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Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The road to GATE 2009

The Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering is the dominant factor in M.Tech admissions.

A score in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) is a pre-requisite for admission to M.Tech. programmes. While conducting interviews, 70 per cent weightage will be given to GATE score and 30 to academic merit.

The institution concerned will prescribe the minimum percentage of marks required.GATE score is essential for all students seeking admission to M.Tech. or postgraduate programmes with scholarship or assistantship from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD).

Some colleges or institutes specify GATE score as the mandatory qualification even for admission without MHRD scholarship. However, mere GATE qualification does not guarantee admission. Top-level institutions like IITs admit candidates having high GATE scores only.

According to MHRD rules, the award of postgraduate scholarship or assistantship to GATE-qualified candidates is for a maximum period of 24 months for master’s degree programmes in engineering, technology, architecture or pharmacy.

GATE-qualified candidates are also eligible for the award of Junior Research Fellowship in the projects and laboratories of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Some government organisations prescribe GATE qualification as a requirement for applying to the posts of scientists or engineers. GATE is an all-India examination conducted jointly by the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore and the seven IITs on behalf of the Co-ordinating Board — GATE, Department of Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India. The overall coordination and responsibility of conducting GATE - 2009 lies with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, designated as the organising institute for GATE- 2009.

GATE - 2009

GATE - 2009 will be held from 9.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. on February 8, 2009.

Applications can be submitted online or offline. Fee for applying online is Rs.900 (Rs.400 for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes categories and differently-abled candidates).

Offline application fee is Rs. 1,000 (Rs. 500 for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes categories and differently-abled candidates). Last date for submitting online application is October 24, 2008. Results will be announced on March 15, 2009.

Information about GATE - 2009 is also available on the web sites http://gate.iisc.ernet.in (IISc Bangalore); www.iitb.ac.in/gate (IIT Bombay); www.iitd.ac.in/gate (IIT Delhi); www.iitg.ernet.in/gate(IIT Guwahati); www.iitk.ac.in/gate (IIT Kanpur); http://gate.iitkgp.ac.in (IIT Kharagpur); and http://gate.iitm.ac.in (IIT Madras).

Eligibility

B.E. or B.Tech., B.Arch. and B.Pharm. holders and those in the final or pre-final year of such programmes are eligible to apply for GATE - 2009.

Master’s degree holders in any branch of science, mathematics, statistics or computer applications; those who are in the final or pre-final year of such programmes; holders of integrated master’s degree or dual degrees in engineering or technology; and AMIE or AME holders are also eligible to appear for GATE.

Those who are choosing any one of the following centres — Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Kannur, Palakkad, Coimbatore, Salem, Tiruchirappalli, Tirunelveli, Puducherry, Chennai, Madurai, Dindigal, Guntar, Nagarcoil and Tirupati — as an examination centre should send their applications to the chairman, GATE, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai - 600 036 (Phone: 044-22578200).

GATE examination has only one paper of three-hour duration — 60 questions in the multiple choice objective type, carrying a maximum of 100 marks.

One can choose any one of the following papers: aerospace engineering; agricultural engineering; architecture and planning; civil engineering; chemical engineering; computer science and information technology; chemistry, electronics and communication engineering; electrical engineering; geology and geophysics; instrumentation engineering; mathematics; mechanical engineering; mining engineering; metallurgical engineering; physics; production and industrial engineering; pharmaceutical sciences; textile engineering and fibre science; and life sciences.

One is expected to appear for a paper appropriate to the discipline of their qualifying degree. However, one is free to choose any paper according to their future study plan. (Information technology has been merged into computer science paper.) Negative marking will be effected in paper valuation.

GATE - 2009 results will be announced on March 15, 2009 and is valid for one year from the date of announcement.

Score card consisting of GATE score, percentile score and all-Indian rank will be sent to the qualified candidates.Detailed syllabus of the papers can be downloaded from the web sites of IITs.

M.Tech. at IITs

Majority of the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) provide M.Tech. study facilities in electronics and communications or related engineering disciplines.

Meritorious engineering graduates in electronics and communication or respective branches with valid GATE scores are eligible for admission.

The Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras, conducts M.Tech. in communication systems; control guidance and instrumentation; digital signal processing; and micro electronics and VLSI design. Meritorious B.Tech. holders in electronics and communication engineering with valid GATE scores are eligible for admission. IIT Madras also offers M.S. and Ph.D.
programmes. Research facilities leading to Ph.D. in wireless communication; fibre optics; optical communication and networks; signal and image processing; networking and so on are also offered.

For details, visit www.iitm.ac.in.

The Centre for Applied Research in Electronics, IIT Delhi, conducts M.Tech. in radio frequency design and technology; and electronics (communication) engineering. Research facilities related to signal processing; microwave and micro electronics are also offered. ( www.iitd.ac.in/pg/mtech.htm)

Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering of IIT Guwahati offers M.Tech. in two specialisation areas — signal processing and VLSI. A Ph.D. programme is also offered. ( www.iitg.ernet.in/ece).

Department of Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering of IIT Kharagpur offers M.Tech. with specialisation in fibre optics and light wave engineering; micro electronics and VLSI design; telecommunication system engineering; visual information; and embedded system engineering. (http://gate.iitkgp.ac.in/m.tech)

‘Environmentalist of the year’ award for Tirupati lecturer

National Environmental Science Academy (NESA), New Delhi, has selected C. Bhuvaneswari Devi, working as a lecturer of Zoology at Sri Padmavathi Women’s degree and PG College, Tirupati, for the ‘Environmentalist of the Year 2008’ award. Of the 11 academicians selected for the award, she is the lone representative from Andhra Pradesh. The award comes in recognition of her painstaking research on the ill-effects of Lead on the environment and her articles pu blished in international journals.

The college Principal, K. Annapurna, congratulated Dr. Bhuvaneswari Devi.

AUW to offer courses for homemakers

The Department of Adult and Continuing Education of the Avinashilingam University for Women, Coimbatore will conduct short term courses for homemakers to enable them become entrepreneurs.

They can choose from the three month herbal beauty therapy course, two month courses in advanced facial techniques, embroidery and painting, basic computer applications, and a one month course in bead and sequence embroidery. There are also one and two week courses they can opt for. The one week courses will be held in gift article making, herbal cosmetic preparation, bouquet making, nutritious fast foods preparation, bridal flower tying, hair styles, artificial jewellery making and masala powder preparation. There will be a two week course in soft toy creation.

Those interested can contact K. Vasantha, Department of Adult and Continuing Education, Avainashilingam University for Women, Coimbatore – 641043;

Phone: 0422-2449715. E-mail to aceefo_adu@yahoo.co.in.

U.K. offers two-year work permit for students

Applicable only in Scotland till last year, it is valid now across the U.K.

Enhanced educational opportunities and transparent visa procedures on one side, education in the United Kingdom has an added advantage now — a two-year work permit on completion of degree, a scheme which till last year was applicable only in Scotland.

This, in fact, has become one of the factors for increase in the number of students seeking admission to educational institutions in the U.K. The two-year work permit programme, called International Graduate Scheme, allows students to apply for an extension in the U.K. after completing their degree, said L. Dhanasekaran, Head of Education U.K., South India, British Council division.

Minimum balance

“The two-year work permit was available in Scotland till last year. It has been made uniform across the U.K. now. Students who complete their undergraduate course, postgraduate diploma or degree and researches can apply for extension in the U.K. after showing a balance of £800 in their account as this is essential for maintenance until they get placement. Once they apply for extension, they will be switched from student visa to work permit visa,” he said.

Mr. Dhanasekaran, along with a team from Education U.K., was on a three-day visit to several educational institutions in Puducherry and also conducted a public seminar for students on ‘Study Opportunities in the U.K. and IELTS’ last week.

Courses

Among the undergraduate programmes in the U.K., the most sought-after courses among Indian students were applied sciences, especially biotechnology, bioinformatics and microbiology, as only a few colleges in India offer these specialised courses at the undergraduate level, he said.
“Many students are going in for business administration, finance and accounts and sports science too,” he added.

As regards postgraduate courses, the in-demand courses are computer science followed by information technology, biotechnology and other areas of applied sciences.

The U.K. has more than 113 universities and 600 colleges offering undergraduate and higher level programmes. Currently, more than 27,000 Indian students are studying there.

Admission

Students in the final year of school should apply before June 30, 2009. The applications are available from September 15. At the undergraduate level, students should go through a central agency — UCAS — and can apply to a maximum of five universities at a time, Mr. Dhanasekaran said.

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is one of the world’s most recognised English language competency certifications. “The advantage of IELTS is that it tests all skills — reading, writing, speaking and listening. The students can take the test proactively as it enables to assess them and identify areas in which they need to improve. It gives them an opportunity to get free coaching in English at the universities,” he said. Apart from U.K., the score obtained in IELTS is accepted in Australia, the U.S. and Singapore. In fact, there has been an approximate 36 per cent increase in IELTS candidates over the last year in south India in the first half of this year.

Visa procedure

He said the visa procedure is quite transparent and there are a number of measures to help students get visas based on the papers submitted. “Very few students are called for an interview. The British Council and British Deputy High Commission have been conducting student visa seminars right from June to September. We had a series of seminars at Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram,” he added.

More specifically, they have brought in strict rules in case students produce forged documents. “The students who submit forged documents will be banned for 10 years from applying in the U.K. As a result of this, the visa rejection rate has come down,” Mr. Dhanasekaran pointed out.

In fact, the number of students seeking overseas education in the U.K. from south India has increased. Last year, there was an increase of 38 per cent and this September, a 50 per cent increase in number of visas is anticipated. Availability of educational loans has increased the number of students from middle-income families opting for overseas education.

Scholarship

He said there was a general misconception that U.K. does not offer scholarships. “On the contrary, there are a few scholarships including full scholarships. Universities give partial grants to students who get good scores wherein a part of the tuition fee is waived at the undergraduate and postgraduate level. At the undergraduate level, scholarships from £1,000 to 3,000 or 4,000 are given for the first year. If the student studies well, it is continued for the second and third year as well,” he said. For postgraduate students, partial grants from £500 to 2,000 pounds are available.

For information on education opportunities in the U.K. and expert advice, visit the website www.educationuk-in.org.

Biotech seminar

If students are interested in participating in a biotechnology seminar organised by the British Council in partnership with Anna University on October 17 and 18, they should register with the Anna University by visiting its website. The forms can be downloaded and sent through the colleges. The seminar will deal with health biotechnology, bioprocessing, plant biology, biofuel, stem cells, genetics and pharmaceuticals, he said.

For information on education opportunities in the U.K. and expert advice, visit the website www.educationuk-in.org

New registration system for IELTS

The new online registration system (NORS) introduced by the British Council for the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) promises to make life easier for students with faster and simple registration and regular alerts. The difference would be felt once the student logs into the IELTS website - http://ielts.britishcouncil.org.in/

NORS will also facilitate instant confirmation of seats. In addition, the British Council has introduced five levels of short message service (SMS) alerts and online access to pre-test information and results. “NORS will make registration process for IELTS even simpler for candidates and IELTS registration centres,” said First Secretary (Educational Services) of British Council Kevin McLaven. Feedback from candidates and educational consultants was taken while designing the new system.

Prof. McLaven was in the city to explain the new initiatives as a part of his “non-stop tour” to seven cities in South India. IELTS is one of the world’s most recognised English language competency certifications offered in over 500 locations in 121 countries. Candidates can give their IELTS either through the paper-based format or online. Listening, reading, writing and speaking are the different sections in the exam.

IELTS is classified into two modules: Academic (A) and General Training (GT), which depend on one’s purpose of visit to the secondary country. For instance an aspirant-student needs to take the academic IELTS whereas emigrants or those planning to work overseas should attempt the GT module. The exam is conducted four to five times in a month. Aspirants can know the test dates from the website that is pre-fixed at the beginning of the year. Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada are the centres in our State where the test could be taken.

Certificate courses for urban dwellers

To inculcate the know-how and do-how on agricultural enterprises among the elite progressive farmers and urban dwellers who are deprived of formal agricultural education, the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) will offer five certificate courses, in the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) mode.

These are in landscaping and ornamental gardening, nursery technology, commercial horticulture, modern weed management, and soil fertility management.

According to G. Selvaraj, Director of the Directorate of ODL, the courses, which will be for six months, will be offered in English for the benefit of urban learners in the State as well as other States.

Landscaping

The course in landscaping and ornamental gardening will cover topics on identification of suitable plants for outdoors, landscaping principles, styles of gardening, importance of irrigation, utility of fountains, ponds, waterfalls, etc.

Nursery technology

The course in nursery technology will deal with preparation and layout of nursery beds, seed treatment, soil sterilisation aspects, propagation methods, laying and bedding, maintenance and display of plants, etc.

The course in commercial horticulture will cover indoor plants, landscape gardening, kitchen gardening, seed production, pollination control, package and practices of flower and vegetable crops, etc.

Weed management

The course in modern weed management will include topics like identification of weeds, integrated weed management in field and horticultural crops, problematic weed and crop residue management, herbicide application techniques, operation and maintenance of sprayers, etc.

Soil fertility management

The course in soil fertility management will deal with waste recycling, composting techniques, press mud and fly ash in agriculture, vermicomposting technology, storing and packaging of vermicompost and its application, utility of urban wastes and bio-solids for crop production. The courses will commence from 15 November 2008.

Those who can read and write English are eligible to enrol for the course.

Applications can be obtained from the Director, Directorate of Open and Distance Learning, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore – 641003; or downloaded from the university’s website www.tnau.ac.in.

Last date for receipt of applications is October 31. For details call 0422-6611229 / 6611429.

BPO training

NASSCOM estimates indicate that the Indian Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry provided direct employment to 7.04 lakh professionals in the 2007-08 financial year, and is projected to generate an additional 1.4 million jobs by 2010.

To address the demand for skilled workers in the business and technology services industry, Genpact, a BPO company, and NIIT have entered into a joint venture. NIIT Institute of Process Excellence Ltd. will offer training programmes in business processes, language skills and business communication, finance and accounting, banking, insurance and supply chain, said Ashish Basu, President-New Business Incubation, NIIT.

NIIT was looking at training at least 10,000 students in the first year. The first few centres have already come up at Gurgaon, Noida and Bangalore, followed by Jaipur, Hyderabad and Chennai. NIIT Institute of Process Excellence offers a solution to the business and technology services industry’s growing need for a large talent pool skilled in business process knowledge. The industry till now focused on voice-based processes and is now shifting focus to business processing functions.

Genpact will provide industry-specific knowledge as well as internship and job opportunities to students. NIIT will complement this with its expertise in learning content development, training delivery, and its capabilities in education process management.

NIIT Institute of Process Excellence training programmes will be offered to students through NIIT’s state-of-the-art learning centres in key metros, mini metros and tier-II towns in India, followed by China and the Philippines.

The Bangalore centre is located at Second Floor, S.V. Tower, No.4, Krishnanagar Industrial Layout, Bangalore-560 029.

A mine of opportunities

Mining engineering involves the integrated application of multiple scientific and engineering disciplines for extracting natural materials from the Earth’s crust

The National Mineral Policy-2008 has stressed the need for establishing appropriate educational and training facilities for human resource development to meet the manpower requirements of the mining industry.

It notes that more mining engineers along with geologists, geo-physicists, geo-chemists and geo-instrumentation specialists are needed in the wake of the expansion of the country’s mining sector.

Mining engineering involves the integrated application of multiple scientific and engineering disciplines for extracting natural materials from the Earth’s crust.

Engineering principles

It involves applying engineering principles for the development, planning, operation, closure and reclamation of mines.

Mining engineers make use of scientific theories, engineering principles and the latest technologies to discover and recover the abundant natural resources profitably.

Indian School of Mines

The Indian School of Mines Dhanbad (ISM) is a premier institution offering courses in mining engineering and related disciplines in the country. It offers a four-year B.Tech. course in mining engineering.

Other B.Tech. courses related to mining engineering offered by ISM include petroleum engineering (refers to subsurface engineering activities related to the production of hydrocarbons), mineral engineering (deals with processes by which extracted ore is reduced to particles that can be separated into mineral and waste and the handling of ores, minerals and coal) and mining machinery engineering (deals with mechanical and electrical engineering aspects of various mining machines deployed at the underground and open cast mines in coal and non-coal sectors).

Five-year dual degree programmes offered by ISM include B.Tech. mining engineering plus MBA; B.Tech. mining engineering plus M.Tech. mining engineering; B.Tech. petroleum engineering plus M.Tech. petroleum management; B.Tech. mineral engineering plus M.Tech. mineral resource management; and B.Tech. mineral engineering plus M.Tech. materials technology.

The mining engineering department of ISM also offers M.Tech. in mining engineering; mine planning and design; open cast mining; and rock excavation engineering and ME in geomatics and underground space technology. Other departments offer M.Tech. in petroleum engineering; mineral engineering; and petroleum exploration and mining machinery engineering.

Admission

Admission to the B.Tech. and M.Tech. programmes is through the Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEEE) and through the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering or written test and interview for Ph.D. programmes.

Other Institutes

Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), offers B.Tech. in mining engineering (admission through IIT-JEE) and M.Tech. in mine environment; mine planning; and rock mechanics (admission through GATE score). Admission to doctoral programmes will be for those who have qualified the National Eligibility Test or GATE and through the Research Entrance Test of BHU.

The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur offers B.Tech. and M.Tech. programmes in mining engineering.

The National Institute of Technology (NIT) Suratkal offers B.Tech., M.Tech. and Ph.D. programmes in mining. NIT Rourkela offers B.Tech. mining engineering while NIT Nagpur offers B.Tech., M.Tech and Ph.D. programmes in mining engineering.

Bengal Engineering College and College of Engineering, Anna University, Guindy, are some of the other reputed institutes offering mining engineering courses in the country.

(The list of institutes mentioned here is indicative and not exhaustive.)

Job opportunities

Harsha Vardhan, assistant professor at the department of mining engineering, National Institute of Technology Suratkal, told The Hindu Education Plus over phone, that while male mining engineering graduates find jobs in the production section, female students are usually employed in the planning section.

The employment scenario is brighter with the boom in the economy.

Mining engineering graduates also find jobs in Gulf countries, he said.

Mining engineers find employment opportunities both in government and private sector.
Companies like the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC); Coal India; Geological Survey of India; HCL; IPCL; Neyvelli Lignite Corporation; National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO); TISCO; TELCO; Reliance; and multi-national companies like British Gas and Schlumberger recruit mining engineering graduates.

At the entry level, they will be appointed as mine managers, ventilation officers, safety officers, analysts or assistant metallurgists.

Later, they may rise to senior executive positions.

Crack civil services with business-like approach

With changes in the civil services exam pattern, the appropriate strategy would be to identify the changes along with the expected areas and prepare accordingly.

The examination system devised for selection to the civil services is one of the most exhaustive and comprehensive.

The selection begins with the preliminary examination, followed by the main examination and concludes with the personality test. Over 1.5 lakh candidates had appeared for the preliminary in May this year and about 12,000 were declared as qualified for the second stage i.e., the main examination, to be conducted in October.

The main examination presents a striking contrast to most of the competitive examinations being held today. It comprises nine papers, all of them of a descriptive type conducted within a span of 20 days. It is designed to test not only the academic talent of the aspirant but also his ability to coordinate and present his knowledge in a clear and cogent manner.

To begin with, the basic skills of an aspirant in a Modern Indian Language and English are tested. This is followed by two papers in General Studies, a General Essay Paper and two papers each in the two optional chosen by the aspirant.

More contemporary

The 2008 main examination is of special significance as the syllabi of the General Studies papers and the Optional have been revised and made more ‘contemporary’. This is in tune with the recommendations of the Satish Chandra Committee, which made a firm case for periodically adding the contemporary dimensions to the syllabi and deleting the antiquated parts. The changes reflect in all the stages of the examination, more so at the main examination.

In such a situation, the appropriate strategy for success would be to identify the changes along with the expected areas and prepare accordingly. There are two qualifying papers — Modern Indian Language and General English. An aspirant has to score at least 35 per cent to qualify in these papers.

The right strategy would be to answer all the questions without any complacency. While most of the candidates are adept in ‘speaking’ they face difficulty in writing the script of any Modern Indian Language.

The General Essay paper was a compulsory component of the ICS examination since its inception. It was deleted from the scheme of examination in 1979. The Satish Chandra Committee recommended its re-introduction in 1993, and since then it has played a crucial role in determining a candidate’s position in the merit list.

The aspirant has to write an essay for three hours on one topic of this choice out of the listed topics. Usually the topics in the General Essay paper are centred on the contemporary issues. It is advisable to devote the first five to ten minutes in ‘zeroing in’ on two topics. The next five minutes can be spent thinking about both the topics and arriving at the one which is in your ‘comfort zone’. Having decided on the topic, start brain storming — write down all the ideas that you have about the topic. Put them on paper randomly as they flow in. Later, arrange these ideas in a logical and sequential manner.

The General Studies comprises two papers, Paper-I and Paper-II. In paper-I current national issues and topics of social relevance has been emphasised and the areas have been clarified apart from existing topics. A business approach is the basic pre-requisite for scoring high in these papers i.e., the time allocated should be commensurate to the marks that will accrue from the question.

Some of the important topics include growth of education in India, impact of communal politics, reasons for the rise of ‘revolutionary terrorism’ in the early decades of the 20th Century, earthquakes and floods (terminology and preventive measures), India’s vulnerability to natural disasters, Sethusamudram project, parliamentary Vs presidential form of government, demands for smaller States, Women’s Reservation Bill, position of the Speaker, inclusive growth, impact of oil prices, feasibility of reservations in the private sector, SEZs Act, Recognition of Forests Rights Act - its merits and criticism.

After having identified the important areas in the compulsory papers, it is advisable to repeat the same exercise in the optionals. Such an effort will lead to the winning edge.

The winning edge

Plan your preparation according to the time table.

In case, there is a long gap between the first optional and the second you can stop the preparation for the second optional.

Logically, questions which have answers not exceeding 20 words are more scoring than questions for which you have answer in 125 words or 250 words. Answer as many short questions as possible.

If you are good in the statistics area, start first with statistics. However, if you are weak opt for it in the last half hour.

Allocate time for each area according to the weightage of marks.

Answer as many questions as possible. It is easier for the examiner to give you average marks in more areas than high marks in one area.

Make your answers attractive by using flow charts and diagrams.
Ensure that the word limit is adhered to.

For the last few years, no candidate who has qualified at exam has been able to complete the paper and answer all the questions.

Usually, candidates are not able to complete the paper and questions amounting to 20-30 marks are left out.

Lastly, do not let your performance in one paper affect your performance in the other.
Remember what we require is above average performance in all the papers and not extreme performances.

With the number of vacancies on the increase and the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission in the offing, this would be the best time to aim for being included in the list of selected candidates. Ensure you do so by adopting the winning edge.

The author is Director, Brain Tree

Naval architecture, a challenging frontier

Naval architecture is an engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, maintenance and repair of all types of marine vehicles. It practically deals with any body that has to work on water.. The discipline is part of the core industries and it can play a major role in the overall economic development of a country.

The course is a four-year B.E. or B.Tech. degree programme that covers the aspects of ship design, ship construction, ship theory, ship maintenance, ship hydrodynamics, ship hydrostatics and ship structure. All the four years are interspersed with practical and hands-on training.

The basic idea is to make the students employable from day one after passing out.

Career options

There is a huge demand for naval architects in countries where ship building industry is in a large format. Naval architects can not only fit in the ship building industry but also in naval dockyards and ship design and research centres. They are in demand both in the private and government sectors.

Naval architects can also join ships for on-board duty after undergoing the one-and-a-half-year practical training on a ship and after receiving the MOT certification from DG Shipping.
Naval architects are considered to be professionals who not only understand the design, construction and running of ships but also the commercial aspects involved in building a ship.

Opportunities aplenty in radiological physics

With a wide range of applications and the need for expertise, radiological physics is an attractive career option.

“Professionals of radiological physics have the obligation of playing a role in saving lives and building the future.”

Radiological physics is all set to reign supreme in future manifestations of cutting-edge technology as the wonderful opportunities for professionals in radiological physics may increase with significant bilateral initiatives such as the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal.

Radiological physics has applications in diagnostics, therapy, nuclear medicine, industry, agriculture and research.

“Radiation therapy is getting modernised with the induction of computers and high precision gadgets,” says V. Murali, a medical physicist with a corporate hospital.

“The field experiences a dearth of technically sound people. Availability of more people with proper training will be a boon to radiological physics,” says H. Sudahar, a radiological safety officer.

BARC course

Talking about the radiological education in India he says, “Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) conducts a 1-year post-M.Sc. Diploma Course in radiological physics. The diploma is awarded by the University of Mumbai which qualifies the candidates for employment as medical physicists or radiological safety officers in medical and industrial institutions, handling radioisotopes and ionizing radiations.”

“Training on the safe use of radiation and radioisotopes in medicine, industry, agriculture and research is imparted to the students. The syllabus covers radiation physics, radiation chemistry, radiation biology, electronics and instrumentation, statistics, computational methods, applications of radioisotopes in medicine, industry research, agriculture and radiation hazards evaluation and control.”

“The training is supplemented by exhaustive experiments, demonstrations, visit to hospitals, industries and other divisions of BARC. The educational qualification is a master’s degree in Physics with a minimum of 50 per cent of marks,” he says.

PG courses

Other institutions such as Anna University, Bharathiyar University, Manipal University and Calicut University are some of the institutions conducting postgraduate courses in medical physics.

“The treatment planning, dosimetry, quality assurance checks have to be done meticulously in which the medical physicists play an important role. A lot of private hospitals are coming up with modern radiation therapy facilities in India. There is a definite demand for medical physicists,” says Dr. Murali.

“As radiological physics plays a role in increasing the shelf life of perishable agricultural products during large-scale packaging for export, the professionals are in demand in this sector too. Gamma irradiator is used in food irradiation plants to package the products,” says Mr. Sudahar.

“In large-scale industry too. these professionals are in demand as radiological safety officers,” he adds.

“The radiological safety officers should be alert and only highly skilled people can handle the job effectively,” says T. R. Vivek, a radiological safety officer.

Many radiological safety officers say there is a dearth of trained teachers in radiological physics in India which leads to poor quality of professionals.

“Professionals of radiological physics have the obligation of playing a role in saving lives and building the future. Some contribute by being a crucial part of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. So candidates who are intelligent and hardworking should come forward to shoulder the responsibility,” says Mr. Sudahar.
(Source:The Hindu)

Media programmes

The Centre for Development of Imaging Technology (C-DIT), Thiruvananthapuram, has invited applications for admission to the following courses in media technology. C-DIT is a Government of Kerala undertaking.

•Postgraduate (PG) Diploma in Science and Development Communication (PGDSDC) — one year

•PG Diploma in e- learning — one year

•PG Diploma in Multi Media Designing (PG MMD) — one year

•PG Diploma in Television and New Media journalism — one year

Bachelor’s degree holders in any discipline are eligible for admission to these courses. Selection will be based on an Aptitude test and interview.

Certificate courses

Non-linear editing – 3 months, eligibility: Plus Two or SSLC with exposure to computers; videography – 6 weeks, Plus Two or S.S.L.C.; digital still photography – 5 weeks, S.S.L.C. with exposure to computers; television anchoring and news presentation – 3 months, morning batch, Plus Two holders and college students; photo journalism – 6 weeks, Bachelor’s degree or experience in photography; radio production – 3 months, Bachelor’s degree in any discipline
Selection to these certificate programmes will be based on an interview.

Application form and prospectus can be obtained from the C-DIT office by paying Rs.250 or a demand draft for the amount drawn in favour of Registrar, C-DIT, payable at Thiruvananthapuram.

Address: Communication Training Centre , C-DIT, T.C. 24/ 1997, Opp. Police Ground, Thycaud, Thiruvananthapuram-14. Phone: 0471- 2331917.

For more details, visit: www.cdit.org.

Last date for the receipt of completed applications is October 10, 2008.

MBA agribusiness

The College of Agribusiness Management (CABM) under the Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar — 263 145 has invited applications for admission to its
MBA Agribusiness Management programme.

Meritorious graduates in agriculture are eligible to apply.

Selection will be based on the Indian Institute of Management-Common Admission Test (IIM-CAT) score, group discussion and interview.

Application fee is Rs.1,500. For more details, visit www.cabm.ac.in.

Sale of application will start on October 15, 2008.

Last date for submitting filled in applications is December 10, 2008. (Phone- 05944- 233884).

IIT-JEE

The Indian Institute of Technology-Joint Entrance Examination (IIT-JEE – 2009) for admission to the undergraduate and integrated Master’s degree programmes offered at all IITs, the Institute of Technology of the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, and the Indian School of Mines Dhanbad will be held on April 12, 2009 across the country.

IIT-JEE – 2009 scores will also be considered for admission to the marine engineering degree course and B.Sc. national science course conducted by the Marine Engineering Research Institute Kolkata and training ship Rajendra Mumbai respectively.

There will be two papers for JEE – 2009. Paper I will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 noon and Paper II from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Both the papers will have separate sections in chemistry, mathematics and physics and will be of objective type, designed to test the comprehension and reasoning and analytical abilities of the students.

Online and offline application facilities will be provided from November 19 to December 24, 2008.

Last date for submitting application is December 24, 2008.

Candidates should have completed Plus Two or should be appearing for the final exam with physics, chemistry and mathematics. Candidates should have at least 60 per cent marks (55 per cent for those belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes categories and differently-abled) in Plus Two.

A detailed notification in this regard can be expect during November, 2008.

Ph.D. awarded

ELURU: A.V. Subbayamma, Head of Department, Chemistry, St. Theresa’s College for Women, has received Ph.D. from Andhra University for her thesis on “Development of new spectrophotometric methods for the assay of selected drugs” . C.S.N. Raju, Coordinator, Research Cell of Andhra University, communicated to the media to this effect.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Jobs aplenty in electronic media

Being a cusp of technical, non-technical elements, one needs to be a ‘jack of all’ in electronic media

Lights, cameras …rolling! With a spate of new television channels coming up, career opportunities relating to the media are on the rise.

As a result, industry experts have cited a shortage in manpower and a lot of media institutes have started banking on the sudden demand.

Being a cusp of both technical and non-technical elements, the electronic media needs one to be a ‘jack of all trades’, a.k.a. multitasking.

Options

Before taking up a career in the electronic industry, one has the comfort of choosing a career from a plethora of options that are available today.

Right from anchoring shows to being a radio jockey, the opportunities are abundant and all one needs is a knack for it.

“There is need for a number of people in the electronic media. More importantly, the need for technically sound people is more. One has to have common and aesthetic sense for making a film, or even a news story,” says president of Telugu Film Producer’s Council, Tammareddy Bharadwaja.

Technical courses

However, the demand is more on the technical side as it is only during the past few years that media institutes have started technical courses such as camera handling techniques, editing and the latest being graphics.

“The industry demands people with sound technical skills and every person entering the industry should be well-trained,” he adds.

Media schools in the twin cities such as Film Acting Coaching Institute (FACI) and Channel 4 train people interested in working in the media.

Those enrolling get to choose from several facets of the trade.

For instance, FACI trains its students in various aspects of film making such as acting, dubbing and writing screenplays, to name a few.

The four-month course is taught in Sarathi Studios under the tutelage of film director M. Balu.

Fee structure

Channel 4 offers courses in presenting, reporting and editing news in addition to handling cameras, video editing and compiling graphics. The courses offered by Channel 4 are of two month duration each with fee ranging from Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 25,000 for different streams. “At present there is a demand and people who have good aesthetic sense are well-suited for the industry,” says B. Samson, technical faculty from Channel 4.

Well-trained

“Moreover, new channels that are being launched are seeing to it that those recruited are trained in all aspects of production so that they can handle different aspects if the need arises,” says M.E. Azad, general secretary of Andhra Pradesh Movie Dubbing Artistes Union.

Details

For more information regarding the courses call FACI at 98480 83139 and Channel 4 at 3256 8444, 93928 89898.

Sun-Karunya tie-up for faculty development

Sun Microsystems and Karunya University would have a strategic relationship to set up a faculty development programme and update Karunya’s existing curriculum using Sun’s resource library, according to a recent press release.

As part of the collaboration, Karunya would also launch two diploma programmes on Java technology and mobile applications supported by course material and the official curriculum from Sun Learning Services and Sun Professional Certification Services, the release said. Karunya was the first academic authorised Sun education centre in a university in south India, the release noted.

Postgraduate programmes at TISS

Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, is offering postgraduate programmes in Social Work, Disability Studies & Action, Counselling, Development Studies, Education (Elementary), Women’s Studies, Health Administration, Hospital Administration, Public Health, Globalization & Labour, Human Resource Mgmt & Labour Relations, Social Entrepreneurship, Disaster Management, and Media & Cultural Studies.

Eligibility is 50 per cent aggregate marks in bachelors’ degree.

Application forms can be had by sending a DD for Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 750 for additional programmes, favouring “TISS, Mumbai,” payable at Mumbai to ‘The Registrar, V N Purav Marg, Deonar, Mumbai-400088.’

The last date for applying is October 24.

For details, visit ‘ www.tiss.edu’.

Students all praise for Austrian universities

VIJAYAWADA: Several students, who are studying in two Austrian universities, Europe, have described the educational environment in that country as “safer and more secure” than most other foreign destinations.

They say that Indian students enjoy a lot of opportunities by studying in the Austrian universities.

An experience sharing and pre-departure meeting was held for local students at Manor Food Plaza here on Sunday under the aegis of Astra Education Consultants.

For students of higher technical educations, the Austrian universities had more scope largely because of their name and fame for excellence in this particular field.

Shri Ramya, a B.Tech graduate who got admission in MS instrumentation there, said that Austria was very safe secure for foreign students and the overall educational scenario was good. Moreover, the fee was also less and there was no need for GRE or TOEFL scores to get admission.

The educational consultants were showing enthusiasm in recommending and encouraging Indian students to go to Austria despite the fact that the education as a bit tough in terms of syllabus and standards.

Total attention

If a student would give total attention to studies without looking at small earnings, he or she would have a brighter future after completing the courses there.

T.V. Bhaskara Rao, consultant, Astra Education Consultants, said that he would make it a point that students would not hunt for part-time jobs there so that they would be able to pursue their higher technical education successfully.

Firm view

He was of the firm view that students, who concentrated fully on studies while in overseas universities, went on to savour success in their professional careers later.

They admitted nearly 88 students into the two universities of Austria, which were the University of Klagenfurt, Klagenfurt, and the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, Villach.
Of these students, 35 members took admission this year and they were going to board the plane soon. Giri Babu, a parent, said that his son was studying there for the second year and they were happy over the educational conditions there.

Ph.D awarded

V. Pala Prasada Rao, a research scholar at the Acharya Nagarjuna University has been conferred Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) for his thesis titled ‘The Dialectics of Communal Dynamics in Indian Subcontinent’ (A select study of Indian fiction).

Training in medical transcription

The Andhra Mahila Sabha College of Fine Arts and Media Education, OU campus, is inviting applications from women candidates for a three-month course in Medical Transcription.

Eligibility is Intermediate and the selection will be on the basis of written test and interview. The last date for applying is September 27. For more details, those interested may contact the college on 65575505.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Appointed V-C of new law varsity

VISAKHAPATNAM: Principal of Andhra University Dr. Ambedkar College of Law Y. Satyanarayana has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of the law university the State government is setting up at Sabbavaram on the city outskirts.

AU Vice-Chancellor B. Satyarnayana, Rector B. Parvateeswara Rao, Registrar P.G.V.D. Prasada Reddy and others congratulated Prof. Satyanarayana.

Reacting to his appointment, Prof. Satyanarayana said he would take it as a challenging task to establish a new university and develop it as one of the best law schools in the country.

Prof. Satyanarayana did his LL.B. from Delhi University and LL.M. from Osmania University and took Ph.D. from Andhra University. He received the Best Researcher Award from AU.

He was with the Indian Air Force for 15 years from 1968 and had 25 years of teaching experience. Prof. Satyanarayana was recipient of the Best Teacher Award 2008 from the State government.

APPSC appointments

HYDERABAD: Governor N.D. Tiwari has appointed Paidipally Ravindhar Rao, Kamireddy Ripunjaya Reddy and Maraty Pochaiah as members of the AP Public Service Commission (APPSC).

This was stated in G.O. 590 issued by the General Administration Department here on Tuesday.

Competitions for engineering students

Hyderabad: To celebrate the birth anniversary of Sir Mokskshagundam Visvesvaraya and to inculcate sportsmanship, the ABVP technical cell is organising “Naipunya-08”, a fest for engineering students from September 18.

The festival will have competitions in cricket, volleyball, basket ball, kabaddi, chess, caroms, table-tennis apart from events like singing, dancing and mimicry. Interested students can enrol their names at ABVP office in Vidyanagar. Further details can be had on 92904-44380 and 98485-48002.

Sun technologies offers free training to MLRIT

HYDERABAD: The city-based MLR Institute of Technology (MLRIT) joins the 3,000 institutions across the world that get access to free training on Sun technologies for the faculty and students, as a part of the Sun Academic Initiative (SAI) programme for collaborative relationships with educational institutions.

As part of this programme, MLRIT gets access to free web-based training and curricula, including courses in the latest Java and Solaris technologies, free access to an extensive portfolio of web-based courses through Sun Learning Connection, free web-based access to Instructor Led Training (ILT) courseware to faculty and students and free web-based e-Practice Certification Exams.

The SAI initiative also offers to help prepare students to become Sun Certified.
K. Venkateswar Reddy, vice-principal of MLRIT said that the collaboration allows faculty to have free access to the Sun Web Learning Centre and work through the appropriate modules for the classes they will be delivering.

Further details can be had from Dr. Reddy on 99498-63334.

Programme on ICET

A free scholarship test on ICET 2009 and Orientation on ‘How to crack I-CET’ is being organised by Visu International Ltd. on September 21 from 11 a.m..

The test and orientation will be held at Visu’s centres at Saifabad, Ameerpet, Tarnaka, Sai Ram Towers near Y.M.C.A. Secunderabad, and Dilsuknagar. For more information, contact 2339 8359, 2339 9241.

Seminar on ‘education in society’

The Nalanda Degree College organised a seminar on “education in society” involving students of second and third year students from various colleges. The speakers said that students were like diamonds and they would be useful fully to society only when they would be polished carefully. College principal Anuradha, faculty members, students and others were present.

52 centres for Group-II test

VIZIANAGARAM: The district administration has arranged 52 centres – 41 in Vizianagaram town, six in Parvathipuram and five in Bobbili – for conducting the APPSC Group-II written examination on September 20 and 21. On September 20 the examination will be held from 2.30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on September 21it will be conducted from 10.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2.30 p.m. to 5 p.m., according to in-charge Joint Collector P.A. Sobha in a press release.

Free training for minority youths

SANGAREDDY: The Andhra Pradesh State Minorities Finance Corporation is organising free training programme for unemployed minority youths.

Applications can be downloaded from website: www.apsmfc.com. Further details like eligibility, courses offered are also available on the website. Last date for submission of application was Sept 20. Applications can be sent to Minority Welfare Officer, opposite e-Seva, Shantinagar, Sangareddy, Medak District, according to a release here on Tuesday.

18 ANU students get jobs in Dubai

GUNTUR: Eighteen students of Acharya Nagarjuna University Centre for Distance Education’s Bachelor of Hotel Management course have got placements in Dubai with the Lotus Hospitality Company. All of them were trained at the Vestine College of Hotel Management in Vijayawada, ANU Rector K. Viyyanna Rao has said.

Lotus General Manager Wilson Joseph told Vice-Chancellor Y.R. Haragopala Reddy that all the 18 students had been recruited for Rs.13,000 a month initial salary in addition to free boarding and lodging facilities. The company has invited the ANU to set up an overseas campus in Dubai as many of the Telugu-speaking people there had regard for the ANU courses as its CDE courses were very popular all over India.

Selected students expressed their happiness at the quality of course material provided by the university that helped them get into international company.

KIET wins CSI award

Kakinada: The Kakinada Institute of Engineering and Technology (KIET) won the Computer Society of India’s Special Best Activity award for organising CONCOURS-2008.

It is a national-level technical fiesta hosted by KIET every year to bring technological experts and students onto one platform with the underlying objective of facilitating sharing and enhancement of knowledge. KIET placement officer Y. Ramakrishna received the award during the CSI’s annual convention held at Chennai recently, from CSI national president and Indraprastha University Vice-Chancellor K.K. Agarwal. He appreciated the activities of the CSI student branch of KIET and hoped hat it would take up more such ventures in future. CSI vice-president and TCS chief financial officer S. Ramalingam and other luminaries in the field of information technology lauded KIET’s initiative.

JNTU students hack exam portals

HYDERABAD: Technology comes with its own limitations and deficiencies and some students of the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU) are exploiting these shortcomings to crack into the examination portals and steal the question bank.

The hacked questions are shared with other students using popular networking sites like Orkut or web groups like Yahoo and Gmail.

These question banks pertain to the internals conducted online by the University carrying 20 marks each for every subject in every semester. Majority of students in the cities who are part of these groups are able to download the question bank consisting of 180 questions.

A third year engineering student agreed that there are some bright students who crack the examination portal. The hackers don’t even allow their friends to toil studying the questions and searching for answers.

A software available with them is embedded to the question bank and it searches the right answers and highlights them in bold for easy identification. Some of them are so advanced that they insert a pen drive, loaded with the software, in the examination hall and it answers the questions.

Interestingly, the JNTU introduced online examination system when it found that some colleges were resorting to leakage of question papers for their students’ benefit. The then Vice Chancellor, Y. Venkatrami Reddy, introduced the system of sending question papers through CDs locked with a password that used to be revealed an hour before examination. Later, online testing was adopted.

The JNTU in-charge Registrar, E. Saibaba Reddy said earlier revelations were that students were able to guess the answers based on the pattern of the question papers. That was plugged making changes in the system.

“We will study it and enhance our security systems if needed,” he said.

However, he said the University had discussed a plan to increase the number of questions in the bank and give open access.

Indian IT majors cautious

NEW DELHI: With nearly half of their revenues coming from banking and financial services segments, India’s top software exporters said on Tuesday they were closely monitoring the crisis spreading across financial markets all over the world.
While Infosys and TCS, the country’s two largest IT firms, said they did not comment on individual clients, the third largest IT firm, Wipro, said it was in dialogue with failed Lehman Brothers, although revenues from it were modest.
The fourth largest software exporter from the country, Satyam, also said it was “concerned” at the developments in the U.S. “However, the Lehman Brothers episode will not have any impact on Satyam,” Satyam Computer CFO Srinivas Vadlamani said.
HCL Technologies said that the two American majors — Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch — were not its clients and therefore would not have any fallout for the company. — PTI

Monday, September 15, 2008

XLRI- XAT 2009

The Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur, has invited applications for the Xavier Aptitude Test (XAT-2009) to be held on January 4, 2009, for admission to its two-year postgraduate programme in business management; personnel management and industrial relations; and four-year fellow programme in management.

Last date for submitting application is November 30, 2008. For more details, visit www.xlri.edu.

JMET- 2009

The Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur has invited applications for the Joint Management Entrance Test (JMET- 2009) for admission to the two-year full-time postgraduate programmes in management at IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, IIT Madras and IIT Roorkee for the academic year 2009-10. Meritorious engineering graduates are eligible.

Applications can be submitted online only and can be done till October 8. JMET will be held on December 14. Visit www.iitk.ac.in/gate.

PG courses at TATA institute

TATA Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Deonar, Mumbai- 400 88 has invited applications for the national-level written test to be held on December 14 for admission to the post-graduate programmes in social work; disability studies and action; counselling development studies; education (elementary); women studies; health administration; hospital administration; public health; globalisation and labour; human resource management and labour relations; social entrepreneurship; disaster management; and media and cultural studies.

Bachelor’s degree holders in any discipline (minimum of three years’ duration) are eligible to apply. Those appearing for the final-year degree examination by June 20, 2009, are also eligible.
One can apply for upto three programmes. Application forms and information brochure can be downloaded from the website www.tiss.edu. Online application facilities are also provided.
Application fee is Rs.1,000 for a single programme and Rs.750 each for every additional programme. Last date for submitting the completed applications is October 24. For more details, visit www.tiss.edu.

Kochi, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune will be among the test centres.

Career in genetics

Genetics is study of genes and variations in organisms. Genetic Engineering is manipulation of genes to obtain the targeted results and is closely related to biotechnology and microbiology.
In India, genetics, as an academic option is available at various levels. There are several specialised areas in the field, which include Human Genetics, Molecular Genetics and Medical Genetics. Its prospects for research and employment are quite promising.

The technology related to genetics finds its application in health care, food processing, brewing, horticulture, beauty care, agriculture and animal science. They can also find employment in research and development institutes, educational institutions and government departments. University of Delhi offers M.Sc in Genetics. The eligibility criterion is B.Sc (Honours.) in any branch of Life Sciences or B.Sc (General) with at least 60 per cent marks in their main subject (for Honours) or in aggregate (for General). For details, log on to www.du.ac.in

Sri Ramachandra University offers M.Sc in Human Genetics. The eligibility criterion is B. Sc in Biology/ Life Sciences/ Agriculture/ Biotechnology/ Biochemistry/ Botany/ Genetics/ Microbiology/ Zoology or Allied Health Sciences. Candidates with MBBS/ BDS/ B.Sc (Hon.), B. Tech (Biotechnology) and B. V. Sc are also eligible. For details, log on to www.srmc.edu

Andhra University offers M.Sc in Applied Genetics, Human Genetics and Molecular Genetics. The admission is based on performance at entrance examination. For details, log on to www.andhrauniversity.info

Mahatma Gandhi Mission Institute of Biosciences and Technology, affiliated to University of Health Sciences, Mumbai offers M.Sc Medical Genetics.

The eligibility criterion is B. Sc in Botany, Zoology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry or MLT/ B.V.Sc/ B.Pharma/ MBBS/ BDS or any equivalent examination. For details, log on to www.mgmibt.com

Forensic science

Forensic science deals with criminal investigation and demands a lot of mental skills from the person using the science.

Many subjects including Fingerprints, Classification and analysis of Fingerprint, Toxicology, Hairs, Fibres and Paint, Chain of evidence, Organic Analysis, Inorganic Analysis, DNA analysis have to be studied in depth.

The employment opportunities are in government laboratories/ organisations and private detective agencies.

Osmania University offers M.Sc Forensic Science. The university conducts Post Graduate Degree and Diploma Entrance Tests and Admissions for selecting the students for various postgraduate and diploma courses. For details, log on to www.osmania.ac.in

MBA option

Coming to MBA, for students from science background and especially for those like you who have interest and aptitude in science, it should be used as a support in your career. That is you take up a job in your field and gain MBA to become eligible for higher positions. So, you can opt for MBA after you gain some experience in your field.

Or you can do it in part-time or distance mode without taking a break from your job.

So, think about opting for MBA now only if you are sure that you do not want to continue in the science field and you have all the traits to become a good manager.

BIFT’s convocation ceremony organised

Nearly 200 students of 2005-07 and 2006-08 batches of Badruka Institute of Foreign Trade (BIFT) were awarded the ‘Masters Programme in International Business’ degrees at the convocation while the toppers walked away with medals and cash prizes. C. Kavitha, Padmini Arya and P. Parinitha of 2005-07 batch and Varsha Lathkar, Saurabh Kumar and Piyush Doshi from 2006-08 batch were awarded first, second and third positions respectively. They were given gold medals along with cash prizes.

E. Balaguruswamy, Member, Public Service Commission, who was the chief guest, awarded the medals and degrees. He appreciated Badruka Educational Society for foraying into the foreign trade education and emphasised on the importance of knowledge management in the era of new business environment.

Scott Smith, vice president of Tax Service – Delloite, appreciated the students for their achievements and for future endeavours.

The Director of BIFT, S. K. Mathur stated that BIFT has association with Nanyang Technological University of Singapore, which was ranked 46th best B-School in the world. He said more international tie-ups were being explored.

Hair Prasad G Badruka, chairman of Badruka Society distributed certificates to the students.

Course in Videography

Softview Visual Communication, a city-based educational institution, has recently started a three month course in Diploma in Videography.

A press release said the objective of the course is to provide training in latest technology for better employability.

Some of the subjects covered include basics of visual media, cinematography, television and videography, basics of editing and production techniques and making documentary films.
The candidates would also gain practical knowledge through guest lectures. Students would be trained by eminent personalities of various fields, including videography and film industry. The candidates may choose their careers in various fields be it film industry, satellite television channel or educational studio. The course fee is Rs.7500-00, which is inclusive of course material and educational tour.

The classes commence on October 1, the release said.

For details, contact: Softview Visual Communication, No. 117, Nelson Manickam Salai, Chennai-29, Phone: 42113535.

Five-day course in ‘fund raising’

A unique five-day intensive programme called ‘Certificate Course on Principles and Techniques of Fund-Raising’ is being offered in Madurai from October 20 to 24. The Meenakshi Mission Hospital and Research Centre (MMHRC) in Madurai in collaboration with
The Fund-Raising School of Indiana University, USA, is offering this certificate course to give the participants learning experience in various techniques of fund-raising.

Topics to be covered include guidance on building an annual donor base, fund-raising research and recent techniques for the benefit of professionals/ trustees/ heads of non-governmental organisations. The course fee is Rs. 30,000 or $700.

An information brochure from the MMHRS says that fund-raising is not just about money but it is learning to communicate effectively with public and developing a network of enthusiastic/ committed supporters for a cause. Analysing, research, planning, execution and evaluation of fund-raising will be taught during the course period. Besides MMHRC and The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University-USA, the South Asian Fund Raising Group at New Delhi is also part of the programme.

More information about the course can be had from S. Kanchan, programme coordinator, on phone number 0452-2580243 or 0452-4263000.

German courses

Goethe Institute, Chennai, offers German language elementary level courses for students, housewives and employed professionals. The six-week intensive courses (8 a.m. to 12.15 p.m.) begins on September 22 and 10-week semi-intensive courses (7.15 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 8.15 p.m.) begins on September 29. Classes will be held from Monday through Friday.

For registration and more details, contact 044 2833 1314 / 2833 2343.

Programme in water resource management

Gender imbalance in the water sector has been a subject of concern to academicians. The strength of women professionals in the water field is not as big as that of women professionals in areas such as information technology .Conscious of this malady, the Anna University’s Centre for Water Resources (CWR) has been running a programme, Integrated Water Resources Management. “We started it in 2006. One batch of post-graduate course students has passed out,” K. Karunakaran, Director of the CWR, says, adding that the programme will go on till 2011. The programme, comprising Master’s and Ph.D. courses, is funded by the Netherlands Government.

Over a period of five years, 50 women PG students and five women Ph.D. scholars are given the fellowship. Though the Netherlands Government provides scholarship to 10 PG students a year, the Centre admits 15 students for the course and the five students are not entitled to the fellowship, the Director clarifies. The CWR has been permitted by the University to conduct an exclusive selection process.

R. Sakthivadivel, former CWR Director and currently Visiting Professor, says there is no other institution offering such a programme exclusively for women. Among the five Ph.D. students, three are engineering background and the rest from environmental stream. These five students have been given topics relating to water and sanitation issues pertaining to south Chennai. The topics have been finalised after an exhaustive process of consultations with all those concerned. Dr. Karunakaran says six partner institutions from other south Asian countries such as Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are involved in the Netherlands Government-funded programme. He notes that the Centre, which is keen on improving productivity of water, is also running an undergraduate course in agricultural and irrigation engineering.

PESTIM para-medical courses in Shimoga

PES Institute of Technology and Management (PESTIM) of Shimoga, which has made its presence felt in the technical education field within a year of its coming into being, has decided to offer para-medical courses from the next academic year.

The courses to be started are: Diploma in Medical Lab Technology, Diploma in Medical Lab Technology, B.Sc Medical Lab Technology, B.Sc Radiographic Technology, B.Sc Neuro Science Technology, B.Sc Cardiac Technology and B.Sc Operation Theatre Technology.

While the duration of the first two courses is three years and two years respectively, the duration of all the other five courses is three-and-a-half years. The eligibility for the first and the second courses is 10th Standard and 10+2 respectively; the eligibility for the other five courses is 10+2 Science with 35 per cent marks.

The first two courses are affiliated to the Directorate of Medical Education and the remaining five to the Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences. The Founder-Chairman of the PES Institutions, M.R. Doreswamy Naidu, said that the increasing job openings in the para-medical services both in the private and government hospitals prompted his institution to offer these courses.

MBA courses

PESITM had started MBA courses affiliated to the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) and the BBM affiliated to the Kuvempu University of Shimoga with an intake of 60 and 72 respectively.

PES has also decided to start an International Residential Public School on its sprawling campus located on the Sagar road from the next academic year.

PESITM recorded pass percentage of 84.54 in the first semester and 84.39 in the second semester in the first year examination of the engineering courses in four branches. The management has offered to waive the second year fees of four students who scored 85 per cent and above in the first year. They are C.M. Kavana who scored 88.90 in Computer Science Engineering, B. Medha (87.81), L.R. Rakheeshree (87.14) and K.B. Nithin (85.74) in Electronics and Computer Engineering.

Changing trends in nursing education

The increasing demand for nurses both within the country and abroad has led to a dramatic increase in the number of seats in nursing courses in Kerala.

Ever since former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s call, in his 10-point development agenda for Kerala, for the creation of an army of nurses and paramedics to meet the rising demand for paramedical personnel at the national and global levels, nursing education in the State has undergone a sea change. Efforts have been made to increase the number of seats and to sanction new colleges.

In fact, the State government began efforts to increase the number of seats in tune with the National Health Policy 2002, which states, “The ratio of nursing personnel in the country vis-a-vis doctors and beds is very low according to professionally accepted norms. There is also an acute shortage of nurses trained in super specialty disciplines for deployment in tertiary care facilities.”

The State started sanctioning self-financing nursing courses in the private sector from the time of the UDF regime headed by A.K. Antony. The current LDF government has plans to start three more nursing colleges. Future plans include beginning M.Sc. nursing courses at the Government Medical Colleges at Alappuzha and Thrissur.

The State Cabinet has cleared the Health Department’s proposal to establish a State Institute of Medical Education and Technology (SIMET) to promote paramedical education in the government sector. Initially, SIMET will set up three nursing colleges at Malampuzha in Palakkad, Uduma in Kasaragod and Palluruthi in Ernakulam.

The institute will start B.Sc. nursing courses this year itself after receiving the approval of the Indian Nursing Council. Dr. Kochuthressiamma Thomas, registrar, Kerala Nurses and Midwives Council, Thiruvananthapuram, said that the shortage of manpower and demand for qualified hands in the country and abroad had necessitated an increase in the number of seats.

B.Sc. nursing

As of now, there are 4,080 seats for B.Sc. nursing in the State. Apart from the five government nursing colleges attached to the five medical colleges in the State, 68 private institutions and 10 institutions under universities (self-financing mode) offer the course. The duration of the course is five years.

Also, there are 212 nursing schools, 194 of them in the private sector, which offer Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery (DNM) in the State. For DNM, there are 6,279 seats — 5,845 in private nursing schools and 434 in government nursing schools.Anoop K., State secretary, Graduate Nurses Forum, said that the Indian Nursing Council (INC) has instructed to wind up the DNM courses by 2010, and instead to focus on B.Sc. courses. The postgraduate course, M.Sc. nursing is offered only at the government nursing colleges (total 80 seats).

Mr. Anoop said that, as per standards, there should be one nurse for each patient in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and one nurse for five patients in general wards. But the government was unable to find enough hands to meet the standardsand often there would be only one nurse for up to 50 patients. Rijo Jose, president of Post Graduate Nursing Students Forum, however, says that the existing strength of students was enough to meet the demand for qualified nurses in the State and even for the opportunities outside.

Hindi Day at IICT

The Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) and Centre for DNA Fingerprinting & Diagnostics (CDFD), two city-based research organisations, are celebrating Hindi Day at IICT campus, Tarnaka on Monday. R.N. Singh, former Director of National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) will be the chief guest of the event.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Counselling for M.Sc. courses

WARANGAL: Counselling for admission into five-year Integrated M.Sc. chemistry and M.Sc. biotechnology courses at Kakatiya University will be held on September 17 at the Department of Physics.

Director of admissions P. Indrasena Reddy said call letters had already been sent to candidates. Six seats are available under NRI quota in Integrated M.Sc. chemistry. Students can apply on or before September 17. Detailed information is available on www.kakatiya.ac.in or www.kuwarangal.com, Prof. Reddy added.

JNV admissions

VISAKHAPATNAM: Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) at Peddapuram in East Godavari district invites applications from eligible candidates for admission to Class VI in the academic year 2009-10.

According to Principal N.S. Reddi, the entrance test will be held on February 8, 2009, at 44 centres in East Godavari district. The examination will be held in Telugu and English media.

A candidate seeking admission must not have been born before May 1, 1996, or after April 30, 2000. Students appearing for the selection test must have studied and passed Class V in 2008-09 academic year from a recognised school in the district.

Prospectus-cum-application form can be had free of cost from the mandal education officers, the East Godavari DEO’s office and the Principal of the JNV.

Filled-in applications should reach the Mandal Education Office concerned on or before September 30, says Dr. Reddi.

Further details may be had from the Peddapuram JNV Principal.

Admissions open at government degree college

Hyderabad: Admissions to the newly-opened Government Degree College in Kukatpally are in progress. The college, which is currently operating from the premises of New Government Junior College in Kukatpally is offering courses in B.A. (History, Economics and Political Science), B.Com and B.Sc. (MPC and BZC).

Applications invited

HYDERABAD: The Advanced Training Institute for Electronics and Process Instrumentation, Ramanthapur, is inviting applications for admissions into its one-year training programmes in Industrial Electronics, Process Instrumentation, Consumer Electronics and Medical Electronics.

Last date for submission of applications is Friday. For details contact: 27037266 / 9290126003

AP Hindi Academy announces awards

HYDERABAD: Osmania University Hindi professor (retired) T. Mohan Singh has been selected for the ‘Padma Bhushan Dr. Moturi Satyanarayana Puraskaram’ award of the AP Hindi Academy for 2008. . Others selected are N.P. Kuttran Pillai-(Malayalam) and M. Upendra (Kannada) for ‘Dakshin Bharatiya Bhashi Hindi Lekhak Puraskar’ and Ravi Srivastav, associate editor, Hindi Milap, for the ‘Hindi Bhashi Hindi Lekhak Puraskar’.

LLM admissions

HYDERABAD: University College of Law (Osmania University) and P.G. College of Law, Basheerbagh, has invited candidates who qualified in PGLCET-2008 to register for L.L.M (Private Appearance).

Candidates who have a maximum three years Bar experience as an advocate or three years experience as a judicial officer as on June 15, 2008 are eligible to apply.

He/she should have also qualified in PGLCET-2008 and practicing advocates have to obtain permission from Bar Council of A.P and judicial officers from High Court.

University College of Law offers three branches; Constitutional law, Corporate Laws and Labour laws. P.G. College of Law, Basheerbagh, offers six branches -- Jurisprudence, Constitutional Law, International Law, Corporate Law, Labour Law and Crimes and Torts.

The fee payable per annum is around Rs. 6,000.

Admissions will be conducted on September 19 at 5 p.m. For details contact Principal, University College of Law, O.U: 27098298,27682368; Principal, PG College of Law: 23231092, according to a press release.

Vocational courses at Red Cross institute

Indian Red Cross Society is conducting training programmes in skill development at Red Cross T. Chandrasekhar Reddy Vocational Training Institute in Masab Tank from October 1. Applications are invited for courses in MS Office, desktop publishing, embroidery, catering and hotel management etc.

APPSC Group II hall-tickets

HYDERABAD: The AP Public Service Commission has advised candidates appearing for the written examination for Group II Services (general) Recruitment on September 20 and 21 to download hall tickets (in case of non-receipt) from website www.apspsc.gov.in. from September 13.

BRAOU to conduct teleconference

The Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University is conducting a teleconference on B. Ed. programme through DD-Saptagiri on Sunday between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. The university Vice-Chancellor, O.R. Reddy, Professor and Dean of Education, C. Raja Mouli and M.T.V. Naga Raju of Education Department will participate. .
Viewers can ask questions on 040-27031431, 27031432 or 27031433.

Monday, September 08, 2008

UK Universities extend their dates

Many universities in UK have extended their deadlines for applications. According to the director of Transcend International Education Recruiters and Advisors, the universities have extended their dates till the end of October and students still have time to send in their applications.

Transcend is affiliated to Tie and Tac, an education consultant in UK, and have started their operation in Visakhapatnam recently. The consulting firm is tied up with a number of universities in the UK like Middlesex, Coventry, Bedfordshire, Salford, University of East London, Northampton and Abertay Dundee. For details contact: 3062399 or 9885643152.

MBA for medical professionals

Many hospitals and pharmaceutical firms are setting up professionally managed centres for providing multi-specialty health care services. Such centers need managers who have professional skills, both in general management and health care delivery systems. A sense of responsibility, team spirit, dedication, decision making capacity, communication and negotiating skills are required for these professions.

Management programmes like MBA hospital and health care management or Master’s degree in hospital or health administration will be ideal for medical graduates.

These programmes combine training in management skills, management principles, accounting and business communication along with specialised knowledge of the working of a hospital, marketing of hospital services and logistics management.

The courses also offer basic knowledge of health care, nutrition, prevention of communicable diseases, community health as well as other medical and personnel related aspects.

While choosing an MBA course in the distance mode, the candidates should look for reputed universities and business schools.

The approval of the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and the Distance Education Council (DEC) is mandatory for employment in government services.

Courses

Regular MBA programmes in hospital and health care management and in related disciplines like hospital administration are being conducted by some universities and institutes. But distance education facilities in these disciplines are very rare.

The Directorate of Online and Distance Education of Anna University, Coimbatore, offers an MBA (2 year, 4 semesters) programme in health care and hospital management, through the online and distance education mode. The university also offers a one-year postgraduate (PG) diploma in hospital management. Graduates in any discipline are eligible for admission to both the courses.

More details can be obtained either from the web site www.annauniv.ac.in or from the Directorate of Online and Distance Education, Anna University Coimbatore, GCT Campus, Coimbatore - 641 013 (phone: 0422- 2455353, email: dode@annauniv.ac.in).

The Centre for Distance Education of Anna University, Chennai ( www.annauniv.edu/cde), also offers two-year (four semesters) MBA programmes in health services management in the distance education mode. Any graduate in the 10+2+ 3 pattern is eligible for admission.

Selection is through an entrance test conducted by the university. The curriculum and syllabus will be on a par with that of the regular programme.

Specially created course materials in self-instructional mode, CDs of lectures by experts with the required open source software, emphasis on course study and hands-on projects to improve communication skills through online tracking, widespread location of study centres with modern facilities are some of the specialties of the programme.

More details can be obtained from the web site www.annauniv.edu/cde. Prominent institutions
Here is a list of the leading universities offering MBA programmes in the distance education mode. The syllabus will be similar to that of the regular MBA course. (These options are being mentioned in case medical graduates like to consider other subjects for study as well.)

• The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) offers MBA through its country wide network of study centres.

Eligibility for admission is a bachelor’s degree in any discipline plus three years’ supervisory, managerial or professional experience; a degree in engineering, technology, medicine, architecture, law and so on; professional qualification in chartered accountancy, cost and work accountancy, company secretaryship and so on; or Master’s degree in any subject.

• The Directorate of Distance Education, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar- 608 002, conducts MBA in e-business, international business, human resource management, financial management, marketing management and so on in the distance education mode. Duration of the courses is two years. Eligibility: Degree.

Selection is based on an entrance test. The university has study centres across the country.
The university also offers MBA in hospital management and Master of Health Science in physiotherapy; public health; applied nutrition; applied ergonomics; medico-legal practice; preventive cardiology; occupational therapy; wellness health science; adolescent health and education; and reproductive and sexual medicine.

The courses are of two years’ duration. All these programmes are approved by the Distance Education Council. For more details, visit www.annamalaiuniversity.ac.in (Phone: 04144-238610, 238047)

• The Institute of Distance Education of Kerala University, Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram - 695 581, offers MBA (three years), Master of Hospital Administration (three years) and PG diploma in health and hospital administration (one year) for meritorious graduates in any discipline. For more details, visit the web site www.keralauniversity.edu (phone: 0471–2417389, 2418019).

• The Directorate of Distance Education of Alagappa University, Karaikudi - 630 003, offers MBA in hospital management; international business; investment management; banking and finance; corporate secretaryship; project management; tourism; education management; and human resource management.

• The Directorate of Distance Education of Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai - 625 021, conducts MBA programmes in finance; marketing; human resource management; system management; production management; and retail management. • The Institute of Distance Education, University of Madras, Chepauk, Chennai - 600 005 offers two-year MBA programme for graduates.

• ICFAI University (private) offers MBA as flexible learning programme for graduates. For more details, visit www.icfai.org or www.iutripura.edu.in

• The Directorate of Distance and Continuing Education, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli - 627 012 (0462 – 2321620, 2321614), offers MBA and PG diploma in hospital management for graduates.

PG diploma

Symbiosis Centre of Healthcare, Pune, conducts a one-year autonomous PG diploma programme in hospital and health care management through the distance education mode for graduates in any discipline ( www.schcpune.org).

IGNOU, New Delhi - 110 068, conducts a PG diploma course in hospital and health care management for graduates. ( www.ignou.ac.in). The School of Distance Education, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore - 641 046, conducts PG diploma in hospital and health care management course for graduates. ( www.b-u.ac.in)

AU SDE MBA examination

VISAKHAPATNAM: The first year examinations of MBA programme of Andhra University School of Distance Education will be held from September 8. The examinations will be held at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar P.G. Centre, Etcherla, Srikakulam; AU MSN PG Centre, Timmapuram, Kakinada; Prabhas Degree College, Kedareswaripeta, Vijayawada; R.G. Kedia College of Commerce, near Chadarghat bridge, Hyderabad and the TSR and TBK College, Gajuwaka, Visakhapatnam.

The hall tickets could be collected from the examination centres, Director of AU SDE D. Hrushikesava Rao informed. Candidates who have opted for AU campus as their examination centre have to appear for the examination at the DCMS annex building near the out gate (for three-year MBA) and at the PRISM Degree College near Apoorva hospital, Rajendra Nagar, Dwarakanagar (for two-year MBA).

Scholarship amount sent to schools

KADAPA: Pre and post-matric scholarship amounts sanctioned have been sent to the principals of colleges and headmasters of schools for 2007-08 for disbursement to students, according to a statement from the District Minorities Welfare Office on Sunday. The acquittances containing the beneficiary student’s signatures should be forwarded to the District Minorities Welfare office before September 15, it added. Scholarships for 2008-09 would not be sanctioned to educational institutions which do not submit the acquittances within the stipulated time, the statement said.

Appointed varsity council member

KADAPA: The State Government appointed A.G. Damu, assistant professor in Chemistry in Yogi Vemana University, as the university’s governing council member, according to a university press release. Dr. Damu did research in natural products and drug discovery and published nearly 50 research papers in international journals, besides presenting 35 scientific papers in international seminars. He completed eight projects during his eight-year stint for fellowship in the National Health Research Institute and National Science Council at Taiwan, the release informed.

Sonia Gandhi to open IIIT on September 11

KADAPA: United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi will inaugurate the IIIT at Idupulapaya in Vempalle mandal on September 11 by unveiling a pylon. She will also inaugurate a statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on the premises.

Ms. Gandhi would inspect the classrooms and dormitory and would interact with the IIIT students, Kadapa Collector M.T. Krishna Babu said.

Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and some Ministers would also participate in the programme.

Mr. Babu, Superintendent of Police D.S. Chauhan, Kadapa Member of Parliament Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy and Vice-Chairman of Hyderabad Urban Development Authority Jawahar Reddy and other officials visited the IIIT and inspected the ongoing works on Saturday.
Three helipads were constructed to enable three helicopters to land on the campus.
Ms. Gandhi would arrive at the IIIT at 12.30 p.m. and would leave for Anantapur at 2.30 p.m. on September 11.

Security reviewed

The officials also reviewed the security arrangements being made for the VVIP’s visit.

Director of IIIT Krishna Reddy, OSD Prabhakar Reddy, Pulivendula OSD Krishnamohan Reddy, Pulivendula DSP Khaleel Saudagar, Vempalle tahsildar Srinivas, Vempalle ZPTC member Ravi Kumar Reddy and Thondur ZPTC member V. Sivamohan Reddy also participated.

EAMCET re-allotment list today

Candidates who have entered their options for EAMCET-2008 admissions online from August 24 to September 5 can check the list of re-allotment on September 8 at 11 a.m. The list will be put up in http://eamcet.dte.gov.in and http://eamcet.apsche.ac.in. Candidates can download the re-allotment order by entering the hall ticket number. According to a press release, changes for further re-allotment and cancellation of re-allotment will not be entertained under any circumstances.

M.E/M.Tech classes to begin today

The University College of Engineering, Osmania University announced that classes (full-time and part-time) for Master of Engineering and Master of Technology courses would commence from Monday. Orientation programme for full-time course students would be conducted on the main building premises at 10 a.m. and at 6 p.m. for part-time students. Full-time course students have to pay one time autonomous college fee of Rs. 5, 300 through demand draft drawn in favour of Principal, University College of Engineering (Autonomous) O.U, said a press release.

For further details, log onto www.osmania.ac.in website.

ICET-2008 Admissions Notification , Second Phase WEB BASED COUNSELLING SCHEDULE

Candidates who have taken admission in MBA/MCA courses are given allotment letter and Scratch card for exercising options on web for sliding to colleges/courses as per their choice using password from 4th to 11th August 2008. on the web www.apsche.ac.in. Candidates can exercise options using Internet either from home, internet Cafes, 24 Helpline centres in A.P. (for details visit website www.apsche.ac.in (or) www.icet2008.net

Instructions:

1. Candidates are advised to verify the list of colleges/courses alongwith the college code.
2. Please note that New colleges/variation in intake in existing colleges are also made available for choosing options.
3. Candidates can give maximum of 100 options
4. He/She need to create an e-mail address for receiving allotment.
5. Allotment will be made as per Rank order and taking Reservation categories into Consideration
6. Candidates can change options for maximum of 10 times during schedule given. Option exercised on last day upto 5:00 p.m. is deemed to be final choice.
7. Last date for cancellation of ICET-2008 Admissions at respective counseling centres upto 10th August 2008 only.

Caution:
1. Strictly maintain the password given on scratch card as confidential/secret.
2. In case of loosing of scratch card, new scratch card may be obtained from respective counseling centres where admission was taken earlier.
3. Candidate is advised to choose options very carefully. He or She need to accept the allotment and no changes will be permitted under any circumstances once allotment letter is issued through e-mail.
4. Candidates satisfied with the First allotment need not exercise any options on the web.


Note: Candidates between 1 to 30,000 Rank who could not attend/exercise option in First phase of Counselling are required to attend web counseling at 8 online counseling centres. Separate notification will be issued in this regard.



Hyderabad CONVENER
30-07-2008 3/ICET/2k8 ICET-2008(Admns)

Saturday, September 06, 2008

Free software training for 200 students

VISAKHAPATNAM: City-based IT training firm, 5 Solutions Business Applications, selected the first batch of 200 trainees here on Friday. The director of the firm Ramesh Duvvada informed that the trainees have been selected from the economically backward segment and the 45-day training in SAP, Java, Ms.Net and Testing Tools will be imparted free of cost.

On the selection criteria, he said that the candidates have to be graduates and hail from an economically backward family.

The firm estimates to train about 5,000 youth from the north coastal districts of AP. “So far we have received about 5,000 applications and the batches will start in phases,” he said.

Mr. Ramesh informed that the firm has been rendering this service since last five years, dedicating each year’s work to a great personality. “In the first year, we had dedicated this free training camp to A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, followed by Mother Teresa, B.R. Ambedkar and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. This year, the camp is dedicated to film-star-turned-politician Chiranjeevi,” he said.

Apart from IT training other skills like communication and soft skills will be imparted to the trainees.

Changes in Inter 2nd language paper

HYDERABAD: The Board of Intermediate Education on Friday said that question paper pattern for second languages – Telugu, Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit and Arabic -- under Part-II for the first year Intermediate is changed from the present academic year 2008-09.

In case of Sanskrit and Arabic, more questions need to be answered in the script of that language than what is hitherto. The model question papers for these second languages have been communicated to all junior colleges in the State. The model question papers are also available on the Board’s website: www.bieap.gov.in.