Bumper Harvest
With the technological advancement available in terms of scientific knowledge, automation and bio-genetics, farming no longer need be the preserve of the simple, uneducated farmer, but an exciting option for those looking to reap a bumper harvest, writes Usha Albuquerque

With technological advancement available in terms of scientific knowledge, automation and bio-genetics, farming is becoming a specialised professional activity, whether it is sowing, harvesting, marketing or research and technology in agriculture and other aspects of field work. There is, therefore, a felt need for professionals to work in this field providing a range of skills and technology inputs which not only help the farmer but also increase productivity of crops, much needed for a huge country like India.

This new role requires agricultural graduates to work in agriculture management as technology advisors providing guidance on the issues of crop production, crop protection and natural resource management, as well as research and extension services for innovative farming systems to farmers, farming co-operatives and agricultural companies.

To provide such agricultural inputs the government has set up an Agricultural Technology Management Agency in different states to work towards sustainable agricultural development. Each state which has taken up this programme will be recruiting agricultural graduates to provide such extension services to farmers. The agricultural technology management work will involve establishing farmer information services through the creation of farmer advisory committees relating to different aspects of agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, dairy, fishery and soil conservation. These services will include research and extension services on a variety of farming related issues, spreading awareness on all aspects of farming and horticulture.

It will also include exposure to and demonstration of new crops, farming techniques and training provided to farmers to increase their knowledge of agricultural practices, information about new seeds, fertilizers or farming technologies, and other agricultural activities. Through these services computer and internet services will also be made available for the use of information technology to the farmer which can help them access the latest information on weather, current market prices, foods-in-demand, etc.

The ultimate objective of both research and the extension systems is to increase the agricultural production. So another aspect of the work will be to examine the farmers' requirements, collect feedback from growers on experiences with technologies in place and thus help formulate research and extension agenda based on producer' requirements. This will result in technology that will be more acceptable to users, and also help in the allocation of resources to both research and extension activities to be taken up in any district.

The private sector, too, is getting into the area of farming, and contract farming, to provide support and inputs to the farmer and producer. Agriculture graduates can also work as crop advisers and in agro-business, combining their knowledge in these disciplines as well as their local experience to provide sound recommendations to their clients, while supervisors and quality checkers ensure that crops produced meet up with the market requirements.

With the advent of retail into India, larger and larger quantities of farm produce are now available in retail outlets across the country. Agro-business includes industries that sell raw or processed farm products, and those that process farm products for further commercial use in retail outlets. With the entry of agri-retail outlets for providing fresh farm produce to the urban consumer, there is a need for large numbers of people trained in the handling and processing of perishables for the domestic and export market. Companies like the Bharti Group, in collaboration with UK's Rothschild, Reliance retail and PepsiCo are bringing farm produce from farms to urban centres and to markets abroad. Companies like ITC are setting up internet kiosks in villages, which help farmers access the latest information on weather, current market prices, foods-in-demand, etc.

Agro-business also includes the production of seeds and fertilizers, machinery and equipment for use in farming, and the production and marketing of these products for farm use. It also includes providing of banking, insurance and financial services to the farming community and relevant information.

Getting In

With the number and range of activities involved in the agriculture sector, you can enter with a degree in agriculture or rural management.

Most universities offer graduate and post-graduate courses in agriculture and its allied fields. Most agricultural institutions offer a choice of several agricultural specializations, such as agricultural economics, agricultural chemistry, horticulture, animal husbandry, agricultural marketing and farm management. Some of the more prominent institutions for the study of agriculture include;

n Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar.

n Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.

n GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, UP.

n Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi

n University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore.

n Gujarat Agriculture University, Anand Dist, Gujarat.

Courses for agricultural engineering are also available at some engineering colleges and agricultural universities.

There are also institutes which offer post-graduate programmes in management specially designed to prepare students for careers in management related to agriculture, food, agri-business, rural and allied sectors of the economy.

The Institute of Rural Management (IRMA) at Anand, Gujarat and the Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University at Hisar offer prgrammes in rural management, while IIM, Ahmedabad offers postgraduate programme in Agribusiness Management (PGP-ABM).

With the increasing commercialisation of agriculture, there is great scope for jobs in the major areas of agriculture where career opportunities will increase in coming days are: crop production and management, natural resource management, livestock and poultry, fish production, post-harvest agricultural engineering and processing technology. With the government's major thrust in this area, the Central Government has decided to recruit about 2000 agriculture graduates during this year attached to the Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) to conduct these extension services across the country. The ATMA agency in Jalandhar has already set in motion the services to be provided. Another huge sector is that of food processing with more than a quarter of India's farm production being wasted due to a lack of cold storage and adequate transportation. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has identified twelve locations for setting up centres for handling agro-perishables to facilitate the export of farm products. There will also be a requirement for trained people to handle such goods. For agriculture graduates there are now opportunities not only in the government sector but also in private companies and organisations. 

The Lateral View
Sheenu Jain

The emphasis in education has always been on logical sequential thinking, which is by tradition the only proper use of information. Creativity is vaguely encouraged as some mysterious talent. Lateral thinking is not a substitute for traditional logical thinking but a necessary complement. Logical thinking is quite incomplete without lateral thinking.

Lateral thinking, makes quite a different use of information from logical thinking. For instance the need to be right at every step is absolutely essential to logical thinking but quite unnecessary in lateral thinking. It may sometimes be necessary to be wrong in order to dislocate a pattern sufficiently for it to reform in a new way. With logical thinking one makes immediate judgments, with lateral thinking one may delay judgments in order to allow information to interact and generate new ideas. The twin aspects of lateral thinking are - the provocative use of information and the challenge in accepted concepts. Underlying both these aspects is the main purpose of lateral thinking which provides a means to restructure patterns. This restructuring of pattern is necessary to make better use of information that is already available. It is an insight restructuring.

Mind connection

The mind is a pattern making system. The mind creates patterns out of the environment and then recognises and uses such patterns. This is the basis of its effectiveness. As the sequence of arrival of information determines how it is to be arranged into a pattern, such patterns are always less than the best possible arrangement of information. In order to bring such patterns up to date and to make better use of the contained information one needs a mechanism for insight restructuring. This can never be provided by logical thinking, which works to relate accepted concepts and not to restructure them. Lateral thinking is demanded by the behaviour of this type of information processing system in order to bring about insight restructuring.

The provocative function of lateral thinking and the challenging function are both directed towards this end. In both cases information is used in a manner that goes beyond reason as lateral thinking works outside of reason.

Lateral thinking works at an earlier stage than verbal thinking. It is used to restructure the perceptual pattern which is the way a situation is looked at. Verbal thinking then accepts the perceptual pattern and develops it. Lateral thinking is generative, verbal thinking is selective.

Going beyond the adequate

In ordinary traditional thinking we have developed no methods for going beyond the adequate. As soon as something is satisfactory our thinking must stop. And yet there may be many better arrangements of information beyond the merely adequate. Once one has reached an adequate answer then it is difficult to proceed by logical thinking because the rejection mechanism which is the basis of logical thinking can no longer function well. With lateral thinking one can easily proceed beyond the adequate by insight restructuring. The need to change ideas is becoming more and more obvious as technology speeds up the rate of communication and progress. Lateral thinking is directed towards bringing about change in ideas through insight restructuring.

Lateral thinking is directly concerned with insight and with creativity. But while both these processes are usually only recognised after they have happened, lateral thinking is a deliberate way of using information in order to bring them about. In practice lateral and vertical thinking are so complementary that they are mixed together. Nevertheless, it is best to treat them as distinct in order to understand the basic nature of lateral thinking and acquire skill in its use.

Practice, practice, practice

It is difficult to acquire any sort of skill in lateral thinking simply by reading about it. In order to develop such skill one must practice and go on practicing. Nor are exhortation and goodwill enough. There are specific techniques for application of lateral thinking. The purpose of such techniques is two-fold.

Lateral thinking is not concerned with generating doubt for the sake of doubt or chaos for the sake of chaos. Lateral thinking acknowledges the extreme usefulness of order and pattern. But it emphasises the need for changing these to bring them up to date and make them even more useful. Lateral thinking particularly emphasises the danger of rigid patterns, which the mind is so apt to construct because of the way it handles information.

The writer is faculty member at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur

Career Hotline
Broad horizons of Telemedicine
Pervin Malhotra

Q. I am doing MBBS. Could you please tell me something about Telemedicine? I come from a remote village in Punjab and have little knowledge of this field. Are there any specific courses in telemed? — Dr Jeevan Dewan

A. As the name suggests, telemedicine reduces the need for a patient to travel long distances to reach a doctor for a consultation. It includes among other things, digital transmission of large 2 and 3-dimensional images. Telemedicine will permit consultation between doctors and between doctors and patients on real time video.

A range of new or enhanced imaging systems, instruments and telecommunications are being developed - all aimed at bringing doctors and patients together, without the need to meet physically.

Some successful and exciting forays have been made in this relatively new technology.

Some of the major bottlenecks in the promotion and development of telemedicine in India are lack of health infrastructure and services, shortage of computer savvy healthcare personnel and practically no exposure to the applications of ICT in the curriculum of medical colleges.

With a large section of our population living in isolated villages like yours India could certainly benefit from almost all the applications of telemedicine as soon as we are able to plug these gaps.

You could check out the following courses:

n School of Telemedicine & Biomedical Informatics,

n Sanjay Gandhi Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences*,

n Raibareli Road, Lucknow (UP) www.sgpgi.ac.in

n Diploma Course in Telemedicine (1-year)

(*a National Resource Center for Telemedicine & Biomedical Informatics under D/o Information Technology, M/o Communications & IT, GoI)

Eligibility: MBBS/ BDS/ BAMS/BHS/ BCA / BSc. / BSc. (IT)/ Diploma (Engg -Electronics, Instrumentation, Communication, IT, Computer Science from a Polytechnic), B.Sc. (MLT), B.Sc. in Nursing or equiv.

Selection: All India Entrance Exam (MCQ) at SGPGI Campus, Lucknow.

Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University & ATNF, offers a Certificate course in Telemedicine (1-mth, 2-5pm)

Anna University & ATNF (Apollo Telemedicine Networking Foundation)

Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (CDAC), Mohali (www.cdacmohali.in)

Advanced PG Diploma in Telemedicine & Medical Informatics (FT)

Not a good choice

Q. I am currently in Class XII (PCM). My parents are suggesting I join a 5-year integrated MBA programme. Please tell me if an integrated MBA has the same value as a regular MBA? Should I pursue B.Tech instead? — Amarjeet Kaura

A. While integrated courses are fine, they are not of much value unless done from a top-notch institution. Instead, it would be better to do your graduation first, particularly if you are a science student and contemplating a BTech anyway.

Work for 2-3 years to gain some practical experience and then go for an MBA from a really good B-school that offers excellent placement facilities. This is a better option than tying yourself down to a mediocre 5-year course. A techno-management qualification is highly rated in the job market.

Deciphering computer engineering

Q. I know that computer engineering is a popular branch of engineering. But I want to know what studying computer engineering really entails. — Manika Chawla

A. With its foundation in basic curiosity-driven science, computer engineering is all about practical problem-solving using computers. Computers and the programmes they run on are among the most complicated products of modern engineering.

What is a computer programme? How can we create programmes whilst being sure of avoiding bugs? What is the fastest way of solving certain kinds of problems? Are there problems that can be stated simply but which have no simple solutions? Are there problems that can't be solved by computers at all?

The theories that emerge in answering these questions have immense practical value in designing computers and programmes for a vast range of applications: in science, engineering, robotics, communications, industrial management, business and commerce.

Bridging theory and practice, including a wide variety of hardware and software technologies and their applications, the course is designed to equip students with the fundamental understanding and practical skills needed by the potential leaders of a demanding profession. Above all, it's training in logical thought and expression which can lead to employment in many different fields.

You need a sound understanding of mathematical ideas throughout the course of study, both for potential applications such as scientific computation, and for reasoning rigorously about the specification and behaviour of programmes. Make sure you also develop practical skills as the majority of subjects in the course are linked with practical work.

Options for science grads

Q. I have done MSc in biology but have discovered that while I love science, I don't have an aptitude for pure scientific research. Is there anything else I could look at which builds on my field of study so far? — Durgesh Rawal

A. Science journalism, health journalism, public health administration, instructional design, technical writing are some of the many related areas you could consider.

Another interesting option that you might like to check out the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education (HBCSE) which is a National Centre of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai.

The broad goals are to promote excellence in science and mathematics education from primary school to undergraduate college level, and encourage the growth of scientific literacy in the country.

HBCSE (TIFR) runs a Graduate School in Science Education. Students admitted to the school work towards the Ph.D degree in science education of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), a deemed university.

Over three decades, HBCSE has emerged as the premier institution for research and development in science, technology and mathematics education and the nodal centre for Olympiad programmes in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and astronomy in India. The centre carries out a wide spectrum of inter-related activities under three broad categories: R & D; Teacher Orientation and Popularisation of Science, and conducting Olympiads, NIUS and other Student Nurture Programmes. All, full time students of the programme, known as Research Scholars, receive a monthly scholarship and an annual contingency grant. For details, log onto: www.hbcse.tifr.res.in/ -

If you don't wish to pursue higher studies (PhD) in your subject itself to be able to teach at the college or university level, you could do your BEd and teach at the high school level.

Taking a course in Intellectual Property Rights or Patent laws either by itself or in conjunction with an LLB might be yet another option.

The writer is a noted career expert and director, Career Guidance India (CARING). Please send in your queries 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 

Office Mantra
Time it right
Preetinder Kaur

Thanks to widespread downsizing and piling workload, no one can afford to waste time at work these days. Positive utilization of your time at work can mean the difference between leaving at a reasonable hour (i.e. holding onto your sanity) and staying late unnecessarily. There are countless ways in which one can waste time at workplace. Though sometimes it’s unavoidable, at others it can be overcome with just a minor shift in your approach. Either way, the first step to addressing time wastage is to identify the causes.

Here are some of the most common time sucks and some tips on how to defeat them.

Instant Messaging

While instant messaging can be a useful intra-office tool, it’s generally informal (and instant!) nature can also make it productivity’s worst enemy. How many times has a discussion about something work related quickly degenerated into a half-hour gossip session? And there’s always someone with a lot less to do who will tempt you into a chat marathon.

solution: If you can’t disconnect completely, at least set your status to “Busy” for a good portion of the day. This will help deter frivolous chatter. If someone insists on bothering you with non-work related chit-chat, tell them (politely) that you are in the middle of something and ask if you can pick up the conversation another time (maybe during your lunch break?). Don’t feel bad about it – no one will fault you for your silence if you’ve got work to do. If they do, you probably don’t want to be chatting with them anyway.

Over-Reliance

We’ve all become addicted to email as a form of communication. It’s convenient. It’s also a great way to keep an electronic trail of your correspondence (helpful if you’re ever challenged on a decision or occurrence). But a lot of time is wasted on back and forth emails that would be more easily resolved as a verbal conversation. Don’t even get me started on the Oh-so-common “reply-to-all “debacle.

solution: If there’s something that needs to be discussed, opt for a face-to-face conversation. Call, and if you still want a written record, write up a quick email after the conversation outlining where things left off and send to all relevant parties. On the surface it seems like more steps, but it can mean the difference between an hour of work and a two-day back and forth email discussion.

Meandering meetings

“Meetings about meetings.” You know the kind — you get together for an hour and all you end up with is a list of what should be discussed in yet another meeting. Sure, meetings are an essential part of the workplace. But if run poorly, they can be colossal waste of time.

solution: Meetings should have a purpose; a set of tangible goals you want to accomplish. This should be realised by tackling a set agenda, which should be distributed to attendees before the meeting starts. Stay focused on the task at hand. If there are visual aids, have them set up and ready to go before the group enters the room. Finally, make sure you really need a meeting: if what you have to say can be just as easily shared in an email to the group, why get people up and away from their work?

Reacting to interruptions

You’re in the middle of something when you get an “urgent” email. You reply, only to be accosted by a phone call shortly after. You hang up, only to be faced with yet another email that demands your response. And on and on. Before you know it, its 4pm and you still haven’t made a dent in what you’d started first thing this morning. Sound familiar? The averageemployee works for just 11 minutes before being distracted.

solution: It’s unavoidable – the hyper-connected workplace will throw constant interruptions at you. The trick is to learn how to react to them without taking away from the task at hand. If you’re busy, let your phone go to voicemail. Set aside three times a day where you manage your inbox. Of course, there are instances where an email demands an urgent reply. But more often than not, it doesn’t. Know the difference.

Ineffective multi-tasking

Everyone likes to think they’re great at multi-tasking. And maybe you are. But there’s a limit to how many things you can do at once without taking away from the quality of your work and, ultimately, slowing down the process. Shifting between five different projects at once? You’re probably wasting your time.

solution: Prioritise and then break up your day accordingly. It’s the key to successfully completing any project. Write down everything you hope to achieve and assign a set time to do so as per the importance of each task. Don’t move on to the next task until you’ve really completed the previous one. Not only will you do a better job when you’re focused, you’ll also force yourself to finish something within the time allotted.

Disorganised workspace

Your primary workspace might be the top of your desk, your desktop computer or most likely, a combination of the two. Either way, if it’s messy, you’ll end up wasting a lot of time looking for things.

solution: A scattered workspace makes for a scattered mind. De-clutter, and you’ll manage your work more efficiently. Before you leave the office, clear your desk of cans, cups, food and paperwork. Use that file cabinet for something other than your box of saltines. Recycle paperwork you’re never going to use. And don’t add unnecessary items to your files – if you don’t need to print something out, don’t. Your company’s shared drive is perfectly capable of storing documents tidily.

Personal communications

Today, you can be constantly connected to friends and family without anyone really noticing. It’s no longer a question of “Will I get caught?” so much as “How much time am I wasting?” If you’re checking Facebook religiously, G-Chatting with friends or responding to personal emails the same way you do professional ones, the answer is: a lot.

solution: These days, employers understand that you may spend some time at work doing personal things (after all, you spend so much time there). Leave your personal correspondence for your lunch break. You can check your various accounts all at once, guilt-free. Be firm with your friends and family about contacting you during work hours –- if they’re not reaching out to you between nine and five, you’ll be a lot less tempted to check in. You’ll also have a better time overcoming Culprit #5.

Web surfing “breaks”

You need to step away from what you’re working on so you search for reviews of that movie you’ve been dying to see. Before you know it, you’ve got six tabs open in your browser. You’re looking up concert tickets, shoes, today’s news and the etymology of a words. No need to ask where your afternoon went. Your browser history says it all.

solution: Know your limits. If you’re tempted to look something up, wait until you’ve at least finished what you’re working on. Preferably, leave this type of search for your lunch break or the end of the work day. It’s just too easy to get sucked in when there’s endless information at your fingertips.

Cigarette/coffee breaks

Everyone needs to step away from their desk every once in a while. In fact, it’s been said that taking breaks can often make you more productive. But if you’re going out for a smoke or a coffee run every half hour (sounds extreme, but not totally unrealistic), you’re reducing your productivity to the bare minimum by never really getting into the groove of your work.

solution: It’s a good idea to look away from your computer every 15 minutes or so. But when it comes to breaks outside the office, reserve them to three a day: one mid-morning, one at lunch time, and one in the afternoon.

The writer is project assistant IIT, Ropar

STUDY ABROAD- II
Destination Canada, New Zealand
R.M.S Atwal

Canada: As the Canadian government’s Students Partners Programme (SPP) for India rolls into the third year, chances are that the number of students will continue to swell in Canadian community colleges, considered to be the cheap and best. “Acceptance of applications for Canada student visa under the SPP programme are most likely to continue this year too and the country will remain a popular study destination for ‘genuine’ Indian students as over 20,000 visas are expected to be issued this year,” according to Jaspal Singh of CAAN World Consultants, Jalandhar.

Admission Process: After choosing his level of study, like undergraduate or post graduate, a student has to apply for different universities or colleges which have their own admission procedures. The following are the common documents that will be required to be furnished along with the visa application: English Proficiency Test score sheets (IELTS, TOEFL) Academic certificates; Character certificates; police reports to show that you are not engaged in any criminal activities; Recommendation letters from teachers; and Demand drafts for the applicable fees. After a fee is paid and college/university accepts the student, they will send him the letter of acceptance. Then he can start preparing the required documents for the visa.

Visa procedure: Submit the complete application kit to the immigration section of the Canadian High Commission. All the documents must be original and photocopies notary attested. “There is a tick-sheet on our website (www.cic.gc.ca) with a short list of required documents. If you send us those documents, with the forms and fee, or submit it at any one of our Visa Application Centres all over India, a visa officer in the High Commission or in our office in Chandigarh will assess it within a few days,” according to David Manicom, Minister-Counsellor, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi. “The large majority of applications are finalised within three weeks, even including medical results, and many within one week. We don’t think it could be any more “streamlined”. It’s very simple. We assess applicants, not agents,” adds the head of Canada’s immigration programme in India.

Required documents: Completed Student Application form, official letter of acceptance from university or college, a valid passport for at least one year before entry of Canada. TOEFL/IELTS score sheet and a bank draft.

Proof of funds: Every candidate must have sufficient financial resources to pay tuition fee and all living expenses. After the complete application forms along with all required documents are submitted an interview with the Canadian Visa Officer may be required. If required, student will be advised in writing of time and place for it. The High Commission will issue medial instructions. The applicant must clear the medical examination. Students can visit www.cic.gc.ca for further information.

New Zealand: To apply for a student visa the applicants first need to fulfill the admission requirements of the education provider for the particular course, including the IELTS.

The provider will then issue the student an offer of place which is required when you lodge the student visa application with New Zealand immigration.

Students will also need to submit their primary and secondary school documents and if a student has completed his degree or any other courses from private institutes then those documents will also be required.

Students will need to show evidence of funds for their course fee and NZ$10,000 per year for living expenses, if the students are going for a course which is of a longer duration then a payment plan needs to be submitted.

Students will need to meet the health requirements and also provide a police clearance certificate.

Other requirements are passport, photographs and application fee of Rs 7,900.

“It is very easy to get a student visa for New Zealand as long as the applicant meets the policy requirements and is a positive profile student. At the same time remember, the NZ High Commission does not at all tolerate fraudulent documentation,” advises Pankaj Malhotra, Director, Exodus Overseas, Chandigarh.

“Positive Profile” applications are determined by a combination of factors listed below:

n Good academic record — over 60% aggregate in year 10 and 12 and over 50% aggregate in subsequent tertiary qualification;

n IELTS score of at least 5.5, or evidence of having met the English language entry requirements for the course of study in NZ, whichever is higher.

n Student’s immediate family’s verifiable evidence of funds to meet the educational and living expenses in NZ, including paper trail to explain any recent high value deposits in accounts; or

n Evidence to demonstrate that they are opting for the Funds Transfer Scheme

n No more than two immediate family members as financial guarantors

n Verifiable Evidence of regular source of sufficient income of financial guarantors;

n Intended course of study relevant to qualifications and/or work experience or clearly explained in the statement of purpose

n Demonstrated career progression opportunities

n A gap year after study of no more than 12 months

n Meeting the health and character requirements.

Success Sutra
Conquer handicaps
I.M Soni

A man, who had lost his eyesight in an accident, was asked, "How is this going to colour your attitude?" He replied, "It is for me to choose the colour!"

It depends on you to colour your mental and emotional canvas. It boils down to this that there is a right way and a wrong way of reacting to the handicaps and obstacles which frustrate your aspirations.

No one is God's blue-eyed boy. Misfortunes come to all. These range from frets and fumes to big setbacks, and adversities which wreck life and have a grim finality about them like a closed door.

Yet there is hope. Many of the greatest and best things have been done not because but in spite of. Shoo away self-pity, a disintegrating emotion. If you pamper it, you think of nothing but hugging misery. It saps your energy, weakens the will to fight and leads to abject surrender. A disability is a challenge which brings out the Man hidden in you. It is not what you won't or can't do that matters but what you will or can do. Edmund Hillary put it "You do not conquer the Mt. Everest. You conquer your mind."

Winston Churchill was born with a cleft palate. In his youth, he stuttered and was written off. He set out to correct his handicap, and became a distinguished orator.

King George VI was born with a speech defect, and was also a shy, awkward young man. He stammered so badly that it was a torment for him to finish a sentence. He forced himself to make speeches and became an accomplished speaker.

Greek orator Demosthenes put pebbles in his mouth, walked along the beach, practised long speeches and became an ace speaker.

A feeble body can overcome a disability by steely determination. Helen Keller, one of the world's most remarkable women, was blind and mute from her childhood. The world is yet to produce another of her kind. She testifies to the fact that people are not defeated by mountains but only by molehills! She has also given us the wisdom of: "You cannot see the shadows if you face the sun". When it is said of someone that he is a self-made man, it means that he has risen from humble beginnings. But the truth is that we are all self-made, with dazzling or disastrous results!

Bonus bait

Vying for the right talent, many firms are luring prospective employees with joining bonuses, which is usually over 10 per cent of their overall cost to company, say HR experts. After a lull, hiring activities have gained momentum in recent times, especially with companies’ envisaging mega expansion plans.

Companies are offering joining bonus as demand for skilled workforce is high, at times there are crucial positions to be filled for which companies cannot wait to get people on board,” executive search firm GlobalHunt India’s Director Sunil Goel said.

According to experts, the trend of joining bonuses is more seen in sectors such as BFSI (Banking, Financial Services and Insurance), IT/ITeS, Services, Power, Energy and Infrastructure.

“The main reasons for offering joining bonus is to ensure that the company gets the right talent at the right time... In some cases, it helps compensate for a slightly lower than expected CTC, from a candidate perspective,” recruitment firm TeamLease Service’s Vice President Surabhi Mathur Gandhi said.

Joining bonuses is estimated to be in the range of 10 to 20 per cent of the employee’s Cost To Company (CTC).

Noting that the amount cannot be generalised for all levels, Gandhi said on an indicative basis, joining bonuses could be about 8 to 10 per cent.

“For instance, at the mid-level in IT sector, the joining bonus could range anywhere between Rs 75,000 to Rs 1.25 lakh,” Gandhi added.

In many cases, joining bonuses are paid by the firm, when an employee loses out on benefits (such as bonuses) while leaving the existing company.

Hiring as well as salaries are expected to surge as much as 20 per cent this year. — PTI

Food corp to hire 9,000 professionals in next 3 yrs

THE Food Corporation of India (FCI), government’s nodal agency for procurement and distribution of foodgrains, will hire 9,000 professionals in the next three years. “We will fill-up approximately 9,000 posts in various categories in next three years,” FCI Chairman and Managing Director Siraj Hussain said during the launch of the revamped website of the organisation.

While the scale of foodgrains dealt by FCI has increased substantially over last three decades, its manpower has been drastically reduced in the wake of staff retirement to almost half, he said.

Currently, there are over 33,000 staff working with FCI across the country. About 20,000 employees will be retired in next two years, he added.

The official said the vacant posts in various categories would be filled up in a phased manner.

The re-designed FCI website provides up-to-date information about quantity of foodgrains procured, stored and moved to states for distribution through ration shops. One can access through a common link all tenders floated in different FCI offices and also details of regional and zonal offices. — PTI

Happiness @ work
Gems of ancient wisdom
There is no fixed formula

On most occasions, well-tried-out formulae do the trick, but don’t stick to these always. Rigidity is the sign of the dead, say wise men. Everything is a version and according to Krishna, the version changes with change in person, time, place and situation.

To fight the British who had come to India to ‘civilize’ the natives, Gandhiji chose the weapon of non-violence. The savagery of the Brits came to the fore when they rained lathis on non-violent protesters which included old men, women and children.

On reaching Mecca, Guru Nanak sat down to rest. A Muslim watchman objected to his legs being in the direction of Kaaba. Guru Nanak told him to shift his legs to where God was not. To the bewilderment of the watchman, Kaaba appeared to be in all directions.

To conquer the Kondana fort, which was well-guarded on three sides, Tanaji, Chhatrapati Shivaji’s right-hand man, decided to scale the steep cliff on the fourth side with the help of an iguana.

When might failed in freeing Sugriva from Kumbhakarna’s grasp, the Vaanara King bit the demon’s ear and made his escape.

To prevent the sun from rising before Lakshman gets revived by the Sanjivini herb, Hanuman trapped Surya, the sun god, in his armpit.

“Worship Govardhan hill which is of more value to us than the rain Indra provides,” Krishna advised his foster-father Nanda. Breaking away from tradition, the natives of Vrindavan began worshipping the mountain.

Narada, who had Vishnu’s name on his lips always, thought himself to be the Lord’s greatest devotee. But the Lord differed with him on this. He chose a simple farmer, who did his work well, took good care of his family and guests and occasionally took Vishnu’s name, as his greatest devotee.

To clear the impasse, Vishnu made Narada carry a potful of oil on his head around a mountain without spilling the contents. Task completed, Narada reached the spot Vishnu was waiting at.

“How many times did you remember me during your adventure?” the Lord asked. “Not once. My full concentration was on the oil,” Narada replied. “I chose the farmer over you as he could manage to remember me a few times during his chores,” the Lord explained.

Cowards tread on the beaten path, heroes make their own.

Fortnightly Quiz-379

1. Which is India’s third research base, after Dakshin Gangotri and Maitri, to be set up in Antarctica?

2. Name India’s indigenously developed light combat aircraft (LCA) that was recently given operational clearance?

3. How many years ago was the Third Battle of Panipat fought?

4. Who is the first Indian-American woman Governor of a state (South Carolina) in the USA?

5. In which state is the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple situated?

6. What is the full form of JPC?

7. When is Army Day celebrated?

8. What is the capital of Tunisia?

9. Which country holds the record of eight consecutive wins in T20 international matches?

10. Who has been declared the world’s best football player of 2010 by FIFA? — Tarun Sharma

Winners of quiz 378: The first prize by draw of lots goes to Navrose Kaur Bajwa, class VI, Jiya Lal Mittal DAV Public School, Kalanaur, Gurdaspur road, Pin Code - 143521

Second: Mohan Sharma, class VIII , GM School Khandra, V. Khandra, PO Shera, district Panipat, Pin Code – 132103

Third: Twinky Malhotra, class IX-O, Good Shepherd Public School, Sector 8, Jawahar Nagar, Sriganganagar, Rajasthan Pin Code – 335001

Answers to quiz 378: Jal Hans; Dilma Rousseff; Akal Takht Sahib, Damdama Sahib, Keshgarh Sahib, Hazur Sahib, Patna Sahib; Maharashtra; Justice Srikrishna Committee; Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY); The Times (London); Queensland; Andrew Strauss; Armaan Jaffer

Cash awards of Rs 400, 300 and 200 are given to the first, second and third prize winners, respectively. These are sent directly 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