Lending a helping hand
Educating students with learning disabilities is a rewarding and challenging career, writes Usha Albuquerque. This profession needs dedicated, professional teachers and mentors and will continue to do so

Have it in you? THOSE who get into this field need to have great patience, a systematic and logical way of thinking, a calm temperament, good powers of observation and a practical bent of mind. However, it is possibly the most emotionally rewarding career as special educators play a major role in helping another individual lead a more productive life.

EVERY child is special but some more than others. They are differently-abled or have special needs that deviate from those of a normal or average child in mental, physical and social characteristics. Such special children require a special kind of education to help them develop to their maximum capacity.

The main aim of special education is to make such children adjust in school, family and other social attachments so that they may be able to solve their every day problems and best utilise their abilities. It provides a student with any disability the direct services of a trained special educator, who uses a unique curriculum, a different method, and or specialised instructional materials that are quite different from those traditionally available in regular grades.

For a variety of reasons, children may have special educational needs such as specific learning disabilities, physical or mental handicaps. Special education teachers work with children and youths who have a variety of disabilities. These can range from minor learning disabilities such as dyslexia and attention deficient disorders or physical handicaps of sight, hearing or limb impairment, to severe cases of mental retardation or autism.  

In cases of mild to moderate disabilities, special educators use a modified version of the general education curriculum to meet the child’s individual needs, but a major part of the work is to help develop an individualised education programme for each student. The programme sets personalised goals for the student and is tailored to that student’s individual needs and ability. Special education teachers also design and teach appropriate curricula, assign work geared toward each student’s needs and abilities and grade papers and homework assignments. In severe cases, the educator is primarily involved in teaching life skills and basic literacy. For those with particular disabilities, the teacher may also have to keep in constant touch with the parents or doctors.

Educating students who have learning disabilities is a rewarding and challenging career. This profession is always in need of dedicated, professional teachers and mentors. The number of institutions catering to these special requirements is growing. There are also specialised training programmes dealing with specific learning disabilities of children and youth.  Entry into any of the courses requires some formal education in the concerned area of work, to enable the educator deal with the specific problem. It is also necessary to be sensitive to the needs of the children, and helps to have some experience of teaching normal children.

While a majority of the teacher training institutes offer BEd courses in special education, there are almost 37 diploma courses in the field of special education in India. All these courses are regulated and governed by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). These institutes offer diploma and certificate courses in teaching those with physical disabilities such as visual impairment, speech and hearing disabilities, as well as for mental retardation, and cases of cerebral palsy, autism and so on.

Jamia Millia Islamia, Faculty of Education in New Delhi, SNDT Women’s University, Benares Hindu University and several others offer BEd in special education to students with a graduate degree from any recognised university. There are also institutes such as Action for Ability Development and Inclusion (formerly the Spastics Society of India) and affiliated to University of Delhi, Amar Jyoti Rehabilitation and Research Center, Vikas Marg, New Delhi-92, and Institute of Special Education, Nizamuddin, New Delhi, offering diploma and shorter certificate courses in special education for specific problems such as mental retardation, cerebral palsy and others. In addition, the Thakur Hari Prasad Institute of Research and Rehabilitation for the Mentally Handicapped is offering admission to BEd special education in mental retardation in distance education mode. MP Bhoj Open University, Bhopal, is offering the course in collaboration with the Rehabilitation Council of India. Students with a graduate degree from any recognised university along with any of the following qualifications – two years work experience in field of disability, bridge course, diploma in special education — parent of a child with disability, person with disability and foundation course on education of children with disability, are eligible for the course.

Recognising the importance of rehabilitating children and youth with special needs, the government has set up national level institutes for disabled persons, which include the National Institute for Hearing Handicapped, National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped, National Institute of the Visually Handicapped and National Institute for Orthopaedically Handicapped. The National Institute of Rehabilitation, Training and Research and The Institute for Physically Handicapped are other two national level institutes run by the government. It has also initiated a District Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) scheme in ten states to make all-inclusive rehabilitation. Institutes such as the Christian Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab DAV Institute of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Jalandhar, Punjab, Post Graduate Institute, Chandigarh, and the Ali Yavar Jung National Institute for the Hearing Handicapped, Bandra Reclamation, Mumbai, also offer programmes for physical rehabilitation.

In the years ahead, the demand for special educators is expected to increase faster than the average for other occupations as more and more parents search for special education facilities for their differently-abled children. Qualified special educators can work with the numerous special education schools, institutes and NGOs handling children and youth, or into teaching others who may also want to devote themselves to this field. Moreover, there is also an increasing demand for trained professionals in countries such as USA, Canada, UK and Australia.

In India, too, there are several special schools and institutes set up to care for the needs of children with special needs. Job prospects should be excellent as even today there is a dearth of certified special education teachers to handle the students in such institutes. Helping special students can be highly rewarding, but also emotionally and physically draining. In addition, special education teachers are under considerable stress because of heavy workloads and administrative tasks. The teacher has to cope with the children’s day-to-day activities such as eating or cleaning up in addition to academic subjects. To find out more about this field you can volunteer or work in an institution providing such services. It can help you decide whether you like working in such a field, before you commit yourself to a degree in special education.

With the present emphasis on education for all, teaching has assumed great significance in the development of the country. Moreover as individual requirements increase there is likely to be an increasing demand for special educators, with specific areas of expertise. As the quality and reach of special education in India grows over the years giving new hopes and bright future for disabled, there will be an increasing need for dedicated and qualified special educators.

The meltdown
Pink slips haunting techies
Psychiatrists explain Layoff Survivor Syndrome: Combination of I-may-be-next anxiety and sense of remorse having survived while colleagues were not that lucky

IT professionals are battling the global downturn with the help of doctors. Living under constant fear of losing their jobs or trauma of seeing their colleagues getting the pink slip, techies are increasingly seeking medical help to survive what experts call “layoff survivor syndrome”.

The intensity of the syndrome could become severe when a team member working on a project is benched or sent out, a leading psychiatrist said. “It’s a mental situation where IT professionals who of late have seen their colleagues, who are often friends too, being laid off,” BN Gangadhar, professor of psychiatry at the premier National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, told media. 

“First, it is the anxiety that the axe may fall upon them the next time and, secondly, a sense of remorse, with a tinge of guilt that they have survived, whereas their colleagues sitting next to them have lost jobs,” Gangadhar said. 

Two million people were employed in the Indian IT and BPO industry in 2007-08, according to the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom). The BPO sector employed more than 700,000 people. 

“These are bad times. Recently two of my colleagues, who are also close friends, were fired. I am feeling terrible after the episode,” said Sundar Gopal working with a reputed Indian IT company. 

UNITES-Professionals (Union of Information Technology-Enabled Services-Professionals), says there is no clear estimate of the job loss in these sectors in the wake of the global economic meltdown. Though UNITES claims that such unions have been formed in several countries, they are not recognised as a trade union either by the governments or employers. 

“Every other employed IT professional is thinking that it’s their turn next,” rues Karthik Shekhar, general secretary of UNITES-Bangalore. UNITES-Bangalore says it has more than 50,000 members. “Those who are still employed are working under great mental stress, which is taking a toll on their work and professional growth also,” Shekhar asserted. 

UNITES-Bangalore contends that the employers are not helping their staff to deal with the mental trauma of being laid off. “The companies are not giving any kind of counselling before handing over pink slips to their employees. This leaves the employees distraught. The companies should provide some kind of counselling in not only giving mental solace to their employees but also some amount of guidance in helping them find an alternative means of livelihood,” said Shekhar. 

Several Bangalore hospitals say they are seeing increased number of IT professionals seeking help. “We’re getting two types of IT professionals seeking our help. First are those who have already lost their jobs and second are those who’re fighting the fear that they might lose their jobs soon,” said M Srihari, a psychiatrist with the state government-run Bangalore Medical College.

“After counselling and medical aid, many have improved, but some are too shocked to believe that they have lost their jobs or their colleagues have lost their jobs,” Srihari added. He has a suggestion, particularly for youngsters. “Losing a job is not the end of life. Life has many things in store and they could easily try various options to rise again,” added Srihari. 

From the sprawling campuses of IT majors to the small backroom offices in the city the “psychological pressure” under which the staff goes about the daily work is evident when one talks to them. 

Ramaya P, employed at a multinational company, said every day she works under the fear of being fired the next moment. 

“Insecurity is palpable everywhere. I have heard of cases of so many people getting pink slips in recent times. My stress level has increased,” said Ramya, who added she has not yet thought of going to a counsellor. Asked how she is tackling the situation, Ramya said: “I only hope the situation improves soon.” — IANS

India shining
21-year-old Indian student selected from over 80,000 enrolled in Australia’s TAFE
Rajni Anand Luthra

By winning the International Student of the Year award at a prestigious university in Australia, Paramjeet Singh has brought cheer to the thousands of Indian students, a group traumatised by the recent spate of attacks on them.

The 21-year-old was picked as one of the top 35 students in TAFE (Western Sydney) for the year 2008. He took the award for International Student of the Year. Paramjeet completed a two-year Diploma in Information Technology (Software Development) at Mount Druitt College in 2008.

"It took me by surprise when I first heard I was to get an award, but now, I just feel very inspired," Paramjeet told the Indian Link. "I want to study with even more dedication and reach the top in my field."

The Amritsar-born student has enrolled this year for a Bachelor's degree in IT at University of Western Sydney. He finished his diploma at Mount Druitt College last December. What did he think about the quality of education here, compared to India? "I've nothing to compare it with, really, because I didn't attend university in India — I came here straight after school," said Paramjeet, a high-ranking student throughout. "My teachers at TAFE were fantastic; very cooperative at every stage."

But he did find it was hard going, he confessed, given that he had to work long hours. "It must be easier for students in India because they don't have to work, just concentrate on studies." It took Paramjeet two months to find the kind of employment he liked.

"In the early days I did letter drops — walking and putting pamphlets in people's letter boxes. Then I found work in a restaurant - I'm still working there. It's quite nice, but I would like to find some work in my professional field". He lives in Wentworthville in the west of Sydney with a cousin, also a student. He drives himself to work, and says he has never had any problems while commuting at night.

What has been the best thing about coming to Australia? "That I won an award from college," Paramjeet smiled. "I never imagined that I would win anything in a foreign land ... my parents were very proud and that made me happy."

And the worst thing about coming here? "Nothing. Sab kuch paaya hi hai (I've only gained). I was only 19 when I landed here - who could have thought I would be so independent and work my own way through uni?"

So what's his advice to potential students? Paramjeet took a moment before answering: "Choose a subject that you're truly passionate about, then go all out to do well in it. Even I was advised to change my course to cookery or hairdressing, and I nearly did too, but thankfully I listened to a distant family member who is a long-time resident here."

Paramjeet says he has grown to love Sydney, and although he hasn't explored it as much as he would like, he enjoys the beaches, Blue Mountains and Wollongong. He hasn't been back home to India ever since he got here. Paramjeet and his fellow-awardees were selected from more than 80,000 students enrolled at TAFE NSW in 2008. — IANS

BEING BOSS
Lead from the front
Personal accountability is a test of leadership, writes R.C. Sharma

As the working world becomes increasingly competitive, leadership commitment and accountability is under the spotlight once again. Immense gains in productivity and motivation can be made when people in a position of leadership show more personal accountability towards their responsibilities, commitments and expectations. It has been aptly said that actions speak louder than words, especially when you want to motivate others to produce best results. Here are some ways according to which you can demonstrate leadership accountability that will inspire employees and lead your organisation on the path of success.

Value people: People are your company’s number one asset when you treat them as you would like to be treated yourself, everyone benefits.

Take responsibility: Take responsibility for results or the lack of it. Leadership accountability means accepting full ownership for outcomes whether good or bad. When plans go awry, you don’t blame a person, the team, the circumstances either. You don’t wallow in self-pity or hide behind the ‘victim’ mentality. Being accountable means accepting your mistakes and learning its lessons.

While you may not be in a position to control events or the behaviour of other people, you are still in control of your own response to these situations and events. As a leader, it is important to remain focused on goals and results, to recognize that there are always matters that you could have done – perhaps still can do – to bring the situation around.

Become a role model: Lead by example. It may be possible to manage from behind the scene, but leadership is always done from the front. Remember, there are a number of people who look up to you as a role model. Your actions and behaviour send influential messages across and set the standard for your team. It would be unreal to expect the team to do a task you wouldn’t do yourself. So, whether it is about fielding a customer call, embracing change, or setting new standards, take charge, stand up for the occasion and show them the way.

Be open to criticism: Be accessible and open to criticism. Accepting it is an essential element of leadership accountability. A leader is accountable to the people he leads and to those above him. Lend an ear and have an open mind to what your employees have to say. Value dissent – it is the first step to getting their commitments.

Trust, empower staff: Have faith. Trust and delegate powers to staff. Give them ownership and share targets and expectations with them. Get their opinions when making important decisions. Allow them to handle risky matters and watch the outcome. Provide constructive criticism and guidance where required. Guide and train staff to enable them to face accountability for their actions.

Communicate well: Tear down the ivory tower. Keep all doors open. Be accessible to everyone. Remember, every good leader is also a good listener. Take responsibility for passing on bad news. Part of leadership accountability is to ensure good communication and interpersonal relationships at all levels. A leader therefore must continually monitor the flow of information. When communicating in times of crisis, ensure that your message is unambiguous, expresses commitment to organizational values, and is aimed at eliminating tension. Be upright and forthright and provide solutions when representing problems.

Be a problem-solver: An efficient and capable leader knows how to recognise real problems and how to take action to solve them.

Promote people from within: Upward mobility for employees in your company builds loyalty. People give you their best when they know they will be rewarded.

Develop know-how: Merely putting time and energy into a project is not enough. You have to develop skills. Prepare yourself physically, mentally and intellectually through formal education.

Select the right person: This requires that you know the people who work for you. You must know their strengths, interests and capabilities. You must know their limitations as well. Otherwise, you will throw people into situations for which they are not prepared. When they fail, it is a reflection on you, as well.

Making the assignment clear: When to start, when to finish, who else to involve, the expected outcome. This means you have to think these things through in advance. Successful leaders know that delegation is not dumping.

Be honest about your mistakes: Mistakes happen. Regardless of how much we want to be perfect, we are still simply human. Every day of our life, we make mistakes of some sort. Don’t cover them up. Don’t lie. Be bold. Be direct. Be approachable about them.

Accountability is a must for the success of an organisation. It motivates employees and rekindles trust and loyalty. Only people who are wholeheartedly committed and dedicated to their responsibilities are capable to showing the level of personal accountability that inspirational leadership calls for. In that context, personal accountability can even be seen as a litmus test of leadership.

IT’s happening!
Five IT cos in top 10 Great Place to Work list and 18 in the top 50, more than any other sector

GREAT Place To Work Institute, the US-based institute that ranks Best Workplaces globally, has been around in India for six years. However, this is the first time that this study is being done in the middle of a global economic downturn of such magnitude. Last year, when the study was done, one was talking about hyper growth and multiplying job offers, as salaries zoomed and attrition surged, staff retention and engagement was the biggest worry for CEOs. 

Since then business world has changed significantly. Globally, the last one year has been unprecedentedly tough for companies across the globe. The period has been no less stressful for IT companies. The sector’s biggest market US and biggest vertical BFSI have been bruised badly in the economic downturn. However, the sector continues to shine despite a few blips. The industry has as many as five companies in the top 10 Great Place to Work list and as many as 18 in the top 50, more than any other sector. So, here’s over to the IT’s Great Places to Work.

The no. 1 great place to work for is Noida-based geo-spatial and IT maven, RMSI. The company not only the top list in great IT workplaces, but also the over all list. The Rs 104-crore company, which is yet to figure among the IT heavyweights, has bagged the `Best Employer’ tag three years in a row. As for what makes it a great work place is a terrific mix of independence and strong working ethos, along with flexibility to satiate one’s entrepreneurial streak. Employees rave about the company’s Performance Management System. Apart from employees being able to calculate their own bonus, the process of observation ensures fairness and transparency in feedback sharing with the employee.

The no. 2 on the Great Places to Work list is Intel India. The company which is rated best for Work Life Balance Intel believes that none of its employees actually leave their personality at home and come to work. Hence, efforts are constantly driven towards assimilating the culture of Intel along with different kinds of personalities in the organisation. 

Anish R, HR Director, South Asia, Intel, says that managing the ‘life requirements’ of employees is a big driving factor for them and all their activities are guided around this philosophy. The company has a strong emphasis on family, extra-curricular activities and volunteerism.

The third IT company in the Great Places to Work list is Google. Fifth in the overall ranking, Google has always strived to create the atmosphere of freedom with a sense of empowerment for its employees.

According to Shailesh Rao, MD, Google India, there are four key characteristics they look at for in any prospective employee — purpose driven, cognitive ability, requisite work experience and leadership qualities. In essence, Google always look for smart and exceptional people. The entrepreneurial fervour runs very strongly within Google giving its people the maximum flexibility in terms of the work they would like to do. For example, appraisals in Google are not done just by the superiors but also by the peers and subordinates.

At no. 4 is Qualcomm India. Mumbai-based telecom company ranks at no. 6 in the overall survey list. At a time when various companies are laying off people, Qualcomm is, in fact, increasing investment in new ventures, CSR activities and doling out appraisals twice a year. Apart from offering the work from home option, it’s the environment at Qualcomm that makes people stick on.

The fifth best IT company to work for ranks at no. 9 on the overall Great Places to Work list. Trust and integrity, among the other things, are the key elements of NetApp’s culture. During its recent global restructuring, which saw them letting go 6% of their workforce, they took utmost care so as to see that that the affected employees were not left high and dry.

At no. 6 (11th on the overall list) is Sunil Bharti Mittal’s homegrown telecom empire Bharti Airtel. Talk therapy works best as the Bharti rank and file weave a common dream with immense pride. While that silhouettes a vision of transparency and growth, the ‘linking up India’ credo of the company fires up patriotic passion. 

At no. 12 on the over all list, Agilent Technologies is the seventh best technology workplace. The new-age Agilent is at the helm of cutting-edge science and technological innovation and application. With the average age at 28 years, the tech czar leverages technology to enable information exchange, transparency, empowerment, collaboration and employee development. 

At no. 17 on the over all list is Corbus India. Plug in to work and play in equal degree. Corbus India’s transparent and accessible management culture has produced a fun and friendly place to work where employees rave about their professional growth and the spirit of oneness. 

At no. 18th on the overall list is Tavant Technologies. Tavant employees supported by accessible managers work hard and party harder. About 60% of employees can work from home and almost everyone uses some aspect of their flexible working policy.The top 10 per cent key performers in the company - `Bar Raisers’ - form part of the selection process (mandatory). They have a veto power in the selection and direct access to the CEO in case of non-concurrence in hiring.

At no. 19 on the overall list is MindTree. Exemplary when it comes to cascading values down to the lowest level of employee, MindTree lives by its DNA of imagination, action and joy. At its core, lie the much touted CLASS values - Caring, Learning, Achieving, Sharing and Social Responsibility. 

Accenture Services ranks in the following 25 in the over all list Employees are spoilt for choices when it comes to development options. Accenture has all the making of a great workplace, albeit institutionalising workplace fairness for such a huge workforce continues to be a challenge. — TNS

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Positive self-statements do more harm

WHILE self-help books are considered to boost a person’s morale, a piece of research now suggests that positive self-statements in such books may actually leave people with low self-esteem and feeling worse about themselves.

Psychologists Joanne V. Wood and John W. Lee from the University of Waterloo, and W.Q. Elaine Perunovic from the University of New Brunswick, found that individuals with low self-esteem actually felt worse about themselves after repeating positive self-statements.

In the study, the researchers asked participants with low self-esteem and high self-esteem to repeat the self-help book phrase ‘I am a lovable person.’ Then the psychologists measured the participants’ moods, and their momentary feelings about themselves. 

It was found that the individuals with low self-esteem felt worse after repeating the positive self-statement, compared to another low self-esteem group who did not repeat the self-statement. The individuals with high self-esteem felt better after repeating the positive self-statement, but only slightly. In a follow-up study, the psychologists allowed the participants to list negative self-thoughts along with positive self-thoughts. 

Surprisingly, they found that moods of the participants with low self-esteem fared better when they were allowed to have negative thoughts than when they were asked to focus exclusively on affirmative thoughts. The psychologists suggested that, like overly positive praise, unreasonably positive self-statements, such as ‘I accept myself completely,’ could provoke contradictory thoughts in individuals with low self-esteem. 

Such negative thoughts can overwhelm the positive thoughts, and if people are instructed to focus exclusively on positive thoughts, they may find negative thoughts to be especially discouraging. The authors concluded: ‘Repeating positive self-statements may benefit certain people [such as individuals with high self-esteem] but backfire for the very people who need them the most.’ — ANI

BPO aspirant? Try six months @ IGNOU

IF you are dreaming of a well-paying job in India’s big BPO industry, here’s something to give you a head start. Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is offering a six-month online course to train you up. It claims to have got a good response to the “Business Process Outsourcing-finance and accounts” course, and feel the BPO industry in India will welcome the trained lot. Most of those enrolling for the course are students of commerce and accountancy. R Krishna Prasad is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in commerce from Bangalore. “I am a second year student pursuing BCom (Hons) and I want to join a BPO firm after my graduation, so I enrolled in this course. I think it is familiarising me with the work culture of the industry,” Prasad said. The diploma course that has an intake of 50 students is structured in such a way that apart from the classes conducted on weekends, the students are exposed to an ‘online lab’ which will simulate the working environment of a BPO. 

According to the National Association of Software and Service Companies (Nasscom), over 1.1 million people are employed in the BPO industry in India. A significant number are below the age of 30. The industry is expected to employ 2.5-3 million professionals by 2010, contributing 7-8 percent of the national GDP.  — IANS

Career Hotline
Pervin Malhotra

Outer space, here I come!

Q. I want to become an astronaut. Should I take electrical or aeronautical engineering? I have an interest in the aeronautical branch.

— Gurpreet Vij

A. You should either opt for aerospace engineering or aeronautical engineering.

At the undergraduate level, besides the IITs (Kanpur, Mumbai, Madras and Kharagpur) that offer BTech as well as integrated MTech in aerospace engineering (five years), Amity University, Amity School of Engineering, Noida (www.amity.edu) and SRM University, Chennai & Ghaziabad (www.srmuniv.ac.in) also offer courses in aerospace engineering

Alternatively, you could do a BTech (aeronautical engineering) that is offered at several engineering colleges all over the country.

The Aeronautical Society of India (ASI) (www.aesi.org) conducts an Associate Membership Exam twice a year. Sections ‘A’ and ‘B’ of this exam have been recognised by the Ministry of Education at par with a Bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from an Indian university for purposes of recruitment to superior posts and services in the Central Government. You can also take the GATE for admission to PG programmes at the IITs and other engineering colleges.

Those who have cleared 10+2 with science subjects can directly enrol for Section A.

What is it? AERONAUTICAL engineering focusses on the design, construction and maintenance of commercial as well as military aircraft and even satellites, spacecraft and missiles. It includes the study of fluid dynamics, material science, structural analysis, propulsion and electronics. Technologically speaking, this is one of the most advanced branches of engineering. At the bachelor’s level, the course covers the study of fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, and gas dynamics, material science, structural analysis, propulsion, acoustics and electronics. You could further specialise in aerodynamics, thermodynamics, propulsion, structures, celestial machines, acoustics and guidance and control systems.

Don’t do MBA through distance mode

Q. I am doing BE in chemical engineering and want to do MBA after this. Please suggest which branch I should take? Would it be alright to pursue it through distance mode?

— Tarun Deswal

A. Marketing, HR, finance, international business or IT are all critical business functions. Your professional success, however, will depend on your individual skills, aptitude and initiative — regardless of the specialisation you choose. Your pay packet will also depend on the B-school you graduate from, the kind of companies that visit your campus for recruitment and to some extent on the economic cycles that prevail at the time of placement (e.g. when the economy is booming, jobs in finance are at a premium).

Not to worry though: the first year MBA curriculum at most B-schools is compulsory for all students. It covers the basic functional areas of finance and accounting, marketing, personnel and operations management. You will also learn the basic principles of economics, behavioural sciences, information technology and quantitative methods in the context of business management.

At the end of the first year, you will work on a summer assignment (eight-10 weeks) in an organisation.

In the second year, you will have the opportunity to pursue the areas of special interest to you. Therefore, all the second year courses in good B-schools are electives.

Besides helping you develop an integrated approach to solving business problems, this gives you sufficient time to choose your field of specialisation. IIM-A and a number of other B-schools give you the flexibility of dual specialisation. You can even mix and match courses from different streams if you like – as long as you are prepared to take on the load of extra credits.

Only those with several years of work-ex should look at distance MBA. Someone like you would be better off with a regular full-time MBA from a reputed B-school.

Chugging on the right track

Q. I am a diploma holder in mechanical branch from a polytechnic in Hoshiarpur. I wish to explore the possibilities of a job in the Indian Railways for me.

— Dharmesh Yadav

A. The Institution of Permanent Way Engineers (India), a technical body under the Ministry of Railways, offers a one year diploma in railway engineering, through correspondence. The diploma is accepted by the Ministry of Railways as a desirable additional qualification for recruitment to various posts through Railway Recruitment Boards.

Eligibility: Diploma in engineering (or graduates with science/maths as one of the subjects in Class XII).

For further information, you could contact: Institution of Permanent Way Engineers (India), G-11, Railway Board, Rail Bhawan, Raisina Road, New Delhi 110001.

The SCRA (Special Class Railway Apprenticeship) Exam is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for recruiting junior officers in the Indian Railway Service of mechanical engineers.

Eligibility: Pass in 10+2 (PCM).

Age limit: 21 years, relaxable for certain categories.

The exam can only be taken only in English and consists of two parts:

n Part I: Written exam (three papers, 200 marks each) adding up to a total of 600 marks.

- General ability test (English, GK & psychological test)

- Physical Sciences (physics & chemistry)

- Mathematics

The questions are approximately of +2 level.

n Part II: Personality test to assess your overall academic and extra-curricular performance, leadership and communication skills (one hour, 200 marks). This test is only for those who have qualified Part I.

Selected candidates are sent for four years apprenticeship to the Indian Railways Institute of Mechanical & Electrical Engineers, Jamalpur. For details, log on to www.upsc.gov.in.

Starting as a probationer, you will be paid a stipend and upon successful completion of training, you will be appointed as an assistant mechanical engineer.

Give the masses a voice

Q. I have done two-year PG course in human rights. Please tell me the career possibilities and work involved.

— Kripa Jamwal

A. Human rights are the basic rights of people to survive — the right to good, healthy food, clean water, freedom of movement and speech and freedom from slavery and discrimination. Representing fundamental human values, these rights are eternal, inalienable and unvarying — all other rights flow from these.

Although human rights is still in its budding stage in India, and our record is not all that great (going by the controversial Amnesty International report) there are many avenues open for a student specialising in this field.

Besides social service organisations like old age homes and age care centres, NGOs working with the disabled, orphans, destitute, mentally-challenged, drug addicts, you could land a job with established NGOs in the fields of human rights and civil liberties in general and human rights activism, disaster and emergency relief, humanitarian assistance, child, bonded labour, displaced people, drug abuse, conflict resolution and public interest litigation.

International organisations and NGOs are on a constant look out for those specialising in human rights. These include United Nations (UNIFEM, ILO, UNESCO, UNDCP, UNFPA, WHO, US Aid, Amnesty International, Oxfam, etc) Cry, Red Cross, DANIDA, YMCA, YWCA and many more.

Statutory government bodies and cooperatives in India like the national and state commissions on women, children, human rights, labour, welfare, minorities, SC and ST, military, paramilitary and police departments, Panchayati Raj institutions, schools, colleges and universities, including research bodies and centres of excellence, district rural development agencies and district urban development agencies, human rights consultancy organisations run by lawyers and legal experts are other places to tap.

You can also work with correctional institutions in the fields of juvenile delinquency, child abuse, women reformation centres, prisons and homes for the homeless. However, merely doing a course without a social work (MSW) or law background (LLB) won’t get you a job directly.

Plans are afoot to make human rights education mandatory in all schools and colleges in a few years. This, in turn, would create demand for lecturers, teachers and counsellors in the future.

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