After 10+2, what next?
Usha Albuquerque

There is a collective sigh of relief as the various board exams come to a close, and students and anxious parents can resume normal life. As students take a breather after the sweat and toil of the 10+2 examinations, many are also starting to think – after school, what next? This is the time when every student, who has not already made a career choice and planned for study courses, seriously considers the numerous options available. Some opt for conventional study courses, some for vocational and professional, while many remain confused about their future course of action.

Plan your career

If you have already decided upon a career, you must begin thinking about colleges and courses. If you haven’t decided upon a career, you need to start working towards this, keeping in mind your abilities and interests, and thinking about what you should do while you begin to focus on your choices. Planning for the future involves more than just finding out about what is open to you. Knowledge about yourself is crucial to the process. It is important to start by looking at your individual values, abilities, skills and interests, in order to identify those career options most suited to you. Look at your strength areas, a helpful starting point for self-analysis, or consult a career counsellor for help with your self-assessment.

If you have focused on a career then it is best that you go directly into a professional course leading to that career. This may include courses in engineering, medicine, law, architecture, fashion and so on. Each of these options offers opportunities for a satisfying and challenging career with growth prospects, depending on your skills and abilities.

Opt what’s best for you

Here again there is a choice – a diploma or a degree. Many diplomas are available at the undergraduate level and are suitable for those who are interested in picking up the necessary vocational skills, and are not looking for the more demanding academic degree programme that is more competitive, of longer duration, and may not include a practical component. So you could undertake a two- or three-year diploma that includes work experience in engineering, computer science, fashion or architecture and be ready to start working after the course. Most vocational diploma courses are offered by technical or vocational training institutes, which may not have formal recognition or accreditation, but are regulated by market forces and the industry they cater to.

Alternatively, you could take up the detailed academic degree programme leading to a professional degree in a subject field, which equips you for a job at a higher level of recruitment. Admission to these programmes is normally through a selection process that evaluates your suitability for the particular course and career. Entrance tests to degree courses in engineering, fashion, computer applications and so on are very competitive and you need to be prepared for high marks and a rigorous admission procedure. Some students try to get the best of both worlds by taking up a vocational course that is more job oriented while completing graduation through correspondence or distance learning programmes.

Most students have not decided on a career or course and pass out of school totally confused about what to do next. Never before have there been as many career options as there are today. Innumerable career opportunities exist, and are being created all the time, not just in this country but also abroad. You, therefore, need to get as much information as you can about the careers that interest you, and spend time thinking about the career choices you can make.

If undecided, do BA, BSc, BCom, etc

Often the best option for the undecided is to take up graduation in an arts, commerce or science subject of your choice, which may be a good base for further study. Your choice of subject stream in school can be a starting point for indicating the directions you can move towards. A science student not sure of a future career choice can consider a BSc in any of the physical or life sciences, which could lead to further studies in a specialised field. A BSc in physics can take you into astrophysics, space technology, meteorology, and weather forecasting. If you like biology and do not want to, or cannot get into medicine, take a good hard look at biotechnology, biochemistry, environment science or even food science.

Does a BA have any value in today’s world? Sure — subjects such as history, geography, political science, philosophy, psychology, economics, languages, arts or music can open up a range of avenues in diverse fields ranging from civil services, advertising, mass communication, archeology, market research, hotel management, adventure sports or even management.

And if the MBA tag seems to sound inviting, you can explore options in the field of business and management with graduation in any subject, even humanities. However if you’re a whiz in maths, why not study economics or commerce with maths, which provide a better foundation for studies in management.

For many students a general BA may also fit the bill while you plan for a future post-graduate vocational/ professional diploma in a range of career-oriented courses such as interior decoration, hospitality management, retail, jewellery design, TV production, video-editing and so on.

Moreover, the three years you spend in college studying for a bachelor’s degree in arts, commerce or science is also important in your total growth and development as a person. College is where you get your first whiff of the world at large –taking on responsibility, communication and interpersonal skills, picking up friends, and possible contacts for life, and learning to fend for yourself. Such lessons enable you to deal with the world of work and shape your personality for the future.

Search for right college

The process of selecting a college is, therefore, both challenging and important. You need to set certain criteria for potential colleges in order to find a college or university that best matches your academic abilities and goals, and offers the best ambience for your personal development. The reputation of a college is a very important criterion.

While the most important aspect of a college is its academic programme and philosophy, finding one which provides a conducive atmosphere and like-minded student population is also an aspect to keep in mind.

You need to be clear about your career direction before you decide which college you want to join. You can then formulate your own criteria for selection – whether course or college.

If the choice of subject for study is important then search for colleges that offer the right courses and facilities needed for the specialisation you want to take up, with up-to-date labs, computers and other facilities. A good college boasts of a good faculty, adapts new teaching methodology with the changing times and provides the environment and opportunity to explore the discipline of choice.

On the other hand, if you are looking for a broad graduation programme where the subject is not the main criteria, identify colleges which encourage liberal thinking and provide opportunities for a range of diverse activities. A rich social and cultural life is a significant part of college.

You should ensure that the colleges you have short-listed have clubs or other organisations you can be part of. If you like sports, make sure your future college has teams in the sports you want to watch or participate in.

Often the final choice is based on the cut-off percentage for each college and subject course. If your scores aren’t high enough to make it to the second or third cut-off list, you can count on points from ex-curricular activities, if valid. If not, it may be wise to select any suitable course at the college of choice if subject is not important, or be prepared to select a second or third choice of college where you can be assured of the subject for specialisation. In case you are unable to obtain admission in any of the colleges of your choice, get admission in the next best college and consider switching a year later. You will need to have good grades to make the move up.

It is always advisable to apply to at least five to six colleges and at least two or three subject options. Of these, at least one should be fall back options, where you can be sure of the admission.

Decide in advance for relocation

Choosing a college according to location is another crucial factor. You must decide in advance which location is suitable for you - if you want to live at home or you would be happy in a hostel in another city. Students from smaller towns may need to shift base to cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Pune in order to pursue courses of their choice in reputed colleges. Here again a college that takes in large numbers of out-of-towners may be the preferred choice for those trying to find their feet with kindred souls in a strange environment.

The best way to make this choice is to visit a number of colleges to get a feel of the campus and the people. Some colleges encourage open houses and campus visits on weekends. While walking around, try to talk to students and teachers who can tell you a lot about campus life and academics. Alumni too, can tell you whether a degree from the institution fulfilled their educational expectations and how it helped them in their careers. 

So good luck with your college scouting – and don’t be disheartened if you do not get into the college of your dreams. Your second or last option may prove to be the college that builds them for you!

NCERT to introduce craft course

With the craft sector offering the second largest employment opportunity in the country, NCERT has prepared a textbook which seeks to help students find jobs in this sector or start independent ventures.

Titled as ‘Living Craft Tradition of India,’ the textbook will be introduced from the coming academic session in Class XI as an elective subject for all streams.

According to NCERT, the textbook is basically a new curriculum that incorporates cultural, social and creative aspects of the country’s rich craft tradition into the educational system through both theory and practice.

The subject — to be taught in Class XII also — will open doors for students to pursue a field of their choice for further study and specialisation, NCERT spokesperson BC Patro said.

“Students may take this subject and join an export business or start a venture of their own or train in business management or economics,” he said.

“Some might even specialise in museum studies, history, sociology or even anthropology,” Patro added.

Statistics reveal that the sector, other than being a primary source of employment opportunity, is also the highest contributor to export earnings. — PTI

US no longer tempting destination for Indian students

The director of an Indian Institute of Technology had once lamented that the soul of his students migrate to the US when they get into IIT — their bodies following four years later. But with the US firms announcing that they will move jobs to India, this may no longer be the case

For decades, the United States beckoned as the land of opportunity for bright, young Indians, lured by the prospect of prestigious university degrees followed by jobs on Wall Street or in Silicon Valley. Indians have since 2001 been the largest foreign student population on American campuses, comprising around 15 per cent of all international students at colleges and universities in the United States, according to the US Embassy in New Delhi.

But now, the economic crisis that has sent the US economy into its worst recession in decades, has tarnished the sheen of the ‘American Dream’ for many Indians who are opting for university studies and career opportunities at home. America’s loss may be India’s gain, analysts say, pointing to a ‘reverse brain drain’ that may see India reaping benefits for years to come as some of its smartest and most talented people put their energies into India’s economy, Asia’s third-largest.

“The brain drain has already begun to reverse. Now there are many magnets pulling the best talent. Before, the US was where everyone wanted to go,” said Vivek Wadhwa, a US-based Indian academic who has written a paper on the issue. India’s economy has boomed at around 9 per cent growth in each of the last three years, lifting millions out of poverty and creating a generation of affluent and ambitious young Indians.

Many have pursued prestigious post-graduate degrees in the US and Europe and then stayed after finding high-paying jobs. But as the global financial crisis has kicked-in, Indians are seeing greater opportunities at home, where there are more job openings, the cost of living is lower and modern amenities such as shopping malls and condominiums offer them a comfortable life.

About 100,000 skilled Indian ‘returnees’ will come home from the United States in the next five years, Wadhwa estimated. “When I joined Duke four years ago, nearly every student talked about wanting to stay and work in the US,” said Wadhwa, an adjunct professor at Duke University and a senior research associate at Harvard Law School.

“Now the vast majority plan to go back home. A few want to work here to pay off their loans, but they don’t think they will be able to get jobs,” he added. With US unemployment at a 26 year high, prospects at home appear better for Indian graduates as firms such as Warner Bros and IBM announce they will move jobs to India and other outsourcing hubs after laying off workers in North America. Rahul Dutta, 23, is a case in point. He has changed his plans to study in the United States and is now enrolled at a local university. “My initial plan was to do my master’s degree there and look for a job too, but now I realise that there are no jobs and no funding, so I took admission in a college in Delhi,”said Dutta.

In Bangalore, south India’s high-tech metropolis, Kripa Chettiar reached the same conclusion.

“I was looking at doing a master’s in financial engineering at Columbia University,” Chettiar said. “But now I am not even writing the GRE because now there’s no point, as there is no financial aid available at all.” The GRE, or Graduate Record Examination, is the standard admission test for graduate university studies in the United States and several other English-speaking countries.

Garvit Bafna in Pune, a city near India’s financial capital Mumbai, took the exam, but he says he will only move to America if he gets into a top-ranked university. Even students who have passed the GRE exam are abandoning plans to study abroad due to lack of funds, said Rajiv Ganjoo, head of international education at Career Launcher, an educational service provider in India. “It is a waiting game now,” Ganjoo said. “Students are looking at the recession, at how the colleges react to it and how the government reacts to it, before taking any steps.” For students already in the United States, getting fellowships and other funding is becoming difficult, especially for foreigners as the pool of scholarship dollars has dried up due to shrinking university endowments from stock market losses.

“The funding scenario is grim as compared to past years,” said Cherry Harika, a 24-year-old from India’s Punjab province who is studying for a masters degree at Boston University.

“My university has frozen new hiring. There are hardly any new job openings for foreigners, especially when US citizens are losing their jobs.” Employer visa sponsorships are growing scarcer and President Barack Obama’s administration is under pressure to restrict the number of temporary work permits issued to foreigners.

About 55,000 students in India took the GRE last year, down more than 20 percent from the year before, said Jaideep Chowdhary, who heads the GRE programme at a private training institute in India.

Most students who study in the United States need to shell out around $50,000 for a two-year stay, he said. Much of that money would come from loans which are not easy to get these days due to the credit crunch, especially for students with no reasonable assurance of a job.

By contrast, studying at the Indian Institutes of Technology in Madras, part of a highly reputed nationwide network of engineering and technology campuses, costs about$1,200 a year.

India too has taken a hit from the financial crisis which has slowed the scorching pace of growth of its IT outsourcing sector. One small advantage of the crisis for India may be the human capital benefits as the brightest stay home, said Wadhwa, who wrote a report titled “America’s loss is the world’s gain”.

“This is an economic tragedy that significantly increases the chances the next Intel or Cisco Systems will launch outside the US,” Wadhwa wrote.

— Reuters

Survival of the fittest

A post-recession scenario will see a shift in hiring patterns, with companies focussing on ensuring quality rather than quantity in recruitment and a pronounced thrust on the all-round ability of those recruited to deliver.

“As the global economy recovers, we are going to see companies getting smarter about recruitment,” according to Sheeroy, CEO, Professional Aptitude Council (PAC), a leading global network of pre-qualified knowledge workers, who are ranked and differentiated by globally standardised exams.

“We are going to see a big difference in quality and marked changes in recruitment policies of companies,” he points.

There is going to be a massive demand for outsourcing and companies would not just leverage the cost arbitrage, but also look at the quality arbitrage, he noted. The earlier focus on hiring ‘larger numbers’ would shift to quality, said Sheeroy.

Once above-average quality recruits were acceptable, but now the focus would be to ensure ‘high quality’ hires. The immense pressure to ensure ‘more joins’ would give way to ‘best quality joins’.

Focus on technology skills as hiring criteria would give way to all-round ability to deliver, he said. Sheeroy opined that though the economy moves in a cyclic manner with ups and downs, each downturn teaches lessons, determining a new pattern. These lessons would lead to optimising staff potential and hiring, according to the best available skill sets.

In the post-recession period, HR managers would have to re-look at the hiring process and ensure that their hiring patterns are based on scientific principles.

“There is going to be a take off, an embrace of science into the HR process,” he said, adding that the future lies in using global standards for recruitment. “Companies will leverage the best talent” available in the global workforce.

Foreseeing the trend in pattern, PAC has come out with scientific tools to help employers hire people with skill sets that are ‘best available’ geographically. The PAC test measures candidates over various parameters and compares skill sets with those worldwide.

This helps a recruiter understand the kind of skills sets available in a country and compare it to those available elsewhere in the globe and then plan recruitment, given the multi-geographic locations and services. — PTI

Back-breaking jobs

Agree or not, bad jobs are a pain in the back, say researchers. A new study, led by Queensland University, has shown that if one is unhappy with one’s job, chances are that one could take longer to recover from a back pain than one’s less-stressed peers in the office. According to the researchers, people working in a high-demand but low-control office environment, or who had an unhelpful management style at work, are more likely to suffer from lower back pain because of “biopsychosocial” factors.

”In fact, the biopsychosocial model, which recognises the importance of biological, psychological and social factors in illnesses is now understood to be central in understanding human health in general, and pain in particular,” lead author Dr Nick Penney said.

To gauge how accurate social and psychological factors were at predicting the recovery outcome of lower back pain, the researchers developed a questionnaire that was answered by 91 research participants in Australia and 40 from New Zealand.

The researchers found that the extent of recovery depended more on the context surrounding the injury than the injury itself, a release from the university said. ”For example, if someone agreed that back pain was dominating their life, they appeared to have a worse recovery prognosis than someone who disagreed,” Dr Penney said.

The study showed that associated psychological and social factors of back pain sufferers were adequate for predicting the recovery outcome and length of time without further diagnostic testing.

”In some cases, how we fear the pain and react to it can be more disabling than the pain itself. On this basis it is often unnecessary to go through lots of tests without the presence of any red flags,” he said. — PTI

Google on a hiring spree

Internet search major Google is hiring for more than 350 positions worldwide, including over 20 in India, even as the entity is trimming its workforce.

According to job postings on its website, Google has over 350 job openings globally in different areas such as advertising sales and enterprise, engineering operations, finance, human resources and software engineering.

In India, the entity is hiring for over 20 positions at its offices in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Gurgaon. India is one of the largest locations for Google outside the US. On Thursday last, Google said it would slash about 200 jobs in sales and marketing operations worldwide.

The internet search giant has openings in India in diverse areas —advertising sales and enterprise, engineering operations and human resources. The firm is also hiring in legal and public policy, marketing and communications, product management and marketing and software engineering sections in India.

Meanwhile, most of the over 350 positions globally are in the US. Google has little over 20,000 employees worldwide. Omid Kordestani, Google’s Vice President (Global Sales and Business Development) in a blog posting on Thursday said that about 200 jobs would be cut.

Kordestani had said that the company has created overlapping organisations in some areas, which not only duplicate effort but also complicate the “decision-making process”. — PTI

Recession blues

80 per cent of varsity students ‘very concerned’, says a survey With jobs shrinking, many plan to continue studying

The vast majority of students are extremely worried about their job prospects because of the recession, according to a survey conducted in London.

The study by the National Union of Students (NUS) found that 80 per cent of those at university were “concerned” or “very concerned” about current graduate employment levels and their future job opportunities.

A third were now more likely to enter a post-graduate course after completing their studies and one in four said they would get less financial help from their parents as a result of the economic decline. “It is clearly an extremely worrying time for all students, particularly with top up fees leaving them in record levels of debt,” said NUS president Wes Streeting.

A study in January based on graduate vacancies at 100 top employers found that the intake of university leavers was to be cut by 17 percent in 2009. Furthermore, a report by university chiefs earlier this month, found that vice chancellors were in favour of raising tuition fees by up to 7,000 pounds — more than double its current level. That figure would leave the average students of debts of 32,000 pounds when they graduated.

“The great distress being experienced by students and their families in the middle of this economic crisis puts the grossly insensitive demands of vice chancellors for even higher fees into stark perspective,” Streeting said. — Reuters

Course chat
E-GyanKosh: A big hit among students

The online repository of study material, E-GyanKosh, started by Indira Gandhi National Open University, has become a big hit among the students. The university has digitised and put out 29,871 volumes of self-instructional print material on this repository.

This website, www. egyan kosh.ac.in, has already received over 3,74,000 hits, with an average of 1,000 visits per day from all over the world, a IGNOU official said. There are 35,000 active registered users of the repository. IGNOU initiated the development of a knowledge repository in 2005 to store, index, preserve, distribute and share the digital learning resources developed by the Open Distance Learning institutions in the country.

Recently, e-GyanKosh also won the Manthan Award South Asia, 2008, for the best e-content for development under e-education category.

The e-GyanKosh team has developed an in-house e-learning platform for delivery of online programme. Six major online programmes have been launched by the university using this platform. — PTI

PAU to train farmers

In order to impart latest information to farmers regarding agriculture and animal husbandry, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agriculture University, Hisar, would organise various training programmes throughout the state in April.

The month-long programme would start from April 2 in which the Directorate of Extension Education would provide practical knowledge to the farmers related to agriculture, horticulture, and home science and agriculture implements.

With a view to educate farmers regarding the appropriate preservation, sale and storage of Rabi crop, training programmes would be organised in Faridabad on April 2,8, 13 and 16, in Yamunanagar on April 3, in Bhiwani on April 8, in Sonipat on April 8, 23, 27 and 29 and in Kaithal on April 22. To give practical knowledge to the farmers regarding seed production and processing at domestic level training programmes would be organised in Mahendergarh from April 2 to 4 and on April 24 and 25 in Faridabad. A rat control campaign would also be initiated in Kaithal on April 2. — PTI

Career Hotline
Pervin Malhotra

Be a part of the world’s finest Army

Q. I am student of BA III, studying history, political science and English. I always wanted to get into the Army. Please tell me about the procedure that I need to follow.

— Sharad Kathpalia

A. The Combined Defence Services Examination (CDS) is conducted twice a year (February and August) by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to admit cadets for the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force.

The eligibility criteria and the pattern of the exam is as follows:

With your subject combination, you are eligible for the following:

For IMA: Unmarried males with bachelor’s degree in any discipline.

For OTA (SSC course): Married or unmarried males with bachelor’s degree in any discipline.

Selection is on the basis of an objective-type written exam followed by SSB tests and interview for those who qualify the written test. The intelligence and personality tests essentially cover outdoor, group and psychological activities.

The written exam is held at various centres all over the country and consists of three papers for admission to IMA, Naval and Air Force Academy. The examination for OTA consists of only first two papers.

Paper I tests your English.

Paper II tests your general knowledge of current events and general science. Also, it includes questions on geography and history of India.

Paper III tests your knowledge of elementary mathematics, arithmetic, algebra, trigonometry, geometry, mensuration and statistics.

You can take the GK and Math papers in English or Hindi.

Each paper is of two-hours duration and carries 100 marks. There is negative marking for wrong answers.

Once you clear the written tests, you will proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which is conducted by the Service Selection Board (SSB). The SSB tests evaluate your potential and aptitude in terms of reasoning, intelligence, communication skills, courage, initiative, confidence, responsibility, social adaptability, decision-making and organisational ability (officer-like qualities).

The tests call for average intelligence and comprise the following: personal interview, outdoor/group task, officer’s test and psychological tests. These are conducted at designated Army, Navy and Air Force selection centres. For details, log on to: www.upsc.gov.in

Be ready to slog it out to become an actor

Q. I am 16 years old. My father wants me to do B.Tech but I want to become an actor. Due to this conflict, I am unable to study properly. I want to know how I can make my career in acting and how much it costs to pursue any course.

— Harjeet chawla

A. The road to success in the film industry is long, tough and competitive.

For every Shahrukh and Salman, Aishwariya or Priyanka, there are countless others with stars in their eyes who don’t even manage to get a break, leave aside becoming a star.

Speak to professionals working in the entertainment industry — actors, casting directors, agents, producers and directors. They will give you the inside information that you need to succeed in acting.

And while you are at it, do also examine other alternatives because the film industry does not carry guarantees of permanent employment or fixed salaries.

Which is why it is also best to complete your academic studies so that you have a back-up plan in case your acting career is slow (or fails) to take off. Your father certainly has a point there.

However while you are pursuing your academics, you can always sign up for a good acting course, audition for plays, TV or live entertainment programmes, to gain confidence and practical experience.

Explore the world of technology

Q. I want to do M.Tech. in polymer engineering. Please tell me about the admission process and name of some established institutions or university. Can I avail of any scholarship?

— Vijay Bhatnagar

A. Admission to M.Tech courses in most of the reputed engineering colleges is on the basis of GATE scores, though some do admit students on the basis of their bachelor’s level qualification. Precise information about this and scholarships, etc. is available on their respective websites. The government also offers scholarships to encourage higher-level education in science and technology.

In North India, the following are some engineering colleges that offer M.Tech courses in polymer/plastic technology:

Central Institute of Plastic Engineering & Technology (CIPET), Panipat, Amritsar, Lucknow, Bhopal, Jaipur and Patna (www.cipetindia.com)

Course: M.Tech Plastics Engineering & Technology (in collaboration with Anna University).

CIPET also offers long-term/short-term courses, modular/tailor-made training programmes, entrepreneur development programmes in polymer science and technology. IIT Delhi, Hauz Khas, 110016 (www.iitd.ac.in)

Course: Interdisciplinary M.Tech in Polymer Science & Technology

University of Delhi, (Delhi College of Engineering, Bawana Road, Delhi)

Course: ME (FT/PT) in Polymer Technology UP Technical University (Harcourt Butler Technological Institute, Kanpur (UP) (www.uptu.org)

Course: M.Tech in Plastic Technology

Besides these, M.Sc courses are offered in a couple of other universities such as Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh-482001(www. rdunijbpin.org)

The university offers MSc in Polymer Chemistry (2-yearr) and Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, (www.bundelkhanduniv.org), which offers MSc in Polymer Science (2-year).

Opportunities galore for architects

Q. I am a student of Class XII (PCM group). My family’s financial position is not very good. I want to know which branch of science should I opt for so that I am able to get a job soon. Is the field of architecture good for me?

— Manish Tiwana

A. Choosing the right career is one of the most crucial factors of one’s life. To be able to do so, we need to first evaluate our aptitude and interests, strengths, weaknesses and preferences to arrive at a viable career objective. And based on that, select the course of study that will help us achieve our goal.

If you would like a good job at the earliest, perhaps an engineering degree from a reputed engineering college should do the trick.

However, with rapid urbanisation spurring construction activity, architects and civil engineers in India can also look forward to a bright future. Currently, there is a big gap in the demand and supply of these professionals. We need another 10,000 architects to bridge this shortfall (the situation has been affected by the present slowdown, but it is not a permanent feature).

You can start out as an apprentice with an established architect. There you will get the necessary hands-on training on preparing drawings and presenting ideas to the client — based on the project objectives, requirements and budget. But you must be prepared to really slog it out before you can make a name for yourself in this field.

Do weigh the pros and cons and decide in terms of your long-term goals, passion and interests. Loans are available for higher education; so financial obstacle will be taken care of, if you make it to a good college.

Focussed approach will see you through

Q. I want to become an Income Tax officer? What do I have to study for it?

— Jayant kumar

A. If you want to become an Income Tax or Central Excise officer, you first need to take the civil services examination, which is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The minimum eligibility is a bachelor’s degree.

In the civil services, both posts are of Group ‘A’ officer cadre. Log on to: www.upsc.gov.in for details.

You could also take the competitive exam for Inspectors of Central Excise, Income Tax, etc. conducted by the Staff Selection Commission. The eligibility for taking this exam is also a bachelor’s degree.

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