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As you sow, so you reap!
COURSE CHAT
Career Hotline
Office Mantra
Teachers wanted, must like pristine beaches
Meltdown bypasses IIM-Shillong
As public sector enterprises continue hiring, job seekers make a beeline
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As you sow, so you reap!
Agriculture covers all areas of farming and of all kinds of crops. Farming no longer means a man with bullocks tilling the soil but also implies farm management, growing of crops and maintaining of livestock under technically improved conditions as also management and financial practices in a hitherto unorganised sector. Basic farming, which is one of the oldest and most important activities of man, remains an important area of activity – be it sowing, harvesting, marketing or other aspects of fieldwork. However, with technological advancement available in terms of scientific knowledge, automation and biogenetics, farming is no longer the preserve of the simple, uneducated farmer, but is becoming a specialised professional activity. A number of corporates and cooperatives are getting into farming and contract farming to provide support and inputs to the farmer and producer. It’s different
SOME institutes offer PG programmes in management specially designed to
prepare students for careers in management related to agriculture, food, agri-business, rural and allied sectors of the economy. The Institute of Rural Management (IRMA) at Anand, Gujarat, and the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University at Hissar offer programmes in rural management while IIM, Ahmedabad, offers a postgraduate programme in Agribusiness Management. For those interested in
specialising in organic farming, the GDC Rural Research Foundation, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, conducts extensive work in promoting organic farming and also in areas such as micro-credit, primary healthcare and education, biotechnology, waste management and heritage conservation.
Getting started TODAY’S farmer is educated and professionally trained. Training is also required for those entering the areas of marketing, research and in agro-industrial areas. Most universities offer graduate and postgraduate courses in agriculture and its allied fields. There are 27 state agricultural universities and 35 agricultural colleges. To be eligible for B.Sc. in agriculture, you should have passed 10+2 with science subjects, and in some cases, you may need to clear an entrance exam. Most agricultural institutions offer a choice of several agricultural specialisations, such as agricultural economics, agricultural chemistry, horticulture, animal husbandry, agricultural marketing and farm management. Some of the more prominent institutions for the study of agriculture are:
Courses for agricultural engineering are also available at some engineering colleges and agricultural universities. What lies ahead?
Other jobs include production and marketing of inputs such as seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, farm machinery and equipment, livestock feed and irrigation, as well as production, procurement, processing, and marketing of output such as agriculture produce (including crops, livestock, fisheries, forestry, agro forestry, horticulture, dairying) marketing, agro processing, and food processing. With the entry of agri-retail outlets for providing fresh farm produce to the urban consumer, there is a need for large numbers of people trained in the handling and processing of perishables for the domestic and export market. The growth of the agri-sector is also generating a need for professionals providing a range of other services, such as export and import, rural banking, credit, financing agri projects, insurance, logistics, water management, research and development, and rural energy. Research in agriculture is helping develop new and better varieties of seeds and plants that are high yielding and have a greater resistance to pests and disease. Research is also conducted on means to improve soil conditions and other such aspects that have a bearing on agriculture; and also on development of agricultural by-products and new methods of processing, preservation and conservation. Action on the field WHILE most agriculture graduates look for jobs in the government sector, there is a growing intake into private companies and organisations. In government sector, the central and state departments of agriculture can employ specialists in this field. Agriculture being a state subject, graduates are recruited by the department of agriculture in states for development work with regard to crops, seeds, farm implements, and extension work with farmers at the block development level. Recruitment to these posts is through the state public service commissions and the educational requirements are a degree in agriculture or allied fields. There are also job openings for areas of specialisation such as agronomy, entomology, horticulture, soil science and agricultural engineering in organisations such as the National Seeds Corporation, Food Corporation, Warehousing Corporation and the Fertilizer Corporation of India. Nationalised banks, and rural banks offer jobs to agriculture graduates for handling agricultural loans, financing of agricultural projects and so on. With the increasing commercialisation of agriculture, corporate houses require individuals who have done their post-graduation in agriculture and allied fields, rural management or a combination of agriculture, economics and management. These are essentially industries handling food -processing or marketing of agricultural products, banks, insurance companies, and those in storage, packaging and warehousing of agricultural products. The Indian Council for Agricultural Research, institutes for horticultural research and some agricultural universities are engaged in research activities and thus require trained professionals. There are also new areas such as biotechnology and genetic engineering for researchers in this field. Although farming requires a large amount of capital in terms of land, and for storage and supply of agricultural inputs and farm machinery, for those willing to take the risk, it is an area worth exploring. Moreover, some nationalised banks offer loans to graduates on liberal terms to promote entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector.
Those who take up farming need to have good physical stamina, patience, dedication and the ability to work under difficult conditions. You also need to be prepared to work in rural and semi-rural conditions, possibly without the conveniences of urban life. For those who enjoy working with nature, a job in the field of agriculture brings about the satisfaction of seeing the results of growth and development. With increased mechanisation it is also possible to work on larger land areas, handling greater volumes of produce. Moreover, sophisticated storage and handling facilities makes it possible for farmers to earn large profits on the cultivation of specialised agro-products such as organic foods, exotic vegetables, mushrooms, and rare varieties of fruits and flowers. So, here’s a career that can provide you food for thought and livelihood!
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Career Hotline
Q. Could you please tell me something about a career in biomedical engineering?—Lalita Mohan
As a biomedical engineer you will apply mathematical and scientific principles to the design, develop and evaluation of biological and health systems and products like instrumentation, diagnostic aids, life-support systems, implants, artificial organs, prosthetic and orthotic devices, health management and healthcare delivery systems and medical information systems. For instance, lakhs of knee and hip joints are replaced in India each year. Biomedical engineers are needed to develop longer-lasting and better functioning artificial joints. To take another example, Heisenberg used the metal used as a technological device at ISRO to develop the stent, which has proved to be a boon for heart patients, apart from reducing the cost of surgery from Rs 80,000 to as little as Rs 10,000. Presently, opportunities for biomedical engineers or bioengineers, as they are sometimes called, lie essentially in the field of research and development. You can also opt for pure research in institutes like the Department of Biotechnology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Development of Education, Science and Technology,
Thiruvananthapuram, besides medical equipment manufacturers and agricultural and horticultural institutions. The R&D departments of pharmaceutical industries keen to upgrade the quality of their products would be another option. You could also work in
hospitals, colleges and government regulatory agencies. In the hospital, biomed engineers guide the selection and use of medical equipment besides supervising their performance, testing and maintenance. Subsequently, you can go on to become a technical advisor in the marketing department of companies and even assume a managerial position.
You could try for welfare officer
Q. I am doing my masters in social work. What sorts of jobs are there for professionals in this field in the government sector?
— Yash Batra National bodies like the Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB) and National Institute of Public Co-operation & Child Development (NIPCD) and major community development projects also appoint welfare officers. Some of these jobs are also open to PG degree-holders in related fields like sociology,
psychology and economics. As a social welfare officer, your functions would be primarily that of an executive. You would be involved in programme planning, funding, execution,
monitoring, evaluation and auditing procedures.
Distance no bar, learn on!
Q. I’m a schoolteacher. I wish to do a course in education management. Could you please suggest some recognised courses, preferably through correspondence?
— Harpreet Kaur Positions can be at three levels -- frontend, backend and a combination of both. Frontend involves teaching and delivery while the backend involves research of content, support material. We also have people who manage education, teachers, content and replication. So, there are many opportunities opening up. Also, there is a huge reservoir of talent, which has been untapped. The phenomenal growth of secondary education in India has created a huge gap between demand and supply of principals, headmasters and teachers. Here are some courses through distance learning: M.Phil in education: - Annamalai University, Annaim-alainagar - Alagappa University, Karaikudi Karnataka State Open University, Mysore - Madurai-Kamaraj University, Manonmanian Sundaranar University, Thirunalveli (TN) - Mother Teresa Women’s University, Kodaikanal (TN) UP Rajarshi Tandon Open University, Allahabad, and the University of Kerala, Institute of Distance Education, Thiruvananthapuram, offer a postgraduate diploma in educational management. The Yashvantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University at Nashik offers a postgraduate diploma in school management through distance mode.
Research Engineering vs scientific
Q. What is the difference between engineering research and the research done by scientists?
— Dipender Singh Bisht In the course of their work, scientists may have to accomplish engineering tasks (such as designing experimental apparatus or building prototypes), while engineers often have to do research. It is not uncommon for scientists to become involved in the practical application of their discoveries; thereby becoming, for the moment, engineers. Conversely, in the process of developing technology engineers sometimes find themselves exploring new phenomena, thus becoming, for the moment, scientists. However, engineering research is different in character from scientific research. First, it often deals with areas in which the basic physics and/or chemistry are well understood, but the problems themselves are too complex to solve in an exact manner. The purpose of engineering research is to find approximations to the problem that can be solved. Let me give you a couple of examples: the use of numerical approximations to the Navier-Stokes Equations to solve aerodynamic flow over an aircraft, or the use of Miner's Rule to calculate fatigue damage to an engineering structure. Second, engineering research employs many semi-empirical methods that are foreign to pure scientific research, one example being the method of parameter variation. You have not mentioned your field of study but if you are interested in pursuing your Ph.D in either physics or theoretical computer science, refer to the notification for Joint Entrance Screening Test (JEST) 2009 on http://jest09.veccal.ernet.in to get an idea. Admission to Ph.D programmes in these fields at 22 research institutes in India is done on the basis of JEST, which is conducted by Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Kolkata.
NOS certificate is recognised
Q. My brother-in-law is 20. His mother, a health supervisor in a government hospital, passed away last year. As per rules, being a dependent he is entitled to get a job in the hospital. He has passed his intermediate from the National Open School (NOS) this year. Is the mark sheet and certificate acquired from NOS considered at par with a certificate of passing through a government school for getting a government job? If not, he will have to appear in the intermediate exam from a state government school that will take one more year. We are
puzzled. Please help. — Krishna Gaur
This column appears weekly. Please send in your queries, preferably on a postcard, along with your full name, complete address and academic qualifications to: Editor, Jobs and Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030, or at careers
@tribunemail.com.
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Office Mantra
Whether it is a blue collar, white or pink collar job, employees are generally frustrated and dissatisfied job. Many find it a necessity of life, uninteresting and laborious. Very few love their jobs. But you can convert frustration into friendliness and dissatisfaction into satisfaction. Here is how you can take the lead over your peers and create a lasting impression: Don’t get personal: Be utmost careful in speaking or sharing your personal problems with other staff members. Avoid sharing your personal matters and financial situation as this may reflect your weakness. People may know your shortcomings and underestimate your capacity and may create problems for you. Never boast: You may be more qualified, more knowledgeable and even more skillful, but it does not mean that others are less qualified or less skilled. Your work itself will speak for your knowledge and skill. Be a content worker: Satisfaction and dissatisfaction go side by side. Some employees may be disgruntled in an organisation due to various reasons but you being new on the job are not supposed to favour disgruntled employees. You do not know why they are unhappy, so stay clear of them! Teaming up with such employees projects a wrong image of you. Watch your own interests Embrace punctuality: You need to be regular and punctual. Maintain discipline -- it makes you honest, sincere, committed and devoted to your duties. If you utilise your time properly, you will be more productive. Become the bridge: You are expected to learn work skills. Never allow your ignorance to be a barrier to your growth. You should learn skills, techniques and process to fill the gap. Let your knowledge become a bridge and equip yourself with relevant information leading to perfection in performance. Build trust with colleagues, superiors and managers. Try to gather as much information as you can about your colleagues, the management and its plans. Work as a team: Share your plan, process and results of task assigned to you with the team. There may be a risk of wrong decision if you decide individually. Hence, allow other to participate, and let the team decide. Many brains can unitedly decide better than a single brain. Respect the boss: The boss is always right! As you are new, you may not be aware of all the plans, processes and practices. Therefore, desist from pointing out what you think are mistakes of the management. Observe silence, be aware and vigilant. Never say die: You may not like the job when you are new, because it may not suit your qualification or you may not be able to adjust with the new staff or new workplace. So, never show your unhappiness, dissatisfaction or inclination to quit the job.
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Teachers wanted, must like pristine beaches
In an overhaul of its education system, the former British colony will be seeking applications from teachers who will help a new drive to improve the teaching of English and general teaching standards. The salaries will not be vast, but the supply of white sand and cobalt-coloured seawater is limitless. "We are studying the GCSE system and we are bringing in teachers from India," said education minister Mustafa Lutfi. "But if we get people with different backgrounds I think our people could learn from the experience of the foreign teachers. We are dependent on tourism and a lot of people from all over the world come to the Maldives." Lutfi is confident he will not be short of applicants. He says people in the Maldives are warm and hospitable and that the successful candidates will be in a stunning environment. By Western standards, the likely monthly salary of about 10,000 Rufiyaa (Pounds Sterling 523) is not vast. But on the Maldives, this is considerably more than the average. The country has 3,70,000 people and 1,000 islands. Nasheed, who also worked as a journalist, has said improving education is among his top priorities. Anyone tempted to make the switch will be arriving at an interesting time in the nation's history. Having won its independence from Britain in 1965, the Maldives has progressed from an economy that was almost entirely dependent on fishing to one where tourism accounts for 28 per cent of its GDP. —
The Independent
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Meltdown bypasses IIM-Shillong
The 64-strong batch of the IIM, the country's seventh, were offered multiple internships by 35 companies, putting at rest apprehensions of job-cuts owing to global meltdown. A delighted director of the new IIM, Ashoke K Dutta said, "When we approached the companies, initially they were hesitant. The challenge was to convince them as to how the products would be of help to them. We used the downturn to our advantage. The companies do need some extra hands for certain projects. We positioned our students as those who could do studies and recommend how to overcome this cycle of economic activity,"
he said. This gave them the advantage, Dutta elaborated. Significantly, the Shillong IIM achieved the feat in its winter project and that too when the students had completed just two terms instead of three, unlike in other IIMs. "We used the winter to our advantage because most of the companies are used to only summer projects. Even though our students are yet to complete a year, yet they had immense entrepreneurial exposure being the first batch,"
Dutta said. They had first-hand knowledge of the institution and have seen how starter needs to be grown and nourished. We were able to convince the companies that the students would be productive from the word go, the director said. "Of course, the companies have reduced the stipends, but we are happy that we could get the concept across,"
Dutta added. Top companies which visited the campus included HDFC, PwC, Deloitte and Siemens even as a number of students opted for media and advertising firms like Ogilvy & Mather, Viacom, Warner Brothers and Euro RSCG, among others. On the marketing front, recruiters included AC Nielsen,
Cadbury and ITC. The students are undergoing a two-month internship in January-February. While students showed a reluctance to join traditional i-banking biggies, core banking and asset management companies including Citigroup, HDFC, Standard Chartered, Axis Bank, Tata AIG, SBI Cap, Kotak Mahindra Bank, SREI-BNP Paribas were among those who turned up for the process. Technology consulting drew keen interest as well with Siemens, Bosch, and Headstrong participating. Manufacturing and supply chain companies like Ford, Honda, Lafarge, Hero Group, Cargo Partners made their presence felt on campus as well. PSUs included ONGC, NTPC and Power Finance Corporation. —
PTI
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As public sector enterprises continue hiring, job seekers make a beeline
In a recent recruitment drive for graduate engineers by Life Insurance Corporation of India, over 800 engineers applied for 40 posts. The LIC is expected to start recruitment process for Class I officers and 1,000 positions are likely to advertised. Same is the case with oil companies. These companies are trying to woo talent by offering substantially higher compensation on contractual basis. “To bypass the salary restrictions as well as attract suitable candidates we switched over to contractual employment through an HR firm,” said one of the HR heads of a oil company based in Chandigarh. According to one of the chief general managers of State Bank of India, the hiring process for the current year is still on and the bank has recruited over 29,000 people across all levels whereas over 24 lakh had applied for these positions. In the next financial year, the SBI is likely to recruit over 25,000 individuals at different levels. The idea is to appoint more specialised officers by offering them competitive salaries and reducing the headcount of clerks to bring the required balance in employee pattern. In technology enabled business environment, mass banking has become viable now and clerks increasingly find themselves redundant. But technology cannot replace human resources. There was a time when a ratio of 1:1 between officers and clerks was perceived as ideal. Barring a few, most banks have stopped recrui-ting clerks. There has been a perceptible change in public opinion about careers in public sector undertakings and this not just because of the recession. PSUs also have turned more HR savvy and have brought in employee-friendly measures like training and learning opportunities. The income tax department is also in the process of recruiting more trained and talented persons for handling technical jobs in the department. Post the Satyam saga -- where the I-T department is probing cases against the company -- it has come to light that investigations pertaining to tax evasions are getting voluminous and challenging. The department needs more manpower for its investigation wing and close scrutiny for TDS returns. During placements, the pharma and healthcare sectors have emerged as major recruiters. The institute of Chartered Financial Analysts of India University’s Ahmedabad campus is also exhibiting a similar trend in placement pattern. Pharmaceutical companies have not been hit as badly by the recent slowdown as some of the other sectors and therefore can afford to recruit. Automobile and components manufacturers also hired around 20 per cent more engineering students this year during placement drives across the country. Today when most of firms are downsizing, start-ups have an opportunity to shine by utilising people with more experience of thinking in a structured way. This can actually encourage entrepreneurs as experience meets ideas. Entrepreneurs also provides impetus where more management graduates make the move towards starting their own business. So, business development is actually dependent on the quality of people and risk taking capability they have.
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Fortnightly Quiz-329
1. Who recently created history by becoming the first Indian to win the junior Australian Open tennis title?
2. How many years ago was Charles Darwin’s celebrated book ‘The Origin of Species’ first published? 3. Who, according to the coveted Forbes magazine’s latest list, is the world’s wealthiest chief executive officer (CEO)? 4. When is World Wetlands Day observed? 5. Where are Arjun battle tanks manufactured? 6. Name the visionary responsible for accelerating Punjab’s Green Revolution and who played a major role in setting up the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), whose birth anniversary is being celebrated this year. 7. Who recently denied Roger Federer a record-equalling 14th grand slam singles crown by winning the Australian Open tennis title? 8. Who recently won the mixed doubles tennis title at the Australian Open? 9. Which country recently became the number one team in one-day international cricket by dethroning Australia? 10. What is India’s record of successive victories in one-day international cricket? —
Tarun Sharma
Winners of quiz 328: The first prize by draw of lots goes to Komal Wadhara, 12 Inter Arts, SD Senior Secondary Girls School, Border Road, Fazilka, Pin Code 152123 Second: Apoorv Sharma, Indus Public School, class V, Vijay Nagar, Jind (Haryana), Pin Code - 126102 Third: Kanika Sarin, class VII, Sacred Heart High School, Sidhpur, Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh), Pin Code - 176057 Answers to quiz 328: Chesley B Sullenberger; AR Rehman; 10 nominations; Danny Boyle; France; Barack Hussain Obama; Copenhegan (Denmark); Puducherry; Muttiah Muralitharan; Mumbai Cash awards of Rs 400, 300 and 200 are given to the first, second and third prize winners, respectively. These are sent at the school address. Note: Kindly mention the pincode of your place to facilitate the delivery of the prize money.
Answers can also be sent at quiz@tribunemail.com
Class………….......….……........... School
address..........…............ ........................................................
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AT a time when jobs are declining in practically every sector, agriculture continues to be the mainstay of the Indian economy. It is the source not only of food, but also of raw materials to the manufacturing sector. While the farmer cultivates land and grows plants, industries process, distribute, or transport farm products and farm supplies. Scientists applying the principles of biochemistry, genetics or microbiology provide the technological support for the development of new and high-yielding varieties of agricultural products to feed, clothe and house a growing population.
AT a time when jobs are declining in practically every sector, agriculture continues to be the mainstay of the Indian economy. It is the source not only of food, but also of raw materials to the manufacturing sector. While the farmer cultivates land and grows plants, industries process, distribute, or transport farm products and farm supplies. Scientists applying the principles of biochemistry, genetics or microbiology provide the technological support for the development of new and high-yielding varieties of agricultural products to feed, clothe and house a growing population.
AGRICULTURAL graduates work as crop advisors providing guidance on the issues of crop production, protection and natural resource management. Crop advisers combine their knowledge in these disciplines as well as their local experience to provide sound recommendations to their clients, while supervisors and quality checkers ensure that crops produced meet up with the market requirements. Companies like ITC are setting up Internet kiosks in rural villages, which help farmers access the latest information on weather, current market prices, foods-in-demand, etc.
A. Biomedical science and technology is an interdisciplinary field that bridges life sciences and engineering. The course includes study of biology, chemistry, physics, calculus, biotech, principles of design,
materials science, biomechanics and life sciences.
A. The Government of India conducts examinations through the Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) and state public service commissions for appointing welfare officers at the central and state
levels. The position is that of gazetted officers in family welfare, education, social welfare, tribal
development programmes, prisons etc.
A. Like any other sector, the education sector is getting 'corporatised' and
professionalised. As a result, many structured positions and profiles are opening up in this sector. Besides teaching, exciting and innovative changes are happening in content, research, and delivery mechanisms. 
A. A scientist asks "why" and proceeds to research the answer. By contrast, an engineer explores “how” to solve a problem, and how to implement that solution. In general, it can be stated that a scientist builds in order to learn, while an engineer learns in order to build. In other words, scientists investigate phenomena, whereas engineers create solutions to problems or improve upon existing solutions. However, there is often an overlap between science and engineering.
A. Yes, for all practical purposes, an NOS certificate is recognised as being on par with any government school certificate, unless specifically mentioned to the contrary. After all, the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Human Resource
Development. Hence, the secondary/senior secondary certificates obtained from NIOS have the same recognition as those issued by other boards. 
AS jobs get increasingly difficult to land amidst the slowdown and stiff competition, there is an even greater need to value them. When you start working or pick up a new job, you need to be meticulous and cautious. Know the rules and regulations, the culture, co-workers, seniors, subordinates and managers in the organisation as certain things are expected of you.
Mind your tongue: Do not criticise your workplace, colleagues or seniors and their performance. Just watch people working and try to learn their skills. Follow the work-culture of the organisation and cultivate good relations with your peers, superiors and subordinates to progress. Do not discuss personal lives of others or mock at someone’s weakness and faults.
THERE will be some who may actually prefer to be marking the class five geography project on a slate-grey winter afternoon, but officials in the Maldives are hoping there may be a few teachers across the world who can be tempted by palm-fringed atolls and unspoilt beaches. This week, the government of the beautiful archipelago will begin advertising teaching jobs in paradise.
THE global meltdown seems to have spared the country's youngest Indian Institute of Management in Shillong, with the maiden batch of the institute's students registering cent per cent placement in its winter internships.
THE economic slowdown has turned the country’s employable pool in favour of public sector undertakings. Despite the market, the hiring tempo of public sector banks has not come down at all. Expectedly, the banks are seeing a change in the caliber of talent keen to join as more and more people from the private sector -- mainly IT – are applying for jobs.
