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Gateway to the
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OFFICE
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chat Fortnightly
Quiz-338
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Gateway to the World
Calling all high flyers THE Indian Civil Service usually means the Indian Administrative Service or the Indian Police Service to most of us. However, over the last couple of months, officers of the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) have been in the news, whether handling negotiations for the nuclear deal, Indo-Pak discussions or, of late, attacks on Indian students in Australia. But even then, many of us don’t really know much about this service, and so it doesn’t feature in the top-of-the-mind options for a government
job.
There are three types of Civil Services in India — all India services that include the IAS, IPS, Central Services and State Services. The Indian Foreign Service is one of the Central Services, though it enjoys the status of an all India service. Set up at the time of Independence, the Indian Foreign Service was created to handle India’s diplomatic, consular and commercial representation overseas. Today, a career diplomat is required to project India’s interests — at home and abroad — on a wide variety of issues. These include bilateral political and economic cooperation, trade and investment promotion, cultural interaction, Press and media liaison as well as a whole host of multilateral issues. Much of the responsibilities of an IFS officer are to represent India in its embassies, high commissions, consulates, and permanent missions to multilateral organisations like the UN, commonwealth secretariat and others. They also promote friendly relations with the country of posting, look after the interests of Indian nationals in those countries and of NRIs and PIOs and extend consular facilities to foreigners and Indian nationals abroad. Foreign service officers are also expected to report accurately on developments in the country of posting that are likely to influence the formulation of India’s policies, and from time to time help negotiate agreements on various issues with the authorities of that country. In India, as officers of the Ministry of External Affairs, they handle all aspects of external relations including political and economic work in matters concerning multilateral organisations, regional groupings, disarmament, protocol, Indian diaspora, Press and publicity, administration and other functions.
Getting in
WORK in the IFS is fascinating but selection is not easy. The Union Public Service Commission selects officers through a three-stage combined selection process. To begin with, you need to be an Indian national, between 21 and 30 years of age as on August 1 of the year of the examination, and have at least a bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognised university. Entry into the IFS as with the other Central Services — Group A and Group B and the All India Services — is through the All India Combined Competitive Examination for the Civil Services, which takes place in three stages: A preliminary examination, a main examination, and a personality test/ interview. Application forms appear in all daily newspapers and the Rozgar Samachar/ Employment News in December each year. The advertisement also carries the syllabus for the examination, and serves as an application form, too. - General Studies:
150 marks, 150 questions, two hours. It covers six subjects — Indian history, Constitution of India, geography/economics, science and technology, reasoning and current events. - Optional subject of choice:
300 marks, 120 questions, two hours. The optional subject can be any of the subjects from the list offered for the main examination, and you can choose from around 30 subjects ranging from civil engineering and medicine to Russian literature and accountancy. The UPSC will inform you if you are selected for the main examination and send you the application form. It is important to go through the application form for the main examination thoroughly and fill it up carefully and thoughtfully. Details you give on this form will stay with you throughout your career in the civil services. They will also form the basis of the personality test/interview.
Once selected to the Indian Foreign Service, you will undergo a comprehensive training programme in diplomatic knowledge, diplomatic qualities and diplomatic skills. The probationers begin their training, at the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, along with those selected for the other All India Services. From there, the probationers join the Foreign Service Institute in New Delhi and undergo focused training in the various disciplines. This involves a familiarisation attachment with various wings of the government as well as ‘Bharat darshan’ tours within the country so as to inculcate in the diplomatic recruit a strong sense of history and a grasp of general economic, social and political conditions around the country, which they need to understand so as to project in their work ahead. The entire training programme is for a period of 36 months. At the end of this period, the officer is assigned his/her compulsory foreign language (CFL) and is expected to develop a proficiency in this language and pass the requisite examination before he is confirmed in service. The first posting abroad is normally to an Indian Mission in a country where his CFL is the native language. Over the course of a career in the foreign service, you will move from the rank of a Third Secretary in a foreign mission to levels going up to Counsellor, Minister and Ambassador, High Commissioner or Permanent Representative. Officers can also be posted to Indian Consulates abroad where the hierarchy (going upwards) is Vice-Consul, Consul and Consul General. This is a highly prestigious career and all those who join it dream of reaching to an Ambassador or Foreign Secretary level over the course of their career. Currently, there are approximately 600 officers manning around 162 Indian missions and posts abroad and the various posts in the Ministry of External Affairs at home. Foreign service officers also have to work in close co-ordination with ministers and other government representatives in their area of control, and be willing to be transferred to different countries across the world. So if the Indian Foreign Service sounds as interesting to you, as it certainly is, then start studying right away. You’ll have many tough and challenging years ahead! (The writer is a career expert)
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Board results: not end of world Pervin Malhotra Q. Although I was expecting much more, I have scored only 49 per cent marks in Class XII CBSE boards. As it is a very poor percentage, should I appear for the exam again and how should I go about it? I am very confused and depressed. — Savita Chugh
First things first, apply for verification of your marks within 21 days of the declaration of your results. The forms can be collected from your school itself. You can reappear for your Class 12 exams as a private candidate from your own school or directly from the CBSE. However, you will have to surrender your previous marks, so make sure your performance is really good this time. The Application forms for the secondary and senior school certificate exam for private candidates are typically available from mid-August up to early October. Check with your own school or from your state board for details. The third option is to take the Class XII exam through the National Institute of Open Schooling. NIOS provides you an opportunity to study and clear a subject in which you may have fared poorly either in high school or the 10+2 of the CBSE syllabus. Exams are conducted twice a year in May and November. You can appear in as many subjects as you like at a time. Incidentally, you are permitted nine attempts. The fourth option is to go for a bachelor’s degree through distance learning from any reputed university in your region. If you do really well in the first year, you can even hope to migrate to a full-time course in the second year. Also, even if you were to complete your graduation entirely through distance learning, your degree certificate will not mention anything to that effect. Moreover, a good percentage at the bachelor’s level will compensate for relatively poor performance at the school level. Of course, the latter option may not be the ideal one for you if your heart is set on pursuing a professional course like engineering, medicine or architecture straight after Class XII which cannot be done through correspondence or pursued at the postgraduate level unlike some other professional courses like MBA, MCA, mass communication and law that are open to students of all streams. As for students who have got a ‘compartment’ in any subject, they need not lose heart either. If it’s any solace, over 50 per cent students under the CBSE Board flunk their Class X exams. And the number of those who have failed in two subjects runs into lakhs. Earlier, only those students who failed in one-subject were allowed to take the compartment exams. However, now even those who fail in two subjects are allowed to do so, on an experimental basis. This means that you now get a chance to improve your grade by taking the exam in August. The results will be out in September. If you have scored better than an “E” grade (on a nine-point scale), you can happily join the rest of your classmates in Class XI. Examinees taking the CBSE secondary / senior school certificate exams because they failed in the previous attempt now have three chances, instead of two, to clear the compartment exam. What’s more, in a welcome move, the CBSE Board now provides a consolidated mark sheet to students. It will not show whether the marks have been acquired through the main or the compartment exam. Until now, the compartment was indicated on the initial mark sheet, while a separate mark sheet was issued for the compartment subject/s, which often proved to be a stigma, creating problems of acceptability in many places. Incidentally, over one lakh students of Class X and thousands of Class XII took the compartment exams last year. So, do make the most of this golden opportunity. Remember, success is not measured by how high you climb, but how high you bounce when you hit the bottom. Best of luck!
To practice law, enroll in LLB
Q. Are BGL (Bachelor of General Laws) and LLB the same? If I complete BGL, will I be eligible to practice as a lawyer? — Kamal Jain According to the Bar Council of India, you cannot practice in a court of law after BGL or BAL (Bachelor of Academic Laws), though you can join a solicitor’s firm or give legal advice. Besides, your degree will be an asset in various jobs that require knowledge of law such as in company secretaryship, personnel management, industrial relations and consulting.
Industrial design
Q. I want to do masters in industrial design and visual communication from IIT Mumbai. Please tell me about eligibility, admission process and scholarships. Can I do any short-term correspondence or online course in communication from there? — Ganesh Pandit IDC offers masters programmes in industrial design, visual communication, animation and interaction design as well as a PhD in design. The programme is meant to develop skills, knowledge and aptitude among students to become creative problem solvers who can bring about innovation in the manufacturing and communication industry. The first two semesters in the first year consist of theory courses and learning oriented projects, while the second year is more or less spent on design projects. Depending on your interests you can choose elective courses in the second and third semester. You can choose to specialise in the following areas: studies in form, product detailing, product visualisation, advanced ergonomics, exhibition design, typography, video, photography, animation, multimedia, information design, computer graphics and illustration. Visual communication plays a vital role in national development. The emphasis is on meeting the unmet communication needs for which, normally, resources are not readily available. The visual communication programme gives students a better maturity in handling communication design problems, a deeper understanding of aesthetic aspects, and generating methods and processes for solving communication problems. It equips you to become a creative and analytical problem solver who can effectively use various design methods. You can also specialise in one of the many areas of visual communication e.g. typography, information visualisation, interaction design, video/film making, exhibition design, animation, photography, etc. The industrial design programme concentrates on developing skills, knowledge and attitude among students to become creative problem solvers who can effectively and strategically use different design processes and methods. You will learn to correlate a product’s technical and ergonomic functions with real human needs. The course will develop your innovative and aesthetic sensibilities to solve socially relevant problems and design a coherent and appropriate product. While working on a project, students interact with industries, institutions and social organisations to understand, study, analyse and solve various kinds of existing problems. The animation programme grooms experts who will eventually emerge as leaders to influence the future of animation — directly responsible for nearly all aspects of the film making process — from concept to drawing, shooting, camera etc. India is emerging as a major global player in animation production. This is an opportune time to respond to the necessity of a holistic approach to animation. Students have access to cutting edge IT capabilities and the proximity to other engineering disciplines that facilitates cross-disciplinary and collaborative projects. You can also explore and experiment with new areas for
animation applications. The Common Entrance Examination for Design (CEED) is an all India exam conducted by IIT Bombay, on behalf of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, for admission to master of design (MDes) Programmes at IITs (Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur), IISc Bangalore, and Ph.D. programmes in design in some institutes. For details, log on to www.idc.iitb.ac.in
This column appears weekly. Please send in your queries, preferably on a postcard, along with your full name, complete address and academic qualifications to: The Editor, Jobs and Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030, or at careers
@tribunemail.com
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More work, less pay
Courtesy recession, it is a buyers market out there and the bargaining power of the employee has hit a new low. Keep in mind that it is a passing phase and don’t take any rash decisions
Industry experts say that the downturn has hit on the bargaining power of employees and a new entrant into a company may have to settle for less if he is hard pressed for a job. Asked whether firms were taking advantage of the downturn and trying to squeeze more work in less pay, KPMG partner and head of people and change advisory services, Ganesh Shermon said that taking advantage can be positive or negative. “Negative side is a definite trend. More work at same pay (means) — longer working hours, extended week days to week ends, tougher travel norms, lower level jobs, Saturday working, depleted training, shorter lunch breaks, continuing threat perception of job loss,” Shermon said. Further, he added that taking advantage in the positive way includes practices such as sabbatical leave, learning systems, development center initiatives, personal coaching, re-skilling and leadership development. “The only advantage that companies are looking at deriving out of this situation of downturn, is that they are concentrating on hiring candidates with the right levels of competence and have stopped submitting to over-demanding candidates,” Laurent & Benon Management Consultants director Aman Syal said. Any sensible company even today realises that satisfied employees are the only key to success but it would not be wrong to say “that companies have become intolerant towards non-performers”, Syal added. PricewaterhouseCoopers India Leader for People and Change practice R. Sankar believes both employer and employee need to be pragmatic and think long-term during these times of downturn. “Employees must also remember they have had a pretty good run over the years and must be prepared to accept less when the going is tough. In the worst case, the choice is stark: keep your job by accepting less, or lose it altogether,” Sankar added. Shermon further said that receiving a fair salary is relative to the situation and only a year back in a sellers market employees were demanding twice of what their job was worth. “This is now turn of employers or buyers market. Exception to such exploitative practices would be companies such as Unilever, IBM, Coke, Wal-Mart. It is really some Delhi-based companies in construction, real estate, infrastructure, entertainment that have excessively manipulated their employees to suit their valuation dreams,” Shermon pointed out. Asked about the criterion a fair salary, PwC’s Sankar said that it the one that is sustainable from an employer’s viewpoint, in attracting and retaining the talent needed to achieve business goals. While, for the employee, a fair salary is one that is broadly in line with the market for his skills and that rewards him for superior performance. Laurent & Benon Management’s Syal advised a job seeker in these times to look at a compensation that would help him/her survive decently and concentrate on things like suitability of role, growth prospects and SWOT analysis of the employer. However, he said companies were not taking advantage of the downturn to squeeze more work, as the effort to achieve higher levels of productivity is ongoing and can never be said to have reached an end and in a competitive global scenario, this is a continuous process.
— PTI
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Window to the future “The charm of the IT sector has not faded. Students prefer IT for its MNC culture, opportunities to work with technically sound professionals with cutting edge technology, training and growth opportunities,” said Vatsala Pant, associate director, Consumer Research, The Nielsen Company, which conducted the study. The automobile and automobile ancillary, telecom, energy - oil and gas, infrastructure and real estate and power sectors were the other preferred choices for engineering graduates. “The fact that many of the top companies with huge turnovers hail from the IT sector furthers their choice,” said Pant. The Nielsen Campus Track T-Schools study was conducted in February and March 2009 in the prime of recession. However, the choice of IT sector among students recorded a seven per cent drop compared to last year. “The global economic crisis has decreased the overall students’ preference for management consultancies, financial sector followed by the IT sector. Sectors less affected by the downturn are infrastructure, and automobile and automobile ancillary,” said Pant. The survey also tracked the attitudes of students towards companies as prospective employers. “The soon-to-be engineers want to work for a technically sound company when they pass out. They want to work on sophisticated and state-of-art technology, where there is good learning on the job and want to work in a growing industry, where they get hands on exposure to projects,” said Pant. Nanotechnology is being perceived as the industry of the future with 12 percent voting for it followed by IT services (11 percent), and power (nine percent), energy - oil and gas (eight percent) and telecom (six percent). “Graduates today are looking at honing their skills in their first job. They want to practice what they learnt theoretically in their course. You have to be a master of your skill to succeed in today’s competitive environment and this sends students in search of
advanced technology that provides good learning on the job,” said Pant. Half of the batch of 2010 plans to move out of their first job in three years or less, with 51 per cent citing higher studies as a reason for leaving. “Better career opportunities, better salary, better designation and job satisfaction are some other reasons for students deciding to move out of the first job. Among those keen to pursue higher studies, 69 per cent intend to do an MBA,” said Pant.
— IANS
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Protecting ideas
Courses available
Full time postgraduate diploma in patent and intellectual property laws (US & India) and services:
This course is offered in collaboration with Center for Advanced Studies and Research on Intellectual Property (CASRIP), University of Washington (USA) and is meant for technical professionals aspiring for a lucrative career in Patent and IP Related services. Eligibility:
Graduates/ postgraduates with science/engineering/technical qualifications; legal professionals with technical background, management professionals Duration:
Nine months Seats available: 60 Eligibility:
Law graduates; legal professionals engaged in IPR, management professionals Duration:
Three months Seats available: 60 Eligibility:
Graduates /post-graduates with science/ engineering/ technical qualifications, legal professionals with technical background; management professionals Duration:
One year Seats available: 60 — TNS Deadline:
Admissions close for the one year part time course on June 26 and for full time programmes on June 28.
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Fortnightly Quiz-338
2. In which city did the President of the USA Barack Obama recently deliver a path-breaking speech wherein he called for reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians? 3. Which virus is believed to cause swine flu? 4. Which renowned theatre personality with plays like “Agra Bazar” and “Charandas Chor” etc passed away recently? 5. Which is the only source of vitamin D? 6. In which valley of Himachal Pradesh is the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) situated? 7. Which country’s civil servants, according to a recent survey of 12 Asian economies, have been found to be most efficient? 8. Which footballer of AC Milan recently shifted to Real Madrid for a whopping amount of 65 million euros (approximately Rs 432 crore)? 9. Name the Indian player who clinched his third French Open men’s doubles title this year. 10. Name the six men who have won all four tennis Grand Slam titles. — Tarun Sharma
Winners of quiz 337: The first prize by draw of lots goes to Swati, class VI-C, Dayanand Public School, Pandusar, Nabha, Pin Code - 147201 Second: Vartika Sood, IX-A, Blue Bells Model School, Sector 4, Gurgaon, Pin Code - 122001 Third: Harkanwal Kaur, class IX-A (Shakespeare), Guru Teg Bahadur Public, Bardwal (Dhuri), Sangrur, Pin Code - 148024 Answers to quiz 337: Meira Kumar; Agatha Sangma; Aila; 150; Vienna; India; 328 for 7 at Edgbaston, Birmingham; Deccan Chargers; Manish Pandey; Rafael Nadal 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
Name ……………….…………...........
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NBA accreditation for JECRC
JAIPUR Engineering College and Research Centre (JECRC) has become the first institution in the state to be accreditation by the National Board Accreditation (NBA). The institute got the NBA accreditation for its qualified faculty, well equipped laboratories and faculty development programmes, its director Arpit Agarwal said. The NBA accreditation will help the institute as now it can get more grants from various national and international funding agencies for research and development, Agarwal said. NBA is an autonomous body which periodically evaluates technical institutions and awards accreditation to them.
— PTI
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Calling all high
flyers
Preliminary examination: This is conducted every year in May/June and is only a screening test for the main examination. It consists of two papers of objective type (multiple choice) questions. 
A.
Board results are not always a true mirror of a student’s abilities. At times, they can be downright unpredictable. Don’t worry, you have several remedial options to choose from.
A. BGL and LLB courses differ in their scope and duration. While BGL is a two-year course, LLB takes three. Eligibility for both is a bachelor’s degree, although you can pursue an integrated five-year BA LLB programme straight after Class XII.
A.
The Industrial Design Centre (IDC) at IIT Powai (Mumbai) has been acknowledged as one of the 60 best design schools in the world recently by Business Week, a leading US business magazine, adding another feather to its cap.
AT a time when India Inc is tackling the global downturn and the job market is gloomy, experts believe some companies may be squeezing more work out of employees for lesser pay.
NEVER mind that the IT industry is going through a bad phase following global recession. It continues to be a preferred career option for the majority of Indian engineering students, says a new study. Conducted among 4,352 final engineering students across 151 engineering colleges, including the premier Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), the study found that 43 per cent students still prefer working in the IT sector.
GLOBAL Institute of Intellectual Property (GIIP), co-headquartered in New Delhi (India) and San Jose (USA), is a pioneer educational institute in the field of Patents & Intellectual Property Services. The institute conducts training programmes (diploma & certificate), seminars and workshops to meet the growing demand of trained professionals in the area of Intellectual Property and Patents. These courses are available at the GIIP centers in Delhi and Bangalore and are designed specifically for graduates, post-graduates and PhDs in legal and technical domains who wish to build a career in the booming Intellectual Property (IP) industry.
1. How many Grand Slam titles have been won by Roger Federer and Pete Sampras? 