CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 11 MAY 2016

Master the new rules ofentrance

STUDY ABROAD
GAURI CHHABRA

Today, the need for bringing about equity and opportunity has been realised and
several entrance examinations to foreign universities
like the SAT, GMAT, GRE,
and the TOEFL have undergone a tectonic shift.
The endeavor has been to
bring about effectiveness and
fairness in the examination
system. These are required
for admission to universities
and colleges in various countries across the globe; at
times, one may need to take a
combination of one or more of
these and other tests specific
to a particular country and its
education system.
Let us examine some of
these:

I STOCK

This is the time when most of

the students who have
secured admission in prestigious (or otherwise) universities in foreign countries are
packing their bags to depart
on their educational venture.
This, thus, is also the time
when those who nurture the
dream of studying abroad also
start gearing up and planning
for taking a shot at their
dream course and college
abroad. Entrance and qualifying exams are the first stage in
this preparation and it is also
the stage that leave many
foxed and overawed, sometimes enough to shelve their
whole plan.
Entrance exam
landscape to foreign
universities
has
often been criticised
for being tilted in
favour of the privileged. Due to the
reliance of the universities on frequent
rounds of qualifying
examinations for admissions, marginalised sections suffer a systemic
disadvantage.
Not only this a large
number of students are
relatively less able to pay
the cost of taking these
exams or for the additional
tuition fee which these
exams require, but their
chance of clearing these
examinations are even
bleaker owing to their weak
academic foundation.

Stay updated on the changes in different entrance tests to get admission to your dream course and university abroad

GRADUATE RECORD EXAMINATION (GRE)

SELECT YOUR SCORES
The Graduate Record Examination
(GRE) is another popular
examination among Indian
students aspiring to study in the
USA or Canada.
It is an admission requirement for
many graduate courses, especially
in engineering and the sciences, in
the USA. The GRE General Test

PROMOTING EQUITY AND

OPPORTUNITY
Scholastic Aptitude
Test (SAT)
The Scholastic Aptitude Test
(SAT) test, required for entry

into some universities in the

USA if you have not completed an equivalent, is of two
types the Reasoning Test to
check the general writing
skills and grammar and the
Subject Test to check a candi-

measures an aspirants verbal, quantitative,

critical thinking and analytical writing skills
which are covered in three sections
Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning
and Analytical Writing.
However, as per the GRE test pattern
2016, the GRE Subject Test evaluates a
candidates knowledge in specific fields.
THESE ARE: biochemistry, cell and
molecular biology, biology, chemistry,
literature in English, mathematics,

date's knowledge in the subject chosen. The SAT is

owned, developed and conducted by the College Board of
the United States of America.
College Board, the conducting authority of SAT has

physics and psychology.

GRE is available in the computer-based
format in India. According to ETS,
students can take the online GRE
revised General Test once every 21
days, up to five times within any
continuous rolling 12-month period. If
you feel you didnt do your best on test
day, thats okay. You can retake the
test and then send only the scores you
want schools to see.

changed the test pattern

recently. Commenting on
this change College Board
President David Coleman at
the annual meeting of the
National Association for College Admissions Counseling

in Toronto, Canada, said,

SAT would be more closely
linked to high school curriculum, less coachable, and test
takers would likely see
changes to the essay portion
of the current test. One of the

most important elements

that have been changed for
2016 is that the exam will be
scored on a total of 1600 while
the
evidence-based
reading/writing and maths
sections will each be scored
on a 200 to 800 point scale.
It will have its essay portion
optional and will drop some of
the obscure vocabulary it has
traditionally used. The essay
section, which was first made
mandatory in the SAT's 2005
revamp that also established
its current 2400-point scale,
will now be optional and
scored separately.
The critical reading vocabulary will shift from words that
seem to be found only on the
SAT to include words more
relevant to everyday life.
Instead of having to spend
time locating and reviewing
classic vocabulary lists, students should be able to apply
much of what they already
know. Of course, they will
need to keep an ear out for any
potentially new lists or guidance from the test-makers.
The writing section will
change its primary emphasis from building and supporting an argument to
accurately analysing facts
and evidence, thus discouraging students from simply
making up facts to argue
their point. An efficient way
to tackle this sort of hurdle
is to read more. Students
who are consistently reading
and
subsequently
analysing the content will
be better equipped to han-

dle such an assignment on

the new SAT.
The maths section also will
narrow its emphasis on topics that better predict college performance, such as
proportional reasoning, linear equations and linear
functions. Students should
take note of those concepts
now and focus more on them
when they come up in
school. They will not be
penalised for incorrect
answers and reading comprehension questions will
weave in information from
other subjects, such as history and science. Students
have to reason their way
through this exam by tackling problems in a linear and
sequential fashion; a students ability to process
information quickly is the
key. The College Board also
will partner with Khan
Academy to offer free SAT
test preparation materials to
every student.
continued on p3

THE TRIBUNE Jobs&Careers

| Q&A

CLASSIFIEDS

CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 11 MAY 2016

CAREER HOTLINE

SCHOLARSHIP ROUNDUP

PERVIN MALHOTRA

email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com

Right course for space science

Park, Bhutal Kalan, Distt.
Sangrur (Punjab). Email akalsahaiacademy@gmail.com ,
Contact : 92164-44044, 94171-06364.
Urgently required - Coordinator,
TGTs (English, Math, Physics,
Chemistry, Biology, S.St., Hindi,
Physical Instructor, Music, NTT and
Art & Craft teacher. PRTs for all
subject, Grade as for CBSE norms.
Couples will be preferred. Free food
and Residence facility available for
out station Candidates. Walk-ininterview or post/email your resume.
Principal.
C6-11268

Main Sangrur Road, Patiala requires
TGT English and Science. Fluency in
English is must school 10 km from
Patiala. Transport facility available
98143-26772, 99141-46772. NA6-9746

Chandigarh requires faculty in CE,
ME, ECE, EE, CSE, Applied Science,
Nursing, Management, Education,
Commerce
etc.
Apply
at
careers@aryans.edu.in
A6-11972

Hoshiarpur, good command in
English preferably MA English with
PGDCA. 95925-93700.
NA6-10950

NTT Nursery Teachers, TGT, PGT
(All Subjects), HR Manager. Contact:
Guru Nanak Academy, Ratia. 9315329274. gna.ratia@gmail.com
NA6-10974

communication skills for part-time
basis job in Mohali, good salary, SCO
8, Sec 68, Mohali. Contact: 9815845044.
NA6-10961

BAMS male/female Doctors,
Physiotherapist,
Pharmacist
for
Hospital
in
Nurmahal
(Jalandhar).
Send
bio-data
naveen_sharma506@yahoo.com
Contact 98156-53506.
C6-11772

Manufacturing Company require
candidate for Ambala. Sr. Accountant
(M/F) exp. 8 yrs.-01, Office Executive
(F)-01,
Drawing
Engineer
Mechanical (M/F)-01. Candidate send
their
CV
on
our
email
ranamachinesindia@gmail.com
82218-00694.
NA6-9497

for the position of Receptionist,

Filling officer and Counselor for
Australian based immigration
company Bajwa Info overseas
counsultancy Pvt. Ltd. 92 defence
colony market Jalandhar. Fresher
welcome, salary no bar for
experienced candidate. Email:
info@bajwaoverseas.com
M7589175892.
C6-12016

Road, Ambala Cantt. Required
Lecturer in Hindi, Physics, Chemistry,
Musics, Primary Teacher, Computer
Teacher and Sanskrit Teacher on Ad
hoc basis. Apply within ten days.
NA6-10084

Ghanahatti Shimla required staff as
per UGC/NCTE/HPU norms. B.Ed.
Asstt. Professor-4, M.Ed. Professor-1,
Associate Professor-1. Contact:
0177-2775018.
Mail:
iieshimla11@gmail.com
NA6-10407

Marketing Executive for Government
approved Daily Hindi Newspaper in
Shimla. 99156-06900, 90416-37572.
NA6-9741

requires Assistant Professors on
purely temporary/adhoc basis for the
Session 2016-17 in subjects of
Computer Sc. (4), Commerce (3),
Punjabi (3), Economics (2), English
(2), Maths (1), Physics (1), Chemistry
(2), Biology (1), Music (V) (1),
History (1), Pol. Sc. (1), Fine Arts (1),
Hindi (1), Asstt. Librarian (1) &
Computer Lab Attendant (1).
Qualification as per UGC/GNDU
norms. Apply within 15 days on
prescribed form available with office
on payment of Rs 200/- or by Bank
Draft in favour of Principal, MLU
DAV College, Phagwara with a self
addressed Rs 5/- stamped envelope.
(Dr. Suman Tandon, Offg. Principal).
01824-298800. Offg. Principal. D6-20

Ambli Road, Naraingarh (Ambala),
Affiliated to CBSE requires the
following staff. TGT (English and
S.Sc.), PRT (S.Sc.), Mother Teachers
for Pre-Primary Classes, Computer
Teacher (M.Sc.), Phy. Education
(M.PEd.), Sports Teacher (C.PEd),
Music & Dance Teacher, Accounts,
Clerk & lady Bus Attendants, salary
no bar and transportation will be
provided from Ambala City.
Interested candidates may send their
resume and Walk-in Interview on
11.05.2016 (Wednesday) at 10.00 a.m.
in the School premises. Ph. 8198982114, 01734-286986, 284237,
Email: shivalikips@gmail.com
NA6-10083

DISCLAIMER
The Tribune Trust does
not take responsibility
for the contents
of the advertisements
(Display/ Classified)
carried in this
newspaper. The paper
does not endorse the
same. Readers are
requested to verify the
contents on their
own before acting
there upon.

India Sheffield
Scholarships

my, remote sensing, GIS,

Satellite Meteorology and
Global Climate, Atmospheric Sciences, Satellite communication etc.
A number of leading Institutes like the Inter University Centre for Astronomy
& Astrophysics, Pune, Tata
Institute of Fundamental
Research (TIFR), Mumbai,
Physical Research Labora-

tory (PRL), Ahmedabad,

Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore and the
Nehru Planetarium, Delhi
etc. regularly invite students for workshops at their
planetariums.
This is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the
field and meet the experts.
Please contact them directly
for further information.

Q.

I love science and since Ive always nurtured the dream

of doing my engineering from IIT, I joined a coaching institute when I was in Class XI. I could manage the pressure of
school and coaching in the first year, but felt very pressured
trying to juggle the two in Class XII as I was also continuing
with my other passion sports (basketball). As a result, I
dropped out of coaching. But Ive surprisingly managed a good
score in JEE Mains. So, now Im in a terrible dilemma. I know
that I wont be able to ace the JEE Advance as I havent prepared for it seriously. My question is should I drop a year and
prepare in dead earnest for 2017? Im very confused.
LAVJEET SINGH

Sec. School, Vill. Naushehra Pannuan,
Distt. Tarn-Taran (Chief Khalsa
Diwan Charitable Society) (PEDB
Project) requires staff for following
posts: (1) English - M.A. (English);
B.Ed., (2) Science - M.Sc.
(Chemistry, Physics/Zoology/Botany)
B.Ed., (3) Primary - B.Com./B.Sc.,
B.Ed., (4) Fine Arts - M.A. (Fine
Arts) , (5) D.P.E. - B.P.Ed. Apply
online at www.chiefkhalsadiwan.com
/ career.php Contact No. of school:
90232-95890,
98551-22255
Members-Incharge.
A6-11156

C6-11860

A.

different from space research

and space exploration.
The former relates to scientific studies carried out
by using scientific equipment in space. Frequently,
the term includes studying
the upper atmosphere
using sounding rockets and
high-altitude balloons.
While space exploration
involves a great deal of
space research, it additionally harnesses space technology to broaden its spectrum by including earth
science and materials science in its ambit.
Understandably
therefore, some of the varied academic programmes that
produce space scientists are
astrophysics,
aerospace
engineering and astrono-

Space science is a
broad umbrella term
that covers various scientific
fields that are concerned
with the study of the Universe (excluding the Earth
and its atmosphere). While
these fields were all considered part of astronomy earlier, the major sub-fields within astronomy, such as
astrophysics, have grown so
large that theyre now considered separate fields on
their own. These fall in eight
broad standalone categories: Astrophysics, Galactic Science, Stellar Science,
non-Earth Planetary Science, Biology of Other Planets, Astronautics / Space
Travel, Space Colonization
and Space Defense.
However, space science is

Should i drop a year

to prepare for IIT?

required for an MNC at Phase 8B,
Mohali.
Fresher/experienced.
Excellent salary. Call @ 9988661693.
NA6-9679

Industrial Engineering Company
requires at Chandigarh: Sales
Engineer, Service Engineer, Computer
Operator with preferably Accounts
background. Industrial work
experience of 1-2 years is must.
chandigarh@prasadgroup.com

Q.

I am in Class XI (non-med). What kind of courses should

one pursue if one wishes to specialise in space studies?
UNNATI CHAUHAN

MBA at Robert Gordon

University

Charitable Dental Dispensary (Akal
Dhudial Academy, Old Bishan Nagar,
Street No. 4, Near Shiv Mandir).
Eligibility: Diploma in DMLT, X-Ray,
Operation Theatre or Diploma in
Dental Technician. Salary: 7,000 to
12,000. Walk-in interview & test:
H.R. Department, Akal Dhudial
Academy, Old Bishan Nagar, Street
No. 4, Near Shiv Mandir, Patiala on
14.05.2016, 9 a.m.-2 p.m.
hr.patiala@akalacademy.in , 9872018459, 94178-56245.
NA6-10955

Academies located in Distt: Bathinda,
Mansa,
Muktsar,
Fazilka,
Ganganagar, Fatehabad and Sirsa for
English TGT/PRT, Science, S.St.,
Maths, Hindi, PTI, Music and Art &
Craft. Fluency in English is must.
Eligibility:
Graduation
&
Postgraduation, salary: 7,000 to
18,000. Walk-in interview: Regional
Zona Office, SCF: 57, Model Town,
Phase-1, Bathinda. On 13.05.2016, 10
a.m.-2 p.m. hrbti12@gmail.com ,
97817-02019, 0164-5008057.
NA6-10957

Academy, Balbehra, Distt. Patiala for
Kindergarten (Nursery & KG),
English, Maths, Science and Social
Science. Fluency in English is must.
Eligibility:
Graduation/PostGraduation in Science stream. B.Ed.
is not compulsory. Transportation
facility available from Patiala. Salary:
Rs. 7,000 to Rs. 15,000 P.M. Walk-in
Interview & Test: Akal Dhudial
Academy, Old Bishan Nagar, St. No.
04, near Shiv Mandir, Distt. Patiala
(98720-18459) and at Akal Academy
Balbehra, VPO Balbehra, Teshil &
Distt. Patiala on 14.05.2016 (9 a.m. to
12
p.m.).
(98551-87955),
hr.patiala@akalacademy.in NA6-10958

A.

Every achievement
deserves to be celebrated. Congrats for scoring
a good rank in the Mains.
And when it comes to engineering education in our
country, sure the IITs (some,
not all) are certainly on top of
the heap, but youll be
delighted to learn that in the
India Rankings 2016 recently released by the National
Institutional
Ranking
Framework under MHRD, 12
NITs feature in the list of the
top 50 institutions led by NIT,
Tiruchirapalli at rank 12. 10
other NITs are interspersed
between ranks 51 - 92. VIT
(rank 13) and PSG College of
Technology,
Coimbatore
(rank 24) are two private
institutions that occupy top
slots amongst the IITs and
NITs. Besides these, we have
a whole lot of other excellent
colleges like BITs, BIT, DTU,
NSIT, Thapar, IIITs, MIT
amongst several others all
of which are open to you. I
would suggest you look at
them with an open mind. At
the end of the day, remember

its all about you and not

about the brand of institute
that will determine your success and achievement in life.
Instead of dropping a year,
opt for the best one out of
these and you may be pleasantly surprised. And should
you still wish to give the JEE
another shot next year, what
stops you!
And lastly, regardless of
whether
youve
taken
coaching for the JEE
Advance, do give it your
bestest shot. You still have
time. And who knows you
may end up lucky Believe
me, life is full of surprises!

What is the work

profile of C&F agents?
Q.

Can you please tell me something about the job of C& F

agents?
YOGESH SARNA

A.

proper customs paperwork

is in order. They have now
begun to track shipments
electronically using bar
codes, and answer customer
queries regarding the status
of their shipments.
Besides Couriers, most
jobs lie in the air and truck
transportation industry.
Although cargo traffic is
expected to grow faster than
in the past, employment of C
& F agents may be impacted
by technological advances.
For example, the increasing
use of bar codes on cargo and
freight allows agents and
customers to track their
shipments quickly over the
Internet, rather than manually tracking their location.
Moreover, clients are now
able to complete their customs and insurance paperwork online, reducing the
need for C & F agents.
Despite these advances in
technology, job openings
will continue to arise, due to
increases in online purchase, which results in
more shipments.

Cargo & Freight agents

organise and track
incoming and outgoing cargo and freight shipments in
airline, train, or trucking terminals or on shipping docks.
They expedite the movement of shipments by determining the route that shipments must take and by
preparing the necessary
shipping documents. C & F
Agents take orders from customers and arrange for the
pickup of freight or cargo for
being delivered to the loading platforms. They also
keep records of the properties of the cargo, such as the
quantity, type, weight, and
dimensions. They keep a tally of missing items, record
the conditions of damaged
items, and document any
excess supplies.
Besides arranging cargo
according to its destination,
C & F agents also determine
the shipping rates and other
charges that can sometimes
apply to the freight. For
imported
or
exported
freight, they verify that the

NEWSBOARD
Enrolment of 306 Indian students in US
'university' terminated

AGENT AND DISTRIBUTOR

certified company manufacturing and
marketing a vide range of Medical &
Surgical Disposable products,
Surgical Gloves, Examination Gloves,
Sanitary napkins, Condoms requires
CSA, Super Stockist, Distributors,
experienced
Sales
Officers
for the states of Punjab, Haryana,
HP,
J&K.
Please
mail:
attraditionglobe@gmail.com Call
094170-10073, 098714-02220.
NA6-10891

TUITION

available for all classes/subjects in
Punjab/Haryana/Himachal. Achiever
Mrs. Luxmi 098144-55555, 09855566445. www.hometutorsindia.com
NA6-9266

IMMIGRATION CONSULTANCY

through Express Entry, LMIA, ITI
Trade, Business visa, Agriculture visa,
Denmark Residency, Study visa for
USA, Singapore & Europe (with or
without IELTS), Tourist visa. Genuine
guidance and excellent visa results.
More than 800 families settled by us
in last 10 years. Contact personally at
Rahal Immigration Consultants, SCO
117-118, Sector 17B, Chandigarh.
+91 98557-05050, 0172-5061516.
NA6-9219

MEDICAL/SURGICAL

placements of Doctors, leasing/sale of
Hospitals. Mobile: 092169-99555,
www.doctorsplacements.com NA6-9264

MD, Medicine & MS Orthopadic Dr.
experience atleast 3 yrs. Contact
Charitable Hospital, Lohara (Moga).
Phone 97795-06111.
NA6-9748

Sports and Company Secretaries

Olympiad
Science Olympiad Foundation (SOF),
which organises Olympiads for
school students all over the world, has
launched two new Olympiad exams
International Sports Knowledge
Olympiad (ISKO) and International
Company Secretaries Olympiad
(ICSO). The ISKO will be organised in
association with Star Sports and
ICSO in association with The Institute of Company Secretaries of India.
International Sports Knowledge
Olympiad (ISKO) will include Sports
& General Knowledge questions and
students from classes I to X may
appear in the ISKO. Awards/scholarships worth about ~2.25 crore will be
provided to winners/ participants. In
addition, for the first time, select
state topper students will be invited
to appear on a special programme on
Star Sports channel. The ISKO is for
I to X class students.
The International Company Secre-

taries Olympiad (ICSO) for students

of classes XI & XII, is designed to
assist students realise their aptitude
and potential for Company Secretarys profession. Students from all
streams Science, Commerce &
Humanities may appear for the
ICSO. The international topper from
each class will be awarded a cash
scholarship of ~1 lakh each. Over ~50
lakh will be awarded to winners of
ICSO. Approximately 3.25 lakh students had registered for the SOF
Olympiad (2015-2016) in Delhi NCR .
SOF is already partnering The
British Council for the International English Olympiad.
Mahabir Singh, the founder &
Executive Director, shared that for
the current year,students and
schools would be recognised and
felicitated with awards and scholarships worth over ~14 crore. Registrations for the current year are
open and registration forms have
been sent to schools.

The enrolment of 306 Indian students in a

US university created as part of the US
Homeland Security Investigation's (HSI)
enforcement action has been terminated on charges of visa fraud, Minister of
State for External Affairs V.K. Singh said
in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
He said the US authorities had arrested
from across the United States 22 brokers,
recruiters and employers some of
whom are their own nationals who
allegedly conspired with foreign nationals
to fraudulently obtain student and foreign
workers' visas for the latter through a "pay
to stay" New Jersey college viz. University
of Northern New Jersey (UNNJ).
"This 'college' was created and operated as part of the US Homeland Security
Investigation's enforcement action in
this matter.
As per the US government, during
the investigation, HSI special agents
identified 1,076 foreign nationals who
previously entered the US on F-1 nonimmigrant student visas to attend
other accredited schools and were
found to have knowingly participated
in visa fraud by enrolling at UNNJ for
the sole purpose of illegally obtaining
and/or maintaining their F-1 non-immigrant status.
The government is in touch with the
US government and has emphasised to
the US government that due process
must be followed and there should be
no harassment and injustice, he said.
IANS

The University of Sheffield is offering the India Sheffield Scholarship to Indian students starting a
Taught Masters programme in
September 2016.
Eligibility: Applicants must hold
an offer of a study place and begin
postgraduate Taught Masters programme in September 2016.
They must be a national or permanently domiciled of India.
They must be self-funded and
classified as overseas for fee
purposes.
The scholarships will be awarded automatically no application is required.
The scholarships will take the form
of a tuition fee reduction only.
The scholarships are for full-time
students only. Students studying
via Distance Learning are not eligible for the scholarships.
The scholarships will not be
awarded where partial funding is
applicable from an external
body* and there is an agreement
already in place between the
external body and the University
of Sheffield to offer a tuition fee
discount to the student.
The Scholarship is for each year
of the Taught Masters programme, however it is not available for each year of a New
Route PhD course. The scholarship is only available for the first
year of study.
Details:
2,000 if your tuition fees are
between 15,250 and 17,250
or
2,500 if your tuition fees are
17,251 and upwards
Unless
You are a student of MSc in Global
Marketing Management, or any of
our MSc Nanofolio courses jointly
run with the University of Leeds.
Under these circumstances your
Scholarship will be 1,250 only,
the 2,000 and 2,500 discounts
above will not apply.
How to apply: Online
Deadline: June 24. Scholarship

Robert Gordon University is offering MBA scholarships for Business, Management and Accounting students.
Eligibility: All applicants must
meet the normal admission criteria for the MBA programme.
Candidates with an offer for the
MBA, MBA Information Management, or MBA Oil and Gas Management degrees can apply for
an MBA scholarship.
English language Requirements: All international students,
for whom English is not their first
language, must provide evidence
of linguistic ability, by gaining
either IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 570
(paper) or TOEFL 230 (computer)
prior to receiving an unconditional offer of a place on the course.
Detail: The MBA scholarship takes
the form of a reduction in the normal
tuition fees by a specified amount.
Successful applicants will be
responsible for paying the balance
of their tuition fees, and for all their
other travel and living expenses.
Scholarships range from
3,000 to 9,000.
How to apply: The form and the
written paper should be sent with
all other essential documentation
to linda.mair-at-rgu.ac.uk. Applicants should title the email MBA
Scholarship Application.
Deadline: September 1 for September intake.
Check out:
www.rgu.ac.uk/areas-of-study/subjects/business-management-andaccounting/scholarships

For art and design

students
Anglia Ruskin University, UK is offering Mark Wood Art and Design
Scholarship for students wanting to
go in for masters degree programme
in MA film &TV Production; MA Fine
Art; MA Printmaking; MA Graphic
Design and Typography; MA Illustration and Book Arts; MA Photography;
MA Fashion Design; MA Computer
Games Development (Art)
Eligibility: International students
can apply for this scholarship.
How to apply: Applicants can
download it online request by
emailing: giving-at-anglia.ac.uk.
Deadline: July 25, 2016
Check out:anglia-ruskin-universitymark-wood-art-design-scholarship

FORTNIGHTLY QUIZ 515

NATURES FURY
1. Name the first woman Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir.
2. What is the single emergency number that will be operational
throughout India from January 1 to help people reach immediate
services of police, ambulance and fire department?
3. Who recently became the first Muslim Mayor of London?
4. Name the Republican and Democratic front-runners for the US
presidential elections.
5. Name the world's largest unmanned surface vessel, a self-driving
132-foot ship able to travel up to 10,000 nautical miles on its own
to hunt for stealthy submarines and underwater alleys.
6. Which state of Canada was witness to raging wildfires recently?
7. What is the full form of FSSAI?
8. Which day is observed as World Hand Hygiene Day?
9. Name the top three countries violating the doping norms in the
world.
10.Which team recently won the Premier League title for the first
time in history in 132 years?
Tarun Sharma

application/ CV for under mentioned
posts by 20th May 2016. (1) Resident/
Non-resident Doctor - Qualification
MBBS with experience. Duties Clinical and Administrative. (2)
Phychiatrist Nurse - Qualification
preferably DPN or B.Sc./ GNM with
experience in psychiatric set up.
Residence shall be provided. Pay/
perks will be decided at the time of
interview. Prabh Aasra, Village
Padiala, Kurali, Tehsil Kharar,
Mohali.
98151-03793,
caredisabled@gmail.com
C6-11322

results will be announced on July

29, 2016.

Winners of quiz 514: The first prize by draw of lots goes to

Khushpreet Kaur; Roll No. 6; Class 10th; GHS Badwala; VPO Badwala; tehsil Bassi Pathana; district Fatehgarh Sahib; Punjab; Pin
Code - 140412
Second: Gurbinder Singh; Class VII; Sant Baba Budha Ji Senior
Secondary Public School; Majitha; district Amritsar; Pin Code 143601
Third: Jatin Batra; Class:12th (non-medical); Satyanand Public
School; Gohana district; Sonepat; Haryana; Pin Code - 131301
Answers to quiz 514: Dipa Karmakar; 171; Gurugram and Nuh;
90th; Vespa; April 24; Marathwada; Thirty; Afghanistan; Australia
Cash awards of Rs 400, 300 and 200 are given to the first, second and third prize winners, respectively. These are sent at the
school address.
Note: Kindly mention the pin code of your place on the
letter/postcard to facilitate the delivery of the prize money.
Answers can also be sent at quiz@tribunemail.com
Name..........................................................
..................................................................................................
Class....................................................................
School address.......................................................................
..................................................................................................

THE TRIBUNE Jobs&Careers

CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 11 MAY 2016

How online courses are helping Indian students compensate for poor quality of education

The MOOC point

Some top sites to access high quality free courses:

Stanford Free Courses: stanford.edu/see/faq.aspx
UC Berkeley Free Courses: http://webcast.berkeley.edu/
MIT Free Courses: http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm
Duke Free Courses: http://itunes.duke.edu/
Harvard Free Courses: http://www.extension.harvard.edu/open-learning-initiative
UCLA Free Courses: https://www.uclaextension.edu/r/search.aspx?c=free+courses
Yale Free Courses: http://oyc.yale.edu/
Carnegie Mellon Free Courses: http://oli.web.cmu.edu/openlearning/
ITunesU Free Courses: http://www.apple.com/education/itunes-u/
gathering knowledge? This
was the sentiment when MIT
and Harvard created edX in
2012 that hosts online university level paid and free
courses. Soon, sites like
Coursera, Udemy, Udacity
and Khan Academy established their mark in the
space by offering a large variety of courses for academic,
professional and interest
based learning.
Yasho Vardhan, an MIS
applicant was feeling that his
average GPA was putting
him at a disadvantage in his
applications. To further
enhance his profile, he decided to take Introduction to
'Python for Data Science' on
edX and 'R Programming' on
Coursera. Since he was interested in Analytics which is
growing much in popularity

COURSE CRUISING
AIFD courses

NISTHA TRIPATHI
Growing number of engineers who apply to graduate
schools abroad are facing a
massive challenge. With
engineering colleges sprouting in every corner, the quality of education and infrastructure has taken a huge
beating. With barely qualified teachers, students lack
any avenues to learn and get
the kind of exposure that
would make them competitive against their counterparts from China, Europe
and USA. So how do these
students learn when their
colleges are offering so little?
Most of the engineering colleges are struggling to find
qualified faculty. While the
courses are being taught
'blindly', students are passing
not by proving their knowledge but by last minute rote
learning, copying assignments and solving previous
year question papers. They
say a true engineer never
studies until the last two days
before the exam!
But this jugaad engineering falls flat at the first contact with professional world.
After all, you need to know
and do things when you
show up at work. Similarly,
when a student applies to
universities abroad, they
expect you to be not only
conversant in the basic subjects but also exhibit mastery over some of them. And
getting into these top notch
universities is not about
cracking an entrance exam,
but impressing with your
overall profile - projects,
grades, experience, scores
etc. Poor Indian student
realises that his jugaad is not
going to work here.
Enter the number of
MOOCs (Massive Open
Online Courses). MOOCs are
online courses targeting
open access for student participation via Internet. In a
world where everything is
just one click away, why
should education be left
behind? Why do we need to
be in a physical classroom for

| Prospects 3

The Army institute of Fashion

Design (AIFD), Bangalore, offers
PG Diploma in Fashion & Apparel
Design and Fashion Retail Management. The admission is on the
basis of score in CAT for admission to the PG courses. It will be
held on July 23. PG Programmes
Duration : 2 years
Seats : (20 seats each)
Eligibility: Any graduate with a
minimum of 35% aggregate marks
recognized by Indian Universities
or Equivalent or UGC/ AICTE.
Should be a ward of one of the following:
Serving Army personnel.
Serving medical officers of IN
and IAF who have served in the
Army for more than 10 yrs and are
members of AOBF.
Retired Army pers in receipt of
regular pension, or former Army
pers who retired after min service
of 10 yrs.
Former Army pers who died during service / after retirement and
family pension is granted.
Limited seats are also available
for civilians and wards of other
defence establishments.
How to apply: Candidates can
obtain the prospectus from the
Office of AIFD Bangalore,
Nagareshwara
Nagenahalli,
Kothanur Post, Bangalore560077 through requisition
alongwith a crossed demand
draft for ~550 in favour of ARMY
INSTITUTE OF FASHION &
DESIGN, BANGALORE payable at
Bangalore.
Money
order/
Cheque/ Prospectus is also available on cash payment of
Rs.500/- at Institute, Army Headquarters (AWES) and all the Army
Command Headquarters (AWES).
Application forms duly completed in all respects along with relevant certificates documents
should reach the Principal.
Note: Students downloading the
forms from website will have to
attach a draft of ~500 along with
the application form towards candidateship for CAT.
Deadline: Last date for submission of application form
June 15, 2016
Check out : www.aifdonline.in

gramme that draws on the forensic science expertise of three

leading institutions across
Europe, offering a truly international perspective of the
field.Conducted in partnershipwith the University of Crdoba,
Spain, and the Institute of Health
Sciences Egas Moniz, Portugal,
the programmefocuses on the
latest specialist techniques used
by the professionals in the field of
forensic science.
Duration: 2 years(Full-time)
Eligibility: The applicant must
have anupper second class Bachelors (over or equal to 60%) in a
Science subject. The English language requirement is an average
IELTS score of 6 with no element
below 5.5.
Commencing from: September
2016
Fee: 15,700
Deadline: It is advisable to apply
by the end of May 2016.
Check out:
http://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/c
ourse/frsscnms/

MSc Digital Marketing

Management
UK-based Staffordshire University invites applications for its MSc
Digital Marketing Management
Programme. The programme,
taught at the university's business school has been designed to
offer marketing graduates the
opportunity to keep abreast of
changes in the digital marketing
management environment. It
enables the students to deal with
the real world issues in an intellectual and challenging manner
in this dynamic area of marketing. The course provides students
with both technical and critical
evaluation skills, and the ability
to apply contemporary techniques for decision making in
complex situations relevant to
digital marketing management.
The flexible nature of the programme gives students the
opportunity to explore specific
aspects of the digital marketing
debate ranging from new and

and competition, he felt that

he needed something more
than his academics and work
experience to differentiate
himself. Further, such courses were highly recommended by his seniors at University of Maryland, the place
where he is heading to this
September.
When Sheelabhadra Dey,
an Electronics Engineering
student at NIT Trichy, started applying for MS in Computer Science (CS) programmes with an interest in
Machine Learning, he knew
that CS is one of the most
competitive programmes.
With a non-CS background,
he needed to prove his mettle. So, he opted to complete
online courses that would
help him develop the CS
skills that he could not in col-

lege. Now that he has admits

from multiple reputed CS
programs such as Texas
A&M University, and University of Florida, he thinks
his decision was a life saver.
With quality courses and
online
availability,
an
increasing number of students are resorting to taking
such courses to augment
their knowledge of popular
subjects like Data Science,
Basics of Computer Science
and so on. If you are expressing an interest in Computer
Security in your study
abroad application and your
college did not offer enough
relevant electives, you can
take such of courses on a
MOOC provider. While
MOOC grades might not be
taken too seriously by the
Admission Committee, it still

R. L. TRIKHA

Secure your ticket to IIT

shows enthusiasm on your

part and gives additional
credibility to your application. A few skills that can be
advantageous during your
hunt for on-campus jobs and
assistantships are web development, perl scripting, excel
modeling etc. Another popular online course is Machine
Learning by Andew Ng.
Whether you get a certificate or not is not the key factor
here. The point is to gather
the real skills. Besides, developing good projects these
classes can be a great way to
show you are a pro-active
learner. These can also help to
compensate for your low
grades or can fill in for lack of
a formal education in the area
you are applying for.
The writer is Founder Director of
Scholar Strategy, a studying abroad

Forensic science course

UK-based University of Lincolns
School of Chemistry is inviting
applications for its MSc/MA
Forensic Science (Erasmus
Mundus) programme. The course
taught at the School of Chemistry,
is a unique postgraduate pro-

emerging themes relating to

branding, content curation and
analytics.
Duration: 1 year (Full-time)
Eligibility: Students are required
to have a second class honors'
degree or equivalent in business
with evidence of successful
attainment of marketing modules
and a satisfactory English language skills qualification.
Commencing from: September
2016
Fee: 12,000
Deadline: June 15, 2016
Check out:
http://www.staffs.ac.uk/course/
SSTK-10823.jsp

PGDPC course
The Delhi School of Communication (DSC) invites applications
for its XXIInd Post Graduate Programme in Communication
(PGDPC). This integrated program me awards PGDPC (Post
Graduate Diploma Programme
in Communication along with
the MA JMC (Masters in Journalism and Mass Communication).
The DSC programme covers all
the relevant subjects such as
advertising, entertainment marketing, public relations, digital
marketing and branding. Industry exposure via internship is an
integral part of the programme.
Students are entitled to pursue
an internship (full day work
experience) for up to 4 months
and apprenticeship (half day
work experience) between 3 to
6 months.
Eligibility: Graduates or students
in the final year of graduation (all
streams) are eligible to apply.
How to apply: Application forms
may be downloaded and submitted online at www.dsc.edu.in.
Selection criteria: For admission to DSC, students have to
clear either the MAT/CAT examination or DSCS internal Admission
Test. The DSC admission test is of
1 hrs duration, based upon
basic reasoning, logic and creative writing skills, in addition to
Basic knowledge of Advertising
and Media. Thereafter, a candidate need to take a hr Psychological Test, designed to assess a
candidates creative writing skills
and emotional quotient. This year,
both the Internal Exam and Psychological Test are available
online. Personal Interview is the
third and final step towards
obtaining admission to PGDPC.
Deadline: May 30, 2016
Check out: www.dsc.edu.in.

COURSE CHAT

Certificate in Business Accounting

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
(CIMA) has launched an updated CIMA Certificate in
Business Accounting (Cert BA) in India. Assessments
under the updated syllabus will commence in January
2017. The update consolidates the five subjects of the
existing syllabus into four. The former standalone
Business Mathematics subject is now integrated
across other subjects, allowing for contextual practical
application of maths.
The full syllabus content has been reviewed and
refreshed, following thorough global industry and
educational research, to ensure it remains up-to-date
and relevant.
Shane Balzan, Head of Syllabus Development with
CIMA Education, said, The Certificate in Business
Accounting is designed to elevate people and businesses to success by developing skills and unlocking talent.
Its a standalone qualification designed to give anyone
not just those in a finance role a solid grasp of the
fundamentals of business and finance. The Cert BA
update was based on extensive research and consultation with employers and educators worldwide, ensuring that the syllabus continues to reflect the emerging
issues faced by businesses and responds to their need
for competent, confident and skilled professionals.
While the updated Cert BA is a standalone qualification, it also continues to serve as a prerequisite to the
Professional Qualification. The update now aligns the
Cert BA more strongly with the Professional Qualification by embedding the CGMA Competency Framework
and integrating the three learning pillars structure.

New Gaming course

International School of Design (INSD) recently
announced the launch of a course in Game Art/
Design/Development at UG: Professional Diploma level. The course will give young professionals an opportunity to understand the challenges and opportunities
of the industry and learn from world class experts of
the industry. Game Art/ Design/Development course
has been slightly modified to train individuals in
games. This course will give students an introduction
to the industry, association with consoles and brief
description on the production process, details on the
design process, role of art in games, and overview on
coding actual games.
Following this, students are given detailed knowledge of different programming languages, engines
and development techniques. Also, a chance to attend
different seminars, visit leading gaming companies
and meet experts from the industry. By the end of the
course, candidate will be capable of creating games on
any gaming platform.
TNS

JEE Advanced is a prestigious engineering examination, a cherished dream of all

aspiring students. It opens
the door for entry into the
IITs the institutes fostering excellence in education.
By building a strong and solid foundation of scientific
and technical knowledge,
these institutes prepare
competent and motivated
engineers and scientists.
School board syllabus is
about learning of concepts
and formulas. A student who
has been regular and serious
in school studies, by diving
deep in concepts and by regular practice of solving problems based on the concept,
can do well in JEE Main. However, JEE Advanced, besides
going deep in concepts, needs
skills of comprehension, reasoning and analytical ability
to solve problems.

Expected trends for

this year
This year also two objective
papers (P+C+M) of 3 Hours
each will be there. Paper-1
& Paper-2 will be a mix of
questions of types MCQ 1C, MCQ - MC, Numerical
based questions, Passage
based comprising of 2/3
Questions per passage &
Matrix-Match type matched

Matter of marks
Cut-off details of last year
(MM 360)
General Category
Minimum: 35% in
aggregate i.e. 126 marks
10% in each subject i.e. 12
(each subject)
OBC (Non Creamy Layer)
Minimum: 31.5% in
aggregate i.e. 113.4 Marks
9% in each subject i.e.
10.8 marks
SC/ST
Minimum: 17.5% in
aggregate i.e. 63 Marks
5% in each subject i.e.
6 marks

TESTING TIMES: JEE ADVANCED

separately or singly all four
questions matched with correct answers in one of four
choices. There may not be
change in cut-offs percentage & may remain same as
in last year for various categories - General, OBC,
SC/ST, PD etc.

How to ensure a high rank

Students should avoid
selective study. Number of
questions being large in
objective type papers, all
major concepts/topics are

likely to be covered with

intermingling of the concepts of various topics in
the same question in some
of questions.
Stay focused and strictly
follow well-planned time
table of revision.
During practice sessions
of attempting mock test
papers, student should aim
at 100 per cent hit rate i.e.
all attempted questions
should be correct.
Question carrying no negative marking must be

attempted since there is

nothing to lose.
Speed and accuracy will
also allow to finish JEE
Advance papers ahead of
time, leaving some time for
attempting revision and
solving balance unattempted questions.
Prepare all chapters of
physics, chemistry andmathematics in a chapter
wise and topic wise time
table. Based on past experience stress may be given by
students on the following

Master the new rules ofentrance

continued from p1

which should come as a

relief to anyone who has felt
as if the GMAT gave them
enough to remember on its
own.
If you can remember your
birthday, youll be able to
view your GMAT score
reports whenever you like.

Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL)

Going the MOOC way

The non-profit online learning destination founded by
Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has launched a new
Massive
Open
Online
Course (MOOC) on Test of

English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

The course titled TOEFL
Test
Preparation:
The
Insiders Guide will be
beginning from June 13,
2016. Its a six-week course
designed by the experts
who created the TOEFL
test. Each week will focus

on different aspects of the

test. There will be a general
introduction in week one,
followed by a week for each
of the four skills tested
reading, listening, speaking
and writing with a weekly
commitment of no more
than two hours per week.
Although the course is

topics with likely major

share in question papers:
Mathematics:
Quadratic Equations & Expressions,
Complex Numbers, Probability, Vectors, Matrices in Algebra; Circle, Parabola, Hyperbola
in
Coordinate
Geometry; Functions, Limits,
Continuity and Differentiability, Application of Derivatives, Definite Integral in Calculus.
Physics: Mechanics, Fluids,
Heat & Thermodynamics,
Waves and Sound, Capacitors

free, you can sign up for a

paid certificate that will
highlight the knowledge
and skills they gained upon
completing the MOOC.

Summing up
Competitive
entrance
exams are a standardised
and reliable mode of evaluating the millions of applicants who aspire to study
abroad every year. These

& Electrostatics, Magnetics,

Electromagnetic Induction,
Optics and Modern Physics.
Chemistry:
Qualitative Analysis, Coordination
Chemistry & Chemical
Bonding
in
Inorganic
Chemistry, Electrochemistry,
Thermodynamics,
Chemical Equilibrium in
Physical Chemistry and
Organic Chemistry Complete as a topic.

Last 10-day strategy

Quick

revision of theory
/illustrations from flagged
notes devoting equal time
to all three subjects should
be done.
Formulas at a glance
chapter-wise and subjectwise should be revised and
memorised. Only questions
with tricks and innovative
way of solving those problems should be carefully
gone through from flagged
notes made for the occasion
when practising questions
from fundamentals/initial
principles although during
years of preparation.
No new questions should
be attempted in the last
three days.
The writer is Director, FIITJEE

give equal opportunity to

every student for the colleges they have applied for.
With these changes an
attempt has been made to
augment their effectiveness in accordance with the
changing needs in education sector. So take your
time, prepare well and get
ready to go places.
The writer is a punjab-based career
consultant

THE TRIBUNE Jobs&Careers

| Worklife

CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 11 MAY 2016

Are you prepared for promotion?

OFFICE MANTRA
SWATI RAI
Yes, appraisal season is upon
you and theres good news!
Youve been promoted!
Preparing for it for months
or even if it came as shocker,
congratulations, are surely in
order.
A career milestone such as
this deserves a celebration.
But wait! Before you rest on
your laurels, take stock of the
situation, prepare for the
new role and rise up to the
challenge. Promotions inherently entail change, new
responsibilities, and different career challenges. So
much so that most companies have an orientation programme for enabling a
smooth transition of a newly
promoted employee.
There is a tectonic shift in
the nature of soft skills as
well as professional competencies as one climbs the professional ladder. The expectation of the company from the
employee is that she will settle down fast and propel companys growth even further.
Ajay Mallapurkar, Vertical
Head, TISS School of Vocational Education and MD
Earnest HR, shares his take
on in-house promotions,
Many professionals are pro-

moted just because they

have spent a long time in an
organisation
and
not
because they have the skills
and are competent to lead.
This is a sure recipe for failure. Professionals must do
an honest self appraisal of
their skills, knowledge and
competencies (take the help
of your colleagues, supervisor if needed) and work
towards filling the gaps.
Promotions surely shouldnt shoot up your egoistic
distance from your fellow
colleagues, it pays to be level
headed, and ensuring that
you never stop learning and
enhancing your skills, to lead

CAREERCATURE
SANDEEP JOSHI

Sir, Its time for a selfie with the selection board.

Hiring in top IT cos may

fall on lower attrition
HIRING SCENE
Attrition level has eased and
is at benign levels for top IT
companies, following which
gross hiring in this space for
the fiscal could see a reduction, says a report. According
to a research report by Kotak
Institutional Equities, attrition of top IT companies in
March quarter has declined
sequentially as well as on
yearly basis with the exception of HCL Technologies.
Gross hiring in fiscal 201617 could reduce on lower
attrition and benefits of productivity initiatives, the
report added.
For HCL Technologies, the
quarterly annualised attrition increased 320 bps YoY to
31 per cent, while it was flat
on a quarter-on-quarter basis.
Attrition level at Infosys and
Wipro is at 2-3-year low. TCS
attrition has also eased after
an uptick in the first half of
financial year 2015-16,
Kotak Institutional Equities
said in a research note.
The current attrition level is
close to benign level (13-15
per cent) just about adequate for managing the
employee pyramid without
any execution issues, it
added. Easing attrition levels
are expected to ease wage
hike pressures with some lag
effect. Moreover, lower churn

and stable project teams is

also expected to facilitate
project- level automation and
innovation initiatives.
Total hiring of top IT could
be lower in FY17 led by better employee retention,
focus on utilisation improvement, and productivity
improvement driven by
automation initiatives.
According to the report,
TCS and Infosys have indicated reduction in total hiring numbers and shift in
favor of campus/freshers; laterals hiring will be calibrated.
Additionally, most companies have hinted at higher
local hiring onsite. TCS indicated that its visa applications
in April 2016 were a third of
that in April 2015, it added.
Total hiring by top Indian IT
companies in the March quarter was steady and in line with
seasonal trends. Top IT companies have hired 67,450
employees in fiscal 2015-16 up
10.3 per cent YoY, the report
said.
PTI

from the front.

Sharing his views on the inhouse effort invested by the
company in preparing the
newly promoted employees
for their future role, Vivek
Kumar,
Chief
Human
Resources Officer, Indus Towers says, It is mandatory for
the incumbent to undergo a
structured programme exposing him to the new role in
terms of expectations, internal
customer
linkages,
processes and team dynamics. This is monitored by the
HR team, which ensures that
it mandatorily takes place
before the employees take up
their new role.

Such structured interventions not only help in sharpening the learning curve but
also help in ensuring
increased success rate of
individual in the new role.
At Indus, we have implemented a Talent Review
Process and Career Pathing
initiative,
which
help
employees to plan their
future movements and
growth, He adds.
Taking up a new role
should not put aside the
existing teams dynamics. It
is imperative that a new boss,
manager or executive first
observes
the
situation,
immerses oneself in the sys-

tem thoroughly and then

goes about making and suggesting changes. Commanding respect and demanding it
are two side of the same coin,
therefore one should objectively study the situation and
functioning of the team. Siddarth Bharwani, Vice- President, Jetking Infotrain Limited, opines that it is not
mandatory for companies to
have a formal orientation
programmes to prepare them
for the role of a promoted
post as he feels that professionals get exposure on-thejob through stretch assignments, job shadowing and
orientation by their team
leads. He argues, Organisations generally practice onthe-job concept for orienting
professionals in the new
roles. Considering a new hire
who generally undergoes a
much desired orientation
programme, compared to a
promotion from within. The
existing employee must have
been identified for the new
role based on demonstrated
skill and competencies
required to perform in the
new role.
On the contrary Vikalp
Jambhulkar, Senior Marketing Manager, Taskbob India,
feels that systematised orientation programmes for the
newly promoted employees
are a must as, Being pro-

moted, while it is exciting

and exhilarating, can be
equally overwhelming and
frightening. You need to be
aware of what your new role
entails and how you can best
do the job at hand. It helps to
manage a lot of anxiety and
in fact leaves you feeling
empowered and competent.
Even if there is no formalised training programme
for the new promotions, it is
a given that acquainting
yourself with the requirements of the new role, expectation of the boss and that of
the colleagues under you is
of prime importance.
The most important aspect
is that of understanding that
because of the increase in
the role and responsibilities,
there will certainly be a
great demand on your time,
therefore, making striking a
balance between work and
life binding. An awareness of
the new role and responsibilities that come with the chair
are imperative to lay a solid
foundation for some great
work for self and organisational growth. Seeking
answers to grey areas of
operations and functional
tasks, keeping abreast with
the changing organisational
expectations, and tackling
uncertainty is a sure shot
way to justify your being the
chosen one.

Be wary of implicit bias

There are two people of the
same team due for a promotion. Both of them have
tremendous skill sets and its
a difficult decision, but the
manager decides to go with
the one, who seems to have
good ideas about marketing
the product. While the manager feels he has made the right
selection, what if that choice
was actually based on something else, without him even
being aware of it? As onerous
as it may be to admit, its possible to have an unconscious
bias regarding race, gender,
age and more. The truth is
that our image of a person can
be influenced as much by our
innate feelings as by our judicious thought processes.
While it is easier to handle
conscious bias, it is the
implicit (unconscious) bias
that is a challenge for HR
practitioners and management to deal with. Both kind
of biases are human traits
which impact relationships,
inter-personal communication and behavioural pattern.

vidual prompts the brain in

making fast perceptions and
assessments of people and
situations. The decisions
could be either positive or
negative, but they are borne
from an individuals hidden
bias.

Can it be ruled out?

Having said that the question
then is is it possible to have
a HR blueprint which eliminates both conscious and
unconscious bias. The answer
is a Big No for the latter. That
is because HR professionals
are unaware of their prejudices but may be taking decisions which seem prejudicial
in nature. It is not just afflicting HR professionals but managements too. Such trends
affect institutions slowly. This
is why an increasing number
of firms are looking towards
unconscious bias training to
step-up awareness among its
employees for a subconscious
prejudice about people, their
ideas, their behavioural pat-

HR SPEAK

Ms. Kiran Aidhi,

Senior Director HR,
VirtusaPolaris
terns etc. The assumption
being that once a person is
aware of his/her biases, he/she
can train themselves to think
differently about certain
attributes and change their
actions accordingly.

Communication is the key

As the architects of an organisational culture, HR professionals and top management
should draw line between
what is accepted and what is
not, when the written and verbal norms are violated by an
employee.
Organisations
need to encourage

Impact on HR practices
Implicit bias plays a key role
in an organisation when it
comes to hiring, promotion, performance management and in general
managing
human
resources. Unconscious
bias refers to a bias that
develops naturally and is
part of human psyche
depending upon ones
growing environs, personal
experience and ones training/education, so to say.
Unconscious which is
deep-seated in an indi-

transparency and accountability when dealing with all

employees, for which they
need to lead by example.
Communication within an
organisation with regard to
the code of conduct, including
implicit, should be crystal
clear and where possible be
written.
It should be robust and in
keeping with modern times
and ensure that any bias,
seemingly or otherwise,
should be eliminated.They
should adopt bias testing and
strategies for alleviating the
impact of biases, so that a conscious proactive approach can
be taken to deal with any issue.
Discussions around work
ethics and value should become
a part of induction and performance management in an organisation. Leaders should encourage managers to tackle
awkward issues diligently thereby increasing honesty and openness in the working environment. Adopting a precise
approach to scrutinise organisational culture will help management determine what structures, systems and processes
promote diversity and inclusion and which dont.
It is improbable to
expect our implicit biases
to disappear as they are
innate in nature. However,
continuous training programmes are essential to
create awareness on
behavioural patterns. If an
organisation wants to
employ and retain the best
talent, it needs to engage
the employee constantly
and create a culture of inclusiveness.

73 pc employees expect promotion

in next 12 months
More employees in India
are satisfied with their
working conditions compared to their peers in AsiaPacific and a significant
majority of workforce in the
country expects a promotion in the next 12 months,
says a study.
After analysing responses
from 688 employees from
mid-senior level, across
organisations and sectors,
in the four key metros, the
study said that 62 per cent
of employees in India are
satisfied with their working
conditions compared to 54
per cent in Asia-Pacific.

CUBICLE TRENDS
Further, 73 per cent Indians expect a promotion in
the next 12 months, the
Michael Page India's Job
Confidence Index for the
first quarter of 2016 added.
"They (employees) seem to
be pinning their hopes on
their annual performance
appraisal and will only look
at changing roles if the new
role offers better opportunities in terms of skill development or a hike in remuneration," Michael Page
India Senior Managing
Director Sebastien Ham-

partzoumian said.
The study, which is a current and historical snapshot
of active job seekers and
their experiences looking
for work in India, finds that
there has been an overall dip
in confidence levels compared to the last quarter.
A citywise comparison
shows that Bengaluru holds
the top spot with 75 per cent
respondents satisfied with
their general working conditions, followed by Mumbai (62 per cent), Delhi (62
per cent) and Chennai (58

per cent). "This is primarily

due to Bengaluru's image as
India's own Silicon Valley.
Adoption of global practices
such as BYOD (Bring Your
Own Device), flexible work
hours and mature employee
benefits programmes gives
Bengaluru a definite edge
over the other metro cities,"
Sebastien added. The report
further noted that the top
three reasons for looking for
a job in India include, new
skill development cited by
42 per cent of respondents,
salary (40 per cent) and better working conditions (39
per cent). PTI

CAREER SWEETENER
Force field Analysis

Is your idea
worth pursuing?

We get bombarded with

multiple ideas during our
work; each idea looks great
on the surface and generates excitement amongst
the stakeholders. Scarce
corporate resources require
that we look at the feasibility quotient of the notion,
before jumping the gun.
Your manager expects you
to do the analysis before
you table the proposal. Let
us look at using Force field
analysis to separate the
wheat from the chaff.
Force field analysis is a simple but powerful technique
for building an understanding of the forces that may
drive and resist a proposed
idea/change if it is implemented. This technique was
developed by social psychologist Kurt Lewin to analyse
what he termed driving and
restraining forces influencing situations.
Driving forces push for
and initiate change in a particular direction. Restraining forces act to restrain or
decrease the driving forces.
For any idea to be successfuly implemented,
the driving forces must
exceed the restraining
forces. Equilibrium or balance is achieved when the
sum of the driving forces
once again equals the sum
of the restraining forces.

When to use
In addition to its intended
purpose of analysing driving and restraining forces
in a proposed change situation, force field analysis
can also be used to:
List pros and cons.
List actions and reactions.
List strengths and weaknesses.
Compare ideal situations
and reality.
Compare perceptions of
opposing parties in negotiating situations.
List what we know and
what we dont know.

Procedure
The typical sequence of
steps involved in force
field analysis is as follows:
STEP 1
Describe the issue, problem, plan, or proposed
change. Draft a brief,
objective statement of the
problem or challenge the
team is facing and put

that description in the

middle of the worksheet.
STEP 2
Start by defining and listing all the forces that are
enabling the change on one
side of the sheet in a column and all restraining
forces
impeding
the
change in another column
on the worksheet, below
the problem description
defined in step 1. Assign a
score to each force, depending upon on its intensity,
starting from 1 for feeble to
5 for a dominant force.
STEP 3
Review the completed
worksheet
to
decide
whether the change is
viable. If the total of rating
scores for driving forces is
larger than the total for
restraining forces, change is
not only feasible but also
needed to move toward
equilibrium and balance.
For an idea to go towards
successful implementation,
the team could potentially
strengthen the listed positive forces, weaken or minimize a listed negative force
or add a potentially new
positive force to the list.
One way to begin the
force field analysis is to
have team members individually create statements
describing driving and
restraining forces.
In this way, all perceptions of the situation can
emerge before the discussion starts.
Individual comments can
be posted to a shared database, put into a shared file,
or added to a private section
of the teams intranet Web
page. The team can then
schedule a face-to-face
meeting or synchronous
computer meeting (with
access to shared applications such as interactive
whiteboards or Skype) to
process the individually
created statements and
form a standard description
of the driving and restraining forces. Adding an audio
link (through audio conferencing) may also be useful.
From this newly constructed team statement, members can brainstorm actions
to reduce restraining forces
and increase driving forces
toward an ideal change.
Career Tips from www.careersweetener.com.