contents

careers and
courses
Clinical Research  30
This nascent industry offers myriad
job opportunities, and is worth about
rupees 100 crores today

Teaching in Schools  68
The education sector in India is
expanding in leaps and bounds.
Explore whether mentoring young
Rajesh Thakur/Outlookgroup

minds is your calling

Information Management 74
An MTech course where science, manage-

42
ment and tech collide, to prepare you for
the information needs of tomorrow
cover STORY
FEATURES
B-school Ranking Analysis 14
Jobs with a
difference! +
Careers360 gets to the bottom of what’s Expert advice,
wrong with B-school surveys. And ranks Featured
them, too
Now you can earn AND serve professionals
Pizza Papad with the NIDians 65
Can the legendary National Institute of
Design live up to students’ expectations?

advisory
Quantitative Aptitude 24
Strategies to help you fine-tune your
analytical skills and ace competitive exams

Regional MBA Tests 28 36

CAT is not the only option. These
entrance exam scores also make you
eligible for a good management college guru gyan
Verbal Ability and Reasoning 40 Narendra Jadav
Last-minute preparation tips to crack Member, Planning Commission
Reading Comprehension, Grammar, “China produces five
and more in CAT 2009
times more research. We
Rights Alert: Deemed University 73 complacently feel at par,
It’s NOT a university. That’s why you since we have a large
must look before you leap into a new course English speaking set”

2 careers 360 november 2009

 careers360
November 2009 l Volume I l Issue 8

Publisher
Maheshwer Peri

Editor
Environment Studies 44 B Mahesh Sarma
Saving Mother Earth, now a full-time job Executive Editor
Merril Diniz
Disaster Management 45 Special Correspondents
Trained professionals needed, Urmila Rao
to save the day Sumita Vaid Dixit
Shalini Gupta

Working for the Elderly 46 Design

Caring for Sr. citizens may be your calling Art Director
Anshul Sharma

Community, Social Development  48

Sr Visualiser
Rajesh Chawla
India is the rural manager’s oyster Jr Visualiser
Thomas Mampilly
Health and Allied Sectors 50 Aroon Purie Research
Rural India needs good health care “There’s no point producing Dr. Nimesh Chandra
professionals Bharti M Borah
graduates who are in reality Shiphony Pavithran

Child Welfare 53 unemployable” Business Office

The perks of helping underprivileged kids AB-12, 1st Floor, S.J. Enclave,
20 New Delhi — 110 029
Tel: 46002914
Women’s Studies 54 Ad sales
Help empower the women of today North
Topper Speak 27 advt.north@pathfinder360.co.in

Conservation 56 Professor Amitabh Joshi tells us why a West

advt.west@pathfinder360.co.in
Protecting history, art and cultural heritage scientist never grows up! Bangalore
advt.blr@pathfinder360.co.in
Microfinance 57 Teachers’ Talk  35 Chennai
Helping the poor can yield rich dividends Dr. Thulasiraj discusses jobs in eye care advt.chn@pathfinder360.co.in
Hyderabad
advt.hyd@pathfinder360.co.in
Common Functions Oration 76 East
Across Sectors 60 The Bill Gates Commencement Speech advt.east@pathfinder360.co.in
Funding raising, advocacy, PR and more
Campus Review  78 Head Office
AB-12, 2nd Floor, S.J. Enclave,
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Tel: 40591800-807

Scholarship Review  80
regulars Chevening Programme
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Letters 4 Ask Us 82 Mumbai : Tel: 67382222
Careers360 tackles your career Kolkata : Tel: 40085012
In the News 8 conundrums
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Motivation 26 Ready Reckoner 84 Printed and published by
Maheshwer Peri on behalf of
Pathfinder Publishing Private
Limited. Editor: B Mahesh Sarma
Printed at: International
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Distributed by Outlook Publishing
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Somdev
Devvarman Nobel Prize, ParliamentaryGlobal
Committees
Warming 94 Cover Design
Anshul Sharma

International 96

CDSE
Model Paper
360 november 2009 Politics 96
3 careers
Letters
Do continue the campaign!
We as Indians are proud to
be part of it. This campaign
will build a better future for
the citizens of our country.
Divya Parekh
Higher education in our
country has some glaring
gaps. There are institutes
which ask heavy donations
to fill seats. If our institutes
cannot afford to start and
sustain on their own, then
certainly they should not be
given approvals to start their
operations.
Atin Mhatre
I want to do MBA but fee is
increasing like never before.
How can a middle class
person dare to dream to get
admission in IIMs?
Dhruv Rawat
Ragging, eve-teasing is
swelling in most institutes.
It becomes difficult for
women students to move
freely. Government should
increase security for women
in all the institutes, so that
they can study peacefully
and confidently.
Rakesh Mehta
Bring institutions that are
nation builders not money
spinners! Indian education
is too theoretical. Can we
have a concept of ‘freedom
of education’? Class 10th
and 12th board exams have
turned beast of burden for
many students.
Raymond
Institutes function as per
their whims and fancies.
Teachers fail to deliver
their best in teaching. There
should be a general norm for
all educational institutes.
There is no proper financial
back up for the parents who
belong to the lower class. The
promotion of scholarship or
sponsorship is marginal. Our
government should lean on
the side of dreams and aspi-
rations of bright students,
who are deprived of mon-
etary benefits. Kindly guide
them.
Rajiv Kumar
Education in agriculture is
not up to the mark. Please
form a committee, which
works on the uplift of educa-
tion in this sector. The com-
mittee can comprise acade-
micians, farmers of repute,
retired agricultural scien-
tists and NGOs engaged in
rural development.
Dr. A. M. Oza
I am yearning for practi-
cal learning. The approach
on learning needs a radical
change. Being a student of
electronics (final year), I am
challenged in fixing a radio.
Akhil
I completed my MBA (MS),
from University of Lucknow,
during 2007-2009 with first
class marks. But due to lack
of placement cell in the cam-
pus, the students suffered
a lot in the end. Recently
questions have also arisen
over the recognition of the
University by the AICTE.
The government should take
strict action on such univer-
sities and institutions.
Priyanka Pande
The so-called distance learn-
ing concept has always been
a mystery. I wonder how
people operating from 500
sq. feet flats, actually call
themselves colleges attached
to universities and keep dis-
tributing degrees without
any proper examination and
charging exorbitant fees.
Ranjit
Education is not for sale.
Jagdish
4 careers 360
I am very disappointed with
the kind of placement pat-
tern we have in India. During
the selection process, some
students are racially dis-
criminated for their colour,
caste, sex etc.
Deepika
Faculties are the heart of the
institute. Set a norm for their
recruitment! Stick to it!
Niladri Bihari Nayak
Vinod Mehta on his life and times
A careers360
CAMPAIGN
MY
CAREER!
MY LIFE!
join us
Tell the HRD minister
your problems. be
heard. Speak up. Fight to
ensure you get the
education that’s
promised
Fight for our future
The government should help
set up counselling depart-
ments (both in schools and
colleges). It will help stu-
dents make an informed
decision as to what career
path they choose. This will
help talented students to
excel in fields in which they
shine, and in turn will help
India as a whole.
Akash Jacob
Faculty efficiency is a seri-
ous issue. We should have
regulatory actions on their
recruitment and ability.
Saurabh Chatterjee
NOVEMber 2009
Education has become a
money spinning business.
We don’t need foreigners to
teach us. Indian institutes
are far better in imparting
right knowledge.
Abbas Kapadia
World is moving ahead but
we are still in the Stone Age!
We need major reforms in
the education system.
A Pratap kumar
S
crutinise and regulate the
authenticity of informa-
tion provided on brochures,
prospectus and advertise-
ments of all the institutes.
Education has become
the latest business with no
accountability towards the
future of the students. There
should be a provision of a
helpline number, for stu-
dents to complain against
malpractices by several
institutes, where innocent
students are literally duped
through false promises.
Tarun Sharma
Mushrooming of B-schools
without any infrastructure
and proper faculty should
be put to an end. The fancy
ads promoted by these fake
institutes have ruined the
future of innumerable stu-
dents. Hope Department of
Education will take care of
this menace.
Aminul Haque
We are ready to pay. But let
the money be utilised for
getting proper faculties and
not people who hardly know
their own subjects.
Pallavi Majumder
I want to bring to your notice
that it came as a shock to me
that no banks give education
loan on acting courses. They
are not recognised under
education loan. I had a tough
time, arranging money for
my son’s course.
Seema B. Sughand
Education... LET IT BE
REAL
Yasir Yousuf
I found the interview with
Mr Mehta really inspiring
because in a way he was an
underdog when he joined
a magazine that was on the
brink of shutting down. I
feel he took a real risk, and
in the end it paid off too. I
was going through a really
bad phase in my job, and
feeling very negative about
things. But his wise words
and story encouraged me
to it strictly. They are earn-
ing handsome amounts, bet-
ter than their salaries.
Hitesh Raje Vij
Please provide counselling
for parents, who push kids to
become conventional engi-
neers, doctors, lawyers etc.
They should be convinced of
the fact that there are cours-
es beyond that.
Rahul A. Adi
to look at a bad situation
as a learning experience
and now, I am much more
postive.
Sulagna Mukherjee
I feel that education in
India is too much about
learning things by heart,
rather than learning with
understanding, so you are
not job-ready when you
graduate from an insti-
tute. This pressure leads
to students lacking in
both social skills as well
as application. We must
adopt a more practical
and experiential style of
education.
Mary Thomas
Have a single governing
body to rank universities. If
the universities do not meet
basic minimum criteria they
should shut shop immedi-
ately. Syllabus should be
renewed every year.
Chirag
Let us all ensure that this
forum speaks and not get
reduced to the status of a
networking place.
Aruna Iyer
I would request you to put a
check on the growing num-
ber of unauthorised institu-
tions, which show lucrative
educational offers without
giving quality education.
Prashant Yadav
The quality of Indian educa-
tion has degraded to a great
extent. Today, the promotion
of education is a business,
not a service anymore.
Divya Prakash
Can we take action for the
students who belong to the
below poverty line. The gov-
ernment should take nec-
essary steps to help them
pursue good quality higher
education.
Prakash Pandey
is a big scandal. If you are
interested then I can talk in
detail about how the medical
entrances are working in the
country and how the univer-
sities are also involved in the
whole process.
Seema Sood
I am not a student but as an
education advocacy activist
you have my support.
Sanjay Patro
I went to Poland on study
Visa last year. The college I
joined proved to be bogus.
They advertised MBA from
LUBS. Later, I realized there
was no association with
LUBS. It was all fraud. Soon
after, I left that college. I
tried to get help from the
Indian Embassy there but to
no avail.
Nishant Sharma
I want the minister to stop
going back and forth on the
issues of reforms. It would
be nice if he stops mak-
ing public announcements
about reforms. He must
immediately implement the
malpractices act and the
refund of fees act.
Anil Kishore

Students should not be mis- lookout for

Mr. Sibal, please remove res- Education must give the guided by such false claims. our next issue
ervation policy from educa- right base and help a child Government should take
tion system . grow up with inquisitiveness actions against such insti- extra 24 pages competition special

Meraj Shaikh and reasoning. tutes. careers360

June 2009 Rs 40
Interview
Kapil Sibal

Dr. Deepali Shubhav Sharma

Mr Sibal, we are against res-
ervation policy in education
and jobs on the basis of caste.
There are many brilliant stu-
dents, who are still in search
ORDINARY
Indian education should We really need an overhaul
be cheaper like in the west- of the education system. HEROS
ern countries, where edu- They must also be brought
cation is mostly free and under control. Best courses Career reviews

of good quality education. in some cases the charges Greeta Patodia Most popular
careers
Features
B-School
Kuldeep are minimal. Commencement
address
Rankings in
detail
Sumeet Lakra I am a parent struggling to
Please stop school teachers get my child clear his medi-
FIRST PERSON campus review Upclose Course review
kapil sibal Jadawapur V Anand Environmental
University Sciences

from taking private tuitions. Mr. Sibal, please monitor cal entrance examination.
Also Sports as a career n Dressing up for an interview n Gazing the Stars for profit

They harass students, who the total fee structure of all This year has been an eye issue on stands on
oppose joining the classes. universities. opener for me. I have real- 1st December 2009
Please enforce laws related Jatin Kashyap ized that education in India

5 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Letters
Managing
promotions
The best option to get a pro-
motion when you deserve
it and still don’t get it is to
change job; there is always
demand for good profession-
als in the market.
Anonymous
Late work hours, overburden-
ing, companies are exploiting
employees in terms of work.
Now, you are given under-
performer rating if you work,
9 to 6. It is expected that
you work 9 to 9. Who is con-
cerned about your personal
life? If you want a good rating
and promotion, start working
late night, work on Saturday.
At the end either you will
have some broken personal
relationships, no personal
life, lose touch with your chil-
dren, parents, friends.
Rohit Agarwal
The toughest part is when
your boss is insecure and is
scared that you will emerge
smarter than him or her. I
had some bad experiences in
this area, and would like a
story on how to manage an
insecure boss.
Jini
Nanotechnology
Over time, I have found that
the research in your issues
though exhaustive is always
incomplete. You must know
that IIT Roorkee is the only
IIT in the country that offers
an MTech in Nanotechnology
(with effect from 2008) based
on the GATE score. The rest
offer PhDs. Certainly Amity
University cannot be pub-
lished at the expense of IIT
Roorkee. This amounts to
providing incomplete infor-
mation to students, which
certainly is not your goal.
Anonymous
I would like more specific
inside: competition360 bank PO ‘09 sOlved PaPers and mOre
information on soft skills in
careers 360 IntervIew
your magazine. I have good
domain knowledge in my
vinod mehta
October 2009 Rs 40 www.careers360.com
special issue field (IT), but it seems that
one also needs to be present-
able, know how to dress, what
to wear etc. Please give tips
ALL THAT YOU
MUST KNOW on interviews, résumés, con-
CraCking
versation tips, interacting
Careers/Courses
ShIppIng InduStry
economIcS
Sat/ap/act
Feature
with seniors at a party etc.
healthcare muSIc JockeyIng
Amit Bansal
ceo sPeak
sanjay Modi
Monster india
teachers’ talk
Prof. uday
salunkhe
uP close
sanjay leela
bhansali
caMPus review
iMt
ghaziabad
While growing up, I felt
Also Managing ProMotions n Making the Most out of your college n MoMbusho, jaPan
Oct cover-Final.indd 1 9/25/09 5:41:25 PM
very confused about what I
Well done, scope for more wanted to do in life. I really
wish we had an option like
The foreign education story is a good piece of research. Careers360. I think this gen-
For the 10-12 countries, that you identified, you have put eration is lucky to have a ded-
in most of the information in a very user-friendly man- icated source of information
ner. I even thought that with this as a base material, one to understand and learn from.
could easily zero in on a good course without the aid of I advise them to think about
any counsellor. One thing, which stuck me is the number their career from a long-
of students’ data you have published. You are the only term perspective, and also
one, who looked at individual number of students who ask themselves what is it that
go to different countries. Newspapers normally confuse they really want to achieve in
between total number of foreign students with the num- life. Money isn’t everything.
ber of new admissions. It shows that your research team Working with good people,
is doing good work. But please ensure that it is exhaus- learning from those with
tive too, which I find is lacking in some places. experience, understanding
everything about your field,
Subha, Chennai these are important aspects
r freshers should consider.
Lette e
of th h Shereen B
mont
My daughter wants to join
Yeah, and what about the instrumentation neces- NIFT, eventhough she is pur-
College of Nanoscale Science sary to do meaningful nano- suing a bachelor’s degree in
and Engineering at Albany, technology research. commerce. She has always
one of the best in the world, Jeff Stazlick been a bit creative, and does
especially the infrastructure, lots of drawings and crafts at
stipend of 20k, a 2 to 1 ratio of home. I want her to do Mas-
faculty and students, etc? Studying Aboard ter’s in commerce, but she is
Sachin not listening. I just want her
The only word I can find now to be happy. I read your arti-
I am a scientist of Indian ori- to appreciate your coverage cle on fashion on your web
gin working at a university in is ‘Excellent” as you have site. But please note I would
the UK, and I’m surprised by given maximum information like more on the same.
all this silly talk of “careers in within the 26 pages on over- N Tyagi, Noida
nanotechnology”. Most uni- seas education.
versities, including the IITs Dr Paul Chellakumar, I like the interviews with the
and IISc, don’t have the basic Campus Abroad editors in your magazine.
I want to read more on these.
You should include some
international write-ups, also
Share your opinion, insights, bouquets and please, incorporate far more
brickbats at feedback@pathfinder360.co.in global content.
Srinivasan
6 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
 careers NEWS CAMPUS NEWS NEW COURSES EVENTS

India lags in scientific research PGDM 2010: IMT

Ghaziabad
The institute announces admissions
for the 3-year PGDM programmes
2010. One can opt to specialise in
Human Resources, International
Business, Finance or Information
Technology. Candidate must
have appeared for the Common
Admission Test (CAT) to be
conducted by IIMs from November
28-December 7, 2009. The
application forms will be issued
till November 27. The deadline
for submission of application is
December 07, 2009.
Madhu Kapparath/Outlookgroup

Improve your English

language skills
Pearson Test of English Academic
(PTE Academic), a new computer-
based test of English language
proficiency is being launched in

B
India. Marjorie Scardino, Chief
razil, India, Russsia, South Africa and China (BRICS), endowed with vast Executive Officer, Pearson plc,
resources and potential, are aiming to become leading economic powers. Achiev- shares, “This innovative computer-
ing this goal depends on their ability to tap and grow knowledge resources through based test is designed to give
research and related skill development of existent workforce. Thompson Reuters, looked schools and employers a lot more
at their research output, in terms of quality, quantity, reach and effectiveness. While the to go on, a lot more quickly when
inaugural report examined Brazil; India will now be put under the scanner. they’re trying to decide whether
a candidate is ready to learn in
According to the report, India is lagging behind other key countries and some BRICS
English or work in English.” She
partners, thus needing a government effort to invest in education and research such as hopes that employers and students
improving facilities, creating institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science Educa- gain equally. The fee for India is
tion and Research to achieve higher standards in scientific research and education. With set at US$160. A variety of test
a large educated population, the number of degree holders has increased from 2.4% (20.5 preparation material, and sample
million) in 1991 to 4.5 % (48.7 million) in 2005. This would provide the manpower base papers are available at www.
for reserach activities. Publications have also grown in the last decade- 1998 saw 16,500 pearsonpte.com/resources.
papers, which rose to 30,000 in 2007, improving India’s ability to contribute to science.
ADMiSSIONS
Indo-French dual degree in The AIEEE may be going
Nuclear Science online, soon NMAT 2010: NMIMS admission
test goes online
Delhi University will offer this programme Three directors from the National Insti-
in association with French institutes. “The tute of Technology (NIT) at Allahabad, Delhi School of Economics:
Admissions open for MIB, MHROD
collaboration with seven French institutes Calicut and Agartala, have set up a commit-
for this dual degree programme is the first tee to evaluate the All India Engineering PHD programmes at Guru Gobind
Singh Indraprastha University
ever tie-up of this kind in our history, espe- Entrance Exam (AIEEE). They will look at
cially in sensitive domains like nuclear taking the exam online, and review the cur- 16-month MBA, 11-month Master’s
(management) at Asian Institute
energy,” Professor RK Shivpuri, Head, rent structure and the weightage to be given of Management
Department of Physics, Delhi University, to Class 12 exam results. The committee
TERI University – Two-year full-
said. Students will receive their Master’s proposes to submit its report by January time MBA programmes (Business
in nuclear energy after spending their third 2010. Vacant seats across NITs, in spite of Sustainability and Infrastructure)
and fourth semesters in Paris, through this counselling rounds , is also being looked International PG diplomas -
programme. In addition, students will into. The first meeting of the NITs Council, Institute of Insurance and Risk
receive full support of organisations work- under the Chairmanship of the Union Min- Management (IIRM)
ing in the field of civil nuclear energy such ister for Human Resource Development,
as EDF and Areva, and will also get the Kapil Sibal, requested all 20 NITs to pro- get details at
opportunity to intern with these organisa- vide a vision statement open for discussion www.careers360.com
tions. at the next meeting of the NIT Council.

8 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

 careers NEWS CAMPUS NEWS NEW COURSES EVENTS

Companies want to hire at junior, mid level Apollo Group to open

medical college

T
According to Prathap C. Reddy,
eam Lease Services Employment Out- Chairman, Apollo Group, the
look Report for the October to Decem- hospital wants to open a new
ber 2009 quarter, states that employment medical college. Reddy shared
that Apollo was already in talks
outlook is flat, but the business sentiments
with three reputed international
have started to pick up. As per the report, universities for a tie-up, but
health care has been the least affected sec- refused to divulge the name of
tor in the recent downturn and the recruit- the varsities. “We want to go in for
ment activity is taking place. However, super speciality hospitals only, not
sectors such a retail, media, FMCG, infra- multispeciality, because we don’t
want to compete with the existing
structure, manufacturing and engineering primary and secondary health care
are still lagging behind. There is an increase centres. We want to complement
in the intention to hire at all managerial them with the tertiary speciality,”
levels except at the senior level. The sur- Reddy stated.
vey also states that there is likely to be a
steady increase in hiring across functions
except for production, human resources Soft skills for profession-
and customer service. “During the past als in the finance sector
three months as well as the last one year, Besides domain knowledge,
Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore, had which prepares its students for a
the highest attrition rates compared to career in the Banking, Securities
,Finance and Insurance sector,
other cities,” says Surabhi Mathur-Gandhi,
Centum Learning, a Bharati
General Manager, Team lease services. associate, in collaboration with
Annamalai University and IGNOU,
has introduced a personality
Tenth anniversary for TERI Now prepare for BITSAT 2010, development module in its
degree and diploma programmes.
University online According to Sanjeev Duggal, CEO
and Executive Director, Centum
The Energy and Resources Institute Resonance, a coaching organisation for Learning Limited, the methods
(TERI) University celebrated its tenth IIT-JEE, has launched the BITSAT (Birla adopted to teach the programmes
anniversary on October 24, 2009, renew- Institute of Technology and Science would also equip students to join
ing its commitment to advanced learning in Admission Test) 2010 online test series. the corporate world and not merely
get a degree.
areas of energy, environment and sustain- Priyavrat Pal Singh, Manager (Academics)
able development. TERI University has at Resonance stated that the obejective is
partially met the need of producing leaders to provide the students enough practise
in various disciplines through the years and sessions so as to help them in their attempt
Job Alerts
its major strength lies in the parent body to get admission to any of the three colleges
TERI with its accumulated knowledge, and of BITS situated in Goa, Hyderabad and
Science and technology fellow-
expertise. Students from DU, Jamia and Pilani. Even those not enrolled at Reso- ships at JNCASR, Bangalore
IP University participated in the celebra- nance can take the test series, which have
NDA & NAE (I) 2010 examinations:
tions. Dr. RK Pachauri, Chancellor TERI a set of 16 online tests with questions per- Army, navy and air force wings
University and Director-General TERI, taining to the entire syllabus. Visit www.
Department of Biotechnology:
addressed the gathering. resonance.ac.in for more details. Khorana Program for Scholars
undertaking research at University
of Wisconsin, Madison
Nalanda revival gets ASEAN approval Oriental Bank of Commerce
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is enthusiastic about India’s plans announces 916 PO positions
to revive the Nalanda University in Bihar, a ‘great ancient centre of learning.’ The heads Atomic energy regulatory board
of the ASEAN member states in a press release said, they were deeply impressed with the requires scientific/technical
sanctity and significance of the great ancient centre of learning in Nalanda that attracted officers
many scholars from South, South-East and East Asia. Historically, Nalanda University IDBI Bank needs 1900 executives
was ‘a great centre of intellectual activity in Buddhist philosophy, mathematics, medicine and managers
and other disciplines.’ There are high hopes that revival of the university would provide
students a space to acquire liberal and human education and give them the means needed get details at
for pure intellectual, spiritual, psychological pursuits and thus achieve qualities of toler- www.careers360.com
ance and accommodation.

9 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

careers NEWS CAMPUS NEWS NEW COURSES EVENTS

Indian Institute of
Remote Sensing: PG
courses
IIRS announces multi-disciplinary
courses like MTech, MSc and other
diploma and certificate courses.
Preference will be given to the
candidates who have a valid GATE
score. Fellowship support is also
available. The last date of receipt
of application for PG Diploma &
Certificate in Remote Sensing (RS)
& Geographical Information System
(GIS) is November 27. For details,
log on to www.iirs-nrsc.gov.in.

Applications invited for

NDA, NAE exams
Here’s the opportunity for those
who want to join the armed forces
Rankings: Harvard University is No. 1 as officers. The Union Public Service
Commission will be conducting the
National Defence Academy (NDA)

T aking broad measures that intend to capture employability and international appeal
apart from the more crucial factors such as teaching and research, the Times Higher
Education – QS World University Rankings 2009, is out. Harvard University, USA, has
and Naval Academy Examination
(I) on April 18, 2010. The National
Defence Academy 125th Course
and Naval Academy 45th (Executive
once again topped the chart followed by University of Cambridge, UK and Yale University,
Branch) courses will commence
USA. Sixteen institutions from Asia now figure in the 2009 rankings vis-à-vis 14 in 2008. from December 30, 2010.
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur at 237, IIT Madras at 284, University Last date for application is
of Delhi at 291 and IIT Kharagpur at 335 figure, among the top 350 institutions in these November 23, 2009.
rankings. While USA (32) and UK (18) account for fifty percent of World’s best universi-
ties, Australia with eight universities, has two more institutions than Japan this year.
IGNOU/Papua New
Guinea connection
50 percent seats for NRIs and Jack Welch’s new avataar as Indira Gandhi National Open
University (IGNOU) signed a
PIOs at this medical school a teacher memorandum of understanding
(MOU) with Papua New Guinea
Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Per- Former CEO of General Electric, Jack University of Technology to
sons of Indian Origin (PIOs), get half the Welch will now begin a new innings as provide educational and training
seats at a special university in Bangalore, to teacher. The Jack Welch Management programmes. This increases
educate their children beginning next year. Institute at Chancellor University Class- IGNOU’s presence in 34 countries,
with 53 partner institutions
The Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, es is offering MBA and Master of Man-
abroad. Dr. Silima Nanda, Director,
Vyalar Ravi announced that the Manipal agement programmes online and at the International Division, informed that
Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), school’s Cleveland campus, both catering programmes at the PNG UNITECH
under supervision of his ministry would set to different audiences. The faculty would are likely to commence from July
up this university, a first of its kind, to pro- receive inputs from Welch along with 2010.
vide international quality higher education. online video updates from him about the
MAHE is funding the entire project on its current business issues. The programmes Watch out for !
own. According to Sam Pitroda, who heads would approximately cost $20,000 as each
the National Knowledge Commission, credit is valued at $600.
Vanier CGS Scholarships, Canada
India needs at least 1,133 more universi-
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships
ties. The existent 367 Indian universities, announces full-time graduate studies
according to Pitroda cater to a mere seven Guruvar Awards ‘ and research at an eligible Canadian
university at the doctoral level in the
percent of the 18-24 age group which has Established by the Varkey Gems
social sciences or humanities, the natu-
to improve substantially. A large emigrant Foundation, Gurvar Awards aims to hon- ral sciences or engineering, or a health-
population from states like Kerala, Punjab, our the teaching community. According related field. The Fellowship covers tui-
Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, to officials there are multiple awards and tion and maintenance. The details of the
scholarship programme is available at
may pave the way for more NRI-PIO uni- the last date for nominations has been www.vanier.gc.ca. The applications are to
versities in the future. extended to November 15, 2009. be submitted before November 6, 2009.

10 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

careers NEWS CAMPUS NEWS NEW COURSES EVENTS

Fletcher School comes calling Wanted: Passionate

Contributors

Careers360 is on a mission — to inform

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

I f you wish to study the full spectrum of issues that are inherent to doing business in
an international environment, the Fletcher School at Tufts University is one of the
better places to go. Known for its expertise in international affairs, Fletcher is the latest
or call us at 011-46142503.

professional school to jump onto the management bandwagon. As Professor Stephen W.

Bosworth, Dean comments, the idea was to leverage the substantial cross-cultural learn- FOR REGULAR UPDATES ON
ing the Fletcher has built over the years to teach students better management skills. The
Fletcher Master’s programme in International Business also integrates fields of study of
the former including international geopolitics, development economics, environment and New course announcements,
resource policy, culture, humanities and trade legislation that are practised globally. With university/institute news,
close to forty percent students outside the US, Fletcher school also offers scholarships to conferences,
help defray tuition costs. The application date for early notification for enrolment in Fall
summer schools,
2010 is November 15, 2009, while the final deadline is March 1, 2010. The school also has
a long standing online MA programme in international affairs. job announcements

Common test for new central
universities
Union Minister for Human Resource
Development, Kapil Sibal proposes that
new central universities should conduct a
common entrance test for admission pur-
poses, enabling common counselling and
saving visits to various locations. The sug-
gestion came about at the conference of
Vice-chancellors from the newly formed
central universities. Citing international
trends, the Minister suggested temporary
mobility should be possible, students and
faculty should have flexibility to move from
one university to the other. Also on the
cards are a uniform academic calendar and
credit transfer schemes.
Manipal University opens Log on to our website
arms to CIE students www.careers360.com
Manipal University has enabled students
with the University of Cambridge Interna-
tional Examinations (CIE) certifications
to apply to the university by recognising the
same as equivalent to 10+2 for the purposes
of admission. Ian Chambers, CIE Regional Campus newsletter: If your school,
Manager, South Asia said, the recognition college, institute has one, send us a
by Manipal university would enable Cam- copy. We will feature the best pieces
bridge certification students from all over
the country apply to Manipal every year.” If there is an event, seminar or
CIE qualifications have been recognised conference at your institute, mail us
by universities, educational providers and at: news@pathfinder360.co.in
employers globally in about 150 countries.
MAHE is one of the few universites that Mail your letters to us at:
recognise the same. editor@pathfinder360.co.in

12 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

 c ard
t
or rankin
g
Rep l
oo
-ch
bs
B-School
Ranking Analysis
As a magazine, which believes in social responsibility, we thought of
identifying what is wrong, before trying to do something about it
by Mahesh Sarma
A
s the admission season begins,
ranking of institutions follow,
with B-schools being ranked
the most. While some of the
rankings are distinctly misleading, one
would find it very difficult to question
the integrity of players like India Today,
Outlook, Businessworld etc. If it is so, as
the table alongside shows, why is it that
the ranking of most B-schools swings
like a pendulum from one extreme to
the other? The elite ISB too, suffers
the swing, getting a lowly 13 in Business
Today 2009 to an ok 4 in Business India
2009. The variability in the ranking goes
up substantially as one moves down-
wards in the listing. Careers360 goes
behind the numbers, and this is what
we found.
Perception may be a culprit
An old hand at opinion surveys, BT
conclusively proves what is wrong with
business school rankings. While we are
not advocates of consistency, the kind
of variability this ranking displays is to
be seen to be believed. It has the largest
number of odd men out when we ana-
lysed the Top 20.
Another classic example of percep-
tion playing havoc is the recent Outlook
survey, which has jumped on to the per-
ception-based ranking bandwagon from
this year. NITIE lost 17 places, Amrita
(which was in the top bunch last year)
lost about 45 places, just to identify a
few prominent losers.
And less said the better, about the
surveys conducted by Zee Business
and Mail Today. If quotes attributed
to Samir Ahluwalia, Editor, Zee Busi-
ness are to be believed, parameters like
academic papers, books in the library
etc. are debatable and hence not worthy
of consideration, but factors like Global
Placements, International Internships
or Global Faculty must be critical ele-
ments. When you compare the results
with the parameters they claim to con-
sider, you could draw your own conclu-
sions on the integrity of their survey.
The same applies to the Mail Today
survey that grants 40% weight to per-
ception and 60% to information pro-
vided by institutes. It conveniently
ignored leading institutes like FMS,
citing late submission of data. If the
objective is to give readers the right
advice, it fails miserably. It may as
well have termed it an advertorial. No
wonder, institutes in the habit of lying,
came on top in quite a few categories.
But it may be difficult to lay all the
blame on perception, since results of
surveys like that of Pagalguy, a known
MBA website, are very close to objective
rankings.
What objective rankings say
The situation is slightly better when it
comes to objective rankings. But even
here, Business India, a longtime player
in the game, gets away by creating large
enough clusters, so that very few schools
have reason to complain (its A+ cluster,
in 2009 has 67 schools). But such a
ranking is of not much use to the stu-
dent, since he does not study in a cluster.
14 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
He studies in a school, and he needs
to know how one compares to another.
Or else the cluster must be small enough
to fit the decision-making set of a stu-
dent, which is not more than 10 schools
at best.
On paper, the best among the lot in
terms of methodology is the Business-
world ranking, though it could do with
substantial improvement in its method-
ology and parameters (see page 16/17
for a more detailed analysis).
However, it is not fair to blame the
media completely. The absolute lack
of transparency on the part of the
B-schools when it comes to sharing cru-
cial data does make it impossible to
develop a sensible methodology. Some
schools almost behave as if placements
are a national secret, and revealing the
usage of placement consultants is akin
to selling a nuclear plan! But the answer
lies not in taking shortcuts. That would
mean GIGO. (Garbage in Garbage out).
What is the way out? We are work-
ing with a team of experts to identify a
way out; we will come back to you with
more details in the next issue. But as
a magazine sworn to standing up for
the student, we would be interested in
knowing what you think. Write in to us
at editor@pathfinder360.co.in.
(We analysed the top players in the rank-
ing business. Mail Today/Zee Business
feature in the tables only as an indicator
of what is wrong. If any of the publica-
tions mentioned in the story, identifies
factual inaccuracies, they are most wel-
come to write in to us.)
 Rankings Business India Business Today Businessworld Outlook
Agency if any N/A N/A N/A Neil Neil Neil Synv Synv Synv MDRA GfK C-fore
2009 2008 2007 2009 2008 2007 2009 2007 2005 2009 2008 2007
IIM Ahmedabad 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 — 1 1 1
IIM Kolkata 3 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 — 3 — 3
IIM Lucknow 6 6 5 6 5 5 4 7 — 5 3 4
Public B-schools

IIM Bangalore 2 2 2 2 2 2 — — — 2 — 2
IIM Kozhikode 18 17 15 12 13 — — — 8 — 12
IIM Indore 17 18 — 12 8 6 6 10 — 7 4 9
NITIE Mumbai 14 13 12 — — — 5 8 4 22 5 8
FMS Delhi 11 11 11 11 9 12 7 6 — 10 6 —
IIFT New Delhi 13 16 17 17 14 16 12 11 3 14 9 13
JBIMS Mumbai 10 12 15 5 7 6 9 — — 11 14 —
SJ SOM IIT Mumbai — — — — — — 14 18 — 20 12 16
IMT Ghaziabad 9 9 10 — — — 18 13 8 15 10 11
MDI Gurgaon 7 8 7 — 16 18 11 — 1 9 11 6
XLRI Jamshedpur 5 5 6 7 5 8 3 3 2 4 2 5
ICFAI B Scool Hyderabad 12 7 8 9 9 9 — — — 17 — 14
NMIMS Mumbai 16 15 13 18 — — 10 12 — 16 15 10
Private B-schools

SPJIMR Mumbai 8 10 9 14 11 11 8 9 5 6 7 7
XIM Bhubaneswar 20 16 — 17 — 13 14 6 19 8 15
IMI New Delhi 15 14 14 — — — 15 17 11 13 17
Wellinger Mumbai — — 19 15 — — 21 21 19 21 16 —
ISB Hyderabad 4 3 4 13 — — — — — — — —
SIBM Pune 19 — — 4 4 4 — — — 13 17 —
KJ Somaiya Mumbai — — — 20 — — 16 19 — — 19 —
TAPMI Manipal — — — — — — — — 13 — — 18
Alliance BA Bangalore — — — — — — 20 15 — — 20 —
LIBA Chennai — — — 9 — — — 20 35 — — —
SCMHRD Pune — — 18 — — — 17 16 — — — 19

One rank wonders: BT has 8 entries in three years, whereas BI has 3, BW 3 and Outlook 4

15 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

 Report Card B-SCHOOL RANKING ANALYSIS

Comparative analysis of methodology

BUSINESS INDIA BUSINESS TODAY

Parameters Criterion What is sticking/ Criterion What is sticking/

Entry requirements
Total No of institutes
No of institutes surveyed
Non-participating institutes
Standing out Standing out
All B-schools that respond either Captures maximum 30 schools selected No announced criterion for the
through their websites number of institutions from a list of 60 based selection of top 60 schools in the
or through filled-up on a survey consideration set. Selection bias
questionnaire is a distinct possibility
1700 60
190 Looks like fatigue is 30
setting in on the part of
participating B-schools
4 These were still ranked N.A

Agency Own website AC-Neilson

Total Marks
Criterion for evaluation
Criterion for evaluation
Criterion for evaluation
Criterion for evaluation
1000
Infrastructure, Has 50 marks for
background, intellectual background. What is it
interface (175) and how does one
measure it?
Curriculum, faculty, Here we have the category
academics (430) Academic Programmes
( 150). What this measures
is left to the imagination
Alumni, placements, Why should student quality
students (315) and placements be
put together?
N.A
Infrastructure
It is impossible to comment
on any of the criteria,
Admissions, Teaching because none of these
methodology factors have any assigned
weight in the survey
Faculty Interestingly, to provide a
sense of fair play, BT too
gives a long laundry list of
Placements, quality of sub-parameters for each
placement criterion

But without adequate

Criterion for evaluation
Finances (20), MDP (60)
Will somebody please explain
the rationale of putting
these two parameters
together and calling
it growth?
Reputation, presence of
specialised units
information on the relative
weights of individual
parameters, the scoring
process and the process of
conversion of scores into
the rank, it remains just
that, a laundry list

Validation process Has a vague statement about N.A

cross-verification. No data
available
Relative weights for survey N.A None assigned
parameters

Sample size N.A MBA aspirants 134, MBA Better mix of sample, but
students 132, Executives 109, lesser in absolute
Functional heads 111 numbers
Quicktake This year’s ranking is slightly better in terms of number of schools For a perception survey, the sample size appears too small. But
individually ranked ( From 30 to 50). Lack of clarity on parameters the biggest error appears to be the admission of the surveyor that
and non-availability of individual scores makes this ranking too prominent omissions by the respondents while forming the
vague. Large size of the clusters is also a no-no consideration set is identified and brought to the attention of
the respondent. This is almost akin to prompting.

L RANKIN
OO
H

G
B-SC

B+ B
RD

RE
PORT C
A

16 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

adopted by various B-school rankings
BUSINESSWORLD Mail Today/zee business OUTLOOK

Criterion What is sticking/ Criterion What is sticking/ Criterion What is sticking/

Standing out
Only AICTE approved Misses out on both good
2-year programmes non-AICTE approved
schools, as well as 1-year
programmes
200
94
N.A
Synovate
970
Infrastructure (130) Location and recreation
get 40 points each. So by
these criteria Nirma and
IIMA gets equal marks
Learning experience This is a comprehensive
(270) listing, one of the best in
class evaluation
MT: National Capital
Region schools ZB:
All India
While Mail Today claims
to have surveyed 30
B-schools no information
is available with respect to
Zee Business
Standing out
No clear basis for Only 2-year programmes
selection provided from institutes, which are
five years old at least and
graduated three batches
100
89
7 Who are these institutions
MDRA
1000
Infrastructure (174)
Selection process (187)
Standing out
Misses out on one-year
programmes, as well as
institutes that opened
after 2004
and why did they not
participate?
How does one measure
a parameter like
support staff?
No points for the process.
Just the type of exam gets
105 points

International exposure Why does this criterion
(90) get 10% weightage?
Placement (280) Only ranking to look at
lateral placements. Also
scoring appears very
mechanical or at least
not very different in many
cases.
ROI (200) A great initiative, but
to add up international
and domestic salaries
together and average
them out, is not the
best way to go
No information on
validation provided
N.A
Recruiters 357, Faculty
and students 350+ and
Aspirants 118
Both in terms of detailing, as well as the honesty to
separate perception from objective score, this one
scores very high. Kudos for bringing out the percep-
tion-based ranking on the website so that the reader
does not get confused. The only place this ranking
falters, is the lack of information on validation.
L RANKIN
OO
H
Faculty
Academic Excellence (227) Neatly laid out
Placement Record
Salary Packages Other than mentioning
some of these parameters, Placements (182) No. of recruiters visiting
Global Exposure stands out. But ranking
elaboration appears
Industry Interface irrelevant to both of them on that basis?
Infrastructure
Course Content
Personality Development Nearly 100 points goes to
and Industrial Exposure dificult to define criteria
(231) like opportunity to try new
ideas, involvement (for
whom?) in framing the
vision and participation
(by whom) in institution-
building activities
MT: Acknowledges 60% Validation appears to be Field visits by researchers But then all they did was to
weightage to information an alien concept to 89 institutes that par- interview 5-6 people
provided by the institutes ticipated in the survey
N.A Recruiters’ perception
(108 in 10 cities)
( 50% weight)
N.A Recruiters (108). Students
and Faculty (539)
MT: It is smart piece of writing that attempts to gain Conversion of perceptive ranking into specific scores,
credibility by dropping names of good schools like gives an impression of being an objective ranking. Par-
FMS, IIFT etc. but goes on to promote what suits them tially because until last year it was so. Outlook should
ZB: A complete list of rankings but no explanation have informed the reader that they are changing their
of the ranking survey mode, up front, and given an appropriate reason.
The methodology is more robust, but the conversion
process of ranking scores to marks is not very clearly
mentioned in the survey.
L RANKIN
OO

H
G

A-
B-SC

B-SC

junk B+
RD

RD

RE RE
PORT C PORT C
A

17 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Report Card B-SCHOOL RANKING ANALYSIS
Where do the surveys go wrong?
Parameters that are being messed up due to lack of either access or understanding
Ranking of schools rather
than programmes: A student
goes for a programme. The general
PGDM at MDI attracts a very differ-
ent audience vis-a-vis PGDM (IM)
or PGDM (HR). No ranking captures
this, barring probably the ones done by
coaching institutes like T.I.M.E.
Quality of students: Any
institution can pay the required fee and
get the CAT score for shortlisting can-
didates. So granting marks for it means
very little. The cut-off percentile counts
here, the relative percentile within the
broad clusters counts much more. The
process, level of transparency, number
of lists that schools put out, number of
seats and refund policy are much more
crucial.
Quality of Faculty: The
number of PhDs is a good indica-
tor for the robustness of teach-
ing, but for a student, number
of faculty with hardcore industry
experience scores any day. Most
surveys let the institutes get away
with a bland category called ‘fac-
ulty with industry and training
experience’.
Infrastructure Fixa-
tion: An AC classroom, or a
swimming pool, is great, but its absence
does not hurt. But the absence of a resi-
dential facility does hurt. So, relative
weights must be used to determine what
adds value, which is not visible.
Placements: The average salary
must never be the average of domestic
and international. For example: BW slips
when it calculates the all crucial ROI.
It adds everything together. Domestic
and international salaries are absolutely
incomparable, unless normalised.
International Place-
ments: Sales executives, counter
salesman workshop managers, ad sales
coordinators, these are some of the jobs
we found in the placement records of
some institutions, offering a package of
3-5 lakhs per annum. Do they count just
because these jobs are based abroad?
Salary structure: Another gim-
mick is declare a 12 lakh package, where
in 5 is the salary and 7 is the incentive.
The ratings must highlight this.
Output rating: A B-school has
three kinds of outputs: research, cor-
porate training, and placements. They
must be rated independently, but slot-
ted together in one broad parameter.
Let’s not even venture into a social value
debate here.
Validation of Data: Until a time
when regulatory agencies make it man-
datory for institutions to publish data
in the public domain, and hold them
accountable for any lapses, it becomes
imperative that submissions by institu-
tions be validated, by the magazine or
party conducting the survey.
Outside Agency Fixation:
Magazines have a tendency to hide
behind the fact that an independent
agency did the survey. They almost
18 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
present an impression that, since it is
independent, they can conveniently
wash off their hands. People identify
with the magazine, not the agency. The
parameters, differential weights, scoring
and final reportage, each must have the
imprint of the magazine. Ultimately the
ownership lies with the magazine.
Parameter Definition: Infra-
structure and placements are the only
two parameters that all surveys have
in common. The rest that goes into the
value-addition process of a B-school,
is often structured in a rather erratic
manner. For instance, slotting quality
of students, which is an input alongwith
placements which is distinctly an
output, reflects a certain level of
intellectual laziness.
The foreign col-
laboration deal:
Any institution can take its
students for a one-week junket
to a foreign college, if they have
the money. That college would
also happily oblige for a few pen-
nies. If we count this as collabo-
ration, then we have only our-
selves to blame. Another culprit
is the number of MOUs. It is
just another number, unless fully
operationalised.
Data on defaulters: Every year
BusinessWeek publishes a list of institu-
tions, which did not participate. Barring
probably an apologetic note about the
holy trinity not participating but still
being ranked, One is yet to see a list
which says these are the defaulters.
surveyors’ Quality: B-schools
are not soaps or hair oil. But many
research agencies treat it as such. Look
at the rookies they send out as survey-
ors! If they are not able to differentiate
between number volumes and titles in
the library, to give an example, the qual-
ity of data they bring in is suspect.
 Aroon Purie

India’s youth
Educated but
unemployable!
Editor-in-Chief of India Today, Aroon Purie, drifted from one job to another, before he
founded the India Today Group. In a chat with Urmila Rao, he expresses his views on govern-
ment regulations in the education sector, apathy towards vocational studies and the mismatch
between industry needs and the education imparted to India’s employable youth

Q: You studied at the prestigious Doon
School. What was your experience there?
A: At Doon School, there were quality teach-
ers, very passionate about whatever they
taught. They created an interest in the stu-
dents. I didn’t realise it at that time but did
later on, how well I was taught, how well I was
introduced to English literature, geography,
chemistry and other subjects. The students
there were from every walk of life; rich kids,
children of bureaucrats, engineers and armed
forces, among others. It was a very egalitarian
kind of community and everyone was treated
equally. This created a great bond between the
students. Besides, the school gave an all round
education; physical activity, community serv-
ice, sports, and studies were all integrated into
our lives. That is what I don’t see today. There
is so much pressure for percentages.
Q: How was college life?
A: At the London School of Economics, I
realised that I was surrounded by people who
were ten times brighter than I was and the only
way I could keep up with them was through
hard work. So, I worked hard and played hard
too. I think the biggest experience was to have
these people as my friends. It was a really great
experience.
Q: An economics graduate and also a CA,
why didn’t you opt for a career in finance?
A: I didn’t study, thinking that I wanted to be
a CA. I was one of those kids who really didn’t
know what to do. My father said ‘you will get
into a good job if you are professionally quali-
fied’. From economics, accountancy seemed to
be a good option, so I went for it. I worked for
a little while and was bored to death. My CA
training did hold me in good stead for many
things. It gave me an opportunity to organise
my mind, look at figures and not get intimi-
dated by them. It helped me to be able to probe
into things as an auditor, to get the right answer
and not to take anything for granted. But in the
end, I wasn’t enjoying the work.
Q: You did not even join your father’s
business?
A: My father was actually from the film busi-
ness, and had set up a printing plant in collabo-
ration. I started working in the printing plant as
a production planner. And I soon realised that
this printing plant will not make any money if
we didn’t have our own work. And that’s how we
got into publishing children’s books. My vision
at that time was to create children’s books
for Indian children with Indian themes. But
in those days paper was very highly priced in

Ideally, public education should be so good, that people

shouldn’t have the need for private education

20 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

 Photographs: Rajesh Thakur/Outlook Group
21 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
 Aroon Purie
India, so commercially, books were not
viable. So, our next venture was maga-
zines. And then the magazines became
much bigger than the press.
Q: Why a news magazine?
A: There was no grand vision. We stum-
bled from one thing to another. Actually
it was a niche magazine, a comprehen-
sive news digest, meant for Indians liv-
ing abroad. But it failed as we couldn’t
get hold of the Indians, who were all
too spread out. So then we decided to
put it into the local market and it got
a good response. Actually India Today
grew from a failure in the sense that it
went from one project to another before
it took final shape.
Q: What do you admire in the youth
of today?
A: I see a great energy, a great desire to
succeed and get ahead. And get ahead
very quickly. They want success right
away. Today kids create a company or
a product and they think about selling
all over the world. So, there is a great
degree of enterprise and energy which
the environment has brought about.
Today children are born in affluence.
So now they look towards the future;
enjoying life, spending money, looking
for very quick returns. They are willing
to try so many things and the opportuni-
ties are also there. Earlier there were so
many restrictions from the government;
today the world is open for them.
Q: As you pointed out, kids want to
become rich too fast. Don’t you find
that a bit disconcerting?
A: It’s not a bad thing to go after money
but I think sometimes kids get carried
away. They are not able to take a longer
view. They are willing to shift to another
company for a little more money, which
in the long-term is not good for their
future career. But that is also a way to
learn; soon they will find out that it is
harder to take jumps only for money.
However, mobility is always good. Peo-
ple move, change, new challenge comes
in. As long as society is full of that kind of
mobility, it is good for everybody.
Q: Are you happy with our state of
higher education ?
A: Not at all. People should be allowed
Q: Do you think the role of state
governments is enough in higher
education?
A: It’s a complete failure on both the
sides, states and the centre. I think both
have to work together. They must set
up quality institutions. I think we have
gone sometimes too much for quantity,
and not quality. There is no point in pro-
ducing people who are in reality unem-
ployable. Then there is a whole layer
of vocational training, which in India,
exists in very sparse manner. It is not
degrading to be in vocational education.
And parents must realise that it is okay
to be in vocational training and every-
body is not capable of benefiting from an
educational institution. No point being a
graduate and becoming a bus conductor.
A focus on vocational training will help
There is no point being a both the economy and society.
graduate if you end up Q: How much faith should stu-
being a bus conductor. dents have in the B-school rankings
brought out by various publications,
A focus on vocational every now and then?
training will help the A: It depends on who is doing the rank-
ing and how it is done. In our case, in
economy and society India Today and Business Today, the
rankings are done by outside agen-
cies. We only publish the research. So
It is a complete failure on it is done in a very fairly independent,
autonomous way and there is no axe to
both the sides, states and grind one institution or the other. The
centre. I think both fact is that there is no other information
have to work together available, and the surveys can be a good
guide. Students should match a lot of
to set up quality surveys and see the common outcome
and then verify the information.
institutions
Q: Some colleges don’t hesitate in
giving misleading information. What
to set up institutions with certain stand- is the way out of this?
ards laid down by the government, and A: There has to be some kind of gov-
they should be allowed to charge what- ernment supervision to see that what-
ever the market is willing to pay. At the ever has been promised is delivered.
moment, people make money under the Maybe the HRD ministry can look at
table; there is capitation fee and all sorts this in terms of the kind of advertise-
of unhealthy practices are on because ments being given out. There should be
the sector is completely restricted. Ide- some kind of monitoring, either by the
ally, public education should be so good, government or by self-regulatory bod-
that people should not have the need for ies to censure such practices. I feel that
private education. But since this is not nobody can hide these things for too
happening, the government should try long. Sooner or later institutions come
and focus on public education and let to be known as fraud and people will
private education flourish under some stop going there. The only question is
standards and regulations that have how long does it take and who continues
been laid down. to suffer because of it.
22 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
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Cracking COMPETITIVE EXAMS

Master Quant Aptitude

Developing your analytical skills will not only help you improve your entrance test
scores, but enhance your career prospects in the long run

by Ashish Kumar

T
ypically, the B-school admis-
sion process comprises a written
test comprising questions from
school-level mathematics, logi-
cal reasoning, general awareness and
general language, followed by a per-
sonal interview. All these tests assess
the candidates on their employability
skills. One of them is Analytical Skill,
which includes Quantitative Aptitude
and Logical Reasoning. These demon-
strate your ability to apply analytical
and logical thinking while gathering and
analysing information, designing and
testing solutions to problems, and for-
mulating plans.

Illustration : Gouri Nanda

Need for analytical aptitude
Employees have to demonstrate the
ability to recognise patterns in com-
plex sets of data and develop practical
models. Applications of analytical skills
come into play at various levels in the
functioning of an organisation. There-
fore, every recruiter who wants the best
would like to ensure that the candidates
have adequate level of analytical apti-
tude (general intelligence or IQ).
Almost every competitive exam for
recruitment includes sections on Quan-
titative Aptitude and Logical Reasoning.
In Bank PO and Bank Clerk exams,
these sections have about 66 percent
weightage. In SSC exams, the weight-
age for these sections is about 50 per-
cent. CDS and NDA exams also have a
separate paper on maths and numerical
ability. In MBA entrance exams (CAT/
XAT/MAT & GMAT), major portions of
questions are from them.
Problem-solving skills
Quantitative Aptitude is not mathemat-
ics in the true sense. But it is prob-
lem-solving skills where mathematical
questions are poised as problems and
one needs to demonstrate competence
to solve those questions. These ques-
tions are not textbook questions, which
normally test understanding of some
formulae or theorem. They are real-life
situations where application of math-
ematical knowledge is required to find
the solution. For example, in festival
seasons, there are many discount offers
and schemes to attract buyers. These
are perfect situations to demonstrate
quantitative skills to identify the most
profitable scheme. This also offers an
opportunity for test-makers to create
some quant questions.
Applying common sense
Logical Reasoning is application of
common sense in a structured manner
in problem solving. Logical Reasoning
questions may involve arrangement of
data or analysis of some pattern to find
desired output or result. It may require
finding some missing data in a sequence
or table or some application of day-to-
day observations to solve a question.
Some students feel that there are some
tricks to crack aptitude questions. A few
students crib that they are not very good
in maths or they do not have maths after
class 10th and they find these sections
very difficult. The truth is that Analytical
Aptitude is skill which can be developed
only by regular practice and through
simulations and this is not such a dif-
ficult task.
Solving aptitude problems
One should make it very clear that these
skill sets cannot be grown overnight. It
requires around 2-3 months to devel-
op adequate competency. Secondly,
irrespective of one’s educational back-
ground, anyone can master these sec-
tions, provided one honestly practises

24 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

and Logical Reasoning
them regularly over a period of time.
One very important thing is the
approach to handling aptitude prob-
lems. Since analytical aptitude is abil-
ity to solve real-life practical problems,
there is no formulae or short cuts which
are applicable, neither are these based
on topics or chapters. Therefore, the
understanding of a problem in totality
is important. Once you understand the
problem, you can easily find the solution
by First Principle. It is a method to solve
any problem by its definitions. Most of
the students have learned this in class
11th – 12th maths (calculus). Therefore,
one should try to analyse the questions
rather than just solve them.
The right approach
The second important thing is the
nature of aptitude questions. Each of
the aptitude questions is a mix of three
or four simpler questions from differ-
ent chapters or topics. Nobody faces
textbook problems in life. Here, Rene
Descartes’ Cartesian Theory of Knowl-
edge is relevant to quote. He says that a
complex problem is nothing but a mix-
ture of four-five simpler problems. To
solve this complex problem, one should
break them into their constituent sim-
pler problems, solve these simpler prob-
lems and then synthesize their solutions
to find the answer of the complex prob-
lem. This should be the right approach
in handling aptitude questions.
Action plan for beginners
Most of the candidates who prepare for
these exams are already familiar with
the topics of Quantitative Aptitude and
Logical Reasoning. They might have
done a lot of practice and developed
some comfort level in these areas. Some
of them may be finding some trouble in
mastering these sections. Remember,
learning is a continuous process which
follows the cycle--Learn-Unlearn-
Relearn. They need to unlearn few
things to relearn them again. But there’s
no need to worry. Here are some quick
tips to master them.
Number crunching
In the beginning, one should start with
number crunching. It means a lot of
addition, subtraction, multiplication,
division, squaring, cubing etc. without
using paper and pencil, i.e. lot of mental
calculations. You need to be fast as all
these tests are timed tests where you
are required to solve 40-50 questions
Quick Take
Number crunching. Device quick methods for
addition, multiplication etc.
Reinforce your concepts in school-level maths
Analyse different types of questions
Prepare Logical Reasoning along with non-verbal
reasoning
Take sectional tests regularly
After individual sections, start full-length prac-
tice tests
Improve your accuracy level to at least 90
percent
in 40-45 minutes. You are required to
device some quick methods for addition,
multiplication, etc. You should also mug
up tables upto 30, square upto 30, and
cubes upto 15. There are many books
available in market, which will guide you
on this. You should devote about 15 days
(3-4 hours per day) for this.
School-level mathematics
The second step should be developing
and reinforcing your concept in school-
level mathematics. Start with percent-
age, ratio-proportion, averages, profit-
loss and such basic topics and analyse
different types of questions. Try to
solve each question using 3-4 different
approaches. After that, you can take the
topics like time-speed-distance, geom-
etry, number system, etc. Do as much
variety of questions, as much as possible.
For this section, you can devote 20- 30
days (3-4 hours per day).
Non-verbal reasoning
You should start preparation of Logical
Reasoning along with quantitative part.
Here, you should start with non-verbal
25 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
reasoning. Solve around 15-20 ques-
tions daily for 15-20 days. Analyse the
changes in figures, their rotations, and
changes in pattern. You can also solve
15-20 questions from series completion,
coding-decoding, analogies, etc.
Sectional tests
In the third step, start taking sectional
tests. Your target should be to solve one
complete chapter consisting of 40 ques-
tions in 30 minutes. Take these tests
very sincerely, they are very important.
Take sectional tests for both sections,
quantitative as well as Logical Reason-
ing. You can also build your concept in
other areas of logic like syllogism, criti-
cal reasoning etc. You should follow this
step for about 15 days.
Practice tests
If you have sufficient practice in individ-
ual sections and topics of quantitative
and Logical Reasoning, start taking full-
length practice tests. You should also
start analysing previous years’ exams
papers. You should go for 15-20 full-
length practice tests. After every test,
analyse your performance and find out
your weaker areas and work on them for
improvement.
There are a few words of caution.
Always follow standard books from
good, reputed publishing houses for the
preparation and for practice tests. Do
some researches before buying study
material and magazines.
Assuring success
Since more than 50 percent questions
are from quant and Logical Reason-
ing in most of the competitive exams,
these sections are very important. These
examinations have negative marking
and are time-bound exams, so, your
accuracy needs to be very high. Solve
about 70 percent questions from these
sections with more than 90 percent
accuracy. So bear in mind, accuracy is
the key to achieving your goal. Ensure
your success with intelligent hard work,
true commitment and perseverance.
Talk Point MOTIVATION
Want to be a winner? Just do it!
H
ere’s a simple question to get you
started. There are three monkeys
sitting on a tree, above a pond. One
of the monkeys decides to jump into
the pond. How many monkeys are left on the
tree? Two? Wrong.
The right answer is three. You see, the mon-
key only made the decision to jump into the
pond. He didn’t actually jump! If you think
about it, we are all like that. We take deci-
sions. We make resolutions. But somehow, we
don’t follow through with action. And intent
Prakash Iyer
without action is quite useless, really. Getting
CEO-Cards, Future Group,
and executive coach started — taking that first step — is often the
master key to success. As someone once said,
you don’t have to be great to get started. But
you sure have to get started to become great!
Do you find yourself struggling to take action
on your plans and intentions? Well, here’s a
five-point programme to help you move from
intent to action.
●● Make a beginning…right away. What-
ever be your goal, take the first step — however
small — right away. Until you take that first
step, your mind does not believe you. You
need to signal to yourself that you are serious,
that you mean business. Commit to taking
action, immediately. Today. Now.
●● Break up the grand plan into smaller
tasks. Remember, a journey of a thousand
miles begins with a single step. Sometimes
the task ahead looks so enormous that we feel
overwhelmed — and we don’t do anything
about it. Break that up into smaller sub-tasks,
and suddenly you’ll find something that’s doa-
ble. Remember that old adage ‘something is
better than nothing’? It’s still true.
●● Think of the pleasure, not the pain. Vis-
ualise success. If you want to do an MBA at a
premier school and plan to devote three hours
a day to studying, don’t think about missing
the football game on television, or about not
Surround your- being able to go out for that Saturday night
bash. Think instead of the job that you could
self with people get post your MBA, the rewards that it would
who share your bring, the dreams that would get realised.
●● Create a support group. Surround your-
objective, who are self with people who share your objective,
who are co-passengers on your journey to
co-passengers in success. The excitement of being in it together
your journey to will help you fight the inertia, and get you
going with the rest of the gang.
success ●● Pay up…in advance. For most of us,
26 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
exciting journey to the top begins with a small step
monetary commitments are a strong impetus
for action. The fear of losing money or wast-
ing it, can spur you into action. We follow up
on our commitments, if only to ensure our
money is well-spent. Plan to lose weight?
Pay up for that three-month weight loss pro-
gramme! Don’t wait.
Surround yourself with people who share
your objective, who are co-passengers on your
journey to success.
Bestselling management author Tom Peters
tells the story of a man who approached JP
Morgan with an envelope, and said, “Sir, in my
hand I hold a guaranteed formula for success,
which I will gladly sell you for $25,000.”
“Sir,” JP Morgan replied, “I do not know
what is in the envelope. However, if you show
me, and I like it, I give you my word as a gen-
tleman that I will pay you what you ask.” The
man agreed to the terms, and handed over the
envelope. JP Morgan opened it, and pulled
out a single sheet of paper. He gave it one
look — a mere glance — then handed it back to
the gentleman. And paid him the agreed-upon
sum of $25,000! On that sheet of paper, were
two things:
●● Every morning, write down a list of the
things that need to be done that day.
●● Do them.
JP Morgan benefited from this advice, and
you can too. Knowing what to do is often easy.
We all have our list of things to do. Our plans
and our resolutions. Doing it — that’s the
tough bit. But that’s the hallmark of successful
people. The Nike guys are right. Want to be a
winner? Just do it!

W “A
hen he was a kid, he was fas-
cinated by the army, but soon
realised that he disliked being
bossed around. Then, young Amitabh
decided to follow in his dad’s footsteps
and become a teacher, and the idea
stuck. “Teaching is more rewarding than
doing research, sometimes I think I have
a romantic vision of it,” says Amitabh
Joshi, an Associate Professor of Evo-
lutionary and Organismal Biology at
the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for
Advanced Science and Research,
Bangalore, and winner of this
year’s prestigious Shanti Swarup
Bhatnagar Award (see Box) for
evolutionary biology.
He has been studying the evo-
lution of life-history, biological
clocks, and population ecology in
organisms through his work on
the common fruit fly (drosophila
melanogaster). His labs do inter-
esting work in these domains.
He believes that a succinct defi-
nition of evolution in biology
would be “that it is an interac-
tion between genetics and ecol-
ogy mediated through the process
of development”. In an interview
with Shalini Gupta he talks about
life beyond science, what inspires
him and makes him tick.
Who is your inspiration?
I grew up in a gurukul kind of
atmosphere at home with my
father being a professor of sta-
tistics. He was a dedicated and
sincere academician who influ-
enced me a lot. Then while doing
my graduation at Delhi University in
the 80s, it was the legendary Prof. CR
Babu - a teacher par excellence, a dedi-
cated scientist and a wonderful human
being, who encouraged me to go abroad
for my PhD. Ronald Fisher is my intel-
lectual hero. He is considered the father
of modern statistics, who almost single
handedly created quantitative genetics
(traits governed by a large no. of genes),
and was instrumental in setting up of the
Indian Statistical Institute.
What is your view on India’s
scientific talent?
There is no dearth of scientific talent
in India. If the saying ‘Genius is one in
Topper Speak
scientist
never
grows up”
prof. joshi believes that a true scientist should
be like an inquisitive child, questioning everything
Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prizes
■■ Annual award constituted by the Council of
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
Aim: To recognise outstanding Indian work
■■
in science and technology
Named after the founder director of CSIR
■■
Indian citizens, researching in any field of
■■
science and technology, below 45 years
■■ Contributions made primarily in India
during the 5 years preceding Prize year
■■ The Prize comprises a citation, a plaque and
a cash award of Rs. 500,000
■■ In additio,n recipients also get Rs. 15,000
per month up to the age of 65
27 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
Prof. Amitabh Joshi
a million’ was statistically true, we, a
nation of over one billion people would
be having more than one million genius-
es. But here is where our education sys-
tem comes into play. It authoritatively
emphasizes on consuming knowledge
and regurgitating it during exams for
the first 17 years and then suddenly one
is expected to be a producer from a con-
sumer. Having said that, India produces
some of the best scientists in the world,
not “because” of the system but
“despite” it.
How would you define
scientific temper?
Every kid is a scientist, because
they ask a lot of questions, they
are inquisitive about anything
and everything under the sun.
But over a period of time as we
go through our educational sys-
tem we somehow lose that spark,
our inquisitivity dies and we start
accepting things the way they are.
I think, someone who is a scien-
tist to the core never grows up, he
still keeps on asking questions.
What would be your advice
to budding scientists?
If you enjoy the thrill of puzzle
solving and discovery, then there’s
nothing like science. Get into a
field that you find interesting, not
because people say it’s the next
big thing. Students today tend to
get practical and plan their career
to the last detail. When I decided
to pursue my PhD in evolution-
ary biology, many warned me that
it is not a“hot” subject, but I persisted
just because I believed in it.
Better to be paid for doing something
that you enjoy rather than getting paid
and then thinking how you can enjoy
yourself. This is the value I believe in
and I have been enjoying it for the past
22 years. So if you enjoy doing some-
thing, don’t worry if you will get paid
or what its scope is, just focus on doing
good work. Scope is not a function of
the field you are in, it’s a function of you.
Also remember that science is a collec-
tive endeavour. Like Newton said, “If
I have been able to see further than
other men, it is because I was standing
on their shoulders.”
Cracking REGIONAL MBA ENTRANCE TESTS

CAT is not your

only option
Your local university may offer a good management
programme. Tips to help you ace the entrance test

by Saurabh Shrivastava management institutes affiliated to local

universities, which conduct their own

W
hile the media tends to
hype the Common Admis-
sion Test (CAT), statistics
indicate that the number of
students taking regional MBA entrance
tests is increasing. For instance, And-
hra Pradesh’s Integrated Common
Entrance Test (ICET) is taken by over
two lakh students, a number that com-
pares with the number taking CAT.
Regional MBA entrance tests are gain-
ing immense popularity for a variety
of reasons. The primary one being the
absence of adequate number of seats in
the Tier-1 institutions.
Going Local
The largest chunk taking these tests
comprises those students who don’t
wish to leave their hometowns or states,
due to personal or family constraints.
But they still need to look at good higher
education options. Such students can
opt to do their MBA, locally, as most of
the states in the country have various
entrance tests.
Easier questions
Another major attraction is that regional
tests feature relatively easier questions.
Problems appearing in these question
papers are of a relatively lower level
of difficulty, as compared to CAT and
other national level MBA entrance
tests. Many students have an inherent
fear of CAT and other national-level have problems on visual reasoning,
MBA entrance tests, and feel comfort- where as others feature questions based
able with the level of problems in these on management cases/situations.
regional tests. However, the low level of
difficulty also means that top institutes, Test eligibility
which accept regional test scores, have You must be a graduate in the streams
high scoring requirements. recognised by the respective test author-
ities. The passing score varies from test
Salient features of regional tests to test. Students appearing for their final
●● Most regional tests have no negative year exam can also appear for these tests,
marking. within a cut-off date, as informed by the
●● In most of cases, there are no sec- body conducting the test. For eligibility
tional cut-offs. and domicile requirement details, visit
●● Some tests such as the Maharashtra the website of the body conducting the
Common Entrance Test (MAH-CET) test or the test brochures.

Institute count Minimum eligibility score

State Test Seats Institutes Marks in graduation (in percentage)
Madhya Pradesh MPMET 1,840 36 Test Region Open Reserved

Andhra Pradesh ICET 13,050 421 MPMET Madhya Pradesh 50 40

ICET Andhra Pradesh Pass
Gujarat GCET 2,900 53
GCET Gujarat 50 45
Rajasthan RMAT 4,910 76
RMAT Rajasthan 50 45
Tamil Nadu TanCET 6,205 101
TanCET Tamil Nadu Pass
Maharashtra CET 14,000 207
CET Maharashtra 45 40
Karnataka PGCET 9,965 134 PGCET Karnataka 50 45
Karnataka (Mgmt Quota KMAT 3,600 99 KMAT Karnataka (Mgmt Quota & 50 NA
& Private colleges) Private colleges)

28 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

 higher scores are a must for regional MBA tests
as the level of difficulty is comparitively less

required for the test duration.

Many students who take CAT also take
regional tests, which make them eligible
for management institutes of national
repute. For instance, MAH-CET is the
entrance test for Jamnalal Bajaj Insti-
tute of Management Studies (JBIMS),
Mumbai, and is taken by students across
the country. Hence the competition is at
par with that of CAT. Secondly, as there
is no negative marking in this test, the
cut-offs are really high. So the strategy
must be to attempt all questions with
maximum possible accuracy, and intel-
ligent guessing/elimination of choices,
is desirable.
A common pitfall when a test has an
unconventional testing area such as
business situations or visual reasoning is
that students end up skipping these sec-
tions. But with a little effort, these can be
converted into major scoring sections.

Need for speed

Institute count
The number of institutes and seats under
each of these tests keeps on changing
every year, hence the given table is only
indicative. Get the latest numbers from
the respective websites/brochures.
Test pattern
It varies across regional tests, with ver-
bal, quantitative and reasoning form-
ing the core. Some also have questions
Rajesh Thakur/Outlook Group
on visual reasoning, questions based on
business situations, general awareness
etc.
Preparation strategy
As most of these tests are easy, the
scores are very high. Questions are often
straight forward and not too application-
based (as in CAT). Hence, you must be
familiar with concepts, followed by a lot
of practice to attain the attention level
Since the cut-offs are high, the level
of difficulty medium-to-easy, you must
attempt all the questions, and time-
management is key. For instance, if you
have to solve 200 questions in 150 min-
utes, no matter how easy they may seem,
stress can make them appear really diffi-
cult. Time management and stress man-
agement become two crucial skills.
Saurabh Shrivastava works with IMS
Learning Resources Ltd.

Overview of regional admission tests

Test Region Duration (in Total no. of Areas tested/number of Questions
minutes) Questions
MPMET Madhya Pradesh 165 200 English (90), Numerical Ability (50), Data Interpretation(20), Data Sufficiency (20),
Business Judgment (20)
ICET Andhra Pradesh 150 200 Analytical Ability (75), Mathematical Ability (75), Communication Ability (50)
GCET Gujarat 120 150 English Language Skill (40), Quant (50), Logical Reasoning (30), GK (30)
RMAT Rajasthan 150 200 Reasoning & Aptitude(40), Data Interpretation (40), Mathematical Ability (40), Eng-
lish Language proficiency (40), General Awareness(40)
TanCET Tamil Nadu 120 100 Analysis of Business Situation (20), Reading Comprehension (20), PS (20), Data
Sufficiency (20), English Usage (20)
CET Maharashtra 150 200 Quantitative ability(15), Visual reasoning (30), Logical and Analytical reasoning (50),
Reading Comprehension (15), Data Interpretation (25), Data Sufficiency (10), Verbal
reasoning and ability (55)
PGCET Karnataka 120 100 English Proficiency(25), GK (25), Logical Reasoning (25), Quant (25)
KMAT Karnataka (Mgmt Quota 120 160 Language Comprehension (40), Mathematical Skills (40), Basic Aptitude (40<),
& Private colleges) Logical Reasoning (40)

29 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Career Review Clinical Research
Developing
the drugs of
tomorrow
This sector is emerging as an attractive option for sci-
ence graduates, doctors, management/ IT profession-
als, technical writers and paramedics
by Shalini Gupta
I
ndia’s pharmaceutical and biotech-
nology industry is booming. Drug
companies such as Biocon have
made the world stand up and take
notice of this sector. And according to
the recent FICCI-Ernst & Young report,
the Indian pharmaceutical market will
experience a compounded annual
growth rate of 12.3 percent, and triple
its worth to 20 billion dollars by 2015,
thus catapulting India into the world’s
top 10 markets.
No wonder MNCs such as Pfizer,
Roche, Novartis and Sanofi, to name a
few, have already established a base in
India, having gauged the huge potential
that the country offers. This in turn has
fuelled the growth of clinical research, a
nascent industry estimated to be worth
close to 100 plus crores today but with
a huge potential, which in turn offers
myriad job opportunities.
What is clinical research?
When a drug is found to be effective
under laboratory conditions, it cannot be
directly launched in the market. It is first
tested on animals, then human beings
(healthy volunteers/patients) through
a series of trials to find out whether it is
safe to be administered. The sample size
of volunteers is increased till adequate
information has been gathered.
“Clinical research thus refers to the
process, which is basically the evaluation
of how effective or useful a new drug,
vaccine, diagnostic test, new device or
surgical technique, can be in humans,”
says Dr. S.C Sehgal, who is the head
of the clinical research department at
Sharda University.
Clinical trials usually involve a sizable
expenditure that is taken care of by the
sponsor, usually a governmental organi-
sation, pharmaceutical or biotechnology
company. Often a clinical trial is man-
aged by an outsourced partner such as
a contract research organisation (CRO)
that has a gamut of professionally quali-
fied task force to handle the trial. the industry specialists with a science or
medical specialization, learnt on the job.
India, a commercially viable But the situation has changed in the past
clinical trial destination five years with every country drafting
A few years back, clinical research cours- its own guidelines and laws for clinical
es were completely unheard of. Most of trials. Dr Josemund Menezes, Clinical
Project Leader and Medical Advisor
with a multinational pharma and vac-
Clinical research cines company in Mumbai says, “The
number of trials approved by the Drugs
is a nascent industry Controller General of India is on the rise,
estimated to be worth with India becoming a one-stop destina-
tion for many disease indications, and
close to 100 plus crores both MNC and Indian companies eager
today. Its huge poten- to conduct multinational multi-centric
trials here. India offers cost advantage,
tial offers myriad job as well as quicker completion of trials.”
opportunities India’s vast population no doubt offers a
larger pool of volunteers.
30 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

clinical research evaluates how effective a drug, vaccine or technique can be, in humans
Although initially, sponsors and CROs
were driven to offshore locations due
to their cost advantage, the focus has
now shifted, opines Apurva Shah, Co-
Group Managing Director, Veeda CR, an
Ahmedabad-based CRO. “Earlier only
preliminary work was being outsourced
to India but because of our depth in
scientific knowledge and experience in
drug development we have moved up the
value chain and are now adding value to
drug development by providing scien-
tific inputs and innovative drug designs,”
he said.
Who is eligible?
This subject is usually offered at a
postgraduate level to life science grad-
uates (biochemistry, pharmacology,
toxicology, biotechnology, microbiol-
ogy or zoology), doctors (MBBS, BVSc,
BDS, BAMS, BHMS) bachelors in
Physiotherapy, pharmacists (BPharm,
MPharm) and nursing graduates, since
they are in a better position to under-
stand the nuances of the course.
The course
One can opt for a full-time two-year
MSc in clinical research, offered by
many prominent universities after
graduation. You can also go for diploma
and certificate courses for further spe-
cialisation such as advanced courses in
31 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
APURVA SHAH
Co-Group Managing
Director and co-founder,
Veeda CR
V eeda CR, an Ahmedabad-based CRO,
won this year’s Frost and Sullivan Award
for the best clinical research company.
Apurva Shah talks about what it takes to
be a part of this industry.
Q. How does your company hire clinical
research professionals?
A. Earlier, we would go through regular
channels like academic institutions, phar-
maceutical colleges and placement agen-
cies. But in the last two years, because of
our reputation in the clinical research fra-
ternity, people approach us directly. Most
of our employees recommend Veeda as a
workplace to their friends.
Q. What is your view on the quality of
professionals trained by universities and
institutes in clinical research?
A. From our experience we can say that
most of the time, freshers from training
institutes are not exposed to the nitty-
gritty of a real-time clinical research envi-
ronment. We realised that they must be
exposed to different facets of the business
and client expectations, and must imbibe
the spirit of good clinical practices, which
is why we at Veeda have our own intensive
training programme to train our people
as per the international industry require-
ments. We also send groups of our people
from India to our units in the West for on-
the-job training for up to six months.
Q. What should a student keep in mind
before thinking of a career in the field?
A. You must be passionate about science
and believe in being a partner in the discov-
ery and development of drugs to preserve
and improve the quality of human life.
Q. Tips on choosing a company...
A. Turn the interview process around. Inter-
view the company to understand its growth
path. Look for excellent work environment,
a good team to work with, one that could
give you a rich research experience. A good
salary package would be yours in the years
to come. But if you start pursuing a salary
then you will soon realise it’s a mirage!
Career Review Clinical Research

What you can earn

Dr Josemund industry is very stiff, and students must
Menezes possess decent soft skills and compu-
ter knowledge, to get an edge during
Clinical Project Leader
and Medical Advisor, the initial rounds of the interview. Very
pharma and vaccines few institutes offer guaranteed place-
MNC, Mumbai ments, and those who do, come at a
price. Therefore preparing well for your

I n some pharmaceutical companies,

CROs and SMOs, fresh pass-outs are
recruited only as trainees or on a con-
tract basis. On an average, freshers draw
Rs.10,000 to 15,000 (or more), depend-
ing on their qualification, capability, the
role outlined, performance at the job
interview and negotiations with HR.
Based on their performance, they may
be inducted into managerial positions.
If the mid-year and annual reviews are
positive, a fresher can move to new roles
like Clinical Research Associate (CRA)
but many companies currently do not
offer CRA positions to freshers, owing to
their lack of industry experience.
The competition to gain entry into the
job interview, and building up a good
résumé, is a must.
Once the experience kicks in, so does
the remuneration. A CRA with over two
years of experience can be promoted
to the CRA II level. The roles in career
development can include Senior CRA,
Lead CRA and Team Leader (over a span
of three to five years of active site moni-
toring). Overall, the entry level salaries in
this industry depend on whether the stu-
dent is a fresher or has past experience
in a hospital or any other industry such
as management, academics, nursing, to
name a few. Initially, those who come
from the latter group, tend to be offered
better packages.

pharmacovigilance (safety) or advanced
courses in clinical data management and
statistics. These courses usually cover
the entire gamut of drug development
from pre-clinical to post-marketing
activity, trial design, and life cycle of a
trial, the regulations involved, ethics,
good clinical practices (GCP) and an
understanding of the various services
offered under clinical trials.
Typically, the selection procedure
for most courses is a qualifying writ-
ten examination followed by a personal
interview, to gauge level of interest and
aptitude. However, the courses are not
standardised, a concern that is voiced
by some. Dr. Anant Bhan, a Pune-
based independent researcher with a
specialisation in bioethics and public
health feels that we need to have a good
regulatory framework in place. Though
the mechanism is in place for the drug
approval process.
Choosing an institute
With several institutes offering clinical
research courses, zeroing in on where
you want to study becomes all the more
important. Dr. Vijay Moza, chairman
of CREMA, a Mumbai-based institute
which offers clinical research courses,
recommends a good faculty, and a cur-
riculum that delivers. The placements
is also a very important criterion.
Industry interaction is very important,
stresses Dr. Ashok Kolaskar, former
Vice Chancellor of Pune University
and professor of Bioinformatics. “We
are looking at creating individuals with
skill sets. Hence we brought in experts
with hands-on experience in the indus-
try,” he says, talking of the course cur-
rently being managed at Goa Univer-
sity in collaboration with Bioinnovat
Research Services, a Delhi-based know-
ledge resource company.
“Students should see to it that they
get practical exposure, go to the sites
(usually a hospital or a research organi-
zation) where the trial is conducted. In
other words, industrial training is very
important,” says Pooja Puri, who passed
out from a prominent clinical research
institute this year.
Job opportunities
Many allied sectors offer opportunities
after completing a course in clinical
research and the numbers are on the
rise. “The employment of manpower is
the highest in the R&D at biopharma-
ceutical companies, which are always
on the lookout for new drug candidates,”
says Guljit Chaudhary, Managing Direc-
tor of Bioinnovat Research services.
Biopharma includes companies such
as Eli Lilly, GSK and Ranbaxy. CROs, as
the name suggests, offer a wide range of
“outsourced” pharmaceutical research
services to pharmaceutical industries
and hence are the next big employers of
clinical research professionals.
These include SIRO, Clinpharm,
Veeda CR, Clinigene as well as MNCs
such as Quintiles and Kendle. You can
also work in government laboratories
or non-profit organizations, working
towards development of new vaccines,
drugs, etc. Trial management organisa-
tions are yet another option. These offer
a range of services to CROs, pharma and
biotech companies and even sites.

32 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009


india’s drug development expertise has helped it move up the value chain in clinical research outsourcing
Job profiles
A fresh graduate from a clinical research
course can join as a Clinical Project
Assistant/in-house CRA (clinical
research associate) in a pharma compa-
ny or CRO/Site Management Organi-
sation. A CRA typically ensures com-
pliance with the clinical trial protocol,
checks clinical site activities, makes on-
site visits, reviews Case Report Forms
(CRFs) and communicates with clinical
research investigators. A CRA does not
work on the site, itself, but monitors a
clinical trial.
Clinical Research Coordi-
nators: Coordinators carry out trials
at hospital sites using good clinical prac-
tice (GCP), under the supervision of a
Principal investigator (PI), along with
CRAs. Their duties include recruiting,
studying the site, enrolling participants
for trial, follow-ups, maintaining and
dispensing drugs, performing experi-
ments, testing accuracy and creating
the reports etc. As they gain experience,
they can also take up the role of Manag-
er - Clinical Research at a hospital trial
centre to coordinate five to ten trials for
the entire hospital.
Clinical Data Manager: This
role mostly involves looking after the
data gathered at the investigator site, in
this case, report form. It may not require
interaction with patients or doctors, and
involves data entry and data validation
the way the client (CRO, pharma, bio-
tech company) requires it. He or she
mostly collaborates with various depart-
ments on the design, documentation,
testing and implementation of clinical
data studies and develops systems for
organising data to analyse, identify, and
report trends.
Protocol Development: A
set of protocols for conducting trials are
set up after discussing it with the spon-
sors. It is more knowledge-driven and
requires an understanding of medical
terms. MBBS graduates can look at pro-
tocol writing and safety management.
33 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
“Clinical research
requires hard work and
focus. There are
no shortcuts to
success. Ethics are
crucial as you are con-
tributing towards the
life or death of a
patient”
Dr. Saurendra Das
Country Head, Excel Life Sciences
SAS programmer: This involves
creating analysis datasets, tables, fig-
ures, listings and ensuring accuracy of
project or study-level output. A degree
in statistics would be helpful for the
position as SAS programmer.
Regulatory department
personnel: This involves compiling
different documents that are sent to the
drugs controller’s office for approval. It
involves liaising with regulatory author-
ities with respect to approval applica-
tions and other types of license/permit
requests, handling in-house regulatory
documentation and playing an advisory
role to provide country-specific regula-
tions for clients outside India.
Pharmacovigilance dept.
in pharma companies: This
involves monitoring, researching,
assessing and evaluating information
from health care providers and patients
on the adverse effects of medications,
biological products etc. Several central
research labs for laboratory sampling
and diagnostics have Clinical Trial Sup-
plies Management teams that provide
Career Review Clinical Research

Indian institutes and courses in the sector

Institute Course Duration Web site
PG in Clinical Research and Clinical Data Management 6 months
Goa university Advanced Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Data Management with hands 8 months www.clinicalresearchgoa.org
on training on ORACLE Clinical, ORACLE TMS & SAS Software
PG Diploma in Advanced Clinical Research 1 year
MSc Clinical Research 1 year and
ICRI 2 years www.icriindia.com
PG Diplomas in Clinical Research, Clinical Trial Management, —
Pharmacovigilance, regulatory affairs and others (part-time)
Bioinformatics Centre, PG Certificate Course in Clinical Research and Clinical Data 6 months www.clinicpune.org/
University of Pune Management (CRCDM) (weekend
course)
Jamia Hamdard University, Delhi MSc in Clinical Research 2 years www.jamiahamdard.edu

Post Graduate Diploma in Clinical Trials Management (PGDCTM) 1 year

Sharda University www.sharda.ac.in
MSc Clinical Research 2 years
Chettinad University MSc Clinical Research and Experimental Medicine 2 years www.chettinaduniversity.com

Bilcare Research Academy PG Diploma in Clinical Research 10 months www.bilcareacademy.com

Advanced PG Diploma in Clinical Research Management 1 year full-

(APGDCRM) time
CREMA www.cremaindia.org
PG Diploma in Clinical Research & Regulatory Affairs, Clinical Data Man- 1 year
agement, Pharmacovigilance, Drug Development (Only for MBBS doctors) part-time
PG Diploma in Clinical Trials Management 1 year
Cliniminds www.cliniminds.com
Integrated PG Diploma in Clinical Research & Pharmacovigilance 6 months

storage and shipment of drugs at desired
temperature.
Technical writer: This pro-
fessional is responsible for writing and
editing standard operating procedures,
clinical study protocols, laboratory pro-
cedure manuals, and other related docu-
ments in the field.
Most MNCs conduct internal training
programmes to help their employees
match international industry require-
ments. As part of the two to three-month
training, employees are oriented in
standard operating procedures, the vari-
ous departments within the organisa-
tion, as well as educated in the practical
aspects of clinical research.
What it takes to get a foothold
Saurabh Sharma, a chemistry graduate
from Delhi University has an MSc-cum-
MBA in clinical research, and started
out as a trainee clinical research coor-
dinator at a clinical trial management
organisation based in Noida. Today, he
works as an Assistant Business Develop-
ment Manager after he was promoted.
And he did not even study biology in
Class XII. “Passion is what will make
you grow in this field. It gives me a
great high and an even greater sense of
responsibility to know that I am contrib-
uting in a small way to the approval of a
drug that could offer better treatment to
future generations,” he says.
A degree in clinical research is impor-
tant but employers look for something
more. “We want people who are passion-
ate about clinical research and have the
Indian Contract Research Firms same Veeda DNA i.e. honesty, integrity,
excellence and innovation,” said Shah.
Neeman medical International Clinical research is a part of the serv-
http://www.neeman-medical.com ice industry, wherein an individual
Vimta Labs has to deal with patients (with little or
http://www.vimta.com no technical knowledge) and doctors.
Suven Life Sciences Ltd. It requires patience to accommodate
http://www.suven.com both points of view and be flexible.
Dr. Lalpathlabs “You need to have the right attitude,”
http://www.lalpathlabs.com says Dr Saurendra Das, Country Head
Lambda and Director of Operations, Excel Life
http://www.lambda-cro.com Sciences.
SRL Ranbaxy And, as Gracy Milan, Program Officer,
http://www.srlranbaxy.com IAVI in Delhi says, follow good clinical
Wellquest practices stringently, but do show some
http://www.nicholphpiramal.com empathy towards volunteers. After all
you are dealing with life.

34 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009


“India needs 75,000 ophthalmic
technicians”
W
hile we have enough ophthalmolo-
gists (estimated at about 15,000
and a training capacity that gradu-
ates 1,000 new ophthalmologists
a year), the situation pertaining to all other
cadres of eye care personnel is extremely
bleak. I would like to focus especially on those
who work in a hospital under the supervision
of an ophthalmologist. In a way, they enhance
the overall efficiency of the system and the
quality of eye care provided. They are referred
to as ‘Ophthalmic Technicians’.
For an ideal performance, an ophthalmolo-
gist needs five ophthalmic technicians. Thus,
India would need anywhere between 75,000
to 100,000 such personnel. Today, very few
structured training programmes exist in the
country. Even less have any sort of accredita-
tion and there is no national accrediting body
for this entire workforce.
In general medicine nurses carry out rou-
tine diagnostic and clinical tasks. So doctors
can focus on more important aspects. Such
nurses with general training are not useful
in an eye care setting since most techniques
employed, such as refraction, measuring
intraocular pressure, assessing the field of
vision or performing ultrasound biometry are
not taught to them. Also, most nursing skills
are not relevant in an eye care setting.
Moreover, when there is a shortage of nurses
in India, it doesn’t make sense to take well-
trained nurses and train them in completely
new skill sets, while discarding what they have
opthalmic technicians are the backbone of eye care
and can evolve into an effective workforce
Teachers’ Talk jobs in eye care
already learnt. This necessitates the develop-
ment of the cadre of ophthalmic technicians,
as a separate career track.
Currently there are such people working
in eye hospitals or eye clinics, under an
ophthalmologist. They are all trained on the
job. As a result they possess varying levels of
skills and knowledge, and their utilisation is
also varied.
This very situation existed in the US, some
decades back. To address this enormous prob- R D Thulasiraj
lem, various eye care associations in the US Executive Director,
came together, to promote an independent Lions Aravind Institute of
body. The organisation known as the Joint Community Ophthalmology
Commission for Allied Health Personnel in Aravind Eye Care System,
Madurai
Opthalmology (JACAPO), took on the role of
defining a common curriculum and conduct-
ing examinations to certify qualifying candi-
dates in the US.
While neighbouring countries such as
Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and even a tiny
country like Bhutan, have accredited training
programmes for this cadre, for some reasons
this has not happened in India despite several
attempts over the last two decades.
But recently, various organisations involved
in eye care came together, and asserted the
urgent need to have a common curriculum
and certification process, so that this cadre of
personnel -- who in many ways are the back-
bone of eye care -- can evolve into a formal,
well-trained and effective workforce.
Today, very
Several eye hospitals that are currently few structured
engaged in such training have formed a net-
work. This network, which is in the process of training pro-
taking form, will initially focus on establishing
the standards and guidance for accreditation,
grammes exist in
agree upon a common curriculum and lay the country. Even
down the assessment and certification proc-
ess for the students undergoing the training. less have any sort
The network will also produce and dissemi-
nate teaching materials so that standard of
of accreditation
training is enhanced. and there is
This initiative would contribute towards
developing a new cadre of formally certified no national
eye care personnel. This would also open up
career opportunities for them in a big way. accrediting body
And it would be further strengthened when for this entire
the government comes forward and recog-
nises the training. workforce
35 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
Guru Gyan narendra jadhav

What’s wrong with

Indian education?

Photographs: Arijit Sen

With a dynamic leadership and a reform agenda, Narendra Jadhav, the erstwhile Vice Chancellor of Pune University, ushered
in radical changes at the institution during his three-year stint, which ended in June 2009. Growing up in a shanty neighbour-
hood, his ambition was to become a gangster, which later changed to peon for want of a steady income. Jadhav turned childhood
adversities into opportunities, and the road to self-discovery made an illustrious economist out of him. A teacher by passion, he
was appointed as a member of the Planning Commission in June, with education as work portfolio. He shares with Urmila Rao,
his accomplishments at Pune University and his action plan for the education sector, in his new role.

Q: After three years of an extraor-
dinary stint at Pune University, now
you are now in charge of education
planning in the Planning Commis-
sion. What areas are you looking at?
A: My work portfolio comprises pri-
mary education, secondary, and higher
education. I would also be looking at
technical and vocational education as
well as literacy programmes. In addi-
tion, I have employment and capacity
creation, sports and youth affairs, art and
culture. This is the job of giving a human
face to reforms. More specifically, higher
education is what I would be involved in;
however, the work is not confined to just
that. I would like to implement all simi-
lar successful experiments, here.
Q: The radical changes you made at
Pune University in three years?
A: I closed down my MBA programme
and replaced it with MBA++. Of the two
years of this programme, the first year
followed the standard MBA programme.
For the second year, I made two lists,
functional and sectoral and tied up with
emerging industries in Pune. It became

36 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

mandatory for second year students to
take one subject from the functional and
sectoral list, each. Thirty combinations
are made available to students. Besides,
Pune University also introduced a spe-
cial PhD programme exclusively for
senior citizens. When I announced this,
within a month we received more than
5,000 applications. My first student was
91 years old!
Q: Universities don’t focus on peri-
odic revision of the course content.
What is your take on that?
A: Syllabus revision is a very nebulous
area. Colleges tinker with the syllabus
in the name of revision but for me that is
making a mockery of the syllabus. Revi-
sion means a complete overhaul of the
course involving the relevant industry.
For instance, revising chemistry sylla-
bus means taking in people who are at
the cutting edge of research in the indus-
try. That is real revision.
Q: The shortage of quality faculty is
another challenge in our education
system. Your comments...
A: Around 50% of the teachers don’t have
the foggiest idea of the recent advances in
their subject. Besides, there is a complete
disconnect between society and higher
education. They are not growing in tan-
dem, in a mutually reinforcing manner.
The best symptom of this malady is that
students passing out from the best IT
or finance colleges need 8-10 months
of training before becoming useful for
the company. Virtual classrooms can be
set up for teachers’ training. For each
subject, a global expert could be roped
in to have an interactive session with
the teachers. This would indeed be a
quantum leap.
Q: What reforms can colleges/uni-
versities adopt to provide students a
certain level of quality education?
A: Higher education can be seen in three
aspects: in teaching-learning environ-
ment, in research and in social connec-
tivity. Until the early ’80s, the research
in Indian universities was broadly com-
parable to the research coming out of
the Chinese universities. Today, they are
producing five times more research than
us. But we have a complacent feeling
that since a large number of students
speak English, we are at par.
In order to achieve social connectivity,
I started a few programmes, centered
on students and their connectivity with
society. One was an education guaran-
tee scheme, where every student must
be given a job for at least three hours a
day at Rs. 20 per hour on demand. In
Samarth Bharat Abhiyan programme,
students were required to work in vil-
lages, in the areas of primary education,
environment, plantation and sanita-
tion.
“China produces five
times more research
than us. We com-
placently feel at
par since a large
number of
students speak
English”
Q: Do you favour self-regulation of
academic institutions?
A: I am entirely in favour of autono-
my but it has to go hand in hand with
accountability and accountability with
transparency. This is a package deal.
We are right now undergoing a major
overhaul in the higher education system.
The modalities are not spelt out. We are
looking at a complete change in regula-
tory reform which is long overdue.
37 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
Q: It seems our policies are not
designed keeping students’ interest
in mind?
A: Reform is not an event. It is a proc-
ess. When we take a mid-course criti-
cal evaluation of schemes, we will drop,
modify and add some schemes. The
modalities are being worked out. You
can’t close everything down and start
everything else new. You have to seam-
lessly integrate and implement the
schemes. I don’t agree that policies are
not framed keeping students in mind.
What I did at Pune University was in
students’ interest.
Q: Should institutes that claim exag-
gerated job placement figures be
brought to book?
A: State and central universities don’t
make such claims. Some of the deemed
universities and unrecognised ones do.
It is a serious legal issue and a crime.
In terms of fixing the responsibility,
people are equally responsible if they
are not verifying what adverts say and
end up with a wrong university. And in
a democratic set-up, you can’t control
everything. In democracy you can’t stop
people from giving adverts. People have
to do their own verification as well.
There are tricksters coming to your
doorstep saying that they will double
your gold possessions. Is the govern-
ment responsible for that? Transpar-
ency is a must. But it is also the respon-
sibility of every parent and every student
to verify the claim.
Q: What bothers you most in the cur-
rent education system?
A: In the Indian university system, com-
munication skills are not taught. Stu-
dents from rural areas don’t know what
kind of dress to wear to an interview,
how to enter, when to sit down. They
don’t know that you need to look into the
eyes of the interviewer while speaking.
These basic aspects have to be taught.
A student coming from Delhi
or Mumbai is able to face the inter-
view not necessarily because he is
intelligent but because he has great-
er finesse and greater exposure.
A rural fellow may not have great expres-
sion to show in a 10-minute interview,
but if you give him enough time, you will
discover his depth.
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Cracking CAT/Verbal Ability & Reasoning

Last-minute preparation tips

These focused strategies could help you up your verbal score. Practise daily and
gather momentum as the D-day approaches
by Sangeetha Sashidharan

C
ommon Admission Test 2009
is approaching fast! This year it
will be conducted from Novem-
ber 28 (Saturday) to December
7 (Monday). With less than a month to
go, it is now time for a reality check on
your preparation level. Have you been
reading and working on your grammar,
vocabulary and sentence structure?
Will you be able to find an assumption
hidden in the author’s idea? How do you
know what is implied in the passage?
Can you logically complete a paragraph
in the given time?
Do you know the difference between
words that sound similar? And do they
make sense in a sentence? Also, now that
CAT is a computer-based test (CBT),
will you get less or more time to answer
questions? How do you address these
problems? Here are some suggestions to
help you up your verbal score.
Illustration : Gouri Nanda

Reading Comprehension (RC) How to prepare Why?

Last year, 20 of 40 Qs were based on RC.
Before that, it was 12 of 25 and in 2006
it was a whopping 15 of 25 Qs. This pat-
tern indicates that you cannot afford to
skip RC questions.
Remember, RC is like data interpreta-
tion. And it is the only section, where the
answers are right in front of you. So, you
must learn how to find them. Practise
these strategies daily.
During the test
Here are some quick tips to help you
absorb information, faster and more
precisely.
●● Make sure you read the RC, as you
would, say, a magazine article.
●● You should also try to mentally sum-
marise what the author wants to say in
each paragraph.
●● Make it a point to link the ideas in
each section to those in the previous
paragraphs.
Read editorials daily
Summarise in your own words…as if you are
explaining it to your kid brother!
Make a mental note of what you think of the
author you are currently reading
Take note of unfamiliar words and phrases, and
look them up later
This way, you may be able to answer
all questions without reading the pas-
sage again.
When you are through with reading,
you must be in a position to answer the
following Qs without referring to the
passage:
●● What is the author trying to convey?
Exposes you to various writing styles
Helps you answer the following:
- What is the main idea?
- Why has the author mentioned xyz?
It also helps you structure questions
Helps you answer the following:
- What according to the author…
- The tone of the passage
- This text has been most likely extracted from…
Helps you answer the following:
- The term xyz in the first paragraph means…
- The word xyz can best be replaced by…
Also helps to improve your word usage score
●● Why has the author written this pas-
sage?
●● How has the author structured his/
her thoughts?
●● How can you convey in two sentenc-
es, the core idea and impact of each
paragraph?
●● What is the mood of the author?

40 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Vocabulary and word usage
For the past two years, word usage ques-
tions were based on words that sounds
similar, context appropriateness, awk-
ward usage and incorrect phrases.
Remember, these are tricky questions
and the options are bound to con-
fuse you unless you know all words.
The bad news is that there is no easy
way around these questions except in
the fill-in-the-blanks section where you
can work with the logic of the sentence.
Questions based on idioms and phrases
are likely to appear.
How to prepare
Underline five words in a newspaper and look
them up, daily
Form sentences once you’re confident of their
usage
Go through a list of words that sounds similar
(with meanings and usage)
Eg: Dissemble and disassemble
Compete with a friend. Quiz each other on
words from word lists, newspapers and CAT Qs
Read up on phrasal verbs and idiomatic usage
Why?
CAT lays more emphasis on whether you know how to
use a word
You rarely find direct antonym or synonym questions
Look at the last few years’ papers
It is one of the best ways to learn a word list
Unless you know a phrase, it’s difficult to answer these
Qs. The idiom or phrase by itself may make no sense.
Eg: Catch forty winks (meaning taking a short nap)

How to prepare Why? Grammar

Practise from a grammar exercise book
While practising, explain why the other options
are wrong rather than justify why one is right
Familiarise yourself with a list of common
errors such as subject-verb agreement, modi-
fiers, parallel structure and pronoun errors
You may only cover what you’re unsure of
You learn to identify common errors and increase your
ability to spot errors, in the options
Since sentence structure is based on a set of rules, so
are the errors. There’s a readily available list of com-
mon sentence errors, making it easy to cover them
before CAT 2009
Usually, grammar questions in CAT are
presented in these formats: Choose the
incorrect sentence, choose that part of
the sentence, which is incorrect or the
GMAT style sentence correction where
a part of the sentence is underlined and
you have to choose the right option.
They could include word usage as well.

Reasoning How to prepare Why?

For sometime now, students have been expect-
Tackle each question format separately Reasoning questions are based on inductive
ing GMAT—style Critical Reasoning questions. and deductive reasoning
However, as a rule, the CAT never falls for pre-
dictions. Jumbled sentences have always been a Practising them separately will help you
score better
favourite. Fact and Inference Judgment questions
popped up in a difficult avatar, a few years ago. Read up on the following: argument This will help you answer logical reason-
errors, cause-effect relationship, faulty ing Qs
Syllogisms, once popular, are pretty easy to solve analogy, strength of evidence
and you will be lucky if they appear in CAT 2009.
Practise from CAT question papers and Once you are familiar with the question for-
The section ‘Complete the idea or paragraph’ tests similar tests mats, then like most students, you will find
your ability to understand the flow of logic. Heed these reasoning questions, easy
tips to improve your reasoning score.

The new format
Log on to the CAT web site (www.catiim.
in), and take a tutorial for the computer-
based test format. During the test, you can
mark questions that you wish to answer a
little later. You will be more comfort-
able when you understand how the RC
passages appear. As the format of CAT
has changed you should practise reading
passages on a computer screen. Now,
test your reading speed vis-à-vis a hard-
copy test. Good luck!
(Sangeetha Sashidharan is an independ-
ent education consultant, with 12 years
of experience in the field of training for
various entrance examinations such
as CAT, GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, IELTS
and SAT.)

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NOW AND GET
27% OFF
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41 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Cover Story social sector

Environment Disaster Working Community and Health Care

and Energy Management for the Elderly Society Development and Wellbeing
Industrial waste, Societal crisis, Hospice and palliative care Society development, Public health
toxic elements intervention empowerment
Geriatrics Mental health and related
Clean environment, Natural calamities Rural and urban development, issues
Family counselling
preserving nature planning
Emergency management Camp coordination
Old age homes
Energy conservation Shelter providing, street
Relief and rehabilitation Improving hospital and nursing
Special education needs denizens
Forests, related centres
development Adult literacy
Accidents and trauma
Refugees and resettlement,
Drug abuse /de-addiction units
slum development
Population, poverty and related
issues
Hygiene and sanitation

Cover Story social sector

Work that is
more than just
a career
Development is suddenly glamourous. Read on to find out what
has changed and what hasn’t, plus a rundown on corporate jobs
aiding this phenomenon

42 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Child Welfare,
Schooling
Adoption and fostering
Child welfare and Rights
Education
Sexual and drug abuse
Counselling, including
addressing dilemmas
Special education needs
Day care
Women Welfare
and Empowerment
Women’s empowerment
Maternity and related issues
Early marriage, dowry
Sexual exploitation
Domestic violence
Conservation Microfinance, Allied and
and Heritage Asset Building Supporting Sectors
Art and culture Investments United Nations, World Bank
identified issues and policies
Monuments Relationship Building
Advocacy
Tribes and indigenous people Project Assessment
Teaching, research and policy
Traditional knowledge Default Resolution
Public relations and media
Capacity Building
Expertise, consultancy
Loan Management
Fund raising guidance and
counselling

F
or Lalitha A.S. Nayak, her work is never a
job, it is a part of her lifestyle. Working on
women’s issues for the last 30 years, Lalitha
is also very clear that it is finally someone
else’s suffering that she attempts to mitigate, a view
strongly endorsed by Leena Dewan who works with
street children. Welcome to the new world of the
development sector.
A loaded term, this ‘development’! If the men-
tion of the word, still conjures up the image of a
stern looking jholawala, always frustrated about
anything and everything, and living on peanuts,
you are both right and wrong, but more wrong than
right. This sector is currently populated by some
of the best minds. So much so that Nachiket Mor,
the Prince-in-Waiting at the ICICI Group, who
was tipped to be the next CEO, chucked it all, and
in his own words, wants to bring the power of the
market to benefit people. Today, Mor heads the
ICICI Foundation, and is busy bringing manage-
ment philosophies to bear on issues as diverse as
rural electrification to water distribution. “These
people are rural managers,” concurs Fr. PT Joseph,
Director, XIMB.
The sector is witnessing a substantial change, at
least, in pockets. While at its core, it is still driven
by thousands of one-man armies, who work on
shoe string budgets under extreme duress, it also
has space for young graduates with professional
qualifications. Dileep Ranjekar, CEO, Azim Premji
Foundation acknowledges, “ The work in the social
sector is no less intense than working in a highly-
driven, result-oriented corporate organisation.”
From sanitation to eco-living, from preserv-
ing Kargattam (a Tamil art form) to fund rais-
ing, this sector has jobs for everyone. The sec-
tor attracts two kinds of people. Some like Mor,
have given up high flying corporate careers
with an avowed motive to make a difference, a
view brilliantly articulated also by Bill Gates
(read more on Page 76). But as Ranjeker asserts, the
sector also needs committed professionals who see
it as a viable career option and are in it to make a liv-
ing, as they satiate their conscience. As Meenakshi
Madhvani, Founder, Spatial Access Solutions says,
both have their own place and relevance.
The sector is vast, and the problems they encoun-
ter are mindboggling. So, we have put together a
dossier of 10 such domains where you could earn a
decent living even while making a difference.
Go just do it! Others would benefit much more
because of what you do.

43 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Cover Story social sector

Environment and Energy

WORKING FOR A CLEAN,

GREEN WORLD
The private and public sector, and NGOs offer ample job
opportunities in this internationally relevant sector

Urmila Rao Be eligible: A Master’s degree requires

I
a BSc or equivalent degree in natural
f issues like global warming, defor- sciences, chemistry, environmental
estation and fuel wastage make your science, agriculture, geography, envi-
blood boil, why not consider a career ronmental economics or engineering.
in the field of environmental studies? Work experience is preferred by some
Not only will you do your bit for Mother institutes when you opt for an MSc in
Earth but chart out a career in an area environmental science.
that you are passionate about, also. Job prospects: There are job oppor-
Know your domain: Environmental tunities in private and public sector
sciences initially dealt with scientific companies, as well as in NGOs. “They
issues such as water pollution, toxicity, exist across industries,” says Dr. Rajiv
mineral properties etc. But as industri- Seth, Registrar, TERI University, which
alisation began to impact human life by offers postgraduate programmes. “Our
way of climate change, instant floods students have been placed at ACC,
and desertification, the discipline began Coca Cola, Ernst and Young and Suzlon
to embrace economic and social issues among others,” he says. A qualified stu-
as well. So two pathways are possible dent can have a career in areas such as
in this sector. One is to specialise in research and development, engineering,
the science of environment and attempt business management, education and
to identify solutions to problems. The training, environmental activism and
other is to look at the issue holistically tourism, among others. One can also Wind energy is one of cleanest sources of energy
and work for changes in a wider eco- become an ecologist, who studies and and a viable option for a country like India
nomic or social realm. In both cases, a understands the environment, or else a
certain understanding of both sides is soil and water conservationist working
necessary, though the level of expertise on crop rotation, reforestation among Organisations
might vary depending on the choice of other areas, on recycling, fish and wild
Applied Environmental Research
one’s area of specialisation. life or as an environmental scientist. An Foundation
Integrated Research and Action
SELECT COURSES IN ENVIRONMENT for Development (IRADe)
Institute Course Eligibility Course fee (Rs) The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
National Institute of PGD in Industrial Safety First Class Engineering 2.27 lakhs Centre for Environment Education (CEE)
Industrial Engineering, & Environmental Graduates, CAT, GD/PI (including hostel
Mumbai Management (1-year) accommodation)
Indian Institute of Social MPSM (Environment Engineering/Science 1,41 lakhs
Welfare & Business Management), Calcutta Graduates added qualification in architecture or
Management, Kolkata University (2-year) urban planning can also open up a fruit-
Bharathidasan MBA in Environmental Science/Commerce 35,000 (excluding ful career in these two areas, especially
University Management (2-year) graduates hostel charges) when the trend these days leans towards
The Energy and MSc in Environmental Bachelor in Engineer- 1.60 lakhs for ‘green’ buildings.
Resources Institute Studies (2-year) ing/Science/Geography two years Where to study: The Indian Institute
(TERI), New Delhi and Economics
of Social Welfare & Business Manage-
TERI, New Delhi Msc in Natural Resource same as above same as above ment, Kolkata, offers courses in environ-
Management (2-year)
ment management, energy management
TERI, New Delhi MSc in Water Resource same as above same as above and transportation and logistics man-
Management (2-year)
agement, TERI University conducts a

44 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

 disaster management

THINK CRITICALLY,
Manpreet Singh, 26
Senior Consultant (Climate Change

ACT CREATIVELY
and Sustainability), Ernst & Young

T his science graduate

first became environ-
mentally-conscious, during
his graduation days. This
awareness evolved into a
keen interest in making
As more tsunamis rock the world, Mother Earth needs
the earth a better, cleaner trained professionals to save the day
place. After graduating
from the Sri Venkateswara
College in Delhi, Manpreet enrolled for an MSc
in Environmental Studies programme at the Urmila Rao needs a bachelor’s degree in any dis-

TERI University in Delhi.
“This is an interdisciplinary course, which is
conducted in four semesters. The last semes-
ter is the dissertation,” he says. The course
curriculum comprises topics such as air, water
pollution, environmental law, biodiversity con-
servation and sustainability, among others.
Manpreet passed out in the year 2005 and
interned at Synergy Global, an offshoot of
Suzlon Limited. As an officer of Clean Devel-
opment Mechanics (CMD), Manpreet worked
on renewable energy. After a one-year stint,
he moved on to join global consultancy firm,
Ernst & Young, as a senior consultant in climate
change and sustainability.
“There’s immense scope for a career in envi-
ronment, as there is a lot of research being con-
ducted in this emerging area,” he says. “Every
industry now has a department that deals with
environmental compliances, policies and other
environment related matters,” he adds.
With respect to what it takes to make a
career, Manpreet feels that one should be inter-
ested in this area. “Skill sets can be developed,
accordingly. And having a science background,
helps,” he advises.
Master’s programme in four disciplines,
the National Institute of Industrial
Engineering (NITIE), Mumbai offers
a PG Diploma in Industrial Safety &
Environmental Management.
Entry level salaries: Graduates could
D
isaster management is a strat-
egy to avoid, reduce, manage and
overcome any type of catastroph-
ic event that threatens human lives. It is
done by identifying potential disasters,
man-made or natural, and by creating
contingency plans and procedures to be
initiated when and if disaster erupts.
Know your domain: A Master’s course
in disaster management offers a mix of
thematic and issue-based courses that
deal with aspects such as relationships
between environment, livelihood and
disasters. They also include the skills
essential for intervention in disasters, as
well as their prevention. The programme
builds up a multi-disciplinary knowl-
edge base. Students develop expertise in
areas such as logistics and supply chain
management, public health, information
and communication and peace, which
are useful in the long run.
Be eligible: The Master’s programme
WHEN DISASTER strikes technology and prepared-
ness both come in handy
cipline, and correspondence certificate
courses need Class 12. Working profes-
sionals are eligible for short and long-
term courses. An MBA requires at least
a year of work experience.
Job prospects: There are employment
opportunities in government and non-
government organisations, as well as
consultancy companies. You can also
consider a career in research, training
and teaching. For instance, you could
work in institutions such as Delhi Disas-
ter Management Authority, State Insti-
tute of Disaster Management, Urban
Disaster Risk Reduction Research Cen-
tre, JTCDM, SVARAJ in Doddabal-
lapur, Kerala and international NGOs
Organisations
Coastal Area Disaster
Mitigation Efforts (CADME)
Catholic Relief Services (CRS)
Adventist Development and Relief Agency
(ADRA)
Jitender Gupta/Outlook Group

earn anywhere between Rs. 8,000-

12000 at domestic NGOs such as Toxic
Links, approxiately Rs. 15,000- 25,000
at an international organisation like
WaterAid, and up to Rs. 75,000, if you
are lucky enough to work for an inter-
national funding organisation such as
CIDA or IDRC. The entry level salaries
in private companies are usually better.
“The average salary is Rs 9.60 lakhs
per annum,” says Professor Ashok K
Pundir, Associate Dean (Placement) at
the NITIE, Mumbai, Typically, post-
graduates from NITIE would move into
mitigation jobs in the environmental
sector, where the objective is to reduce
and manage environmental pollution.

45 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Cover Story social sector

Select courses in Disaster Management working for the elderly

The Wise
Institute Course Eligibility Course fee (Rs)
Jamsetji Tata Centre for MA/M.Sc in Disaster Bachelor’s degree in 2.33 lakhs (including
Disaster Management, Management any discipline hostel fees)
TISS, Mumbai
Guru Gobind Singh MBA in Disaster Graduates, students 1.6 lakhs
Indraprastha University Management with Master’s degree
(GGSIPU) and work experience
are preferred

like the Red Cross. Large industrial
establishments also maintain disaster
management cells.
Where to study: “The National Insti-
tute of Disaster Management (NIDM)
provides short-term courses rang-
ing from one to five days. These pro-
grammes are mainly meant for govern-
ment officials at mid and senior levels,”
says Colonel Prabod Pathak of NIDM.
“We have web-based e-learning courses
of four and six weeks, in collaboration
with The World Bank, Washington,”
he adds. The Jamsetji Tata Centre for
Disaster Management offers a Master’s
course. Guru Gobind Singh Indrapras-
tha University, Delhi offers an MBA in
Disaster Management. Training is also
imparted by The Disaster Management
Institute, Madhya Pradesh, All India
Disaster Management Institute and
Gujarat Institute of Disaster Manage-
ment, among others
Entry level salaries: They range from
Rs. 15,000 to Rs. 1 lakh depending on
the sector and job profile. Delhi Disaster
Management Authority, a public sector
enterprise, for instance, offers a junior
executive assistant a consolidated salary
of Rs. 20,000.

Caring for senior citizens

Professor Janki Andharia
PhD, Jamsetji Tata Centre for Disaster Management, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai may be your calling

I n the last 10 years, disas-

ters have affected approxi-
ment, assessment of losses/needs, psycho-social
intervention, training and capacity-building, Bharti M Borah

mately 3 billion people, killing
750,000. Data collected by
the Centre for Research on
the Epidemiology of Disaster
(CRED), Belgium, indicated
that the casualty rate and
losses incurred due to disas-
ters, has increased phenomenally. So also the rise
in the number of disasters, thus demanding quali-
fied professionals to tackle them.
Organisations and agencies involved in disaster
management find it necessary to recruit profes-
sionals with specific skills and knowledge. Further,
scholars and researchers across the world are
increasingly involved in conceptual work, evalu-
ation studies and in the prediction of disasters.
Technologies are being evolved or reassessed for
their implications for disasters and their effective
management. But disaster management is yet
to be recognised as a specialised field by Indian
universities, although it seems to be emerging
globally as a full-fledged academic discipline.
The Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), has
a tradition of responding to a disasters in India,
and TISS’ interventions date back to 1947, when
the institute sent a student-faculty team to Kuruk-
shetra (in Haryana) to work with Pakistani refu-
gees. Since then, the institute has responded to
floods, riots, cyclones, earthquakes and industrial
disasters, including the tsunamis of December
2004, Mumbai floods of July 2005, the Kashmir
earthquake of 2006 and the Mumbai terror attack
of 2008.
Core intervention areas include relief manage-
demonstration of participatory processes, advo-
cacy, policy formulation, mobilisation of human
resources, popularising appropriate technology,
NGO coordination, publications and documenta-
tion, and peace initiatives in the context of com-
munal tensions.
In our analysis, disaster response in India has
been constrained by several factors ranging from
weak government policies to fragmented disas-
ter management strategies. Having contributed
systematically to disaster response in India, our
experience suggested the need to develop quali-
fied, skilled and committed professionals in the
field of disaster management -- people who could
think critically and also act creatively.
The course is multidisciplinary and is meant
for mid-career professionals who are keen on
acquiring advanced and systematic knowledge of
dealing with disasters. People from diverse back-
grounds are encouraged to apply – relief workers,
engineers, people from armed forces, social sci-
entists, medical and para-medical professionals,
environmentalists and so on. Besides possessing
an ability to rough it out in difficult circumstances
the course requires intellectual acumen, an abil-
ity to engage in reflective dialogue, a commitment
to hard work, sensitivity to people, especially the
poor and the vulnerable and good command over
English language.
The interest in pursuing Disaster Management
seems to be increasing. Even in TISS for the year
2009-2010, for a total of 32 seats 600 candidates
appeared for the written tests conducted at the all
India level.
B
edtime stories, stolen memories,
forbidden treats and the occa-
sional toys, the thrill of a doting
grandparent is something most of us
have experienced. But as jobs become
geographically mobile, living with
grandparents has become a luxury, and
devoid of family support, old age could
be very painful. The population of citi-
zens above the age of 60 is expected
to reach 137 million by 2021. and pro-
viding them with a life of comfort is a
huge challenge. For those with a little
empathy and loads of skills, geriatrics
or the study and care of aging persons,
is a tremendous opportunity to do good
work and be blessed for it.
Know your domain: The scope in this
area is large as it permeates various sec-
tors such as health, legal services and
training, to name a few. Also, one needs
to have an overall understanding of vari-
ous areas that influence the quality of
life for senior citizens.
Typically, you need to develop spe-
cific skills according to the area of your

46 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

and experienced
Dr Prashant Shinde
Swasthya Darpan, Ahmednagar

A doctor by profession,
Shinde works with sen-
ior citizens in the Mahar-

Outlook Group
senior citizens need a helping hand, especially
in health care and in protecting their rights
choice, and you will face some challeng-
es on the job. Patience is an important
virtue, and don’t take statements made
by your clients, personally.
Be eligible: You must have a Master’s
degree to specialise in geriatrics (refer
to listing for more options).
Job prospects: You could work at a
home for senior citizens. An NGO such
as HelpageIndia, which works towards
protecting the rights of India’s elderly, is
another avenue. The opportunities are
growing especially in the health sector,
even for those who may not have a medi-
cal or nursing background.
Where to study: The courses available
are still small in number. The National
Institute of Social Development (NISD)
Organisations
HelpAge India
Alzheimer’s society of India (ARDSI)
International Network for prevention of
eleder abuse (INPEA)
Anugraha India
Family Health International
CARE Foundation
has actively been providing opportuni-
ties in this field all over India, taking care
of all expenditure of selected candidates
and offering a stipend on completion of
the course. But the number of students
who take up such programmes is still
very less. “Students still don’t see it as a
viable career option, “ says Dr Haripriya,
Resident Diriector, MIDSR.
Entry level salaries: Since 1993,
the Alzheimer’s and Related Disor-
ders Society of India (ARDSI), has
been managing the School of Geriat-
ric Care in Kochi. Course Coordinator
Babu Varghese shares that the need for
trained professionals is increasing. You
can earn anything between Rs. 4,000
to Rs. 25,000, per month depending
on whether you work for a national or
international NGO.
The city and state you work in, also
influence your package. A metro offers
more job opportunities, though a large
population of senior citizens do live
in rural areas. Usually, administration
skills are essential. And above all keep
that smile in place, when it matters.
ashtra hinterland. And he
refuses to refer to them as
‘aged’ or ‘old’. Instead he
prefers the Marathi word
‘jesht’, which translates to
‘elder.’ Urged by his wife,
also a doctor by profession, Shinde has been
actively visiting rural parts of Maharashtra to
work closely with the ‘jesht’ population.
He completed a six-month course on geriat-
ric care from Symbiosis Nursing College and
International Longitivity Centre (ILC) in Pune,
last year, to strengthen his understanding of
the elderly.
Having spent many years in the field, he
launched Swasthya Darpan, a magazine, to
address issues relating to senior citizens.
According to Shinde, the government does
not allot funds to this set of citizens, and he
dreams about creating spaces where the eld-
erly can meet, talk and play a game of carrom.
As a principle, he is against the concept of old
age homes, and aspires to set up recreation
centres all over Maharashtra. He also wants to
educate villagers about the specific needs of
senior citizens.
Career Avenues in
Geriatrics
Health care – Physicians, pharmacists, psy-
chiatrists, psychologists, social workers and
therapists
Mental health – Geropsychiatrists, nurses,
social workers, mental health therapists, other
specialists
Leisure and recreation – Recreation special-
ists and exercise therapists
Education – Educators in local schools, col-
leges and universities need to be trained on
handling the aged and acquire skills to interact
with this group.
Research and communication – Related
to biological, psychological and sociological
aspects of ageing, research needs to be com-
municated to wide audience through media.

COURSES IN CARING FOR THE ELDERLY Policy and programme planning – Specialists
in policy development, policy analysis, pro-
Course Institute Eligibility Course fee (Rs) gramme development and evaluation work at
Diploma in Gerontology, TISS Graduate in any 19,365 agencies at the local and state government.
Centre for Lifelong Learning discipline
Administration – Manager, administrator,
Certificate in Care of Elderly ARDSI, Kochi 10+/CAT NISD sponsors supervisor, programme specialist, programme
director, analyst, evaluator, public relations and
Post Graduate Diploma in Indira Gandhi National MBBS Doctors 15,200 media experts, and specialists.
Geriatric Medicine Open University
Course in Geriatric care Symbiosis Nursing college Graduate/CAT NISD sponsors Legal services – Specialised knowledge of
the elderly and related areas of laws and legal
Certificate course in Geriatric National Institute of Social Graduate/CAT No fees services.
Care (6 months) Defense (NISD)

47 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Cover Story social sector

Community and Society Development

bringing
wealth to the
marginalised
This is the sector where it really began. So if all-round
learning is your concern, CSD is the place to get started

Nimesh Chandra anyone pursuing a degree/diploma

V
illage upliftment, poverty eradi-
cation, slum redevelopment,
anything to do with raising the
economic and social profile of the poor
comes under this catch all phrase. In
some sense Gandhi with his Gram
Swarajaya, was the first community
development manager in the country.
One could easily argue that, this is the
sector where it all began. “This is pre-
cisely where people trained in different
aspects of social work can make a huge
difference in India,” says Vinod Koshti,
a postgraduate from Delhi School of
Social Work who has been engaged in
the developmental sector in Delhi for
over a decade now.
Know your discipline: Although
course in social work is exposed to all
the above mentioned areas, there are
specialised courses, both long and short-
term to get a focused understanding of
the particular area and even branch out
later as a specialist (see table). Most
of the courses are full-time, lasting for
one or two years, with part-time options
available for those already working in the
field. The good training courses ensure
that academic theory and practice skills
are effectively integrated. Apart from
training in the core subject area, gener-
ally the courses in this domain will also
include modules on human growth and
development, disability, assessments,
communication skills, law and partner-
ship working.
Be eligible: While a graduate degree
is the minimum requirement, for spe-
cialised Master’s and Diploma courses,
preference is given to working profes-
sionals in the related discipline, gener-
ally with two years of experience.
Job prospects: One has the option of
selecting organisations that are state
owned statutory entities; NGOs, private
players in the voluntary sector; agen-
cies both national and international that
also deal in funding; or they can work
independently. There are significant dif-
ferences in the structure and function-
ing of the organisations, for instance
a voluntary organisation would usually

Select courses in Community & Social Development

Programme
PGD in Social Development and
Organisation Management - 1 year
MA (Social Work) - Urban & Rural
Community Development - 2 years
MA/MSc - Population Studies
(intake 20) - 2 years
PGD in Governance and Management
of NGOs (intake 30)- 1 year
MA/MSc in Habitat Policy & Practice
(intake 15) – 2 years
Postgraduate Diploma in Rural Man-
agement – 2 years
Post Graduate Programme in Public
Policy & Management – 2 years
Institute
Maharaja Sayaji Rao University,
Vadodara
Indore School of Social Work, Indore
International Institute for Population
Sciences, Mumbai
Karve Institute of Social Service, Pune
School of Habitat Studies, Tata
Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
Xavier Institute of Management,
Bhubaneswar
Indian Institute of Management,
Bangalore
Eligibility
Graduate in any discipline
Graduate in any discipline
with 45% marks
Bachelor’s degree; preference to
those having UG in Maths/Statistics,
Economics,
Graduate in any discipline; preference
to working professionals
Bachelor’s degree, with inclination
towards habitat-related issues
Graduate in any discipline
Primarily for officers of All India/Cen-
tral Services; open to graduates from
PSUs, financial institutions/NGOs
with at least 7 years of experience
Course fee (Rs)
8,650
40,000
—
10,000
1,25,000 including hostel facility
5,36,000 including hostel facility
Sponsorship for Government
Department of Personnel & Training
(DoPT) candidates; 9,75,000
for non-DoPT participants

48 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009


Empowering women along with developmental
concerns is equally important
follow a clearly defined role to advocate
on behalf of particular group and the
nucleus of operations would be around
promoting the welfare and rights of
that group. According to Professor M N
Parmar, Head of Department of Social
Work at the MS University of Baroda,
“The job opportunities in the develop-
ment sector are growing and NGOs in
particular are recruiting people who
are engaged in direct service delivery.”
The firms in the corporate sector have
a social responsibility function where
opportunities are aplenty.
Where to study: Most Indian univer-
sities have a department of social work
that offer degrees, diplomas and certifi-
cate courses. There are specialised insti-
tutions such as Entrepreneurship Devel-
opment Institute of India at Ahmeda-
bad or XLRI at Jamshedpur that offer
courses in Social Entrepreneurship.
One can pursue a Master’s programme
in development studies at Centre for
Economic & Social Studies, Hyderabad
or opt for an MBA in rural development
from G.B. Pant Social Science Institute
at Allahabad. Most of these institutes
facilitate campus placements and make
sure that support mechanisms such as
appropriate training and assessment are
in place.
Outlook Group
Community and Society
Development
Committed Communities
Development Trust
Integrated Development Society
Centre for Rural Systems and Development
(CRUSADE)
Centre for Operations Research and
Training (CORT)
Institute of Social Research & Development
Asian Institute for Sustainable
Development (AISD)
Prerna Social Development &
Welfare Society
Entry level salaries: While the start-
ing salary varies from place to place, the
nature of work and type of organisation
one tends to join, one is likely to get
anywhere between Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 4
lakh per annum in an NGO. The fund-
ing agencies and research organisations
most of which are international, pay
in the range of Rs. 3-6 lakhs annually,
while the big corporate entities in the
private sector offer a tad higher salary.
Remember, development is a conten-
tious term, and especially in villages
where feudal tendencies do play a role.
So it is important to be patient, have
a long-term perspective and not rush
things through
49 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
Ruchika Bahl
Global Director,
Law For All initiative by Ashoka
W hen Indian social
activist Arvind Kejriwal
was selected as an Ashoka
Fellow to bring down the
level of corruption in the
government, Ruchika put
him in touch with social
entrepreneurs from across
the Ashoka network, and
worked on how they all in turn could take the
Right to Information (RTI) movement forward.
Arvind’s campaign took the shape of the Right
to Information Act (RTIA), now a national law.
This is what Ruchika does at Ashoka. She gets
social entrepreneurs who want to impact social
change to meet other likeminded change mak-
ers from across the world through collabora-
tions and partnerships. As she facilitates these
interactions she also gathers support within
Ashoka for funding opportunities so that these
novel ideas can finally make a difference.
Of late she’s been involved with the legal
aspects of social entrepreneurship. “When you
are in the business of creating a change, the
knowledge of law becomes important,” says
Ruchika, who is also a lawyer. She convinces
lawyers to give pro bono services (free of cost)
to social entrepreneurs.
Ruchika is one of the few people who, from the
start, were clear that they wanted to work in the
social development sector. As a schoolgirl she
taught children in a slum in south Delhi. “The
Arya Samaj culture of ‘daan’ at home made
me sensitive to the needs of people.” There-
fore, when the time came to choose between
commerce and psychology at Lady Shri Ram
College (LSR), she opted for the latter. “I am so
glad I chose psychology because course helped
me engage with the social sector in a more pro-
fessional manner.”
She recalls her first day at TISS she joined
after her graduation. She was taken, along with
other students to Dharavi, a slum in Mumbai.
“I was wading through excreta floating in the
monsoon downpour. And I asked myself, was I
prepared for this kind of work?” She took a week
off to review her decision. But she returned, and
since then, there’s been no looking back. She
went on to study Gender and Social policy at
the London School of Economics and Political
Science, as a British Chevening Scholar.
During her 13 years of development experi-
ence, Ruchika has worked on issues ranging
from human rights, women and law and rural
finance with citizen sector groups and interna-
tional agencies like The World Bank and GTZ.
Her work has taken her to several parts of the
world. Very recently she attended the 2009
International Summer School on Pluralism and
Development in Indonesia.
“The social development sector has fully
allowed me to realise my potential. Ruchika
says salaries in the social sector may not be
as high as those offered in the private sector,
but then a fat pay package is not what drives
Ruchika; making a difference does. But more
than anything she finds getting change makers
to work together and agree on something the
most challenging part of her work!

 Sumita Vaid Dixit
Cover Story social sector
Health care
it’s not about
patients alone
Medical expenses are a major cause of debt in rural
India. You can make a difference
High technology has a space in healing, but what still matters is the personal touch
Nimesh Chandra
F
or a nation with super power
ambitions, India fares abysmally
low in almost all indicators per-
taining to health care. Next to marriages,
health care expenses are the primary
cause for debt in rural India. And thanks
to technological innovations, this is also
one sector wherein results could be
achieved within a short span of time. So
if you are a socially conscious individual
interested in making a difference double
quick, this is the sector to be in.
Know your discipline: Work in the
health sector is varied but may be
grouped roughly into the following cat-
egories: public health, mental health and
Sana Contractor, 26,
Research Officer, Centre for Enquiry
into Health and Allied themes (CEHAT)
A t times it’s a nine-to-
five job. Other times it
involves being in the field,
interviewing people and
meeting up with govern-
ment officials. “But it’s a job
that fulfils my intellectual,
creative and social needs,”
says Sana, who started her
career as a dentist but gave up practice to work
in the public health sector. Both her parents are
doctors and it was a given that she too would
become one.
“At the age of 17, one doesn’t ponder much
over career choices as you are preparing for
the boards, chasing deadlines. There’s just no
time to reflect,” she explains. But it was while
studying dentistry, that she developed an inter-
est in public health. “In medicine we are taught
a treatment-approach rather than a preventive
approach and I believe in the latter.” While prac-
tising at small community clinics, performing
all kinds of dental procedures, she began vol-
unteering at CEHAT, where she was exposed to
health issues related to violence.
This was a new area of work and she was curi-
ous to know how domestic violence or abuse
impacted health. “It’s almost terrifying that
emotional abuse can express itself in more
silent ways than a bruise or a broken arm,” she
observes. Often this kind of abuse results in
mental disorders. This area of research excited
Sana, and so she joined CEHAT full-time as
a research associate and later on went on to
Madhu Kappaarth/Outlook Group
complete a Master’s in Public Health from
Johns Hopkins University, USA.
“Having a noble intention alone is not good
enough to make a contribution in social work;
you require professional skills, as well.” But her
parents were surprised and sceptical about her
decision, as dentistry was considered as more
‘professional’ than social work. Sana rues this
impression that social workers are people who
do good for free.
“But much has changed in the past 10 years.
Today, the social sector is largely professional.
It offers lucrative jobs and pay packages that
can go up to Rs 70,000, depending on where
related issues, administration of hos- you work,” she says. To really make a difference,
pitals and nursing centres, drug abuse/ while you need passion and skills, you also need
a reasonable income. “After all, who’s going to
de-addiction, accidents and trauma, and pay the rent?”
medical laboratories services. According Sana advises social work aspirants to apply
to Dr. A Dyalchand, Director, Institute to the right organisations; since the social sec-
tor is largely under-regulated, it is important to
of Health Management, Pune, “Under do a background check before applying.
the National Rural Health Mission, the
Government has adopted a policy to  by Sumita Vaid Dixit
appoint district managers with a man-
agement degree or professionals with
a Master’s in health science or social mixture of theoretical and practical
work degree.” assignments. Students gain the much-
There are both regular and special- needed experience, a prerequisite for
ised courses that are offered to make employment to some organisations,
a niche in this field (See Table). While even as they pursue their programme.
it is extremely difficult to list exclusive A lot of emphasis is now being given to
courses in this domain, one can see courses that are intense, highly special-
that the syllabus is usually a judicious ised and of a shorter duration.
50 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
Cover Story social sector

Courses and Institutions: an indicative list in health and allied sectors

Institute Course Eligibility Course fee (Rs)
Indian Institute of Social Welfare Master’s in Public Systems Manage- Graduate in any branch of Medical Science/ 2,60,000
and Business Management, ment (specialization in Health Care & Pharmacy/Biological Science/Social
Kolkata Hospital Management) - 2 years Science & Nutrition

Indira Gandhi National Diploma in HIV and Family Completed 10+2 (higher secondary) 2,000
Open University Education; 1-year

Indore School of Social MA in Social Works (specialisation in Graduate in any discipline with 45% marks 40,000
Work, Indore Medical & Psychiatric Social Work)

Institute of Health Management Post Graduate Diploma in Hospital Graduates in any discipline with a 3,95,000
Research, Jaipur and Health Management minimum of 50%

Symbiosis Institute of
Health Sciences
Tata Institute of Social
Sciences, Mumbai
BSc – Medical Technology – 3 years
Master of Public Health – 2 years
12th Pass; working professionals get 45,000 for first year
admission to 2nd year subject to approval
Master’s in any discipline/Bachelor’s in 37,640 for two semesters
medicine/ Bachelor’s other than medicine
with 2 years experience in the health sector

Tata Institute of Social
Sciences, Mumbai
Centre of Social Medicine and
Community Health, Jawaharlal
Nehru University, New Delhi
Faculty of Management Studies,
University of Delhi
MA in Disability Studies and
Action - 2 years
MPhil Community Health
(Pre-PhD) – 2 years
MBA (Part-Time) Health Care
Administration - 3 years
Graduates in any discipline. Preference to 36,940 for two semesters
those with at least two years experience in
the field of disability or social welfare
Master’s degree in social sciences 1,000
Graduation in any discipline with 45% 11,000 per year
and at least 3 years experience as an
executive/administrator

Job prospects: Developments in the
health and allied sectors during the last
decade have provided enormous oppor-
tunities for students to choose a career of
their interest in this sector. One can opt
for a suitable course to work as doctor,
nursing personnel, qualified scientific,
technical or therapeutic staff – including
clinical psychologist or say a biomedical
researcher. One may also think about
alternative therapies, like Ayurveda
which has its own niche in India. There
are allied health professionals, including
occupational therapists and radiogra-
phers. Learning disabilities is an inte-
gral part of the health sector. Here one
deals with a variety of conditions such as
autism, cerebral palsy and Down’s syn-
drome or generally speaking, conditions
of physical disability, or mental health or
behavioural problems that cause impair-
ment or delay in intellectual progress.
Professor Anand Goud, a faculty at
the Indore School of Social Work says,
“There is a dearth of skilled personnel
to fill in the gap between the doctors and
patients in India. For instance a medical
psychiatrist-cum-social worker will be
equipped to counsel and deal with the
patients, emotionally.”
Be Eligible: For general undergraduate
Health Care
Indian Network For People Living With HIV/
AIDS
Aasra
Latika Roy Foundation
CBR Forum
Health Education and Social Research
Organisation
Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied
Themes
CHETNA
courses in medicine and nursing you
need to be good in subjects like biology,
chemistry, mathematics and English at
the higher secondary school level and
develop reasoning and logical thinking
skills, for entrance examinations. For
specialised courses at the postgraduate
level one needs to have a Bachelor’s
degree with a certain minimum level of
pass percentage. The essential qualities
or attributes that employers look for in
professionals of this sector are resilience,
empathy, emotional intelligence and
warmth. Social workers require a sound
knowledge of the legislation and policies
that drive their work. They should be
able to communicate with a wide range
of people - an essential skill, if any inter-
vention is to be successful. More than
half of the social workers’ time is spent
out in the community, visiting affected
people and their care providers, assess-
ing new referrals and developing care
plans to meet their needs.
Where to Study: Apart from universi-
ties, institutions such as the National
Institute of Mental Health and Neuro
Sciences, Bangalore; College of Social
Work, Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai;
Welingkar Institute of Management,
Mumbai, Ranchi Institute of Neuro-
Psychiatry & Allied Sciences and Apol-
lo Institute of Hospital Administration,
Hyderabad offer highly specialised
courses that can prepare oneself as an
expert and help contribute to the better-
ment of life for several people.
Entry level salaries: The salary struc-
ture for someone in the medical labo-
ratory services would range between
Rs. 1.5 to 3 lakhs per annum. It would
be a little less for a community health
worker in the rural areas. An expert
in disability studies or a clinical psy-
chologist would earn anywhere between
Rs. 2.5 lakh to 6 lakhs , annually.

52 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

child welfare

tHE PRICE OF A SMILE

Primary education has
been a major focus in this
area. But there’s a lot more
to accomplish

Bharti M Borah

C
hildren - the word immediately
brings a smile to everyone’s face.
But the conditions in which you
will find children when you decide to
enter this domain, may not bring any
smiles. Despite the legal ban on child
labour, children are employed as domes-
tic help in homes, on the streets, in res-
taurants, and some are even initiated
into sex work. Child labour is just one
problem in the vast area of children’s
welfare. Malnutrition, health, literacy,
development are the others.
The smiles you can bring to a child’s
face are priceless. So, if you can stand
the grime and dirt, that priceless feeling
is yours.
Know your domain: This area suffers

Rajesh Thakur/Outlook Group

both from lack of preventive as well as
proactive measures. While issues like
malnutrition, health and infant mortali-
ty have larger linkages to social and eco-
nomic realities, issues like abuse, forced
labour and literacy are more systemic
and addressable. And professional inter-
vention is required in both the places. As unwanted gems: if not aborted, they end up being abandoned
Bill Gates succinctly puts it (refer Page
76), “Humanity’s greatest advances are Courses in Child Welfare
not in its discoveries – but in how those Course Institute Eligibility Course fee (Rs)
discoveries are applied to reduce ineq-
PG diploma in Child Rights Law National Law school Graduate 11,100
uity.” Government initiatives such as the
eradication of polio through free vac- Intensive practical training Institute of Child and Graduate Approx.
programmes of Pychological Adolescent Mental Health 15,000
cination camps throughout India, are a assessment, counselling and other and Behavioural Sciences
step in the right direction. But the field psychological therapies in children (ICAMBS), SNEHI
needs efficient and dedicated profes- and adolescents
sionals to really make a difference. Sev- PG Diploma in Maternal and Indira Gandhi National MBBS 14,000
eral NGOs are dedicated to providing Child Health Open University
shelter, health, education and training, PG Diploma in Health Sciences Annamalai University MBBS 34,200
to street/slum children. in Adolescent Health and
Education (1 year)
Be eligible: Most courses require you
to be a graduate. Some require an MBBS PG Diploma in Child Psychology Osmania University Graduate/ 8,000-10,000
(9 months) entrance exam
degree. You can also pursue courses

53 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Cover Story social sector

common feature in the lives of slum/

Child Welfare/Schooling
CCF-India
CARE India Trust
Child In Need Institute (CINI)
Childline India Foundation
CRY - Child Rights and You
Astha
in Child Guidance and Counselling or
Early Childhood Care as well, which
needs 10+2 or graduation.
Job prospects: So far, education has
been the primary focus in child wel-
fare, with organisations such as Pratham
working actively in 28 states. You could
also be involved in various aspects of
adoption and foster care by working at
orphanages such as Mother Teresa’s
homes.
One could also work at an NGO in
various capacities such as counselling,
rehabilitation and crisis intervention.
For instance, sexual/drug abuse is a
street children, and providing counsel-
ling to address these issues, is another
area of work. Active involvement is a
must, to protect children against various
forms of abuse and child labour.
Where to study: You could pursue
courses such as the Postgraduate Diplo-
ma in Child Rights Law at the National
Law School of India, Bangalore for a
fee of Rs. 11,100. Classes commence in
November . However, you could still try
applying with a late fee.
Beena Chintalapuri, a professor
at Osmania University’s psychology
department, informed that a nine-month
PG diploma in child psychology for Rs.
8,000-10,000, is specifically open only
to women. As part of the course, you will
participate in outreach programmes,
which involve working in the field. Most
students who opt for this course, then
pursue a Master’s in psychology.
Entry level salaries: They range from
Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 25,000. International
NGOs and fund raising organisations,
usually offer a better pay.
Leena dewan
Volunteer at SNEHI (organisation for
psychosocial support, mental health care)
I t is a course that changed
her life. Leena was blissful-
ly going about her exports
business, when she heard
about and joined a course
offered by SNEHI, on pro-
viding support to children.
As part of the course, she
had to spend two weeks at
Bal Bhawan and Child Welfare Centre.
She says, those two weeks “did something to
her”. She quit the business and started working
full-time with children. “The work has various
challenges but satisfaction is inevitable when
you participate fully and feel for the cause.
When the children laugh, you feel so motivated.”
Her days are full, and emotionally and mentally
disturbed children get the maximum attention
from her. But she is very clear about not having
very high expectations.
She warns; never meddle with the children’s
realities by making surreal promises. Stay
grounded and deal with one issue at a time. It
is also very important to stay connected and
engaged, but always maintain a certain level
of detachment. It helps in dealing with the high
rates of failures of initiatives and intervention
in this sector. She concludes, children are very
resilient. One just has to help them find way.

Violence against women is a reality even in

women welfare urban India, despite legal protection

Empower the
oppressed
Areas such as micro entrepreneurship and skill
development are sweeping this domain

Bharti M Borah as promoting micro entrepreneurship.

H
earing a mother’s tale of her
daughter being burnt alive
for dowry, will leave very few
unmoved. But resilience is one qual-
ity that will come in handy when you
decide to work in this area. As Lalitha
Nayak asserts, after a lifetime of working
closely with sex workers, her goal is to
prevent the second generation from fol-
lowing suit. If you can think long-term,
and be content snatching minor and
major victories along the way, this sector
is the place for you. Skill development
is an exciting area to work in as well
Both have a faster turnaround time and
are for people who are impatient for
results and take heart in the fact that
this (patience!) is a trait, whose time
has come!
Know your domain: A basic awareness
of the history of the women’s movement
and feminism, is a must. Caste, class
and patriarchy, along with understand-
ing colonialism and nationalism, puts
women and development in context.
This area also comprises aspects such
as early marriage, dowry, domestic vio-
lence, exploitation, widowhood and
maternity and related issues.

54 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

 courses in women’s welfare
Institute
The Maharaja Sayajirao University of
Baroda
Tarabai Shinde Women’s Studies
Center, Dr. B.A. Marathwada Univer-
sity, Aurangabad
University of Pune
University of Mysore
TISS, Mumbai
Early marriage, maternity, dowry
and widowhood broadly need you to
understand the institution of mar-
riage. For instance, an unmarried
woman might find it difficult to work
in sexuality-related areas, as the influ-
enced parties may not feel very com-
fortable sharing their lives with her.
It is advisable to dress up depending on
the group in which you work initially,
until you gain their confidence.
Most people working in this area
learn hands-on, lessons that you usu-
ally gain only after experience in the
field. And you will possibly make
mistakes during the initial process.
Most courses require practical training,
Course Eligibility
Interdisciplinary Course in Women’s Graduate
Studies (6 weeks)
Certificate Course in Women’s Studies Graduate/entrance exam
(1year PT)
Post Graduate Interdisciplinary Cer- Graduate
tificate Course in Gender, Culture and
Development Studies (1 year FT)
PGD Women’s Studies (1 year) Graduate/entrance exam
MA in Women’s Studies (2 years) Graduate
as the work is not easy. Be prepared to
handle challenges, stick to the cause no
matter what each day brings your way.
Put in your best, gain the trust of the
group of women you are working with.
Be eligible: Graduation is the usual
requirement. Some courses also have an
entrance test and interview. Certificate,
diploma and degree programmes have
different requirements. It’s a good idea
to look at the curriculum before you
decide.
Job prospects: At the National Com-
mission for Women, your work would
involve crisis intervention and follow-
ups, in a range of cases, right from dowry
to domestic violence. On the other hand,
at the the Ministry of Women and Child
Development, you could be involved
in policy making as well as improving
health-related problems at the grass-
roots level. Simply put, the work varies,
based on the profile of the institution.
Typically, people choose to work with
an NGO, based on the issue they handle.
However, some NGOs such as Jagori,
tackle multiple issues.
Where to study: The Maharaja Saya-
jirao University of Baroda offers some-
thing unique, a six-week interdiscipli-
nary course in women studies, which
offers an overview of the field. You must
be a graduate to apply. The course fee is
Rs. 300 for students/NGO workers and
Rs. 500 for others. The fee is dependent
on the duration as well the kind of pro-
gram that is on offer. A two-year Master’s
in Women’s Studies from TISS would
Rajesh Thakur/Outlook Group
cost you approximately Rs. 58,000, but
this course has a higher value.
Entry level salaries: Indian NGOs
would offer Rs. 5,000 approximately,
and international NGOs would offer up
to Rs. 25,000, per month.
55 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
Course fee (Rs)
300 (for students), 500 (others)
500 (for students) 1,000 (others)
Approx 4,000
3,300 (general)
Approx 58,000
Women Welfare
Action for Women and Rural Development
SEWA
National Council of Women in India
Kali for Women
Saheli
CHETNA
Affus Woman Welfare Association (AWWA)
Voice of Women
Calmani Memorial Sansthan
National Resource Centre for Women
(NRCW)
Lalitha s.a. nayak
In-Charge, Joint Women’s Programme
L alitha has spent the last
20 years working with
women and children at
GB Road, Delhi’s red-light
area. “The women are not
here by choice, but at least
they have a roof over their
heads,” asserts Lalitha.
Her work involves looking
out for their interests, right from interven-
ing due to ill-treatment, encouraging safe sex
practices and preventing the next generation
from getting into the trade. In addition, the Joint
Women’s Programme has dedicated a separate
space where the children receive informal edu-
cation and medical care.
She emphasises the importance of sensitiv-
ity and patience because there are no instant
results. Last but not the least, the time and
effort that you put in, has meaning only if you
don’t treat your work as a job. To her it is also
important to keep a certain level of detach-
ment from the immediate problems. Lalitha
sums it up by saying that the objective is to
prevent second generation prostitution, and to
the current generation, give them dignity that
they deserve.
The strength of an activist in this field is the
ability to make a positive change.
 Cover Story social sector

conservation Know your domain: In general, there

Protecting
tends to be a lack of awareness on con-
serving historical artefacts and cultural
heritage. Disciplines like art history,

history
museology, archeology and conserva-
tion, can be studied and pursued, pro-
fessionally. Museology encompasses
the role and functions of a museum,
There are several vacant posts but very few qualified its philosophy and multiform character,
professionals in museology and conservation whereas conservation is the science of
conserving, persevering and restoring
art forms. “We study ancient, medieval
and contemporary art, architecture,
miniature paintings and artists,” says
Ruchi Sharma, 24, a student of MA
(History of Art).
Be eligible: You must have a back-
ground in social sciences, liberal arts
or fine arts for a Master’s in Art. For
conservation, a science background or
a graduate degree in art, architecture or
archaeology is preferred. Sumitra Sun-
der, a BFA student from Bangalore, cur-
rently pursuing Museology had to drop
the idea of conservation because of her
Rajesh Thakur/Outlook Group

arts background. Museology candidates

need a BA, BSc or BFA background.
Job prospects: You can work as a cura-
tor in museums, art galleries, or as a
researcher. You can also intern at NGOs
such as India Foundation for the Arts
(INTACH). “We placed our students at
taj mahal, the pride of India also needs periodic conservation initiatives to keep it fit

Urmila Rao Select courses in Conservation

F
Course Institute Eligibility Course fee (Rs)
or a nation whose recorded his-
tory dates back to 3000 BC and MA in History of Art, Conser- National Museum A background in social 12,000
vation and Museology and Institute, University of sciences, liberal arts or approx
beyond, we are callous about pre- PhD in Art, Conservation History of Art, Conserva- fine arts for Museology
serving it for posterity. If messages like and Museology tion and Museology, Delhi and Art History, Science
‘Rahul loves Priya’ scribbled on the walls or archaeology back-
ground for conservation
of Shajehan’s personal hamam, irk you
no end, or the sudden identification of BA and MA in Indian History The Maharaja Sayajirao Bachelor course in _
Culture and Archaeology University of Baroda History/Archaeology
a palm script, that might have passed
through the hands of Raja Thodarmal MA and PhD in Museology The Maharaja Sayajirao Bachelor’s degree Iin _
University of Baroda arts or science. For Ph.D
gives you goose bumps, conservation is master’s in museology
an area you should consider specialis- or conservauion
ing in. From restoring ancient havelies Master’s in Archaeology and Delhi Institute of Bachelor’s degree
to recreating historical events, from Heritage Management Heritage Management
researching on new forms of preserva- and Research
tion to communicating the importance Master’s in Conservation, Delhi Institute of BA History, Archaeology 20,000
of heritage to school children, the job Preservation and Heritage Heritage Management
Management and Research
profiles are as diverse as the domain.
But they could demand tremendous MPhil in Archival Science Gujarat Vidyapith, Master in Arts _
Ahmedabad
patience and long hours of backbreaking
work. After all most domes are arched MA in Art and aesthetics Jawaharlal Nehru Any degree 374 per semester
University, New Delhi
and the entrances to many monuments,
really small. PGD in Museology Osmania University Any degree _

56 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

 microfinance

Banking for
Conservation
INTACH

the poor
Charles Wallace Trust
EU network of cultural centres
International Council of
Monuments and Sites
Designing smart finance products for the
underprivileged, could yield rich career dividends
the Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai,
LD Museum, Ahmedabad, Palace Muse- Outlook Group
um, Jaipur, among a few others,” says Dr.
N R Shah who heads the Department of
Museology, Faculty of Fine Arts at The
Sayajirao University of Baroda. There
are several vacant posts but a lack of
trained professionals. Sunder’s interest
in curatorship may take her abroad for
advanced studies in the display of art
objects. She says, “Museums in the UK
and US are organised, very differently.”
Shashikanta Sharma from Manipur,
a second-year student of art history at
the National Museum Institute, Delhi,
opines that most museums in the North
East are tended to by lay people who
aren’t professionally qualified for the
job. His classmate Nitin Kumar Saini
adds, “The Government is not doing
much to provide enough job opportuni-
ties in this sector.”
Where to study: The Maharaja Saya- financial independence leads to positive spin-offs in multiple social processes
jirao University of Baroda offers a
Diploma, Bachelor’s and Master’s pro-
gramme on archaeology, museology and Urmila Rao Focus on lending for revenue generat-

fine arts. The National Museum Insti-
tute (NMI), Delhi, Delhi Institute of
Heritage Research and Management,
Deccan College, Pune, CAVA College
Mysore, Aligarh Muslim University,
Aligarh are some well-established insti-
tutions for graduate and post graduate
courses. NIMU offers PhD courses.
Entry level salaries: An assistant cura-
tor’s salary is approximately Rs. 20,000
and increases with promotion as dep-
uty curator and then as director. Entry
level salaries are anywhere between Rs.
5,500-8,000 per month. “An art restorer
can start with Rs. 10,000-20,000,” says
Nasir, a student at NMI. He, however,
rues the lack of opportunities in the
sector. But as a nation’s wealth increases
in size and strength, art and culture will
become the means to maintain exclusiv-
ity, and that may be when one would see
opportunities taking wings.
W
ith over 41% of India’s adult
population lacking access to
banking, credit would mostly
come from the local moneylender or the
village elder, and at outrageous inter-
est rates. But thanks to the pioneer-
ing work done by Mohammed Yunus
and Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, the
dispossessed became a viable business
proposition. It also simultaneously
made tremendous changes to their live-
lihood. And micro credit as an idea, took
off. So, if money interests you but you
want to stretch it to its limits for the
right reasons, microfinance is the place
to be in. It is actually banking with a
difference.
Know your domain: The idea at its
core is simple; build a good financial
corpus and lend it judiciously to a large
and diverse population in small tranche.
ing activities only and use community
building as a tool to bring about empow-
erment as well as to ensure prompt loan
servicing.
As the returns became attractive, pro-
fessional players also got in to the game,
and the field is getting increasingly
competitive. At most business schools,
the economics and finance curriculum
include a section on microfinance. It
was while pursuing an MBA in rural
management in 2007, Pooja Bharech,
24, also opted for a three-month elective
course in microfinance. NGO Drishtee
recruited Bharech as an assistant man-
ager through campus placements, and
a year later she has been promoted to
Controller, Rural Finance.
But an interesting aspect of microfi-
nance is that equal emphasis is placed
on the social value that every rupee lent
generates, as well as the economic value

57 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Cover Story social sector
Arun Vats, 26
IFMR Trust
A run gives financial securi-
ty to poor people such as
Rajni, a local vegetable vendor
who makes a meagre profit
of Rs 30-40 a day. He works
with the Kshetriya Gramin
Financial Services (KGFS), an
outfit that offers investment,
insurance products or loans
to buy cattle or open up small shops to poor rural
customers who can invest small sums for the
rainy day. “My job is to design financial products
for rural people,” he explains.
The services offered by KGFS save poor peo-
ple from exploitation at the hands of local mon-
eylenders. “It also gives them a chance at real
empowerment,” says Arun who has played a key
role in bringing money market mutual fund prod-
uct to remote rural customers.
Through this product, client’s money is invested
in the ICICI Prudential Liquid plan – the minimum
investment is Rs 1 – but he or she can withdraw
money at any point. KGFS gets its money back
from the market a day later. This gives custom-
ers a better alternative and thus, in an emergency
they needn’t rush to a moneylender.”
Arun cites the example of Rajni to show how
such services are making people in need self-
reliant. Rajni has availed of a loan from KGFS at 16
per cent declining rate to invest in her vegetable
business, while earlier she used to borrow from
the local moneylender at exorbitant interests.
Arun says career opportunities in the social
it generates. Thus the curriculum invari-
ably would provide substantial inputs on
team building, social problems, issues of
exclusion, gender dimensions of devel-
opment etc.
Be eligible: The requirements vary
from programme to programme (refer
to listing).
Job prospects: “You can seek out
opportunities with venture capital firms,
corporate social responsibility divisions
of banks and private companies,” says
K Sukumaran, Head-Training, Indian
School of Microfinance for Women,
Ahmedabad. Entry level jobs can be
found in microfinance institutes, in vari-
ous banks and research institutions.
Where to study: “It is the short-dura-
tion courses that are more in demand,”
says K Sukumaran. The Centre for
Microfinance at IFMR, Chennai, con-
ducts an internship programme for two
-and-a-half months to three months for
undergraduates and graduate students.
“Interns absorbed into the programme
can choose to work on either an exist-
ing projects or developing a new project
for a period of eight to 12 weeks,” says
development sector are vast. “I remember,
during my induction in IFMR college with an
NGO, its directors, two ladies, had said that peo-
ple were under the impression that jholawallahs
work in the social sector.” Pointing to himself, he
says, “Like any other executive professional, I am
being paid well for my work and while on work, I
travel in air planes and taxis, stay in good accom-
modation.” As we speak, Arun orders his lunch:
a chicken biryani. “In no way my lifestyle is less
than a person working in the private sector”! The
only difference is Arun also gets to serve people
in need.
He, too, like the others, had thought of becom-
ing a doctor but now when he goes back to his
village in Champaran district in Bihar he tells
young people that there’s much more to life than
becoming a doctor or an engineer. Arun had lost
two years preparing for medical entrance exams.
“Now when I think of it I feel like a fool!”
When he cleared his CAT, he opted for Institute
for Financial Management and Research (IFMR).
“Although, I had little idea about microfinance, the
fact that it could substantially improve the lives
of poor people got me excited.” Arun did his spe-
cialisation in Finance but feels that it is willingness
which is important and not specialised degrees.
He’s just finished his field work in a small village
in Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu and is already thinking
of the next product he can design for these villag-
ers. “The smiles on the faces of people from these
remote areas keep me going.”
 by Sumita Vaid Dixit
Micro Finance
Bandhan
Sharefin Microfinance
SKF Microfin
Aaviskaar Goodwell
Spandana
IFMR Trust
Adikhar
Asmithamicrofin
Amulya Krishna Champatiray, Coordi-
nator-Courses and Workshops, CFM-
IFMR. Sa-Dhan in collaboration with
Indian Institute of Banking and Finance
(IIBF) offers a Diploma in Microfi-
nance, a distance learning programme.
The Institute of Finance, Banking and
Insurance (IFBI), established by NIIT
in association with ICICI Bank has two
to three-day programmes for working
professionals.
A few private colleges have also ven-
tured into the sector by offering long-
58 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
Manjusha Raulkar
Vice-president, Human Resources,
SKS Microfinance
Q: Many institutes now
offer course in microfi-
nance. What is the impor-
tance of such courses?
A: With increasing interest
in financial inclusion, a lot
of professional courses
have made microfinance
as part of the regular cur-
riculum. At most B-schools, economics, finance
curriculum includes a section on microfinance.
Microfinance courses provide the sector with
manpower that understands the business of
microfinance, resulting in better productivity
and less training period.
Q: Is it a lucrative career option?
A: As marketers increasingly shift their focus to
rural markets, there will be a need for manpow-
er that understands the dynamics of this mar-
ketplace. Opportunities in the coming days are
likely to increase. It provides lucrative career
option to the field staff/loan officer, who are
matriculate, between the age group of 18-28
years, not computer literate and not English
savvy. Fresh management graduates who join
as area managers receive salaries averaging
Rs. 7.5 lakh per year
Q: What are the growth opportunities for a
professional in this sector?
A: Promotions and growth opportunities being
good, the field assistants move into desk jobs at
the branch office in approximately two to three
years. They are then exposed to other roles at
the branch like accounting and administration.
With enough experience, they can become unit
heads and go up to assistant branch manag-
ers. For area managers who join with an MBA
degree, the job profile will become more and
more exciting as the need for manpower that
understands the dynamics of the market grows
over the years.
term courses. In April 2008, Sa-Dhan,
an association of community develop-
ment finance institutions, in collabora-
tion with the IIBF launched a diploma
course for working professionals and
graduates. According to Mathew Titus,
Executive Director, Sa-Dhan, “The sec-
tor is growing and reaching out to more
clients. So, we have launched a distance
learning course which includes both soft
and technical skills.”
Entry level salaries: The salary of a
professional varies from organisation to
organisation. According to Titus, a fresh
executive can earn nearly Rs. 20,000 in
cities. For MBAs with a specialisation in
microfinance from any prominent insti-
tutes, the salary structure may start at
Rs. 6.5 lakhs per year.
Cover Story social sector
allied sectors
jobs that
enable change
These functions play a pivotal role in converting good
intentions into viable, effective action
Nimesh Chandra
T
he social sector used to abhor over-
heads more out of necessity; most
organisations were perennially short
of cash! But as professionalism and long-term
funding creeps in, a whole lot of allied pro-
fessionals are entering the sector to ensure
that efficiency increases not by default, but
by design.
Advocacy: This sector has been pick-
ing up momentum, recently. From plan-
ning campaigns to promoting causes,
this job has a tremendous role to play
in the social sector. Some organisations
like Greenpeace or PETA spend a sub-
stantial amount of time and resources
exclusively on this domain. Advocacy
organisations champion a particular
cause. The National Centre for Advo-
cacy Studies in Pune is an Indian equiv-
alent in this sector. Jobs would demand
very good communication skills and the
ability to work under pressure.
Public Relations: A recent entrant in
to the sector, PR firms are the big cous-
ins of advocacy. Though an anathema,
in the early days, communicating the
work an NGO does appropriately is as
important as the work itself, in the cur-
rent era. In fact, one of the doyens of
Indian advertising Meenakshi Madhva-
ni, has set up Spacial Access Advertising
Communications, to exclusively provide
communication advice to social sector
organisations.
Policy: While some argue it is cru-
cial to intervene at the level of policy,
many believe it would be a waste. But
for ensuring long-term change in the
positive direction policy making would
remain crucial. An understanding of
inter-relationships of issues and ability
to balance different interest groups are
crucial to survive and flourish in this
competitive sector.
Teaching and Research: Your role is
a function of your expertise and experi-
ence gained in primary, secondary and
tertiary education. As both creators and
disseminators of knowledge, the con-
tribution of the teaching and research
community helps in getting the right
orientation and critical review of the
activities that run across domain.
Proposal Writing: This is a much
sought after skill in many social sec-
tor organisations. Unless they are state
funded, it is the series of projects funded
by various agencies, which ensures that
many of these organisations survive and
serve. And grant-making organisations
demand crisp proposals that identify
the stakeholders, introduce innovations
in theory and practice, and cater to the
needs of the funding body. Reconcil-
ing conflicting demands is the biggest
challenge for a proposal writer. Though
many of the skills are transferable across
the sector, a fundamental understanding
of what the domain is all about is crucial
to write a great proposal, and hence
some ground experience is essential.
Fund Raising: A crucial responsibil-
ity in development projects is to raise
funds. While the skills for this role are
equated with the skills of a business
Allied Organisations
Spacial Access
Observer Reserach Foundation
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Embassies & ID organisations
Development Alternatives
Rural Marketing Firms
IBM Centre for Government
PRIA
60 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
THE UN still represents all that is possible when
nations come together for a common cause
Sudeshna Mukherjee, 28
Corporate Fundraising Officer,
Oxfam India
S udeshna initially aspired
to be an engineer. ‘I
come from a progressive
but conventional Bengali
family where you either
become a doctor or an
engineer.”
During her final year, one
of her friends showed her
the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)
brochure. And she was on! Sudeshna’s parents
were not very encouraging about her decision
to study social work; however, she insisted her
parents attend the graduation ceremony. “They
were relieved to see that students were being
placed with international NGOs including the
United Nations and even Fortune 500 compa-
nies of the country.”
Her first job was with GiveIndia where she
was in charge of evaluating proposals for grants
disbursements. As this profile allowed her use
both analytical and managerial skills she decid-
ed to do a further specialisation in this field and
did a Master’s certificate course in Resource
Mobilisation and Management from S. P. Jain
Institute, Mumbai.
Now she’s working with Oxfam India, based
out of New Delhi and looks after acquisition and
retention of corporate donors, consulting them
on strategies and engaging them for both short
and long-term support through cause-related
marketing, direct project funding, disaster
relief support, special events.
In her free time, she represents the Show-
case of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration
(www.sofii.org) as its ambassador in India.
 by Sumita Vaid Dixit
development manager or a marketing
professional, the dexterity in effectively
handling issues of funds comes with
experience. Apart from good negotiating
skills and subject expertise, a methodi-
cal approach is what government and
international agencies such as DFID
or IDRC look for, in those interested in
such jobs.
Administration: One of the least glam-
ourous areas of any organisation, more
so in the social sector, it is nevertheless
one of the most important functions,
and is crucial for overall efficiency. An
administrator marshals resources in
such a way that all other professionals in
the organisation can deliver with utmost
economy and efficiency.
Professional Consultancy: Synony-
mous with for-profit organisations, they
are primarily functional experts who
could provide an outsiders’ perspec-
tive. As the size, structure and depth
of initiatives in the development sec-
tor become more complex, the need for
outside experts does come into play. IT
and marketing are the two fields where
NGOs seek assistance.
UN and International Agencies:
These don’t fit the general description
of allied sectors. But these organisations
operate across all sectors and invariably
set the agenda for change. Their politics
and convictions are debatable, but here
that is not the focus. But entry is dif-
ficult, you must either have a tertiary
degree from a leading institution or long
years of progressively responsible work
at the grassroots level.
An overview of important institutions you must know
Institutes offering Social Work courses
Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli
Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune
Christ University, Bangalore
College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan, Mumbai
Dr. BR Ambedkar University, Agra
Gujarat Vidyapith, Ahmedabad
Indira Gandhi National Open University
Jamia Milia Islamia, New Delhi
Jiwaji University, Gwalior
Karve Institute of Social Service, Pune
Kurukshetra University , Kurukshetra
Loyola College of Social Sciences,
Kerala
M. Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya,
Wardha
Madras School of Social Work
The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda
Osmania University, Hyderabad
Punjab University, Chandigarh
Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
Udaipur School of Social Work, Udaipur
University of Delhi
University of Lucknow
University of Mumbai
Visva Bharati, Santiniketan
Indian Institute of Education, Pune
Centre for Studies in Social Sciences, Calcutta
Organisations
Action Aid
Archaeological Survey of India, New Delhi
Amnesty International
Azim Premji Foundation, Bangalore
Centre for Economic & Social Studies, Hyderabad
Centre for Policy Research, Delhi
SAARC Disaster Management Centre, New Delhi
Centre for the Study of Developing Societies, Delhi
Centre for Women’s Development Studies, Delhi
Child In Need Institute, Kolkata
Department for International Development (DFID)
Gujarat Institute of Development Research,
Ahmedabad
International Development Research Centre (IDRC)
Social Audit Network
Institute for Social & Economic Change, Bangalore
Institute for Studies in Industrial Development,
Delhi
Institute of Social Sciences, New Delhi
International Centre for Research on Women,
New Delhi
Jamsetji Tata Center for Disaster Management,
Mumbai
National Disaster Management Authority,
New Delhi
National Institute of Social Defence
NRL for Conservation of Cultural Property,
Lucknow
Oxfam India
Rehabilitation Council of India
Red Cross Society

conclusion

J obs in the social sector are an interest-

ing phenomenon. They are always available,
but their quality and returns vary substantially.
Some unscrupulous elements would exploit their
staff ruthlessly in the name of serving the poor.
Some jobs are at times exceptionally dangerous,
especially if you take on established interests. Some
other jobs, say, in a grant-making organisation, offer
a cushy, hectic but interesting life. Qualification for
entry varies, too. Some like geriatrics or counselling
demand specific professional qualifications. Others
like community development demand empathy and
commitment. Though an MSW helps ease your
entry it is not a must either. What comes across in
our interaction with a host of executives is that the
sector still has a long way to go, in terms of profes-
sionalism and pay packets. But, thankfully both are
on an upward spiral.
So if there is fire in the belly, and you have the abil-
ity to take a few shocks in your stride, then go ahead
and take the plunge. As Vinod Khosti concludes, it
is a different life for sure; tough, but worth it.

61 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Cover Story social sector
“Prepare for a specialised role”
Nandita Datta
T
he Azim Premji Foundation aims to
improve the quality of elementary edu-
cation in government schools across the
country. It has 200 professionals associated
with it, currently, in addition to several hun-
dred paid volunteers working in the field.
Q. What is the one myth you would like to
bust about careers in the social sector?
Dileep Ranjekar A. We encounter a stream of people who
CEO want to contribute or give back to society on a
Azim Premji Foundation voluntary basis. Unfortunately, voluntaryism
(a non-profit organisation) doesn’t fit into our scheme of things - ours is
very long-drawn, long-term and intense work.
We are a professional organisation in the field
of education - just like a company in software
or manufacturing. The only difference is that
we do not have a commercial interest.
Q. But surely there are differences,
because the flow of talent isn’t the same.
A. In the development sector, it’s very dif-
ficult to measure performance – it’s not easy
establishing a one-to-one co-relation between
input and output. This is because issues are far
more holistic. They involve several stakehold-
ers who come with very different paradigms
and objectives in mind. In the corporate sec-
tor, on the other hand, there’s complete unity
of objectives and that is, making more money.
And because performance is easy to measure,
commensurate rewards are easy to design.
Q. So what does it take to build a career?
A. One, a willingness to appreciate the fact
In a corporate that it’s a very intense, frustrating and high
resilience work, because you’re dealing with
set-up, you can issues over which you have very little or no
get away with control. Two, you need to understand that
whatever you contribute will always be minis-
community or cule compared to the scale of the issue. You
may have a great idea but unless you can
gender joke. But design and build a multiplier, it’s not going to
here you will be make a tangible difference. Three, you have to
compromise on existing expectations regard-
chewed. You will ing compensation and benefits because the
development sector does not have a highly
need to make an competitive salary structure. Four, you need
an attitudinal to have empathy for the whole eco-system.
You cannot be myopic and think only of your
change, here organisation, employees or targets. The whole
62 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
universe is your world. Five, you need to be
much more sensitive to people around you –
be it people from a different socio-economic
status, or differently-abled. In a corporate
set-up you can get away with a community or
gender joke, but in the development sector
you’ll be chewed. You will need to make an
attitudinal change, here.
Q. So the problem of talent continues…
A. Absolutely. The development sector is
craving for quality talent, even though as com-
pared to a corporate job our work is far more
rewarding in every way (apart from monetary
gains). Trouble is that salaries in the corpo-
rate sector are a function of talent availability
and demand, it bears no co-relation to what
people actually contribute. It’s very largely
driven by the market value of the person. That
equation gets broken when a person decides
to join this sector and that’s a shift not many
people are able to or willing to make.
Q. Is the sector more professional now?
A. It’s changing. We work with numerous
NGOs in the education field and I can see they
have evolved over the last few years. They are
now much more focused on the issues in hand
– it’s no longer just about scrimping, scroung-
ing and somehow getting the work done. They
are also adopting technology to work smarter,
faster – something that was unthinkable some
years ago. We, at the Azim Premji Foundation,
are a little different compared to many others
in the sector. This is because some individu-
als associated with the organisation are from
the corporate world. For example, we have
been able to put in place a set of metrics (that
revolves around the process of achieving an
outcome rather than the outcome itself ) to
measure and track performance, both at the
individual level and the organisation level.
Q. What is your advice to students ?
A. This is the sector of the future – there
are going to be many new opportunities. If
you’re planning to get in, be prepared for a
long-drawn association. And invest in prepar-
ing yourself thoroughly for a specialised role
– there’s no room for generalised work. We
need people who can come up with ideas for
change and then ensure that they are imple-
mented with a multiplier effect.

Rural agents of change
Urmila Rao
T
he Xavier Institute of Management
(XIMB), Bhubaneswar played a pio-
neering role in emphasising the need to
apply management science to the rural sec-
tor, by introducing its two-year Postgraduate
Diploma in Rural Management (PGPRM)
Q: What is the biggest reservation, of pro-
spective students willing to enrol in social
development programmes?
A: Being placed in an organisation that has
the same values and philosophy as them-
selves, as well as the opportunity to work at
the grassroots level and not be only confined
to project formulations, implementation and
monitoring at the corporate level.
Q: Do you see students more interested in
management programmes than rural man-
agement programmes? If yes, why?
A: The general trend is usually for students to
be focused more on management programmes
than rural management programmes prima-
rily due to better benefits and career growth
opportunities in the corporate sector as
opposed to the social sector.
Q: One reason could be the low salary
scale in the social sector. Do you see the
salary levels increasing in coming years?
A: Yes, salary levels would increase in this
sector in the future, yet, not at par with the
rise in corporate salaries. But one aspect
worth mentioning is that the salaries in the
social sector are immune to recession and the
economic slowdown. Therefore, the risk in
salaries and jobs is far less in the social sector
than in the corporate sector.
Q: What prompted XIMB to start a pro-
gramme in rural management?
A: XIMB started working in the social sector
through its social wing known as the Cent-
er for Development Research and Training
(CENDERET) since 1988. CENDERET has
acted as a strong change agent bringing about
socio-economic interventions in the social
sector in Orissa. In order to leverage the
rich work done by XIMB and help develop
quality rural managers, the Institute decided
to start the rural management programme
Cover Story social sector
in 1995. After having successfully run the
rural management programme, XIMB felt
that it was the right time to bring about large-
scale capacity building through management
development programmes in the develop-
mental sector.
Q: Which sectors/functions are open for
students of the rural management pro-
gramme?
A: They are not confined to the social sec-
tor, but also work in sectors such as rural Father PT Joseph
banking, rural marketing divisions of FMCG Director
companies such as ITC and Unilever (HLL). XIMB, Bhubaneswar
There are various job functions, which they
undertake in areas of agri-business, micro-
finance, social entrepreneurship and liveli-
hood support systems. They also help support
industrial activities through social research,
resettlement and rehabilitation support as
well as improving public awareness through
grass root sensitisation programmes and per-
ception changing programmes.
Q: What effort is required by the govern-
ment/private sector to make this domain
attractive enough?
A: The government needs to bring about pol-
icy changes that provide scope for rural man-
agers to head social development projects.
With a large number of functional projects
being managed by non-rural managers, there
is an absence of grassroots sensitivity, and
lack of proper skills to develop and sustain
social interventions. The private sector also
needs to encourage educational institutions
by sponsoring the infrastructural and logistic
support for such programmes under the CSR Salaries will rise
interventions so that the cost of education for
such programmes is reduced and the employ-
in the future,
able youth feels encouraged to undertake but not at par
such courses at affordable costs.
with corporate
Q: How is the sector impacted by “profes-
sionalism” (or the lack of it! )?
salaries. However,
A: About 10 years back, it was quite disor- salaries in this
ganised and scattered, but due to consistent
focus on monitoring, evaluation and stringent sector are
norms by donor/funding agencies, the profes-
sionalism level has grown. The role of profes- immune to
sionally trained rural managers has also to a the economic
certain extent helped in improving the profes-
sionalism levels in this sector. slowdown
63 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
Feature National institute of design

Pizza papad
with the NIDians
The legendary institute faces a unique challenge,
that of living up to students’ expectations
by Sumita Vaid Dixit
photos: Ramesh Dave

Day One

T
he entrance to the National
Institute of Design (NID) looks
rather staid for a design institute.
I had expected a more radical
welcome from this red-brick structure;
it’s only fair to expect a little eccentricity
from an institute that produces some of
the country’s finest designers.
But I wasn’t very disappointed as min-
utes later I stumbled upon a black ‘thing’
suspended rather low from the ceiling,
almost getting in the way of passers-by.
On getting closer, I saw that it was a
cluster of strings with bird-like shapes
pasted on them. I just walked around
it like the other students. What a queer
black thing, I thought.
Samir More, the media relations officer
and my guide, took me to the director’s
office. Pradyumna Vyas had just come
back from NID’s research and develop-
ment campus in Bangalore. In his large,
neat, white office we got talking about
how the design sector picked up in India
after the 1990s when international com-
panies began setting up shop.
This year 900 students are enrolled at
NID. But India needs 10,000 designers
every year, said Vyas. “A good design ful-
fils a need whilst also looking good,” he
emphasises. When Vyas suggested that
we visit Design Street, a showcase of
NID students’ achievements, I got excit-
ed. The name suggested possibilities,
but alas, it turned out to be just a dusty
street that displayed the innovations of
NID students in tall, glass boxes. As
I looked on at the windows with works of

64 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

 2 3
1

4
6 5

1 Gandhinagar campus students

discuss the Renault project

2 BAT installation by an NID student

3 students play ‘chungi’

4 Entrance to NID Paldi campus

5 Envisioning at the campus lounge

6 nidus retails student works

at Paldi

65 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Feature National institute of design
“We encourage students
to make socially
responsible
designs, not ones
based on whims”
pradyumna vyas
Director, NID
bamboo, glass and ceramic, Vyas told me
that the NID was committed to reviving
lost art forms, such as bamboo work.
Pointing towards one window, he told
me that those were futuristic car designs.
“Neha Chauhan, an NID graduate, has
designed the interiors of Mahindra
Xylo,” he said with pride; another feath-
er in NID’s cap. The mention of Xylo
reminded More that he had arranged for
me to meet some students at the Gandhi-
nagar campus, the following day. These
students were working on a project with
carmaker Renault, Vyas told me, as I
continued to look at those silent works
in the boxes on Design Street. Some-
thing was amiss.
At night, I got talking to a group of
undergraduate students in the hostel
mess. While discussing about design,
Hannelore Dekeva from Darjeeling sud-
denly tugged at her T-shirt and said, “I
never wore such stuff before. I am so
critical of design now!” Later she told
me the black ‘thing’ was called the Bat
Installation; it was the creation of an
NID student.
Before we parted, Hannelore said “Do
pass through it, once.”
Day Two
The Gandhinagar campus looks unim-
aginative and grey, as all structures are
the colour of concrete. On this half-
built campus, where iron rods still stick
out of the buildings, I met the Renault
team in the Lifestyle Accessory Design
“The real victory is when
your design, a per-
sonal expression, is
endorsed by the consumer”
Hannelore Dekeva,
undergraduate student
specialising in bamboo art
(LAD) room. The team was armed with
charts, laptops and notebooks. Gauri
Pandey, from the team, told me they
were designing spaces for the year 2030.
They showed me a few futuristic designs
of bikes, cars, tents and community
buildings that resembled bubbles.
We decided to continue our discussions
over Pizza Papad, a papad with pizza brave of them to have adopted this dull-
toppings – the invention of Kishore, campus as their home.
designer and chef-cum-waiter at the On the way back to the Paldi campus,
canteen. At the khopcha (NIDspeak for I thought I had seen two faces of NID in
canteen), the LAD team talked about the two days I had spent here. One was
the initial infrastructural problems it the institute’s progressive approach to
faced on this campus. It used to be deso- design – integrating design with man-
late, with few recreational activities. agement practices, fostering an open
But now, there’s a gymnasium, and a environment for students to speak their
basketball court is being constructed minds, of nurturing great ideas, which
upon the students’ request. One stu- I saw in the National Design Busi-
dent also raised the issue of incompe- ness Incubator. There, I met people
tent faculty but then she added, “When like Abeek Bose of Robots Alive and
you bring up these issues, NID deals MIT graduate Kranthi Kiran of Dhama
with it. Here the student is respected.” I Apparel Innovations, who are both doing
was impressed by their candour for they exceptional work.
openly discussed these issues with me. No doubt, the institute has invested in
But as I was leaving, I felt it was truly the latest design software and the
66 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

machines, which I saw at the workshops
where students were making objects out
of steel, wood, glass and clay. The
ancient, ceiling-high handloom in the
textile workshop was an awe-inspiring
sight; a library called the Knowledge
Management Centre, where shoes are
not allowed in because of the dust, is
revered by the students. And of course
the bright and colourful NIDUS, a shop
that sells creations by NIDians.
On the other hand, on Design Street,
I saw NID’s callous approach to the
achievements of its students. Had Vyas
not explained the works of the students, I
wouldn’t have understood a thing. There
were neither descriptions of the works
nor names of the creators in the display
window. The street could definitely be
more exciting; the display windows,
interactive and modern. Why hadn’t the
institute thought of this? I also felt the
institute needed to promote itself and
its students much more. BusinessWeek
lists NID amongst the top 25 European
& Asian programmes in the world, but
only a handful of foreign students have
come to NID in the past 49 years!
The pieces of the NID puzzle were
beginning to fit. It’s a great institute that’s
falling short of the students’ expecta-
tions because somewhere along the way
NID has started taking its reputation
and its students for granted.
The two sides of NID also offered me
a few amusing sights, like the guards
67 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
1
2
3
1 Heritage campus in Paldi at dusk
2 faculty assessing student work
3 timeout for inspiration
4 student designing an automobile
sitting at the reception counter in vests
while their uniforms rested on hangers
or the Paldi canteen where rubbish was
strewn outside a half-empty bin.
It was almost five o’ clock when we
returned to Paldi. I thanked More for
his hospitality – on the way back he had
even treated me to pakoras made by the
inmates of Sabarmati jail.
But before I packed and left, I walked
through the bat installation, feeling the
soft fabric that was shaped into bats.
There, I did it! Then it struck why Han-
nelore had asked me to walk through
it. The bat installation represented
a student’s moment of breaking free.
I suppose that’s what students look for
when they come to NID.
Career Review TEACHING

india needs Fast Facts

Best Schools: Central Institute of Education,
Jamia Millia Islamia, Sophia Polytechnic,
University of Calcutta, University of Madras,

passionate,
Lady Irwin College, SNDT Women’s University,
Banaras Hindu University, Bhavnagar
University Qualifications: Depends on
schooling level (pre-primary, primary, middle,
high school/senior secondary)

Qualified by Bharti M Borah

EDUCATORS U
If you want to influence and mentor young minds,
teaching may be your calling. Explore the education
sector, which is growing in leaps and bounds
sha Kiran, a government school
teacher at Baba Ramdev Sar-
vodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, New
Delhi received the Best Teach-
er Award at the state level last year. Her
students find her very approachable;
she’s not afraid to address issues such as
peer pressure or family situations, often
ignored by others but which can easily
hamper effective study habits. “You can
change your destiny by making the most

68 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

 Teachers’ training institutes in India
College/University
Avila College of Education
Beselios Marthoma Mathews College of Teacher Education
College of Teacher Education
CSI College of Education
Dr. Palpu Memorial SNDP Yogam College
Tagore Government College of Education
Andhra University
Arunachal University
Assam University
Barpeta Bachelor of Training College
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University
Dr Zakir Hussain Teacher Training College
Patna University
Government College of Education
Goa University
Central Insitute of Education
Photographs: Rajesh Thakur/Outlook Group
Institute of Advanced Studies in Education
Lady Irwin College
Bhavnagar University
your stuff; you also need to prepare dif-
ferent ways of getting it across and mak-
ing it interesting,” she shares.
Often, people choose to become teach-
ers without any insight into the chal-
the hallmark of a good teacher is qualities like lenges involved and the aptitude needed
patience, enthusiasm and perseverance for the job. The two top qualities seem
to be: patience and enthusiasm. Also,
of an education; it gives you choices and striking the right balance between the
options in life, and a sense of control two, always. Additionally, you should
over your future,” Kiran constantly tells have a desire for learning, you must be
her students. fair, possess good organisational skills
The Central Institute of Education and be observant.
(CIE) in University of Delhi, North Cam- And beware: children ask a lot of ques-
pus has always found a large number of tions in the classroom, and sometimes
takers for its BEd programmes, except you may not know the answers! Besides,
when there was a decline in 2000. But interactivity also makes learning more
according to Bharati Baveja, Head of fun, and engaging.
Department of CIE, it’s picking up
again. So, what does it take to be a good Choose your level of teaching
teacher? And what are the rewards? Formal training is a must in this field,
We explore the teaching profession in and your qualification will decide the
today’s times. level of teaching. And it’s important to
choose the latter, wisely. For instance,
Do you possess these qualities? if you do not have patience with young
Berit Jorgensen, a teacher for the past 10 children, then pre-primary and prima-
years in Norway, sums up her profession ry education is probably not the best
rather well. “A teacher is a like a potato, choice for you. After completion, you
which is fried, boiled, baked, stewed etc. can work in a government, public or
A multi-tasker, it’s not enough to know private school.
69 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
Location
Edacochin, Ernakulam
Kottarakkara, Kollam
Kozhikode, Kozhikode
Parassala, Trivandrum
Kodungallur, Thrissur Dist
Andaman & Nicobar
Visakhapatanam
Doimukh, Dist Papumpara
Silchar
Barpeta
Muzaffarpur
Laheria Sarai, Dist Darbhanga
Patna
Chandigarh
Goa
New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi
Bhavnagar
Typically, starting salaries at the gov-
ernment level are higher than in pub-
lic schools. Private schools may offer
salaries as high as Rs. 40,000 per month
based on experience and qualifications.
Pre-primary: This level comprises
play school, nursery and kindergarten,
and children between two-and-a-half
to three years of age. You need to be a
graduate, along with a nursery training
certificate, diploma or degree. Schools
usually prefer teachers trained under
the Montessori or kindergarten pattern.
The salary varies, depending on the type
of school. Pooja Kalra left a corporate
career to teach at Step By Step, a play
school in New Delhi. The pros: she has
fun in the classroom and also gets more
time to spend with her own children.
Primary: This level comprises Class
1 to 5, and children from 5 to 9 years of
age. Usually, you teach all subjects, and
you must be a graduate or postgradu-
ate, with a diploma or degree in teach-
ing/education. You would belong to the
Primary Teacher scale (PRT) and be
paid roughly Rs. 17,000 per month, at
public schools. Jorgensen, who recently
went back to school to pursue a Mas-
ter’s in Multicultural and International
Career Review TEACHING

Shipra Ghosh
Special needs teacher,
Step By Step, New Delhi
Shipra instantly strikes
you as bright and chirpy,
and these qualities seem
infectious. When I entered
her classroom, my com-
panion received a spontaneous hug from a
child. Glancing around, I noticed that all the
kids were busy, and it looked like a fun day
at school.
With over ten years of experience as a special
needs teacher, Ghosh asserts that children
with special needs are just like other children,
the difference being in the manner in which
they communicate. To demonstrate this, she
took my hands in hers, asked me to close
my eyes and demonstrated how the visually
impaired communicate three simple words, “I
love you.” Her insight into the world of special
needs finds expression, equally, for hearing
impaired and autistic children.
Many parents thank Ghosh, for the differ-
ence she has made in the lives of their children
and it’s not surprising. Ghosh’s strategy as a
teacher is to give each student personalised
attention, once she understands their specific
needs. “If it’s not working then something is
wrong. I change my strategy till it starts work-
ing,” she observes.

Education at Oslo University College, Alternative schools in India

says that teaching at this level is “excit-
School Location State Website
ing, demanding, exhausting, not appre-
ciated, and is not for everyone. If you like Aaverbhav Hyderabad Andhra Krishnamurti-and-education.org/
Pradesh aaverbhav.htm
it, it can be great.”
Middle: This level comprises class 6 Rishi Valley Rishi Valley Andhra Rishivalley.org/school/overview.htm
Education Center Pradesh
to 8. From this level onwards, teachers
Mirambika New Delhi Delhi Mirambika.org/mirambika/
become responsible for a specific sub-
ject. A BEd degree is a typical require- The Heritage School Gurgaon Haryana Theheritageschool.com/gurgaon_new
ment and being a graduate, you will be The Shri Ram School Gurgaon Haryana Shriconnect.net/portal/
placed in the Trained Graduate Teach- Center For Learning Bangalore Karnataka Cfi.in
ers scale earning a salary of Rs. 21,000
Geniekids Life School Bangalore Karnataka Geniekids.com
per month at a public school.
High school/Senior Sec- Sri Atmananda Malakkara Kerala Kpmapproach.org
Memorial School
ondary: High school comprises class
9 to 10 and senior secondary refers to The Gurukul Thiruvanan- Kerala Gurukulkerela.org
thapuram
class 11 to 12. At this level, teachers usu-
ally need to have a Master’s degree, and Adharshila Learning Sakad Madhya Adharshilask.tripod.com/adharshila.html
Centre Pradesh
a BEd, which places you in the Trained
Bal-Anand Mumbai Maharashtra Kfionline.org/schools/balanand.asp
Post Graduate Teachers (PGT) scale,
thus earning an average salary of Rs. Sahyadri School Pune Maharashtra sahyadrischool.org
23,000 per month at a public school. Digantar School Jaipur Rajasthan
Some subjects such as computer sci- Shikshantar Udaipur Rajasthan Swaraj.org/shikshantar
ence do not require a BEd, due to lack
Anugriha Arasavangkadu Tamil Nadu Ashanet.org/conferences/Ini/anugriha.htm
of trained teachers. Anu Bhatia, who
teaches class 11 and 12 students, finds Auroville Auroville Tamil Nadu Ashanet.org/conferences/Ini/auroville.htm
it challenging as major generational Lakshmi Ashram Kausani Uttaranchal Andolan.prayaga.org/2006/05/27/lakshmi-
and attitudinal change exists in this age ashram-a-unique-school-for-girls-in-kumaon
group, making it an ongoing process to Rajghat Education Varanasi Uttar Kfionline.org/schools/rajghat.asp
earn the respect of your students. Center Pradesh

70 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

 G Gautama
Director, Chennai Education Centre,
The School-Chennai, Krishnamurti
Foundation, India
Teaching in schools in the 21st cen-
tury is meant only for the bravest of
the brave! Schools with a low student-
teacher ratio, and therefore those that
are able to pay greater attention to students, may run the
risk of being thought of as “easy” schools. So the challenge
of creating and sustaining a “humane” atmosphere, falls
squarely on teachers. Only when the teachers are clear
about their role is it possible to create a friendly, purposeful
atmosphere. And this role is being radically redefined.
The educator will not only have to create a learning envi-
ronment for the young, but also work for the emergence of
lifelong learners. He/she will have to model the characteris-
tics of a lifelong learner, and not just be a specialist teacher.
Humane schools are usually quite small and have a cul-
ture of teacher participation in the running of schools. This
places the additional requirement of being part of a ‘think-
ing’, ‘sensing’ team. Learning the art of working together
with other bright colleagues, innovating individually and
collectively is another exciting area.
Thus in a humane, so-called alternative school, extraor-
dinary opportunities await someone who wishes to learn
the art of being a teacher. However, this generally requires
being open to learning and doing many different roles,
often simultaneously. School salaries are going up dramati-
cally and promise to go up even further in the future. But if
you are brave, daring and in search of understanding and
growth, as a human being, there are few better options.
Additional perks A special vocation
Besides a salary, teachers receive sev- You can also train to teach children with
eral benefits such as accommodation special needs, and this requires a differ-
at nominal rates in residential schools, ent attitude, aptitude and qualification.
subsidised fees for their children, a pen- This is because though it can be reward-
sion and gratuity. They also get regular ing, it can also be emotionally, physi-
paid vacations when schools are closed. cally and psychologically draining. It’s
Some schools conduct workshops and a part of the territory. You could opt for
training during vacations, to help their a certificate course or diploma course,
teachers upgrade their skills. after class 12 or graduation. You could
Salaries may have remained modest as also specialise in a specific area such as
compared to other professions but the hyperactivity or learning difficulties. A
scenario is changing. The private edu- BEd is not essential. You can opt for a
cation market in India was estimated PG Diploma in Special Education from
to be worth $40 billion in 2008, and is Action for Ability, Development and
expected to increase to $68 billion by Inclusion, formerly known as Spastic
the year 2012, opening further opportu- Society, in Delhi.
nities in the profession. You can join a special school or opt
for integrated schools that have a spe-
Subject specialists cial needs division. Many children with
From middle school upwards, you could special needs attend integrated schools,
become a subject specialist in areas like also referred to as ‘mainstreaming’ or
maths, science, social science, econom- ‘inclusive education.’
ics, computer science etc. The Central
Advisory Board of Education (CABE) Alternative schools
prescribes the manner in which sub- Also referred to as ‘progressive’ or
jects are taught in the classroom, and ‘humane’ schools, this kind of school-
is responsible for updating the teach- ing provides children and teachers
ing methodology to keep pace with the with a unique experience, usually
growing demands of the system. based on a philosophy, such as that of
71 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
J Krishnamurti or Sri Aurobindo. The
Rishi Valley School is considered to be
one of the best alternative schools in
India. One space to find training is in
Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Delhi for a BEd,
giving you the opportunity to also teach
at Mirambika Free Progress School,
based in the vicinity.
Choosing the right institute
Almost all universities in India offer a
Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in edu-
cation, as well as diploma courses in
teaching at primary level. Some well
known institutes: Central Institute of
Education, Jamia Millia Islamia, SNDT
Women’s University, Sophia Polytech-
nic, University of Calcutta and Univer-
sity of Chennai.
Lady Irwin College and MS University
in Baroda offer child development as
a subject in its Home Science course.
Many employed teachers opt for corre-
spondence courses in order to upgrade
their qualifications. The National
Council for Educational Research and
Training (NCERT), New Delhi offers an
integrated four-year BA-BEd/BSc-BEd
programme at its regional centres in
Ajmer, Bhopal, Bhubaneshwar, Mysore
and Shillong.
Make sure you choose an institute with
clear linkages between the Department
of Education, NCERT and State Coun-
cil of Educational Research and Train-
ing (SCERT) along with other educa-
tional institutions of central and Delhi
Administration. SCERT takes care of
pre-service and in-service training at
elementary, secondary and advanced
levels to equip teachers in this profes-
sion. Educational research and training
of teachers is given a lot of importance
now, and teacher learning materials are
being constantly updated.
Education in India
The Indian school education system is
largely governed by various bodies:
●● State government boards
●● Central Board of Secondary Educa-
tion (CBSE)
●● Council for the Indian School Cer-
tificate Examinations (CISCE)
●● National Institute of Open Schooling
(NIOS)
●● International schools are affiliated
to the International Baccalaureate
Career Review TEACHING
Top international institutions
Institutes Country
Harvard University US
Stanford University US
University of Cambridge UK
University of Oxford US
“A teacher is a like a
potato, which is fried, Yale University US
boiled, baked and Columbia University US
University of British Columbia US
stewed. It’s multi-
tasking, but interesting” McGill University Canada
Cornell University US
Berit jorgensen, Educator, Norway
The University of Melbourne Australia
Programme and/or the Cambridge University of Michigan US
International examinations
●● Islamic Madrasa school boards are University of Tokyo Japan
controlled by the local state govern-
ment, autonomous or affiliated to the University of Pennsylvania US
Darul Ulom Deoband
●● Autonomous/alternative schools
The Central Board of Education has Teaching level Qualification
steadily increased its school count from Pre-Primary Basic Early Child Care and
309 schools in 1962 to 8,979 schools in Education (ECCE), Full-time
March 2007 (includes 141 schools in 21 Diploma in ECCE, 1-year
autonomous course
countries). Regional offices have also
been set up for better functioning. Primary, middle, Graduation + BEd
secondary
The NCERT is responsible for creat-
ing CBSE books, dealing with school Senior Postgraduation in subject,
Secondary some schools need BEd
education-related curriculum. Teachers
are also invited to create specific chap- Special schools Degree/diploma in special
education
ters for different classes.
Rural education in focus for all’ movement, was launched.
As early as the 1950s, rural education Based in Rajasthan, the Vidya Bhawan
was brought under Community Devel- Society and Digantar have built up a
opment Blocks that controlled educa- reputation for being education resource
tion in up to 100 villages. Block Devel- organisations working extensively in
opment Officers would cover an area of terms of elementary education peda-
150 square miles, covering a population gogy, curriculum and material develop-
of almost 70,000. The central govern- ment. Their aim is to improve the qual-
ment, as part of the tenth Five Year Plan ity of mainstream elementary education
(2002-2007) from the total education through proper training, capacity build-
budget of Rs. 438,250 million allocated ing and reform initiatives undertaken at
65.6% (Rs. 287,500 million) on elemen- the level of government and non-gov-
tary education and 9.9% (Rs. 43,250 ernmental institutions, providing rural
million) on secondary education. areas with better education.
The District Primary Education Pro-
gramme was initiated in 1994, through Where should I be?
which 160,000 schools including 84,000 Elementary education finds a large
alternative schools were opened and population of teachers in India. How-
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the ‘education ever, dropout rates indicate that only
72 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
Website Courses
Gse.harvard.edu/ Doctor of Education Leadership
(Ed LD)
Stanford.edu/ Master’s in International
Comparative Education
Cam.ac.uk/ Master’s in Arts Culture and
Education
Ox.ac.uk/ MSc in Applied Linguistics and
Second Language Acquisition
Yale.edu/ Master’s in Urban Education Studies
Columbia.edu/ Master’s in Gifted Education
Ubc.ca/ Master’s and PhD in Cross-Faculty
Inquiry in Education
Mcgill.ca/ BEd in Physical and Health Education
Cornell.edu/ Master’s in Learning, Teaching and
Social Policy
Unimelb.edu.au/ MEd in Student Wellbeing
Umich.edu/ PhD in Educational Studies:
Cross Specialization Option
U-tokyo.ac.jp/ Master’s in Lifelong Educational
index_e.html Planning
Upenn.edu/ MSEd and PhD in Education,
campus/ Culture and Society
seven out of 100 children that enrol in
class one finish high school. Efforts on
training teachers and programmes being
offered at the national level do not seem
to be reflecting in the number of stu-
dents finishing their schooling. Qualified
teachers need to enter the field, a viable
profession to make an overall difference
in the field of education.
When planning your career, choose
the right school level, type of school
and subjects, carefully. And remember,
a student never forgets a good teacher
because his or her influence can change
a pupil’s life, forever.
Previous Career Reviews
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Merchant Navy
Obscure theories that determine national
destinies – Economics
“I am not a mind reader, I’m a psycholo-
gist” – Psychology
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of the law – Legal Studies
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ture? – Fashion
www.careers360.com
 Rights Alert deemed universities

Look before you leap into a new course

‘Deemed University’ isn’t
technically a university,
but a special status
granted to institutes

by Team Careers360

T
his year, the Ministry of Human
Resource Development ordered
a freeze on Deemed Univer-
sity (DU) grant approvals. A
committee is in place to review previ-
ously granted approvals. In this light,
Careers360 advises students to be alert
when selecting courses offered by a DU.

University vs Deemed University: The

UGC has withdrawn its notification per-
mitting ‘Deemed Universities’ to refer to
themselves as ‘universities’. This means

Illustration : Gouri Nanda

that unlike a university, which has full
liberty to launch new courses, a DU has
to seek a UGC sanction before adding
new courses, departments or centres. In
other words, a DU status is conditional,
and is a recognition.
The DU status is usually granted to an
institution that is doing a high standard
of work in a specialised field, compara-
ble to that in a university system. As an
idea, the status is offered to institutions,
doing pioneering work in select fields of
education. It is normally accorded for a
period of five years, and a review can be
ordered any time.
Only select departments are
approved: DU status is granted to only
select departments or campuses of a
particular institution. Before taking
admission, visit the UGC website and
check whether the campus or depart-
ment is approved by the UGC.
A DU cannot affiliate itself to any
college or institution: It could have
multiple campuses, provided these cam-
puses are owned by the same trust or
organisation that owns the DU and are
previously approved by UGC.
All regulatory approvals are still
essential: Unlike a university, which
does not need the approval of regulatory
bodies like AICTE, a DU need not seek
approval, but is subject to verification by
bodies like AICTE. So, if it is a profes-
sional programme, see if the approvals
are in place.
Joint Degrees: Many DUs offer attrac-
tive joint programmes in association
DEEMED UNIV DECODED
It is not really a university
■■
■■ DU is a special status granted to a
programme/department of an institute
■■ Check if your course has all necessary
approvals
■■ If you withdraw your candidature, DU cannot
retain the original documents
■■ The institute must return all fees, deducting
not more than Rs. 1,000, as admin charges
with both domestic and foreign institu-
tions. These programmes are valid and
recognised in India, only if they have
prior approval from the UGC.
Fees refund: Since DUs are approved
by the Government of India, the ruling
regarding refund of fees apply to them
as well. After scrutiny, a DU cannot
retain your original marksheets, caste
certificate, degree certificates and trans-
fer/migration certificate. In case you
decide to withdraw your candidature,
the institute has to refund the entire fee
after deducting a sum of not more than
Rs. 1,000, as administrative charges.
Distance education: All DUs are tech-
nically eligible to offer programmes
through distance education mode, too.
But they can only do so after obtaining
the approval of the DEC-UGC-AICTE
joint committee. So, please look for the
approval letter before you opt for one.

73 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Course Review INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
India’s answer to the ‘i-school’
This MTech course combines tech, science and management, to prepare students for the
Fast Facts
Course: 2-year full-time MTech, Eligibility:
BE/BTech/BArch, MBBS, Master’s degree
Selection: Written exam (or CAT/ MAT/GATE
score) + Interview, Institutes; ISiM, Mysore,
K J Somaiya, Pune and host of international
schools Fees: Less than 1.5 lakh rupees
By Nandita Datta
T
he ‘ischool’ phenomenon some
say began with the Mooore’s
Law. As processing speed dou-
bled almost every two years, the
range, depth and diversity of informa-
tion that could be processed grew at
a much faster clip. With concomitant
improvements in communication, stor-
age, transmission and retrieval technol-
ogies, we are now swimming in a deluge
of information. A 2007 study by IDC
concluded that the worldwide produc-
tion of information in 2006 exceeded
161 exabytes, increasing at a compound
annual growth rate of 57%.
While only a small fraction of this
information is accessible online (<2%
by some estimates), it presents major
challenges (and opportunities) in infor-
mation management, access, and pres-
ervation and usage. Dr. Shalini Urs, the
founder of the Mysore-based Interna-
tional School of Information Manage-
ment (ISiM), discovered this when she
tried to recruit students for a research
project on information retrieval. “Nei-
ther a computer science student nor
an information science student could
achieve what we wanted — getting them
to collaborate and work together was an
uphill task,” recalls Urs.
Long before that, in 1988, Dean Tony
Carbo of University of Pittsburgh and her
colleagues felt the same, and launched a
group to enhance teaching and research
in all aspects of information. And the
information school (i-school) move-
ment was born (for more information
see www.ischools.org). The movement
attempts to give a voice to the idea of
Information Management.
What does the discipline teach?
I-schools seek to offer an inter-discipli-
nary approach to the study of informa-
tion management. Instead of relying on
technology alone to address the problem
of mountains of data piling up every-
where, it involves various disciplines
such as economics, sociology, library
science, linguistics, law, psychology, etc.
The coursework involves technology,
Useful websites
www.ischools.org
The website for the assocation of ischools. A
good place to learn what is new
www.aisnet.org
A premier association of academics, this is a
site for cutting edge news
www.arma.org
A premier organisation for data management
professionals
www.isaca.org
Here is a one-stop shop for information security
professionals
74 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
isim adopts an inter-disciplinary approach to the
study of information management
science and management (see Box for
the list of courses) -- it deals with every
aspect of information, from organising it
to making it accessible and useful.
The programme is normally spread
over four semesters, though shorter
courses are also on offer. The pro-
gramme is centred on three areas,
namely technology, information and
management. Hence it begins with
courses such as database management,
programming skills, enterprise archi-
tecture, and moves on to offer modules
on structured learning on management
concepts, organisational structure and
optional papers on business functions.
The integrative element is provided
by courses on information life cycle,
knowledge architecture, organisational
learning, digital transformation etc.
Invariably, the programme would also
involve a structured industrial project or
dissertation. This enables the student to
apply the concepts learned in the class-
room, to a particular problem .
revolution?
Select institutions offering programmes in Information Management
Course Institution Website
INTERNATIONAL

information needs of tomorrow MS degree in information

management and technology
School of Information Studies,
Syracuse University
http://ischool.syr.edu

Master of Information Systems School of Information Systems & www.heinz.cmu.edu

Management
Master of Information
Management and Systems
MSc Information Management
Master of Information
Management
Master of Information
Management
MSc in Digital Information
Management
NATIONAL
Post Graduate Diploma in
Information Management
Master’s in Information
Management (MIM) Part-time
Post Graduate Diploma in
Information System (Part-time)
Management, Carnegie Mellon
Heinz College
U C Berkeley School of Information www.ischool.berkeley.edu
Manchester Metropolitan University www.hlss.mmu.ac.uk
Curtin University of Technology, www.curtin.edu.au/
Australia
University of Strathclyde www.strath.ac.uk
Information Management school, www.londonmet.ac.uk
London Metropolitan University
Xavier Institute of Social Service www.xiss.ac.in/PGDIM.
(XISS), Ranchi html
K.J. Somaiya Institute of Management http://simsr.somaiya.edu
Studies & Research
Symbiosis Institute of Management http://sims.siu.edu.in/
Studies

Nilotpal Baruah/Outlook Group
Indian scenario
In India, information management is
still in its nascent stage. While four
schools offer some form of information
management programmes, it is only
ISiM which qualifies to be termed as an
Indian i-school. Academically affiliated
to Mysore University, it functions as an
autonomous body, making its own deci-
sions about admissions, course structure
and even the operational model.
ISiM - an overview
ISiM’s operational model is unique. Urs
calls it the “inverse of distance educa-
tion”. In a distance education set-up, the
school and faculty are in one place but
students are scattered. In ISiM’s case,
the school and students are at one place
(i.e. Mysore) but the faculty is distribut-
ed. ISiM’s faculty is largely drawn from
the industry and reputed educational
institutes in India and abroad. The for-
eign faculty typically spends three to
four weeks in Mysore to complete the
coursework, after which they are acces-
sible to students on e-mail or Skype. For
under than Rs. 2 lakh, Urs says, ISiM is
able to attract some of the biggest names
in the world of i-schools.
Selection methodology
The selection process for foreign uni-
versities would involve sitting for GRE,
while Indian schools would want you
to take a written exam and an inter-
view. ISiM for example, conducts an
entrance exam, simultaneously across
many cities in the country, which tests
a candidate’s verbal ability and reason-
ing, quantitative skills, analytical/logi-
cal reasoning and data interpretation
capabilities. Students with CAT, MAT
or GATE scores are exempt from this
entrance test.
Eligibility
Internationally, a four-year undergradu-
ate degree is mandatory. And normally a
sizable section of the cohort would be
from an engineering background. The
MTech programme offered by ISiM
also follows this trend, with over half
the students being from the engineering
background.
Placement options
They could range from a highly technical
role of designing and building a data
warehouse to a not-so-technical posi-
tion of an information analyst whose
job is to processes and interpret infor-
mation. Technical communications is
another option — the job entails con-
veying technical information in simple
speak, which could be in the form of
user manuals, reference cards, busi-
ness reports, etc. For example at ISiM
recruiters included UNiSYS, Thomson
Reuters, Rediff, SAP Labs and Infor-
matics (India) among others. “With the
Googles of the world trying to organise
the world’s information, here is a course
that would be India’s answer to the need
for an army of talent to actualise it.
Previous Course Reviews
Health care administration
MSc Environmental Science
Computer Science: where 1s and 0s
determine everything
Actuarial Science: Where demand always
exceeds supply
Nanotechnology
www.careers360.com

75 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

 Oration bill gates
Bill Gates’ advice to Harvard
University graduates
The barrier to change is not too little caring; it is too much complexity
Reuters
I
’m a bad influence. That’s why I was invit-
ed to speak at your graduation. If I had
spoken at your orientation, fewer of you
might be here today. Harvard was just a
phenomenal experience for me. One of my
biggest memories of Harvard came in January
1975, when I made a call from Currier House
to a company in Albuquerque that had begun
making the world’s first personal computers.
I offered to sell them software. From that
moment, I worked day and night on this little
extra credit project that marked the end of
my college education and the beginning of a
“Humanity’s greatest remarkable journey with Microsoft.
advances are not in I learned a lot here at Harvard about new
ideas in economics and politics. But humani-
its discoveries – but ty’s greatest advances are not in its discoveries
– but in how those discoveries are applied to
in how those discov- reduce inequity. Whether through democracy,
eries are applied to strong public education, quality health care,
or broad economic opportunity – reducing
reduce inequity” inequity is the highest human achievement.
76 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
microsoft founder at the Commencement Address
at Harvard University on June 7
You graduates are coming of age in an amaz-
ing time. As you leave Harvard, you have tech-
nology that members of my class never had.
You have awareness of global inequity, which
we did not have. And with that awareness, you
likely also have an informed conscience that
will torment you if you abandon these people
whose lives you could change with very little
effort. You have more than we had; you must
start sooner, and carry on longer.
The barrier to change is not too little caring;
it is too much complexity. Cutting through
complexity to find a solution runs through
four predictable stages: determine a goal, find
the highest-leverage approach, discover the
ideal technology for that approach, and in
the meantime, make the smartest application
of the technology that you already have —
whether it’s something sophisticated, like a
drug, or something simpler, like a bednet.
To turn caring into action, we need to see a
problem, see a solution, and see the impact.
But if you want to inspire people to par-
ticipate, you have to show more than num-
bers; you have to convey the human impact
of the work – so people can feel what sav-
ing a life means to the families affected.
Don’t let complexity stop you. Be activists.
Take on the big inequities. It will be one of the
great experiences of your lives.
Knowing what you know, how could you
not?
And I hope you will come back here to
Harvard 30 years from now and reflect on
what you have done with your talent and your
energy. I hope you will judge yourselves not
on your professional accomplishments alone,
but also on how well you have addressed the
world’s deepest inequities … on how well you
treated people a world away who have nothing
in common with you but their humanity.
(Excerpts from the Commencement Address)
Campus Review Institute of Public Enterprise, Hyderabad

B-school with
a difference
Known for management training and research, IPE has
now launched full-time management programmes

Fast Facts
Established: 1964 Courses: PGDM, PGDM-RM, PGDM-BIF, PGDM-IB, PGDM-BT, MBA-PE, PhD
Students: nearly 600 Core Faculty: 43 Fees: Rs. 5.5 lakhs for any diploma course Placement:
100% as claimed Publications: Six Journals including the Journal of Institute of Public
Enterprise Key Achievements: Dewang Mehta and Impact Marketing Award Annual Student
Events: Samathis, Sanskriti, Nurturing camps, Distinguished lecture series, NEN week

P. Anil Kumar

By Nimesh Chandra executives, 8,000 government person- initiated in 1981-82, imparts managerial
nel including 3,000 IAS officers, though skills to practicing executives, in both

A
midst the greenery in Osma-
nia University, stands IPE, an
autonomous, non-profit edu-
cational institution that has
made a mark in the area of research and
consultancy, for both public and private
enterprises. The research outcomes at
IPE have been instrumental in contrib-
uting towards public policymaking in
diverse fields ranging from restructur-
ing, privatisation/disinvestment, infra-
structure to corporate governance, pay
revision and public systems. A pioneer
in management development pro-
grammes (MDPs) and sector specific
MBAs (it launched India’s only MBA
focusing on public enterprises in
1981), IPE is now striving for a place in
the bevy of institutions offering MBA
programmes.
Academic background
IPE started MDPs for working profes-
sionals in the 1970s and they have the
distinct ability to define problems of
public and private enterprises using sur-
vey and case-research methods. It also
excels in training programmes for state-
level public enterprises.
The institute has conducted more than
2,000 programmes (both open and cus-
tomised) so far and have trained 20,000
majority of the participants hail from the central and state governments. They
Andra Pradesh. These MDPs exam- are selected by qualifying in the ICET
ined issues such as global competition, (regional MBA entrance test for Andhra
restructuring of PSEs, progressive trade Pradesh) and a personal interview.
unionism and preparing boards for the For the 2008-10 batch 44 students
21st century, to name a few. have enrolled in the course. The total
The Post Graduate Diploma in Busi- number of students who have passed out
ness Management, launched in 1995, is is over 700. PhD programme initiated in
IPE’s flagship programme. The selection 1976 has so far awarded 53 doctorates.
is through the Common Admission Test In 2008, courses in Marketing & Retail
(CAT). Scores in XAT, MAT, ATMA Management and Banking, Insurance &
or GMAT, also make you eligible for Financial Services were launched. The
all programmes. Shortlisted candidates objective is to produce capable global
must appear for a group discussion and business leaders, says Dr S K Mathur,
interview at IPE, Hyderabad and other Head (Institutional Development).
major cities in India. Gautami, a first-year student of
The first long-term management pro- PGDM-Biotechnology shares why she
gramme, the MBA-Public Enterprises, joined IPE. “This course gives a unique
Programmes and seats at a glance
Name of the Programme Inception Duration Student Intake
PhD 1976 4-5 years Varies
MBA (Public Enterprise) 1981 3 years PT* Varies
PG Diploma in Business Management 1995 2 years 120
PG Diploma in Marketing and Retail Management 2008 2 years 60
PG Diploma in Banking, Insurance and Financial Services 2008 2 years 60
PG Diploma in Management–International Business 2009 2 years 60
PG Diploma in Management–Biotechnology 2009 2 years 40
Executive PG Diploma in Management 2010 15 months -
All postgraduate diploma programmes are approved by the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). * Part time. The MBA (PE)
course is affiliated to Osmania University, while the PhD programme is in collaboration with nine universities - Osmania, JNTU, University
of Hyderabad, Utkal, Andhra, Kakatiya, Sri Venkateswara, SK University and University of Mysore.

78 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009


ipe stresses on employability of students through its mentorship programme
combo of management and life sciences,
equipping me better for higher studies or
to take up a job immediately,” she says.
Infrastructure and resources
The IPE campus is WI-FI enabled, and
other facilities are being built up gradu-
ally, to keep pace with the increased
intake of students.
The lack of a residential campus how
ever, is a serious lacune. “One reason for
IPE’s low ranking amongst B-Schools
(even among government B-Schools, it
is ranked low, IPE was not in the Top10
category) is because we do not have a
residential campus,” observes S Satish
Kumar, who teaches operations and
quantitative methods. “With a residen-
tial facility in the vicinity, already avail-
able for girl students, and a residential
complex in the pipeline, things would be
better,” he adds quickly.
The digitally equipped library ena-
bles online circulation and collection
of books, and has access to most online
databases. Alok Bajaj, a second year
PGDM student quips, “I wish we could
spend more time on campus, to make use
of the library.” Students also have access
to the annual reports of over 800 public
sector enterprises as well as government
reports and parliamentary debates.
Prof. r k mishra
Director, IPE
I think
the ministry
handling edu-
cation is in the
right frame of
mind. There
should be one
regulatory
body
Financial assistance
If you want to pursue full-time research,
you could apply for an IPE National
Doctoral Fellowship (Rs. 18-20,000 per
month, HRA of Rs. 3,000 per month
and annual contingency of Rs. 15,000),
which is a tad higher than other UGC/
CSIR fellowships. The Indian Council
of Social Science Research also allo-
cates institutional doctoral fellowships
to researchers at IPE.
Another attraction for students from
low income backgrounds is the merit-
cum-means scholarships with a corpus
fund of one crore rupees, says V Anji
Raju, Associate Professor and Coordi-
nator (Student Affairs).
Campus placements
Last year, the figure was close to 100%.
The maximum salary drawn was Rs. 6.67
lakhs per annum and the annual median
salary offered was Rs. 4.24 lakhs. Major
recruiters comprised SBI, Tata Consul-
tancy Services (TCS), SBI Life Corpo-
ration, IOC Limited, Emergency Man-
agement and Research Institute, State
Bank of Hyderabad, APITCO Limited,
and Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited.
According to Dr. J M Reddy, Associate
Professor and Placement Coordinator,
the placement committee at IPE has
79 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
initiated the concept of stakeholders,
wherein faculty members as subject
experts interact with industry person-
nel, to understand the key requirements,
including potential job openings.
Emphasis is on making students more
‘employable’. “Mock interviews, group
discussions and personal grooming over
weekends, through the mentorship pro-
gramme has helped me gain confidence,
realise my strengths and weaknesses,”
shares Sushma Goud who is joinng TCS.
Prof. Sai Kumar, Coordinator-PGDM
course adds, “Students in the third
semester, are segregated into groups
of 5-6, and a faculty member mentors
them, to increase their employability.”
The road ahead
As an institution engaged in capacity
building for public sector enterprises,
IPE has always focused on research,
publication, training and development
activities. The first full-time programme
in management education came almost
three decades after the establishment
of IPE. However, the last two years saw
the launch of four more long-term pro-
grammes in quick succession. Unless rad-
ical improvement in infrastructure and
good faculty accompany such a growth,
the institution runs the risk of losing
out on commendable expertise gained
in training, development and research
over four decades, though financial
considerations do favour the launch of
long-term programmes, that account for
nearly two-thirds of the institute’s total
income. Prof. R K Mishra says, IPE will
continue to be among the best if it strikes
a fine balance between short-term train-
ing and full-time courses. A difficult task
indeed, considering the kind of growth
IPE has embarked upon.
Previous Campus Reviews
IMT, Ghaziabad
Amrita University
Jadavpur University
IIIT, Bangalore
TERI University, New Delhi
Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata
www.careers360.com
Scholarship chevening
Calling all
leaders
If you want to be an agent of change, make a difference,
Chevening may be the right platform for you
Fast Facts
For: Working professionals, executives Applications invited from: Early December (will be
open for approx two months) How to apply: Log on to the web site, apply online Selection
process: Shortlisted candidates will be called for interviews in mid-March Web site: http://
www.britishcouncil.org/india-scholarships-chevening-gurukul.htm
by Shalini Gupta
A
mrita Bahri, former president
of Delhi University is a social
activist pursuing her Master’s
degree in law at London School
of Economics. She aspires to make a
positive impact in Indian politics after
the completion of her course.
Ankur Garg, 22, a BTech in environ-
mental engineering from the Delhi Col-
lege of Engineering had always dreamt
of influencing environmental policy.
Garg who is now pursuing an MPhil in
technology policy at the University of
Cambridge is clearly on the right path
towards achieving his goal — to work
towards better deployment of uncon-
ventional and renewable energy tech-
nologies in developing countries, within
the UN framework. The common thread
that binds Amrita and Ankur and helps
them to pursue their dream studies is
the UK’s Chevening scholarship.
Making a difference
Launched in 1987 in India, four years
after they were introduced in the UK,
Chevening is currently the second larg-
est running scholarship programme
in the UK. Under the scheme funded
by the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office, 2,000 students are offered the
scholarship in over 130 countries. Last
year close to 70 scholarships were
offered to Indian students. However,
this year (2009-10) saw the numbers
come down to 50, with a record 2,000
applications received!
Chevening offers two kinds of fellow-
ships, joint fellowships ( see box below)
with other agencies, which are open for
candidates from all over the world and
special fellowships focused on particu-
lar countries. Generally the local British
Council is the coordinating agency for
the programme.
Instilling leadership skills
Not only does Chevening harness the
potential within youngsters such as
GLOBAL scholarships
■■ Chevening/BG/Cambridge Scholarship
■■ Chevening Shell Centenary Scholarship
■■ Chevening Clore Scholarships (for potential
leaders in the cultural sector i.e. theatre
etc.)
■■ Chevening Hansard Research Internship
(Politics)
■■ Chevening UNEP – WCMC Scholarship (to
resolve biodiversity-related challenges)
■■ Chevening/Rio Tinto/Dundee Scholarships
(Master’s of Law, Mineral Law & Policy)
80 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
Ankur and Amrita, it also gives mid-
career executives a chance to rediscov-
er and rebuild their leadership skills
through the Chevening Gurukul Schol-
arships awarded every year for a three-
month professional training programme
at The London School of Economics
and Political Science (LSE).
Shaffi Mather who was selected for
the same in 2003, went on to found Dial
1298 in 2004, a nationwide network of
Life Support Ambulance Service acces-
sible to anyone, anytime and anywhere, a
year after he completed his course. “The
programme gave me an opportunity to
look at things from a new perspective.
It was a transformation point to move
from a corporate career into something
completely unexplored: social entrepre-
neurship,” he shares.
Mather who now works as an inde-
pendent lawyer says that being at the
forefront of such a pathbreaking initia-
tive made him realise how socially-rele-
vant problems can be addressed through
the private sector.
Only 20 scholarships, now
Starting 2010-2011, only 20 scholar-
ships will be offered under the Gurukul

Chevening scholarship has built a reputation for harnessing potential and breeding future leaders
scheme, as compared to last year when
core scholarships were also being award-
ed for year-long postgraduate studies in
the UK in the areas of economic govern-
ance, finance and public administration,
sustainable development and science
and innovation. These scholarships have
been discontinued.
Chevening Gurukul Scholarships
The Gurukul scholarships are hugely
popular amongst working executives
owing to the short time frame of three
months which is a good refreshing break
from work, at the same time not forego-
ing it completely, says Gurukul scholar
Arundhati Ghosh (2005) who is now
the Deputy Director, Indian Foundation
for the Arts, Bangalore. The scholarship
was her window of inspiration, she says.
“Studying at LSE, which in itself is a
social, cultural and political hub, and
connecting with the best of minds, helps
rekindle new ideas and changes your
perspective on the world,” she shares.
The curriculum for Gurukul
Classes are followed by field visits to
organisations such as ILO, NATO and
EU and also a thesis that is to be submit-
ted at the completion of the programme.
“It gives one a perspective on different
issues facing the world, be it climate
change, the economic crisis etc. and
helps one see the bigger picture,” shares
Amitava Bhattacharya, Gurukul scholar
2008 and founder of Banglanatak.com,
a theatre-based communication initia-
tive that has a network in 23 states in
India. It helps empower backward and
marginal sections of people with knowl-
edge, skills and resources to help them
lead better lives.
Who is eligible
The programme is meant for working
professionals, generally mid-career
executives with four to five years of work
experience, who have demonstrated
leadership abilities in their respective
fields, have good written and verbal Eng-
lish skills and are computer-savvy.
How to apply
Application forms will be available start-
ing early December. Please check www.
81 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
Dan Chugg,
Director Press and
Communications,
British High
Commission
“We shall no longer run
the open scholarship, but
are increasing the
number of Gurukul
scholarships to almost
20. This had become
more popular among mid-
career level executives”
britishcouncil.org/india for any further
announcements.
What the scholarship covers
●● Tuition fees
●● Living expenses for the duration of
the course (three months)
●● A return trip from India to the UK
●● UK student visa
A few words of wisdom
One should spend a little more time
in the chosen field/profession before
applying for the Gurukul scholarship,
and also plan for the thesis that you
need to do as part of the three-month
programme.
Please note: The Chevening scholarships
are undergoing a restructure, following the
discontinuation of the open scholarships.
Information provided is to the best of our
knowledge and is subject to further change.
Log on to www.britishcouncil.org/india, to
keep a tab on future announcements.
Previous Scholarships
Mombusho Scholarships, Japan
Fulbright fellowships for studies in the US
Australian Endeavour Scholarships
DAAD fellowship to study in Germany
www.careers360.com
Ask Us Career choice
Students quiz us on the BBA, medical,
electrical engineering, R&D, and more
Whatever you pursue, do it
with commitment
Coaching is not
essential for the civil
services exam. But
discipline and long
hours of work are
very crucial
Q. I am studying BTech (CSE) final year.
Now, I’m learning SAP course on week-
ends. Is my choice correct? What are the
job opportunities in SAP after BTech.
Ravi
A. ERP or Enterprise Resource Planning is
still an interesting area of specialisation and
SAP is one of the best firms offering that pack-
age. But remember, while selecting SAP, you
would invariably specialise on a particular
module. So while selecting a module, keep in
mind your long-term interests.
Keep in mind that now-a-days firms also
look for some functional experience in the
module you are specialising in. So don’t be
disheartened if the course does not aid you
directly in getting a job. It will definitely be
useful in the long run. In the mean time, keep
your eyes and ears open for any job opportu-
nity that comes your way.
Q. I am currently doing electrical engi-
neering. I would like to work in the R&D
area. Tell me how I can enter that area.
M Manikandan
A. Research and Development is a very excit-
ing domain, and is catching up in India. The
best way to enter the field is to sit for the com-
petitive examinations conducted by either
Department of Atomic Energy, Department of
Space or Defence Research and Development
82 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
Organisation, which are the three big agencies
that do substantial R&D work in the coun-
try. The selection process is tough, but the
rewards are quite good.
The second option, if you are interested in
working in the the private sector, is to apply
to and pursue an MS at a good US university,
and then look forward to a career in research.
Q. My son wants to do civil service exam.
How to prepare for it? Give all details.
Suyog Vilaschanda Baser
A. We assume that your son has fulfilled the
required eligibility conditions. The civil serv-
ices exam process begins in December 2009
when the advertisement for prelims comes
up. He will have to apply after satisfying the
eligibility conditions. Ideally he must begin
preparation now. The preliminary examina-
tion has two segments: GK and an optional
paper. Both are objective in nature, and are
elimination exams. So, he must try and score
maximum marks.
Coaching is not essential, but discipline and
long hours of work are very crucial. The main
exam has nine papers in all, and we explored
the preparation strategy in the August 2009
issue of Careers360. Good luck to your son!
Q. I am an MBBS aspirant. This is my sec-
ond attempt. What are the options besides
MBBS? Any career options in biology?
Anonymous
A. MBBS, definitely has it charms, but to
spend more than two years just seeking
admission is not very advisable. If you do not
get admission in this attempt, then move on
to other equally exciting fields. Pursue phar-
macy, and get into drug discovery, do biology
and pursue biotechnology or biochemistry.
The range of options available in this sector is
good. You could also look at medical technol-
ogy field, an upcoming area. But whatever you
pursue, do it with commitment.
Q. Tell me about job prospects after a
postgraduate diploma in human rights
from IIHR, New Delhi in distance mode.
Kumar
A. Human rights is a growing domain. But
normally good jobs in the sector would go to
individuals who specialise in human rights
and international law, after a basic law degree.
IIHR, is a private body, whose diploma is not
recognised by relevant bodies like AICTE,
though the institute’s website does claim to
have obtained equivalence certificates from
some universities.
Other than generic information regarding
the potential prospects no mention is there
about assured placements from the institute.
So, we are not sure how much value it would
have in getting you a job in the sector.
Q. What are the good institutes for BBA
undergraduate course (all over India)?
Anonymous
A. BBA is a very different undergraduate
degree. While the curriculum and even the
specialisations remain very common to MBA,
its postgraduate counter part, the degree is
not sufficient to get you a job immediately.
Some colleges like the College of Business
Studies at Delhi University offer a very good
programme with placements. In general,
even after a BBA, you might still have to
pursue an MBA before you can enter the
job market.
Q. Is there any course after graduation
in computer science and engineering (BE
Comp science & engineering) to pursue a
career in aerospace/aeronautics sector?
Vikraant
A. We are not aware of universities in India,
which offer you such shift possibilities. Top
class schools such as MIT, Stanford, and
CalTech, offer you such multidisciplinary
courses. Good schools at Michigan, Illinois,
Arizona, Maryland, Washington, California
(Davis), Missouri (Rolla) and Purdue, might
also offer the possibility of pursuing an MS
(aerospace) with computing as a specialisa-
tion. Check individual universities whether
such a possibilities exist.
Q. What is the future for MTech Environ-
ment (engineering)?
Shruti
Environment will be a major area of concern
in the near future. With new international
treaties coming into force, India will have to
get its environment act right. Job prospects
would be in the environment wings of pri-
vate firms, state boards, IP firms, consulting
organisations, International Development
organisations focusing on environment etc.
Start working with NGOs like Toxic Links
right now, so that you are equipped to handle
assignments when they come your way.
Q. I am a first year PGDBM student from
a college in Mumbai. Not sure whether I
want to specialise in finance or marketing.
Please suggest some short-term courses
for both, which will add value to my pro-
file, are not too expensive, and which can
be completed in one year.
Anonymous
A. The specialisations you are considering
demand very different skill sets. So, first of all
you need to decide whether you want to be in
marketing or finance. Straddling both disci-
plines may appear to be a good hedging strat-
egy, but it is not. Please decide on one domain,
and then do a few courses on the other to add
value. You should think of short-term courses
only after you are in the job market.
Careers360,
Q. I am a final year BE electrical student. receives hundreds
What jobs can I get right now? of questions every
Amit T month. Some select
A. Electrical engineering is an evergreen
field. Firms like BHEL, Siemens etc. recruit
answers are pub-
engineers from this field. But recruitment lished here. All que-
is a function of the college you are in and ries are answered
your performance in the entrance exams con- on our web site. Visit
ducted by these organisations. So, learn to
do puzzles, verbal reasoning and analytical
www.careers360.
reasoning. Be aware of general happenings in com and post your
your sector and the country. queries today
83 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
 Course Alerts scholarship listing jobs

Ready Reckoner
A compilation of actionable information, segmented and presented on a thematic
basis and sorted out according to their deadlines
Admissions Deadline Information
Common Entrance Examination for Design: M Design at IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, 3/11/09 www.idc.iitb.ac.in
IIT Kanpur & IISc, Bangalore
PhD programme at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune 3/11/09 www.iiserpune.ac.in/
Certificate Course in Footwear Design & Product Development (one year) 7/11/09 www.cftiagra.org.in
MCA (Distance Education Mode) at Thapar University, Patiala 9/11/09 www.thapar.edu
course alerts

Post Graduate Programmes in Management at MDI Gurgaon 20/11/09 www.mdi.ac.in

International Diploma in Guidance & Counselling at NCERT, New Delhi 20/11/09 www.ncert.nic.in
Diploma, MPhil and PhD programmes at National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro 23/11/09 www.nimhans.kar.nic.in
Sciences, Bangalore
Symbiosis National Aptitude Test for Post Graduate admissions 24/11/09 www.snaptest.org
Post Graduate Diploma in Management at Fore School of Management, New Delhi 25/11/09 www.fsm.ac.in
MBA/MBA-IB/MBA-HR/MBA-Biotechnology at UBS, Punjab University, Chandigarh 26/11/09 http://ubs.puchd.ac.in/
Post Graduate Programme in Public Policy & Management at Indian Institute 30/11/09 www.iimb.ernet.in/pgppm
of Management, Bangalore
Post Graduate Diploma Programmes in Management at Institute of 8/12/09 www.ipeindia.org
Public Enterprise, Hyderabad

Name of Scholarship Deadline Information

scholarships

Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships 3/11/09 www.vanier.gc.ca/prog-desc-eng.shtml

Merit Scholarship to SC/ST/OBC Minority students (2009-10), 16/11/09 www.scstwelfare.delhigovt.nic.in
Government of NCT of Delhi
DAAD Working Internship in Science & Engineering (WISE) 30/11/09 www.daaddelhi.org
Department of Biotechnology - Khorana Program for Scholars undertaking 30/11/09 www.biochem.wisc.edu
research at University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
UNESCO/Keizo Obuchi Research Fellowships 10/12/09 http://education.nic.in/unesconew/
KezioObuchi2009.pdf

Government Jobs Deadline Information

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited: 204 artisans with vocational training 6/11/09 http://artrect.bhelrpt.co.in
Atomic Energy Recruitment Board: Scientific Officers/Technical Officers 9/11/09 www.aerb.gov.in
in grades E and D (22)
Oriental Bank of Commerce: 916 posts in Clerical Cadre all over India 10/11/09 www.obcindia.co.in
Intelligence Bureau (Ministry of Home Affairs): Security Assistants 10/11/09 Employment News (10-16 October 2009,
jobs

(Executive) — 650 posts all over India page 4-5)

UN Jobs Deadline Information
Programme Monitoring, World Health Organization (WHO), New Delhi 03/11/09 http://unjobs.org/
vacancies/1255522955813
Manager (Training & Capacity Building) UNDP, Steel Project, New Delhi 05/11/09 www.undp.org.in
Programme Officer, Division of Environmental Policy Implementation, Nairobi 07/11/09 https://jobs.un.org/Galaxy/
Regional Adviser, Vaccine Preventable Diseases, SEARO, 11/11/09 http://unjobs.org/
World Health Organization, New Delhi vacancies/1255355379829

84 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

 mdp
Watch out for Management Development Programmes (MDPs) in November 2009
Institution Name of programme Dates Mainly for whom Fees in Rs.

NMIMS, Mumbai Customer Relationship Management 02 Executives in business development/marketing 3,000

IIM, Kozhikode Organizational Behavior-Enhancing employee 02 - 04 Junior and middle level managers who might be 15,000
performance & humanistic orientation heading a group or work unit
IMI, New Delhi Corporate Restructuring, Acquisitions & Mergers: 07 - 08 Those involved in strategic management/corporate 18,400
A Strategic Approach restructuring/finance
MDI, Gurgaon Business intelligence-data warehousing & mining 07 - 09 Those involved in systems operations 27,500

XLRI, Jamshedpur Talent Management & Employee Engagement 07 - 09 Executives making a difference to talent management 21,000

IIM, Ahmedabad Mergers & Acquisitions and Restructuring 07 - 11 Senior executives responsible for growth strategies 75,000

XIM, Bhubaneswar Counselling Skills Training using NLP Techniques 07 - 11 Middle and Senior Managers 20,000

IIM, Calcutta Marketing of Services 08 - 11 Middle executives/analyst in marketing/operations 35,000

ASCI, Hyderabad Using data for program monitoring & evaluation 14 - 16 Programme managers from government and NGOs 17,500

IIM, Indore Hospital Management 14 - 18 Executives in hospital/health institution administration 30,000

IIM, Bangalore Doing Business in India 14 - 24 MBA/Executive MBA students, willing to gain deeper $6,500
awareness of the business opportunities in India
ISB, Hyderabad Role of a CFO - Integrating Strategy and Finance 16 - 20 CFOs and senior finance heads of business firms 125,000

IIFT, New Delhi Logistics Management for International 17 - 18 Manager/officials involved in international trade issues 8,500
Business Development
IPE, Hyderabad Preparing Boards for 21st Century 17 - 18 CEOs/directors/GMs/government officials involved in 30,000
overseeing performance of corporate sector
NITIE, Mumbai Cost Management in Manufacturing Firms 28 - 30 Persons with relevant experience in industry 12,000

careers360 needs advisors/counsellors

India’s leading career magazine, for its new its advisory/counselling division, is looking to recruit
advisors /counsellors/experts in the following domains

BUSINESS & MANAGEMENT

MEDICAL AND ANCILLARY COURSES
ENGINEERING AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES
OTHER PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMMES
FOREIGN EDUCATION

About you what we look for

You could be an experienced professor or a young academic willing to
change the system or an expert who has practical experience in the
discipline and an advisory bent.
You should preferably have access to other leading professors /experts in
the domain, both domestic and internationally.
In addition to understanding the discipline in depth, you must be able
to go behind the obvious and identify a good institution or programme
amongst the multitude of options that are available to students.
Previous experience in assessing the quality of institutions is valuable
but not essential. A passion to guide students, is a must.

Write to us with a detailed CV

E-mail: ceo@pathfinder360.co.in
Postal address: ab 12, 2nd floor, Safdurjung Enclave, New Delhi-110029

85 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009

Up Close SOMDEV DEVVARMAN
“My profession is my passion”
This 24-year-old broke the Davis Cup jinx for India, and now he’s raring to go!
Q. What was your most endearing
moment in school?
A. I think there were many. But what I
really liked most was the fact that while
also being a good student, I had a lot of
time to be part of different clubs and
associations within the student body, as
well as a good social life. I really enjoyed
the balance I had between tennis and the
other parts of my life as a student.
Q. What were your career plans in
college?
A. They were always to be a profession-
al tennis player. That’s why I made the
move to college tennis, and University
of Virginia in Charlottesville provided
me with the perfect opportunity to hone
my skills.
Q. How did you spend your first
salary?
A. I gave it to my mother and she invest-
ed it back into my tennis.
Q. Should one take up a profession
for passion or pay?
A. I took up a profession that is my pas-
sion, and hopefully which will pay me
well, too. It’s a very individual choice.
But it works out well for me.
Q. Which teacher do you remember
the most, and why?
A. While my teachers at school were
very supportive, my best memories have
been with my various tennis coaches as
they are the ones with whom I spent the
maximum time.
“You need a very strong success feel like?
heart and will to A. To my mind I have to do a lot more
to feel I am successful. What I have
pursue your passion, achieved so far is good, but I still have a
especially if it’s in an
alternative field.”
112 careers 360 NOVEMber 2009
Q. How do you cope with failure?
A. You just learn from it. You won’t win
every match you play, so just take it in
your stride and move on.
Q. What do you fear most?
A. I’m afraid of a lot of things. I was
afraid of the dark while growing up. I
still prefer not to watch any kind of scary
movie! I also dread the day when (or if!)
I will run into my favourite actress. I am
sure I will be completely dumbfounded
and I think I will be incapable of having
a normal conversation.
Q. What does the current wave of
very long way to go.
Q. And the day before a match?
A. I just go through my regular routine.
Practise, rest, hydrate myself, and play
my guitar.
Q. What has been the most fascinat-
ing and despairing moment so far in
your professional life?
A. Well, it was definitely something
special for me to win a Davis Cup
tie for the country and help us move
into the world group after so long
was definitely a great feeling. As
far as disappointments go, I was
heartbroken after our undefeated
team in college lost in the semis of
the national championships. But I
knew we let it all out on the court and
we had nothing to regret in the end.
Q. Which is better? Living for fun or
living with a purpose?
A. I believe that we should all live with
a purpose, for sure. But I am a bigger
believer that the purpose that we are
living for should be a fun process. So, liv-
ing a fun-filled life with a purpose would
be ideal.
RNI NO. DELENG/2009/27635 DL-SW-01/4139/09-11