The craze for competitive exams in the state has led to fewer students enrolling into ICSE schools. Students and parents feel that the ICSE syllabus is not helpful for those preparing for competitive exams like IIT-JEE, AIEEE, JIPMER and Eamcet.
Cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Bengaluru have hundreds of ICSE schools, while Hyderabad has just 12. In the entire state, the number of ICSE schools does not exceed 40. The number of students appearing for ICSE Board exams in the state is less than 1,000 every year.
There is a general feeling among the parents that ICSE schools are only for students of affluent families who want to go abroad for studies after Class X or XII. Moreover, ICSE syllabus is mostly being offered by prominent international schools that cater to the needs of students from rich families. They also feel that ICSE exams are low-scoring in comparison to state syllabus. “Many students secure over 95 per cent marks in Inter exams every year. But that is not the case with ICSE exams. Also, 25 per cent weightage is being given to 10+2 marks in Eamcet. So, Inter students are at advantage over ICSE and CBSE students,” said Mr K Madhusudhan Rao, a senior lecturer.
However, the managements of ICSE schools say that the Board offers a vast syllabus and discourages rote learning. “Students in ICSE schools have deeper understanding of biological sciences and mathematics. The Board has been updating the syllabus every year to cater to the needs of students appearing for competitive exams. ICSE students have been performing well in IITJEE, AIEEE etc. for the last few years. It is a myth that ICSE students are disadvantaged when it comes to cracking competitive exams,” said a correspondent of an ICSE school.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Osmania varsity tightens PhD admission process
Osmania University has introduced a complete revamp of its PhD admission process this year. From changing the pattern of its entrance examination to upping the minimum qualification marks to 40% for general category students, the university has decided to make the test tough this year onwards to improve the quality of research.
The university has also upped the minimum marks for qualification for SC/ST students to 25%. According to the university administration, the reforms were brought about after the academic senate and council made unanimous observations that the PhD theses brought out each year by students of the university are poor in quality, when compared to those from other universities. However, faculty members of the university said that PhD admissions were being made tough to prevent more T supporters from becoming research scholars in the university.
The new PhD notification came out last week and the admission procedure is expected to be complete by the end of this month. According to the new rules, merely qualifying in the PhD entrance will not secure a seat for students. Interestingly, from this year onwards the allocation of guides for research scholars will be completely left to deans of their departments. “The deans of each of the colleges will reevaluate the performance of the students and then decide on the guides,” said officials of the admission department.
The new admission procedures are also meant to reduce the number of PhD admissions, officials said. “We admit about 200 PhD scholars in all departments every year. This is too high, when compared to other universities,” admission coordinators said. The move is also meant to discourage candidates who apply for PhD just to extend their stay on campus. “About 40% of the research scholars on campus are those who have already done their post graduation in more than one subjects. They take PhD admission to get hostel accommodation,” a senior professor of the university rued.
Moreover, with the university turning into a hotspot for Telangana politics over the past two years, the administration also wants to monitor people who join the campus just to be part of politics. “The number of applications for PhD has in fact increased during the past one year, as more students take admissions in the university to join politics. While the number of applicants for PhD till 2008 was about 150 per college, last year the number had increased to about 450,” said an official.
OU faculty members rued that the new regulations have not gone down well with the student community. “The candidates who have cleared the University Grants Commission’s National Eligibility Test or those who have MPhil need not appear for entrance examination. There is no need to be apprehensive about the new admission process,” said S Satyanarayana, vice-chancellor, Osmania University.
The university has also upped the minimum marks for qualification for SC/ST students to 25%. According to the university administration, the reforms were brought about after the academic senate and council made unanimous observations that the PhD theses brought out each year by students of the university are poor in quality, when compared to those from other universities. However, faculty members of the university said that PhD admissions were being made tough to prevent more T supporters from becoming research scholars in the university.
The new PhD notification came out last week and the admission procedure is expected to be complete by the end of this month. According to the new rules, merely qualifying in the PhD entrance will not secure a seat for students. Interestingly, from this year onwards the allocation of guides for research scholars will be completely left to deans of their departments. “The deans of each of the colleges will reevaluate the performance of the students and then decide on the guides,” said officials of the admission department.
The new admission procedures are also meant to reduce the number of PhD admissions, officials said. “We admit about 200 PhD scholars in all departments every year. This is too high, when compared to other universities,” admission coordinators said. The move is also meant to discourage candidates who apply for PhD just to extend their stay on campus. “About 40% of the research scholars on campus are those who have already done their post graduation in more than one subjects. They take PhD admission to get hostel accommodation,” a senior professor of the university rued.
Moreover, with the university turning into a hotspot for Telangana politics over the past two years, the administration also wants to monitor people who join the campus just to be part of politics. “The number of applications for PhD has in fact increased during the past one year, as more students take admissions in the university to join politics. While the number of applicants for PhD till 2008 was about 150 per college, last year the number had increased to about 450,” said an official.
OU faculty members rued that the new regulations have not gone down well with the student community. “The candidates who have cleared the University Grants Commission’s National Eligibility Test or those who have MPhil need not appear for entrance examination. There is no need to be apprehensive about the new admission process,” said S Satyanarayana, vice-chancellor, Osmania University.
1st batch of IIT-H ready for placement
The Indian Institute of Technology, Hyderabad, is gearing up for its first ever placement drive to be held in December this year. 30 top firms have registered to conduct campus placement drives so far.The first batch of 111 B.Tech students admitted in 2008-09 for courses in computer science, engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, are now in the final year and will graduate in May 2012.
IIT-H officials say the response to its first placement drive has been encouraging with about 30 top corporate firms registering to conduct campus placement drives so far, with more expected by December. In contrast, a new IIT like IIT-Ropar, which was established along with IIT-H, has managed to attract just 20 companies.
Top firms such as Microsoft Corporation, Finisar, eBay, Bharat Petroleum, L&T, Infosys, Wipro, TCS, and Bharat Petroleum are among those that will be visiting IIT-H. “The placement cell at IITH was established in 2010 with the prime objective of providing career opportunities to the students,” said Prof U.B. Desai, director, IIT-H. “Another batch of M.Techs in six engineering departments and M.Sc. graduates in chemistry will also graduate along with B.Tech students in the summer of 2012. The placement drive will be conducted for all these students simultaneously.” IIT-H has active collaborations with industry and firms like Hyundai Motors, Mercedes-Benz R&D India, HP, CMC, HCL technologies, Intel and Dr Reddy’s Labs, may also consider recruiting from the IIT.
IIT-H officials say the response to its first placement drive has been encouraging with about 30 top corporate firms registering to conduct campus placement drives so far, with more expected by December. In contrast, a new IIT like IIT-Ropar, which was established along with IIT-H, has managed to attract just 20 companies.
Top firms such as Microsoft Corporation, Finisar, eBay, Bharat Petroleum, L&T, Infosys, Wipro, TCS, and Bharat Petroleum are among those that will be visiting IIT-H. “The placement cell at IITH was established in 2010 with the prime objective of providing career opportunities to the students,” said Prof U.B. Desai, director, IIT-H. “Another batch of M.Techs in six engineering departments and M.Sc. graduates in chemistry will also graduate along with B.Tech students in the summer of 2012. The placement drive will be conducted for all these students simultaneously.” IIT-H has active collaborations with industry and firms like Hyundai Motors, Mercedes-Benz R&D India, HP, CMC, HCL technologies, Intel and Dr Reddy’s Labs, may also consider recruiting from the IIT.
Techies look to change career
Is the information technology sector losing its sheen? Several techies in the city are now looking at alternative career options and are pursuing their interests, hobbies and business ideas to diversify into new fields.Many believe that the effort to remain updated in the IT sector is difficult and by putting the same effort elsewhere, they can make it big.
Thus, several IT professionals are preparing to enter the civil services, while others are focused on floating business ventures like restaurants, customised shops, and even setting up their own rock bands. These alternatives are prompted by the growing economic uncertainties and the slow rate of growth in the information technology industry. “I have been taking coaching classes for the civil services since the past seven months and am now very focused on studies. I’ve been working as a software analyst for the past two years but the job has stagnated.
There are others who, like me, are ready to take the jump and try out other things,” said Vishal Jain, a techie. IAS study circles in the city have a large number of IT professionals with four or five years of experience. “At least 60 per cent of out students are IT professionals. They are showing an interest in permanent jobs and civil services is a preferred option,” said Krishna Reddy, the chairman of the Gandhi IAS Study Circle. A group of like-minded IT professionals from an IT major are about to launch their own icecream parlour. “I had this plan to set up a restaurant even while I was in college and now that I have found a likeminded group, I am going to take the jump,” said N.Akhil
Thus, several IT professionals are preparing to enter the civil services, while others are focused on floating business ventures like restaurants, customised shops, and even setting up their own rock bands. These alternatives are prompted by the growing economic uncertainties and the slow rate of growth in the information technology industry. “I have been taking coaching classes for the civil services since the past seven months and am now very focused on studies. I’ve been working as a software analyst for the past two years but the job has stagnated.
There are others who, like me, are ready to take the jump and try out other things,” said Vishal Jain, a techie. IAS study circles in the city have a large number of IT professionals with four or five years of experience. “At least 60 per cent of out students are IT professionals. They are showing an interest in permanent jobs and civil services is a preferred option,” said Krishna Reddy, the chairman of the Gandhi IAS Study Circle. A group of like-minded IT professionals from an IT major are about to launch their own icecream parlour. “I had this plan to set up a restaurant even while I was in college and now that I have found a likeminded group, I am going to take the jump,” said N.Akhil
No free lunch, say mid-day meal contractors
Poor T Students Bear The Brunt, As Contractors Stop The Scheme Over Unpaid Govt Dues .While the beneficiaries of Re1-a-kg rice scheme are crying foul over the supply of substandard/rotten rice, government schools in Telangana region are desperately seeking rice for the mid-day meals scheme, the implementation of which has gone for a toss in the last 10 days.
With the rice required for the mid-day meals not being supplied to the schools, the students, mostly belonging to scheduled tribes and castes, have stopped attending classes. The situation has turned from bad to worse, with contractors in government upper primary schools locking the kitchens due to non-payment of food bills to them. “The government has not cleared the bills and hence we have stopped lifting the rice stocks. How can we prepare food for nearly 300 students when our payments have not been made in the last 45 days,” pointed out a midday meal caretaker in Mallaypalli primary school in Utkoor mandal of Mahbubnagar district.
Sources said a majority of the schools in the backward Mahbubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda and Adilabad districts are facing the same predicament. Not only primary and upper primary schools, even high schools are hit by the rice paucity leading to discontinuation of the mid-day meals scheme. Madavath Gopal, a standard VII student of Pattigadda thanda in Keshampet mandal, told TOI that the government high school has not made alternative arrangements to supply food for them. “We were forced to go without food for the last seven days. Why should the poor students be deprived of this facility?” he sought to know.
District education officer (DEO) of Rangareddy, P Srihari agreed that the bills to contractors could not be cleared because of the recent Sakala Janula Samme. “Nearly 800 tonnes of rice is supplied to schools every month, but the contractors have not taken the rice, over non-payment of bills,” he told TOI.Sources said some of the contractors have colluded with fair-price shop dealers to supply the rice meant for the mid-day meals to Public Distribution System (PDS) shops where the Re1-a-kg rice scheme implementation is causing much furore. “We have ordered an inquiry into these allegations. It is unfortunate that some of the contractors are supplying the mid-day meal rice to PDS dealers,” Medak DEO Jagadishwar said. Lakhs of students in 3,030 government schools in Medak district were affected because of failure of the authorities to serve food in the afternoon.
In some areas, the school headmasters, in collusion with contractors, manipulate the attendance sheet of students at the mid-day meals. “They cook food for only a few students, but claims that all the students were fed. Inflated bills are shown, thereby causing a loss to the state exchequer,” said a high school headmaster in Nalgonda district, on condition of anonymity.Simhachalam, a mid-day meal organiser, at Narayanpet mandal lamented that the scheme pushed him into a debt trap. “I borrowed over Rs30,000 to feed schoolchildren. But the government has not settled bills from September this year,” he said.
With the rice required for the mid-day meals not being supplied to the schools, the students, mostly belonging to scheduled tribes and castes, have stopped attending classes. The situation has turned from bad to worse, with contractors in government upper primary schools locking the kitchens due to non-payment of food bills to them. “The government has not cleared the bills and hence we have stopped lifting the rice stocks. How can we prepare food for nearly 300 students when our payments have not been made in the last 45 days,” pointed out a midday meal caretaker in Mallaypalli primary school in Utkoor mandal of Mahbubnagar district.
Sources said a majority of the schools in the backward Mahbubnagar, Medak, Nalgonda and Adilabad districts are facing the same predicament. Not only primary and upper primary schools, even high schools are hit by the rice paucity leading to discontinuation of the mid-day meals scheme. Madavath Gopal, a standard VII student of Pattigadda thanda in Keshampet mandal, told TOI that the government high school has not made alternative arrangements to supply food for them. “We were forced to go without food for the last seven days. Why should the poor students be deprived of this facility?” he sought to know.
District education officer (DEO) of Rangareddy, P Srihari agreed that the bills to contractors could not be cleared because of the recent Sakala Janula Samme. “Nearly 800 tonnes of rice is supplied to schools every month, but the contractors have not taken the rice, over non-payment of bills,” he told TOI.Sources said some of the contractors have colluded with fair-price shop dealers to supply the rice meant for the mid-day meals to Public Distribution System (PDS) shops where the Re1-a-kg rice scheme implementation is causing much furore. “We have ordered an inquiry into these allegations. It is unfortunate that some of the contractors are supplying the mid-day meal rice to PDS dealers,” Medak DEO Jagadishwar said. Lakhs of students in 3,030 government schools in Medak district were affected because of failure of the authorities to serve food in the afternoon.
In some areas, the school headmasters, in collusion with contractors, manipulate the attendance sheet of students at the mid-day meals. “They cook food for only a few students, but claims that all the students were fed. Inflated bills are shown, thereby causing a loss to the state exchequer,” said a high school headmaster in Nalgonda district, on condition of anonymity.Simhachalam, a mid-day meal organiser, at Narayanpet mandal lamented that the scheme pushed him into a debt trap. “I borrowed over Rs30,000 to feed schoolchildren. But the government has not settled bills from September this year,” he said.
BIE’s bad news for failed students: Enrolled Before 2007-08 Need To Write All Papers
Clearing Intermediate may prove to be tough for 20,000-odd students from now onwards. As per the new Board of Intermediate Education (BIE) rules, students who fail in one subject should reappear for all subjects to clear the exam, unlike the earlier stipulation demanding that they clear just those papers in which they failed. The new rule, which came out with the IPE-2012 notification, is applicable to students who enrolled for the Intermediate before the 2007-08 academic year.
Intermediate lecturers said that BIE’s decision could jeopardise the future of several students who are yet to clear backlog papers. “If the students are finding the backlogs difficult to clear, how will they be able to clear all eight papers? The board should repeal this rule,” said Madhusudan Reddy, general secretary, Government Junior Lecturers’ Association.
The rule will be an obstacle for several students who wish to pursue their higher studies, lecturers said. “Students from weaker sections will be the most affected since they would not be able to afford coaching for every paper. Students from government schools will also be hit by the new rule,” lecturers said. Government schools record a high number of unsuccessful candidates in Inter exams who have failed to clear just one or two papers. Lecturers said the rule would deny several students the opportunity to apply for government jobs.
Intermediate lecturers said that BIE’s decision could jeopardise the future of several students who are yet to clear backlog papers. “If the students are finding the backlogs difficult to clear, how will they be able to clear all eight papers? The board should repeal this rule,” said Madhusudan Reddy, general secretary, Government Junior Lecturers’ Association.
The rule will be an obstacle for several students who wish to pursue their higher studies, lecturers said. “Students from weaker sections will be the most affected since they would not be able to afford coaching for every paper. Students from government schools will also be hit by the new rule,” lecturers said. Government schools record a high number of unsuccessful candidates in Inter exams who have failed to clear just one or two papers. Lecturers said the rule would deny several students the opportunity to apply for government jobs.
All MBBS seats in AP for local students
Sources say that since Andhra Pradesh does not have to set aside 15 per cent of MBBS seats for students from other states, Neet will not impact the seat matrix in AP medical colleges. Sources said that since Andhra Pradesh does not have to set aside 15 per cent of seats in MBBS courses for students from other states, the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for admissions to MBBS courses will not impact the seat matrix in medical colleges here.
As far as AP is concerned, Neet will be nothing more than a qualifying test. The other states have to offer 15 per cent seats in MBBS courses and 50 per cent seats in PG medical courses to students from other states who qualify in Neet. With outside students not being eligible for admissions in AP medical colleges despite qualifying in Neet, 100 per cent of the seats in local medical colleges will go to AP students. The only difference is that AP students will have to sit for Neet instead of the Eamcet medical exam.
This rule is applicable for only two states in the country — Andhra Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. Thanks to the Presidential Order pertaining to local, nonlocal quotas, which is in force in both these states due to unique political conditions, these states are exempted from offering seats to students of other states under the central pool. Students from both these states are also barred from taking admissions in the central pool.
The central pool devised as per the directions of the Supreme Court, mandates all states to offer 15 per cent seats in MBBS courses and 50 per cent seats in PG medical courses to the central pool, which should be offered to students based on the merit secured in national-level medical entrances. There are certain disadvantages too that AP students will face for not being part of the central pool. They cannot compete for the 3,415 MBBS seats available in the central pool, while AP would have to offer only 720 seats to the pool out of 4,800 MBBS seats available in the state. The state has also been trying to seek exemption from Neet from the Centre and the courts by highlighting the issue that Neet will make no difference to AP since it is not part of the Central pool.
Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy had recently stated in a letter to the Centre: “For AP students the choice is limited to only medical colleges existing in the state. A number of students from AP do qualify for prestigious institutions like AIIMS, Jipmer etc., every year. But these institutions will continue to have their own entrance exams even after Neet. So, there may not be much relief in terms of reducing the number of entrance tests the AP students have to take.”
As far as AP is concerned, Neet will be nothing more than a qualifying test. The other states have to offer 15 per cent seats in MBBS courses and 50 per cent seats in PG medical courses to students from other states who qualify in Neet. With outside students not being eligible for admissions in AP medical colleges despite qualifying in Neet, 100 per cent of the seats in local medical colleges will go to AP students. The only difference is that AP students will have to sit for Neet instead of the Eamcet medical exam.
This rule is applicable for only two states in the country — Andhra Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. Thanks to the Presidential Order pertaining to local, nonlocal quotas, which is in force in both these states due to unique political conditions, these states are exempted from offering seats to students of other states under the central pool. Students from both these states are also barred from taking admissions in the central pool.
The central pool devised as per the directions of the Supreme Court, mandates all states to offer 15 per cent seats in MBBS courses and 50 per cent seats in PG medical courses to the central pool, which should be offered to students based on the merit secured in national-level medical entrances. There are certain disadvantages too that AP students will face for not being part of the central pool. They cannot compete for the 3,415 MBBS seats available in the central pool, while AP would have to offer only 720 seats to the pool out of 4,800 MBBS seats available in the state. The state has also been trying to seek exemption from Neet from the Centre and the courts by highlighting the issue that Neet will make no difference to AP since it is not part of the Central pool.
Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy had recently stated in a letter to the Centre: “For AP students the choice is limited to only medical colleges existing in the state. A number of students from AP do qualify for prestigious institutions like AIIMS, Jipmer etc., every year. But these institutions will continue to have their own entrance exams even after Neet. So, there may not be much relief in terms of reducing the number of entrance tests the AP students have to take.”
Textbooks on mobile phones now!
Are you concerned that your child is spending more time on mobile games instead of going through his books? Mobile Applications (apps) from Findil Technologies might answer your apprehensions. The pune-bases company is offering mobile educational apps for school children under its Mobilearning initiative.
"The mobiles have become ubiquitous is our country and children are increasingly gravitating towards them. We want to offer a better alternative to the children where they can learn the school curriculum through mobiles," Funfil Technologies MD Shiresh Gangakhedkarr said.
The company is offering about 18 mobile apps through various app vendors. The apps are bases on the subjects like arithmetic, geometry, algebra, geology, puzzle-solving, memory games and word mix-up. "we have also developed apps for tenth standard textbooks in algebra and geometry, and will release physics, chemistry and biology text books soon," he said. "Each app costs Rs.49 and there is also a "buy-two-get-one 'offer. The textbooks can be downloaded for free".
The applications are designed for children above six years and can be downloaded through all major apps stores like Android Market, Nokia stores. The apps can also be downloaded through Funfil webpage www.funfil.com
"The mobiles have become ubiquitous is our country and children are increasingly gravitating towards them. We want to offer a better alternative to the children where they can learn the school curriculum through mobiles," Funfil Technologies MD Shiresh Gangakhedkarr said.
The company is offering about 18 mobile apps through various app vendors. The apps are bases on the subjects like arithmetic, geometry, algebra, geology, puzzle-solving, memory games and word mix-up. "we have also developed apps for tenth standard textbooks in algebra and geometry, and will release physics, chemistry and biology text books soon," he said. "Each app costs Rs.49 and there is also a "buy-two-get-one 'offer. The textbooks can be downloaded for free".
The applications are designed for children above six years and can be downloaded through all major apps stores like Android Market, Nokia stores. The apps can also be downloaded through Funfil webpage www.funfil.com
Victory eludes Humpy
At the beginning of the game, each player has 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns, each piece moving differently. The main aim of the game is to checkmate the opponent’s king by threatening to capture it. Apart from checkmate, the game can be decided when the opponent quits on his own, or it ends in a draw. The game divided into three phases is firstly called the beginning of the game, and then comes the middle game and lastly, the final phase when queens are of the board.
This year all eyes were on Grandmaster Koneru Humpy to clinch the Women’s world Champion title when she clashed with defending champion Yifan Hou in Tirana, Albania in November. Humpy settled for a draw in the must-win eighth-round game as Yifan Hou scored 5.5 against Humpy’s 2.5. An out of form Humpy could not use her white pieces well in the eighth game which was another Queen’s gambit declined to end up second in the Euros 200,000 championship.
The 17-year-old Chinese Yifan Hou had won the last championship in a knockout format. But this year she proved that she was a better player with three victories and five draws. Was it an overconfident Humpy or exhausted Humpy who lost to the teenager. Kudos to Yifan, for moving deftly in the game even after being pushed to the wall. Humpy realized that victory was not on her side even though she gained a slender lead in the eighth game. Once Humpy knew that she could not spring back, she agreed to a draw in mere 29 moves.
Agreed that Humpy was a far superior player than Yifan, Mark Crowther said that the Chinese had a better and tougher preparation at the beginning of the year, with a big support from the Chinese Chess Federation. Once the teenager had a huge score against her, two match wins in the FIDE knock out format it was clear that Yifan would triumph, Crowther said.
According to Crowther, Humpy was weighed down by the Chinese having an upper hand as in the last three years the teen had scored two wins in shorter matches. Humpy failed to take it beyond the opening level despite being slightly advantageous in games 1, 2 and 8. However, Grand Master Abhijit Kunte coming in support of the Indian said that though Humpy in the first two games got the position she wanted, she could not make much headway. This is not the end of the world for Humpy, Kunte said, adding that she is just in her 20s and can always make a comeback as she has a rich experience.
To take on Yifan Hou, Humpy tied with Elina Danielian of Armenia in the 11-round event and with better points won the FIDE Women Grand Prix at Doha in the first week of March. At Doha, Humpy scored two crucial wins, against Lilit Mkrtchian of Armenia in the penultimate round and then defeated Zhu Chen of Qatar to dismiss the Armenian. Both of them had scored eight points each.
Currently one step away from the top position, Humpy born at Gudivada, Andhra Pradesh, on March 31, 1987, received the GM title when she was only 15 years. Even before she crossed her teens, the chess wizard added three more World Titles - under 10, 12, 14 to break the current world champion Judit Polgar’s record. The first Indian woman to win a GM, Humpy clinched the World Junior championship in 2001 and went down in the second round of the Women’s World Chess Championship in 2006.
Proudly christened Humpy by her father Ashok, the wizard received her initial training from her father and on spotting her talent, he gave up his full time employment as a lecturer to groom her.
Today, chess is very popular and many young children are taking to the game with the belief that it needs thinking power and sharpens the brain. Around six million people play the game across the globe at homes, clubs, online, computers and in tournaments. Even newspapers and magazines carry chess columns. Another Indian doing the country proud is Vishwanathan Anand.
Awards & Honors
• Asia’s youngest International Woman Master, 1999
• World under-14 championship, 2001, Castellan, Spain
• India’s youngest Woman GM, 2001
• World junior championship, 2001, Athens
• World’s youngest Women Grandmaster to achieve full Grandmaster status
• Bestowed Arjuna Award in 2003
• Awarded the Padma Shri in 2007
• Conferred Raja Lakshmi Award in 2008
Merry Times are here!
Christmas
Billions of people across the world celebrate Christmas on December 25 to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ. The day is celebrated with great fanfare as it is believed that God came into this world in the form of man to atone for the sins of humanity. Jesus was born to Mary, assisted by her husband Joseph, in the city of Bethlehem. It is widely believed that the birth took place in a stable, surrounded by farm animals, though neither the stable nor the animals figure in the Biblical accounts. In Luke 2:7, there is a mention of Mother Mary wrapping Jesus in bundle of cloth and placing him in a manger as the couple was not given a room in the inn.
An angel guided the shepherds from the fields surrounding Bethlehem to see Jesus first. There is also mention of many astrologers bringing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh for baby Jesus. It is said that the visitors reached the manger by following the mysterious star, known as Star of Bethlehem.
In the West, from November onwards, there is festive spirit in the air denoting that Christmas is not far. Multi-coloured electric bulbs decorate the busy thoroughfares, shopping centres and malls, and at some places artificial snow is painted on the windows of the shops.
All Christians decorate their homes ahead of Christmas Day. They tastefully decorate the Christmas tree and hang small gifts to it. Under the tree, many of them place gifts for their family and friends. A big star is also hung outside the house. Children also hang stockings outside their homes with the belief that Santa Claus would come with beautiful gifts.
Santa Claus is a jolly, rounded, bearded man who brings good cheer at Christmas. He is a special attraction for the students. There is recorded evidence dating back to 4th century in Turkey where Santa Claus was known as Dutch Sinterklaas, which in today’s world is Saint Nicholas whose feast is celebrated on December 6. It is stated that Nicholas was Bishop of Myra, who was known for his love for children, generosity, and showering gifts. Many people celebrate the feast by giving gifts. Among other popular beliefs is that accompanied by helpers, Saint Nicholas finds out about children’s behaviour in the last year before showering a gift.
The most perfect images of Santa Claus in most minds of children are a man with red robe and white flowing beard with a heavy sack on his back filled with goodies riding a sleigh drawn by reindeers. Some children write letters to Santa for granting them their gifts. In most houses the elders buy clothes and gifts for their families. All Christians attend the special midnight mass held at Churches to mark the birth of Lord Jesus. Some of them take part in Carol singing and gather arms for the needy.
Special food is cooked to celebrate the festival at homes. In England and other countries, Christmas meal consists of turkey or goose, meat, gravy, potatoes, vegetables, bread and cider. Special desserts are also made like Christmas pudding, mince pies and plum cake. These cakes are given to friends too. Some of them give special Christmas cards which also mentions about the coming New Year. In present times, gift giving has become a tradition of sorts and many retail markets and shops offer special discounts to attract the customers.
Boxing Day
Many countries like England and Australia observe the following day after Christmas as ‘Boxing Day’. The word dates back to the Middle Ages when churches would place an ‘alms box’ in which people would place gifts for distributing to the poor. The tradition continues even today when gifts are handed over to the daily helpers like postal staff and newspaper delivery boys. In Australia and England, cricket matches, especially the Ashes, begin on this day.
New Year
Across the globe, for many people the New Year day is different. According to the Gregorian calendar, the New Year falls on January 1, exactly six days after Christmas. Plutarch and Macrobius noted that since 700 BC during King Numa Pompilius times the order of months in the Roman calendar has been January to December. Traditionally, Christians believe that on January 1, Jesus was circumcised and christened Jesus (Luke 2:21). All over the world, the Gregorian calendar is used as the official calendar.
In India, different states celebrate the New Year on different dates. People in Punjab, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu celebrate the New Year on April 14, while In Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kashmir the New Year is celebrated on the first day of the first month of Chaitra (usually falls in March-April) known as Ugadi/Gudi Padwa/ Navreh. Sindhis observe the day as Cheti Chand.
The Chinese and Vietnamese celebrate the New Year on the new moon of the first lunar month, approximately four to eight weeks before spring i.e. from January 21 to February 21.
Have you ever wondered who ushers in the New Year first on January 1? As there are different time zones across the globe, the New Year moves quickly from one place to another. The first time zone to usher in the New Year is just west of the International Date Line, while the time zone to the east of the Date Line is in the previous day, a good 23-hour behind. It is believed that central Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati’s uninhabited Caroline Island ushers in the New Year first.
Across the globe special programmes are organized to ring in the New Year on December 31. The New Year is welcomed with toasts of champagne, and greetings of a ‘Happy New Year’ ahead. Even the electronic channels are not far behind in putting together entertainment programmes to ring in the New Year. In the West, the festivities that begin on December 24 last a good 12 days ending on January 6. However, some countries celebrate Christmas on January 6 or 7.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Music Possesses an Amazing Healing Power
Music is an art form and a vehicle of expression. Most people can’t play soccer or football at 70 or 80 years of age, but they can sing and play piano or some other instrument. Music is a gift you can give your child that will last their entire life.
Art and music are basic human functions and can’t function without one another. We have the burning desire to create, whatever it may be and however tiny or grand. The interaction with sound is unavoidable, either to make it or take pleasure in it. People have always found music significant in their lives, whether for enjoyment in listening, the emotional response, performing, or creating. As a musician and artist it is my responsibility that others can learn to enjoy the art for which I have utter passion.
The most common way one becomes involved with music is through listening or attending a musical event. Listening at home on a CD player, or in the car, on the computer, or on an Ipod can be a very personal and fulfilling experience. Music, as we know, sets the mood and vibe as we hear in the lounges, bars, parties, or other social events. Also attending a concert is unique as it offers the excitement of hearing live musicians while providing the sound as it is meant to be heard (if it is acoustic music that is). Where else can one sit with other people, listen, and enjoy music in (relative) silence so that there are no distractions besides the music itself?
Music can also stimulate the mind. There are many things in music, to which one can listen and bring attention. One can be mindful of the melodies or themes, the harmony, the driving or relaxed rhythms, the color of the sounds, the activity of a piece, how the sounds are produced, or how they all relate to one another, all while, possibly figuring out how the composer conceived the piece. Focused and attentive listening is an incredible experience that allows one to be lost in a foreign sound world.
Concert music is the music that is not only pleasing to the ears and mind but also nurtures the soul. It has been long said that music gives one an emotional response. Characters of varying degree that are found in music, can affect one’s mood. Music can raise someone’s mood, get them excited, or make them calm and relaxed. Music also, and this is important, allows us to feel nearly or possibly all emotions that we experience in our lives. The possibilities are endless.
In all levels of education, music has immense worth. Students learn many important and necessary values for life as music enhances their mind, their expressive ability, and a whole host of other qualities. Learning to read music is learning a different language with abstract sonic meaning. One not only has to comprehend and decipher unique symbols on a page, they have to know how to execute them and do it well. Those learning music also learn how to develop a critical ear. With a critical ear, one will know how to practice, rehearse, analyze and critique music performance. Also, performing music encompasses playing with others, as well as alone, which both necessitate certain skills. One can also learn tremendously from studying and analyzing music, composing, reading about music, understanding the history of music and its association with historical and current trends, and knowing what to listen for in music. Students of music – whether it be at the elementary, middle school, high school, collegiate level, or through self study – learn self-discipline, expression through sound, enhance technical motor skills, further develop problem solving skills, learn how to cooperate and collaborate with other, and learn how to ignite the creative and critical mind. Most importantly, the student can come away understanding that music offers all those qualities in addition to the enjoyment in listening casually or with great attention. Anyone who is educated in music learns these skills whether they know it or not. People who do not make a career in music but study it will apply their skills to their everyday lives and career. Even by watching “Indian Idol” viewers learn how to become critical of musical performance and share strong musical opinions.
Music is one of the very few things which qualify among the things that I always keep close to my heart. While writing, while playing or while doing any damn thing I hum to myself. Through experience I have found that music when it is playing in the background or when you are enjoying it helps you to be focused on your work.
When it comes to me, let me tell you that I am totally addicted. Though one can’t carry an I-pod or a walkman you can always sing to yourself or just hum. Good music transcends all linguistic boundaries and proves to be a great bond when it comes to making friends.
Music is something which just can’t be discarded or disowned. Music belongs to everyone and it plays a vital part in one’s character formation. Those who don’t have time to spare for crooning or listening to melodies are often found to be gloomy, dull and short tempered. On the other hand, music lovers are often those who are most loved in gatherings and are very cheerful.
The man enters into this universe and exits with music. The music is the only common link to everyone in the world. Though there are many different kinds of music, it is only one and the same. The music is one and only though we call them by different names. It is just a part of whole music.
We can identify all the seas and oceans only in the world map and globe. It is very easy to say this is Atlantic Ocean and that is Indian Ocean. But is not at all possible to say which ocean is which and we can say only one thing that it is water. It is same with music.
When we talk about music, we can call them with different names and we can feel the difference between different music. But we involve ourselves and play or listen to music, the feeling is entirely different. The state of our mind would be in a different world.
There are many different qualities of music and they reach you to different parts of the body.
Some music reaches your hands and you start to clap.
Some music reaches your legs and you start to make rhythms with your legs. Some music reaches your whole body and that is the reason that you have the feeling for dancing.
Some of the ragas in Indian Carnatic Music reach your heart. This is very nice. It takes you beyond this world. Music is the only art form which makes you to forget yourself. For other arts, the awareness would always be there. When you are involved in playing or listening to music, you enter into a different world. This is one of the most important factors of music.
Affecting the brain waves
According to studies it has been proven that your brainwaves can get stimulated with strong beats. The stimulation takes place to resonate in sync with the beat. Sharp beats ensure sharp concentration and it can help you attain a meditative and calm state. It has also been proven that any change in the activity level of the brainwaves caused by music, enables the brain to shift speed as required. This means that even after you have stopped listening to music; it can have lasting effects on your state of mind.
Music and your heart rate:
Due to alternations taking place in brainwaves, other bodily functions also get affected. Functions like heart rate and breathing that are controlled by the autonomic nervous system can be altered with music. This can result in slow heart rate, relaxation response and slow breathing. This is the reason why music can play a vital role in preventing the damages of chronic stress and promoting health. You can also ensure positive thinking without depression with the help of music therapy.
Discipline:
You need to practice discipline if you want to learn music. All successful musicians have gone through a lot of pressure and hard work to become successful. If you are learning classical music, you will have to practice singing or playing the instrument on a daily basis. It requires a lot of hard work and patience. So, if you learn music you will also learn discipline, patience and determination.
Music has always helped students understand the concept of sustained efforts, accomplish excellence and learn the meaning of hard work. It can enhance teamwork and disciplinary skills. For instance, an orchestra can sound good only when all the musicians work in harmony. Children can be offered music as a means to express themselves. Experts suggest parents to make sure that their child is trained in music lessons from a small age.
Besides the skill of playing a piano, flute or guitar, it can also offer various developmental benefits to them. It enhances academic achievements and intelligence too. Based on a recent study, it was found out that many music majors got through medical schools, followed by humanities and bio-chemistry.
Mozart effect
The skills you learn through music get transferred to your communication skills, study skills and cognitive skills. According to a Harvard University study, the spatial-temporal reasoning gets enhanced when children start learning music. Such reasoning tends to improve in a temporary manner when an adult listens to a particular type of music. This study was named as the “Mozart effect” and it suggested that spatial reasoning and music have a neurological and psychological connection.
Other Advantages
From the sci-fi fetal development notions to everyday emotional healing, music therapy has come a long way. As far as emotional benefits of music are concerned, any good song can ease your emotional turmoil and change your mood for the better. Every human being goes through certain phases in life and most of them prefer to hear to certain songs in order to be happy. This has been considered one among the numerous benefits of music as it helps you give words to your feelings like no other medium. This is the reason why people like playing melodies that captures their vibes in the best manner. In order to improve the relation between music and your emotional state, you can start associating moods and songs.
Did you know there is a strong connection between music and exercise? If you haven’t, then try listening to your favorite song while doing a chest press or push ups at the gym. According to experts, the tension in your muscles can increase due to stimulating music, whereas sedative music can decrease it.
Music also enhances motor skills. Kids who have started learning the basic motor skills such as catching, throwing or jumping while listening to music, perform better as compared to the same exercise without music. Even the perception of chronic pain can be healed with music up to 21%.
Human Development
However, you must not consider it as the primary treatment method. Your favorite tracks can help you only when you are under medical treatment. Another very effective and important advantage of music is human development. Since, it is a universal language it can play a very positive role in this context. It can be discussed with anyone and everyone.
Music helps in developing a better interaction with the brain. It has been proved that people who hear music develop a better interaction with their right and left sides of the brain. So, these are some of the effective advantages of music that can enhance the chances of your overall development. It can never be too late to enjoy the healing powers of music.
Music comes in different formats, styles, and genres, and there are so many reasons why we love listening to it. Some people live, breathe, and perform music while others listen to it for recreation or health. There are also a lot of advantages for listening to music. It can improve our mood, set a specific tone for a movie, it can make you more productive, and it can improve our health and help with occupational therapy. One of the best formats for listening to music is to listen to it online. Here are some of the advantages for listening to online music.
One of the best advantages of listening to music online is the accessibility of it. You can download music from your computer or laptop with any Internet connection. You can find music from around the world at the click of a mouse and have music streaming live to your computer. Music stored on your computer is also easily transferred to a personal MP3 player, so your music can go wherever you go. There are a lot of online music stores and websites that allow you to download certain songs for free.
Buying and listening to music online allows you to create a customized play list and in turn you become your own DJ. This can be less expensive than purchasing a CD, especially if you are only interested in one or two songs from a certain artist. A lot of music listeners find that when they buy a CD, it often gets scratched or they only listen to it while they are in their car. Most listeners also prefer to have a variety of music playing at a time and online music listening allows this. You can download a few songs from one band and a few more from another of your favorite bands.
When you listen to music on the Internet there are fewer distractions and commercials. Traditional radio shows have a lot of advertising to fit during their programs because they have a lot of endorsements to fulfill. When you listen to online music, you do not have to hear annoying commercials or sit through a DJ that you do not like. Internet radio stations generally have less commercials and less talk time which allows for more music that you want to hear.
Another advantage of music that is streamed or bought online is the variety of music that is available to you. Most traditional radio stations consist of pop, country, rock, and oldies. However, some people prefer metal, glam rock, or another type of genre. You can listen to different genres in one place and find music and artists from all over the world. Using the Internet is a great place to discover a new band and introduce you to a new genre of music.
It is hoped that this trend will lead to a time when classical and concert music find its place in mainstream society, offering all it does to more people.
(The author is All India Radio Artist, Diploma Holder in Veena, Vocal and Associate Professor in Sri Dattha Engineering College, MBA Dept, Sheriguda, Ibrahimpatnam)
Discover inner power with Self-Motivation
I asked him how he planned to achieve that. He answered confidently, “I intend to do Aeronautical Engineering in IIT or in USA.”
Zig Ziglar, author and best-known speaker on motivation describes the word, ‘Want To’ as the motivation and the ‘How To’ as education and training’. The word ‘MOTIVATION’ is derived from the word ‘motive’ which means a reason, purpose, intention, inspiration, desire, etc.
Motivation is therefore, a desirable and positive response or action, to move ahead in pursuit of your goals. Various tools such as money, praise, or a sense of achievement can stimulate motivation. External motivation can be through parents, teachers, and friends. External and self-motivation are powerful tools and can work, depending on the situation and your mindset.
Translate dream into action
While translating dreams into action, you form several goals with deadlines. The obstacles and challenges you face can cause disappointment, and sometimes irritations. This can stall your progress temporarily, but if you permit these small issues to remain for long, it has the potential to set you off-course permanently. However, motivation can keep you focused to make vigorous efforts, with continued determination.
As a student what can cause disappointments and de-motivate you? The most common causes are exam results, admissions to higher courses, classroom issues, financial problems, personal tragedies, etc. If you carefully analyse, you will find most of these are temporary setbacks.
How to motivate yourself
Motivation drives your behaviour and action. As a student, do not depend on external motivation. Believe in the power of self-motivation, which is tougher but works best in the long run. Therefore, self-motivation is required on a day-to-day basis, to sustain efforts in the right direction. The following is the process to discover the power within you:
Strong desire: Choose your career and have a desire to succeed in life. Think of a role model to emulate and have faith in your ability.
Goal focus: Make short-term, medium-term and long-term goals to achieve success. For example, achieving a certain percentage in your 12th, undergraduate degree, or various competitive exams. With clearly defined goals, you are in the right direction and plans begin to take shape.
Anticipate challenges: Remember challenges are part of the success process. Recognising that challenges can come as surprises and help you to anticipate and prepare through contingency plans.
Positive attitude: The difference between what is possible and impossible depends on your attitude. Be determined, and have a positive attitude.
Finding solutions: If you are determined to succeed, then what can stop you? Further, having anticipated challenges, you are mentally prepared, which facilitates creative thinking to find solutions.
The environment: Think of positive influencing factors in your environment, which includes friends and family. Remember, your best friend is one who brings out the best in you. Be in the right company and share your problems fearlessly with parents and teachers.
Develop interest in films, books, TV shows, which are entertaining and educating.
Reward yourself: A good way to continue the self-motivation process is to reward yourself, whenever you reach a milestone.
Relax for a short while to introspect and understand that a failure or a milestone is part of the process.
Learn from success stories
Read and understand the success stories of great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, inventors like Thomas Edison and industrialists like Henry Ford. Behind these stories is a burning desire to take every failure as a step towards success. Remember, Mahatma Gandhi said, “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
Most success stories of life are scripted to rise from a crisis. In fact, the word crisis in Chinese has two symbols, one meaning challenge and the other opportunity. Everyone has dreams but many continue to be in a dream world. Develop yourself to turn dreams and challenges into reality, with hard work and determination.
A strong motivation is what separates ordinary people and extraordinary achievers. It was Swami Vivekananda, who said, ‘We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves’.
Telephone Interview Tips
Ninety percent of the time, clients or vendors short list the candidates based on the telephone interview. A successful telephone interview will usually lead to a personal interview. The telephone interview can be classified into two types:
Advance Preparation
Approach a telephone interview with the same level of preparation and seriousness as a face-to-face interview. Research the company; be prepared to articulate how your background, skills, education and experience make you uniquely qualified for the position; and develop good questions for the interviewer. The impression you make over the telephone and the manner with which you present yourself are likely to influence whether you’ll be seriously considered for the position, and perhaps offered the opportunity for a follow-up interview. For additional interview preparation tips, read the Commerce Career Service’s handout, “Interviewing for Employment.”
Coordinate the logistical aspects of the telephone interview well in advance. Record the date and time of the interview and know who will be calling whom. Normally, the employer initiates the call to the candidate; however, do not assume that this is always the case. Whenever feasible, secure a landline phone in a quiet space with minimal risk of distractions. Conducting an interview using a cell phone runs the risk of poor reception, a dropped call, and interference. Office space may be available in the Commerce Career Services suite – be sure to inquire with the front desk well in advance of your scheduled interview. Scheduled telephone interviews normally last between 20-30 minutes, though some can last up to an hour.
Be aware that once you begin circulating your resume, you could potentially receive a call from an employer without notice and the purpose of the call could be a brief screening interview. If the call arrives at an inopportune time or if you are not prepared to answer questions, you can ask to schedule the call at another time. Optimally, if you answer a call you should be prepared to answer basic interview questions. Consider letting the call drop to voicemail if you are not prepared or if the setting is not an appropriate environment for a professional conversation (remember to have a professional-sounding greeting on your voicemail system).
Ninety percent of the time, clients or vendors short list the candidates based on the telephone interview. A successful telephone interview will usually lead to a personal interview. The telephone interview can be classified into two types.
1. HR Interview
2. Technical Interview
1. HR Interview: The main objective of this interview is to get the technical interview or invited to an in-person interview. This interview is to determine the person’s personality and team work. Warm up your voice and vocal cord—it may help to make you sound more confident, firm and pleasant. Your voice tells many things about you.
DOs:
ü Getting ready for the interview:
• Go to the bathroom before the appointment time in case the interview lasts longer than you expect.
• Drink just plain cold water
• If you use a hand set phone, make sure you have charged it properly.
• Have your resume, paper, pen, and a glass of water handy
ü Take the call in a quiet area of the house—no kids, vehicles’ sound pollution, no dogs, or any other distractions.
ü Be on time to show that you respect and value the interview appointment
ü Make sure you do not have another appointment close to the interview—incase the interviewer needs more time.
ü Read your resume thoroughly to explain your professional or projects’ experience
ü Be prepared to give a positive two or three minute summary of your professional career.
ü If you did not understand the question, ask him/ her to repeat the question.
ü Be sincere.
ü Be enthusiastic. Speak confidently, clearly and slowly.
ü Ask the interviewer about the client location, project duration, etc.
ü Ask the interviewer at the end of the conversation where you stand and what the next step is.
Don’t:
û When you are on the phone, if you don’t understand the question, don’t pretend that you did. Ask them to repeat the question.
û Do not feel nervous.
û Don’t sound phony.
û If you cannot answer certain questions, admit to the interviewer frankly and offer to do more research on the subject and that you think you can get an answer soon.
û If you don’t know, simply say that you don’t know. Be careful not to misrepresent the information or lie to the interviewer. Trying to cover up the truth only makes things worse.
û Try to avoid using cell phones. Your client may not hear you properly.
2. Technical Interview: The goal of technical interview is to know about your technical skill set.
Dos:
ü Follow HR Interview Tips PLUS....
ü Do your homework and practice answering some standard interview questions.
ü Review your resume and work experience/ history.
ü Interviewer may ask more questions about their project requirements or your primary skill set. Be ready on these two things before the interview.
ü If you don’t know the answers, you can request the interviewer for answer.
Don’t:
û Don’t try to evade an answer. If you don’t know the answer, tell the interviewer you will find out the answer and call back.
û Do not negotiate for the salary with technical interviewer.
Use a landline. You don’t want to risk having problems with cell phone service. It is irritating for employers to conduct interviews if the call breaks up frequently or is dropped completely. If you don’t have a land line at home, just make sure you are in an area with as much cell phone service as possible. Do what you can so the process runs as smooth as possible.
Keep your materials handy. In fact, lay everything out in front of you. This includes your resume, notes about your career objective (even if it isn’t included in your original cover letter it’s a good idea to have this out depending on the questions he will ask you), a pen and pad of paper for note-taking and anything else you think may be helpful during your interview. Because you won’t have to schlep into an office, you can have anything out in front of you to aid with your success.
Steer clear of distractions. Find a quiet place to interview and stay there! There shouldn’t be any noise in the background to distract you or your potential employer. However, it is understandable that this can be tricky if you have young children at home who need your attention. When you set up your interview appointment, try to schedule it for as precise a time or window as possible. That way, you are able to avoid possible distractions (ex.: your phone interview is between 4 and 4:30, so no one can have company over during that time, the kids are fed and occupied or a sitter will watch them, if need be.)
Speak slowly and clearly. When you speak to people face-to-face, you are able to understand what they are saying more clearly because you can see their mouth move. So in a way, you are reading their lips! Neither you nor your potential employer will be able to do this over the phone of course, so speak clearly and a little bit more slowly than you would if you were talking to this person in person. If you can’t hear him, drop hints that he isn’t speaking clearly or loud enough by politely asking him to repeat himself. If this makes you uncomfortable at all you can always blame it on your phone: “I’m really sorry, it’s hard to hear you, the volume on my phone just won’t go up!”
Remember – you can’t be seen. That means that anything you say cannot be interpreted by your body language. Beware of jokes or sarcastic remarks that would have been harmless had he seen your facial expression. Maintain your professionalism; stay on target with the interview topics and focus on the key information about you that will get you hired.
No eating, drinking or chewing gum! This is self-explanatory. But, we humans are creatures of habit and might pop a potato chip in our mouths at just the wrong moment. However, when I say no eating or drinking I mean during the phone interview. You should eat beforehand to get your brain going so you can focus.
Prepare questions ahead of time. Just like in a personal interview, prepare a few questions to ask your potential employer at the end of your phone interview. Some examples are: “What does a typical day look like for an employee with this job?” “What are some skills I would need to develop in order to excel in the position I’m applying for?” “What software/equipment would I be using?” Remember – do not ask about salary or benefits until the employer has brought it up.
Just Before the Telephone Interview
Prepare your body, mind, and physical appearance as you would for an in-person interview. Get proper sleep, eat nutritiously, and groom and dress so that you feel at your best and can present as an energetic and enthusiastic candidate.
Ensure that you have a pen/paper close by, as well as a copy of your resume, questions that you want to ask the employer, and a copy of any documents that you submitted to the employer earlier (e.g., cover letter, transcript). Make sure that you re-read the position description before the interview begins, and have a copy of the description on hand.
Turn off call waiting so that the interview is not interrupted, remove or turn off any possible distractions in the interviewing space (e.g., alarm clocks, TVs, cell phones, noisy animals, or roommates), and close the door.
Practice
Talking on the phone during an interview may be more challenging that it seems, and practice is recommended. Have a friend or family member conduct a mock interview and tape record it so you can determine how you sound over the phone. Ideally, you want to project as confident, articulate, knowledgeable and professional. Adjust the speed of your speech so that you don’t talk too fast or too slow, and practice minimizing casual “ums”, “uhhs” and “Okays.” Also, rehearse answers to typical interview questions and be sure that your answers are organized and concise.
After the Interview:
Immediately jot down notes about what you were asked and how you answered. Note parts of the conversation that you feel went very well, and perhaps aspects that didn’t go as well (for use in future interview preparation). Identify points that you would like to clarify or expand on in a follow-up interview, topics that require additional research or preparation, and additional questions that you have for the interviewer.
· Send a thank-you note.
(The author is Training and Placement Officer, Sridattha Engineering College, Sheriguda, Ibrahimpatnam)
What after Intermediate?
Before you embark upon career planning, you have to consider two issues:
1. How are you looking to build your career? Do you need an immediate job because of some family circumstances?
2. Is your family, financially sound enough to pay for your professional education?
If you need a job, but still want to pursue higher education, you may like to take up a suitable course through distance learning mode. There are more options available now. You can study according to your own pace and convenience.
In professional colleges, there are two categories of seats: Free seats and Payment seats.
Since the tuition fees for Free Seats are highly subsidized, you pay much less compared to those for Payment Seats. Generally, Free Seats are allotted to students on the basis of their performance at the entrance tests. You will, therefore, have to strive very hard if you want to get a Free Seat in professional colleges.
If your family is unable to bear the cost of “elite” professional courses, you may choose a professional course, which also promises a reasonably good career at an affordable cost. Career planning should be preceded by two steps:
1. Assess your strengths and weaknesses, likings, aptitudes and interests.
2. Gather as much information as possible about various educational opportunities and choose the one that suits your requirements.
If you do not intend to pursue university education, you may opt for various Vocational Courses available in different areas. The most-sought after course is the polytechnic courses of three-year duration leading to diplomas in different branches of engineering and technology. The advantage of polytechnic courses is that in some branches a diploma holder can make a lateral entry into degree-level engineering courses.
Options after Intermediate:
1. Engineering
2. Medicine
3. B.Sc/BCA (For Science stream students).
4. B Com (For Commerce stream students)
5. BA (For Arts/Humanities students)
There are also a number of Vocational courses, leading to employment in various sectors, such as:
Engineering Stream: Interested in doing engineering courses, such as BE /B Tech in subjects like Computer Science (CS), Electronics and Communications (EC), Civil, Mechanical, Metallurgy, Electrical etc., appear for a common entrance test, EAMCET, to qualify for an engineering college seat in the state. Engineering should be an obvious choice for any Intermediate student with MPC option. There are many other national-level admission tests for students wishing to join prestigious institutions like IIT (Indian Institute of Technology), AIEEE, VIT (Vellore Institute of Technology) etc.
Medicine: Competition is tough for BiPC students and there are many options apart from Medicine. BiPC students can opt for B.Sc, Bio-Technology, B Pharmacy, B.Sc Agriculture Science, Dairy Science, Food and Nutrition etc.
Commerce: The world thrives on business. Apart from pursuing B.Com, then MBA or M.Com, other options are pursuing CA, ICWA etc. which helps them establish themselves in a short time. Presently, doing B.Com with Computers as a combination is the most sought after.
Arts/Humanities: Not very popular with students, humanities also offers many options after Inter than just pursuing BA degree, like courses in Travel & Tourism, English Literature, Teaching, Advertising, Journalism, Performing Arts, Business Management, etc. Humanities’ is popular with students taking the Civil Service examinations.
In all the three streams, students can now opt for job-oriented vocational subjects at the first degree level available in selected colleges affiliated to many universities. International post graduate programmes of five-year duration after 10 + 2 in several subjects are being introduced by some universities like Law.
Whatever stream you opt, put in your best efforts, to scale the path of success. First and foremost, obtaining high marks in the qualifying examinations will put you in a comparatively better position to get into a course of your choice after the 10 + 2 level.
Suicide & Prevention
Many people, most of the times, are able to cope with and manage stress and strain of life. They help themselves with adjusting to the situation with help from internal and external resources. Stress becomes distress when the individual feels these resources have been fully exhausted. In these situations, individual views stress as never ending, intolerable and inescapable that is when the thoughts of suicide start. When individuals are stressed, they are different from what they are normally. An individual’s Physical functioning, behaviour, thoughts and feeling show a lot of change and are indicators of stress and sometimes suicidal thoughts. If you observe the following symptoms, you should proactively talk to the individual and encourage them to seek help.
Physical Changes
· Lack of interest/pleasure in all things
· Lack of physical energy
· Disturbed sleep
· Change of appetite and weight
· Physical ailments and health complaints
Behaviours
· Crying
· Fighting and law breaking
· Alcohol and drug misuse
· Withdrawal
· Self-mutilation
Thoughts
· Helplessness
· Loneliness
· Guilt
· Damage
· Day Dreaming
Feelings
· Sadness
· Angry
· Worthless
· Ashamed
· Disconnected
What can I do if someone is talking about committing a suicide?
· Ask
Ask the individual when you observe changes, and the best thing is to ask directly so that the person if considering suicide may feel like talking about it since you have known their thoughts. We have to remember that we should ask about it at an appropriate time.
· Listen
If an individual is considering suicide, most of the times, they want to talk about it. Show your willingness to listen to the individual, completely without interpreting and saying that they are wrong or right. Talking always helps the individual considering suicide as talking needs thinking and thinking may lead to new ways of looking at things and many times people find reasons to live as they are talking about reasons to die. Therefore it is very important that you provide that environment of talking by concentrating on the talk and be a non-biased patient listener.
· Safety
Help the individual to keep safe. Discuss with the individual as to what sort of help they want when they have more of these thoughts. Talk to the person’s family and friends and get them to support in prevention of suicide. Advice the individual to stay away from alcohol and drugs, as they increase the suicide tendency. Ask the individual if they have a suicide plan and disable the plan which is very important to keep the person safe. Never leave the person alone for long periods of time. It is important to connect the person to professional help. Most importantly make the person feel that they are wanted.
Causes of suicidal behaviour among students:
During teens and early twenties, many changes (biological, physical, emotional and thought process) in an individual’s life occur. It is the most sensitive age and therefore anything can cause stress or depression. Some of the common causes for suicide among students are ragging at college, unable to cope with the academic pressure (ranks, marks, homework, projects, lab work career decision etc ) unable to get into the courses or colleges of their choice, moving to new college or hostel life, break up among friends and death of friends, parents divorce or death of a parent, problems with brothers and sisters, constant pressure (parental, lectures or peers) to perform well in academics, financial situations, alcoholism and drug abuse, doubts about individuals skills and abilities.
Thoughts and Facts:
1. Suicides happen without a warning:
Most people communicate how they are reacting to the feeling about the events that are making them move towards the thoughts of suicide. Many times they are certain physical signs, emotional reactions and behavioural clues are given away.
2. We should not talk about suicide in general:
Talking about suicide is not a taboo anymore. Talking about suicide seriously does not create or increase suicide risk. In fact it reduces the risk.
3. People who commit suicide do not talk of it :
People who attempt suicide usually talk about it directly or indirectly. Not taking the talk seriously leads to many deaths by suicide.
4. Suicide is committed more by an individual who has mental issues:
Not all people who commit suicide are mentally ill and all who are mentally ill are likely to commit suicide.
5. An Individual who attempts suicide will not try again:
Prior suicidal behaviour is a major risk factor among individuals. Statistics tell us that rate of suicide among those who have attempted before is 40 times higher than general population.
6. Suicide is more among poor (economical) people:
Individuals belonging to all social and economic strata have comparable rates of suicide. Each individual’s life situation and insight into it is very important factor rather than general social condition.
7. Suicidal behaviour cannot be modeled
Suicide is a learned behaviour. It can be modeled from parents to children. An individual’s risk of suicide increases if family member has ended life by suicide.
8. Youth are at greater risk of suicide
All ages are at risk of suicide. Currently, the suicide rate among all ages is almost the same.
9. Suicides are more caused because of one stressful situation
A sudden stressful event may trigger thoughts of suicide but it is not the only reason, whereas other events and feelings which have been present over long period of time contribute to suicide.
10. An individual who comes out of the thoughts and feels better, one need not worry about them
A person feeling better means two things. One, the person has decided to live by seeing hope, secondly, the person has decided to die and no longer in conflict of whether to live or die
Last but not the least, we all have to remember is, ‘thoughts of suicide is common’, whereas any type of acting on thoughts of suicide and helping or supporting in these acts are illegal and punishable under the law in India. When you have thoughts of suicide seek help and support.
Charting a Career Right
What is the right age for students to chart out a career choice?
Ways to find their interest and make an informed decision:
Parents, whose children are in the eighth and ninth classes, are often confused about the right age/class for the child to start preparing for entrance exams to professional courses. Since coaching material for some of these exams is available for students in the eighth standard itself, parents are not sure if they should begin the process, five years in advance.
Would beginning early be an advantage or would it bring on fatigue and turn out to be counterproductive?
The obvious flaw in starting the regimen too early is that it freezes career options even before the child has the maturity to decide on one. Also, the premature focus on one particular line interferes with the way the child has learnt the other subjects in school. Another strong reason for deferring the coaching regimen is that most high school students get to dabble with other non-curricular activities only till they are in school. Introduction of more curricular work at this stage would eat into this fun time and that is both unfair and unhealthy.
But this decision to keep the pressure off from the 13-year-olds comes with a down side. With no extra course material to work on and no tuitions to attend, the student continues his/her education in exactly the same manner as he/she did in middle school — attend classes, copy notes, complete the assignments and homework, learn for tests and exams, and play during free periods.
And that is not right because, at 13 plus, the student is more mature than a middle school child and is capable of handling more serious and challenging mental work. Hence, setting the bar low, not providing him/her with challenging tasks and holding expectations at the same level are all definite prescriptions to making mental laziness a habit. Since this is also the age when the adolescent is most vulnerable to peer pressure, a lightly-loaded student may be driven to spend unacceptable amounts of spare time in frivolous pastimes.
Since schools work under constraints and cannot be expected to provide any input beyond the call of the syllabus, parents must take cognizance of this situation. So while rejecting the early introduction of coaching material, they must explore ways by which the high school student is kept fully, consciously but interestingly occupied.
Research has established that zero to four and 12-16 are two crucial age periods in brain development. And it makes sense to exploit these windows of opportunity and maximise the chances of strengthening the brain. The current practice of enrolling toddlers in pre-school is based on this belief that young children should be provided with adequate stimulation and exposed, on a daily basis, to an environment where learning happens in a structured manner.
But an adolescent in the 12-16 group, is already in a learning set up. So, providing this youngster with an enriched programme is a far more difficult task. A stupid way of doing it, which is also the coaching school method, is to fast forward the lessons and make the student work on problems that would get done a year or two later in class. Unless the student is a prodigy, this duplication of school work is bound to kill interest in the subject and render the learning process joyless. The benefit derived, if at all, can only be narrow and limited in use.
The challenge is to direct the child towards activities that are interesting but at the same time, make adequate demands on the use of the grey cells. Brain teasers, mathematical puzzles, crosswords are some of the conventional tools that serve the purpose well.
Other recommended activities like reading up on a topic beyond the syllabus requirements, learning a new language, carrying out simple science experiments, studying classics and poetry, going through the various, serious, newspaper articles, listening to debates on current affairs and interviews on TV and staying abreast of the happenings in the world, watching educational programmes, etc. There is so much variety here that every student can pick up and pursue activities that interest him/her. Parents must encourage the adolescent child to explore new horizons and develop a taste for engaging in serious pursuits.
The direct benefit from these activities is that the student’s knowledge base gets widened and this is sure to come in use in life always. But more importantly, indulging in serious activities trains the brain to think logically and that is a necessary skill one must acquire to pursue any line of higher learning. At the physical level, in the three years of high school, the transition from child to young adult happens. The same change must be reflected in the mental plane too. The high school graduate must develop in the three crucial years, skill and mental stamina to take on the challenges in future.
Biography of cancer wins laurels for Siddhartha Mukherjee
Cancer is the load built into our genome, the leaden counterweight to our aspirations for immortality – Siddhartha Mukherjee
Coma, Brain, Fever, Outbreak, Vital Signs and Shock? Has anything hit you? Yes, these books have been written by American physician and novelist Robin Cook and most youngsters may be familiar with it. Cook is known for combining medical writing with suspense and his books have made it to New York Times Bestseller List with a sale of 100 million copies. Added to this is another name of apna Indian Siddhartha Mukherjee, an oncologist, who was recently awarded the Guardian First Book Award and Pulitzer Prize in the General Non-fiction category for his ‘biography’ of cancer, The Emperor of All Maladies.
On being bestowed the honour, a modest Mukherjee said that one doesn’t write a book to win awards, but the Guardian Prize was a great and distinct honour. Giving due respect to The Emperor of All Maladies, the judges have recognised the extraordinary courage and resilience of the men and women who struggle with illness, and also those who struggle to treat illnesses, Siddhartha Mukherjee said. He said that he was happy to join the list of writers and scholars such as Zadie Smith, Alexandra Harris, Petina Gappah, Alex Ross to name a few.
Describing his book, Siddhartha Mukherjee said it was a mix of history, memoir and biography, of science and personal stories of cancer patients. He said it was an attempt to enter the mind of this immortal illness, to understand its personality, to demystify its behaviour. He says calling his book a biography of cancer means it is something very personal, changing in its form and shape from time-to-time. Those who suffer from cancer don’t know how it has struck them and are sometimes afraid to talk about it. Cancer can strike any part of the body and there is no clear treatment.
Mukherjee said that Primo Levi, who wrote Survival in Auschwitz, was his inspiration to write a book. He said that Levi describes himself as a chemist mostly than a writer. He said that at the age of 18, he picked up the book and in one session finished it and went to read Levi’s another masterpiece, The Periodic Table. He said that while writing his book, he referred to Levi’s book to get hold of the tone and talk about small stories through big stories. The author said that for Levi, scientific inquiry was only part of a larger investigation into nature and humans. He added that Levi wrote more as an observer.
He said that the idea of writing a book entered his mind in 2004, when a tumour patient asked him about the disease she was down after a relapse. Many times patients would ask more intricate details about the diseases they were inflicted with, making the author think time and again. To unravel these mysteries with the past, present and future, Siddhartha Mukherjee began his writing journey. Initially it was limited to writing a journal, but looking at the voluminous information on hand, thoughts changed and it began to take the shape of a book, he said. He began writing whenever he found time be it ten minutes or 20 minutes.
After penning it, when he sent it to publishers, the responses received were - No one would want to read about cancer. However, Fourth Estate published it and The Emperor of Maladies picked up a Pulitzer Prize at the beginning of the year. After honouring the book, the judges said that the author’s work was an elegant inquiry, clinical and personal, into the long history of a dreaded disease that, despite treatment breakthroughs, still left medical science puzzled.
Speaking on selection of Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Emperor of All Maladies for the 10,000 pounds prize, chair of judges, Lisa Allardice, editor of Guardian Review, said Mukherjee’s anthropomorphism of a disease was a remarkable and unusual achievement. The editor when questioned about making the final choice, she said it was a difficult decision between a first novel and a first book of tremendous research. Both books were incredibly impressive achievements in their own rights, but Mukherjee’s book was felt to be the more original, Allardice said.
Showering praises on the author, the editor said that Siddhartha had managed to balance lot of information with lively narratives, combining complicated science with moving human stories. Once you pick up the book it is difficult to keep it down and one is sure to remember the lively facts and anecdotes.
The physician has marshalled an immense amount of material into a readable and inspiring story and that the result is a gripping, enlightening read about the nature of illness and our battle against what begins to look like mortality itself, author and academic Sarah Churchwell said on the book on biography of cancer.
Other books to compete with The Emperor of All Maladies were Stephen Kelman’s Pigeon English, Juan Pablo Villalobos’ Down The Rabbit Hole, Mirza Waheed’s The Collaborator and Amy Waldman’s The Submission.
The Indian origin American physician, who works as an assistant professor of Medicine at Columbia University and a staff cancer physician at Columbia University Medical Center, has himself looked at cancer from close quarters. Both his parents succumbed to the dreaded disease, while his wife, artist Sarah Sze, is receiving radiotherapy for breast cancer. An alumnus of St Columba’s School, Delhi, Siddhartha Mukherjee left India in September 1989 after clearing SAT examinations.
The author is a Rhodes Scholar, and graduated from Stanford University, University of Oxford and Harvard Medical School. To his credit, he has published articles in Nature, The New England Journal of Medicine, The New York Times, and The New Republic. He has also made it to Time magazine’s list of influential people 2011, while his book has made it to the list of top 10 books of 2010 on The Oprah Magazine, the New York Times and figured in Time magazine’s list of top 10 non-fiction books.
Presently, he lives in New York with his wife and two daughters and has already begun work on his second book.
Coma, Brain, Fever, Outbreak, Vital Signs and Shock? Has anything hit you? Yes, these books have been written by American physician and novelist Robin Cook and most youngsters may be familiar with it. Cook is known for combining medical writing with suspense and his books have made it to New York Times Bestseller List with a sale of 100 million copies. Added to this is another name of apna Indian Siddhartha Mukherjee, an oncologist, who was recently awarded the Guardian First Book Award and Pulitzer Prize in the General Non-fiction category for his ‘biography’ of cancer, The Emperor of All Maladies.
On being bestowed the honour, a modest Mukherjee said that one doesn’t write a book to win awards, but the Guardian Prize was a great and distinct honour. Giving due respect to The Emperor of All Maladies, the judges have recognised the extraordinary courage and resilience of the men and women who struggle with illness, and also those who struggle to treat illnesses, Siddhartha Mukherjee said. He said that he was happy to join the list of writers and scholars such as Zadie Smith, Alexandra Harris, Petina Gappah, Alex Ross to name a few.
Describing his book, Siddhartha Mukherjee said it was a mix of history, memoir and biography, of science and personal stories of cancer patients. He said it was an attempt to enter the mind of this immortal illness, to understand its personality, to demystify its behaviour. He says calling his book a biography of cancer means it is something very personal, changing in its form and shape from time-to-time. Those who suffer from cancer don’t know how it has struck them and are sometimes afraid to talk about it. Cancer can strike any part of the body and there is no clear treatment.
Mukherjee said that Primo Levi, who wrote Survival in Auschwitz, was his inspiration to write a book. He said that Levi describes himself as a chemist mostly than a writer. He said that at the age of 18, he picked up the book and in one session finished it and went to read Levi’s another masterpiece, The Periodic Table. He said that while writing his book, he referred to Levi’s book to get hold of the tone and talk about small stories through big stories. The author said that for Levi, scientific inquiry was only part of a larger investigation into nature and humans. He added that Levi wrote more as an observer.
He said that the idea of writing a book entered his mind in 2004, when a tumour patient asked him about the disease she was down after a relapse. Many times patients would ask more intricate details about the diseases they were inflicted with, making the author think time and again. To unravel these mysteries with the past, present and future, Siddhartha Mukherjee began his writing journey. Initially it was limited to writing a journal, but looking at the voluminous information on hand, thoughts changed and it began to take the shape of a book, he said. He began writing whenever he found time be it ten minutes or 20 minutes.
After penning it, when he sent it to publishers, the responses received were - No one would want to read about cancer. However, Fourth Estate published it and The Emperor of Maladies picked up a Pulitzer Prize at the beginning of the year. After honouring the book, the judges said that the author’s work was an elegant inquiry, clinical and personal, into the long history of a dreaded disease that, despite treatment breakthroughs, still left medical science puzzled.
Speaking on selection of Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Emperor of All Maladies for the 10,000 pounds prize, chair of judges, Lisa Allardice, editor of Guardian Review, said Mukherjee’s anthropomorphism of a disease was a remarkable and unusual achievement. The editor when questioned about making the final choice, she said it was a difficult decision between a first novel and a first book of tremendous research. Both books were incredibly impressive achievements in their own rights, but Mukherjee’s book was felt to be the more original, Allardice said.
Showering praises on the author, the editor said that Siddhartha had managed to balance lot of information with lively narratives, combining complicated science with moving human stories. Once you pick up the book it is difficult to keep it down and one is sure to remember the lively facts and anecdotes.
The physician has marshalled an immense amount of material into a readable and inspiring story and that the result is a gripping, enlightening read about the nature of illness and our battle against what begins to look like mortality itself, author and academic Sarah Churchwell said on the book on biography of cancer.
Other books to compete with The Emperor of All Maladies were Stephen Kelman’s Pigeon English, Juan Pablo Villalobos’ Down The Rabbit Hole, Mirza Waheed’s The Collaborator and Amy Waldman’s The Submission.
The Indian origin American physician, who works as an assistant professor of Medicine at Columbia University and a staff cancer physician at Columbia University Medical Center, has himself looked at cancer from close quarters. Both his parents succumbed to the dreaded disease, while his wife, artist Sarah Sze, is receiving radiotherapy for breast cancer. An alumnus of St Columba’s School, Delhi, Siddhartha Mukherjee left India in September 1989 after clearing SAT examinations.
The author is a Rhodes Scholar, and graduated from Stanford University, University of Oxford and Harvard Medical School. To his credit, he has published articles in Nature, The New England Journal of Medicine, The New York Times, and The New Republic. He has also made it to Time magazine’s list of influential people 2011, while his book has made it to the list of top 10 books of 2010 on The Oprah Magazine, the New York Times and figured in Time magazine’s list of top 10 non-fiction books.
Presently, he lives in New York with his wife and two daughters and has already begun work on his second book.
Rocket Science gaining popularity
Aeronautical Engineering specialises in research and development, i.e., designing, construction, development, testing, operation and maintenance of both commercial and military aircraft, spacecrafts and their components as well as satellites and missiles. The specialisation available in this branch includes structural design, navigational guidance and control systems, instrumentation and communication or production methods, or it can be in a particular product such as military aircrafts, passenger planes, helicopters, satellites, rockets, etc. Technology like the computer-aided design (CAD) software, robotics, laser and advanced electronic optics are used by them.
Skills required
The most important skills required for this field are alertness, attention to detail, technical precision, focus, and teamwork. Physical fitness and complete dedication to work are the other requirements, along with a high level of mathematical precision and an analytical bent of mind. Though highly paid, the work is very demanding.
Study route: The basic eligibility criterion for admission to Aeronautical Engineering is 10+2 or an equivalent examination with physics, chemistry and mathematics as compulsory subjects along with a good aggregate percentage. Selection to BE/B.Tech courses is through IIT-JEE which the IITs conduct in April every year. Besides the IITs, there are some other institutes which also conduct entrance examinations for the admission of students. The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST - http://www.iist.ac.in) offers undergraduate B.Tech programme in Avionics, Aerospace Engineering and Physical Sciences. Admissions to the undergraduate programmes (B.Tech) at IIST are through the ISAT.
Aeronautical Engineering can be pursued with mechanical and electronics branches as specialised areas of study. One could even go in for a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering and further specialisation can be pursued at the post-graduate level. One can also opt for a diploma in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. Diploma holders can acquire degrees on clearing the exams of the Aeronautical Society of India. Students who have passed Standard XII/ II PUC with physics and mathematics can enroll for a three-year course, equivalent to an Aeronautical Engineering course, with the AMAeSI (Associate Membership of Aeronautical Society of India) Institutes, which conduct the course and make arrangements for practical training. Aeronautical Engineering being a research-oriented field, one should take the time to make an honest assessment of their strengths and what they think they would enjoy doing more, and choose accordingly.
When we choose a career based on our natural inclination towards work, we perform better and get better growth opportunities.
Career prospects
Engineers may work in areas like design, development, and maintenance as well as in the managerial and teaching posts in institutes. They have a very good demand in airlines, aircraft manufacturing units, air turbine production plants or design development programmes for the aviation industry. Aerospace environment is sophisticated with rewarding career opportunities involving leading edge technology.
Job opportunities
In India, aeronautical engineers are mostly employed by ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) and the Defence Ministry. One can also look for jobs available with the Civil Aviation Department, National Aeronautical Laboratory, Defence Research and Development Laboratories (DRDO) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). A good percentage of Indians constitute the work force of engineers and technical professionals in NASA.
If you aspire for a career that’s beyond the conventional, then Aeronautical Engineering would be ideal
Few institutes offering Aeronautical Engineering are:
• IIT, Powai, Mumbai
• IIT, Kharagpur
• IIT, Chennai
• IIT, Kanpur
• Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai
• MIT Campus, Anna University, Chromepet, Chennai
• Hindustan Institute of Engineering Technology, Chennai
• Nehru College of Aeronautical and Applied Sciences, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu)
• Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh
• School of Aviation Science and Technology, Delhi Flying Club, Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi - Full time Aircraft Maintenance Engineering course of four years duration, duly approved by DGCA.
• Indian Institute of Aeronautics, Patna Airport, Patna — Aircraft Maintenance Engineering
• Institute of Aviation Technology, Bahadurgarh, Haryana
• Indian Institute for Aeronautical Engineering & Information Technology, Pune
• VSM Institute of Aerospace Engineering & Technology, Bangalore
• Hindustan Electronics Academy, Ulsoor, Bangalore — Four year BTech in Aerospace Engineering degree course recognised by IGNOU and three year Aircraft Maintenance Engineering course approved by DGCA
• Indian Institute of Aeronautical Engineering (IIAE), Dehradun
• The Madras Institute of Technology offers a three year graduate programme in Aeronautical Engineering for BSc students, subject to their having passed maths and physics at Class XII stage.
• The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore has MTech and PhD programmes in aeronautics.
Overseas, you could look at pursuing the course from:
• The Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands, Europe
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
• Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
• University of Michigan, USA
• California Institute of Technology, USA
• University of Maryland, USA
• University of Illinois, USA
• Stanford University, USA
• University of Texas at Austin, USA
• Virginia Tech, USA
• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, USA
English Test must for Foreign Degree
December is that part of the year when students finishing off their high school/Senior Secondary School in the coming April plan their career. Those wishing to go abroad for studies take various tests to qualify for the seats in those countries. Some of the tests popularly known are TOEFL, IELTS, PTE, SAT, GRE. Any one wishing to go abroad must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL test, which is an exam to test the English skills of a person. Across the globe, till date over 25 million people have taken the TOEFL test, a registered trademark of Educational Testing Service (ETS), and every year over one million people appear for it.
For seeking an admission in colleges there, along with other particulars, one must submit the TOEFL scores too. The candidates have to most importantly bear in mind that a TOEFL score is valid for a period of two years only. The average English skill level ranges between Intermediate and Advanced.
The TOEFL test evaluates how well one combines listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks The test is conducted in two formats, depending on the location of the test center. Many of them take the test in TOEFL iBT (internet based test) mode. The Paper-based Test (PBT) is conducted at a center that doesn’t have Internet access facility. The test is conducted at 4,500 test centers in 165 countries and it can be retaken any number of times. The test costs from $160 to $250, depending on where it is taken.
There are four sections to the TOEFL test taken on the internet lasting nearly four-and-a-half-hours. The four sections are Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing and one can be told to combine tasks and perform. For example, a person can be told to Read, listen and then speak in response to a question or Listen and then speak in response to a question.
All TOEFL test takers must adhere to time limits to reach their goals. It is better to prepare oneself on a keyboard before taking the test. The TOEFL test details are as follows:
Reading: This section will last for 60–80 minutes where one has to answer 36–56 questions, Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and then answer questions.
Listening: In this section lasting for 60–90 minutes, one will have to answer 34–51 questions, Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions. After these two sections, one gets a break of 10 minutes.
Speaking: This section lasting for 20 minutes, six tasks have to be undertaken, Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks.
Writing: Lasting for 50 minutes involves two tasks. Write essay responses based on reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing.
Changes in the Reading section came into effect on November 1, 2011, while earlier students in a time span of 60 – 110 minutes, read three to five passages and answered 36–70 questions.
Background
The TOEFL test came into existence basically to test the English language proficiency of non-native speakers wanting to study in US universities. A 30-member national council consisting of representatives from government and private organizations formed in 1962 recommended the development and administration of the exam. Ford Foundation and Danforth Foundation helped the Modern Language Association to conduct the test in 1964, developed under the guidance of Stanford University applied linguistics professor Dr. Charles A. Ferguson. In 1965, The College Board and ETS jointly began conducting the test. However, in 1973, Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) board joined hands.
Internet-based Test (iBT)
The Internet-based Test (iBT) has replaced the computer-based tests (CBT) and paper-based tests (PBT). In late 2005, the iBT was first introduced in United States, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy and the following year across the world. However, paper-based testing continues in some areas. Initially to take the TOEFL test, the candidates had to wait for several months but, now the wait is one to four weeks.
Paper-based Test (PBT)
Those wishing to take the paper based test must register online in advance so as to ensure a place at the test centre. The test lasts for three hours and is conducted six times a year. The sections are as follows:
Listening: This section lasting for 30 – 40 minutes consists of three parts, Firstly - 30 questions about short conversations, Secondly eight questions about longer conversations and lastly 12 questions about lectures or talks.
Structure and Written Expression: This section lasting for 25 minutes has 15 exercises of completing sentences correctly and 25 exercises of identifying errors.
Reading Comprehension: In this 55 minute section, there are 50 questions about reading passages.
Writing: In this section one essay with 250–300 words in average has to be written in 30 minutes.
TOEFL Junior
This is for young enthusiasts in the age group of 11-14 years, who want to know their standing in the language, but this scored can’t be used for admissions.
Apart from TOEFL, the most commonly used scores worldwide, International English Language Testing System (IELTS) also tests English proficiency across the globe. For entering the portals of foreign universities and jobs abroad, nearly 1.4 million people appear for the IELTS test every year. Over 135 countries and 6,000 institutions recognize the IELTS scores. The test conducted by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL) is held in over 500 centres four times a month. Depending on one’s requirement, a person can take the Academic or General Training test, which like TOEFL consists of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. There are different Reading and Writing modules for Academic and General Training. Listening, Reading and Writing should be completed on a single day and the Speaking test on the same day or earlier or after. However, in IELTS, the Speaking test is a face-to-face interview with a certified Examiner. This helps in arriving at a real-life situation assessment.
By the name of the module it is understood that the Academic module is for those wishing to pursue higher education abroad, while, the General Training module is to evaluate a person on his understanding of the English language for migration, or official training. Those wishing to take the test have to shell out Rs7,600.
For students wanting to study in the UK, they can take the Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic), which is another English language test for international students and is recognized by over 80 percent of universities and colleges in Britain. Approved by the UK Border Agency (UKBA), PTE Academic is accepted for Tier 4 (student visa) and Tier 2 applications. It is stated that the PTE Academic tests English language competency at a minimum of CEF level B1 or B2. The test that consists of three hours has flexible test dates and the results too are declared in a span of five working days.
Students pursuing courses below degree level need a score of at least 36 and for above degree level need a score of at least 51 for UKBA tier 4 student visas. For other Higher Education courses, the institution lays down the requirement.
For Details:
TOEFL Test
Phone, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
IST: Toll Free — 000-800-100-3780 or 000-800-100-3758
Email: TOEFLSupport4India@ets.org
IDP:IELTS
Uma Hyderabad House
3rd floor,6-3-1090/1/1, Raj Bhavan Road,
Hyderabad 500082, Tel: 91-040-44118888
PTE Academic
London Test Centre,
2nd Floor, Silicon Tower,
Law Garden, Navrangpura,
Ahmedabad - 380 009, Tel: +91 79 264685 36
For seeking an admission in colleges there, along with other particulars, one must submit the TOEFL scores too. The candidates have to most importantly bear in mind that a TOEFL score is valid for a period of two years only. The average English skill level ranges between Intermediate and Advanced.
The TOEFL test evaluates how well one combines listening, reading, speaking and writing skills to perform academic tasks The test is conducted in two formats, depending on the location of the test center. Many of them take the test in TOEFL iBT (internet based test) mode. The Paper-based Test (PBT) is conducted at a center that doesn’t have Internet access facility. The test is conducted at 4,500 test centers in 165 countries and it can be retaken any number of times. The test costs from $160 to $250, depending on where it is taken.
There are four sections to the TOEFL test taken on the internet lasting nearly four-and-a-half-hours. The four sections are Listening, Reading, Speaking and Writing and one can be told to combine tasks and perform. For example, a person can be told to Read, listen and then speak in response to a question or Listen and then speak in response to a question.
All TOEFL test takers must adhere to time limits to reach their goals. It is better to prepare oneself on a keyboard before taking the test. The TOEFL test details are as follows:
Reading: This section will last for 60–80 minutes where one has to answer 36–56 questions, Read 3 or 4 passages from academic texts and then answer questions.
Listening: In this section lasting for 60–90 minutes, one will have to answer 34–51 questions, Listen to lectures, classroom discussions and conversations, then answer questions. After these two sections, one gets a break of 10 minutes.
Speaking: This section lasting for 20 minutes, six tasks have to be undertaken, Express an opinion on a familiar topic; speak based on reading and listening tasks.
Writing: Lasting for 50 minutes involves two tasks. Write essay responses based on reading and listening tasks; support an opinion in writing.
Changes in the Reading section came into effect on November 1, 2011, while earlier students in a time span of 60 – 110 minutes, read three to five passages and answered 36–70 questions.
Background
The TOEFL test came into existence basically to test the English language proficiency of non-native speakers wanting to study in US universities. A 30-member national council consisting of representatives from government and private organizations formed in 1962 recommended the development and administration of the exam. Ford Foundation and Danforth Foundation helped the Modern Language Association to conduct the test in 1964, developed under the guidance of Stanford University applied linguistics professor Dr. Charles A. Ferguson. In 1965, The College Board and ETS jointly began conducting the test. However, in 1973, Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) board joined hands.
Internet-based Test (iBT)
The Internet-based Test (iBT) has replaced the computer-based tests (CBT) and paper-based tests (PBT). In late 2005, the iBT was first introduced in United States, Canada, France, Germany, and Italy and the following year across the world. However, paper-based testing continues in some areas. Initially to take the TOEFL test, the candidates had to wait for several months but, now the wait is one to four weeks.
Paper-based Test (PBT)
Those wishing to take the paper based test must register online in advance so as to ensure a place at the test centre. The test lasts for three hours and is conducted six times a year. The sections are as follows:
Listening: This section lasting for 30 – 40 minutes consists of three parts, Firstly - 30 questions about short conversations, Secondly eight questions about longer conversations and lastly 12 questions about lectures or talks.
Structure and Written Expression: This section lasting for 25 minutes has 15 exercises of completing sentences correctly and 25 exercises of identifying errors.
Reading Comprehension: In this 55 minute section, there are 50 questions about reading passages.
Writing: In this section one essay with 250–300 words in average has to be written in 30 minutes.
TOEFL Junior
This is for young enthusiasts in the age group of 11-14 years, who want to know their standing in the language, but this scored can’t be used for admissions.
Apart from TOEFL, the most commonly used scores worldwide, International English Language Testing System (IELTS) also tests English proficiency across the globe. For entering the portals of foreign universities and jobs abroad, nearly 1.4 million people appear for the IELTS test every year. Over 135 countries and 6,000 institutions recognize the IELTS scores. The test conducted by British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia and the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations (Cambridge ESOL) is held in over 500 centres four times a month. Depending on one’s requirement, a person can take the Academic or General Training test, which like TOEFL consists of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. There are different Reading and Writing modules for Academic and General Training. Listening, Reading and Writing should be completed on a single day and the Speaking test on the same day or earlier or after. However, in IELTS, the Speaking test is a face-to-face interview with a certified Examiner. This helps in arriving at a real-life situation assessment.
By the name of the module it is understood that the Academic module is for those wishing to pursue higher education abroad, while, the General Training module is to evaluate a person on his understanding of the English language for migration, or official training. Those wishing to take the test have to shell out Rs7,600.
For students wanting to study in the UK, they can take the Pearson Test of English (PTE Academic), which is another English language test for international students and is recognized by over 80 percent of universities and colleges in Britain. Approved by the UK Border Agency (UKBA), PTE Academic is accepted for Tier 4 (student visa) and Tier 2 applications. It is stated that the PTE Academic tests English language competency at a minimum of CEF level B1 or B2. The test that consists of three hours has flexible test dates and the results too are declared in a span of five working days.
Students pursuing courses below degree level need a score of at least 36 and for above degree level need a score of at least 51 for UKBA tier 4 student visas. For other Higher Education courses, the institution lays down the requirement.
For Details:
TOEFL Test
Phone, Monday to Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
IST: Toll Free — 000-800-100-3780 or 000-800-100-3758
Email: TOEFLSupport4India@ets.org
IDP:IELTS
Uma Hyderabad House
3rd floor,6-3-1090/1/1, Raj Bhavan Road,
Hyderabad 500082, Tel: 91-040-44118888
PTE Academic
London Test Centre,
2nd Floor, Silicon Tower,
Law Garden, Navrangpura,
Ahmedabad - 380 009, Tel: +91 79 264685 36
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