Is course more important or college?

The cut-off list is out and this year’s cut–off is invariably high. The students are really in a shock to see the 5-6% hike in the cut-off this year as compared to the last years. The panic for the admission into one’s favourite college has already started. Students are getting very worried about their future and are now eagerly waiting for the next cut–offs. These cut-off lists of the college of Delhi university, plays the most important role in letting a student choose the right course and college for him. The top most colleges of Delhi University like, Hindu, LSR, KMC, Hansraj, have the highest of the cut-offs, because of which many students are facing the stages, where their dreams might get broken.

In fact, I heard on radio that for taking admission in the choice of their college, many students are even ready to change their course. I know college is important, but changing the choice of course, because of the unavailability of the seat in college of your choice, is something really not acceptable. I mean, how a student can compromise with his choice of his career. A student is said to give his best efforts in the studies, if the course he is perusing is of his interest. But, sacrificing your choice for the college does not seem to be a wise decision. The brand name of the college does matter, but I don’t think that should overpower the choice of your career.

Therefore, the decision of the course as well as the college should be taken very wisely. It’s a life time decision and affects the whole future of the student. So, all the students should be very careful with the course they opt for, which should surely be a reflection of your interests and preferences.

Converting Women’s Colleges into Co-Ed

After centuries of ignorance, women are now getting their share in all sectors, especially education. There are, in fact, numerous only-women colleges all around the country to encourage and promote learning among females.

With the launch of women’s professional colleges barely a year ago, the institutes are already expressing a desire to turn them co-educational. This has given birth to questions like- were managements taking advantage of government incentives by opening all women colleges or are women really not interested in technology and business. AICTE (All India Council for Technical Education), the umbrella regulatory body for professional technical colleges in India had relaxed various norms to promote women education. And, so the applications from institutes to turn co-ed have been turned down by the AICTE.

Not allowing women’s colleges to get co-educational, AICTE committee has asked them to submit an undertaking saying that they will never apply for the same. According to them, the acceptance of conversion would mean defeating the very purpose of the scheme and the relaxed norms. Moreover, it will not be ethically healthy to start the institute as all women and convert it later into co-educational.

But, the management of the institutes emphasized that seats could not be filled with only women as there are not many applicants. They added that most of the girls preferred co-educational colleges over all girls and so, they should be given permission for conversion. It is interesting to note that some of the colleges under the scheme have already been converted but the new acting Chairman of AICTE, S.S. Mantha said he would not allow it anymore discontinuing the conversion scheme.

AICTE’s stand on non-conversion of women institutions to co-educational is a welcome move. It shows the dedication and seriousness involved in promoting education for women across the country.

Huge Investments Made to Improve Tech Education in India

A whopping Rs.2,430 crores will be invested under the second phase of the Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) in India. Around 200 engineering colleges will be competitively selected to bridge the huge gap between the quality and education standards of the IITs and others.

The objective of this improvisation of technical colleges is to upgrade the overall standards of education. The Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) gave thumbs up to the next phase of the scheme of education up-gradation running since 2003. IITs offer an unsurpassable quality of technical education in India and so, the efforts are being made to bring other engineering colleges closer to their superior levels. Along with assistance from World Bank (Rs.1,395.50 cr.), state and private institution (Rs.518.50 cr. and Rs.16 cr.) too will make investments in the government’s mega project TEQIP (contributing Rs.500 cr.) divided into three phases.

The scheme is 10 to 12 years long with first phase being completed in the year 2009 covering 127 colleges in 13 states. This project is open to all engineering institutions approved by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE). The committee CCEA chaired by Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh has recently approved the proposal for investment in second phase of the project.

The mammoth investments made into upgrading quality of education in India is surely going to strengthen institutions resulting in improved learning outcomes and employment chances for graduates. It is all set to scale up post graduate education and demand-driven research and development and innovation. This would further lead to establishment of centers of excellence and imparting of pedagogical training as well. Such initiatives are definitely a key to add quality professionals to the already talented workforce of India while making it one of the most sought after human resource destination.

Novel Learning Mantra : Borrow and Study

The young generation in India has been maturing everyday, call it Western influence or age of technology or increasing awareness or anything else. The Generation Y definitely knows how to handle itself and overgrow the boundaries they have been fenced in for so long. Thwarted till today by societal pressure, they are now coming up as the future leaders who are poised and competent enough to take on the world.

These global leaders of the future are taking rein of their lives in their hands from as early as their schooling times. No longer hidden behind their mothers’ shelter or guided by their parents, the youth of today is ready to unharness the horse and take it full on. This begins even before they complete their schooling as they plan their career path and the course of action well in advance. Immediately after clearing Class X exams, they would join coaching centers for preparation of engineering, medical, law and other entrances for various government and private institutes of higher education. And then after preparing for two years and clearing the entrance, they get into the graduation colleges. Then begins the preparation for clearing through post graduate colleges offering courses like MBA, MCA, MA, etc. These institutes generally charge hefty sums of money as tuition fees which salaried people may not be able to afford owing to the increasing cost of living and fluctuating markets.

Here comes the role of education loans as they have made it much easier for students to pursue higher education. Taking loans or borrowing from banks was earlier seen in negative light as it invites liabilities and burdens but has become important today to live a quality life. So, the education fee of students is financed by banks who then repay the loan after completing the course and getting a good job.

Increasing demand of domestic pilots in India

Flying high in the sky is a dream, which every one of us sees from the childhood. I wish I were a bird, is the poem we have rhymed in school. Every one of us has this hidden wish of flying free like a bird. Though, we cannot fly actually like a bird, but still we have got many techniques developed, using which we can experience the power of flying high, and several feet above the ground. Planes, helicopters, jet planes, parachutes, are few of the ways, through one can touch the sky. And just imagine how cool it must be for the pilots, who actually get to fly these techniques, the planes, etc.

Being a pilot is one of the most respective and the commendable career options in aviation industry. There are many institutes in India, which provide training in the aviation sector. And now the good news for the Indian pilots is that under the Directorate General of Civil Aviation programme, it has been decided to phase out the expatriate pilots from the Indian aviation sector. This will surely lead to an increase in demand of domestic pilots in the country. This will also work as a motivational factor for all the young Indians, who aim to become a pilot, but due to the less number of vacancies, have not been able to succeed.

The institutes for aviation in India, will also be highly influenced by this and would surely be pressurised to produce more of talented Indian pilots for the country. The students in this profession are highly paid and even the starting salary of the students is very impressive, where they get to learn and earn at the same time. 31st July, 2010 has been given as the deadline to many airline operators, to lay off the expatriates from the Indian aviation sector, making ways for the Indian aviation degree holders to apply for the posts. So, if you are planning for a career in aviation industry, then opting for being a pilot can be a very lucrative career field.

Indian Education Industry Going Places

The ever growing education market of India is expected to reach a staggering US$50 billion by 2015 according to industry estimates. The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) in its recent study said that more than 50% of Indian middle class families have started saving for their children's higher education.

I. With nearly a 20 to 25% rise in the income levels, the saving ratio has considerably gone up reflecting potential for growth in education industry. Till few years ago, it was looked upon as an expense but the need for higher education has been felt increasingly by Indian middle class. India has one of the largest middle class in the world which is calculated to be about 300 million.
India’s total education market size is valued to be around US$25 billion of which higher education sector contributes nearly US$15 billion. It is expected to more than double in next five years as evaluated by Assocham’s projections.

II. Not only this, education boom in India is spreading its wings to Canada and UAE as well. Canadian universities and colleges are opening up their doors to welcome higher number of Indian students. Canada India Education Council (CIEC) founded by former Canadian foreign minister Pierre Pettigrew believes that their education system is among the best and there is a need to build the bridge between India and Canada to promote it as an education destination. CIEC will endeavor to operate exclusively and strategically within the burgeoning Canada-India education corridor by creating a social, legal and physical presence in both India and Canada.

III. A human resource meltdown has been predicted by Kapil Sibal, HRD (Human Resource Development) minister of India. He foresees a shortage of young professionals as the population ages and is making efforts to come over the deficit by engaging in talks with other countries like UAE.

CATE Exam to be held tomorrow !

Common Entrance Test for English, CATE which is to be held tomorrow, i.e. 9th June, 2010, was started two years back in 2008. The exam is for the entrance into undergraduate English Honours courses, in one of the 17 out of 47 colleges of Delhi University providing education in English honours. The forms for the entrance examination have already been sold out and the last date for the submission of the form was 31st May, 2010. Undergraduate courses in English honours have always been the top priority of the arts students. Also, many other students who want to opt for communication courses go for English honours at undergraduate level to make themselves aware of the technicalities of the English language.

CATE has come as a good option for students to get rid of entrance examinations of individual colleges. There are a total of 500- 600 general seats available in all the 17 colleges of DU, which are a part of the CATE examination body. Colleges like LSR, Miranda house are also a part of the CATE, which is quite profitable for the students, as would not have to sit for their individual entrance examinations and on the basis of their score card can get to choose the college of their choice. The results for the CATE exam will be declared on 19th June, 2010. Also, the number of students appearing for the examination this year are triple than what appeared last year, which shows the increasing interest of the students in the English Honours course.

There is no set syllabus for the CATE entrance examination, you will be judged on the basis of your knowledge in English literature and writing skills, which are must for a language student. The exam is tomorrow and all of you appearing for the CATE exam must be preparing for it. I would only suggest, just be cool, calm, confident and clear on your facts and you would surely be able to grab a seat for yourself in one of those 17 colleges for pursuing an undergraduate course in English Honours.

Admission in DU becoming a business !!

This morning while listening to radio, in one of the stations the RJ mentioned DU as city in itself, a city in which finding a place for yourself has really become a tough nut to crack. The students find it a head breaking task to grab a seat for themselves in one of the few prestigious colleges of DU. There are entrance exams conducted by few colleges for the courses which has limited number of seats. These exams test the student’s capability and efficiency for the particular seat and to find out that their intelligence matches the requirement of the seat or not! This is also to give a fair chance to every student.

DU has become a brand in itself, taking admission in which is like a marathon, where you have to run and work harder to prove your capability for the particular seat. Students these days are really finicky about their career, that while taking admission in the colleges, they don’t even give importance to the route they are opting, what matters to them is the achievement of the end point i.e. Admission in a DU college. There are many admission agents present in the market, who claim to provide admission to students in the college of their choice. In such case, the college is of the choice of the student but the price is of the choice of the agent, which normally ranges in lacs. Yes you read it right, they charge money, it has actually become a business, a business, which stands on the cost of the other student’s career, which were eligible for the respective seat.

Money is powerful, no doubt, but overpowering others talent on the basis of money is no fare means. The student should take admission in a college on the basis of their merit results or by proving their capability. Paying money for the college seat is the worst thing to do. By doing this you are not only snatching others right but acting as a hurdle to the growth of the country. Because if you have not cleared the admission criteria, it means you are not fit for the seat and wont be able to do justice with the role to be played by the mindset worth that seat.

Admission time at DU (Delhi University)

Delhi University is an institution, which is popular across the globe for its educational facilities and its quality of education. Students not only from India, but foreigners can also be seen working hard to grab a seat for themselves in the colleges of Delhi University. Due to the limitation of seats in the DU colleges, it is not possible for all the students to become a part of the DU. There is a total of 83 colleges under Delhi University, most of which provide education in all subjects, with one or more specialised subjects. DU has many courses, in which admissions are provided to students on the basis of their merits lists. So, all those who have scored well in their 12th boards can surely dream of taking admission in the college of their choice

But at the moment, what must be going in your mind is which course to opt for, which course would help you in paving the route towards a bright future. Choosing the course after 12th is really a tough task to do, because it is the step, which forms the basis, on which the four pillars of your career will stand. The admission to these colleges is mostly on the merit basis, but there are many courses in Delhi University which has started taking entrance examinations for few subjects. Courses like English honours, Masters in Business Administration, M Sc. Operational Research, Dental entrance examination, etc are the subjects which give admission to students on the basis of their performance at entrance examinations:

The entrance examinations are taken to give equal chance to each and every student to prove their capability and grab a seat for themselves. There is a minimum percentage required for taking entrance examination in DU, which is on the basis of their merit card in the 12th boards. The cut- off list of DU colleges for this year is still awaited and I hope and will pray that all of you get admission in your desired colleges.