anywhere between 3-6 months ter if the test is computer-based or not, knowledge in the area by taking tests on
of preparation depending on one’s ini- what matters is whether you know the a regular basis.
tial level of preparedness whereas the relevant concepts that are required to During the concept learning phase, try
second stage requires not more than answer this question. So, there need not to take some of the tests in a computer-
2-3 months of preparation just before be any change in one’s preparation strat- based format to get comfortable using
the actual test. egy for the concept-learning phase. the computer for taking a test.

32 careers 360 july 2009

as it goes online
Parameter
Navigation
Sectional Time
Test Questions
Test Format
Time per Q
Readability
Working Notes
Essay
Illustrations : Gouri Nanda
Do not confuse online testing with
online learning!! Learning of concepts
need not be online, if the test is online.
Concept learning phase in training pro-
grammes for international tests like
GMAT and GRE has always been offline
the world over.
Test-taking practice
The major implication of the CAT
going online is that you now need to get
acclimatized to a computer-based test-
ing environment. This means that you
should now be comfortable using the
keyboard/mouse while taking a test on
the computer. To achieve this, you need
to include sufficient computer-based
test-taking practice in your prepara-
tion plans and ensure that your com-
puter skills do not hinder your scoring
Paper-based CAT versus Computer based CAT
Paper-based Test
Test-taker can view all questions at a
time and can choose to solve questions
in any order.
No sectional time limits. Sections can
be answered in any order. Test-taker can
also jump to and fro across sections.
The same set of questions is adminis-
tered to all test-takers.
CAT keeps changing, and the test-takers
do not know the structure of the test
until they get the test paper in hand.
There is no mechanism to capture time
spent on each question by the student.
Easy to navigate, especially while solving
Reading Comprehension passages and
Data Interpretation caselets.
Marking important lines, making working
calculations besides the question is easy
with pen and paper.
Test does not include an essay, because
it would be difficult for the test body to
evaluate the same.
potential. The computer skills needed to
take any computer-based test are mini-
mal and would not include more than:
●● Using the keyboard to complete the
test registration process
●● Using a mouse to navigate between
questions/sections
●● Using the various buttons/tabs that
form a part of the test format (like Help,
Save, Tag question, etc.)
●● Selecting/entering responses to
questions
●● Using the keyboard for word process-
ing (in case the test includes essays and
other forms of writing assessment)
You do not need to be a tech geek to
crack the online CAT!! The IIMs have
computerized the CAT in order to ease
their logistics and definitely not to check
the computer wizardry of the test-taker.
33 careers 360 july 2009
Computer-based Test
Test-taker may be able to view only one question at a
time and may need to solve questions in a fixed order.
Test-takers may be allowed to flag a question so that
they may return to it later.
Test can enforce sectional time limits with sections
to be answered in a fixed order: Test-taker may not be
allowed to go back to previous sections. In this scenar-
io, test-takers can no longer spend more time on their
areas of strength to maximise their scores.
Different sets of questions (with similar level of difficul-
ty) will be administered to test-takers, with questions
being selected from a large database of questions.
The test will most probably have a fixed structure that
will probably be specified in the CAT bulletin. A sample
CAT CD may be included in the CAT Bulletin (similar to
GMAT/GRE).
In an online format, the testing body can capture and
analyse the time spent on each of the questions to
arrive at some meaningful information.
Test-taker may need to scroll up/down to read the
entire passage, thereby causing inconvenience.
Test-taker will now have to read the test online and
make notes offline, which probably need more time
than the corresponding paper-based process.
Like GMAT and GRE, a test-taker may now have to sub-
mit an essay online. However, the essay might be used
only at the second stage of evaluation.
Practice action points
●● Take sufficient number of compre-
hensive tests (paper-based or comput-
er-based) to enhance your test-taking
skills. Benchmark your performance
against fellow competitors.
●● Analyse your performance to find
how you could improve your score.
Ensure you solve every question before
moving on to the next test.
All said and done, CAT aspirants need
not worry at this stage about the CAT
format. Instead, focus on test prepara-
tion. Build a strong conceptual base.
Wait for the IIM authorities to reveal
the finer modalities of the test (which is
expected to be announced latest by the
first week of July). Until then, stay calm
and focus on the job at hand, and get
going to reach your dream IIM.
 Cover story PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS

149 Public
institutions
beyond IITs / IIMs
From Paleobotany to sports medicine, the public education system in the country
offers a wide variety of programmes and some institutions do exceptionally high
quality research. Careers360 researches on what is on the plate

Madhu Kaparath/Outlook Group

reserach is the hallmark of many of these
public institutions

34 careers 360 july 2009


Forests are an important area of enquiry
by Team Careers360
M
ultiplicity of institutions is
the bane of India’s gover-
nance structure. It resulted
in ministries working at cross
purposes and at times actively under-
cutting each other’s initiative. But one
inadvertent good that came out of this
is that, a host of institutions in diverse
knowledge domains came into being in
the country. Therefore in addition to the
large university system that the minis-
try of Human Resources Development
oversees, the country also boasts of a
parallel stream of fine and not-so-fine
institutions, set up under the jurisdic-
tion of different central mininistries as
well as state governments. Though the
different arms of Government of India
(GoI) have set up amongst themselves
over 192* institutions, we focused on
only those 149 which offered some edu-
cational programmes. While 91 such
institutions offered long term educa-
tional programmes either at UG and
PG levels, the rest offered facilities for
pursuing a PhD with a registration from
a nearby university. Almost all of them
offered short term and in-service train-
ing programmes. Here are some of the
gems we discovered…
*For the purpose of this article we have considered
only central government institutions
35
AGRICULTURE & ALLIED SCIENCES
Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal
Indian Institute of Forestry Research and
Education, Dehradun
National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal
Agharkar Research Institute, Pune
Central Institute of Fisheries Education,Mumbai
Central Institute of Fresh Water Aquaculture,
Bhubaneswar
Centre for Forestry Research & HRD,Chinndwara
Forest Research Institute University,Dehradun
Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI),New
Delhi
Indian Institute of Plantation
Management,Bangalore
Indian Institute of Pulses Research,Kanpur
Indian Institute of Spices Research,Calicut
Indian Plywood Industries Research and Training
Institute,Bangalore
F
or a nation which spends nearly
11% of its R&D budget on agri-
cultural research, it is only natu-
ral that in addition to the 26 central
and state level agricultural universi-
ties, it also runs a large-scale agricul-
tural research establishment. While
the Indian council of Agricultural
Research (ICAR) has 94 institutes
collectively in agriculture, horticul-
ture, animal sciences and fisheries,
only a handful of institutions offer
serious academic programmes. Dr.
Mritunjaya, coordinator, National
Agricultural Innovation Mission,
says, this is partly because ICAR is
more research grounded and imme-
diate and demands a very different
ethos than that of an academic insti-
tution.
The largest academic institution
within the system is the Central
careers 360 july 2009
PGD in Forestry Management; Fellow
Programme in Management
This has 8 research institutes & 4 advance
centres
BTech (Dairy Technology); MTech/MSc/
MVSc) in Dairying; Doctorate in Dairying
Fellowship Scheme for societal programmes
for women scientists having PhD/MSc/BE/
Medicine
Masters Prog (7) in aquaculture, fisheries
PGD in Inland Fisheries Management
MFSc & PhD in collaboration with OUAT
Junior and Senior Certificate Course in
Nursery & Plantation
MSc (Wood Science & Technology; Forestry;
Environment); PGD (Pulp & Paper);
Post Master’s Diploma (Natural Res-
ource Management, Non-Wood Forest
Products)
Doctoral programmes (agricultural exten-
sion, sciences, engineering, horticulture etc.)
PGD (Agri-Business & Plantation
Management )
PhD programmes in affiliation with CSJM
University (Kanpur University) on
Biotechnology, Biochemistry, Microbiology,
Nematology, Plant Pathology, Entomology,
Agronomy and Soil Sciences
Post MSc training (biotechnology & others
like agricultural economics, botany, soil
chemistry etc)
PGD in Mechanical wood industries
technology
Institute of Fisheries Education
(CIFE) with over seven master’s
programmes.
Forestry is another important
domain of education in which public
sector is the only significant player.
While the Indian Institute of For-
est Management provides a man-
agement perspective to forestry and
offers a PGD in forest management a
more integrated and multi-disciplin-
ary orientation is given by the Forest
Research Institute University (FRI).
The FRI is a premier institution,
and offers courses in wood science,
resource management, pulp and
paper and forest produce. Though
TERI of late is emerging as com-
petitor by offering an MSc (Natural
Resources Management), FRI still is
considered the best to pursue educa-
tion in natural resources.
Cover Story public institutions

SCIENCES

Indian Institute of Science Education & Research,
Pune
Indian Institute of Science Education & Research,
Kolkata
Indian Institute of Science Education & Research,
Bhopal
Indian Institute of Science Education & Research,
Mohali
Indian Statistical Institute, Bangalore
Indian Statistical Institute, Calcutta
Indian Statistical Institute, New Delhi
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific
Research, Bangalore
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai
Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational
Sciences ,Sriharikota
Bose Institute, Calcutta
Harish-Chandra Research Institute,Allahabad
Indian Association for the Cultivation of
Science,Kolkata
Indian Institute of Astrophysics,Bangalore
Institute of Advanced Study in Science &
Technology,New Delhi
Institute of Mathematical Sciences ,Chennai
Institute of Physics,Bubhaneswar
National Board for higher Mathematics,Pune
National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and
Technology, Bangalore
Raman Research Institute ,Bangalore
Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics ,Kolkata
SN Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences,Kolkata
Integrated Master’s programme, Post-Master’s Ph.D. programme (Integrated Sciences)
Integrated MS & PhD Programme, Post-Doctoral Programme
MS (integrated), PhD
MS (Integrated) Programme, PhD Programme
Bachelor’s and Master’s (Mathematics, Statistics); MS in Library Info Sc, QE
Bachelors and Masters (Mathematics, Statistics); MS (Quality, Reliability and Operations Research,
Library & Information Science); MTech (CS)
Bachelor’s and Master’s Programmes
Integrated PhD in Materials Science for graduates
MSc (Biology ); Integrated PhD in Mathematics (Bangalore) and Biology; PhD (Mathematics, Physics,
Chemistry, Biology, Computer & Systems Sciences and Science Education)
JRF–ARIES PhD Programme in Astronomy & Astrophysics and Atmospheric Sciences
PhD Programme (various subjects in Physics)
MSc, PhD programme in Mathematics, research
Post-BSc Integrated PhD in Chemical Sciences
Integrated MTech-PhD (Tech) in Astronomical Instrumentation; integrated PhD (IPhD) in Physics; other
PhD (Astronomy & Astrophysics)
PhD (Material Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Life Science and Resource Management and
Environment)
Post-doctoral research in Mathematics, Theoretical Computer Science and Theoretical Physics;
Associateships
One year Pre-doctoral course in Advanced Physics (post-MSc) and Doctoral research programmes
PhD (Mathematics, Statistics or Mathematical Physics) Msc/MA
PhD programme for students registered in other universities such as Kerala University and Cochin
University of Science &Technology
PhD programme in affiliation with JNU (Astronomy and Astrophysics, Soft Condensed Matter, Signal
Processing, Chemistry, Theoretical Physics and Light and Matter Physics)
One-year Post-MSc Associateship Course in Physics/Biophysical Sciences stream
Post BSc-Integrated PhD (physical sciences); Post MSc Integrated PhD; PhD in New Areas (Nano Science
and Technology, Theoretical Chemistry and Chemical Physics); Cambridge-Bose Scholarship in Physics
and related areas for PhD; TWAS-Bose fellowship

T
he best in basic sciences is the Tata Institute of Fun-
damental Research (TIFR). Set up by the Tata Trust,
it is an autonomous institution under the Department
of Atomic Energy. Working on seminal areas of physics and
mathematics, it does world class research and has both doc-
toral and post doctoral positions for aspiring students.
Yet another initiative that focuses on basic science education
is the establishment of Indian Institutes of Science Educa-
tion and Research (IISER) at Bhopal, Kolkata, Mohali, and
Pune. These institutions have begun offering integrated PhD
programmes especially for young students directly after 10+2.
With state-of-the-art laboratories and learning resources,
these institutions would provide a certain quality of science
education that would be matched with difficulty by only a few
private players.
Two famous physics schools and one mathematics school
also finds a place here. Purists might dispute their presence
in pure sciences, since they have strong application orienta-
tion, but that distinction is any way now blurring away --
Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG), The Saha Institute
of Nuclear Physics (SINP) and the Institute of Mathematical
Sciences (IMS). While the first focuses on two specialized
domains of physics viz, geomagnetism and nuclear energy, the
last one attempts to develop original work on computational
mathematics and theoretical computer science. Invariably
most of them are best places in their domain for research.

36 careers 360 july 2009

Sports education is almost a public sector preserve

SPORTS EDUCATION
Lakshmibai National University
of Physical Education, Gwalior
National Institute of Water
Sports, Goa
Netaji Subhas National Institute
of Sports,Patiala
Lakshmibai College of Physical
Education, Thiruvananthapuram
BPEd., MPEd., MPhil, PhD in Physical
Education and allied areas
Management courses viz. Watersport
Centre Management; Communica-
tion Skill for Watersport Instructors,
outboard motor maintenance etc.;
short-term professional (life-saving
techniques, powerboat handling etc.)
and skill courses (windsurfing,
kayaking, waterskiing
MSc, Diploma (Sports Coaching);
PGD (Sports Medicine)
BPEd., MPEd., MPhil, PhD in Physical
Education and allied areas
T
eachers training in the conventional sense are restrict-
ed to BEds and MEds. But India is one of the few
countries, which has worked out in detail the demand
of technical teachers and set up three National Institute for
Technical Teachers Education (NITTR) one each for north,
east and central India at Bhopal, Kolkata and Chandigarh
respectively.
Kolkata was the first off the block in 1965, followed by
Bhopal in 1966 and Chandigarh in 1967. Though initially
they focused on providing in-service and short term train-
ing, all three of them offer ME and MTech programmes with
specialization in education. NIITR, Chandigarh offers the
maximum specializations and also has a reasonably large
and diverse PhD programme. NIITR, Bhopal and Kolkata
have only recently begun offering MTech (Ed.). All the three
institutions are under the Quality Improvement programme

B
arring cricket, sports has never been on the national of AICTE and hence any student admitted would be eligible
agenda and hence institutions outside the formal for applying to a fully funded fellowship on offer .
education system are very minimal in this domain.
While the two national sports colleges, Lakshmibai Nation- TECHNICAL TEACHER TRAINING
al University at Gwalior and College of Physical Education
National Institute of Technical MTech (Ed.) Programme
at Thiruvananthapuram offer the entire range of Physical Teacher’s Training & Research,
Education programmes like BPEd and MPEd, specialized Bhopal
programmes for individual sports are hard to come by in the National institute of Technical ME (Engineering Education, Manu-
public sector. Teacher’s Training & Research, facturing Technology, Construction
The largest sports institution in the public sector is the Chandigarh Technology & Management, Computer
Science, Instrumentation & Control,
Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NIS, Patiala), Electronics and Communication; ME
which has specalised training academies for different sports (Modular); PhD under QIP
and also offers the nation’s only Sports Medicine PG diplo- (Polytechnic) scheme
ma in the public sector. Research on sports techniques and National institute of Technical MTech (Ed.) Programme
injuries sustained in sports are also given special attention Teacher’s Training & Research,
Kolkata
at this institution.

37 careers 360 july 2009

Cover Story public institutions
MEDICINE
Sreechitra Tirunal Institute for Medical
Sciences & Technology, Thiruvanan-
thapuram
L.R.S. Institute of Tuberculosis & Respira-
tory Diseases, New Delhi
Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga,
New Delhi
National Institute for Homeopathy,
Kolkota
National Institute of Mental Health &
Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, New Delhi
National Institute of Public Cooperation
and Child Development, New Delhi
National Institute of Rehabilitation Train-
ing and Research, Cuttack
Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi
National Institute of Immunology, New
Delhi (NII)
Master of Public Health Programme; PhD Pro-
gramme; Post-doctoral Programme/ DM/MCh/
PDCC
PG Training for Diplomate of National Board
(DNB) in Respiratory Medicine - 3 yrs
Diploma (Yoga Therapy, Yoga Studies)
Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine & Surgery
BSc (Nursing; Radiography); Diploma (Clinical
Neurophysiology Technology, Psychiatric Nurs-
ing, Neurological & Neurosurgical Nursing);
Short term courses
Bachelor’s (Physiotherapy, Occupational Thera-
py, Prosthetics and Orthotics); PG (Occupational
Therapy, Physiotherapy) from Utkal University,
Bhubaneswar
MD psychiatry; PhD: clinical psychology; MPhil:
psychiatric social work
PhD degree in biological and related sciences
from Jawaharlal Nehru University
38 careers 360 july 2009
Health sector is increasingly getting technology-
intensive, which public sector cannot keep pace with
I
nstitutions like AIIMS at New Delhi, PGI,
Chandigarh, JIPMER, Pondicherry and
the state-level medical colleges are those
institutions that come’s to one’s mind when
discussing medical education. But a host of
institutions in the public domain offer courses
in medical diagnostics, child development,
rehabilitation, psychiatry and immunology.
The National institute of Immunology is a
leading centre in entire south Asia that exam-
ines immunology as a discipline. It offers spe-
cialized PhD programmes affiliated to JNU
and does cutting edge research. The Sree Chi-
tra Institute of Medical Sciences and Technol-
ogy, which was initially conceptualised as a
high quality medical college, went on to evolve
as a leading training ground in about 12 medi-
cal disciplines and 18 paramedical courses. It
is also home to one the leading publich health
master’s programmes, especially for medically
qualified doctors
 ENGINEERING & APPLIED SCIENCES
Indian School of Mines University, Dhanbad
National Environmental Engineering Research Institute,
Nagour
Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Mohali
Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore
Central Institute of Fisheries, Nautical and Engineering
Training, Cochin
Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology,
Chennai
Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai
Centre for Liquid Crystal Research, Bangalore
Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, Kanpur
Indian Institute of Chemical Biology, Kolkota
Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai
Indian Institute of Ecology and Environment, New Delhi
Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Mumbai
Indian Institute of Petroleum, Dehradun
Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun
Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology, T’Puram
Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune
Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, New Delhi
Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Delhi
Institute of Microbial Technology, Chandigarh
Institute of Plasma Research, Gandhinagar
Institute of Wood Science and Technology, Bangalore
National Institute of Oceanography, Goa
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research, Mohali
SL Institute of Engineering & Technology, Sangner
Technology Information, Forecasting & Assessment Council,
New Delhi
Central Electrochemcial Research Institute, Karaikudi
T
he IITs are synonymous with Indian engineering educa-
tion. But a whole range of institutions exists outside IIT
system. The primary contributor to this discipline is the
Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR). The
most famous institutions in this set are the Central Leather
Research Institute (CLRI) and Central Institute of Plastics
Engineering and Technology (CIPET). The CLRI, is the
nation’s premier institute which provides courses across the
leather sector value chain from dyes to processing to finishing.
The courses range from 3-month certification to five-year PhD
programmes. Slightly less known, but equally good is CIPET.
Focusing on newer biodegradable plastics technology this
39
BTech, MTech, MSc Tech, in mining, petroleum, fuel, mining machinery, electronics, electrical
PGD Environmental System Modelling and Optimization - 2 year
Birbal Sahni Research Scholarship for doing PhD/RA
MSc Food Technology (2 year)
BFSc (Nautical Science)
Doctoral, MTech, BTech, Diploma, PGD in Plastics Engineering & Technology
BTech, MTech, PhD (Leather Technology) & MTech, PhD courses in Footwear Science & Engineering
PhD affiliated to Mangalore University in areas such as Physics of Liquid Crystals & other Soft
Condensed Matter; Synthesis & Characterisation of Liquid Crystals & other Soft Materials
13 UG programmes leading to BTech; MTech, MCA; PhD Economics
PhD (Biology and Chemistry disciplines)
Advanced Course in Bioinformatics (IICT,CDAC & JNTU )
PGD in Ecology and Environment
PhD in Geomagnetism and allied fields; Physics and in Geophysics/Earth Sciences
Recognised by many Indian Universities to conduct research leading to PhD in chemical science &
engineering subjects
MTech (Remote Sensing & GIS in Natural Resource Management); MSc (Geoinformatics); PGD (RS
& GIS in Natural Resource management; Geoinformatics)
BTech (Avionics, Aerospace, Physical Sc); MTech (softcomputing, RF & Microwave Comm; optics)
MTech (Atmospheric Science) of Pune university; PhD programme with Pune University
PhD programme (interdisciplinary areas of biological & chemical Science, molecular medicine and
disease biology, environmental biotech & bioinformatics)
MD Psychiatry; DM Neurology; MPhil Clinical Psychology; DNB Neurology
PhD programme run jointly by IMTECH and Jawaharlal Nehru University
PhD in Physical Sciences, Engineering Sciences, Inter-Disciplinary Engineering Sciences, Computer
Applications & Management Science
PhD programme under FRI University, Dehradun
PhD programme for those holding JRF/SRF
MS; MPharm; MTech (Pharm.) in Medicinal Chemistry, Natural Products, Pharmaceutical Analysis,
Pharmacology & Toxicology, Pharmaceutics, Biotechnology etc; MBA (Pharma)
Certificate Programmes, Diploma Programmes,Degree Programmes & MTech
Mission REACH: MTech in Telematics (V R Siddartha Engineering College); BTech and MTech-Food
Technology (Techno India); PhD
BTech ( electrochemical engineering) affliated to Alagappa University, PhD
institution too offers courses on all aspects of the industry.
Institutions within the CSIR sector which does yeomen
work in the education sector are the three chemical labs,
Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (IICB), Indian insti-
tute of chemical Technology (IICT) and National Chemical
Laboratory(NCL). While the first two have structured PhD
programmes, with IICT having a formal affiliation with JNTU,
the last has been one of the best centres for applied chemical
engineering studies. The close proximity to University depart-
ment of chemical technology (UDCT ) of Mumbai University
adds to the academic allure of NCL. And the last big player in
this domain is the CFTRI, best place for food technology.
careers 360 july 2009
Cover Story public institutions
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Indian Institute of Social Welfare & Business
Management, Kolkata
A N Sinha Institute of Social Sciences
Centre for Development Studies
Centre for Economic and Social Studies
Centre for Multi-diciplinary Development
Research
Centre for Policy Research
Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial
Development
Gujarat Institute of Developmental Studies
Centre for Studie in Social Sciences
Centre for Study of Developing Socities
Council of Social Development
Centre for Womens Development Studies
Gandhian Institute of Studies
Giri Institute of Development Studies
G B Pant Social Sciences Institute
Centre for Social Studies
Indian Institute of Educaiton
Institute of Social and Economic Change
Institute for Studies in Industrial Develop-
ment
Institute of Developmental Studies
Institute of Public Enterprise
Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change
and Development
Madras Institute of Developmental Studies
Nabhakrishna Choudry Centre for Develop-
ment Studies
Sardar Patel Instittute of Social and Eco-
nomic Research
Madhya Pradesh Institute of Social Sciences
Research
Babasahib Ambedkar National Institute of
Social Sciences
Indira Gandhi Institute of Development
Research, Mumbai
Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi
International Institute for Population Sci-
ences, Mumbai
National University of Educational Planning
and Administration, New Delhi
Gandhigram Rural University
Indian Institute of Advanced Studies
National Institute of Social Defence
National Institute of Youth Welfare
MBA; Master’s in Human Resource Manage-
ment affiliated to University of Calcutta; Mas-
ter of Public Systems Management
M.Phil PhD
M.Phl,PhD
M.Phil, PhD
Short term courses
PhD, Short term courses
PhD, Short term courses
M.Phil, PhD
M.Phil, PhD
PhD, Short term courses
PhD, Short term courses
PhD, Short term courses
PhD, Short term courses
M.Phil, PhD
PhD, Short term courses
M.Phil, PhD
Making sense of these phenomena is a major challenge
PhD, Short term courses for social scientists
Mphil,PhD
T
PhD, Short term courses his is one segment of education, wherein
the public sector had a substantially large
PhD, Short term courses quantitative presence outside the university
MBA, Mphil, PhD system, but whose quality is quite diverse. But
collectively the 27 ICSSR funded social sciences
PhD, Short term courses
institutions do provide an academic space for
serious research and reflection.
Mphil,PhD
Institutes like Centre for Development Stud-
PhD, Short term courses ies, Thiruvananthapuram, Gujarat Insitute of
Development studies, Centre for Economic and
PhD, Short term courses Social Change offer structured MPhil and PhD
programmes, and all admitted scholars are pro-
PhD, Short term courses vided with nominal stipends throughout the pro-
gramme. Others like Centre for Study of Devel-
PhD, Short term courses oping Socities, Institutes for Studies in Industrial
Development, Council for Social Development,
MSc Economics; MPhil & PhD Development act as pivotal points for research and offer struc-
Studies
tured PhD programmes with or without fellow-
Ratan Tata Trust Post-Doctoral ships.
Fellowships (2-3); ICSSR PhD Fellowships (6)
Outside the ICSSR, three institutes do seminal
Master’s, MPhil & PhD in Population Studies work in this discipline and all three of them are
in the public sector. In the domain of population
Full-time Integrated MPhil-PhD studies, Indian Institute of Pupulation studies
(IIPS) offers one of the best training grounds for
BA,MA, Mphil, PhD, Short term Diploma scholars and is only one of its kind in Asia. The
Fellowships for advanced reserach National University of Educational Planning and
Diploma in geriatiric care
Administration (NUEPA) is yet another one of a
kind institution in teaching and reserching on all
Short term programmes in mobilisation
aspects of education.
40 careers 360 july 2009
 INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES
Centre for Development of Adavanced Computing
Institute of Hotel Mgt, Catering Technology & Applied Nutrition, Mumbai
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad
Indian Institute of Information Technology, Bangalore
Indian Institute of Information Technology & Management, Gwalior
International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad
Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology
MTech, Advanced Diplomas (computing, robotics, embedded technologies, VLSI
design
BSc (Hospitality and Hotel Administration)
BTech (IT and ECE); MTech (IT); Master of Science in Cyber Law and Information
Security; MBA (IT)
MTech; MS through research
BTech+MTech; MBA; MTech
BTech (Computer Sc; Electronics & Communication); 5-year (BTech and MS by
Research in CSE/ECE); foreign students training
PhD in Computer Science in arrangement with IIT Bombay and University of
Hyderabad

C
omputing in general, and Information Technology
in particular, is one sector that gave an identity to
India. The fore- most institution in high technol-
ogy computing is Centre for Development and Advanced
Computing (C-DAC). Working on domestically-built
super computers, the students get trained in high end
technologies. The institute is also known for its advanced
diplomas in language computing, parallel processing etc.
The Indian Institutes of Information Technology (IIIT)
set up all over India, are another set of institutions that
offer instruction in ICT, broadly defined. While IIIT,
Bangalore offers specialised MTech, the other three
have regular BTechs as well. The odd man out here is the
IDRBT, which hosts a PhD in financial sector automa-
tion, a first in the nation.

High tech computing, especially chip-level design and

integration, still remains the domain of C-DAC.

MANAGEMENT
Administrative Staff College, Hydera-
bad
Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship
Institute of Secretarial Training and
Management
National Institute of Rural Develop-
ment
National Institute of Small Industries
Extension Training
National Institute of Industrial Engi-
neering, Mumbai
Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New
Delhi
Institute of Rural Management, Anand
National Institute of Industrial Engi-
neering (NITIE), Mumbai
PG Diploma in Hospital Management (2yr)
PGD (Management and Entrepreneurship)
1 yr
Over 100 short term and in-service refresher
courses
PGD in Rural Development Management
PGD (TQM, ISO & Six Sigma; Retail Manage-
ment & Logistics SCM)
PGD (Industrial Engineering; Industrial Man-
agement, Industrial Safety and Environmental
Management, Information Technology Man-
agement)
MBA (International Business); Executive Mas-
ters (IB); Certificate prog in export mgt
PGD and Fellow Programme in Rural Manage-
ment
PGD (Industrial Engineering; Industrial Man-
agement, Industrial Safety and Environmental
Management, Information Technology Man-
agement)
T
he first institution that comes to one’s mind on
the subject of management is IIM. But there
are other institutions too. Indian Institute of
Foreign Trade (IIFT) is a fine school especially
for international business and exports. A constitu-
ent institution of the Department of Commerce,
it has recently achieved Deemed to be Univer-
sity status as well. ( See our review in the May
2009 issue).
The national institute of rural management (NIRM)
is the latest addition to public sector management
schools which offers a specially designed programme
on rural management. However, the pioneer in this
field remains another state-run institution, Institute
for Rural Management, Anand (IRMA), an autono-
mous body under GoI. The PG diploma from IRMA
is considered a passport to innumerable jobs in the
developmental and co-operative sector as well as
the rural initiatives divisions of corporations. The
NITIE, is another fine management school, offer-
ing specialised programmes on aspects of industrial
management, but moved on to include sustainability
issues as well.

41 careers 360 july 2009

Cover Story public institutions

SPECIALISED INSTITUTES
National Institute of Fashion Technology, New Delhi & 12 centres BDes.(fashion design/leather design/accessory design/textile design/knit-
wear design/fashion communication); BFTech (apparel production); MDes.
(design); MFM (fashion management); MFTech (fashion technology)
School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi Graduate Courses, Postgraduate Courses & Doctoral Programmes
Indian Diamond Institute Diploma/Certificate courses (Diamond, Gems & Jewellery Design & mfg); dia-
mond grading, sorting, gemmology etc.
Indian Institute of Packaging 2 year PGD in Packaging; 18-month DL Graduate Diploma in Packaging for
working professionals/students
National Academy of Construction PGD (Construction Project Management, Building Technology, Highway and
Runway Technology, Facilities Management) in collaboration with JNTU,
Hyderabad
National Defence College of India National Security and Strategic Studies Course - MPhil Degree in ‘Defence and
Strategic Studies from University of Madras only for senior Defence and Civil
Services officers
National Fire Service College BE (Fire Engineering) is awarded by Nagpur University -3.5 yrs
National Institute of Science Communication & Information Resources Associateship in Information Science equivalent to Master’s degree in Library &
Information Science
National Institute of Construction Management and Research PG (Advanced Construction Management, Project Engineering and Manage-
ment, Real Estate and Urban Infrastructure Management)-2 yrs; 1 yr graduate
programme in construction management disciplines
National Institute of Urban Affairs In-service training programmes
National Power Training Institute PGD, Post Diploma (thermal power plant engineering), BTech/BE (Power), MBA
(Power Management)
Rajiv Gandhi National institute of Youth Development MA (Youth Work; Career Counselling, Gender Studies, Local Governance, Life
Skills Education, Youth Empowerment)
National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad Graduate Diploma in Design; PGD in Design (16 sub-disciplines)
Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi & Dhenkanaal PGD [Journalism(English/Hindi/Radio & Television/Oriya)]; Adversiting &
Public Relations
Footware Design and Development Institute BSc/ BDsn courses in a whole range of design disciplines with focus on foot-
wear.

Construction sector still does not merit serious

academic engagement

I
n addition to discipline-based institutions, India also
boasts of institutions serving a particular industry needs
as well. From pashion to diamond to packaging to con-
struction the finest training and manpower development
schools for the sector are in the public domain.
The best known school is the one that services the
garment export industry, National Institute of Fashion
Technology (NIFT), a premier school straddling mun-
dane garment production as well as high end fashion. At
the other extreme GoI also is home to IIMC which offers
one of the most respected PG diplomas in media and
journalism. RGNIYD, the only institution in the country,
exclusively focussing on youth development, is also in the
public domain.
Two of the finest specialised institutions, especially in
Asia, are the School of Planning and Architecture, which
is a leading institution in research and training in town
planning and environment issues as well as the National
Defence College, a one of its kind instituion in the sub-
continent offering a platform for academic research in
defence-related issues.

42 careers 360 july 2009

Cover Story public institutions

LANGUAGES
Central Institute of Indian Lan-
guages
Kendriya Hindi Sansthan
National Council for Promotion of
Urdu Language
Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha
Short-term pro-
grammes across vari-
ous centres in India
Nishnaat, Parangat,
Praveen: MEd, BEd,
BTC (Hindi); Post-MA
Diploma in Hindi
Short term courses
BA, MA, BEd, MEd,
MPhil (Sanskrit)

H
indi, Urdu and Sanskrit have always had a
special place within the pantheon of Indi-
an languages and hence the public domain
has three major institutions focusing on all three
of them. The Central Institute of Indian Lan-
guages is primarily a research organisation and
looks at literature and oral traditions in India. An
accredited PhD centre, it specializes in offering
short term programmes in 11 Indian languages
at all its 11 centres. But the other two, Rashtriya
Sanskrit Vidyapeeta and the Kendriya Hindi San-
asthan, are both university-level institutions, and
they come under the public sector only because
their administrative control in not with the UGC.
They are very effective institutions in preserva-
tion of language and culture and offer academic
programmes from UG to doctoral studies.
Despite active state support promotion of Indian language is still nascent

Where do many of these institutions stand?

H
ow good are these institutes and what value
they offer is the question that lingers on.
Some of these institutions, though not as
internationally feted as IITs/IIMs, offer courses
which are so unique that employment opportu-
nities are never a problem. But some of them,
thanks to the fossilized systems of the state, have
begun to resemble relics of an era bygone. The
biggest hurdle, as Ashok Parthasarathy, former
Secretary GoI suggests, is the lack of operational
autonomy these institutions face, as they are tied
to the administrative umblical chord of relevant
ministries. Some of them like NIFT, IIFT and
others have, by achieving a ‘Deemed to be Univer-
sity ‘ status, gained the status and reach to enjoy
a certain level of functional autonomy, which
many other institutions could not even dream
of. Resource crunch is another problem many of
these institutions face. Dr. Ashok Jain, former
Director of NISTADS, a CSIR lab, says, “It is
always a losing battle.” According to him the
warped view of many funding agencies, which are
only too ready to fund both new institutes and new
initiatives, but never comfortable about spending
money to sustain a programme over a long term
has led to the plethora of half-finished institutes
and programmes that dot the academic landscape
of the country.
Yet another issue that impacts drastically on
these institutions, is the intellectual isolation
they suffer. University academics look down upon
these research-focussed institutions as glorified
training schools, whereas the scientists and reser-
achers in these institutions look at universities as
fossilised entitites with no real connect to real life.
And the truth lies somewhere in between. The
artificial disconnect between research and teach-
ing as well as between pure and applied research
has resulted in a chasm, which in India is still too
wide to bridge.

44 careers 360 july 2009

 Lead Industry-led courses

Industry
Academia
alliance is the
road ahead
With a curriculum and delivery mechanism
that keenly focuses on industry require-
ments candidates become ‘first day first
hour productive’

Madhu Kapparath/Outlook Group

by Urmila Rao like Nikhil so that they never fall out of merging and businesses were being
favour from the job market, irrespective acquired as a result of which demand

A
ttired in dark business suit and
a pleasant smile, Nikhil Arora
cuts a dapper figure. After fin-
ishing the Carlson Manage-
ment Training Programme he joined
Radisson as an employee on a gross
salary of Rs. 20,000 per month. Many
would consider this as a modest amount
in comparison to corporate salaries
but when pitted against the expense he
put forth for the programme, he has
an edge. His total programme fee: Nil.
His stipend while training: Rs 16,000.
Rise in salary: Rs 4,000 after confirma-
tion. Job: Secure. Career: Promising and
on track. Many youngsters like Nikhil
,who was inspired by his uncle to choose
the hotel industry are choosing diverse
areas depending on their interest. And
now what seems to be a uniform goal
is to take up job-oriented courses just
of the caprices of the market. for trained professionals soared. When
companies started facing shortage of
The beginning qualified workforce, they had no option
Before the slowdown, the economy was but to train their employees according
witnessing an unprecedented growth. to industry needs. Some firms took on
Enterprises were expanding, entities the orientation task by conducting in-
house training and some by tying up
with educational institutes to get trained
resource, ready to deliver from day one.
Career-related certifi- This phenomenon, of organisations
cate programmes are partnering with educational institutes to
recognised by the deliver tailored programmes held com-
panies and job-seekers in good stead
industry as such even in times of slowdown.
courses meet the What’s the difference?
competencies Some organisations partner with an
required from a profes- educational institute and design the
course syllabus jointly with the institu-
sional in his field tion. Religare Commodites allied with
Manipal University to offer Certificate

46 careers 360 july 2009


programme in Commodities. “Com-
modity business is growing at a fast pace
and needs special skills and knowledge,
hence the need of talented and trained
manpower is very critical for us from a
long term business perspective,” says
Jayant Manglik, President, Religare
Commodities. When the course is com-
pleted – 3 months with Rs. 18,000 as
fees - there is guaranteed absorption
in Religare. “We also reimburse the
fee over an employment period of 6
months,” informs Manglik.
HDFC Standard Life, the insurance
division of banking giant HDFC, tied up
with Manipal University in March 2009,
to launch ‘First Advantage’, a 3-month
certificate programme in insurance and
management. “The key objective of this
programme is to select, train and groom
talent from across the country to ensure
a ready pool of insurance-trained sales
professionals for the company,” says
Sharad Gangal, general manager, HR,
HDFC Standard Life. Cost involved: Rs
30,000. Candidates who successfully
qualify are assured a job in the organisa-
tion. In other instances, organisations
don’t guarantee a job and they have no
exclusive partnership with institutes
either. However, they readily snap up
trained and skilled resources which the
institutions churn out independently.
“It seems that industry has decided to
take the bull by its horns,” says Rajesh
AR of TeamLease Services.
Nature of the offering
The career-courses offer certificates
which are different from academic or
degree programmes with no accredita-
tion or recognition. At the most, the
recognition enjoyed is only to the extent
of industry reputation.
The beauty of career-courses is that:
students pay a fee, usually less than a
47 careers 360 july 2009
Choosing
the right road
is important
lakh, in some cases they earn a stipend
too. The courses are of short duration,
extending for a maximum period of a
year and the eligibility as well as selec-
tion criteria isn’t too tough either. Once
the student passes out successfully, he
doesn’t have to hunt for a job in the
skills-starved market. Either the firms
are ready with job–offers or institutes
aid in placements.
The hotel industry faced and rec-
ognised the need of adopting such a
model way back in the ’80s, which other
industries are doing now. So Nikhil, a
10+2 student, with hotel management
degree refined his skill being an intern
while his peers moved on to obtain man-
agement degrees.
It is a different matter that the slow-
down in the global financial market
causing heartburn to the buoyant job
market here raised multiple questions
on the substance of management studies.
Lead industry-led courses
Milind Wadekar
Payal Pal, 26
Post Graduate Diploma in Banking Operations
from NIIT-IFBI
Presently interning at ICICI bank, Pune she
says, “I am getting Rs. 7,600 as stipend and
will join ICICI after completing internship.”
Payal is assured of her job
“Students are far from practical real-
ity,” say human resource experts. The
clamour for qualified manpower and the
spurt in the career-related programmes
corroborate the fact that the education
hitherto imparted by institutions lacked
in their offerings.
But it will be unreasonable to dismiss
the full-time academic programme as
the holistic exposure that an individual
gets from them is unparalleled. However
in-depth programmes groom the stu-
dents to get into actionable drive from
day one. Trained human resource is
a critical contributor to an organisa-
tion’s success.
Skills-starved job market
As and when companies face shortage of
trained professionals, they take recourse
in career-oriented programmes to
address the demand constraints. The
trend started early on in the hotel
industry and as the economy boomed,
it spread on to information technology,
retail, banking, financial services and
Nilotpal Baruah/Outlook Group
insurance sector. Public sector units
too have now joined the fray. Last year,
Institute of Chartered Accountants of
India (ICAI) and Institute of Cost and
Works Accountants (ICWA) launched
“Certificate in Accounting Tech-
nicians”, programme with a view to
increasing the number of skilled junior-
level accountants. For CWA course,
the postal coaching fee is Rs. 20,200
and while training on the job, the sti-
pend is anywhere between Rs. 5,000-
Rs. 7, 000. “ICWAI has introduced a
low cost course called the Certificate in
Accounting Technicians (CAT) in Eng-
lish and Hindi to equip candidates with
“ICWAI introduced a
low cost course -
Certificate in Account-
ing Technicians in
English & Hindi
to equip junior
accountants,”
Kunal Banerjee,
President ICWAI.
48 careers 360 july 2009
the knowledge of maintaining accounts,
preparing income tax return, service tax
return, filing of returns under income
tax, VAT, service tax, etc.,” says Kunal
Banerjee, president ICWAI.
While a majority of programmes are
classroom-held, some are online too,
as it is in the case of Indian Institute of
Real Estate (IIRE), which runs two of
its programmes online. The Pune-based
institute, after enrolling the students,
gives them a password which allows
access to the course. “The projects given
require the student to visit developers
and financers thus exposing them to
professionals who end up employing
these students,” says Professor Suresh
Malkani, academic dean, IIRE.
Will you benefit?
In depth study of one function area cre-
ates understanding in core business prin-
ciples, gives deeper insights and is prac-
tically relevant. Payal Pal, 26, wanted to
take up a bank job, specialising in area
of banking operations. “I always wanted
to be in it”, she says. So, after com-
pleting MBA (finance) from Institute
of Management and Advanced Global
Excellence, Bhubanswer, she enrolled
in Post Graduate Diploma in Banking
Operations (PGDBO) programme run
 Academia alliance is
the future
Hari Menon, Vice President and Head, Professionals and
Skills Education, Manipal University
I ndustry-academia alliance
is the future. Industry has
always been very apprehen-
sive about academic output
not being aligned to industry
requirements. Such alliances
ensure that curriculum is
industry relevant as industries
contribute to the content
development process. In such
alliances usually industry
provides for on-the-job train-
ing and most importantly they
provide placement oppor-
tunities. All of this is very
relevant and critical in creating
job-ready resource – what
by NIIT-IFBI. After completing the
three-month programme, Pal is pres-
ently interning in ICICI bank, Pune. “I
am getting Rs. 7,600 as stipend and will
join them after completing internship.”
Payal is assured of her job. She adds,
“Such courses may be short-term but it
enables one to choose and focus on the
area one wants to really work in.”
Some courses have a minimum qual-
ification requirement of 10+2. Ashok
Srinivasan, vice-president, Expertus,
has a word of advice for undergradu-
ates. “Undergraduate years should be
spent in more general course study after
which one should take up further study
or work in the area of one’s inclination,”
he says.
Delhi-based career counsellor Jitin
Chawla echoes similar thoughts. “The
work culture is thrust upon students too
early,” he says. However, he also men-
tions the positives. “It helps students
to imbibe the academic concepts much
better.”
On an advisory note, alongside the
practical training, the participants
should continue to study for a Bachelor’s
degree. Says the corporate spokesperson
of Oberoi hotels, “While taking a 3-year
Systematic Training and Education Pro-
gramme’, with Oberoi, undergraduates
we call “First Day First Hour
Productive”. Short-duration
courses make the candidates
job-ready. The focus of short
term courses is to create the
necessary skills required for
the specific job. The entire
curriculum and delivery meth-
odology focuses only on that
and does not delve too much
into generic content. There
is a significant component of
practical/on-the-job training
which helps create outcomes
in short periods of time. These
courses are highly focussed on Arijit Sen
the job needs.
can also pursue Bachelor of Tourism
Studies (BTS) degree from Indira Gan-
dhi Open University.”
In order that students gain maximum
benefit in minimum available time,
the courses are subject to review and
are fine-tuned according to market’s
demand. Harpreet Singh, corporate
training manager, RHW Hotel Manage-
ment Services, which manages Radisson
Hotel, Delhi says, “Every year, we re-
examine the course content and make
necessary additions.”
Due diligence by students
Unlike management, engineering or
medicine programmes, career-related
certificate programmes are not AICTE,
UGC or government approved. So, what
is the validity of these career-orient-
ed programmes? Does the certificate
hold value if a student wants to take-up
advanced studies? According to Jitin,
these certificates are not recognized in
India for further education. “But abroad,
it still holds good, because a number of
universities decide on enrolments based
on practical experience of candidates,”
he says. Dr C S Venkata Ratnam, Direc-
tor, International Management Insti-
tute, which recently partnered with Max
New York’s Life to launch Professional
49 careers 360 july 2009
Nikhil Arora, 25
HR executive in Delhi-based Radisson Hotel.
He enrolled in Carlson Management Training
Programme, with zero sum
as programme fees and got
stipend of Rs 16,000.
Programme in Insurance & Sales Man-
agement, says that the certificate is not
valid for higher studies. “It is a job- ori-
ented programme leading to a career in
insurance and sales,” he clarifies.
But the industry, he says, will recognize
the certificate. “The course meets the
competencies required from a profes-
sional in insurance and sales manage-
ment,” says Dr. Ratnam.
Industry-recognized courses
It is advisable to take up programmes
which enjoy industry recognition or
are run by industry bodies. They may
not guarantee a job but by virtue of
industry contacts, placement offers
are usually never hard to come by.
National Real Estate Development
Council (NAREDCO), for instance,
conducts Real Estate Certificate pro-
gramme. “Though it doesn’t guaran-
tee placements but having 150 mem-
bers on board, the students get placed
easily,” says Asad Mudin, co-founder,
NAREDCO. Apparel Export Promotion
Council (AEPC) runs three short-term
Lead industry-led courses
programmes for working professionals.
“Since we have exporters, merchandis-
ers and retailers as members we recom-
mend the students to them,” says the
spokesperson.
Saurabh Singh, General Manager,
ICICI Bank says, “The number of
industry-academia partnerships have
gone up significantly because unlike in
medicine or engineering, where candi-
dates are trained in specialized areas,
we only had plain graduates in the field
of finance. Initially, the academic com-
munity was suspicious and reluctant
- academic institutes are not training
colleges. It took us a year to convince
Manipal University and NIIT for such
programmes.”
Faculty checks
Before enrolling in any course, candi-
dates must interact with former stu-
dents to know their opinion. Also check
faculty background. An inexperienced
faculty will not be able to guide a student
or answer his queries better. Chances are
that a significant number of the faculty
do not have sufficient exposure to the
industry to be able to capture and trans-
late the nuances of the industry into
their teaching material. Besides, there
aren’t many India-specific books or case
studies available to the faculty to enable
them to provide contextual learning.
If the Institute highlights programme
affiliation with foreign universities, go
to the universities’ website, e-mail them
or give a call to cross-check.
Irrespective of what the college says
and no matter how rosy the prospec-
tive career picture portrayed, before
registering, corroborate every piece of
information that you get. An informed
decision can help students save plenty
of time.
Other items on the checklist
The other parameter on a student’s
checklist is to find out if they will have
to enter into any bond or any kind of
written agreement with the organisa-
tion. RHW Hotel Management Ser-
vices says that the students of Carlson
Management Training Programme are
not bound by any bond to work there.
However, there exists an understanding
whereby pass-out students work in the
hotel for at least two years. Nilesh Mitra,
Director, HR, RHW Hotel Management
Services says that such bonds don’t have
any legal binding anyway.
There is a lot of interest in areas such
as journalism, fitness or retail which are
seen as glamorous. There is a mismatch
of perceptions, feels CK Kurien, gen-
eral manager, marketing & relationship,
Future Learning and Development,
Pantaloon Group. In the context of
retail, he says, “At the outset it looks
alluring. On -the-job training allows
the candidates to see the reality.” This,
QUICK CHECK
■■ Whether the programme is company–
sponsored or self-financing. If you are
enrolling be clear that it is leading to your
career goal.
■■ Examine and clarify all terms and conditions
attached to the programme. Know whether
there is a lock-in period or bond stipulation
linked with it.
■■ Register for programmes where certificates
are given by recognised industry bodies as
those would be seen positively by hiring
organisations.
■■ If you are enrolling as after 10+2, do a
Bachelor’s degree side by side so that further
career-growth doesn’t come to a halt for
want of a degree. If you are a graduate, you
may also consider pursuing a management
course as an add-on.
■■ As career-oriented courses have a focussed
approach, the syllabus is limited to the
organisation’s demands.
50 careers 360 july 2009
“Career-oriented
courses help
students to imbibe
the academic
concepts much
better. But in context
of undergraduates
taking up such cours-
es, I feel the work
culture is thrust upon
them too early”
Jitin Saxena,
Career Counsellor.
according to him helps them make the
transition with ease.
Future of such alliances
In all likelihood such alliances will
become increasingly common. For
industries that can’t find quality work-
force with specialised skills, collabora-
tion of this nature helps them to bridge
the demand-supply gap. “The career-
course practice has become quite popu-
lar with agro, automobile and iron and
steel industries,” says Rajesh AR. The
partnerships suffered due to the eco-
nomic meltdown. Companies started
reviewing the tie-ups. One such 8-month
programme, Experience Design and
Management, an alliance between
Future Group and Pearl Academy of
Fashion was temporarily put on hold
soon after commencement of two batch-
es. This programme which commands a
fee of Rs 80,000 might be resumed in
July, informs AKG Nair, group director,
Pearl Academy of Fashion.
Pros & cons of career-programmes
The drawback of such career-intensive
programmes is it’s exceedingly focused
approach. It is said that crises expose the
true character of a person. In the educa-
tional context, the economic slowdown
has exposed the flaws in our teaching set
up. It’s time institutions and job-seekers
introspect a bit.
Lead industry-led courses

50 job-orien
Programme run by Programme Fees (Rs.) Duration Stipend (Rs. per month)

HDFC LS and Insurance Management 30,000 3 Months —

Manipal University Programme — First Advantage

NIIT and IFBI Diploma in banking and 35,000 2 Months —

Financial Services

NIIT and IFBI Post Graduate Diploma in 75,000 Full time - 7,500 — 15,000
Banking Operations 3 Months

Met Life India Insurance Insurance programme- Yuvodaya 5,000 3 Months —

and Delhi University

Indian Institute of Complete Business 32,000 1 Year —

Job-oriented Training (IIJT) Accountant Programme

Religare & Manipal Certificate programme in commodities 18,000 3 Months Guaranteed absorption
in Religare

IMI and Max New York Life Professional Programme in 1,20,000 10 Months —
Insurance and Sales Management

Indian Institute of Chartered Chartered Accountancy 39,500 3 Years 500 — 1500

Accountants

Standard Chartered and Consumer Banking Graduate 1,00,000 12 Months 5,000 from 5th
Symbiosis Instiute Training Programme month onwards

New Horizons Oracle Developer Track 25,000 160 hrs —

NIIT Uniqua Basics in Effective 8,850 6 Weeks —

(joint venture with Genpact) Communication

NIIT Uniqua Advance Effective 19,000 4 Weeks —

(joint venture with Genpact) Communication

NIIT Uniqua Certification in Finance 10,150 4 Weeks —

(joint venture with Genpact) & Accounts

NIIT Uniqua Professional Certification 19,000 10 Weeks —

(joint venture with Genpact) in Effective Communication

Indian Institute of Hardware Networking Course, 60,000 12 Months —

Job-oriented Training (IIJT) PC Next

The Oberoi Group The Oberoi Centre of Learning No fees 2 Years 13,000
and Development course

The Oberoi Group Systematic Training and Education No fees 3 Years 3,500
Programme

RHW Hotel Management Management Training Programme No fees 18 Months 8,000 — 12,500
Services Company

Indian Institute of Retail Management Programme 35,000 12 Months 3,000 — 4,000

Job-oriented Training (IIJT)

Magnificence Academy of Professional Packaging course  60,000 6 Months —

Packaging Professionals (MAPP)

INSIFT, Institute of Storage, INSIFT SCP 25,000 3 Days —

Integration and Future
Technologies  

ICSI Company Secretaryship Course 30,000 3.5 Years —

Indian Institute of Principles and Practices of 12,500, 8 Months —

Real Estate (IIRE). Real Estate

52 careers 360 july 2009

ted courses
Eligibility for enrolling Selection test criteria Starting Salary Job offers from
(Rs. per month)

MBA’s & Graduates - Written Test , group discussion. 18,000 onwards HDFC Standard Life, just started
fresh or experienced

For graduates Test and interview 15,000 — 20,000 Course just started, not even completed
one batch

Graduates Test and interview 14,000 — 20,000 ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Lakshmi Vilas Bank,
YES Bank, etc.

Insurance agents, graduates, -- — MetLife and other insurance companies

written test

10+2, graduate, PG, MBA None 8,000 — 12,000. ICICI bank , HDFC Bank, YES BANK and
other financial institutions

Graduate from any stream CV short listing, group discussion 10,000 onwards Religare Commodities Limited
& personal interview

Graduates and working professionals Group discussion & interview — Max New York Life

10, 10+2, minimum 18 years of age Entry-level Common Proficiency Test 25,000 onwards Corporate houses ,multinationals
and public sector units.

Graduates and working professionals Online test, group discussion, 25,000 approx. Standard Chartered
personal interviews

Graduates with basic computer skills , Aptitude test, HR interview — IT and ITES companies
BE, BTech

Graduate in any stream Voice assessment 10,000 onwards Genpact, WNS, HCL, Mhasis, Wipro,
First Source etc

Graduate in any stream Voice assessment 10,000 onwards Genpact, WNS, HCL, Mhasis, Wipro,
First Source etc

BCom Voice assessment + 10,000 onwards Genpact, WNS, HCL, Mhasis, Wipro,
finance assessment test First Source a etc

Graduate in any stream Voice assessment 10,000 onwards Genpact, WNS, HCL, Mhasis, Wipro,
First Source etc

10+2, Graduates, None For 10+2, 7,000 — 8,000, HCL, Wipro, Compaq, Zenith, DLF,
Postgraduates, MCA for graduates and Asian Paints, Genpact, TCS, Tata AIG
MCA 10,000 — 20,000

Diploma holders or graduates Series of interviews Approximately Assistant Manager at The Oberoi Group.
(from hotel management Rs.30,000
institutes or regular course)

10+2 Self introduction round and Approximately Operations Assistant at The Oberoi Group
panel interviews Rs. 10,000

Candidates from hotel Interview and group discussions 16,000 Onwards Joins in any hotel operated by the Group.
management institutes/ MBAs

10+2, graduates, None For 10+2, 4,000 — 6,000 Shoppers Stop, Reebok, Big Bazar,
postgraduates, MBAs Rs. 6,000 — 18,000 Reliance Trend, Reliance Digital,
as floor managers Odessey, Lifestyle

10+ 2, over 18 years of age Aptitude test to check creativity 15,000 Diverse sectors

Computer-literate with a minimum Written test 20,000 Ace data services, HCL
of 6 months experience in IT and/or
Storage Networking Operations.

10+2 Entrance test — —

Graduate and working professionals Course is delivered in modules. 20,000 onwards Developers, brokerage houses,
finance companies

53 careers 360 july 2009

Lead industry-led courses

Programme run by Programme Fees (Rs) Duration Stipend (Rs)

IIRE Fundamentals of Property 10,000 8 Months —

Management

National Real Estate Developmen- Certificate Course in Real Estate 11,000 3 Weeks —
tal Council (NAREDCO) Management. (GGIPS Univ.)

PurpleLeap and Educomp Finishing Programme for IT Profes- 50,000 6 Months —

sionals

PurpleLeap and Educomp Sales Management for Insurance 95,000 11 Months —

Metamorph Learning Core Retail Certification Programme 3,300 and 4,500 6 Weeks —
Pvt.Ltd, (online course)

Arena Animation AAASP(Arena Animation Academy 95,000 30 Months —

Specialist programme)

Avalon Academy in Diploma in Travel and Tourism 80,000 12 Months _

association with Thomas Cook

KSOU with Aptech N-Power BSc In Hardware, Networking 89,700+ S.T. 3 Years —
& Digital Communications

KSOU with Aptech N-Power Diploma in Hardware & Networking 32,700+ S.T. 1 Year —

Aptech N-Power N-Power Certified Enterprise 54,000+ S.T. 11 Months + —

Systems Engineer 2 Months of Internship

Retailers Association of India Professional Retailing Skills 5,000 — 8,000 2 Months 2,800 — 4,000

RAI in collobration with IGNOU Diploma in Retailing (BBA-1st Year) 7,900 1 Year 3,000 — 4,000

RAI in collobration with IGNOU Advance Diploma In Retailing 7,900 1 Year 3,000 — 4,000
(BBA-2nd Year)

RAI in collobration with IGNOU BBA in Retaling (BBA-3rd Year) 7,900 1 Year 3,000 — 4000

PGPRM partners of RAI Post Graduate Programme in 1,90,000 2 Years 10,000 onwards
Retail Management

Kuoni Academy IATA-UFTAA Foundation 43,000 4-6 Months part-time —

Avalon Academy Diploma in Professional Ground Staff 62,000 9 Months —

Services

Kuoni Academy Tour Manager Programme 75,000 2 Months part-time —

Kuoni Academy in co-operation International Diploma in 65,000 4 Months part-time —

with Cabin Crew Direct Cabin Crew Training
UK & IABA Dubai

IST - International School International Tourism Specialist 50,000 1 Months part time —
for Tourism- Zurich

R K Films & Media Academy Radio Jockeying & TV News Reading 15,000 3 Months Performance-related
& Delhi University

R K Films & Media Academy Theatre Acting & Presentation 7,000 2 Months Depends on performance
& Delhi University

R K Films & Media Academy Advanced Course in 40,000 3 Months Depends on performance
& Delhi University 3D Animation-level 2

Centum Learning and Certificate course in 10,000 Level I&II  6 —

Delhi University Telecommunications, Sales and Service. months each

APPAREL EXPORT Garment export merchandising 50,000 6 Months, weekend —

Promotion council classes

Pearl Academy of Fashion Apparel Merchandising 75,000 12 Months 5,000 — 8,000

and marketing

APPAREL EXPORT Certificate course in 60,000 4 Months —

Promotion council Apparel export management.

54 careers 360 july 2009

Eligibility for enrolling Selection test criteria Starting Salary Job offers from
(Rs. per month)

Graduate and working The course is delivered in modules. 20,000 onwards Developers, hotels, malls,
professionals brokerage houses

10+2, graduates, None 10,000 onwards All 150 real estate companies
working professionals for 10+2.

BE./BTech Written test followed by GD and interview 1.5 to 3 lakh per annum Mid-size IT companies

Graduate Written test followed by GD and interview 1.2 to 2.4 lakh per annum Insurance companies

10, 10+2 or PUC pass and Basic aptitude test for English 4,000 — 15,000 Reliance, Megamart, and KFC among others
at least 18 yrs of age and Maths

10+2 Written test 10,000 — 15,000 Crest Animation Studios, EFX, UTV Toons,
Toonz Animation,

10+2 Aptitude test 12,000 — 15,000 Travel industry

10+2 No test 10,000 — 12,000 Organisation with Hardware &

Networking Requirements

10+2 pass out in any stream No test 6,000 — 7,000 Organisation with Hardware &
Networking Requirements

10+2 No test 8,000 — 10,000 Organisation with Hardware & Networking

Requirements such as Wipro BPO,
Allied Digital etc.

H.S.C pass/appeared Read Test along with personal interview 2,800 — 4,000 RAI Member companies

HSC pass Minimum 50% in HSC with personal 3,500 — 5,000 RAI Member companies
interview

Diploma in Retailing Diploma in Retailing 3,500 — 5,000 RAI Member companies

Advance Diploma In Retailing Advance Diploma In Retailing 3,500 — 5,000 RAI Member companies

Graduate in any stream with Common Admission for 2 lakh RAI Member companies
min 50% marks & CART scores Retailers Test (per annum)

10+2 No test 6,000 — 7,000 Travel sector

Graduate - fresh or experienced Aptitude test 10,000 onwards Kingfisher, Jet Airways, Go Air, Oman Air,
Qatar Airways, Global Aviation & Korean Air

10+2 No test 8,000 — 25,000 Tour Managers / Escorts with Tour Operators.

10+2 No test 15,000 — 25,000 Cabin Crew / Ground Staff with International /
Domestic Airlines

Working professionals No — This is a skill enhancement programme

Students pursuing graduation/ Interview 8,000 Broadcasting companies

undergraduation from DU

Students pursuing graduation/ Interview Project-based The Academy as well as production houses
undergraduation from DU remuneration

Students pursuing graduation/ Knowledge of Level I (3D Animation) 8,000 May be absorbed by RKFMA
undergraduation from DU & Interview

10+2, students pursuing Personal interview —

graduation and postgraduation

2 years of work experience Personal interview — Export houses , Merchandisers

10+2, graduates, One-to-one interview For 10+2, 8,000 Pukra exports, RK Creations, Orient Crafts,
working professionals Graduates 20,000 Orient Clothings, Inleather, Mantrose Knits

Work experience Personal interview — Export houses , Merchandisers

55 careers 360 july 2009

How to internship
Dress rehearsal for your career
Botching up in varying measures is common for interns. But minimize blunders.
by Urmila Rao
M
egha Singhal, a first year
student of Sri Ram College
of Commerce, is set for an
intern-interview at Man-
power Consultants, a leading human
resource consultant firm. She is dressed
in smart formals. As she entered the
office, she attracts fleeting glances of
busy professionals in T-shirts and casual
trousers. Interning is not part of her
course curriculum. But she wants to
appraise her interest area before she
graduates and firms up career plans.
The 18-year-old has been turned down
by companies as a ‘first-year student’.
Manpower, however, doesn’t disappoint
her. She is asked to join two days later.
“And on Monday, I walk in sporting my
regular jeans and T-shirt, while every
one is dressed in formals,” she breaks
into a smile. “I didn’t realise that I was
interviewed on a Friday,” she says.
Botching up with attire or matters
more serious is a regular phenomenon
with any intern. Mistakes will happen,
but what should a fresher do to mini-
mize the blunders?
Interning, or working in an organisa-
tion while studying, is a chance to expe-
rience an industry. You imbibe work
skills and professional etiquette. The
experience comes in handy when you
become ready to plunge into the job-
market. Meghna learnt a host of things.
“That included making presentations,
handling media interactions, designing
web and writing formal e-mails,” she
says. “I became confident, assertive and
learnt lessons in diplomacy,” she adds.
Prepare: Know about the indus-
try and the company you will intern
with. Check their website. “One fresher
I know, used to read press-releas-
es uploaded on company’s website
and hence knew more than what was
published in the newspapers,” says
Sunil Kalra, consultant with a leading
HR firm.
Be a sport: Don’t take criticisms
at work personally. Focus entirely on
learning. “Remember you are at the bot-
tom of the food chain,” says Kalra. Don’t
say no to any work assigned. If you’re
being overburdened, speak to your boss
and decide a deadline.
Have a positive attitude:
Take your tasks and deadline seriously.
If you come across as dedicated and
responsible, you will be entrusted with
assignments.
Be proactive: If you are invited
to internal office or client meetings or
seminars, don’t ever say no. If you are
not asked, express your desire to be a
part of it. Whether you are allowed to
actively participate or simply observe,
you will learn how to conduct business
operation, negotiate or close a deal, take
decisions, analyse a particular event or
case and how to react in situations.
Ask questions: Instead of being
Whether you are allowed
to actively participate or
simply observe, you’ll
learn how to conduct
business, negotiate &
take decisions
56 careers 360 july 2009
Illustration: Divya
clueless or ambiguous regarding the
work entrusted and submitting a work
way out of line, seek clarification. “Keep
your boss updated about your work,”
advises Kalra.
Don’t indulge in gossip or try to extract
information. Don’t turn up late. “All
these things get noticed,” says Kalra.
Gmail chats, facebook updates is best
done from home. Never judge or find
region, religion or caste connections
with your boss or colleagues.
Don’t join this organisa-
tion: “Intern with companies that
match your background and future
career option,” says Ravi Lochan Singh,
managing director, Global Reach. Avoid
organisations that don’t over a period
of time, assign you responsible tasks or
“take interest in investing as much time
and energy as it does for regular employ-
ees,” says R.Sreenivasan, co-founder and
director, Career Launcher.
Opportunity cost: At this stage
one should join a well-known organi-
sation. “Brand name matters,” feels
Megha. “Bigger companies can give you
a certain work atmosphere and groom
you in a certain way,” she explains.
“Start-ups with their democratic set-
up are also a great place to work, but
then you have to suffer on brand name
and compensation,” says Indu Walia,
currently interning with an adver-
tising agency.
Feature Foreign Languages

Entry points for Career Options Companies coming for

graduation/post graduation
10+2
BA / BSc in any discipline
Diploma in foreign language from a recogn-
ised institute such as Alliance Française or
the Goethe Institute
Certificate, Diploma, Advanced Diploma from
Delhi University
Knowledge of a foreign language
Teaching & Research (university Campus Recruitments
and school teaching) in India Fidelity, Orange, e-Serve, CII, World Bank,
or abroad HCL, Xchanging, Enchanting India, Thales,
Government jobs through UPSC Tech Mahindra, Wipro, Oracle, Siemens,
American Express, Amazone.com, Tata
Management, Print and Electronic Media
Consultancy, Intelenet, Evalueserve,
(All India Radio has foreign language servic-
Thomson, Reuters
es), Indian Armed Forces, RAW, paramilitary
forces, embassies, multinational compa-
nies, call centres, export-import, tourism,
tourist guides

The lure of fo
by Sumita Vaid Dixit

V
idhi and Prashant are looking
at the notice board outside the
Department of Germanic and
Romance Studies at Delhi Uni-
versity. There’s a play in Italian and they More and more students are learning foreign languages as ca
are scribbling down the details while
the admission queue by their side spills
into the lawns. They both are relieved
their MA admission forms are now with
the officials behind the windows. “There
will be an entrance, and then an inter-
view,” Vidhi says wiping the sweat off her
forehead with a handkerchief buried in
her hand.
When Vidhi enrolled for BA in Pro-
gramming suddenly she was attracted
to the idea of learning a foreign lan-
guage. For her friend, Prashant, learning
French first started out as a hobby and
then later became a career option. While
Prashant enrolled in Alliance Française,
Vidhi did an advanced diploma in Ger-
man language from St Stephen’s, and
both incidentally want to be teachers.

Deciding on a language
Neha Gupta, a travel consultant with
Enchanting India, an online travel
agency, wondered about her future after
studying Environmental Sciences at
Delhi University. She could have gone
ahead to do an MSc, but she found her-
self thinking about learning a foreign
language. “It was the idea of travelling,
meeting people,” she says.
Like Neha, choosing a language can be
purely out of sheer curiosity or just out
of a plain need to learn something. Assis-
tant Professor, Vinay Kumar Gupta,

Learning foreign language is not just about high

salaries, but following a passion, as well

58 careers 360 july 2009

 Pay Package Scholarships
Rs. 15,000 to and Exchange
Rs. 1 lakh Programmes
per month JNU: Special scholarships and 'Earn as you
Interpreters charge Learn' (few part-time jobs) and also merit-
Rs. 1000 an hour to Rs. 25,000 a day cum-means scholarship for financially weak
students. Scholarships through UGC and for-
Translators charge eign embassies for foreign travel for research.
per word basis:
60 paise to Rs. 5 per word DU offers Erasmus Mundus Scholarships.
Alliance Française and Instituto Hispania offer
exchange programmes, among others

reign words
reer opportunities are vast and salaries attractive Arijit Sen

“We are living in a global

world and that explains why
foreign languages
are becoming more
popular,”
Prof. kUSUM AGGARWAL
Dept. of Germanic and Romance studies
Delhi University
English and Foreign Languages Univer-
sity, Hyderabad (EFLU) (earlier called
Central Institute of English and Foreign
Languages), enrolled in BA French at
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) as
France was famous for its artistic life.
But while listening to your heart, it
isn’t a bad idea to gauge career pros-
pects of the language, too says Neha.
“Popularity or better career prospects
in a foreign language are linked with the
international and economic ties with a
particular country,” says Professor San-
kar Basu, Dean, School of Language,
Literature and Culture studies, JNU.
Professor Priyadarsi Mukherji, chair-
man, Centre for Chinese & South-East
Asian Studies, JNU talks of his late
grandfather who was a Chinese Scholar
but couldn’t go to China as back then
relations with China were strained.
Instead, his grandfather went to Russia.
“At the time relations with USSR were
good and that explained the popularity
of the Russian language.”

59 careers 360 july 2009

Feature Foreign Languages
But after China and India’s economic
relationship improved, so did the lan-
guage’s worth. “Look East is a recent
phenomenon; suddenly Chinese, Korean
and Japanese are the most sought after
languages,” says Professor Mukherji.
Though many teachers discourage
choosing a language based on its worth,
B Mathews, administrative manager,
Instituto Hispania says it is a practical
approach. “One should keep in mind
the viability of a language as one invests
time and effort.”
Which is why when Neha had to
choose between French and German,
she opted for German as it offered
better careers prospects.
Aptitude for a language is important
while deciding on a language. Universi-
ties such as Delhi University and JNU
conduct entrance exams at the BA level
to gauge the aptitude of potential stu-
dents. And in Master’s level there’s a
great emphasis on oral communica-
tion. Twenty-four-year-old Madhuvan
Sharma, Press Attaché, Embassy
of Colombia, says that as long as you
have an urge to study a language you
can also develop an aptitude for it,
as well.
“Indians have a knack for learning
languages. In Germany we speak one language,
but Indians two or three"
Dr Stephan Dreyer,
regional director, Max Mueller Bhavan
Arijit Sen
Opportunities galore
Opportunities only revealed themselves
Of Life, Spanish
to Deepika and Mukesh, successful
tourist guides from Rajasthan, as their
engagement with the language deep-
ened. “When students think of doing
a language course it’s with the view to
either study or work abroad,” points out
Professor Kusum Aggarwal, Depart-
ment of Germanic and Romance Stud-
ies. But when these students learn more
about the language they realise options
are incredibility vast.
Almost all of Professor Gupta’s class-
mates went into well-paying jobs in the
private sector, “except for me,” he says.
Academia was his first choice. One of
his classmates got absorbed in an Indian
company based in West Africa. “And he
is drawing in lakhs per month.”
Max Mueller Bhavan (Goethe-Insti-
tut), for example, has designed its cur-
riculum to cater to the private sector.
Business German is an important com-
ponent of its syllabus. “While our prima-
F rom the age of nine, Madhuvan Shar-
ma, Press Attaché with the Embassy
of Colombia has been fighting battles,
ry focus is on imparting communication the kinds that easily break one’s will.
skills, learning Business German only But how learning Spanish would one
improves careers prospects even more,” day change his life, he wasn’t prepared.
says Dr Stefan Dreyer, regional direc- When he was nine, his father, a Con-
tor, South Asia, Goethe-Institut, Max gress MLA from Begusarai, Bihar, was
assassinated in a political feud. There’s
no expression of rage or anger as he
shares this. His blue-coloured frames
make him look a bit older, but his words,
much older. He turned to karate to deal
Mueller Bhavan. Companies and BPOs
such as eServe, Xchanging, Enchanting
India, Fidelity come to Max Mueller
Bhavan for campus interviews and “they
recruit in bulk,” he says.
In fact, Alliance Française and Institu-
to Hispania also offer Business French
and Spanish, besides courses on tourism
and hotel industries and catering busi-
ness, translation and conversation skills.
Organisations such as the World Bank
and Confederation of Indian Industry
(CII) have recruited people from Insti-
tuto Hispania. “Recently, five students
got placed in HCL, Madrid office,” says
Mathews.
Now doctors, engineers and MBAs
are upgrading their language skills, says
Mathews. Neha’s husband, a BTech has
started learning German now. “I got a
60 careers 360 july 2009
h and Krav Maga
with his father’s sudden loss. “I had to
protect my mother.”
His mother had given up the career
of a film editor in the Hindi film indus-
try to live with her husband. “Our rela-
tions with my father’s family got strained
after after his death,” he pauses and
pushes a newsletter towards me. It says
Dakia; the bi-monthly newsletter from
the Embassy. After the tragedy, he and
his mother moved to Agra to live with
his maternal grandparents, but it would
be many years before he would get the
call from Adobe because of my German
language skills; I wasn’t keen but my
husband wondered why he doesn’t get
calls from Adobe.” Now Neha is teaching
her husband German so that his career
prospects improve.
Alliance Française, too, has been
attracting large companies such as
Orange and Thales to its campus says
Jacques Cretin, academic director, Alli-
ance Française, Delhi.
Universities such as JNU and DU
also attract many companies. “There’s
close to 100 per cent employment of
JNU alumni through campus selection
or through direct contact with compa-
nies in the open market,” says Professor
Ashish Agnihotri. He teaches French at
JNU and is also the co-ordinator of the
Placement Cell.
chance to look after his mother.
“The discipline of karate helped me
deal with my anger.” In the later years,
this discipline helped him become pro-
ficient in Spanish. Though Madhuvan
was the weakest student in his karate
class, he persevered. At the age of 13, he
started teaching karate to kids.
When his board exams were at hand
doctors diagnosed him with colon can-
cer. The next three years were spent in
various hospitals. “Every day I woke up
thinking this to be my last day.” But then,
one day, the doctors said that perhaps he
didn’t have colon cancer. Whether it was
a case of wrong diagnosis or surviving
another battle, he appears to be calm
about it.
He cleared his class 12 boards when
he was 20, by then he and his mother
had moved back to Bihar to live with his
grandfather. At this stage in his life, he
had no idea of what he wanted to do; it
was enough he was alive.
But childhood friends at JNU encour-
aged him to appear for the foreign lan-
guage entrance exam. He got Persian,
but soon dropped out to learn Span-
ish on his own with the help of notes
and material he took from his friends.
“An Antonio Banderas film drew me to
Spanish,” he recalls.
His Spanish language skills got him
a job with vCustomers, a BPO. “But
my employers suggested I join Instituto
Hispania to improve my Spanish.”
“Salaries could range from Rs. 15,000
to Rs. 1 lakh a month,” says Neha who
got her first job offer as early as third
semester. “Just sitting at home one can
earn Rs. 1,500-2,000 a day in transla-
tion work,” says Mathews.
Two of Professor Agnihotri’s students
are in well-placed government jobs. One
has just got through the Indian Revenue
Service and the other works in the Prime
Minister’s office. “A foreign language is
like any other subject, besides joining
the private sector, one can serve the
government!” he says.
The interesting part, Dr Dreyer says,
is that the demand for foreign language
skills is being driven by the domestic
market and not the foreign market as
it used to be earlier. “There’s been a 50
per cent increase in the intake at our
61 careers 360 july 2009
As weekend classes were unhelpful,
with the little savings he had, he quit
his job to pursue Spanish full-time. In
between, he took up translation and
interpretation assignments; he even
worked as a tourist guide.
In his sixth semester at the institute,
Madhuvan went to Valladolid, Spain,
on a scholarship. He didn’t travel much;
he had little money, but he spent a lot
of time listening to the locals. “Getting
the accent right is important.” The day
he came back to India, the director of
Instituto Hispania offered him a teach-
ing position. “It was an honour,” he says.
“But my first class was a disaster!”
He still misses his teaching days. “I
have learnt a lot from my students,” he
says when the daughter of the ambas-
sador wanders into the room. She’s a
little girl with curious eyes. He speaks
like a native with her, and she smiles at
me. “The ambassador is away, so now I
have to attend dinner parties,” he says
pointing to his shirt that's tightening.
He's learning Krav Maga to lose weight.
“It means close combat in Hebrew.”
He joined as the Press Attaché eight
months ago. “I have learnt more in these
eight months than I have in the last 10-12
years,” he says as he opens up Dakia. “We
have been very active in the media.”
I ask him if there’s still a rage in his
heart, he says: “I am at peace.” But he’s
happy that after all these years he can
now look after his mother.
centres in the last three years.” Small
language centres in mini metros, too, are
doing well, mentions Dr Dreyer. “We are
living in a global world and that exp-
lains why foreign languages are becom-
ing more popular,” says Professor Aggar-
wal of DU.
The service and knowledge sectors are
the backbones of the Indian economy
and they need people with good foreign
language skills, observes Dr Dreyer. In
the Max Mueller Bangalore centre 50
per cent of the teaching happens out-
side the class in IT-based companies
who wish their employees to pick up
language skills.
Foreign language teachers in
great demand
“But now there are more students than
Feature Foreign Languages

there are teachers,” says Cretin of Alli-

ance Française. Education is a sector
opening up fast. “We have class V stu-
dents coming to us to learn Spanish.
There’s far more awareness of foreign
languages than there used to be,” says
Mathews.
Many students from Instituto Hispania
have found teaching jobs in schools
such as GD Goenka and Delhi Public
School (DPS). “Last year we taught final
year MBA students at IMT Ghaziabad,”
says Pushpa Sharma, director, public
relations, Instituto Hispania.
Max Mueller Bhavan has entered
into a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) with schools such as DPS, Vas-
ant Kunj and Kendriya Vidyalaya to pro-
vide school teachers and course mate-
rial for the language. “There are 981
KVs in India, and you can thus imagine
the popularity of foreign languages in
the years to come and the sudden need
“It's a lifetime commitment, and one has to be
for teachers,” says Dr Dreyer. In fact, strong-willed to learn a language well,”
Max Mueller has tied up with IGNOU
Padma natarajan
to provide the same support.
teacher at Alliance Française
Professor Gupta of EFLU says that
there are going to be 16 more central
universities in years to come and all French, German, Spanish, Italian and
corporate executives Divya and Neha landed of them will have a foreign language Portuguese. There’s an entrance exam
good jobs thanks to their foreign language skills department, and naturally there will be a for it followed by an interview, and there
great demand for teachers. “It’s a trickle- are five seats in each language. After this
down effect of demand driven by the diploma, one can teach in schools.
corporate world,” says Dr Dreyer. Even Max Mueller provides teacher’s
Understanding this need, Delhi Uni- training. Every year the Max Mueller
versity has introduced a diploma in for- Bhavan offers 150 grants for teacher’s
eign language teaching for five languages: training in Germany. Alliance Française
and Instituto Hispania, too, have teach-
ers’ training programme.

Private versus university

Examination Tips
■■ Get old question papers from college
libraries
■■ JNU Students’ Union also organises an
orientation course (free of cost) designed
to help aspirants crack the exam
■■ The papers for B.A. are based on general
knowledge, reasoning and a bit of English.
■■ For the M.A. exam, one must have a
reasonably good command on the foreign
language. Simple, clear sentences and well
articulated ideas are most appreciated by
examiners.
■■ One may also be asked questions about the
language, literature and cultural norms of
the country where the language is spoken.
Same applies to the oral examination.
education
But students do wonder which route to
take to acquire foreign language skills:
university education or private insti-
tutes. Opinions are sharply divided on
this.
While private institutes such as Max
Mueller Bhavan, Alliance Française and
Instituto Hispania focus on the spoken
and written part of the language, DU
and JNU and EFLU focus on literature,
linguistics and translations, as well.
“You cannot study a language in isola-
tion; understanding of the culture and
history of a country is important,” says
Professor Sankar Basu of JNU. “It gives

62 careers 360 july 2009

 Select institutions that teach foreign languages
Language Award University Web site

Arabic MA University of Delhi www.du.ac.in

Bulgarian Advanced Diploma Goa university http://www.unigoa.ac.in
Chinese Diploma University of Kerala http://www.keralauniversity.edu
Chinese Diploma University of Calcutta http://www.caluniv.ac.in
Chinese Diploma/Certificate Chinese Language Institute www.chinese.in
French MA University of Delhi www.du.ac.in
French MA University of Calcutta http://www.caluniv.ac.in
French PhD Goa university http://www.unigoa.ac.in
French Diploma D B A M Univeristy http://www.bamu.net
French Certificate Madurai Kamaraj University http://www.mkudde.org
French Diploma (FT) Guru Nanak Dev University http://www.gndu.ac.in
French Certificate (PT) Guru Nanak Dev University http://www.gndu.ac.in
French Certificate Kurukshetra University http://www.kukinfo.com
French Diploma Kurukshetra University http://www.kukinfo.com
French BA University of Mumbai http://www.mu.ac.in
French MA University of Mumbai http://www.mu.ac.in
French Diploma/Certificate Alliance Française www.afindia.org
German Diploma University of Cutcutta http://www.caluniv.ac.in
German Diploma D B A M Univeristy http://www.bamu.net
German Certificate (PT) Guru Nanak Dev University http://www.gndu.ac.in
German Diploma Kurukshetra University http://www.kukinfo.com
German Diploma/Certificate Gothe Institute www.gothe.de
Hungarian Advanced Diploma University of Delhi www.du.ac.in
Italian Diploma (PT) University of Mumbai http://www.mu.ac.in
Italian Diploma/Certificate Italian Cultural Institute http://www.iicnewdelhi.esteri.it
Japanese Advanced Diploma University of Delhi www.du.ac.in
Japanese Certificate (PT) Guru Nanak Dev University http://www.gndu.ac.in
Japanse Diploma/Certificate Mombusho Scholar's Assosiation of India http://momo.jpf.go.jp/jlpt
Japanse Diploma/Certificate Japanese Language Teachers' Association http://momo.jpf.go.jp/jlpt
Japanse Diploma/Certificate The Indo-Japan Welfare and Cultural Association http://momo.jpf.go.jp/jlpt
Japanse Diploma/Certificate ABK-AOTS DOSOKAI, Tamil Nadu Centre http://momo.jpf.go.jp/jlpt
Japanse Diploma/Certificate. Bangalore Nihongo Kyooshi-kai (BNK) http://momo.jpf.go.jp/jlpt
Japanse Diploma/Certificate Teachers Association of Japanese (TAJ) http://momo.jpf.go.jp/jlpt
Portuguese MA Goa university http://www.unigoa.ac.in
Persian Diploma University of Calcutta http://www.caluniv.ac.in
Russian MA University of Calcutta http://www.caluniv.ac.in
Russian Diploma D B A M Univeristy http://www.bamu.net
Russian Diploma (FT) Guru Nanak Dev University http://www.gndu.ac.in
Russian Cert.ificate (PT) Guru Nanak Dev University http://www.gndu.ac.in
Spanish Diploma (PT) University of Mumbai http://www.mu.ac.in
Spanish Certificate (PT) University of Mumbai http://www.mu.ac.in
Spanish Diploma/Certificate Instituto Hispania http://institutohispania.com
Various Diploma/Certificate YMCA www.newdelhiymca.org
Various Diploma/Certificate Bharatiya Vidaya Bhawan www.bhawans.info

63 careers 360 july 2009

Feature Foreign Languages
a broader perspective of the language.”
Besides, to become a college teacher,
you need an MPhil and a PhD says Pro-
fessor Aggarwal.
Dr Dreyer openly says while the centre
doesn’t focus on literature as much as
the universities, his students have good
communication skills and are ready for
corporate jobs. “We have had instances
of students learning literature at uni-
versities and coming to us to improve
their conversational skills.” Neha of
Enchanting India says that one of her
friends enrolled in Max Mueller despite
an MPhil from a famous university only
to improve her fluency in the language.
Though the primary focus of these pri-
vate institutes is communication, they
still do acquaint their students with the
culture and literature of the language
they teach. They have well-stocked
library: books, films, journals. Alliance
Française, for example, teaches French
through French songs; gives lectures
on French literature and civilization
and helps students understand French
aesthetic sensibilities through study
of Fine Arts. Besides, these institutes
organise cultural events on a regular
basis to familiarise their students with
the social culture.
“Besides, most of the private institutes
participate in exchange programmes
to enhance the understanding of the
language,” says Padma Natarajan, senior
French teacher at Alliance Française.
Now Alliance Française offers a diplo-
ma that is recognised by the Ministry of
Education in France, which was not the
case earlier. Therefore, the diploma cer-
tificate issued now is recognised all over
the world, while earlier the certificate
was issued by Alliance Française, Paris.
But there’s a huge difference in the fee
of private institutes and universities. Fee
in private centres could be anywhere
from Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 70,000.
Promoting cultural
understanding
There’s a string of inter-culture cours-
es, or short courses for executives and
students to give them a sneak peak
into the cultural sensibilities of a
The domestic mar-
ket is fuelling the
demand for for-
eign language
skills and not the
foreign market as it
use to be
64 careers 360 july 2009
“France wants to be an
attractive edu-
cation destination
for Indian students”
Jacques cretin
academic director, Alliance Française, Delhi
particular country.
Max Mueller recently introduced ‘Fit
for India’ and ‘Fit for Germany’ courses
to sensitise people to cultural and reli-
gious differences, and general customs
and etiquettes in India and Germany.
Some of the courses taught include food
and eating habits, concept of time and
space, society and hierarchy, conflict
management, communication skills and
negotiation tactics.
Then there are crash courses or
24-hour courses to train CEOs on how
to order food, hire a cab and book a
room. “Quite a few CEOs take private
tuitions before they visit a Spanish-
speaking country,” says Pushpa of Insti-
tuto Hispania.
Learning a foreign language is
not all play
Learning a foreign language is not like
studying history says professor Gupta
of EFLU. “It is important to be serious
from the very first class.” “It’s a life-
time commitment, and one has to be
strong-willed and persevere to learn
a language well,” says Natarajan who
was once a science student but fell in
love with the French language. And
attending classes is not enough; stu-
dents have to practise on their own
says Mathews.
Neha says from her experience that
it is important to be in touch with the
language on a daily basis and wonders
if weekend classes are that helpful. And
going to the library should become a
habit says Cretin. But carrying big books
alone will not help. “It is important to
engage with the language all the time, so
discuss politics, the weather in that lan-
guage and watch films, listen to music,
read literature!” says Madhuvan.
Another advantage Neha says
laughingly is that when she and her
husband argue, she switches to chaste
German. “He can’t make out a thing of
what I am saying!”
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Career Review FASHION
Fashion as a
career - Prêt or
Haute Couture
Fashion is less about clothes and more about the spirit
behind them. You need a creative mind, discipline and
focus to make it big in this talent-rich field.
by Priya Naik
I
t is a billion dollar industry, but peo-
ple still think that it’s something to
do with glamorous women, clothes
and parties. Just like any other pro-
fession, however, entrance exams need
to be cleared, degrees acquired and
interviews cracked. And like any
other course, studying fashion
involves discipline, high-stress
levels, assignment submis-
sions and spending nights
with a cup of coffee and
books for company. In the
past decade, the profes-
sional world of fashion
in India has expanded
to much more than the
art of designing clothes.
There are several fields
to choose from today.
You could be a celebrity
stylist, a fashion editor
or editorial stylist, a shop
window designer, a fash-
ion consultant for com-
mercials, an apparel or
accessory designer, a mer-
chandiser, a fashion buyer,
retail expert or an entrepre-
neur who brings international
fashion brands to India. At the
moment, fashion media indus-
try is booming. It is one of the
most paying and big new
opportunity in India with so many fash-
ion magazines around. This could be
your calling if you take a keen interest
in fashion and can write well. Recognize
your interests, strengths and drawbacks
before picking any one of them. It’s a
competitive profession. Knowing what
you are good at, does help in having a
good head start.
Do you fit the bill?
Know yourself: Socrates said
that a few thousand years ago and it still
stands applicable. Creativity is not an
option in this profession, it is imperative.
Neha Salam, who completed a three-
year course in Fashion and Apparel
Design, from Mount Carmel, Bangalore
says, “An aptitude for aesthetics, notic-
ing designs, colors, patterns and trends
is a must.” She now works for Colorlines,
a company which exports ready made
garments. Secondly, having creativity is
not enough. You must be equipped with
a way of putting your ideas on paper
either by drawing it or using the com-
puter. It’s the realization of the idea in
“Annoticing
aptitude for aesthetics,
designs, colors,
patterns and trends
”
is a must.
Neha Salam
66 careers 360 july 2009
your head in physical, feasible terms,
which matters most.
Before applying: Get your
ground work done To begin with, learn
the difference between fashion and
design and the similarities between the
two. You might make fantastic designs,
but that doesn’t amount to understand-
ing fashion. Shilpa Chavan, India’s only
qualified milliner, who trained abroad
and makes the incredibly innovative
headgear and accessories under her
label “Little Shilpa” explains, “Fash-
ion is much more trend oriented. One
has to keep pace with what’s happen-
ing around, your competitors and the
designs in vogue.” Designing however, is
insulated. One has freedom to be origi-
nal, use the materials one wants to, with-
out having the pressure of selling one’s
work. To be in the fashion industry, head
for any of the NIFT schools in India and
other such institutes which offer fashion
degrees committed to fashion and for
design, NID. These are not pigeonholed

categories though and it is your apti-
tude and interest that must determine
which route to take. A lot of fashion
designers, however, have finished from
NID as well. Mumbai-based Nachiket
Barve, one of India’s most promising
new designers, for example, has made
quite a headway in the fashion world.
Aishwarya Rai wore one of his creations
at the recently concluded IIFA award
function in Macao.
Role of a fashion school:
There are successful cases of people both
with a professional degree and without a
one making it. But the odds are in the
favour of having a degree. “What profes-
sional schools do is help identify your
strengths and give it a push in the right
direction. They also help you deal with
the larger picture and have a whole host
of resources including forecast books,
archives in libraries, the right equip-
ment, a strong alumni association which
is part of the industry and mentors,” says
Pearl Shah, who finished from London’s
St. Martin, now a Deputy Fashion and
Beauty Editor at Marie Claire. Faculty
teachers agree. Ruby Kashyap, Associ-
ate Professor and Centre Coordinator
professional world of fashion in India has
expanded much beyond the art of designing
the fashion industry it refers to a pair of
shoes for women with low heels, broad
and rounded closed toes, and a single-
buckle strap across the ankle.
Several people testify to the advan-
tages of attending a fashion school. Pearl
Shah, says, “Studying at Central Saint
Martins was the best career decision I
took at the time. Further, being in the
market does help. I had job offers even
before I graduated. It gave me an inter-
national exposure, access to archives,
interaction with international experts
and was able to relate to a lot of systems
and understood trends very easily.” Cen-
tral Saint Martins is also the only school
in the UK where one does not do a dis-
sertation for the master’s but instead
graduates at London Fashion Week by
taking part in a show that’s attended by
everyone who’s anyone to spot the hot-
test new talent.
If you have chosen not to attend a
Tribhuvan Tiwari/Outlook Group fashion school and are already a profes-
sional, NIFT offers a range of Continu-
(Textile Design), at NIFT Delhi, says, “It ing Education (CE) programmes. These
is important to get trained at a fashion reflect the requirements and concerns of
institute, as it helps to hone the design the industry. They are planned to spur
skills of an individual in an endeavour professional growth and are relevant to
to address the challenges of the fashion individuals at different stages of their
industry.” Having a degree does help. careers. These programmes are offered
A fashion degree introduces a student in the evening, to make it easier for a
to the basics; one needs to know what working professional.
a Mary Jane shoe or drainpipe jeans Not going to a fashion school has its
are, without fumbling for a dictionary share of handicaps. It means not being in
(where you wouldn’t find it anyway). A touch with the “network” of the impor-
Mary Jane, for future reference, is the tant designers, stylists, apparel manag-
name of Spiderman’s love interest, but in ers, and the people who really matter in
supporting a career. It also means, being
Career left out in the cold. Shah explains, “The
design students you study with are also
Options in Fashion the future stars of tomorrow - and get
hand picked by top fashion houses like
■■ Fashion Media YSL and Dior.” So being in circuit is an
■■ Designer advantage one would want to have.
■■ Stylist – in a store Finally, pick a school only if it matches
■■ Fashion Retailer your interests and aptitude. NIFT is
■■ Fashion Entrepreneur devoted completely to fashion, but not
■■ Décor Designer
all are. SNDT in Pune specializes in
textile design and development. Delin-
■■ Fashion Entrepreneur
eating one’s strengths before one
Fashion communication
applies, is a good idea. A few schools
■■
■■ Personal Stylist/Celebrity Stylist also offer Continuing Education
Top brands recruit designers as well, it’s an
programmes, which allow you to
alternative career.
pursue a formal certificate
67 careers 360 july 2009
Career Review FASHION

programme, without interrupting your one could see which way one’s inclina-
work. tion blows and specialize in that.

two-tier entrance exam: Career opportunities

In most schools, a written exam is fol-
lowed by group discussion. NIFT is
slightly different. The short-listed can-
didates in the written test are invited for
Situation Test, which is for the design
programme. A Thematic Apperception
Test (TAT), Group Discussion (GD)
and personal interview is common to all
courses. Be careful however, of what you
mention in the brief description about
yourself. Edward Lalrempuia, Junior
Fashion Editor at Vogue India, who fin-
ished from NIFT, was asked to dance
before the interview board, because he
had casually mentioned his fondness for
dancing. For the written bit, you would
need to brush up on your general knowl-
edge quotient. There are books available
in the market and coaching classes as
well. But the second half of the test is
when cramming doesn’t help and your
talent is tested.
focus on foundation: In most
schools, including NIFT, the foundation
programme is designed to orient and
sensitize students towards understand-
ing of fundamentals of fashion business:
design, technology and management.
This programme focuses on building
the base for future learning of design in
the subsequent years. It is in the second
and third year of the programme that
in the sector
So what does one do once you’ve fin-
ished with your degree? The unanimous
opinion from students, designers, styl-
ists and editors is: find an internship.
Interning right after graduating is the
norm in the West, where most young
designers work as an apprentice to an
established designer. It is only after a
few years of gaining credible experience
that they feel the need to break away,
if at all. The situation is very differ-
ent in India, where fashion designers
are keen to start right away, right after
graduating. But Vinod Kaul, Executive
Director of Fashion Design Council of
India (FDCI) feels that this may not be
the best thing to do. He says, “It is much her. So the interests of the intern and the
better to work as an apprentice, keep the designer do have to crisscross, not just at
ideas of being a designer on hold and get the seams.
real grounded work experience.” If you choose to begin right away as an
That’s what Shweta Shah did, who is independent designer, one should know
presently an intern with Nachiket Barve. that there is a lot more about designing
The system is not institutionalized and clothes than making models do the cat-
there are no adverts in the paper offer- walk. Showcasing your collection isn’t
ing an internship. How does one get an just about the panic backstage and get-
internship, in that case? Shweta says the ting the look of the models right. After
internship depends on how much the all, the purpose of showcasing one’s
designer’s sensibilities appeal to you. In work is to convince the buyer. And in
her case, Nachiket had mentored her, case, the buyer places an order of twenty
so she was aware of his philosophy of thousand pale brown, knee length skirts,
fashion. Nachiket’s focus is mostly on the designer is expected to have the fac-
textiles, an area which deeply interests tory, support and the staff to supply the

Select fashion schools in India

School Location Courses Known For Website
National Ahmedabad Graduate Diploma in Design, Focuses mostly on design as distinct from www.nid.edu
Institute of Design Post Graduate Diploma in Design fashion. Top designers, have however,
emerged from the school.
National New Delhi Bachelor of Design in Fashion, Leather, Completely committed to fashion. www.nift.ac.in
Institute of Accessory, Textile, Knitwear and Fashion
Fashion Communication. B,Tech in Apparel
Technology Production. Masters in Design, Fashion
Management and Fashion Technology.
SNDT Mumbai BSc Fashion Design, BSc Fashion Design Known for its apparel management. Focuses www.sndtcet.in
(Fashion Communication) (Textile Design), on getting every stitch and seam right.
BSc Fashion Communication, BSc Apparel
Manufacturing & Merchandising, BSc
Jewelry Design and PGD in Fashion Retail
Management, Apparel Manufacturing &
Merchandising, Fashion Design
Pearl New Delhi Bachelor's in Fashion Design, Textile Design, — www.pearlacademy.com
Academy Communication, Fashion Business
Management, Fashion and Media
Make-up, Interior Architecture Design,
Fashion Retail Management.

68 careers 360 july 2009


designing is about giving shape, silhouette,
power and value to a country’s inheritance
order on time. This is where a fashion
entrepreneur would step in. A person
with the money and the support team
to help a designer make sure that the
order is designed, stitched, packed and
delivered right on time. That’s exactly
what Sangita Sinh Kathiwada does. As a
fashion entrepreneur and the founder of
Melange that supports new and emerg-
ing talent as well as weaver groups, she
trusts her ability to smell fresh and
exciting talent and steps in to provide
the support team to a budding designer.
Apart from working as an indepen-
dent designer, one could also apply to
institutes such as FDCI. It offers a host
of people, such as designers, accessory
designers, stylists and photographers a
common platform and a number of top
designers are members of the council.
But Mr. Kaul points out that most of the
applicants have a few years of experi-
ence. It is rare for the committee to
accept a fresher straight out of fashion
school. The membership committee
looks out for factors including the insti-
tution where you studied, market for
your merchandise your designer collec-
tion. Most members, even preliminary
ones who are at the lowest of the four
layer membership structure, have and
experience in the market.
What you need to be
prepared for
FDCI’s Kaul says that one of the biggest
myths about the fashion world is that
WHY FASHION WORKS
A
fter fifteen years of mainstream journalism, when
I took up editing the Indian edition of Marie Claire,
seniors and peers chided me for having chosen the
easy way out. Suddenly, I had become a toothless writer
without a point of view. Fashion magazine? Oh well, they
shrugged.
Fashion’s die-hard association with the rich, famous,
glamorous and by skewed extended logic with the party-
going (which for some, translates as dumb) is a constant Shefalee Vasudev
eclipse over a field that mounts some of the best creative
ideas in the world today. Assumptions that trend forecasts, fashion weeks,
designer collections and the business of fashion has largely to do with dressing
up for an astronomical price, belittles the multitudinal impact the industry has
made on our modern, global lives. In an age when iconic designer John Galliano
sends his models down the runway dressed as Abu Ghraib prisoners making a
poignant social statement; when Hermes, the renowned French luxury brand
takes inpiration from India, when American designer Stella McCartney advocates
and creates natural and organic fashion and Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Indian
fashion’s blazing talent has given a commercial resurgence to Bengal’s crafts
by making them a global fashion statement, calling fashion frivolous would be
foolhardy.
As an aspirant for a career in fashion, it is important to separate the wearers of
fashion from its creators. Equally important is to connect with the undercurrents
beneath fashion’s external self. The industry is about handmade (and machine-
made) craft and art. About never-tried-before ideas. About evolution and
revolution. About liberation from predictable ways of thinking and wearing. Most
of all, it is about turning personal expression into commercial success.
No doubt, it is an industry dusted with glamour and the obsessions of the
rich and the famous. But at the same time, it is a competitive, well-paying and
gratifying pursuit that has given a contemporary makeover to traditions, costume
histories and craft legacies of different countries. Careers for fashion students
are far from being airbrushed options. Fashion designing, like engineering or
sociology is a journey of realizations directly dependent on research, knowledge,
learning, relearning and application. From a piece of unstitched, untreated raw
fabric to the most scintillating garment that might stand up tall to receive an
Oscar some day, designing is about giving shape, silhouette, power, recall and
value to a country’s inheritance. That apart, right from choreographing how the
models will sashay down the catwalk to dressing up shop windows for visual
merchandising, to communicating on fashion academics, or becoming a buyer
of local and international labels, careers inside fashion are many and lucrative.
Styling celebrities or models for films, calendar shoots, parties and commercials
appears to be a lot fun and hi-glamour. To some extent it is that. But it also needs
a strategic understanding of the market, vis-à-vis the international and Indian
fashion brands. And if that sounds too much, try being a fashion writer, editor,
even a fashion advertising guru. You could be a show organizer, a fashion week
consultant, why even an accessory maker for a huge company!
To me, fashion has opened previously ignored links to anthropology, dress
histories down the decades, even business strategies and market knowledge. It
is one of the clearest mirrors to look at, especially if you want to decode the age
we live in. Fashion is not only about who we are, it is also about why a people or a
generation dress the way they do. It is about individuality. And if you can make a
career out of that, there will never be a day when you feel you are working!
Shefalee Vasudev is Editor; Marie Claire
69 careers 360 july 2009
Career Review FASHION
School Location
Instituto Marangoni Milan, Paris,
London
ENS des Beaux-Arts  Paris
Central St. Martin’s London
College of Art and Design
London College London
of Fashion
Nottingham Nottingham
Trent University
De Montfort Leicester  The Faculty of Art and Design has over twenty honour degrees in Design,
University
Parsons New York
Polimoda Florence
Mod'art Paris
its easy glamour. But it is not. Every
year hundreds of graduates finish from
fashion schools, armed with a degree,
but not all of them find themselves fac-
ing an audience clapping appreciatively.
The challenge lies in knowing exact-
ly what one is capable of and sticking
to that. Edward Lalrempuia, finished
from NIFT in 2005 with a Diploma in
Fashion Design. But he now works as a
Junior Fashion Editor at Vogue India.
He admits that he is not utilizing his
diploma because making fresh and origi-
nal designs is difficult. Nevertheless, he
vouches that NIFT has made him what
he is and most of the contacts he has
today are traceable to his years at NIFT.
Finally, what makes one designer surge
ahead and others not? The first is, react-
ing to the market intelligently. The basic
objective is to sell your designs to the
market through a buyer. Fashion is not
about having a celebrity walk in your
clothes, which might bring publicity
but not the money. Secondly, creating a
specialization for yourself really helps,
because out of the 500 odd designers
those graduate each year in India from
top schools - the thing to think is what
makes you special? One needs to cre-
ate a niche, identify one’s personal style
besides deciding how models will do the cat-
walk, careers abound in fashion industry
International fashion schools and courses
Courses Website
The institute has three year Basic Courses in Fashion and Design. Also, www.istitutomarangoni.com/
three week summer programs for an overview of fashion and design.
One year programs in Fashion Design, Pattern Making and Interior Design.
The institute is art-based. Summer programmes and courses on drawing, www.ensba.fr/ 
painting and morphology
BA (Hons) in Fashion, Textile Design, same in MA, PGD in www.csm.arts.ac.uk
Innovative Pattern Cutting
Foundation Diploma's in Fashion Design and Technology (Knitwear, Surface www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/
Textiles, Fashion Design and Marketing), MA in Fashion and Environment
BA (Hons) in Fashion and Textile Management, Fashion Communication www.ntu.ac.uk
and Management, Fashion Marketing and Branding, among several others.
Graduate Diploma Fashion Knitwear.
www.dmu.ac.uk/f
as as well Master's, MPhil and research degrees in the same.
BA in Fashion Design, and Associate in Applied Science in Fashion www.parsons.edu/
Marketing and Fashion Studies
Undergraduate courses in Fashion Design, Footwear and Accessories, www.polimoda.com/en/home.html
Womenswear patternmaking, Marketing Management, Marketing
Communication. Master's in these as well as Luxury Management,
Fashion Visual Merchandising, Customised courses available as well.
BA (Hons) in Fashion Management, PGD in Fashion, Luxury Products www.mod-art.org/accueil-mod-
and the Art of Living art-international-us.html
and not be afraid to learn. The world is
Education Institutes changing constantly and fashion more
near major than anything else. Shilpa Chavan did
Fashion Hubs just that. She interned for six months,
first with a garment exporter and then
■■ Milan - Instituto Marangoni with a designer and only then did she
■■ Paris - ENS des Beaux-Arts – Givenchy specialize in headgear. Her creations,
■■ London - Central St. Martin’s College of bordering on the bizarre and bril-
Art and Design liant have found appreciation, a fact
London College of Fashion Shilpa attributes to her passion in head-
■■ New York - Fashion Institute of Technology, gear. So one does need to find what one
New York
truly wants to do. It’s also important
Nottingham - Trent University,
■■
not to be very influenced by design-
De Montfort University (UK)
ers doing well. “You really can’t be a
designer if you think that I want to do
a Sabyasachi. There is a lot of competi-
tion and the only way to survive is by
having an open mind, being free from
influence.” Shilpa says that she finds
a lot of young students who work as
interns with her, a little cloistered in
their approach because they want to be
like someone else. “Don’t do that”, she
cautions. Her advice is worth taking.
In the past few years Shilpa’s creations
have been displayed at the India Now
season at the Victoria & Albert Museum
in London. Her creations are also sold at
Barcelona’s Drap-Art gallery, My Sugar
Land, as well as her own boutique in Goa
called National Permit.
Finally, the nature of the profession
is such, that one needs to be constantly
proving oneself. Get going.
70 careers 360 july 2009
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Course Review Environmental Science

Environmental studies as
Ozone layer depletion and global warming worry us.
Concerns about depleting water reserves and pollution
add to it. An MSc in Environmental Science helps better
understanding of economic development and
management of existing natural resources

Fast Fact
Best Schools: Jawaharlal Nehru University, University of Delhi, Delhi College of Engineering,
TERI University Qualifications: BSc or equivalent degree, multi-disciplinary curricula are also
offered Our advice: Choose a course that gives you in depth exposure in an area of interest
Career Avenues: Consulting firms, governmental agencies, NGO’s and private companies.
Most companies require advice from environmental scientists before making big decisions.

by Bharti M Borah so do keep that in mind before applying.

Basic knowledge of mathematics, phys-

A
lan M. Eddison had said, “Mod-
ern technology owes ecology an
apology”. Environmental Sci-
ences as a discipline emerged in
response to concerns of pollution, deple-
tion of natural resources, and general
deterioration in the living environment.
Though it’s concerns encompassed
plants, flora and fauna, and animal life, it
primarily was focused on human habitat.
In terms of career, you can become an
environmental scientist, environment
educationist or environment-related
technologist working in laboratories
that engage in soil and water testing,
pollution detection and control. And as
a discipline it draws from basic sciences
primarily and few universities do pro-
vide inputs drawn from politics, socio-
economics and law.
ics and chemistry is a prerequisite, as
is computer literacy. According to Dr.
Prateek Sharma, Associate Dean, Fac-
ulty of Applied Sciences at TERI Uni-
versity, if you possess a genuine interest
in environmental issues, you can excel
in this field.
What do they teach you?
Curriculum varies from institute to
institute. To ensure that you opt for the
degree of your choice closely study the
syllabus before zeroing in on an institu-
tion. Some like JNU, Pune University Intelligent management of scarce natural
and FRI offer science-heavy degrees resources needs environmental scientists
with little or no policy input. Some oth-
As most companies take ers like TERI, and NEERI, offer a bal-
ance between environment and policy.
up Corporate Social A range of specialisations are normally

Are you eligible?

As a general rule, students opting for this
degree should possess a BSc or equiva-
lent degree in natural sciences, chemis-
try, environmental science, agriculture,
geography, environmental economics or
engineering. Work experience is pre-
ferred by some institutes when you opt
for an MSc in Environmental Science,
Responsibility initia- on offer especially in science based MSc
programmes (See box alongside). A
tives on a global plat- dissertation is also part of the degree
form, opportunities requirement. The dissertation helps
the students in applying the concepts
are endless for an learned to a real life situation. It also
Environment Science enables one to identify and specialize
in one’s chosen field. Some institutions
professional have introduced the concept of intern-
ships as well.

72 careers 360 july 2009

a bright career option
An MSc in Environmental Science
programme primarily provides one with
the knowledge and skills to perform sci-
entific and technical research that helps
in achieving an accurate assessment of
the current environmental issues and
arriving at solutions for the same. For
assessment or mitigation, scientific
tools play a dominant role in the cur-
riculum and thus in the defining of any
environmental problem. Hence aspiring
students must not confuse ecology with
environmental sciences, though the dif-
ference is slowly blurring.
Where can you study?
If it is a science heavy degree that you
List of probable India. TERI offers one of the best poli-
cy oriented MSc environment degrees.
specialisations Another interesting non- degree
programme is the one offered by the
■■ Environmental Science and Technology Centre for Environment Education,
■■ Environmental Planning and Management Ahmedabad. Lasting nine months, the
■■ Limnology course provides training in wasteland
■■ Wetland Ecosystems development, water conservation, for-
■■ Water Quality Management. est management, pollution, health and
■■ Natural Resource Mangement sanitation, eco development etc. This
course is open to professionals such as
teachers, administrators, activists and
are looking at, then universities like media persons.
JNU, Delhi College of Engineering, Dr. Prateek Sharma feels that univer-
Pune University, SASTRA amongst sity courses are intensive in nature. His
others would be the best bets. Poli- advice to people entering this field is to
cy-oriented degrees are only a few in not compare themselves to others from
73 careers 360 july 2009
Course Review Environmental Science

Top 10 US Universities Select Universities offering Environmental Sciences

Institute Location Duration Website
Stanford University
Stanford, CA TERI University Delhi 2 years www.teriuniversity.ac.in/
University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign Jamia Hamdard Delhi 2 years www.jamiahamdard.edu
Champaign, IL
University of California--Berkeley Banasthali Vidya Peeth Banasthali 2 years www.banasthali.org/
Berkeley, CA Jawaharal Nehru University Delhi 2 years www.jnu.ac.in/
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA University of Delhi Delhi 2 years www.du.ac.in/
Johns Hopkins University Aligarh Muslim University Jaunpur, UP 2 years www.amu.ac.in/
Baltimore, MD
SASTRA Tanjore, TN 2 years http://sastra.ac.in/
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA Bharati Vidyapeeth Pune 2 years www.bharatividyapeeth.edu
University of Texas--Austin National Environmental Nagpur, 2 years www.neeri.ac.in
Austin, TX Research Institute Maharashtra
University of Michigan--Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, MI Gurukula Kangri Haridwar, UP 2 years http://gkvharidwar.org
Vishwavidyalaya
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Faizabad, UP 2 years www.rmlau.ac.in/
Carnegie Mellon University Avadh University
Pittsburgh, PA Amity University Noida, UP 2 years www.amity.edu/
source: www.usnews.com
Guru Jambheshwar University Hissar, Haryana 2 years www.gju.ernet.in/

fields such as MBA etc. in terms of sal- University of Jammu Jammu, J&K 2 years www.jammuuniversity.in/
ary packages. An MSc in Environmen- Forest Research Institute Deheradun 2 years www.envfor.nic.in/icfre/fri
tal Science would on average receive University of Rajasthan Jaipur, Rajasthan 1 year www.uniraj.ernet.in/
Rs. 25,000 to begin with and has wide
Anna University Guindy, TN 2 years www.annauniv.edu/
scope for improvement with experience
and exposure. But the cost of entry too University of Madras Chennai, TN 2 years www.unom.ac.in/
is minimal. While public universities Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Chennai, TN 2 years www.tanuvas.tn.nic.in/
charge a pittance, even a private univer- Animal Sciences University
sity like TERI charges only 1.6 lakhs for Bharathiar University Coimbatore, TN 2 years www.b-u.ac.in/
a two-year programme. Cochin University of Science Kochi, Kerala 2 years www.cusat.ac.in/
and Technology
Where would you fit in? GB Pant University of Pantnagar 2 year www.gbpuat.ac.in/
A career as an environment engineer, Agriculture and Technology
or a professional in the field of water
resource engineering and management,
environmental scientist, solid waste change in terms of the current climate
management, air pollution manage- NGO’s and Organizations change scenario and future needs.
ment, water quality management, land For those who have developed essen-
■■ Centre for Environmental Management
conservation, eco-tourism, environ- of Degraded eco Systems, tial skills, work on areas bordering
ment journalism and environmental University of Delhi more on mitigating environmen-
law are some of the opportunities in ■■ CPR environment Education Centre, tal degradation naturally rather than
this field. Chennai using hard science would also be an
With Corporate Social Responsi- ■■ GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment exciting career option. Some, howev-
and Development, Almora
bility initiatives being taken up by er, would term that more suited to an
Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISC,
most companies on a global platform, ecologist rather than the environmental
■■
Bangalore
opportunities for an environment sci- ■■ Centre for Forestry Research and Human
scientist.
ence professional are endless. You Resource Development, Chhindwars Marya Mannes, as early as 1958 had
can also consider a career as a scien- ■■ Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, stated, “The earth we abuse and the
tist - perhaps develop specific tools in Dehradun living things we kill will, in the end, take
your area of specialization and become ■■ Institute of Rain & Moist Deciduous Forest their revenge; for in exploiting their
an expert in a field such as remote Research, Jorhat presence we are diminishing our future”.
sensing. ■■ Institute of Wood Science & Technology, This surely is something to remember
Bangalore
There is also scope for work at an and act upon for all who choose environ-
■■ Temperate Research Institute, Shimla
international level and also within the mental science as their area of academic
Center for Social Forestry & Eco-habitation,
government sector. Plan ahead and pursuit in particular, and for society
■■
Allahabad
work towards contributing to a desirable at large.

74 careers 360 july 2009

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jurisdiction only. Email: yourhelpline@outlookindia.com
Feature entrepreneurship

The promise of India

by Grace Segran

T
he day before she was to launch
her new company, Maya Hari
found that she was expecting her
first baby. She decided to put
the launch on hold. Two years later,
in August 2008, Stylkist was set up,
but this came just days before Lehman
Brothers went under and the financial
meltdown began.
The impact was immediate and big.
Two of the investors Hari had been
talking to, decided they were not ready
to take the risk. “Talk to us in six months
or a year’s time,” they told her.
The flagship store, which was to be
opened in December, had to be put on
hold until she got more funding and, to
add insult to injury, there was no sea-
sonal increase in sales. “Fundamentally,
(although) India was not in recession yet
we did not see a peak over Diwali (the
Festival of Lights),” says Hari.
In response to the sudden economic
downturn, Hari exercised prudence.
“We trod cautiously and aimed at
bringing on additional resources, while
making sure we stay cash positive,” Hari
says. “Although we would like to grow
our footprint rapidly, we are holding
back the company’s development. For
example, we are keeping our team size
at three, until business picks up.” In times of recession, prudent
Hari is also prudent about their mar-
keting activities, restricting it to highly
and highly targeted
targeted and proven marketing activities marketing activities will
that yield a high return of investments.
“This should stand us in good stead in
yield high returns
the event that the market takes a further Maya hari
downturn,” she says.
The company is inherently growing, www.stylkist.com

says Hari. Despite poor market condi-
tions, Stylkist’s consumer base, sales and
the number of boutique partners have
been growing.
In January 2009, five months after its
launch, its cash flow was positive.
The former engineer who worked
in marketing and sales in the United
States for Cisco and Schlumberger has
a creative streak. She dabbled in art and
photography to stay connected with her
passion. While in the U.S., she estab-
lished “Pink Lotus” which organized
exhibitions of artists from India and
other parts of the world in galleries in
San Francisco. There was also an online
portal for people to learn about the
company.
In the middle of all this, Hari and her
husband decided to do their MBAs and
enrolled at INSEAD in Fontainebleau,
graduating in December 2005.
Ever the entrepreneur, Hari found that
there was a growing need for contem-
porary decor in India “and I wanted to
create an Indian version of Crate and
Barrel” dealing with fabric decor and

76 careers 360 july 2009


Recession has hit the profit margins. But a new
entrepreneur finds Indian market bright enough
Sanjoy Ghosh/Outlook Group
shopping malls
face reduced
footfalls now, but
long term pros-
pects look good
small home accessories such as wall art, “By the time we opened last year, we
vases and platters. hit the ground running,” says Hari. The
Never having worked in India before hiatus was not wasted.
and having no network there, Hari When the investors backed out at the
decided she would gain corporate expe- time of the financial crisis, she started
rience before starting her business looking for smaller sums, spreading
worked with Google and then MSN in the funding needed between different
marketing and “learnt a great deal about investors.
running a business such as how to deal This made her think harder about the
with vendors and customers.” investors who want to come on board.
“Having sat through three years flit- Are they right for her fledgling company
ting with the idea, I decided to launch and can they add value?
the company with two partners,” she “We need expertise in areas that we
says. That was when she found she was are not familiar with, such as offline
pregnant. retailing and corporate gifts. Someone
After the decision was made to delay who has product design experience
the launch of the company, she spent the could advise us on the creative side of
two years researching the market inten- the business. An investor who has built
sively and made contact with suppliers. up a business in contemporary products
77 careers 360 july 2009
and sold it, would add value on how
to build a business and when to exit,”
she argues.
Stylkist has three channels through
which it does business: e-commerce,
retailing and corporate gifts.
Hari says there’s a burgeoning market
in e-commerce. However that’s a tall
order for India as people are suspicious
about buying things online, wondering if
they’ll ever get their purchases or their
money back.
Hari made the shopping Web site
stylkist.com as elegant and trendy as
possible “and visitors to the website
asked if we were American or Indian!”
She believes e-commerce will be the
company’s long-term challenge and it
will need to supplement this with both
retail and corporate gift activities.
“We are constantly observing the buy-
ing trends and, for now, our priority is
retailing as it’s selling quite well in the
spaces we have in major stores. That’s
our low-lying fruit,” says Hari.
Its second priority is e-commerce. “We
are still learning about pricing strategy.
Customers start by buying small items
to see if internet shopping works. We
are slowly building up repeat customers
who buy larger items,” she says.
As for corporate gifts, the company
partners with other firms. “For now, we
are happy to leave that space to them
and give up a percentage of the profits,”
Hari says.
In the short term, business looks
promising for Hari with gradual expan-
sion for e-commerce and offline retail-
ing, with the flagship store in Mumbai a
key objective.
In the medium to long term, the
prospects are expected to improve.
Within three years, the company aims
to be operating several large-size
businesses and shipping Stylkist
goods outside India through e-com-
merce.
In five years’ time, Hari says they could
be looking to franchise, grow organically
or expand internationally. A decision on
this will depend on how things pan out.
“Just look at Fab India, the fabric and
home accessory store,” Hari says. “In 10
years, they have 120 stores and continue
to grow. That’s the promise of India – its
economy is large enough for businesses
to grow.” -NYT
Advisory ROLE OF Counsellors
Selection of career or a
course is always a diffi-
cult task. Especially when
dealing with non-profes-
sional courses. Will con-
sulting a counsellor help?
by Team Careers360
B
arely out of school, Anchal
Gulati and Shagun Shrivastav,
spend the mornings in noisy
autos in the hot summer heat
of Delhi, moving from college to college,
filling out forms and submitting applica-
tions. Anchal who topped in Vasant Val-
ley School, New Delhi, wants to study
economics and is keen to get into LSR.
They aren’t however, alone, as they
make key decisions which would shape
their subsequent lives and careers. Par-
ents, long condemned for being out-
dated have been replaced by informative
counsellors, well equipped to sift the
redundant from the necessary informa-
tion. The decision is an important one,
and much of it is reduced to -- How do
students make informed and intelligent
decisions? Does one turn to profession-
als or one’s wisdom. Anchal decided to
pick them when she decided to apply to
the UK for her graduation. She turned
to The Chopras, who began their pro-
fession in advising since 1995. “They
are really renowned, plus, they do all
the paper work and running around
for you.” A sound enough reason to ask
for help. But it does come at a price,
costing anywhere from Rs. 2,000 to
Rs. 10,000.
Picking a Counsellor
It is difficult however, to speak to
Tanushree Bhattacharya, head of the
counselling group, The Chopra’s. This
is the peak season for the counselling
industry in India. With the results
declared and students scrambling to
submit applications, both independent
and corporate counsellors step into this
influential space.
Are they qualified to help you reach
that decision? Ravi L. Singh of Global
Reach says that not many people know
Does a counsellor help?
but most counsellors have a degree in
psychology at least. Apart from this,
many institutes insist that each coun-
sellor undertakes a two week training
programme. For educational institutes
in the UK, counsellors are given cer-
tificates by the British Council. Similar
institutes grant certificates in Australia
and the US.
Before you pick one however, have a
few guidelines in mind. Jitin Chawla
says a student should always check if
the counsellors follow standardized
psychological tests. Several have cus-
tomized but arbitrarily designed ones,
of little help. “Ask for the manual and
enquire about who is conducting the
How much do they charge per
session?
Parveen Malhotra – 2,500
Usha Albuquerque – 2,200
Jitin Chawla – varies
The Chopra’s – varies
What should you look out for?
n Do you have references?
n Do they follow standardized norms?
n Are their faculty members qualified to
conduct the aptitude/psychological test
78 careers 360 july 2009
Illustration: Gouri Nanda
test and whether they are qualified or
not,” he says. The company is presently
conducting a Mission Admission with
NDTV where live questions on careers
and courses are entertained. He does
admit, however, that conversations over
the phone have their limitations.
A lot of students however, choose to
make their own decisions. Shagun, who
finished school from Welham’s in Deh-
radun, is applying for an undergraduate
course in Economics. Her reasons are
clear: she likes the subject and scored
well in it too. That made it simple for her
to make the decision. The same applies
to Dileep Gupta, who scored a possible,
but difficult score of 99% in Mathemat-
ics. Mathematics (honours) is what he
has applied for, and with marks like that
he will probably make it.
What is a session?
A session usually means a one-time
interaction with a counsellor. It
could last anywhere between half-an-
hour to four hours. Much depends on
the clarity of the student on what he/
she want. 90% of the queries are calmed
within a day. But if a decision cannot
be reached, it spills over to another
day. Students are not charged for the
subsequent days and are in fact, encour-
aged to call and make enquiries.
www.careers360.com
the complete career website
Careers & Courses | Advise & Counselling | News & Alerts | Features

[ now ready to click ]

Scholarships Swedish Institute Fellowships

Academic
by Shashikant

“
I
realized for the first time in two
years that sustainability was

excellence Up
real and achievable. Absence of
dichotomy between what they
practice and preach drew me towards
Sweden.” says Praveen Kushwaha, a
short term fellow at Lund University.

Praveen is one of the 400 odd students,
who arrive in Sweden, thanks to the
Swedish Institute (SI) Fellowships.
Swedish Institute has a very large fel-
lowship programme with approximately
400 scholarships on offer. In addition
to this the institute also sponsors four
to five short term training programmes,
each with about 70-120 fellowship plac-
es. Olle Wastberg, Director General SI
comments, “Our objective is to connect
and share Sweden with the world, and
fellowships are a crucial component to
realizing the same.”
The Fellowships are on offer at mas-
ter’s, doctoral and post-doctoral levels.
There is also a special fellowship pro-
gramme for Swedish language and cul-
ture. Priya Jain, one of the early entrants
to Sweden through a master’s fellow-
ship, recounts her experience studying
molecular genetics at Linkoping Uni-
versity, “The best thing about Sweden is
the faculty. They are accessible, friendly
and the best in the world. Moreover
language is never a problem, since 90%
of them speak good English.” A senior
researcher with CSIR, India, Priya cred-
its her skills in problem solving to the
practice-oriented teaching at Lincop-
ing. Ramanathan Kumar, who pursed
Development Studies at Uppsala Uni-
versity agrees that the course is always
about asking the right questions. With
long standing involvement in develop-
ment through the Swedish International
Development Agency (SIDA), Sweden
has quite a lot to offer to India. The
class is predominantly European. So,
he feels that perspective does get a trifle
coloured. But on the whole the open
questioning system does prepare one for
the real life challenges much better.
MASTER’S FELLOWSHIPS
This is the largest component of the SI
programme. Each year, nearly 200 mas-
ter’s from leading universities are listed
as eligible for an SI fellowship. “It is very
North
With as many as 400 scholarships on offer across
master’s, doctoral and post-doctoral programmes
SI Fellowships is a good choice
Fast Fact
For Masters, doctoral, post-doctoral students Important Websites www.studera.nu/english,
www.studera.nu, www.si.se, www.studyinsweden.se Apply between 1st Dec 2009 to 15th Jan
2010 Final Selection June 2010 Selection process Based on application
important to keep a tab on the courses.
For example engineering biology, a good
programme at Linkoping was dropped
recently,” says Priya.
The application process is in two stag-
es. Applications for admission have to
be made through the online application
service for Swedish Master’s degree pro-
grammes at www.studera.nu/english.
Each year the application window is
open between December 1st and January
Quick Take
Total no. of fellowships
Long Term: Over 400 Nos.
Short Term: 4- 5 programmes each
with 70-120 places
Available for
Master’s Programme / PhD ( Direct)/
Phd (Sandwitch)/
Special Fellowship for Swedish Language &
culture
Fellowship Value
Masters SEK 8000 pm
Doctoral SEK 12,000 pm
Post doctoral SEK 15,000 pm
Travel Grant: One time, SEK 10,000
Health Insurance: Dental & medical, Unlimited
Fellowship period: 6/12/18 months
15th. Application for SI scholarships can
only be made after having been accept-
ed on a Swedish master’s programme
and must be followed by an admission
confirmation. The result of the appli-
cation procedure is announced at the
beginning of June. The academic ses-
sion begins from September and runs
through to June.
What do you get?
The scholarship is for SEK 8,000 per
month and is only awarded for pro-
grammes commencing in the autumn
semester 2009. Scholarships are usually
granted for one academic year, and is
extended subject to satisfactory perfor-
mance. Devrim, who did her doctoral
studies at Lund commented that the
fellowship is sufficient for an individ-
ual, provided one is not studying in an
expensive city like Stockholm. Hous-
ing costs are the highest expenses for a
student. So rember to look for your pre-
ferred courses in universities located in
smaller cities like Gotland, Lund etc.
PhD/ POST-DOCTORAL
FELLOWSHIPS
The PhD fellowships provide students/

80 careers 360 july 2009


researchers with opportunity to con-
duct research at Swedish universities
within all fields of study and are offered
in two categories. The first category
comprises students/candidates apply-
ing for a consecutive visit as part of
their PhD studies at the home univer-
sity. The second category comprises
students/candidates applying for a
scholarship according to the sandwich
model (several shorter visits). In either
case the guest scholarships do not offer
you fellowship for a complete PhD
programme. Applicants applying for a
post-doctoral research visit to a Swed-
ish university, through the scholarship
programme, must have a PhD degree
not earlier than 2004.
What do you get?
The scholarship amounts to SEK 12,000
per month for PhD students and SEK
15,000 for post-doctoral studies. Schol-
arship periods are fixed for 6, 12 or 18
months. The scholarship period for can-
didates on a sandwich set-up is a maxi-
mum of 12 months stretching over three
years and divided into a maximum of
three research visits per year. Moham-
ad Zakaria, a post doctoral fellow at
LUCUS, is a veteran in the Swedish
fellowship application process. He has
spent more than seven years in Sweden
under three different fellowships pursu-
ing both his masters and PhD. Identify-
ing the right research group which has
interest in your area of research is the
key according to Mohamad. He would
always advise candidates to opt for the
sandwich model as spending shorter
spans of time in Sweden at different
points in one’s PhD research would add
more value.
Additional Benefits
Travel grants
Scholarship-holders from developing
countries like India receive a one time
travel assistance of SEK 10,000. Schol-
ars opting for the sandwich model of
PhD travel grants are restricted to one
per year.
Insurance
Scholarship-holders are insured by the
Swedish State Group Insurance against
illness and accident during the scholar-
ship period. And being a Nordic model
country, the insurance is unlimited when
it comes to medical expenses.
81 careers 360 july 2009
Sweden is the coordinating
university in the special
window opened for India by EU
www.imagebankswedan.sec©Tommy Westberg/Uppsala University
Scholarship limitations
The scholarship is designed to cover the
living costs of the scholarship-holder.
There are no grants for famwily mem-
bers. Scholarship-holders following a
two-year master’s programme are per-
mitted to go abroad for at the most one
semester within their studies, if schol-
arship is to be retained. The scholar-
ship period granted cannot be altered
or extended.
The country is yet to emerge as a pre-
ferred choice for Indian scholars. So
those looking for a large Indian commu-
nity will be disappointed. Prof. Charles
Edquist, Professor at CIRCLE, Lund,
comments “Sweden has to do much
more to emerge as a leading player.” But
that is changing. In the recent special
window opened for India by the EU,
Lund University, Sweden is acting as a
lead coordinating University. But the
silver lining as Hemant Kumar, another
short term fellowship holder from JNU
says is , “It is easier to get a fellowship at
Sweden vis-à-vis from some other coun-
try like UK. The only important thing is
to have solid research proposal.” So if
you have an exciting problem to research
on, Sweden is the place to go.
 TOOLS FOR
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CAMPUS REVIEW IIIT Bangalore

Led by the industry, IIIT Bangalore is an institution which delivers programmes,

anticipates futuristic needs and arms students with design, research
and product development capabilities
by Nandita Datta ensure the talent thus created wouldn’t in sync with industry needs and require-
end up just writing lines of code cheaper ments. A public-private partnership

T
he International Institute of
Information Technology, Banga-
lore – popularly known as IIIT-B
– isn’t just one of the thousand-
odd colleges dotting the Indian techni-
cal education landscape. In its ten years
of existence, the institute has graduated
1,000 MTech students (another 130 will
graduate in July this year) – a record
unparalleled in the country. But Direc-
tor S Sadagopan is quick to point out
that IIIT-B’s laurels don’t rest only on
these numbers. “Our programmes are of
high quality and have consistently been
bracketed with the premier institutes in
the country,” he notes.
and faster but would be part of an eco-
system creating tomorrow’s innovations,
it was considered necessary to focus on
graduate programmes which would arm
students with design, research and prod-
uct development capabilities. It wasn’t
as if there was a dearth of engineering
institutes in the country – but all of them
put together did not produce more than
50 PhDs in a year compared to 3,000
in the US.
Apart from specialization, it was also
thought necessary to ensure that the
talent nurtured in these IIITs should be
model was mooted for this purpose. In
1999, when IIIT-B was set up the role
of the state government was restricted
to the seed capital of Rs 10 crore and
land. The running of the institute was
left to academia in collboration with
industry. Says Sadagopan, “Of the 15
board members on IIIT-B’s govern-
ing body, the state government has one
member as does the Union government.
The balance is made up of represeta-
tives from industry (Infosys, HP, Micro-
soft, Intel, ICICI Bank, etc.) and aca-
demia (University of California, MIT,

Cutting edge in
Last year, the National Science Foun-
dation (US federal agency supporting
research and education in the field of
science and engineering) and the Massa-
chusetts Institute of Technology select-
ed IIIT-B as one of the eight institutes

Fast fact
Set up in 1999 Programmes offered:
MTech, MS, PhD Flagship programme:
MTech Duration: 2 years Selection: Online
exam and personal interview Course Fee :
Rs.50,000 per semester Industry-sponsored
scholarships: 25 to 30

where students could spend a year as

part of their Ph.D programme. The two
other institutes selected in Bangalore
were the prestigious Indian Institute
of Science and the National Centre for
Biological Sciences. A justifiably proud
Sadagopan says, “To be bracketed with
the 100-year old IISc and 50-year-old
NCBS is very encouraging for a ten-
year-old institution like ours.”
IIIT-B (and the other IIITs that fol-
lowed thereafter) was conceived during
the height of the technology boom in the
late 1990s. The idea was to create a tal-
ent pool that could transform Indian IT
from a low-cost software maintenance
player to higher-value complex work,
including product development. To

84 careers 360 july 2009

Stanford, IIM-Bangalore, etc.).
The other way IIIT-B forged indus-
try links was by allowing them to set
up research labs within the institute.
Almost all the seven labs at the instittue
have been funded by industry – like the
Nokia-sponsored mobile computing lab,
HP-sponored multimedia sub-systems
lab, Honeywell-sponsored automation
lab, Intel-sponsored community PC
lab, etc. In addtion, instead of taking a
‘blue-sky approach’ to research IIIT-B
works in close collaboration with R&D
outfits of IT firms on research ideas and
projects. “We have limited resources –
there are 20 faculty members and 300
students; we cannot spead ourselves too
thin. Besides, on our own we can do only
theoretical research,” says Sadagopan.
Although IIIT-B works closely with
industry, Sadagopan and his team have
ensured that the institute doesn’t not
IIIT-B set up industry
sponsored research
labs on campus - like
Nokia’s mobile comput-
ing lab, HP’s multimedia
sub-systems lab & Intel’s
community PC lab
end up looking like a training unit of a
corporate. Also sticking true to its origi-
nal objective, IIIT-B offers only gradu-
ate programmes like MTech, M.S. and
Ph.D – it does not offer any under-grad-
uate course. Sadagopan says, “Gradu-
ate programmes, unlike under-graduate
courses, isn’t lucrative and this is why
many technical institutes shy away from
higher education. Our objective is dif-
ferent; sure we need funds – we don’t get
any government grants – but that’s not
our raison d’etre.”
MTech is the flagship programme and
consists of four semesters, of which the
first three comprise academic course
work. In the fourth semester students
either take up industry internship or opt
for research work at one of the seven labs
at the institute leading to a thesis. Prior
to the first semester, all students have to
go through a ‘preparatory semester’, a
three-week programme covering intro-
ductory programming, mathematics &
statistics and introduction to systems
analysis and design. The idea, says fac-
ulty member S Rajagopalan, is to ensure
that everyone is at the same level by the
time the core courses commence. “Most
of our students come from Tier II col-
leges and, hence, have varying degrees

computing education Nilotpal Baruah/Outlook Group

of knowledge,” he offers by way of an

explanation.
The first year comprises core courses
that include algorithms, databases, oper-
ating systems, software engneering, net-
working and communication, advanced
programming, etc. In the second year,
students can opt for electives – i.e. their
area of specialization. Rajagopalan
says the most sought after electives are
embedded systems, database & infor-
mation systems and computer science.
The MTech programme also includes a
nine-week session (between the second
and third semester) in non-technical
areas like accounting & finance, market-
ing, strategising and verbal communica-
tion. “These skills come in handy when
people move up the career path and don
managerial roles or turn entrepreneurs,”
notes Rajagopalan.
The course fee, at Rs. 50,000 per
semester, is a tad expensive but the lack
of any government grant makes freebies

IIIT Bangalore’s 100 % placement record and

research facilities lead to a flood of applications

85 careers 360 july 2009

CAMPUS REVIEW IIIT Bangalore

“Of all the IIITs we got

the least amount of
government funding but
today our corpus is
the biggest,”
S Sadagopan
Director, IIIT

impossible. There are 25-30 industry- abroad for further studies. Those who IIIT Bangalore has graduated 1,000 MTech stu-
sponsored scholarships for meritorious stay in India usually like to continue dents in its ten years of existence
students though. About 80 per cent of in their own institute.” Until this year,
IIIT-B’s funds come from student fees IIIT-B had an impeccable record in programme every year and almost all of
and research grants. “Of all the IIITs placements. 70% of MTech students get them are working professionals.
we got the least amount of government placed during their industry internship, IIIT-B also houses an unique inno-
funding but today our corpus is the big- while the balance find employment by vation centre. The institute proudly
gest,” boasts Sadagopan. convocation day (the second Sunday claims having incubated five companies
A consistent 100% placement record of July). Recruiters include IT product in the last ten years with mixed success.
and the opportunity to engage in cutting- companies, semiconductor firms, R&D One (online tutoring firm Tutorvista)
edge research work have seen a flood of centres of IT services firms and start- has scaled up well and is considered a
applications flowing into IIIT-B each ups. This year the situation is different big success, another one failed to live
year for its MTech programme. Rajago- – although official numbers are yet to beyond the prototype stage. Three other
palan says the institute received 2,000 come in, sources say only half the batch incubated firms have seen but moder-
applications for 150 seats last year. No has been placed so far. While some com- ate success – they haven’t scaled up as
mean achievement considering a first- panies have officially said they won’t expected but are attracting sufficient
class bachelor’s degree in engineering recruit, large recruiters have scaled back attention. This is encouraging indeed!
is the minimum qualification to apply. numbers. The institute has recently also launched
Selection is through an online exam Unlike MTech which is largely instruc- a six month refresher course called
which tests problem-solving skills and tional in nature, the MS programme is ‘Yogyata’ for engineering students from
analytical capabilities as well as a per- essentially research-focussed. The first smaller towns and cities. This course
sonal interview that comprise a 5 min- semester alone comprises academic aims to enhance the skills of engineering
ute talk on a technical work – the second, third students and help them become employ-
subject of the candidate’s Skills acquired in and fourth semesters ment ready.
choice.Engineering are devoted to research IIIT-B is amongst the few of its peers
streams like electronics, non-technical work in a particular area to have attracted the kind of attention
electrical, computer sci- areas come in under the guidance of a it has. Apart from getting big names on
ence account for about faculty member. If the its governing board, it’s the locational
80 % of the 150-strong
handy when peo- institute is convinced the advantage that’s playing to the institute’s
MTech batch. ple move up the research work is valu- advantage. Being based in Bangalore
IIIT-B’s students typi- means close proximity to the IT capital
cally come from tier-II
career path and able and of high-calibre,
they can upgrade the of India. But more important, this is
engineering institutes. don managerial MS programme into a helping IIIT-B attract an enviable fac-
Says Rajagopalan, “Stu- ulty that is difficult to replicate. And as
dents from premier
roles or turn entre- PhD programme. On an
average, IIIT-B admits we all know, a student is only as good as
institutes prefer going preneurs 20 students into its MS his teacher!

86 careers 360 july 2009

 Book Review
To do as best negotiators do
An ambitious claim to reveal to readers secrets of successful negotiations
The author Peeling has a doctorate
degree in Mathematics from Oxford
University. The odds of him negotiat-
ing anything other than mathematical
equations or having practical experi-
ence on the subject matter are slender.
He derives his authority on the sub-
ject entirely from his experience at a
company called QinetiQ (pronounced
“kinetic”). But that would make him
just as qualified or under-qualified as
anybody else working in a defense and
security organization. This renders his
credibility rather low.
Casually written, the book has sev-
eral pictographs. The work gives us a
Brilliant Negotiations: What the best Negotia-
distinct impression of being far from
tors Know, Do and Say
academically rigorous. Each of the
Nic Peeling
Pearson Publications (2009) eight slim chapters are devoted to a
Rs. 199 special issue: the basics of negotiations,
preparation, the sharing, haggling,
bargaining, closure and commitment,
by Priya Naik negotiations master class and knowing
it, doing it, saying it. Scattered consis-
T
he book’s simple but straight title tently are points that Peeling thinks
is too good to be ignored. In under are important enough to be enclosed
150 pages the reader is offered in a box. But it is difficult to see why
the secrets on how to negotiate they need to be emphasized. They are
in “any” situation, from buying a wash- commonsensical. For example: “When
ing machine to handling a peace nego- bluffing, stick to statements that can-
tiation. Ambitious! But does it deliver? not be disproved to say that.” Not a big
The author, Nic Peeling promises to revelation indeed!
equip the reader with the art of negotiat- Some points though are worth valu-
ing anything with anyone, friends, rela- ing. Peeling points out that haggling
tives, business partners and shoe sellers. is meant for short term relations but
Does he do that? Not quite. bargaining is for long term relations
Recommendations
Getting To Yes Beyond Negotiate
Hardcover: 200 Reason To Win
pages Hardcover: 256 Hardcover: 320
Publisher: pages pages
Houghton Mifflin Publisher: Viking Publisher: Collins
Harcourt; Second Adult (October 6, Business (Sep-
Edition edition 2005) tember 6, 2005)
(April 30, 1992)
Brings emotions Brash. In your face.
The classic! Willaim Fry still remains back into the negotiation business. A totally tacky tactical manual.
the ultimate guru when it comes to But does so without diminishing the But has enough nuggets of action-
understanding how to conclude a power of logical thinking and clear- able advice which makes it worth
deal successfully. headedness. a read.
87 careers 360 july 2009
Brilliant Negotiations
with friends and relatives. This is a rare
insight. Much of the other advice offered
is common or acquired sense. For exam-
ple, he stresses on preparation before
negotiations begin, why one should be
cautious about negotiating with foreign-
ers, why it is important to close the deal.
Such dank information is worsened by
the patronizing tone.
Where the book could have delivered,
it does not. The book promises what the
best negotiators know, do, or say. Sadly,
there is little mention of examples of
successful negotiations in international
business or politics. There are other
areas too where the book could have
done better. For instance exposing the
reader to “behind the scenes” action.
There is nothing as exciting as unantici-
pated twists which take place during an
earnest and hard negotiation. Peeling’s
rendering makes it unrealistic and ridic-
ulously simple. Going by Peeling’s sup-
posed brilliance in the art of negotiating;
the Israeli-Palestine issue ought to have
been resolved long ago. Secondly, the
book is a trifle too generalistic. Had the
author specialized in a specific matter,
say “Negotiating your career”, so much
more could have been said. Finally, some
of the best books on negotiations have
either been theoretical or have offered a
privy view of how the world of negotiat-
ing works, like Kissinger’s Diplomacy
or George Kennan’s Memoirs. Brilliant
Negotiations, woefully, does neither.
Bargaining for
Advantage
Paperback: 320
pages
Publisher: Pen-
guin: Second
edition (May 2,
2006)
Written by a Harvard don, this is a
strategy book. Articulates the art
and science involved in the negoti-
ating process quite well.
Ask Us Career choice

Get work experience, and hone your

Pervin Malhotra
A leading career
counsellor and the
Executive Director of
Career Guidance, India
Work-ex gives
you clarity of
goals and a
sharper overview
and perspective
of what’s happen-
ing in the market.
skills before doing an MBA
Q. I am a 3rd year BSc student. I want to
make my career in management. Please
guide me about the top management insti-
tutes in an around Delhi.
Venkat Nayar
A. When choosing a B-school, please don’t
restrict your choice to a specific city or region.
Go for the best you can get – anywhere in the
country. But since you ask, Delhi Univer-
sity’s Faculty of Management Studies (FMS),
IIFT, MDI Gurgaon and IIT Delhi’s Depart-
ment of Management Studies are in the top
league.
Secondly, it is not advisable to jump into an
MBA directly after completing your gradu-
ation.
After all, pursuing an MBA. degree is a huge
investment of time (not to mention money).
Work-ex before going for an MBA is now
almost an unspoken requirement for all the
top B-schools in India during the selection
process.
A good academic record was considered
sufficient to be admitted to a reputed insti-
tute until a few years ago, but today one finds
an increasing number of B-schools jumping
onto the work experience bandwagon. Pro-
spective students, with a solid work record,
are given precedence over fresh graduates.
Understandably, people with work experi-
ence tend to have more practical knowledge,
and thus, can absorb the new information
better and quicker. For example, freshers have
been often found to be less receptive to man-
agement and people-related subjects such as
organisational behaviour than their experi-
enced counterparts.
Also, companies prefer people with work-ex
in their functional areas because they have a
lot more to offer and build a better gene pool
in the organisation.
Also a stint at work will help you face the
interview panel with a convincing answer to
“Why an MBA?” While participating in case-
studies, you can relate better to managerial
and professional problems if you have come
across similar situations in real life.
Work-ex also bridges the gap between theo-
retical knowledge and practical experience.
It gives you clarity of goals and a sharper
overview and perspective of what’s happen-
ing in the market. All told, it will also help you
extract greater value from your MBA.
Q. I am doing MBA (HR) through distance
learning. Which course would be right to
do after completing MBA? Please guide
me.
Heena Jaiswal
A. If you don’t know to which port you are
sailing, no ship will take you there.
There’s really no point doing one course
after another without a clear direction or
purpose.
Courses are not always equal to career. It’s
your work experience, capability and enthu-
siasm that you bring to the table.
I would suggest you focus on getting what-
ever little work experience you can manage
(given the present scenario). Work on your
English and basic computer skills, if they need
polishing up. And since you are doing your
MBA through distance learning, make sure
you are thorough with your concepts.
Q. After completing class 12 (PCB) I
worked as a dark room assistant in a hos-
pital. Then I started working as an X-ray
technician. I have also completed my BA.
But as I don’t have a diploma or degree,
I am getting a low salary. Please tell me
if I can pursue a course related to X-ray
technology?
Naresh Gupta
A. Sure you can! Besides some institutes,
many hospitals also offer courses in X-Ray
Tech and Radiology
For instance in Delhi, Holy Family Hospital,
Jamia Nagar P.O, New Delh offers a Diploma
in X-Ray Technician (2 year).
Eligibility: Intermediate Science or equiva-
lent.
Pt. Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Postgraduate
Institute of Medical Sciences (Maharshi
Dayanand Univ), Rohtak - 124001. Duration:
2 yrs.
Eligibility: Class XII (PCB & Eng).
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Educa-
tion & Research, Sector 12, Chandigarh -
160012.

88 careers 360 july 2009

 Eligibility: 10+2 (Sc) or (a) HSc/PUC with
Phy & Chem; (b) Cert/Dip in Radiography;
(c) 5-years experience as radiographer
Patna Medical College Hospital, Patna-
800004, (Bihar)
Course: Diploma in X-Ray Technology
(1-year)
Eligibility: Intermediate Science or equiva-
lent
This is just an indicative listing. There are
several others.
Q. I am a student of BCom 2nd year and
working in a medical store. Due to this I
have good knowledge of medicines. What
Illustrations : Gouri Nanda
are the opportunities for me in health care
sector or will it be better for me to do com-
merce-related courses? I want to get a job
soon. Please also suggest some courses.
Jeevan Behl
A. In the healthcare segment, you could look
at marketing jobs either in hardcore pharma-
ceutical companies or those in the nutraceuti-
cal sector i.e. those manufacturing nutritional
89
supplements, energy drinks and related prod-
ucts.
Should you wish to study further, you could
go for postgraduate courses in pharma mar-
keting/management or even in hospital/pub-
lic health management or law (medico-legal
and related litigation is on the rise).
Q. After BCom I want to go in the mass
com field because I am weak in maths and
accounts, so I don’t see much of a future in
finance. Is it the right choice?
Rajika Chugh
A. Choosing a field by default is not the best
of ways to select a career. There are umpteen
careers that do not require math.
But since you’ve asked, let me explain what
this field called mass communication is all
about. After that you can decide for yourself
whether you’re suited for it or not.
Mass Communications is a very broad
umbrella term that includes various fields —
i.e., advertising, journalism, public relations,
cinema, radio, television & broadcasting, the- Choosing a field
atre, communication arts and now Internet is
also in its ambit. by default is not
A course in Mass Communications will give the best of ways
you a general overview of each of these fields
at the macro level. Thereafter, you can choose to select a career
your preferred medium and area of specialisa-
tion and work in the area that fascinates you
most.
Electronic and satellite communication
has ushered in dramatic changes in journal-
ism. Job opportunities exist in: Newspapers,
magazines and periodicals, news agencies,
television, radio, regional bureaus of inter-
national papers/news agencies/networks,
Internet portals, Ministry of Information &
Broadcasting, related government agencies
like Directorate of Advertising & Visual Pub-
licity, Directorate of Field Publicity, Public
Relations departments of public and private
sector corporations, as freelancer/stringer,
art and theatre critic, book reviewer, etc.
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careers 360 july 2009
Dataspeak world and india

Entrepreneurial Indicators
Does low rates of entrepreneurial engagement levels of European inhabitants reflect their relative risk aversion? The entrepreneurial attitude and
activity as per the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2008 (GEM) does suggest this. We see four Europeans in the 2009 World’s billionaires’ list
(though from the same industry), along with two Indians for the first time!

Entrepreneurial Attitudes and Perceptions (2008)

Economies Has required Expects to start a Fear of failure would Entrepreneurship
knowledge & skills to business in next 3 prevent a business considered as a career
start a business years
Colombia 54 60 41 92
Germany 30 4 49 56
India 45 33 46 67
Israel 35 14 43 58
Japan 9 4 44 26
Korea 23 17 32 69
Russia 14 3 66 60
South Africa 31 13 38 65
United Kingdom 45 5 38 52
United States 48 7 28 63
Source: Adapted from GEM 2008 Adult Population Survey (18-64 years from 43 countries in May-June 2008) % Agreeing with statement

Prevalence Rates (%) of Entrepreneurial Activity for those aged 18-24

36.7

40

Early Stage Entrepreneurial Activity

35
Overall Entrepreneurial Activity
27.6

30 Business Discontinuition Rate

24.5

22.6

25

18.7
20
12.7

11.7
11.5

15

10.8
10.6
10.1

10.0

9.9
7.8
7.7

10
7.8

6.4

5.9
5.8
5.4

4.4
4.7

4.4
3.8

3.5
3.2

5
2.1
1.8

1.0

1.1

0
Colombia Germany India Israel Japan Korea Russia South Africa UK US
Source: Adapted from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, 2008

Top Billionaires in the world

Rank Name & (Age) Citizenship Net worth in $ Billion Industry
1 William Gates III (53) US 40.0 Software
2 Warren Buffet (78) US 37.0 Investment
3 Carlos Slim Helu (69) & Family Mexico 35.0 Telecommunications
4 Lawrence Ellison (64) US 22.5 Software
5 Ingvar Kamprad (83) & Family Sweden 22.0 Retail
6 Karl Albrecht (89) Germany 21.5 Retail
7 Mukesh Ambani (51) India 19.5 Manufacturing
8 Lakshmi Mittal (58) India 19.3 Steel
9 Theo Albrecht (87) Germany 18.8 Retail
10 Amancio Ortega (73) Spain 18.3 Retail
Source: Adapted from www.forbes.com

Graphic: Rajesh Chawla

90 careers 360 july 2009

 Course Alerts un jobs/psu mdp scholarship

Ready Reckoner
In detail

IIT Kharagpur
Understanding Culture and Practic-
Compilation of actionable information, segmented and ing Cross-Cultural Communication

presented on a thematic basis July 17-19

Fees: Rs. 5,000/3,000/2,000
(Industry/Faculty/Students)
Institution Name of Programme Dates Fees (Rs.) The course not only makes you
IIM, Bangalore Valuation July 01-03 45,000 understand culture and the politics
inherent in cultures but it also explores
IIM, Calcutta Creating a Global Mindset Among Young July 02-04 25,000 what we do not know about them.
Managers The second objective is to know and
CFTRI, Mysore Current Trends and Practices in July 06-08 4,494 comprehend communication skills
Food Packaging that go beyond the conventional
approaches.
IPIRTI, Sawing, seasoning, finger jointing & July 06-10 5,000
Bangalore glulam techniques
mdp

ASCI,
Hyderabad
Leadership Through Self-discovery July 13-15 19,000
NMIMS, Mumbai
Finance for Non-Finance Executives
IRMA, Anand E-Business for Rural Enterprises July 13-15 20,000
July 24-25
IIM, Lucknow Finance for Non-Finance Executives July 13-17 35,000 Fees: Rs. 6,000
IIP, Delhi Flexible Packaging (Part Time) July 13-17 5,000 Among the most popular MDPs, this
IIM, Calcutta Becoming an Effective Sales Manager July 14-17 35,000 programme makes you understand
financial statements and how they are
CFTRI, Mysore Concepts of quality and safety in the food July 27-31 6,742 made. You get an insight into dynamics
chain of meat/meat products of finance, interpretation of financial
statements and at the end of the
day are able to analyse the impact of
Watch-out for MDPs in August 2009 decision making on finance.

Institute Programme Dates Meant For Fees (Rs.)

ASCI, Hyderabad Materials and Supply 24-28 Senior executives/managers 27,500 ISB, Hyderabad
Chain Management of operations, production Financial Strategies for
planning, stores, marketing, Creating Value
systems, accounts, banking
July 12-16, 2009
IIM, Bangalore Leadership Training for 03-05 Project/module leaders, 45,000
Fees: Rs. 125,000
Software Professionals software professionals, HR
managers This programme deals with analysis
of the existing financial strategy of an
IRMA, Anand Finance & Accounting 24-27 Officers/managers of MFIs, 12,000 organization to find aspects where
for Microfinance NGOs, donor agencies and more value could be added through
Institutions government bodies involved in different financial strategies. Topics
microfinance covered include EVA, real options and
ISB, Hyderabad Integrating Sales and 24-27 Heads of sales/marketing and 100,000 corporate financial risk management.
Marketing business heads
XLRI, The Art and Science of 27-28 Internal HR Staff and Line 16,000
Jamshedpur Behavioural Interviewing Managers involved in interview
process (not meant for
consultants)
IIM, Ahmedabad 3 Tier Programme: 02-22 Senior executives > 35 years 250,000
Senior Management with more than 10 years of
managerial experience
IIM, Ahmedabad Aviation Management 02-08 Functional heads/managers 70,000
from airports, airlines and
related logistics services within
the aviation sector globally
IIM, Calcutta Self Awareness and 24-28 Middle or senior management 40,000
Interpersonal Skills levels in public & private
Workshop organizations
[ ]

91 careers 360 july 2009

 Course Alerts un jobs/psu mdp scholarshipS

Name of Grade Course Description Institute Place Website Last Date

Course
BA UG Arts GHG Khalsa College Ludhiana http://www. July 10, 2009
ghgcollegesadhar.org/
BA UG Science Khalsa College For Women Ludhiana www.khalsacollegeamritsar. July 7, 2009
org/ 
BA-LLB UG Law Sastra University Thanjavur http://www.sastra.edu/ July 25, 2009
BCA UG Comp. App Annamalai University Annamalainagar http://annamalaiuniversity. August 31, 2009
ac.in/
BCom UG Finance & Investment The Institute of Computer Kolkata http://www. July 31, 2009
Accountants icajobguarantee.com/
underGRADUATE

BCom UG Finance & Investment The Institute of Computer Delhi www.icagroup.in August 31, 2009
Accountants
BEd UG Education Directorate of Distance Madurai http://www.mkudde.org/ July 30, 2009
Education
BEd UG Spl Education National Institute for Chennai http://niepmd.tn.nic.in/ July 15, 2009
Empowerment of Persons with
Multiple Disabilities
BHMS UG Homeopathic Dr.B.R.Sur Homoeopathic Delhi www.delhihomeo.com July 4, 2009
Medicine & Surgery Medical College Hospital &
Research Centre
MSc UG IT Alpha Arts and Science College Chennai http://www.alphagroup. July 15, 2009
edu/
BPEd Physical Education Lakshmibai National University Gwalior www.lnupe.gov.in July 7, 2009
(Integrated) of Physical Education
Bachelors Aviation Hospitality & Frankfinn Institute of Airhostess Various www.frankfinn.com Not specified
Travel Management Training
BSc Information NIIT Academy Various www.niitacademy.net Open
Technology

Name of Grade Course Description Institute Place Website Last Date

Course
Diploma D Food Production,Bakery & Delhi Institute of Hotel Delhi http://www. July 3, 2009
Confectionery etc. Management & Catering ihmbangalore.com/
Technology ctotherihm.htm
MTech PG Communication Systems, Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar www.gndu.ac.in July 3, 2009
postGRADUATE / Non-degree

Com Sc & Engg,Urban

Planning
PGD PG Law The Indian Law Institute Delhi www.ilidelhi.org July 3, 2009
MPhil PG Biotech,Environmental Chaudhary Devi Lal University Sirsa www.cdlu.edu.in July 4, 2009
Sc,Science streams
MSc PG Mathematical Sc., University of Hyderabad Hyderabad www.uohyd.ernet.in July 6, 2009
Optometry & Vision
Sciences
PG Diploma PG International Business Indian Institute of Foreign Trade New Delhi www.iift.edu July 6, 2009
PG PG Management S P Jain Institute of Mumbai www.spjimr.org July 7, 2009
Management & Research
Master's PG Archaeology, Delhi Institute of Heritage Delhi http://dihrm.delhigovt. July 10, 2009
Conservation,Preservation Research & Management nic.in/
& Heritage
PGD, PGD PG Biotechnology, Microbiology, HNB Garhwal University Srinagar www.uttara.in July 11, 2009
Yoga, Social Work etc.
PGD PG Analytical & Molecular Apeejay Svran Institute Gurgaon http://www.apeejay. July 14, 2009
Techniques For Biosciences & Clinical edu/aibcr/home.html
Research

92 careers 360 july 2009

 Course Alerts un jobs/psu mdp scholarshipS

Name of Grade Course Description Institute Place Website Last Date

post GRADUATE
Course
Master’s PG Human Resources & National Institute of Technical Chennai www.nitttrc.ac.in July 15, 2009
Technical Education Teachers Training & Research
MPhil PG Energy Studies etc. Gandhigram Rural University Tamil Nadu www.ruraluniv.ac.in July 16, 2009
Diploma D Business Mgt,Marketing NMIMS University Mumbai www.nmims.edu July 19, 2009
Mgt,Finance Mgt etc.
TC Training Carpet Weaving Office of The Commissioner of Delhi www.industries. July 20, 2009
Certificate Industries delhigovt.nic.in

Name of Course Description Institute Place Website Last Date

Course
PhD Philosophy IGNOU School of Interdisciplinary and Delhi http://www.ignou.ac.in/ July 15, 2009
Transdisciplinary Studies schools/soits/index.htm

PhD
PhD Various Guru Nanak Dev University Amritsar www.gndu.ac.in July 10, 2009
PhD Agric. Engg College of Technology and Engineering Udaipur www.mpuat.ac.in July 10, 2009
PhD + Social Sciences and Rabindranath Tagore Centre for Human Kolkata www.idsk.edu July 31, 2009
Fellowship Development Studies Development Studies
PG Law The Indian Law Institute Delhi www.ilidelhi.org July 3, 2009

Courses available University Place Date Website

MPhil, MTech, MSc, MCom, MPEd, MA, LLM, BA, BPEd, LLB, Chaudhary Devi Lal Sirsa 4-Jul-09 http://new.cdlu.edu.
MBA University in/
MTech (Thermal Plant Engg., Nanoelectronics, Construction Sastra University Thanjavur 4-Jul-09 http://www.sastra.
Engg. and Mgmt.) , M. Pharma (Phytology, Phytopharmacy) edu/
MPhil in Tamil,Economics,Futurology,Eng & Communicative Gandhigram Rural Gandhigram 16-Jul-09 http://www.ruraluniv.
Studies,Micro Level Plannig,Research & Development,Child University ac.in/
Development, Sociology,Development Administration,Mathe

Universities
matics,Energy,Food Sc.,Nutrition
Mass Comm, English, Business Admin, Mathematics Central University of Jharkhand 20-Jul-09 www.cuj.org.in
Jharkhand
DM and M.Ch. Cadiology,Nephrology,Neurology,Gastroenter Amrita Vishwa Amritapuri 25-Jul-09 www.amrita.edu
ology,Endocrinology,Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery,Uro Vidyapeetham
logy,Neurosurgery,Gastro,Intestinal Surgery University
Master's in Business Law, PGD in Human Rights Law/ National Law School of Bangalore 31-Jul-09 http://www.nls.ac.in/
Medical Law & Ethics/Environmental Law/Intellectual India University
Property Rights Law/Child Rights Law
Degrees in Paralegal Practice, Property Law and Legal Indira Gandhi National Various centres 1-Aug-09 http://www.ignou.
Process Outsourcing Open University ac.in/
BCA, BSc, BCom, BBA, MCA, MCom, MSc Annamalai University Annamalainagar 31-Aug-09 http://
annamalaiuniversity.
ac.in/

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93 careers 360 july 2009

 Course Alerts UN Jobs/Govt. mdp scholarshipS

Name Website Positions Last Date Location

UNDP http://unjobs.org Regional Program Associate July 6, 2009 New Delhi
Sustainable Environment and Ecological http://unjobs.org Content Developer July 17, 2009 Not specified
Development Society (SEEDS)
WHO - Global Leprosy Program http://unjobs.org Medical Officer July 11, 2009 New Delhi
Clinton Foundation http://unjobs.org Deputy Country Director July 30, 2009 Not specified
International Posts
International Trade Centre http://unjobs.org Associate Market Analyst July 20, 2009 Geneva
Department of Peacekeeping Operations http://unjobs.org Coordination Officer July 26, 2009 New York
Department of Peacekeeping Operations http://unjobs.org Equipment Technician July 18, 2009 Multiple Duty
Stations
UN

The World Bank http://unjobs.org Extended Term Consultant July 13, 2009 Luanda
The World Bank http://unjobs.org Senior Economist July 12, 2009 Sydney
The World Bank http://unjobs.org Education Specialist July 7, 2009 Washington
United Nations Children's Fund http://unjobs.org Childhood Poverty and July 15, 2009 Liberia
Vulnerability Analysis
UNICEF http://unjobs.org Education Officer July 5, 2009 Kabul
United Nations Development Fund for http://unjobs.org Institutional Consultancy July 20, 2009 Nairobi
Women
United Nations Population Fund http://unjobs.org Adviser on Enterprise Risk July 10, 2009 New York
Management 
International Labour Fund http://unjobs.org Finance Assistant July 5, 2009 Geneva
United Nations Framework Convention on http://unjobs.org Program Officer July 17, 2009 Bonn
Climate Change

Name Location Positions Last Date Pay Scale (INR)

Ministry of Home Affairs Delhi Principal Pvt Secretary, Pvt Secretary, SO, July 2, 2009 Varied
AO
Harcourt Butler Technological Institute Kanpur Professor, Asst. Prof, Lecturer July 6, 2009 16400-22400
Bank of Maharashtra Pune Network Engineers, IT Support Admin July 8, 2009 Varied
Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd Kolkata Addl General Manager July 8, 2009 36600-62000
Indian Institute of Petroleum Dehradun Scientist July 8, 2009 15600-39100
Ministry of Railways Ahmedabad Inspector Health & Malaria, Pharmacist, July 9, 2009 9300-34800
Staff
Government Jobs

Railway Recruitment Board Ajmer ECG Technician July 9, 2009 5200-20200

Gail (India) Limited Not mentioned Sr Officer Corporate Commm, Sr Officer July 10, 2009 24900-50500
Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti Not mentioned Executive Engineer July 13, 2009 15600-39100
Central Silk Board Bangalore Director July 13, 2009 37400-67000
Ministry of Agriculture Mumbai Accountant July 14, 2009 5000-8000
Ministry of Water Resource Not mentioned Editor July 15, 2009 100000-15200
Salarjung Museum Hyderabad Keeper Manuscripts, Keeper Display July 15, 2009 15600-39100
I & B Ministry Not mentioned Administrative Officer July 15, 2009 9300-34800
Office of The Defence Estates Officer Bhopal Sub Divisional Officer July 15, 2009 5200-20200
Indian Bank Chennai Chief Security Officer July 15, 2009 24140-26620
Railway Recruitment Board Ajmer Asst Loco Pilot, JE Signal, Signal Maintainer July 16, 2009 5200-20200
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau Delhi Constable July 28, 2009 5200-20200
Institute of Pathology Delhi Scientist July 28, 2009 15600-39100
Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region Shillong Advisor July 28, 2009 14300-18300
For details, check out on www.upsc.gov.in/www.employmentnews.gov.in

94 careers 360 july 2009

 Course Alerts un jobs/psu mdp Scholarships
Name Primarily for Contact Deadline Value
Institute of Defence For scholars working on strategic and diridsa@hotmail.com Not mentioned Rs.36,000
Studies and Analyses security issues mini mum
Tata's Innovation Indian Nationals residing in India who are http://dbtindia.nic.in/uniquepage. 31 July, 2009 Rs. 20,000
Fellowship below the age of 60 years. asp?id_pk=326 pm
New India Foundation Scholars and writers on Independent India The Managing Trustee, The New India 31 July, 2009 Rs. 50, 000
Foundation, 22 A, Brunton Road, pm
Bangalore 560025
J C Bose National Ph.D in Science http://www.dst.gov.in/scientific- Anytime of the Rs. 20,000

Fellowships  programme/nsti/jc_bose_fellowship.
Women Scientists
Scheme - Research on
Frontier areas of science
and engineering
Women Scientists
Scheme - Research on
Societal Issues
Amity University
Scholarship Scheme
Ramalingaswami
Fellowship
IGNOU
Pandit Deendayal
Petroleum University
Fast Track Scheme for
Young Scientists
Scholarships in india
year
pdf
Women scientists with MSc in Basic or http://dst.gov.in/scientific- Anytime of the Rs. 20,000
Applied Science programme/women-scientists-a.htm year pm
Women scientists with MSc in Basic or http://dst.gov.in/scientific- Anytime of the Rs. 15,000 pm
Applied Science programme/women-scientists-a.htm year
Meritorious +2 students. http://www.amity.edu/admission/ -Not mentioned Subsidy varies
scholarship_scheme.asp according to
marks scored
Scientists of Indian origin working outside, http://dbtindia.nic.in/uniquepage. 31 July, 2009 Rs.75, 000 pm
to conduct research in India asp?id_pk=325
For weaker sections http://www.ignou.ac.in/schools/ As per university Varies
soce/Brochure_PGDAPP.htm schedule
BTech and MBA enrolled students http://www.pdpu.ac.in/scholar_btech. As per university Varies
htm schedule
PhD in Science or PG in Engineering Department of Science & Technology, Open Not specified
www.serc-dst.org

Name Primarily For Deadline Value

SIA Youth Scholarships  The SIA Youth Scholarship is tenable for 2 years leading to the award of the 15 July, 09 S$2,400 per
Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education ‘Advanced’ (GCE ‘A’) annum
Level (or equivalent) certificate. 
A* Star India Youth Scholarship For outstanding students from India to pursue studies in Singapore, leading 15 July, 09 S$2,200 
to the Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education (Advanced)

international Scholarships
Level or equivalent.
Mexican Government Scholarship 3 scholarships for Indian nationals for the year 2010 for studies at a Mexican 20 July, 09 $6,576.00
University in Agriculturem Biotechnology, IT and Electronics Engg. pesos pm
Boyscast Fellowship Provides opportunities to the young Indian scientists/technologists to visit 31 July, 09 US $ 600 for
institutions abroad, interact and train 6 months
Fulbright-Nehru Master's Fellowships for For outstanding young Indians to pursue a master's degree 15 July, 09 -
Leadership Development program at selected US universities in the areas of Business
Administration, Communication Studies, Economics,Environment and Public
Administration
Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral and Professional For scholars who are registered for a Ph.D. at an Indian institution and 15 July, 09 -
Research Fellowships professionals with significant work experience.
Fulbright-Nehru Environmental Leadership For mid-level Indian environment professionals in public/private sector or 15 July, 09 -
Program NGO for up to four months.
ICMR International Fellowships For young scientists 15 July, 09 -
Amity Academic Excellence Scholarships  For students who have scored 85% marks and above in their XII boards, -Not Rs. 15, 000
from any school across the country, and wish to join any top institution for mentioned each
their graduation
Deakin University, Australia  16 yrs of formal education 21 July, 09 -
Rhodes Scholarship Below 25, with a first class degree in Humanities, Science, Law, Engineering, 01 Aug, 09 -
Agriculture or Medicine from an Indian University.

95 careers 360 july 2009

Up Close IMRAN KHAN
“Lots of money for my passion”
‘Imikipedia’– Imran is largely self-taught, finds out Lata Khubchandani
Q. You changed many schools, why?
A. I left Scottish Orphanage, Mumbai
because they used to beat us and I devel-
oped a bad stammer. Then I went to
Holy Innocence in Wellington. I joined
Blue Mountain, Ooty next. The princi-
pal started a school in Geddai, a small
village. I was there for five years. I moved
to Valley School when this school shut
down. I didn’t go to college. I wasn’t
much of a student. Anything that inter-
ests me I know, but in my own context. I
was good at English. Physics made sense
to me. I never understood chemistry.
Q. Were you a teachers’ pet?
A. Teachers despaired over me. “You
know if you’d just apply yourself you’d
be...” they’d say.
Q. What did you think of yourself ?
A. I always knew that ultimately, what-
ever I’d do, I would be good at that. And
I would work hard at it and be better
than most people. I didn’t really worry.
I didn’t understand chemistry - I’d say,
‘Fine! I am not going to be a chemist!’
Q. Who do you remember from
school?
A. Padmini aunty, my 9th grade
class teacher in Valley
School and our princi-
pal Mallika aunty. They
didn’t seem like teach-
ers. I enjoyed talking to
them even after school
hours.
Q. Did school develop your
sensibilities?
A. School taught me some-
thing that it didn’t teach any-
one else. I learnt that if I want
to do anything, I’d have to learn
and do it myself. Today, my friends
call me Imikipedia - the Imran
encyclopedia. But I barely
managed to pass ICSE. It’s
all self-taught.
I Q. The best thing about school?
always knew
that ultimately, what-
ever I’d do, I would be
good at that. And I would
work hard at it and be bet-
ter than most people at it
96 careers 360 july 2009
A. Basketball. In Bangalore, I enjoyed
Valley School. I had a number of friends.
Our classroom was near the basketball
court. So whenever we got a break we’d
be out of the window, playing.
Q. First crush?
A. My mother tells me it was a girl
called Karen in kindergarten. I don’t
remember, I was only 5.
Q. Any memorable incidents while
growing up?
A. I must’ve been 11 at the time I went to
Geddai. My school there was a gurukul
on a farm. No electricity. We grew our
own vegetables. It was an interesting
experience.
Q. How did you spend your first sal-
ary?
A. My first real salary was for Kidnap. I
bought my mom a large plasma TV.
Q. Is it better to have fun or live
with a purpose?
A. Living with a purpose is ulti-
mately more fun.
Q. Your greatest fear?
A. I fear being inadequate.
Q. Should one take up the
profession one loves or one
that pays?
A. That’s a personal choice.
For some people, money is very
important. They might do a
job that they don’t like, for a
lot of money. Some people
might follow their passion and
not care about the money. And
there are a few lucky people
like me who get lots of money to
follow their passion. It doesn’t
get better than that. Beatrice
Kaufman once said “I’ve been
rich and I’ve been poor. Rich
is better.”
RNI NO. DELENG/2009/27635 DL-SW-01/4139/09-11