CareerConnect July 2017

July 2017 Vol 5 Issue 10

Pages 60 including cover

Postal Registration No. : DL(S)-01/3496/2016-18 Posted at Lodi Road HPO on the 9th & 10th same month RNI No: DELENG/2012/43525 Published on the 5th of the same month

Inside: Top Distance Education Institutions

University Admissions 2017 Bringing Change through a Global Curriculum

Climb the Ladder of Success with Digital PR

Back to the Roots: Career in Horticulture Technology

Contents

60 Pages including Cover July 2017 I Volume 5 I Issue 10 I `40

Cover Story 14

University Admission Dilemma In this environment of cut-throat competition, admissions in leading university have been a hassle for all the students across the country. In order to decipher the university admission code, an informative piece about the admission criteria in leading universities along with some of the best courses available in other universities.

Special Feature Distance Learning : How is it perceived in India?..............................................................20

Features

Letters to the Editor........................................06 News...............................................................08

interviews

l Bringing Change through a Global Curriculum.............................................................10 l Climb the Ladder of Success with Digital PR................................................................ 34 l Back to the Roots: Career in Horticulture Technology ................................................ 40

guest column

Prof. G. Raghuram, Director, IIM Bangalore................... 46

Partha Halder, HOD, Centre Head and Academic Head , FIITJEE group............ 48 Kalpana Sinha Head of Entrepreneurship and Student Welfare Department 56

Raunak Jain Managing Director Tula International School 58

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Ashok Ogra, Director, AIMC.......................... 50

Letters to the Editor

Editor and Publisher Smiti Suri Assistant Editor Archana Verma Principal Correspondent Ritika Arora Bhola Feature Writers Tariq Ahmed Gaurav Dubey Sheena Sachdeva Deepashree Banerjee Director Ajeet Kumar Marketing Manager Niti Chauhan Assistant Manager Marketing Asad Mohammad Marketing Executive Mehuli Choudhury Administration Vipin Marwah Accounts and Administration Poonam Gupta Sr Designer & Visualiser Shaique Ahmad Designer & Visualiser Mayank Bhatnagar All material printed in this publication is the sole property of CAREERConnect All printed matter contained in the magazine is based on the information of those featured in it. The views, ideas, comments and opinions expressed are solely of those featured and the Editor and Publisher do not necessarily subscribe to the same.

CAREERConnect is printed, published and owned by Smiti Suri, and is printed at Compudata Services, 42, Dsidc Shed, Scheme–1, Okhla Industrial Area Complex, Phase–II, New Delhi-110020, and published at 6/31-B, Jangpura–B, New Delhi-110014.

Editor–Smiti Suri

SURECOM MEDIA

6/31-B, Jangpura-B, New Delhi-110014 Tel: +91-11-24373365, 24373465 Mob: 9711383365, 9810962016 Email: cargoconnect@gmail.com info@surecommedia.in Website: www.surecommedia.in

Best Universities of India 2017

Pages 60 including cover

You r ver y ex haust ive list of u n iver sit ies a nd ot her i n st it ut ion s i n I nd ia , w it h t hei r st a r r at i ngs a nd a separate section for the eminent institutions is an eye opener. The writer has done very hard work to prepare t h is list. My hea r tfelt cong rat ulat ions for t h is list!

Taruna Menon, Cochin Sustainability as a Career is a Great Idea!

Thanks for this great story about finding a career path through sustainability. It is the great requirement of today to mould our lives according to the healthy needs of the planet. I would like to study this discipline very much.

The information given in your magazine is very useful for me. I am very grateful to Archana Verma for giving us this very interesting and insightful information.

Tensing Choden, Shillong

Fashion design is the trend of the future

Thanks to Tariq Ahmed for giving us this very useful information in the field of fash ion tech nolog y and design. The people who are creative by nature often find it problematic to find a career path that is lucrative. Fashion Design is one possible option for them.

Apoorva Saxena, Mumbai

A Suggestion

We are your long time admirers and always wait for the new issue of CareerConnect eagerly.

Please publish something for the entrepreneur-minded women. This will help us to achieve our dreams.

Joseph Bara, Ranchi

June 2017 Vol 5 Issue 09

Postal Registration No. : DL(S)-01/3496/2016-18 Posted at Lodi Road HPO, RNI No: DELENG/2012/43525 Published on the 5th of the same month

BEST UNIVERSITIES OF INDIA 2017 EXHAUSTIVE COVERAGE OF THE LEADING UNIVERSITIES

Thanks for the guidance on Public Policy

I have always wa nted to contribute to the governance of my country through public policy. Ms. Sheena has shown me the right path by giving very useful and accurate information article.

Suraiyya Tabassum, Aligarh

Digital Marketing: A very useful write up for the SMEs!

I found the write up on digital marketing very interesting and engrossing. It is a very interesting field for the new start ups and the SMEs. I would certainly like my friends to read it. Thanks to Gaurav Dubey for giving this information.

Shakuntala Bhotia, Sikkim

Inspiring invention from AIACTR

It was a very inspiring read to know about the invention of solar robot by the students of AICTR. This institute is doing a great job by encouraging it s st u de nt s t o i nt eg r at e technology with a sustainable living. The Principal is very insightful indeed. I would li ke my child ren and the nephews and nieces to follow the vision of AIACTR. Deep g rat it ude to D r. A rcha na Ver ma for givi ng us this interview.

Rohit Sharma, Jaipur

Write to:The Editor, CareerConnect, Surecom Media, 6/31-B, Jangpura B, New Delhi-110014 Email: surismiti@gmail.com CareerConnect reserves the right to edit letters for brevity and clarity before publication.

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News

Government schools to promote ‘Sabko Shiksha, Achchi Shiksha’: Prakash Javadekar

CBSE makes mistake in totalling Class 12 marks, fate of 10,98,420 students at risk

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hile attending a Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas event, Prakash Javadekar said that the Centre would make the government schools promote Sabko Shiksha, Achchi Shiksha (Good Education for All). While attending a Sabka Saath Sabka Vikaas event, hosted by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), the Human Resources and Development Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday said that the Centre would make the government schools promote Sabko Shiksha, Achchi Shiksha. He was in Mandvi Taluka of Surat to attend the event.

EU to release 25 million Euros for school education in India

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he European Union said on 13th June that it will release 25 million Euros for India’s school education sector as part of its efforts to back schemes such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA).

The amount forms part of the final tranche of a total of 80 million Euros that the EU has granted to support the educational schemes.“This brings to a conclusion the EU’s sector support to school education in India, to which it has contributed over EUR 520 million (currently valued at Rs 3,700 crore) in grant funding,” an official statement said.

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n 2016, t he Cent r al Boa rd of Second a r y E ducat ion (CBSE) scrapped its age old practice of board exam paper revaluation as very few applicants applied for it. After much speculation, the CBSE declared the Class 12th board results 2017 on May 28th on its official website. But, with various reports suggesting that CBSE has made errors in totalling Class 12th marks, a question mark on the authenticity of nation’s biggest board has been raised. This has placed the fate of 10,98,420 st udents in jeopardy.

Seven Indian students win the Global Multilingual Essay Contest ‘Many Languages, One World ’

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he winners of the 2017 Many Languages, One World international essay contest held by the ELS Educational services and the UN Academic Impact (UNAI) includes 60 students. The global contest includes an all-expense-paid trip to Boston and New York City and the opportunity to speak in the General Assembly Hall at the United Nations.

Many Languages, One World requires the participants to write an essay in one of the six off icial U N languages viz., Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. More than 6,000 individuals from 170 countries and over 1,950 universities participated in the initial phase of the 2017 contest.

The Indian winners include Shabab Anwar from the JNU, New Delhi, currently at the University of Foreigners of Perugia, Italy (for Arabic), Muhamamd Shereef, Mohammad Affan and Abdul G Kunnathodi from the JNU, New Delhi (all three for Arabic), Muhammad M Kattilasseri from Madeenthul Uloom Arabic College (for Arabic), Saloni A Ghatnekar from the HR College of Commerce and Economics (for French) and Ashham S Nellikkaavatitayil from Mahatma Gandhi University (for Arabic).

News

Punjab public schools to receive free textbooks, internet; five new colleges to come up: CM

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he government, said the chief minister, will aim to provide one college in each sub-division of the state. The syllabi of various degree courses, both technical and nontechnical, will be reviewed and brought at par with the best in the country. The Punjab government will provide free textbooks

Medical studies: Government plans to tweak undergraduate courses, combine traditional and modern medicine

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o promote integrative medicine and research, the government may mod if y u nderg radu ate c u r r ic u la t o m a ke b ot h mo d e r n med ici ne system a nd t r a d it ional medicine work in tandem. Various departments are working on this idea, including the Medical Council of India (MCI) – the medical education regulator in the country. A group of secretaries is reported to have suggested the idea of additions in syllabus to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a recent meeting.

to all students, and introduce pre-primary classes, nursery and LKG, in government schools from the next academic session as part of its sweeping educational reforms. It will also provide free internet service in 13,000 primary schools and all the 48 government colleges.

UGC pushes for promotion of Devanagari

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he University Grants Commission (UGC) has urged the universities to set up centres with an aim to foster and promote Devanagari, the script of many Indian languages, including Hindi and Sansk rit. The University Grants Commission (UGC) has urged universities to set up centres with an aim to foster and promote Devanagari, the script of many Indian languages, including Hindi and Sanskrit.

Universities and colleges have also been told to submit a detailed proposal with regard to funds and manpower they would need to set up the centres.

New JNU Chancellor stresses on academic autonomy

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n the recent visit on 19th Ju ne, Chancellor V K Saraswat stressed on the need for academic autonomy and developing an interface between academia and industry. He said that value addition to social goods should be one of the goals of the varsity.

July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 9

FEATURE

Bringing Change through a Global Curriculum

In major world markets, the business world globalised decades ago, expanding beyond domestic markets in pursuit of more diverse audiences and stronger profits. While major players in business continue to experiment and find their way in markets whose culture and buying practices diverge from those domestic, the â&#x20AC;&#x153;fieldâ&#x20AC;? of education has been slow to follow suit. Tariq Ahmed talks about the need for a global curriculum so as to bring some significant changes to this field.

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FEATURE

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ow ove r a d e c a d e into the 21st century, there is tremendous pressure for education to “globalise.” This notion has been fuelled by the relationship between education and economic systems. If one goal of education is to prepare a “workforce,” the more parallel the educational system is with the workforce, the less “waste” there might be. While industrialism, commercialism, religion and technology all reach out across political and geographical borders, education lags awkwardly behind.

So, the question arises, how do you “globalise” a curriculum? Certainly that means something different for educators everywhere, but where do you begin with an effort this ambitious?

The notion of a “global curriculum” in fact is not new. It has been in existence for a long time in the postg radu ate level teach i ng a nd research topics of the well known universities of the world, including in India. They focus on global policy, human rights, democratic citizenship, energy issues, sustainable development, egalit a r ia n societ y etc. I n t hei r teachings in almost all disciplines of Humanities and Social Sciences,the important aspect here is that now this concept is being taken to the colleges and senior secondary schools and even high schools, in an effort to create global citizens who can have a global perspective on the issues facing the world. Hence, a training in this perspective can help the students to adapt better to the fast changing world and think about new solutions to the problems in the society.

Here we talk about three ideas, however small, to create a curriculum that’s global in nature.

language and platforms. But doing this also means that you must first understand the tools’ strengths. Using Twitter, a Google+ Hangout or video games in a learning experience is only as useful as the nature of and reasons for that integration. Traditionally, formal education requires learners to come to the content via well-sequenced instruction, charismatic teachers or dogged determinism on the part of the learner. As learners have access to more diverse forms of informal collaboration through social media platforms, as well as access to lots of information, this pattern must change in form and tone. It is now possible to place learners, learner pathways and learner collaboration on full display, removing institutionally-centred ideas of compartmentalised “content areas,” teacher knowledge and staid “learning targets.”

Idea 2: Rethink learning spaces Reimagining a building’s physical space as simply a physical meeting point can improve global awareness.

This in and of itself -- if you can tr uly manage it in daily practice -- will enable countless other less

visible but crucial adjustments to the learning process. In this way, through the application of technology, digital media and social media, the walls of all buildings become transparent.

C o n s i d e r h ow yo u’d pl a n a learning experience if you had no classroom. How would it be different?

Now, consider that you do, in fact, have to meet tomorrow morning in a small room with concrete f loors.

Where do you go from there -- if that classroom is just a starting point? A global curriculum can’t be created or implemented sitting in a room, no matter the miracle of technology.

Idea 3: Leverage the role of play Lear ners are incredibly creative, curious, social and ambitious. The issue is often their application of these talents to resist the formal learning process.

“Globalisation” is first and foremost about awareness, then application.

Creating informal learning “areas” for students to resist, reject, rebel, repurpose and rethinking is every bit as powerful as even the best-planned instructional sequence.

Digital and social media benefit from so much “hands on” time that

Idea 1: Adapt to the learners More often than not, educators select the technology platforms and tools (and thus the domain) of learning and force the students to use them, rather than understanding the needs of learners first and then finding the appropriate technology to support those needs.

While you don’t have to blindly adopt, you can adapt to your tools, July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 11

FEATURE

to develop the specif ic cognitive, i nter personal, a nd i nt rapersonal competencies crucial for thriving in the 21st century. Among those skills: the social and emotional ability to understand and work with people from diverse cultures; the creativity to develop sustainable solutions to complex problems; and a sense of confidence that individuals can (and are obligated to) make a difference.

Prof. D.S. Rao

Provost, FLAME University

“In today’s globalised world, everyone needs to think of themselves as global citizens capable of informed appreciation of international issues and events, eventhough these may not be part of their immediate physical environment. A global curriculum is inclusive, that prepares you to transcend borders.” learning -- in one form or another -- is omnipresent. Figuring out where and how, and using this knowledge to your advantage, is the next step.

Project-based learning also honours the concept of “play,” where learning is not tightly sequenced and scripted, but organic, and learners begin learning to manage their own time, focus and intellectual and creative output.

In Empowering Global Citizens: A World Course, Fernando Reimers a nd fou r co -aut hor s of fe r a n interdisciplinary K-12 curriculum that aims for nothing less. It seeks 12 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

A global curriculum A curriculum, ideally, should give young people the knowledge they need to approach the future with a dynamic, accountable, forward-thinking mindset, says Reimers, the Faculty Director of international education policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

The World Course is a curriculum specifically designed with the future in view — with the idea that our future will be an interconnected one, with complex challenges that demand a sense of citizenship and collaboration that expands beyond national borders.

According to Reimers and his colleagues, to be globally competent, students will need traits like critical thinking, intercultural literacy, digital literacy and cooperation. They’ll need to know how to work together on shared projects; how to use technology as a tool for learning; and how to see themselves as agents for innovation and sustainability.

Taking its lead from the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the curriculum — unit-based, with sample lessons that teachers can customise — is divided into two large segments, kindergarten through grade eight and grades nine through 12. It builds gradually, from closely guided instruction and activities to independent, project-based learning.

The curriculum emphasises pedagogy, focusing on “how you teach, not just what you teach,” says Connie K. Chung, Associate Director of HGSE’s Global Education Innovation Initiative and one of the book’s co-authors. (The other co-authors are Vidhur Chopra, Julia Higdon, and E. B. O’Donnell.) To that end, Empowering Global Citizens advocates for materials and resources to personalise learning, for schools to build partnerships with parents

The notion of a “global curriculum” in fact is not new. It has been in existence for a long time in the Postgraduate level teaching and research topics of the well known universities of the world, including in India. and communities; and for leadership that “supports cultures of continuous improvement and learning.”

According to Prof. D.S. Rao, Provost, FLAME University, “In today’s globalised world, everyone needs to thin k of themselves as global citizens capable of informed appreciation of international issues a nd eve nt s, eve nt t houg h t he se may not be part of their immediate physical env i ron ment. A global curriculum is inclusive, that prepares

FEATURE

counting, interviewing, describing, storytelling and viewing pictures.” A different theme comes into focus each successive academic year. The themes grow with the children, providing an ever-widening, deepening view of the world, from cultures, government and geography to the environment, entrepreneurship and values.

you t o t r a n sce nd b orde r s. Li ke trade, commerce, technology and religion which spread across borders, education too is following suit. Visits by foreign delegations of faculty, resea rche r s a nd st udent s to t he university are a regular feature of the international collaboration initiative of our University. Panel discussions are routinely organised to facilitate interaction between the faculty on such areas as curriculum development, pedagogical innovation, collaborative teaching and building a relationship with the community in ways that go beyond mere sharing of information.

Not only do such deliberations enrich the educational experience of the participants but also help in exploring aspects of synergy between associated universities and institutions.”

K-8: Introducing diversity And New Perspectives The World Course kicks off by helping kindergartners see that “our world is diverse and beautiful and we can learn about it in different ways, like

The themes communicate: • What we have in common and how we differ • The value of social entrepreneurship • The evolution of civilisations • The power of ordinary citizens to improve society and the world • The ongoing reality of population migration Students immerse themselves in the themes through classroom activities, projects, film and literature. Each year ends with a capstone project; students might make a book, create a documentary, or create a social enterprise. Students learn to bring an inquisitive mind to people and experiences.

They’re taught to interview and to partner with peers in other countries.

Teachers emphasise upon the long arc of history and the importance of the values espoused in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights through activities and lessons highlighting its various components. By the time they enter high school, students have learned “to find and make meaning in their learning,” rather than simply mastering a list of skills.

High School: Taking Control Of Your Learning Ninth-graders continue the World Course by completing two of the five semesters-long courses designed specifically for the curriculum. There are courses on: • The environment • Society and public health • Global conflicts and resolutions • Development economics: growth and development in Latin America • Technology, innovation, and globalisation At the end of ninth grade, students identify an issue or challenge they’d like to pursue. In tenth grade, they

Arti Gupta

Principal, Amity Global School, Gurgaon

“When IB (International Baccalaureate) started out, the board was focused on providing education to children of diplomats and people working in multinational companies who are transferred regularly.” begin a three-year, multi-pronged inquiry into the subject. The project includes: • Independent research • An internship with a mentor or organisation • The development and implementation of a plan to address the issue • A final senior-year presentation to the school community Tr ue t o g lobal- cit i z e n for m , students don’t carry out their projects in a vacuum. They’re placed in advisory groups based on their topics. And advisors, sometimes outside mentors, guide students for the duration of their research. Students also serve as peer coaches while working on their own projects.

July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 13

COVER STORY

University Admission Dilemma

In this environment of cut-throat competition, admissions in leading university have been a hassle for all the students across the country. In order to decipher the university admission code, Sheena Sachdeva brings an informative piece about the admission criteria in leading universities along with some of the best courses available in other universities.

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enu Agarwal, a student who has just passed her 12th board examination, is now in a dilemma for her further career options. She took Commerce in her 12th class and secured around 85 per cent in the board examination. Her mother is worried about her daughter’s admissions.

After the class 12th result were declared last month, she has been running to all the colleges in Delhi along with applying to various courses across the country in various leading universities. It is a matter of concern not only for Renu, but thousands of students struggling to make a mark in their careers by getting an admission into a good and reputed college in the country.

While some are more concerned about a prominent college, others are more concerned about a nearby good college of the city. But we all are aware about the skyreaching cut-off marks for every popular course.

University Outlook The University of Mumbai, earlier known as the University of Bombay, is a premier 14 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

and one of the oldest (amongst the first three) Universities in India. Established in 1857 consequent upon “Wood’s Education Dispatch” and spread over 243 acres, the university has, over the years grown by leaps and bounds. It operates from five campuses and caters to students from the rural, tribal, urban and metropolitan areas.

The reputation of excellence achieved by the university since 159 years of ceaseless service in the realm of higher education is a powerful indicator of its manifold achievements as the intellectual and moral powerhouse of the society. True to its purpose of offering a rich diversity of curricular options, the University runs 58 Post Graduate Departments in disciplines of Science, Social Sciences, Humanities, Languages, Fine Arts and Law. Even at the Undergraduate level, there are many courses on offer in the faculties of Arts, Science, Commerce, Management Studies, Law, Engineering, Architecture, Aviation and Physical Education.

T he ad m ission cr iter ia for undergraduate programmes for some universities is only on merit based for

engineering, humanities, law and other courses. “Mumbai University has a social reservation policy which is followed by the officials while admitting students.

Further, in university admission process, each affiliated college has three per cent seats for state/national level champion students. Hence, extra-curricular activities play a major role in terms of admission into various undergraduate and postgraduate courses. For securing admission after cut -off the main process is verification of documents and payment of Fees on time”, said Leeladhar Bansod, Deputy Registrar, University of Mumbai.

Delhi University (DU), another central and leading university, had started the entrance-based undergraduate courses admission registration on June 16. The university had already concluded the registration for merit based courses on June 13 for the 2017 academic year.

Students registered for the colleges through Delhi University’s official website.

Online registration for all the courses was concluded on June 25. In merit-based courses, more than three lakh students

COVER STORY

“Mumbai University has a social reservation policy which is followed by the officials while admitting students. Further, in university admission process, each affiliated college has three per cent seats for state/national level champion students.”

Leeladhar Bansod,

Deputy Registrar, University of Mumbai

The admission criteria for undergraduate programmes for some universities is only on merit based for engineering, humanities, law and other courses. registered before the window closed on the last week of registration.

Entrance-based programmes include Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS), Bachelor of Business Administration (Financial Investment Analysis), BA (Hons) in Business Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences, Multimedia and Mass Communication and Music.

Registration for the Postgraduate courses in the university started on June 12 and the online process for 72 PG programmes concluded on June 22. Recently, the Delhi’s CM Kejriwal suggested that the 28 odd colleges aided by his state government must allow reservations for students from Delhi. Kejriwal says that students from the national capital often fail to secure admission to various courses, as more than half of the seats are overtaken by aspirants from other states, often passing out of 16 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

boards that witness much higher scores.

According to a Hindustan Times report, more than half of those who applied to merit-based undergraduate courses at DU in year 2017 are Delhi residents. Admission statistics from the year 2016 show a similar pattern, where out of the 57,739 applicants, over 28,731 were from Delhi.

“Only those r ules specif ied in the constitution can come into effect.

At present, DU has no provisions for reservation that favors residents of Delhi.

Caste-based reservations as provided for in the constitution are prevalent in DU colleges”. Top DU Official informed.

Reservation based on domicile may not be possible in colleges affiliated to the University of Delhi, but those under the purview of state varsities can and do reserve up to 85 per cent seats for students from Delhi.

State universities like Ambedkar

University Delhi, for instance, allow students from the city to take admission under the Delhi quota. Similarly, IP university, Delhi Technical University and other state universities offer an added advantage to Delhi students. “There are two criteria that students must meet under the Delhi Quota. They should either pass their last qualifying exam from a Delhi school or they should be from a Delhi domicile”, says Bindu Nair, Assistant Registrar, Ambedkar University, Delhi.

Various other universities across the country prepare for the admissions every year. One of them is Manav Rachna. The Manav Rachna Educational Institutions (MREI), Faridabad, located in sylvan surroundings is a ISO certified organisation having received the ISO 9001:2000. There are eight educational institutions under MREI. Spread over 45 acres of land, MREI is playing a very important role in terms of providing education in different fields in the state of Haryana. It offers various courses from the streams of Engineering, Humanities, Medical Science, Management etc.

Manav Rachna conducts a Manav Rachna National Aptitude Test whose marks are considered in the admission process. Along with the marks, the university also conducts a GD/PI (Group Discussion and Personal Interview).

“In Manav Rachna, there is no quota for admissions based on extracurricular activities. However, st udents with exceptional extra-curricular activities get an advantage over other students. After getting the name in the merit list students have to attend the physical counseling with the documents including the merit rank, higher secondary and matriculation mark sheets and few other certificates like identity proofs, character certificate, migration certificate etc,” informed BRIG. S.N. SETIA, Director Admissions, MREI. Ashoka University, a pioneer in liberal arts education in India, completed

COVER STORY

“In Manav Rachna, there is no Quota for admissions based on extracurricular activities. However, students with exceptional extracurricular activities get an advantage over other students.

BRIG. S.N. SETIA,

Director Admissions, MREI

its third round of admissions on June 16, 2017. Ashoka offers a multidisciplinary undergraduate programme in the interest of exposing students to different perspectives in and out of the classroom. “By not committing to a specific major from the very beginning, students get enough time to explore various options and to discover their true passion,” explained Vineet Gupta, Founder and pro Vice-Chancellor, Ashoka University.

Students work towards a threeyear B.A. (Hons) or B.Sc. (Hons) degree at Ashoka, choosing from a variety of interdisciplinary majors. A fourth-year postgraduate diploma programme is also open to all Ashoka graduates who would like to conduct further research in an academic discipline of their choice or an internship in the social sector. Famous for its liberal education, Ashoka University provides a plethora of opportunities to the students. The holistic admission process ensures that students are not evaluated only on their board exam scores. A comprehensive application takes their grade 9th to 12th marks, co-curricular and extracurricular activities, social work and other achievements into consideration. Students can also share their SAT scores and a letter of recommendation from their peers which can add value to their applications. Based on this application, a candidate is then shortlisted for a personal interview. On the day of the interview, all applicants have to also appear for a mandatory on-the-spot essay and an optional Ashoka Aptitude Test (AAT). The AAT is a 90 minute test has different sections which includes: verbal, quantitative and analytical reasoning. To get a firm offer of admission from Ashoka, an applicant needs to have taken the SAT/ ACT or Ashoka Aptitude Test (AAT) or have their final class 12th board scores.

As the upcoming university, Ashoka started their undergraduate programme in the year 2014. The founding batch graduated this May with 118 students on its campus in

Sonipat, Haryana. Most of the graduating students return to Ashoka for a oneyear Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Studies and Research (DipASR). Some students will be going abroad to pursue a Master’s degree to universities such as the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva and SOAS London. Further students also receive placements in companies like Citibank as a Graduate Management Associate. Ashoka University also provides a foreign trip to study abroad for semester to universities such as King’s College (London), KoC University (Turkey), Sciences Po (Paris), NUS (Singapore) and University of California (Berkeley). Around 66 per cent students of the founding batch studied on need-based financial aid. The university provides scholarships worth INR 11 crores which were awarded to the first batch at the time of admission.

The O.P. Jindal Global University follows a holistic approach in the development of the students’ personality.

The universit y have the following courses: Jindal Global Law School, Jindal Global Business School, Jindal School of International Affairs, Jindal School of Government and Public Policy, Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities and Jindal School of Journalism and Communication. Each school has its own admission criteria.

“The Jindal Global Law School follows the LSAT exam and has a percentile based cut-off. There is an eligibility criteria set by the Bar Council of India that also has to be met. The other programmes on campus all follow their own processes. For every course there is the JSAT (Jindal Scholastic Aptitude Test), an interview, submission of an essay, personal interview and so on” informs Arjun Puri, Head of Admissions and Outreach, OP Jindal University.

The University campus is abuzz with activities – both cultural and academic.

Adding to this Arjun Puri said , “We

National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2017 has ranked universities given below.

• Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore • Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi • Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi • Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru • Jadavpur University, Kolkata • Anna University, Chennai • University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad • University of Delhi, Delhi • Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Coimbatore • Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune • Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh • Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi • Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, Pilani • Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore • Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi • Calcutta University, Kolkata • Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore • Manipal Academy of Higher Education-Manipal, Manipal • Visva Bharati, Kolkata • Siksha`O`Anusandhan University, Bhubaneswar July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 17

COVER STORY

“We carry forward all the interests our students have – even at the university level. I am a strong believer in pursuing activities that one loves and am glad that at JGU we allow our students to explore just that:”.

Arjun Puri,

Head of Admissions and Outreach, OP Jindal University

run the J-League football championship on campus, it’s immensely popular. We run cultural and sports festivals. We run numerous societies and clubs. Therefore, we carry forward all the interests our students have – even at the university level.

I am a strong believer in pursuing activities that one loves and am glad that at JGU we allow our students to explore just that. The students applying to certain programmes at the university go through an interview

The highest cut-off was recorded by Ramjas College for Humanities and Commerce courses, 99.25 much higher from B.Com (Honours). B.Com (Honours) cut-off for SRCC had gone up to 98 per cent.

2,21,309 applications have been received

by Delhi University for the 56,000 seats available in its colleges. The number of applications reveals that the total number of registered candidates have decreased this year by 29,000 as compared with

process. There, they can highlight their passion for co-curricular activities”.

2016. This is because of the restriction that Delhi University imposed against multiple applications this year. It is unlikely that the cut-off for admission to psychology (Hons) in Delhi University would fall below 96 per cent. A faculty member of Lady Shri Ram College said that, “One should not be surprised if it touches an all-time high because a majority of aspirants have highscoring English as mandatory subject and economics as an elective in Class XII. Getting into Science programmes would also be a daunting task as with 78 and 63 candidates, respectively, per seat in chemistry (Hons) and physics (Hons) would be a cut-throat competition. In the year 2016, Delhi University received maximum applications from Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. The registrations extended for a day this year which helped universities get over 13,000 paid applications in the space

Challenges Admissions into a renowned university is a big hassle these days. Like every year, this year also Delhi University is flooded with the applications of aspirants from all over the nation for 56,000 DU seats. The online registrations concluded on June 13 and many applications have been received that aim to grab a limited number of seats. The psychology (honours) course has mere 323 seats to offer but thousands of applications are already fighting to grab the seats. 81 applications would compete for each of the seats offered for Mathematics (honours) if figures of applications received are looked upon. The first cut-off of Delhi University in the year 2016 went too high. It was beyond the reach of thousands of students.

18 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

of additional one day. If students look beyond Delhi University, there are actually various courses and academic flexibility that are offered by private universities in the National Capital Region. Most of these courses are skill-based, often are industry specific and provide candidates with exposure to foreign exchange programmes and internships.

While admissions are over in the leading universities of Delhi which includes Indraprastha University, Jamia Millia Islamia and DU, these universities still struggle to accommodate students, the private universities are good alternatives.

Besides the option of new courses, these institutes also allow students new freedoms. Ashoka University, for instance, allows its students to opt for a major a year after they have taken admission to the course. Even Ambedkar University’s new undergraduate courses are quite innovative and interesting. These include vocational programmes like banking and finance, early child development, retail management and hospitality and tourism at undergraduate level. According to MA Sikandar, the University’s Registrar, the Bachelor in Vocational degree courses will be offered from its Karampura campus.

Students who wish to join industry immediately on graduation can opt for courses like BBA and B.Com (Hon) courses, since these provide exposure to industry and hands-on training in association with KPMG, which is a leader in tax and advisory services. But it is not simply the vocation-specific courses at these universities that are good options.

The institution offers just 15 seats for a bachelor’s degree in English and 25 seats in economics. The country has various universities which provide a plethora of courses in diverse fields. At the end, it is upto a student whether he or she uses the knowledge gained from the course opted in order to make a fruitful career.

SPECIAL FEATURE

Distance Learning

How is it perceive

20 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

ed in India?

SPECIAL FEATURE

Distance learning has become the need of the hour in our country where access to education is a critical process and â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;education for allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is just a phrase. The history of distance learning in India goes way back to when the universities started offering education through distance mode in the name of correspondence courses.

CareerConnect presents a brief report on the distance education scenario in India and also rates the best distance learning institutions of the country.

July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 21

SPECIAL FEATURE

I

n the recent past, the demand for higher education has increased enor mou sly t h roug hout t he country. To accommodate the eve r-i n c r e a si ng d e m a nd , a number of institutions including deemed universities, private universities, public universities and even smaller institutions, have started offering distance education programs in a large number of disciplines ranging from humanities to commerce, engineering, management etc. at different levels. The advancements in technology combined with the proliferation of internet has given us a new opportunity known as distance education. More and more colleges and universities are adopting distance learning programs, wherein the students are given a prospect of educating themselves within the solace of their homes. Changing societal needs, improvement in standards of living and pressure of earning a livelihood–all these factors combined make distance and open learning a popular mode of education.

There is always a danger that some of these institutions may become ‘degree mills’ offering sub-standard education, consequently eroding the credibility of degrees and other qualifications awarded through the distance mode. This calls for

a higher degree of coordination among the concerned statutory authorities like UGC, AICTE and IGNOU and the Distance Education Council (DEC).

Introduction Distance learning in our country has come a long way and is presently helping students achieve qualifications in an easy manner by minimising the shortcomings of physical distances.

The process is being simplified so that persons with no or little education can also take advantage of distance learning courses. Distance education institutions offer courses at different levels: Diploma, Certificate, PG Diploma, M Sc, MA, M Phil and PhD and so on. These courses cover a wide variety of subjects.

Distance education is imparted by three kinds of institutions: • Departments of Correspondence Courses in regular universities and university-level institutions • Open Universities – Courses exclusively t h roug h d ist a nce learning mode • Private institutions - Mostly offering short-term vocational courses. There is generally no

ter r itor ial rest r iction for the enrolment of students.

In the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) system, teachers and learners need not necessarily be present at same place or same time. It is flexible in regard to modalities and timing of teaching and learning. ODL system of the country consists of Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), State Open Universities (SOUs), institutions and universities offering Correspondence Course Institutes (CCIs) in conventional dual-mode universities.

Until recently, the ODL system in India was governed by the Distance Education Council (DEC), established by the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in 1991. DEC was primarily entrusted with the promotion, coordination and maintenance of standards of ODL system in India and was expected to create an effective regulatory framework. In August 2010, the Ministry of Human Resource and Development (MHRD) constituted a committee under the chairmanship of NR Madhava Menon to “suggest measures to regulate the standards of education being imparted through distance mode”.

In June 2013, the University Grants Commission (UGC) took over DEC and established the Distance Education Bureau, to govern the distance education programs in India.

Evidently, the evolution of distance education in India is an interesting tale.

With the dissolution of the Distance Education Council of IGNOU, the regulatory powers on ODL is currently vested with the University Grants Commission (UGC). The ODL system has grown exponentially in recent years into a dynamic and vibrant mode of teaching and learning that boasts of one national open university, 13 state open universities and more than 200 distance education centres which are functioning under conventional universities and autonomous institutions. More than four million students are enrolled every year in ODL programmes and account for about 22 per cent of the total enrolment in the higher education scenario of India.

Pros and Cons of Distance Education Although sometimes considered to be the poorer cousin of regular college

SPECIAL FEATURE

You need to be mature and disciplined to take full advantage.

It can get lonely: Even if you’re in a virtual classroom that is full of students, the lack of personal interaction might make you feel detached and lonely.

Not All Courses are Available/Taught: Another major disadvantage of distance learning is that not all courses can be taught online. For example, subjects like Medicine and Engineering can’t be taught online or through distance learning since practical classes, experiments etc. can’t possibly be conducted over the internet.

Not Valued by All Employers: No matter how good the university/college from where you pursued your distance learning program, some employers will always prefer a candidate who has pursued a regular programme over you. programmes, distance learning comes as a blessing to students who want to study further while continuing with jobs or who might not be able to attend a fulltime course for various reasons. A lot depends on the student’s ability. While some students can make the most out of a distance learning programme, there are others who are not comfortable with this pattern.

Pros It’s Flexible: You can earn and study at the same time. Flexibility is the biggest advantage of distance learning courses.

This stands true especially if you are a working professional. For those who had to take a break from studies to start working, such courses are a boon and provide the opportunity to pursue higher education.

Saves Time and Energy: You save up a lot of time and energy on commuting.

You can stay in Pune and pursue a course in Bangalore. Or you might be based out of a remote village or town which does not have enough options for higher studies. Distance learning courses eliminate these obstacles.

Study at your own Pace : Not everyone has the same pace of learning. Some students pick things up fast, others need time to grasp a concept. One of the biggest advantages of distance learning is that you can study at a pace comfortable for you.

Saves Money: These courses are almost always cheaper as compared to their on-

campus counterparts. You also cut down on the costs incurred while commuting as well.

Convenient: You can submit your assignment with the click of a button.

It’s as simple as that.

24X7 Access to Study Material: This is the best way to study if you are comfortable with inter net and technology. You can access your study material online whenever you want and also clear doubts, exchange views and discuss with your virtual classmates.

Study Any Topic You Want: Since you’d already have all your books/online study material, you can pick up any topic/ chapter that interests you and tackle that first.

Cons No Direct Contact with Faculty: Lack of personal interaction with teachers often affects the learning curve for some students. This is one major disadvantage of distance learning.

Overdependence on Technology: Some distance learning programmes, especially online courses, require access to internet. Unless you are comfortable with this medium, you will find studying and interacting with your faculty online difficult Lack of Discipline: Since you don’t have a regular schedule with a periodic monitoring system, reminding you of deadlines, asking for your assignments, there are chances that you will not take a distance learning programme seriously.

The Change in Approach The University Grants Commission (UGC) is actively considering relaxing its norms which would enable distance education institutions to offer M Phil and PhD programmes. To democratise higher education to large segments of the population, in particular the disadvantaged groups such as those living in remote and rural areas, working people, women etc., we need to be a little liberal, as there is an imperative need to expand higher education base.

As we know, India has one of the largest distance education systems in the world, second to China. Four years back, there was a spur when IGNOU got into a controversy over the restrictions for M Phil and Ph D prog ram mes which inadvertently affected 10,000 odd students. Now, when the UGC is relaxing its norms regarding the said programmes, it would definitely help and benefit the students by and large.

St udents will get empowered and enriched with higher degrees. This will be the biggest contribution and a great step towards the development of the country as education is the only way to prosper and develop. By relaxing the norms, major pool of aspirants would be upgrading their knowledge about research and new innovations. This will help in nurturing various industries. To develop and flourish, we need continuous research in various fields/areas and it is only possible when we have enough research scholars in the country.

July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 23

SPECIAL FEATURE

Presents

Top Distance Educ

CAREERCONNECT proudly presents yet another rating issue which rates the best dist exhaustive rating of the most sought after distance learning and open universities in bo positioning of institutes after analysing them on various parameters, to help students ma Name of the College Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi University of Delhi, School of Open Learning (SOL), University of Delhi Campus, Delhi English and Foreign Languages University, School of Distance Education (EFLU SDE), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh GITAM Centre for Distance Learning, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh IMT Distance and Open Learning Institute, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh Lovely Professional University, Directorate of Distance Education, Kapurthala, Punjab Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh Maulana Azad National Urdu University, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh NMIMS University, School of Distance Learning, Mumbai, Maharashtra Sikkim-Manipal University, Distance Education, Gangtok, Sikkim Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning (SCDL), Pune, Maharashtra Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University, Nashik, Maharastra Amity School Of Distance Learning, Noida, Uttar Pradesh Annamalai University, Directorate of Distance Education, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu Bharathiar University, School of Distance Education, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Dr B R Ambedkar Open University (DBROU), Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University, Ahmedabad, Gujarat Guru Jambheshwar University, Hisar, Haryana Maharshi Dayanand University, Directorate of Distance Education, Rohtak, Haryana Mahatma Gandhi University, School of Distance Education (MGU-SDE), Kottayam, Kerala Nalanda Open University, Patna, Bihar Netaji Subhas Open University (NSOU), Kolkata, West Bengal 24 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

SPECIAL FEATURE

cation Institutions

tance education institutions across the country. The rating below is an extensive and oth public and private category. The purpose behind this endeavour is to highlight the ake better choices. The colleges appear alphabetically against each level of star rating.

Pondicherry University, Directorate of Distance Education, Pondicherry Sri Venkateswara University, Directorate of Distance Education (SVU DDE), Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh Thapar University, Department of Distance Education (TUDDE), Patiala, Punjab University of Jammu, Directorate of Distance Education, Jammu and Kashmir University of Mumbai, Institute of Distance Education, Mumbai, Maharashtra University of Petroleum and Energy Studies Centre for Continuing Education, Dehradun, Uttarakhand Acharya Nagarjuna University, Center for Distance Education (CDE), Guntur, Andhra Pradesh Alagappa University, Directorate of Distance Education, Sivanagar, Tamil Nadu Bangalore University, Directorate of Correspondence Courses and Distance Education, Bangalore, Karnataka Himachal Pradesh University, International Centre for Distance Education and Open Learning (ICDEOL), Shimla Himachal Pradesh ICFAI University, Directorate of Distance Education, Agartala, Tripura ICFAI University, Directorate of Distance Education, Gangtok, Sikkim Jaipur National University, Jaipur, Rajasthan Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), Mysore, Karnataka Osmania University PGRR Center for Distance Education, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh Punjab Technical University, Directorate of Distance Education, Jalandhar, Punjab Shivaji University Centre for Distance Education, Kolhapur, Maharashtra Shreemati Nathibai Daodar Thackersey (SNDT) Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s University,Centre of Distance Education, Mumbai, Maharashtra University of Kerala, School of Ditance Educationm, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala Utkal University, Directorate of Distance & Continuing Education, Bhubaneswar, Orissa Andhra University, School of Distance Education (AU SDE), Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 25

SPECIAL FEATURE Directorate of Open and Distance Learning(DODL), University of Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal Dravidian University, Directorate of Distance Education, Agaram, Andhra Pradesh Madurai Kamraj University, Directorate of Distance Education (MKU-DDE), Madurai, Tamil Nadu Pandit Sundarlal Sharma (Open) University, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh Rajiv Gandhi University, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh Tamil Nadu Open University (TNOU), Chennai, Tamil Nadu University of Madras, Institute of Distance Education, Chennai, Tamil Nadu Uttar Pradesh Rajarshi Tandon Open University (UPRTOU), Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh Uttarakhand Open University, Haldwani, Uttarakhand Vardhaman Mahaveer Open University (VMOU), Kota, Rajasthan Kakatiya University, School of Distance Learning & Continuing Education, Warangal, Andhra Pradesh Kurukshetra University, Directorate of Correspondence Courses, Kurukshetra, Haryana Patna University Directorate of Distance Education (PUDDE), Patna, Bihar University of Calicut, School of Distance Education, Calicut, Kerala

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SPECIAL FEATURE

ANDHRA PRADESH Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Acharya Nagarjuna University

Guntur

Andhra University

Visakhapatnam

Dr B R Ambedkar Open University

Hyderabad

Dravidian University

Kuppam

GITAM University

Visakhapatnam

Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University

Hyderabad

Kakatiya University

Warangal

Maulana Azad National Urdu University

Hyderabad

Osmania University

Hyderabad

Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University

Hyderabad

Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeetha

Tirupati

Rayalseema University

Kurnool

Sri Krishnadevaraya University

Anantapur

Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam

Tirupati

Sri Venkateswara University

Tirupati

University of English & Foreign Languages

Hyderabad

University of Hyderabad

Hyderabad

ASSAM Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Dibrugarh University

Dibrugarh

Guwahati University

Guwahati

Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University

Guwahati

Don Bosco University Global

Guwahati

BIHAR Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University

Muzaffarpur

Lalit Narayan Mithila University

Darbhanga

Magadh University

Bodh Gaya

Nalanda Open University

Patna

Patna University

Patna

CHATTISGARH Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Dr CV Raman University

Bilaspur

MATS University

Raipur

28 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

SPECIAL FEATURE

Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Pt Ravi Shankar Shukla University

Raipur

Pt Sunderlal Sharma (Open) University

Bilaspur

DELHI Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Delhi University

Delhi

Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University

Delhi

Indira Gandhi National Open University

Delhi

Institute of Rail Transport

New Delhi

Jamia Hamdard

New Delhi

Jamia Milia Islamia

New Delhi

Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan

New Delhi

GUJARAT Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University

Ahmedabad

Gujarat Vidyapith

Ahmedabad

Sumandeep Vidyapeeth University

Vadodara

Sardar Patel University

Anand

Shree Somnath Sanskrit University

Junagarh

HARYANA Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Chaudhary Devilal University

Sirsa

Guru Jambheshwar University

Hisar

JK Business School, Gurgaon

Haryana

Kurukshetra University

Kurukshetra

Maharishi Dayanand University

Rohtak

Maharshi Markandeshwar University

Ambala

Manav Rachna International University

Ambala

JAMMU and kashmir Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

University of Jammu

Jammu

University of Kashmir

Srinagar July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 29

KARNATAKA Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Gulbarga University

Gulbarga

Kannada University

Hampi

Karnataka State Open University

Mysore

Karnataka University

Dharwad

Kuvempu University

Shimoga

Mangalore University

Mangalore

National Law School of India University

Bangalore

Swamy Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhan Sansthan

Bangalore

Visvesvaraya Technological University

Belgavi

KERALA Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Kannur University

Kannur

Mahatma Gandhi University

Kottayam

University of Calicut

Kozhikode

University of Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram

MADHYA PRADESH Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Awadhesh Pratap Singh University

Rewa

Barkatullah Vishwavidyalaya

Bhopal

Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya

Indore

Dr Harisingh Gour University

Sagar

Jiwaji University

Gwalior

M G Chitrakoot Gramodaya Vishwavidyalaya

Chitrakoot

Madhya Pradesh Bhoj Open University

Bhopal

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Vedic Vishwavidyalaya

Katni

Rani Durgawati University

Jabalpur

MAHARASHTRA Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Bharati Vidyapeeth University

Pune

Dr D Y Patil University

Pune

Indian Institute of Material Management

Navi Mumbai

Indira International Distance Education Academy, IGI

Pune

International Institute for Population Sciences

Mumbai

30 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya

Wardha

NMIMS University

Mumbai

Padmashree Dr. DY Patil University

Navi Mumbai

Sant Gadge Baba Amravati University

Amravati

Shivaji University

Kolhapur

Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) Women's University

Mumbai

Sinhgad Technical Education Society

Pune

Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada University

Nanded

Symbiosis Centre for Distance Learning

Pune

Tata Institute of Social Sciences

Mumbai

Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth

Pune

University of Mumbai

Mumbai

Welingkar Institute of Management Studies

Mumbai

Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University

Nashik

MEGHALAYA Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Mahatma Gandhi University

Khanapara

North Eastern Hill University

Shillong

ODISHA Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Asian School of Business Management

Bhubaneshwar

Berhampur University

Berhampur

Fakir Mohan University

Balasore

North Orissa University

Mayurbhanj

Sambalpur University

Sambalpur

Utkal University

Bhubaneswar

PUNJAB Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Guru Nanak Dev University

Amritsar

Lovely Professional University

Phagwara

Panjab University

Chandigarh

Punjab Technical University

Jalandhar

Punjabi University

Patiala

Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology

Patiala July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 31

RAJASTHAN Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Bhagwant University

Ajmer

Jagan Nath University

Jaipur

Jain Vishva Bharati Institute

Ladnun

Jaipur National University

Jaipur

Jayoti Vidyapeeth Women's University

Jaipur

JRN Rajasthan Vidyapeeth

Udaipur

NIMS University

Jaipur

Vardhman Mahaveer Open University

Kota

SIKKIM Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

ICFAI University

Gangtok

Sikkim Manipal University

Gangtok

TAMIL NADU Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Alagappa University

Karaikudi

Annamalai University

Annamalai Nagar

Bharathiar University

Coimbatore

Bharathidasan University

Tiruchirapalli

Dakshina Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha

Chennai

Dr MGR University

Chennai

Karpagam University

Coimbatore

Madurai Kamaraj University

Madurai

Manonmaniam Sundaranar University

Tirunelveli

Meenakshi Academy of Higher Education and Research (Meenakshi University)

Chennai

Mother Teresa Women's University

Kodaikanal

Periyar University

Salem

SASTRA University

Thanjavur

SRM University

Kanchipuram

St Peter's University

Chennai

Tamil Nadu Agricultural University

Coimbatore

Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University

Chennai

Tamil Nadu Open University

Chennai

Tamil University

Thanjavur

32 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

University of Madras

Chennai

Vinayaka Missions University

Salem

TRIPURA Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

ICFAI University

Agartala

Tripura University

Agartala

UTTAR PRADESH Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Aligarh Muslim University

Aligarh

Allahabad Agricultural Institute

Allahabad

Amity University

Noida

Dayalbagh Educational Institute

Agra

IMT, Centre for Distance Learning, Ghaziabad

Ghaziabad

Indian Institute of Carpet Technology

Bhadohi

National Institute of Management & Technology

Greater Noida

Shobhit Institute of Engineering & Technology

Meerut

Swami Vivekananda Subharti University

Meerut

UP Rajarshi Tandon Open University

Allahabad

University of Allahabad

Allahabad

University of Lucknow

Lucknow

UTTARAKHAND Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya

Haridwar

ICFAI University

Dehradun

University of Petroleum and Energy Studies

Dehradun

Uttarakhand Open University

Haldwani

WEST BENGAL Name of the Universities/ Colleges

City

Jadavpur University

Kolkata

Netaji Subhas Open University

Kolkata

Rabindra Bharati University

Kolkata

University of Burdwan

Burdwan

Vidyasagar University

Midnapore July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 33

FEATURE

Climb the Ladder of Su

There was a time, when only PR agencies used to exist in the market to present a polished im when internet penetration increased and people started becoming more active on social me birth to a new way of connecting with audience, which is Digital PR. Gaurav Dubey di

34 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

FEATURE

uccess with Digital PR

mage of their clients before their target audience, with an objective of generating business. But dia platforms, the way of working of PR agencies also changed. Increased use of internet gave igs more inside this emerging field and presents an informative piece for the students.

July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 35

FEATURE

A

n ove r a r ch i n g m o d e of marketing th rough d ig it a l t e c h n ol og ie s has taken the world by the storm. To provide a better image and to propagate a brand value by using new technologies has led to the growth of Digital PR. Digital PR aims at exposing a brand to a large variety of audience as much as possible, in a thorough professional manner, like its traditional counterpart. Reputation management, content marketing and featuring a brand on high ranking in search engines are also covered under the scope of Digital PR. Digital PR departments extensively network with trending influencer sites and video channels to collaborate on content to create optimal conditions for a smooth viral takeoff. It works more or less on the same lines of influencer marketing. Finally, a website design oriented towards creating a brand value backed by strategically crafted content, can further increase the reach of PR messaging through an omnichannel spectrum.

A strategic brand outreach designed to increase the number of positive conversations around a brand could be created, by summing all the above mentioned activities, under the wing of an experienced PR team. Audience research along with the research on competitors drive all of these decisions through a coordinated and connected strategy that can produce far more impact than each of these activities acting in silos.

This is Digital PR in a nutshell.

As simple nuts provide many diverse culinary uses, similarly Digital PR could also be used in many applications as per the desired goals. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s explore more the field of Digital PR and how it could widen the scope of a business by its innovative tactics.

Difference between Traditional PR and Digital PR Public Relations has been playing a critical strategic role in the operations si nce t he compa n ies have beg u n hiring spokesperson to talk to the public on their behalf. Traditional PR techniques serve as the mouthpiece of that business with an aim to influence public opinion, though in a neutral 36 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

sounding way. Companies follow an entirely different idea at the time of a project launch; they never opt for commercial (advertisement) at first, but draft a press release or organise press conferences or do both. The idea of a projected is pitched in such a way that it could be digested easily by the media.

Similarly, PR representatives have to be on their toes, when a company gets caught in the middle of negative public opinion and have to perform damage control on the behalf of their clients.

T h is t y pe of PR shows how traditional methods could manifest themselves in different ways, mainly through the release of public statements and the coaching of any executives who may have news mike thrust in their face. When a company involves itself in a joint, non-commercial operation such as sponsoring a major charity event or promotions, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also known as cross-promotional type of PR. The job role of a PR personnel is not only restricted till crafting press releases but the PR teams also visualises them to enhance the image of companies in the market.

O n m a k i ng c om p a r i s o n w it h

the traditional PR, the Digital PR is less concerned with planting newsoriented topics and announcements to proscribed channels. Instead, digital PR firms aim to connect audiences directly with company messages. It does so with the objective to sound authentic rather than over-promotional.

I n fact, Dig it al PR person nel often work in tandem with traditional PR people and they try to put down overambitious marketing efforts if they feel overreaching could conflict with pitching for the brand message. Digital PR companies connect with audiences directly and create online voice of the brand rather than feeding promotional materials into the mainstream media.

When it does pass along newsworthy content for collaboration, it usually exercise far more control over the outcome than would be found in an interaction with traditional media.

For example, if two companies which operate in a same vertical plan to launch nearly identical products in a market. One company hires a traditional PR agency, which craft press releases and news stories, while another company opts for Digital

FEATURE

“Social Media marketing is the fastest changing of all the aspects of marketing, so it’s important for institutions to not only include this kind of training, but to ensure that the training is up to date and relevant.”

Natalie Williams

Community Manager, GetSmarter PR agency which uses more modern techniques of PR. Tr a d it ional PR agency places press releases and does liaisoning with journalists to provide maximum reach to the company’s product among the people. While Digital PR agency, at the place of crafting press release, first creates an announcement video event with a pre-release hype cycle on Facebook, Twitter and places paid display on other possible channels.

After releasing the video, the digital PR agency releases a detailed white paper and also schedules appearances on popular Youtube channels. Apart from this, the hired Digital PR agency also submit press releases to local and national news outlets, which likely end up covering the announcement a few days after creation of online buzz.

Hence, digital PR agency is able to gather more reaches for the product than their traditional counterpart.

Role of Digital PR in improvement of Marketing Metrics 1. Growth in Search Engine Ranking Reaching out to the industry influencers

to back link the content is one of the important activities of Digital PR. W hen the link of the content gets connected with the industrial influences, the Google Analytics gets the information. This in turn helps in the improvement of search engine ranking.

2. Growth in Website Traffic Inf luencers of different fields have followers in thousands or even in m illions as per the nat u re of a n industry. When these influencers post your content or even your link on their platforms, the reach of that content grows at a significant rate. Followers of influencers come directly in touch of the posted content. It increases the traffic on a website and Google upgrades the ranking of the website if the content is of good quality, doesn’t have plagiarised text, is well researched and doesn’t have meaningless words inserted only to increase the SEO words counts.

3. Builds brand image and trust factor I n f lue nce r’s opi n ion helps a lot

i n c r e a t io n of b r a n d v a lu e a n d win ning t r ust of target audience.

So, if that inf luencer points to your site, it i ncreases you r busi ness’s trustworthiness. It has two benefits.

First, it’s great from a sales point of view and second, improvement of t r ust wor thiness of you r brand influences Google ranking.

Similarity of Digital PR with content marketing and SEO Digital PR carries a lot of similarities with Content Marketing and SEO, but it’s much more research and strategy based. In a traditional content or linkbuilding campaign, the content may ref lect a set of audience segment or keyword goals. In Digital PR, each piece of content fits into a much more calculated strategy for presenting the brand. Digital PR agencies strive to make their clients as thinking leaders on a concerned subject, which is very different from writing content just to answer odd Google questions. The release of infographics, which are often readily shared, occurs regularly in these digital PR companies. They also release the special pieces of longJuly 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 37

FEATURE

“The changes over the last two years have been faster than in the previous 25 years.

To win the consumer today, you need digital experiences integrated into all channels.”

Anil Shankar

VP, Solutions and Technology, Shoppers Stop form content. Social media marketing can reinforce these engagement efforts, teasing content with main website links or repackaging content into bitesized pieces. The outcome of all these exercise inf luences public opinion regarding a company’s image and its values.

38 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

Digital PR carries a lot of similarities with Content Marketing and SEO, but it’s much more research and strategy based. In Digital PR, each piece of content fits into a much more calculated strategy for presenting the brand.

The importance of research and audience measurement Numbers-based metrics and objective is of prime importance in the SEO and traditional marketing. Influencing opinion plays a major role when it comes to portray one company in a better position than another company.

Digital PR agencies cannot put forward vague aspects of their clients.

Instead, they ref lect their clients’ objectives and goals in a crystal clear manner in front of their potential customers.

For example, an eyeglass company may be considered to have high-quality frames as a marketing goal, but being recognised for making all materials in America and having that ref lect the quality of the frames may be a PR goal.

In an attempt to clinch these goals, Digital PR agencies consider what ethical values a brand can embrace to craft a highly specif ic persona

for that brand. They then diligently measure public opinion through social listening, surveys and other research, which could include the metrics that marketers obsess over.

Digital PR agencies also research t he most ef fect ive avenue for messaging, including connecting with the aforementioned inf luencers. By collaborating with people with large online audiences, like blog curators or YouTube channel hosts, to share preferred brand messaging, Digital PR can inf luence the public opinion of their legions of followers. Digital PR provides everything good about content marketing, SEO, social media marketing and traditional PR wrapped up in a nutshell. But, it can be prepared in so many different ways and interact with so many other main ingredients that keeping a firm eye on the data is imperative. When used correctly, Digital PR can propel your business to an unprecedented level of success.

FEATURE

Back to the

roots Career in Horticulture Technology July 2017 2017 40 < CAREERCONNECT < June

FEATURE

I The apple growers in the Thanamir village took a step forward and underwent a training programmme on â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;scientific cultivation practices of apple and its post-harvest managementâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; and the entire event turned out to be a huge success.

In the sudden wake of manufacturing and processing organic food products of late, the stream of horticulture technology is given a lot of importance. Experts predicted that organic products are the future for packaged food products because more and more consumers are seeking better ingredients. Deepashree Banerjee finds out more about this.

t was organised by the District Administration P u ng r o i n c ol l a b o r a t io n w it h C e nt r a l Institute of Hor ticulture, Depar tment of Agriculture Cooperation and Family Welfare, Ministr y of Agriculture, Gover nment of India, Medziphema, Dimapur, Nagaland and with the assistance of Department of Development of Underdeveloped Areas (DUDA).Shisarenla Aier, Training coordinator and Asst. Hor ticulturist, CIH, gave a PowerPoint presentation on production technology of apples, propagation techniques, training and pruning and grafting techniques.

D u r i ng a n i nteract ion w it h t he fa r mer s, common pest infections and Apple diseases like Mealy Bug, Powdery Mildew, Stem Borer and Shot Hole Borer were identified as the main reasons for decreased production and premature death of apple trees. Generating huge response from the Apple growers, the resource person dealt in depth about the importance of the use of Integrated Pest Management and use of organic pesticides along with weed management techniques to control pest infection and to increase the yield of apples. Other topics like Grafting method and Propagation of Root Stock methods were discussed.

In the last week of April, Minister of State in J and K for Agriculture, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura flagged off a group of 85 farmers of Kashmir Division to Inter-State exposure tour to Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana from Hajj House, Jammu.

Post-harvest specialist, CIH, Manzar Hossian impar ted training on the impor tance of Value Addition in Apples and demonstrated the preparation of Apple juice and Apple chutney to the trainees.

The chairperson of the programme, Chonpenthung Ezung, SDO (C) Pungro, while lauding the resource persons for the successf ul t raining expressed his surprise that the farmers were lacking basic knowledge about Apple farming and are untrained to cope with common Apple tree diseases thereby incurring huge loses inspite of growing apples for the past ten years.

The trainees were encouraged to take up Apple production as a challenge for long term prospect and as a very economically viable alternative source of income. The chairperson also made an appeal to the concerned department to take up the Apple project July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 41

FEATURE

“Our University provides research environment to its faculty through development of study materials, participation in various national and international activities such as seminars, symposia etc. research projects and inhouse faculty development.

Besides, the university also offers PhD programmes for undertaking research in different domains.”

Prof MK Salooja, Director, School of Agriculture (SOA), Indira Gandhi National Open University in Thanamir in a mission mode and to make it a success story. The meeting was attended by around 70 Apple growers and all the village council members of Thanamir village.

Hit by drought, Tamil Nadu farmers turn to technology for saving crops

Pushed to the brink by the u n p r e c e d e nt e d d r o u g ht b r o u g ht about by monsoon failure and the neighbouring State’s refusal to release Cauvery water, farmers in Tiruchy are increasingly turning to technology as panacea for their predicament.

Of late, farmers have been making 42 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

a beeline to the Agriculture department seeking subsidy for micro irrigation systems. Official data shows threefold increase in the number of farmers employing micro-irrigation techniques in just a year, underscoring the need for judicious use of available water through alternative systems.

In 2015-16, only 300-350 farmers applied for subsidy under the Pradhan Ma nt r i K r ish i Si nchayee Yoja na ( PM K SY ) for m ic ro -i r r igat ion systems. A year on, the number rose sharply to 1,257 in 2016-17. Officials f rom the Ag r icult u re depar t ment link the spurt to the drought that has gripped the State.

Accordi ng to t he Tam il Nadu Hor ticulture Development Agency (TANHODA), subsidy is given for g row i ng hor t ic u lt u r e c rop s l i ke vegetables including potato and onion, and non-horticulture crops such as cereals and pulses, based on the area

of cultivation. “ T h e c o s t of d e v ic e s r a nge s between Rs 31,000 to a few lakhs depending upon the acreage. Those having up to 5 acres are classified as Small and Marginal farmers and provided full subsidy for installing micro-irrigation systems such as drip or sprinkler units. Large-scale farmers are also included in this scheme, and given 75 per cent subsidy,” informed R Mohankumar, Assistant Director of Agriculture.

Selected farmers will be offered a choice of 34 government approved companies to choose their equipment from. Officials, however, point out that a majority of farmers employ micro irrigation techniques, despite the subsidy, only as the last resort.

“February and March saw maximum enrollment of farmers for subsidy. Drip and sprinkler irrigation systems are thought of only during drought and as

FEATURE

Some Horticultural Institutes in India Ramniranjan Jhunjhunwala College (RJ College), Mumbai Maya College of Agriculture and Technology, Dehradun (Uttarakhand) College of Horticulture and Forestry, Pasighat (Arunachal Pradesh) North East Frontier Technical University: Faculty of Science, Along (Arunachal Pradesh) Himalayan University : Faculty of Agriculture and Horticulture, Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh) KK Wagh College of Horticulture, Nashik (Maharashtra) DE Society Institute of Applied Research and Development in Agriculture, Sangli (Maharashtra) a last recourse,” an official said.

The success stories of farmers who reaped benefits of employing micro irrigation techniques are inspiring scores to adopt the same. Such was the reception that farmers who installed the d r ip and spr i n k ler system to irrigate horticulture crops are now extending its usage to non-horticulture crops by making minor modifications, officials added.

Drip irrigation for paddy

Tiruchy-based Anbil Dharmalingam Agriculture College and Research Institute, in September 2016, cultivated multiple varieties of paddy using drip irrigation on experimental basis at Manikandam where the soil is alkali (less permeable, saline) and ground water saline. It turned out to be a success and har vest was done in January 2017. Paddy varieties such as ADT36 and TRY2 were found to be

viable for drip irrigation.

Mai ntenance of the system is also ver y i mpor t ant. Ag r icult u re department officials urge farmers to carry out routine maintenance. In the case of saline water, accumulation of salty substance in drip nozzles have to be regularly cleaned for better results.

“Save Trees and Plant Trees” Campaign to Boost Awareness

Institute of Horticulture Technology, Greater Noida launched a plantation ca mpaig n “Save Trees a nd Pla nt Trees” in Institute’s technology park.

The program was formerly launched

by Mrs. India North 2017, Mrs Shelly Maheshwari Gupta with the planting of a tree in the institute, it was later followed by dist r ibution of ready to transplants young plants among the attendees from different parts of Greater Noida.

In the past few years, the Institute

Thanthai Roever Institute of Agriculture and Rural Development (TRIARD), Perambalur (Tamil Nadu) Techno Global University, Shillong (Meghalaya) University of Agricultural Sciences UAS Bangalore, Bangalore (Karnataka) Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari (Gujarat) Sam Higginbottom Institute of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHIATS), Allahabad (Uttar Pradesh) Faculty of Horticulture, Coimbatore (Tamil Nadu) July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 43

FEATURE

“The cost of devices ranges between Rs 31,000 to a few lakhs depending upon the acreage. Those having up to 5 acres are classified as Small and Marginal farmers and provided full subsidy for installing micro-irrigation systems such as drip or sprinkler units. Large-scale farmers are also included in this scheme, and given 75 per cent subsidy.”

R Mohan Kumar, Assistant Director of Agriculture, Tamil Nadu conducted capacity building trainings for more than 50,000 far mers and agriculture extension official from different states of India and abroad.

Recently IHT successfully conducted Hor t i I ndia 2017 ‘workshop cu m exhibition’ and international trainings for the trainees from nine countries.

Mrs Shelly Maheshwari Gupta presented a n over all v iew of environment condition prevalent in India and linked with global concerns about global warming, environmental degradation, pesticide pollution in environment and emphasised that all human beings irrespective of their nationalities should work together to promote the remedial measures required for protection of environment.

She further emphasised the need of organic food which is very essential for getting a healthy body. She briefly described her food habits which are mostly based on simple nutritious and natural products.

44 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

Seats galore for agriculture courses

A recent su r vey shows that af ter Engineering and Medical Science, Nashi k-based st udents prefer the Agricultural programmes such as BSc (Agriculture), BSc (Horticulture) and BTech (Agriculture Engineering) in this agricult ure-dominated region and there are many seats on offer at various colleges in the division and dist r ict. Colleges conducting agriculture-related courses in Nashik are affiliated to the Mahatma Phule K r u s h i V i d y a p e e t h ( M PK V ) a t Rahuri, near Pune. The Maharashtra Council of Agricult ure Education and Research (MCAER) had already started online admission process for various agriculture degree courses for the academic year 2017-18.

P r of M K S a l o o j a , D i r e c t o r, School of Agriculture (SOA), Indira Gandhi National Open University reveals that at present, one Diploma Programme in Horticulture (of one ye a r du r at ion) at t he u n ive r sit y is u nde r developme nt. Howeve r, a program me such as Diploma in Value Added products from Fr uits and Vegetable is already on offer and

covers the processing of horticultural products. Additionally, the University provides research environment to its faculty through development of study materials, participation in various national and international activities such a s sem i na r s, sy mposia etc. research projects and in-house faculty development. Besides, the university also of fers Ph D prog ra m mes for under taking research in different domains.

T he u n ive r sit y ha s a Ce nt r al Pla ce me nt Cel l wh ich orga n ise s campus recruitment of its learners in concerned organisations, informs Professor Salooja.

Hanjura flags off farmer study tour

In the last week of April, Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura f lagged off a group of 85 prog re ssive fa r me r s of K a sh m i r Division to Inter-State exposure tour to Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana from Hajj House, Jammu.

During the weeklong tour organised

by Agriculture Department under the flagship programme Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), the

FEATURE

“Our University provides research environment to its faculty through development of study materials, participation in various national and international activities such as seminars, symposia etc research projects and in-house faculty development. Besides, the university also offers PhD programmes for undertaking research in different domains.” farmers will visit Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana, Y. S. Parmar University of Horticulture & Forestry Nauni, Himachal Pradesh, National Research Centre for Mushroom (ICAR) Solan, State Agriculture Management Extension Training Institute, Mashobra Shimla, Regional Hor ticult u re Research Station Mashobre, Simla, Potato Seed and Tuber Production Cent re Kuf r i and CSK Himachal Pradesh Krishi Vidyala, Palampur.

The far mers will get exposure to various techniques par ticularly in Hybrid Vegetable cultivation, protected cultivation, Apiculture, Mushroom and Hor ticult ure cultivation. The farmers will also attend interactions with scientists, field experts and their counterpart farmers from other states to assess opportunities, requirements and benef its for adopting moder n technology on crop production.

I nte r a ct i ng w it h t he fa r me r s, Hanjura impressed upon them to fully seize the opportunity by equipping themselves with latest knowledge and technical know-how for increasing efficiency and productivity.

Eligibility Criteria Required

Educational: The level of education that you need depends upon the type of horticultural occupation that interest you and the rank to which you wish to advance. Entry to this field starts from undergraduate level. Candidates who have passed 10+2 in Science stream (class 12th) with physics, chemistry and maths/biology/agriculture as the subjects can opt for Bachelors degree in Horticulture as a separate discipline

or as a subject of B.Sc Agriculture Science. The same basic qualification i s r e q u i r e d fo r d oi ng d iplo m a programme. After doing B.Sc in Horticulture, one can continue his or her f ur ther study in the f ield by doi ng M.Sc i n Hor ticult u re.

Post Graduates in Horticulture are eligible for M.Phil. For admission to Ph.D Program different agricultural u n ive r sit ie s exe r c i s e d i f fe r e nt modes of admission. Most of the State Agriculture Universities and ICAR Institutes conduct Entrance Examinations for Ph.D. admissions.

Hor ticult u re cou rses include subject areas of plant propagation, pl a n t m a t e r i a l s , t i s s u e c u lt u r e , crop product ion, post-ha r vest handling, plant breeding, pollination management, crop nutrition, e n t o m o l o g y, p l a n t p a t h o l o g y, economics, and business.

Personnel attributes: A love of nature and the outdoors is essential for anyone interested in this field.

Other personal qualities depend on

the specific career path you choose.

If your area of interest is research or teaching you require the ability to communicate, to provide practical and factual infor mation in simple lang uage, patience and abilit y to inf use enthusiasm for lear ning in st ude nt s , work for long p e r io d s with intense concentration, a keen analytical mind, and a strong scientific bent, eye for detail etc. is essential.

“Prior to installing a sprinkler unit in my 4.5 acres of black gram and lady’s finger fields, I had to operate the bore well for nearly four hours a day per wetting. With sprinklers in place, the running time of borewells has come down to one hour per wetting.”

M Peter James, a black gram farmer from Manickapuram village near Manachanallur.

Advisory or supervisory work requires ability to work on one’s own as well as part of a team, ability to get on well with people, tact and diplomacy.

Horticulturists must also have practical ability, good powers of observation to detect early signs of disease in plants.

In general, Horticulturists need to be curious about the world around them and to be creative in solving problems.

July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 45

INTERVIEW

Producing Global Leaders: IIM Bangalore IIM Bangalore needs no introduction in the field of higher education, especially in Business Studies. Apart from producing the top ranking business managers and leaders, it has shaped a rigorous programme in Cargo Logistics and Supply Chain Management under the leadership of the Prof. G. Raghuram, Director of IIM Bangalore, . He has been the Vice Chancellor of the Indian Maritime University, Cochin, has published over 35 refereed papers in journals and has written over 155 case studies, in addition to six co-authored books. He has teaching experience at universities in India, USA, Canada, Yugoslavia, Singapore, Tanzania and UAE. He speaks to Dr. Archana Verma in an exclusive interview: 46 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

INTERVIEW

What kind of pedagogical methods do the IIMs of India possess to claim their place as the global leaders in Business Studies?

A variety of pedagogical tools are used

by IIMs including case discussions, lecture discussions, study group presentations, simulations, games and experiential exercises to facilitate learning of managerial concepts and skills. Similar pedagogies are applied in the specific context of cargo logistics and supply chain management.

In what ways do the IIMs reshape the ideas propagated across the world in the fields of Supply Chain Management?

Reshaping ideas and more importantly, generating ideas in the field of management and specifically in cargo logistics and supply chain management is important, keeping the Indian context in mind. Apart from the sustainability driver of minimising product losses (rather than minimising excesses as needed in the Western world), I present three more situations where there is need for different perspectives.

1. The higher availability and legacy use of human resources in India should be viewed as an opportunity t o prov ide g re at e r at t e nt ion and responsiveness in supply chains. However, this requires continual t raining /re-t raining and reinforcement of values. For example, those involved in loading and unloading of cargo.

2. Given the relative shortage of physical infrastructure, the use of such infrastructure needs to be optimised for which again we can deploy more human resources for regulation. For example, to maintain lane discipline on highways, reduce over speeding etc. Such regulatory functions can be more effective today with the support of technology. Of course, this does not in any way reduce the primary need of more quality infrastructure.

3. Given the generally disaggregated nature of service providers in this sector, there is need for integrators who through standardization, and system and processes can position themselves as value adding brands.

For example, while trucking companies do integrate across disaggregated f leet owners, the brand building based on value addition is still less than desirable. There is room for disruptive thinking in this domain.

Situations like the above provide opportunities for new paradigms. A fundamental example of the need to look differently is in the context of road capacity planning.

Policy makers and planner still use the concept of ‘passenger car equivalent units’ (PCUs) for highways, while the primary vehicle on these roads in India is the truck. What we need is a ‘truck equivalent unit’ measure rather

than borrow the Western concept of PCUs. However, IIMs still need to research and impact the sector in a meaningful manner.

How has the IIMB structured the study of cargo logistics and supply chain management?

The study of cargo logistics at IIMB has been part of a larger initiative of studying supply chains. IIMB has a Supply Chain Management Centre.

The mission of the Centre is to bring together practitioners from leading organisations and IIMB faculty and students, to identify, document, research, develop and disseminate best practices in supply chain management. Various conferences and seminars are organised under the aegis of the Centre. In addition, executive programmes and course modules address topics on logistics and supply chain management.

IIMB graduates own a prestigious place in the Indian business world.

How do you view their future in today’s fast changing world, where the West is fast shrinking its space for the non-Western professionals?

India offers a great future for IIMB graduates. Firstly, we need to solve India’s problems. And while doing so, evolve concepts that would be globally applicable which we can then take to the rest of the world. The fast shrinking space in the West should be a non-issue.

July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 47

INTERVIEW

Making dreams come true Using his extensive experience, knowledge and passion, Partha Halder is helping the students prepare for one of the toughest exams in the country – IIT-JEE (Main and Advanced) as an HOD in the Chemistry Department at the FIITJEE Punjabi Bagh Centre. He is also the Centre Head of FIITJEE Punjabi Bagh Centre and the Academic Head of entire FIITJEE group. In an exclusive interview with Tariq Ahmed, he shares his vision for the group and much more.

What are the USPs that set you apart from other coaching Institutes in terms of academics, infrastructure and other aspects?

FIITJEE’s, 4 major USPs are: 1. Faculty Training: We are the only coaching Institute in India which emphasises a lot on faculty training. After stringent selection process, new hires are put into training for a six-eight months period wherein they are regularly assessed and subsequently certified before they are deployed for taking classes.

2. S t r o n g R e s e a r c h a n d Development Cell: Our R and D team const antly identif ies new trends, anticipates expected changes in exam pattern/paper structure, measure its preparatory impact and suggest new approaches. Every preparatory prog ra m me at FI ITJ EE is pattern proof. New approaches are deployed at FIITJEE centres even before they are announced by competitive exam’s statutory bodies.

3. Strong Backend Operat ions Team: T hey work rou nd t he clock to ensure that the students’ preparation is in line with their set goal and virtually nothing is left to chances.

4. Conc e pt W i s e Tr ack i n g of Students: A child’s lear ning progression is tracked at regular intervals.

Engineering has always been a key 48 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

To help and support the financially deprived segment of students, FIITJEE introduced a CSR initiative by the name FORTUNATE 40 in 2008.

stream of education since inception. How does your esteemed institution cater to the growing demands of the education industry?

We at FIITJEE firmly believe that the students should not be deprived of q u a l it y c o a c h i n g o r I I TJ E E based i n thei r cit y of residence, due to financial constraint or non accessibility to premium academic support system. Recognising early the need for it, FIITJEE till date has 65 company owned training centres across 35 cities in India and UAE, making it single largest network of training centres. Today, its coaching and mentoring services are available for every serious aspirant with strict cont rol over academic processes.

Technology has been the driver for growth for all the industries.

How does your institution imbibe technological transformations which happen at a galloping speed?

F I I TJ EE ha d i nt roduce d on l i ne assessment long before competitive exams started going online. Students enrolled at FIITJEE get an opportunity to prepare and assess their performance in an online platform, thus helping them to get acclimatised to this format. “myPAT” – an online platform for learning through assessment is the buzz word amongst IITJEE aspirants.

Every child gets to attempt an online test, which is followed by a detailed performance analysis. Comprising of a repository of 100000+ questions, 4000+ test papers across 300 topics making it as an unique preparatory tool for all IITJEE aspirants.

However, the platform also offers mo ck p ap e r s for N TSE , KV PY, Olympiads and other engineering e nt r a n c e ex a m s. To d ay, we a r e witnessing a situation wherein most of the competitive exams are going online. Under such circumstances, F I I TJ EE st u de nt s c a r r y a cle a r advantage ahead of other competing students.

Can you throw some light on the era of entrepreneurial bubble in the country that impacts the mindset

INTERVIEW

of the students along with their employment opportunities?

Over the years we have witnessed that students are naturally inclined towards star ting their own vent ure. We at FIITJEE encourage and nurture such natural aspiration so that these students can solve real life problems using technology and contribute towards the growth of the nation. As a process we have introduced “FIITJEE Rewards” – an initiative to reward talented students who would be securing top ranks in IITJEE. These rewards are so attractive that students can fund their studies at IIT or even fund their own start-ups. Over and above this, FIITJEE also helps its own students by means of investing in their start up projects. By doing so the students are insulated from the hassles of arranging funds for their start-ups.

Please tell some upcoming career oppor tunit ies in the f ield of engineering and technology which shall create a different impact in the upcoming times?

Engineering as a career option has undergone a sea change over the years.

There was a time when we used to see six-seven branches in engineering.

Today, we have more than 40 branches of engi neer i ng.New a nd excit i ng branches have emerged with sole purpose to solve real life problems using technology. Few such promising fields are nanotechnology, robotics and microbiology.

It is often heard that India does not have a conducive academ ic atmosphere for research output. How

FIITJEE programmes are designed such that a student is groomed in all the aspects over a sustained period of time through various learning and assessment methods, feedback and improvement guidelines. Our student’s success trail stands as a testimony to this fact. does your institution back students to promote research and publications?

Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana ( K V PY ) i s a n i n it i a t ive by t h e Department of Science and Technology, GOI to encourage school children of (Class XI and XII) to take up research career. The objective of KVPY is to ident if y you ng t alent s hav i ng inclination and aptitude to pursue career in research. Often after qualifying KVPY a student develops a natural interest to join premier Institutes like IISC or IISER to pursue undergraduate/ i nteg rated prog ra ms i n resea rch.

FIITJEE has been in the forefront to advocate KVPY’s popularity amongst st udents; mentor ing and enabling

students to chase KVPY (written test and interview). The syllabus of KVPY is almost identical to CBSE syllabus of Class XI and XII but of higher difficulty level and essentially evaluates a student’s IQ, logical and analytical thinking ability.

Aerospace: Aerospace is another branch of engineering which is purely research driven. Many students opt for aerospace with the sole purpose of innovating cutting edge solutions.

What are the courses that you have on offer that give students to see engineering education within their reach?

To secure a top all India ran k in IITJEE (JEE Advanced and Main), a student is required to systematically prog ress f rom class I X onwards.

Primary focus should be to develop IQ, logical and analytical thinking ability.

A lot of emphasis should be given on fundamental concepts in every subject.

Students should start appearing for various competitive exams like Junior Science Olympiad, Maths Olympiad, JSTSE, NTSE, KVPY, Senior Science Olympiad etc. By doing so a student gets aligned to competitive exams and starts developing required skills with each passing day. Important skills like body clock adjustment, exam temperament, time management, managing exam related stress etc. FIITJEE programs are designed such that a student is groomed in all of these aspects over a sustained period of time through various learning and assessment methods, feedback and improvement guidelines. Our students’ success trail stands as a testimony to this fact.

July 2017 < CAREERCONNECT < 49

INTERVIEW

Digital PR covers all forms of media in one go The Apeejay Institute of Mass Communication (AIMC) was established in the year 2003 and since then, the institute has been providing astute professionals to the media, advertising and public relations industry. Over the years, the institute has chiseled its place among top ten media institutes of the country and has also won several prestigious awards. Ashok Ogra, Director, AIMC, noted management and media professional, in an exclusive interview with Gaurav Dubey throws light on an emerging field of Digital PR. How Digital PR is different from Traditional PR? PR i s n o lo n ge r l i m it e d t o t h e traditional media like print, TV or radio but has at its disposal social media, online forums, websites, blogs to tap into for increasing visibility and digital footprint. Digital PR is a mix of offline PR along with a lots of opportunities that digerati brings with it. Thus, along with media relations, influencer and blogger outreach have become cr ucial in maintaining or increasing brand awareness.

Instead of one-way communication where brands would tell their stories to masses, the focus in digital PR has shifted to generating conversations and engaging targeted audiences. This is the reason why the saying â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Content is the Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; leads digital PR executives to create memorable and exciting content through storytelling.

How Dig it al PR helps i n the improvement of important marketing metrics?

From inf luencing public opinion, improving brand image to getting bloggers and inf luencers to endorse your brand in order to increase brand t r ust to increasing refer ral visits and improving Google rankings and Digital PR is the key.

What is the basic difference between Digital PR and Content Marketing and SEO Writing?

The differentiating factor between Digital PR, Content Marketing and 50 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

research. The end goal of a digital PR campaign goes beyond improving google rankings, increasing traffic and conversions to crafting brand image, generating conversations and influencing public opinion.

Instead of one-way communication, the goal of Digital PR campaign goes beyond improving Google rankings, increasing traffic and conversions to crafting brand image, generating conversations and influencing public opinion.

SEO writing would be the fact that the former has at its crux the strategy formulated on the basis of in depth

How much importance do research and audience measurement carry for Digital PR? Since research and audience measurement are far more precise and efficient on digital channels, they not only help in crafting a digital PR campaign but also guide the course of the campaign along with measuring campaign effectiveness once it is over. By using sentiment analysis, social listening, opinion mapping, PR executives can understand how the audience feels about a particular brand, what should the brand do in order to positively inf luence public opinion, what should be their communication strategy etc. From message mapping to ascer taining the best bloggers and inf luencers to collaborate with research makes all the difference.

A l s o , t h e m e a s u r e of a PR campaign run on digital platforms is far more precise than one run offline.

Sentiment analysis, impressions, audience engagement (referral visits, most e ngage d h a sht ags , sh a re s , likes, comments, tweets, retweets), website visits, conversions, etc that a PR campaign garners online can be precisely measured online which can tell you a lot about how effective a campaign has been.

EVENTS

Skill India candidates get felicitated by Delhi Daredevils team

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upporting the Indian government’s vision of Sk ill India, Delhi Daredevils team met several candidates trained under Skill India at IL&FS Institute of Skills (IIS) in Okhla, New Delhi. During the visit, Delhi Daredevil coach Rahul Dravid felicitated several candidates trained under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY).

The Meet and Greet event organised in partnership with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) was attended by several players including Sanju Samson, Mohammed Shami, Amit Mishra, Karun Nair, Jayant Yadav and Rishabh Pant. The players congratulated the candidates on successful completion of their training and emphasised the importance of skills such as fitness trainer, physiotherapist, dietician etc. which helps them improve their game and perform better on the field. During the event, players also took a tour of the centre and appreciated the training facility at the centre.

Rajiv Prat ap Rudy, Mi nister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India, also attended the event and interacted with the candidates. He also briefed team Delhi Daredevil on various initiatives

under Skill India and wished them the very best for the upcoming matches.

Commenting on the occasion, Rajiv Pratap Rudy said, “It is a moment of great pride for us to see the candidates joining the skill training programme in such huge numbers. Skill training is the basic foundation for employability and to reap the complete benefits of our demographic dividend, we need to encourage more and more students to join the skill training programmes. We need to ensure that skill based training is made a part of the school curriculum at an elementary level

itself, in order to make India a hub for international work force.”

Congratulating the candidates, Rahul Dravid, Former Captain of Indian Cricket Team and Coach of Team Daredevils said, “We’re pleased to be a part of this great mission. Just like in cricket, one needs skills to perform best in all other fields too. Every job requires certain skills to standout of the rest. I wish all these candidates good luck for their future and I am sure the skills that they have honed through these courses will help them lead a better life.”

Australian PM and Education Minister meet Indian video competition winners

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u st r al ia n P r i me M i n ister, Malcolm Turnbull and Senator Simon Birmingham, Minister for Education and Training of Australia met with the winners of The Advance to Australia, “A2Oz” – Indian Schools’ Video Competition 2016-2017 in New Delhi. Students from New Delhi, Noida and Nashik schools won study trips to Australian Universities. Students from 325 schools across India participated in the competition and developed short films on next generation fields of study in areas of growing career opportunities 52 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

New Delhi Earth Sciences theme -Wisdom High International School, Nashik • Construction Management theme Delhi Public School, RK Puram • Story-telling through Dance theme Kothari International School, Noida • Nanotechnology theme - Wisdom High International School, Nashik Students along with teachers from each of the winning schools will travel to Australia to participate in an all-expenses paid study programme to the sponsoring Universities between May to July 2017.

•

The winners of the competition organised jointly by the Australian Trade & Investment Commission (Austrade), and Cambridge English Language Assessment are: • Aerospace theme - Sanskriti School,

EVENTS

“Genesis Conversations 2017” for students on challenges of the world

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enesis Global School, a premier day-cum-residential school in Noida, recently organised the 11th edition of “Genesis Conversation 2017” for students. The theme for this edition was “Challenges for the World in 2017”.

The guest speaker on the occasion was Ambassador and writer Gurjit Singh who has served the Indian Foreign Service for 37 years and is well known as a businessfriendly diplomat. Singh addressed the students with a motivational speech, sharing his experiences and emphasising on knowledge beyond books.

Gurjit Singh said, “It is a proud moment for me to see such awareness driven initiatives taken by Genesis Global School. Programmes such as these, are a step towards growth and development of the youth and encouragement for the next leaders of the world.”

In his speech, an erudite and prolific writer, Singh focussed on peace and co-operation, sustainable development,

refugee re-settlement and terrorism as the major challenges faced by the world today. He also apprised the scholars about the shifting corridors of power and rise of economic powers, viz., India and China. He simplified world politics and economics for the audience comprising scholars from Grades 6th to 12th, who were equally enthralled by his wit and humour. The interactive Q&A session also witnessed some very good questions ranging from India’s international stand to the concern over the South China Sea. On the occasion, Pramod Sharma, Director, Genesis Global School said, “With a variety of educational courses and knowledge oriented programs, Genesis goes beyond traditional school practices with a motive of achieving milestones. Going forward, we hope to continue taking such initiatives, which encourage involvement of our scholars and help them attain a higher level awareness.”

ASM Institute with IBM brings technological programmes for students

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SM Group of Institutes, one of the leading Institutes in Pune, a n nou n c e d a c ol l a b o r a t io n with IBM to help students learn about technologies such as Big Data and Business Analytics. As a part of this initiative, the Institute has set up an IBM Business Analytics Lab to aid its Career Education Program whereby faculty members and students will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to work on various analytical tools and techniques to analyse and predict data.

This collaboration will help reduce the skills gap between the demands for skill in various industries. It will help the Institute hone and train executives equipped in the area of Business Analytics. Under this program, IBM is helping ASM Group of Institutes develop an innovative curriculum, taught by IBM subject matter experts and

Institute faculty members. The students will have access to relevant IBM software, such as IBM Cognos BI and IBM Infosphere Biginsight. Under this collaboration, ASM Group of Institutes has launched a new Post Graduate Management Program with specialisation in areas of Descriptive, Predictive and Big Data Analytics.

Commenting on the collaboration, Sandeep Pachpande, Chairman, ASM Group of Institutes said, “The time has come to move beyond qualification to

building expertise. There is a pressing requirement for niche specialisation to empower students with skill sets to emerge as definitive value addition to their respective organisations. These cobranded programmes ensure need-based specific development to greatly enhance the employability of ASM students.”

“The data science skills gap continues to widen as demand continues to outpace the amount of skilled workers available. Our partnership with ASM Group of Institutes will help us blend technical and problemsolving skills that are necessary to prepare students for careers in these fields. By using experiential learning modules along with innovative curriculum developed and taught

by IBM, students will work on projects that emanate from real-world business scenarios,” says Kaushik Bhaskar, Vice President, IBM India Software Labs.

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EVENTS

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La Trobe Boosts Ties with India

ustralia’s La Trobe University has f ur ther st rengthened its r el at ion sh ip w it h I nd ia by unveiling a number of new initiatives as part of La Trobe’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations. La Trobe Universit y Professor John Dewar and other senior members of the University were in India to mark the University’s Anniversary and announced new scholarships and three new University partnerships. Professor Dewar launched 14 PhD scholarships worth AUD $500,000, which is over 25 million Indian rupees, for students in India to undertake PhD programmes at La Trobe’s partner university, JSS University in Mysore.

“T he scholarships are a g reat opportunity for local students to further their studies. They will cover tuition fees and a living allowance of around 25,000 Indian rupees a month for the duration of the students’ studies,” Professor Dewar said. “La Trobe will also cover the cost of students travelling to and

spending up to six month studying at its Melbourne campus. At the completion of the program, students will receive a La Trobe doctoral degree.” While in India, Professor Dewar is also signing MOUs with India’s leading institutions, including Amity University, All India Institute of Medical Sciences and OP Jindal Global

Hamstech Institution appoints Celebrity Interior Designer Shabnam Gupta as Chief Advisor

IMI, New Delhi 33rd Annual Convocation: Diplomas to 299 students

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IID award winner Shabnam Gupta has been roped in as a Chief Advisor for Interior Designing by creative education legacy Hamstechto empower students who wants to make a career in the competitive industrial sectors of Fashion Design, Interior Design, Jewellery Design and Photography. Shabnam Gupta is one of the India’s leading interior designers, who has to her credit homes of Parineeti Chopra, Aditya Chopra, Rani Mukherjee, Irrfan Khan and many more.

She is known to conjure up visual wonders and is recognised for her personally tailored, client specific interiors that use bursts of colours, textures and other unique elements within a contemporary design palette. Her designs exude energy and spirit in a delicate and subtle fashion, and her signature style has won her much global recognition and a long list of accolades for her projects at the national level as well. “I extend my sincere gratitude to Shabnam for this association. Under her guidance, our budding designers will not just learn techniques and practicalities of the trade but also draw conceptual knowledge which will enable them to create a unique brand for themselves.” says Ajita Yogesh, Director, Hamstech.

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University. “These partnerships will allow students and staff in India and Australia to gain international academic and cultural experience,” Professor Dewar said. Professor Dewar said La Trobe is also committed to working with local organisations to support female students in India.

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nternational Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi, the best private B-school in India by NIRF 2016, MHRD, conducted its 33rd Annual Convocation Ceremony on April 22, 2017 at IMI-New Delhi campus. During the ceremony, 299 students of the premier Business School were awarded their diplomas. Attended by several notable guests and luminaries, the event was also graced by Onkar Singh Kanwar, Chairman and Managing Director, Apollo Tyres Ltd., who was also the chief guest of the event and Dr D H Pai Panandiker, Senior Member, Board of Governors, IMI New Delhi and President, RPG Foundation, Chairman-International Life Sciences Institute, India and Advisor, Confederation of Asia-Pacific Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

EVENTS

Delhi NCR schools organise 2nd KoreaIndia friendship quiz competition

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he 2nd Korea-India Friendship Quiz Competition 2017 was organised by the Korean Cultural Centre India. The grand finale round was held at NCUI Auditorium, New Delhi.

A total of 16,140 students across from 50 Delhi NCR Schools participated in the contest which aimed at imbibing knowledge about various aspects of the South Korea. Students were exposed towards the history, culture, traditions, cuisine and general knowledge about the country. Among 404 students in semi final round, 20 were selected to compete in the final round of the competition.

Addressing the students, H.E. Cho Hyun, Ambassador, Republic of Korea to India congratulates all the participants to show keen interest in Korea. He said that, Korea and India have many commonalities that can enhance their friendship. Kim Kum Pyoung, Director of Korean Cultural Centre India said, “It’s important to promote Korea to the young generation, especially in India, the youngest country in the world.

This annual quiz contest would be an opportunity for Indian students to have interests and knowledge about Korea”.

The top four winners got a free trip to Korea for six days and five nights. Rest of the 14 winners got total cash prizes of Rupees 43 thousand with trophies and certificates. Taekwondo, traditional Samulnori musical performances and audience quiz were also on the cards.

There were lucky draw prizes for the audience, who gave the right answers of the audience quiz round.

Winners List Mrityunjay Shukla from Delhi Public School, Vasant Kunj has got the first place, while the second spot was won

by Anubhav Choudhar y of Amity International School, Mayur Vihar.

Poorva Rohilla from R.D Rajpal Public School, Dwarka came third and Tushita Singh of Sadhu Vaswani International School for Girls, Shanti Niketan stood fourth.

Winner students, their parents and Principals interacted with media and told interesting stories about this competition.

Kim Kum Pyoung, Director, Korean Cultural Centre India appreciated the diligence of Indian students, while giving away the certificates.

Pearl Academy to open a state-of-the-art design campus at Rajouri Garden

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earl Academy, an institution in design, fashion, creative business and media has announced that it will inaugurate a new campus in West Delhi’s Rajouri Garden. The new campus will be in addition to its existing campus at Naraina. The new 100,000 sqft campus is designed around the needs of design students, providing them with a contemporary architectural canvas that is permeated with digitally enhanced classrooms and collaborative spaces for the 21st century learner.

Sharing her thoughts on the new campus Prof. Nandita Abraham, CEO, Pearl Academy said, “This campus is truly an interdisciplinary hub. Here,

students from different courses stay united on common ground. They have the unique opportunity to learn from cross exposure of the diverse aspects of design industryand by virtue of shared space; ideas, concepts and networks will f lourish to find new forms of expression.”

“As students will walk through the building’s carefully crafted sequence of spaces, they will recognise our aspiration to create an environment that heightens the creative and design process. For instance, we have sliced openings of skylight into our academic wings, so that students receive natural light through the course of their day.

The floor plan is designed with ample opportunities for collaboration, open spaces offering peaceful thinking spots and seamless extensions of classrooms”, shared Antonio M. Grioli, Area Head, School of Fashion, Styling and Textiles at Pearl Academy.

The selection for the new academic year isdone on the basis of written admission test and personal interview.

Candidates who are in their final year of graduation can also apply for PG courses. Applicants with minimum qualifying scores in NIFT, NID, MAT, CAT, NATA, CEED will be entitled for the waiver of General Proficiency Test (GPT) depending on the chosen course.

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GUEST COLUMN

Rising Trends of Startup Culture and Entrepreneurship There are numerous reasons that are boosting up the startup culture for the millennium generation. This generation has a whole lot of innovative ideas and intelligent minds, but cannot work under the conventional work environment.

Startups give this independence to the entrepreneurs. Also, the government offers a lot of benefits to startups and is trying its best to build the desired ecosystem. So, the government with its encouragement is giving a fillip to the ongoing entrepreneurial culture.

What can the colleges do?

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Kalpana Sinha

ntrepreneurship is all about oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s readiness to take risks, create structure and handle a business in a competitive world that is dynamic. It is believed that to establish a startup, one should stop sketching and start building.

Entrepreneurship and start-up activities in India have grown to a large extent.

The current startup culture

As seen nowadays, there is a huge advancement in technology and ease in finding source for finance, more people, especially the youth is showing g reat i nterest i n the new st ar t up culture. Startups work in a transparent environment and aim at improving the way one serves the customers. These companies hunt for new ideas and they use these idea to come up with improved quality.

In colleges, strong teams can be built with fellow students where there is a constant flow of ideas because of the dynamics involved with the young generation.

Colleges can develop entrepreneurship cells which should chanellise the flow of ideas. If students are provided with specific training on how to control a business, they can achieve great heights.

Many well established colleges in India give this training by establishing an entrepreneurial ecosystem. If more colleges will promote the idea of entrepreneurship, we can have a bigger room full of ideas.

Entrepreneurship and the dynamics

Entrepreneurship is the latest activity that is creating an atmosphere of excitement in the world. However, to begin with the idea of a startup and working efficiently for it, one feels the necessity for strong devotion, a firm decision, confidence and determination. The one difficult hurdle that startups have to cross is of finding

Startups work in a transparent environment and aim at improving the way one serves the customers. These companies hunt for new ideas and they use the idea to come up with improved quality. a person having willingness to work in a startup. A person establishing a startup should stay motivated and should also create an atmosphere of motivation that will help other team members.

Young people usually donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know what to expect. People often evaluate a company by its elegant office which actually should not be given importance when joining an organisation. Working from home is cheaper, more satisfying and low pressured. But in India, many employees think that having a proper office means more success. People have become habituated of MNC or Call Centre kind of jobs, where they can get a high salary with much lesser skills and workload. Workers in a startup should be willing to learn fast. Deep confidence in yourself and in your abilities helps you fight the fear of failure. One has to be hard working, determined and should be able to do multiple tasks at a time. An entrepreneur should have the following qualities 1. They need to identify markets where they can explore their strength and potential.

2. They should know about their potential consumers who are actually willing to buy their services.

3. The budding entrepreneurs must have knowledge about their Unique Selling Preposition, so that they can attract consumers through their value added services.

We are in the 21st century, where people are using digitisation. Hence, we can enhance our skills with the help of technology at any cost.

(The author is Head of Entrepreneurship and Student Welfare Department, IMS Noida)

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GUEST COLUMN

Gurukul systems are the added advantage students appearing in JEE

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ith JEE around the corner, aspirants are gear ing up with the preparations for one of the toughest examinations in the world. To excel at this arduous competitive exam is no easy task; it requires developing a certain mindset, understanding and stamina which is different from what students are taught in a regular school. Student needs to have an agile mind that is capable of analytical thinking and understanding of complex core concepts. They need to build a strong and solid foundation of scientific and technology knowledge students, which is possible through deep levels of determination, focus and concentration. This is the reason why Gurukul systems are considered to be the best places to facilitate a sound learning environment.

Gurukul Systems

The concept of a Gurukul system of education is based on time tested values and principles. It believes in developing an innate sense of concentration and involvement while enhancing a child’s knowledge and development of the brain. The wards in the Gurukul are oblivious of outside surroundings, living in close proximity of a teacher, where much emphasis in laid on a young student’s mental, cognitive, spiritual and physical wellness. The system works on the holistic development of a child, inculcating values such as discipline, self- reliance, right attitude, empathy, creativity, and strong moral values. Introducing children to such an atmosphere in the early stages helps them sharpens the analytic skills from the very beginning. This helps them develop critical thinking, giving them an edge over competitors from the start.

Hence, students can delve into rigorous preparation for JEE easily, with greater chances of success.

Ambience

Most Gurukuls are located at scenic places wrapped in sheer tranquillity, away f rom the hustle and bustle 58 < CAREERCONNECT < July 2017

ambience of such schools is ideal for JEE preparation. It’s a known fact that preparing for these exams takes a toll on a student’s stress level. Surrounded in a calm and isolated environment helps build the mind and spirit, where they can easily de-stress, and enhance their concentration levels.

Modern infrastructure

Raunak jain

Gurukuls have always emphasised on the importance of practical knowledge. Similarly, Gurukul systems today believe that bookish knowledge and rote learning are not sufficient and thus, provide practical knowledge in a modern infrastructure including practical laboratories with state-of-the-art facilities and technology. of city life. It is here that students transform into balanced, analytical people, ensuring an ambience where education is balanced and rewarding.

Location plays a crucial role as being surrounding amidst nature, devoid of a ny out-world ly d ist r a ct ion s, creates an environment which is most conducive to lear ning. The serene

Gurukul systems have a significant prominence in Indian history. Today, age - old conce pt s have merged with moder n cult u re to facilitate a robust lear ning environment for students. Traditionally, Gur ukuls h ave a lways e mph a si se d on t he importance of practical knowledge.

Similarly, Gur ukul systems today believe that bookish knowledge and rote learning are not sufficient and thus, provide practical knowledge in a moder n infrastr ucture including practical laboratories with state-ofthe-art facilities and technology. The curriculum prepares student to excel in all fields of life, creating a perfect combination of academics and extracu r r icular activities. T his makes the educational journey remarkable.

Traditional classrooms replace digital ones, and teachers ensure individual attention to augment the lear ning capabilities of the child. Hence, for JEE aspirants Gur ukuls provide a stimulant environment and assistance to optimize their time and preparation for the competitive exams.

Preparing for the JEE exam is one of the most rewarding experience, and opens up various avenues in life. It is one of the foundation stone towards a brighter future.

To conclude, India has always been known as the land of Gurus and Gurukuls. In ancient India, Gurukuls were considered excellent centres of learning and similarly today, they are the epitome of holistic learning and development of a child, framing a promising future of the student.

(The writer is the Managing Director of Tula’s International School)