women@work
Beyond barriers
Notwithstanding the odds of social stereotypes, gender bias and age-old conditioning that a woman is pitted against in India, the 21st century Indian woman has managed to affect a chink in the glass ceiling

For art’s sake
In view of the upcoming International Women’s Day, Swati Rai digs deep to find out the changing dynamics of being a young woman entrepreneur in India by talking to women who are spearheading businesses with an ‘artistic cause’

Heading a business in India, which was not so long ago considered a male bastion, is slowly but steadily being challenged by woman power. Though the Indian women entrepreneurship has come of age, it is yet to cover a long distance. In construction and manufacturing sector, the presence of Indian women is still wanting, whereas in the education and arts sector they are a force to reckon with.

A 2012 global survey on the economic empowerment of women in 128 countries, India ranked a poor 115. Titled ‘Third Billion Index’, the survey conducted by the international consulting and management firm, Booz & Company, stated, “India’s women — whether in Mumbai’s conference rooms or Kerala’s backwaters — must navigate a familiar but daunting set of obstacles and challenges in their search for economic empowerment and professional success.” The survey further stressed on the need for India to break these barriers to women’s empowerment in the private-sector workforce as well as in the entrepreneurial landscape.

Are the odds of social stereotypes, gender bias and age-old conditioning that a woman is pitted against in India, changing? Has the 21st century Indian woman managed to affect at least a chink in the glass ceiling? Some of the women who have turned their artistic passion into successful and ‘socially responsible’ business tell it like it is!

Setting standards
Challenging traditional mindsets and daring to take the road less travelled is what sets role models apart. Gauri Chhabra takes look at the success stories of some such women role models from the region

Sagarika Chakraborty

Young and sprightly Sagarika Chakraborty is the quintessential 21st century woman, who knows her goals and also goes an extra mile to make a difference to the lives of others. She is working with an American-Swedish consulting firm Pinkerton Corporate Risk Management in their Business Intelligence Team. Armed with an ISB degree, she was earlier working with ICICI Bank, Mumbai. She was a part of their Corporate Legal Team (having done her B.A.LL.B (Hons) Corporate Law (Hons) from National Law University, Jodhpur) handling derivatives, corporate bonds, etc. She was awarded Fellowship by the Royal Society of Arts, UK, for her contribution to the field of policy science and has thus shared space with the likes of Karl Marx, Adam Smith. But writing is her first love, and Sagarika has been into non-fiction writing for about eight years now and has published over 20 papers in various international and national journals on topics of gender studies, economic models and policy making for transition economies. However, though her work is being accredited by big names like the World Bank, UNESCO, Australian Government, UK Media and Indian Government, she felt that she was working on a very macro level and wanted to strike a cord with the masses. This has made her take to writing seriously. Her work, A Calendar Too Crowded, is a mosaic of life in all its myriad forms. She deftly presents the irony of ‘mankind’ that can observe Women’s Day but is completely oblivious to the atrocities being perpetrated on women more so behind the silk curtains and in the upper echelons of society.

Her book has been covered by almost 40 media houses across the country in its very first year. She was also nominated as the Young Indian Author of 2012 by the famous Indian Literary Society, Muse India. Sagarika is right now working on the edits of her non-fiction book to be launched by one of the leading law publishing houses in the country.

Recently, she was invited to speak at the TEDx platform at SRCC on “Sustainable Development and Nation Building”. Looking into her active participation in the field of gender studies, she was recently profiled and shot for a documentary based on crimes against women in India called “She is Me” slated to be released in March 2013.

Woman in a man’s world

On being asked how she manged to move forward in a male dominated sector, she says: “There are always two options: First to be meek and the other to be aggressive. And by the end of the day, if you are able to look into the mirror and believe in the right karma, you can walk with your head held high”. Paradoxically, she said, at times women are responsible for their plight. If you keep on looking at the your daughter’s hemline , you are passing on the shackles to your progeny because this is what she will do to her children.

Making a difference

“Talk to your sons. For once keep the protected and the protector image aside before you actually participate in the candle march”.

Platform for new talent

Anjali Maheshwari

Business mantra

Art consultant and curator, Anjali Maheshwari is the brains behind Eldora Art, Mumbai, an initiative that promotes ‘young and unheard of artists across the country’. “I hope to help the young, deserving artists get the recognition their hard work deserves” is Anjali’s vision for her venture.

Woman in a man’s world

At a time when Eldora Art is busy charting more art shows across the country, she says, “In a world where we demand equal gender rights, women are expected to live up-to similar challenges as a man would. It is only fair that we don’t have it easy and be looked upon as equals.” Women are better at multi-tasking, are more compassionate, and are also hands on team players too. A shift in cultural and social attitudes will see more women translating their passion into successful business models.

New vistas for village artisans

Business mantra

Swati Saha

While financial support is important, many women entrepreneurs have said that the support of the family is the key to a successful venture. Juggling home and work can be quite a task but surely not when you have your spouse as a business partner. Delhi-based NIFT Graduate Swati Saha’s husband Aniruddha joined her venture Maati, a house of hand painted and crafted products, after three years of its operation. Saha says, “The USP of Maati is our involvement with 70 village artisans who work from their homes. We have created a unique model of identifying, training and nurturing the talent of rural artisans.”

In six years Saha has seen her venture grow from one exclusive Maati outlet at Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi, an online venture, a co-branded Yoga range at ISHANA (International airport) to presence in The Box (Chain of stores at Park Hotels across the country).

Woman in a man’s world

Saha, who is now also retailing through international boutiques in Dubai, US and the United Kingdom, didn’t have it easy when she started six years ago, she explains, “As a woman entrepreneur, there was unspoken resistance and lack of seriousness from the banks, vendors, at times even the artists. I was even declined a shop space in a market area, as they perceived it to be one of my fancies!”

Special touch

Meenu Shahi, Principal Udaan Special School.

In spite of being a housewife, belonging to an affluent family, Meenu Shahi chose to do something very close to her heart— spend her life with the differently abled special children — making a special difference in their lives. The craving to do something for the society started early for Meenu when she began counseling cancer patients at Patel hospital in Jalandhar, motivating them and providing a ray of hope in their lives. One thing led to the other and today she manages a school for special children that has 75 students on rolls.

Herself being an MA in Psychology, Meenu pursued a course in special education from SNGT, Mumbai to fulfill her dreams.

Making a difference

When asked about the challenges she faces, she says,” At times the paucity of funds becomes a challenge in itself as there cannot be more than three students with one special educator”. More than the students themselves, it is the parents who have to be counseled that their wards need empathy not sympathy. Early diagnosis and intervention helps in mainstreaming them in education later on.

Initially her family was slightly hesitant to accept her step into this noble cause, but looking at her devotion and commitment; they started supporting her and fully stand by her side today.

Message to women: Think big, start small, the marathon of mankind begins with a single step…

Here is a woman who has dared to dream and has brought a sparkle in the eyes and a smile on the faces of those with special needs.

 

Hurray to housewives! Business mantra A successful venture requires the backing of a passion coupled with a sound business acumen. Riding on their newfound success wave is the young Indian ‘housewife’ such as the Delhi-based trio of textile designers, Leena Rai, Anita Vashisht and Surabhi Sharma from the design house Vaaso. This design house was established last year. Vashisht says, “Contemporary twist to Indian art is our motto. We are working towards creating an exclusive range at affordable prices.” From their stable, they are especially proud of their promotion of the kalamkari art of “Mata ni Pachedi” from Gujarat. Woman in a man’s world Online and word of mouth publicity is Vaaso’s business model as they plan to engage with more housewives to market their product. Vashisht says, “In our experience being a woman was definitely a tussle; but being a housewife was more of a struggle in terms of people’s perception.” In the same breath she adds, “The scene is changing and we like others have supportive spouses.”

Making motherhood work
Seerat Toor Grewal

Birth of a child and motherhood changes priorities for the whole family and especially for the woman. Working from home is the best alternative to pursue a professional career alongside motherhood. These make a perfect handshake and give you immense satisfaction as an individual. So, if you are a new mother, here are a few careers which you can pick to ease out the mommy-blues, commonplace while baby-sitting.

Careers for the new mom

1. Word’s worth This is the best time to explore your creative potential as a freelance writer. Many young mothers who used to work in technical roles start to work on their creative quotient after the arrival of a baby. To be successful in this field the writer within you has to be brought to life and this can be achieved if you become more aware of the details around your world. Reading magazines, newspapers, books, etc. extensively can help generate ideas. It can be taxing initially but once you set in-tune and discover your genre the bits of the puzzle fall in place to carve-out the bigger picture. Writers can be the real agents of change and thus owe a lot to the world, so for you the sky is not the limit. You can start with writing comments for various news-stories on Twitter, Facebook or any news broadcasting website and then move to short write-ups or blogs for various websites where you can sign-up for free e.g. WriteUpcafe, Blogadda, Glipho etc. Once you have learnt the basics, you can take on content-writing for websites, article-writing for newspapers etc.
2. Direct gains It is well-known in business schools that marketing is a skill which is not everybody's cup of tea but as far as women are concerned the unexpected always happens. So, here is another attractive field of work which is a skill for sure but is just second nature to every woman. Many companies have enteresrd the Indian markets through direct selling model and women are the mainstay of this model. This provides a good opportunity to new mothers to earn while nurturing their bundles of joy. Companies like Tupperware, Avon, Amway, Oriflame etc are going all out for this model. All these companies inherently deal with products of natural interest to women like cosmetics, kitchen-ware, house-keeping essentials etc. These companies have excelled to the point that they have gained massive market-share by making a place in almost every modern household. This can be a good career option for those who love to network and socialize. The companies hold many workshops and sessions to train ‘recruits’ on the product details and guide you with selling techniques. These, if pursued genuinely, can yield good results.
3. Home tutoring Imparting education is considered to be one of the noblest professions of all times. Tutoring is an immensely satisfying and respectful job. It is one of the most sought-after careers for women. The reason obviously being the catching trend of tuitions among children as working parents can't devote adequate time for their wards and studies have become more demanding. This is again a very rewarding vocation both mentally and financially. Good tutoring is an art as it goes beyond mere teaching. It involves total care which is mentoring and counseling. All this has to go simultaneously to nurture the overall personality of the child. Now, the cherry on the cake is that the new-age tutoring has gone virtual and online. There are many online tutoring options accessible where you can mentor students sitting in other countries and earn per hour. You no longer need to stand in a classroom at a stretch and can teach directly or in a pre-recorded session. The websites to hunt for are K12.com, Connectionsacademy.com etc. These portals offer you good incentives, insurance cover etc.
4. Vacation experts This is the perfect flower in a bunch for the ones who have travelled widely and have a sound knowledge of the geography of many areas. In addition to this you need to have a pleasing voice and convincing power to convert potential buyers into customers. One can try getting employed with the travel search engines like Makemytrip, Yatra, Expedia etc. These internet giants who have made travel planning a cheerful and entertaining experience hire young and dynamic women who prefer to work from home as holiday-experts to handle exquisite clientele for assistance in their travel and itinerary planning. They train you on the software and telephonic etiquette for a week and then you are off to scale the horizons. The main incentive is handsome basic salary and the incentives for every package deal that materialises depending on specific slabs.
5. Online HR managers With more and more businesses shifting scale to online platforms, new mothers who want to cater to home chores and be independent working professionals have yet another vocation option. The job is simple yet interesting. It is a big hit with education industry which requires mature minds to deal with queries posted by students, parents or job-seekers at their website. The company provides you a brief training or modules to update yourself with the company policies along with taking care of your telephonic expanses and other internet usage. Women are given preference as they generally score high on emotional quotient and can address the individual's query with a more humanistic approach.

Turn a hobby into a career

It is said if you love the job you do, then you will never have to work in your life. Every woman has a flair for art and aesthetics which needs to be worked-at and polished if pursued at a professional level. Thus, the period of early motherhood brings with it loads of joy and contentment. This is the perfect state of mind to explore ourselves more meaningfully. Once you do that you will be surprised to meet the real “you” which has been hidden. To throw a few ideas will be painting, cooking, interior decorations, hobby classes, etc.

 

Ground rules Working from the comfort of your homes with the luxury to spend quality time with and for your family sounds very exciting but it also calls for stringent personal regulations and discipline. Here are a few tips which can help you get more organised and increase your efficiency at the professional front. Moreover, employers also like more organised people than the ones who carry a more casual approach. Work time: You are your immediate boss and thus you have to regulate your own activities. So always decide the time-slots at which you can work comfortably on a daily basis. Office activity area: It pays-off both mentally and professionally to designate an area for your office work maybe a small desk or shelf. It will recharge you and also make your family used to the idea of you being working. This brings about a great temperamental shift which ultimately pays-off. Don’t multitask: When working from home, we usually toy with the idea of multitasking between household chores, baby-sitting and working. This sounds great but dampens your output on a professional scale. So, stick to the basics and take one thing at a time. Disclose: Working from home is a wonderful thing in the world as it empowers you as an individual and reflects on your vibrant persona. Tell it to others in your circle and family. This may sound off- the-track but positive feedbacks and envious looks normally feed your adrenalin-rush and you end-up excelling in your tasks. Thus, in this world and age of women empowerment and "one billion rising" be the woman you want to be for nothing can hold you back but yourself.

Have a common ground
first person: Srimathi Shivashankar, Associate Vice-President, Diversity and Sustainability, HCL Technologies, presents the perspective of a woman who is a leader in an organisation and manages not only her team and function, but her multiple avatars every day

I was raised in a small village in the southern part of India, and my formative school years were spent in a Tamil medium school. In Class V, I was smitten by the English language and what it meant to be able to converse fluently in it. When I think back, it was primarily because my school bus ferried children from various schools and some of my co-passengers were children from an English medium school nearby. These children would always switch to English when they saw me get into the bus and thus exclude me from their discussions and games. For the first time in my young life, I felt left out and decided to join their school and beat them at their own game!

One day soon I went to my class teacher Sister Rosalyn with a very confused mind, filled with anger and disappointment of not being able to speak the English language well. She gave me a hug and said something that still motivates me to this day and keeps me going, even when it gets tough. She said, “Child, you have chosen to study at an English medium school. Put your best foot forward as you are a bright child and have always stood first in your class. But you must remember that when you moved into this new school, you knew you will be in minority, and your classmates will not easily let you into their groups at first, since there is no common language between you. But if you give up within the first few days, you lose. However, if you quickly learn the language and create opportunities to make inroads and feel included in the group, there will be no looking back. You have chosen a path, and the important thing is to stick to it from now and show yourself you can do it.”

Many of you, who are managers and aspiring leaders in your companies can easily relate to Sister Rosalyn’s advice. This small yet beautiful lesson in the 5th grade keeps coming back to me many times throughout my career, including my current position now. Feelings of exclusion or being lonely because you are in a minority in a room full of men, should not make a difference if you have a common ground to connect. I do not believe in notions such as the glass ceiling or adopting male behaviour patterns (as some people say) to reach or stay at the top. There are a lot of myths about women leaders in the workplace: they are emotional when it comes to decision making; they don’t want to be at the top; with family and children-related responsibilities they can’t take up business travel; targets never work for them; and many more tenacious assumptions.

In my view and experience over the years, women come with many strengths and skills that are truly beneficial to organisations. To state a few: they are good at relationship building yet assertive, courageous and more compassionate towards team members. In this context, compassionate would mean that for any new task women managers would create a value proportion for her team and then work inclusively towards achieving the result. A woman boss often is first a friend; and if I can’t remember birthdays and family priorities of my team members, then I am certainly missing the personal touch and losing a real opportunity to connect with another person.

I strongly believe that some of our Indian values, especially being a mother at home, can get extended to the work place. Multitasking, being inclusive and compassionate, mentoring and coaching team members on a daily basis, staying on top of goals to be achieved, all are parallel activities that I perform to run my home at the same time. I do not hesitate to take a call from home during meetings, and I set expectations with my boss when I need to attend to home matters. So, run your home like you run your office calendar-based menu, tuitions and hobby times, and weekend programmes completely decided by the children (often like the team outings decided by my younger team mates.) Quality time at home is like quality time with your own team members — time to share happiness, feedback and work on a common goal or interesting activity together.

The constant changes taking place in the workplace and business bring in new challenges for my position. But I like to view them as opportunities for staying successful in my career and personal life.

cubicle trends
Moms make more productive employees

Women employees, joining back after maternity leave, can help in improving overall productivity as the company can save training and recruitment costs on such people, says a survey business services firm Regus.

According to the survey conducted among 550 employers, 65 per cent of respondent think that hiring returning mothers can improve productivity because they offer skills and experience which are difficult to find in the current market.

Moreover, the survey said that 72 per cent of respondents believe that companies that ignore part-time returning mothers are missing out on a significant and valuable part of the employment pool.

“...hiring returning mothers is key to economic development and helps in improving productivity, possibly by lowering training and hiring costs,” the survey said. Given that businesses agree that higher participation of women in the workforce is vital to sustaining and driving growth, the tide of professional women still finding that the burden of childcare forces them out of employment after maternity needs to be stemmed urgently. The survey said employers should adopt measures to retain women through their work maternity programmes.

It suggested that employees can encourage women in returning to work after a maternity leave, by introducing greater flexibility, near-site creche facilities, increased use of video-conferencing technology, more vacation and job sharing among others.

Interestingly, more vacation days were significantly less popular than flexibility, highlighting that radical changes to work habits are required rather than additional days of rest.

“There is a strong case for the greater inclusion of returning mothers in the workforce: increased GDP, sustained growth, bridging the skills gap and fighting poverty are just some of the benefits,” Regus South Asia vice-president Madhusudan Thakur said.

“Even on a business level the benefits of re-integrating women after maternity are plenty- access to skilled and trained workers, less staff turnover and even increased productivity,” he added.

He said workforce continues to lose able and trained workers with key skills and qualifications, as women find the burden of childcare cannot be reconciled with working life. — PTI

 

Balancing act Two in three working women believe they can ‘have it all’ by balancing a career with sparing enough time to spend with their family, a new survey has found. Balancing work with family life is the most important factor for women to be happy at work, more important than even a promotion or a generous salary, according to the survey. “The number of women who consider a high salary as an indicator of success has fallen 13 per cent in the last decade,” Ngaire Moyes, of the professional online networking site LinkedIn, which conducted the survey, said. Around 40 per cent of working women surveyed admitted that juggling family life is their biggest challenge. Three-quarters (76 per cent) women said they wish for more flexible working in office, the Daily Express reported. The call for more flexible working was echoed internationally by nine out of every 10 of the 5,000 women questioned. Employers who allow flexible working for staff such as working part-time or from home were considered the most important determinant of the “success of the next generation of professional women”.

Career Hotline
Sports law a lucrative choice
Pervin Malhotra

Q. I am currently pursuing BA LLB but am not interested in litigation or civil or criminal law. I am an extrovert with varied interests. I am very passionate about sports (hockey) which I’ve had to give up because it clashed with my studies. Can you suggest some new or lesser-known field of law that I could look at? I am very confused. — yashmeet johri

A. Here’s something that will ease your confusion. So just fasten your seatbelt while I tell you about this exciting new area of law that will combine your professional specialisation and your interests.

Sports law is set to be the next cash cow for law majors in India. With sports gaining popularity and prominence, law firms are looking at expanding their portfolio in this segment, which they feel is recession-proof.

All celebrity endorsement deals are now being prepared by law firms. Earlier, it was restricted to the two parties involved — the celebrity endorsing the brand and the corporate entity. However, now law firms are increasingly being approached to facilitate such deals as part of their advisory services.

Sports law in India is likely to emerge as a big area of practice in the next five years. And with the sector getting corporatised, there will be an increased demand for lawyers specialising in this field in the years to come. Their role will be to ensure that the contractual obligations of the athlete and that rights and liabilities are tailored to best suit the athlete.

Can I go for a PG course in design?

Q. I would like to know if I can go for a PG course after passing out of NID or NIFT? Secondly, which other institutes in our country offer PG courses in design? — renu mahajan

A.Certainly, you can opt for a PG course after completing the Graduate Diploma Programme in Design (GDPD) from the National Institute of Design (NID). In most cases, students passing out from GDPD don’t necessarily need to pursue a PG programme if they are working in the design area. Those who choose to pursue a PG program do so after working for a couple of years and use the PG programme to either switch design areas or super-specialise in an area of choice.

The answer to your second question depends on what specialisation or area of design you wish to pursue.

NID itself offers a mind-boggling variety of programmes that cover just about every aspect of design you can think of.

Between NID’s Heritage Campus at Ahmedabad, the PG campus in Gandhinagar, and the R&D campus in Bengaluru, you can choose from any of the 18 interesting Post-Graduate Diploma Programmemes in Design (PGDPD) on offer: Animation Film Design, Apparel Design & Merchandising, Ceramic & Glass Design, Communication Design, Design for Digital Experience, Film & Video Communication Furniture & Interior Design, Graphic Design, Information & Interface Design, IT-Integrated Design for Retail Experience, IT-Integrated Lifestyle Accessory Design, IT-Integrated Photography Design, New Media Design, Product Design, Strategic Design Management, Textile Design, Toy & Game Design, Transportation & Automobile Design.

Admission to these 2.5-year programmes is through a two-part selection process that comprises a Design Aptitude Test (DAT) held in early January, followed by a studio test/interview.

You could also look at the Master of Design programmeme at IIT-Bombay. The Industrial Design Centre at IIT-Bombay ranks among the best design schools in the world. Admission is through the Common Entrance Exam for Design (CEED).

To be eligible, you must have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in engineering, architecture or design, including interior design, or a professional diploma of CEPT (5-year) or NID (4-year) / BFA (4-year) professional programmeme) or a GD Art (5-year) with one-year professional experience or a Master’s degree in Arts / Science / Computer Applications.

You could also look at PG programmes offered at other premier design schools such as NIFT and Srishti School of Art, Design & Technology.

Is it too late to join the Army?

Q. I am an IT professional and I want to serve my country by joining defence forces. Is it too late? What are the various options left for me to join the Army? — karunesh govil

A. It professionals can join the Territorial Army (TA) and undergo two months training in a year so that in case of emergency, they serve the country with their expertise in the IT sector. Presently, there are 66 units in TA of which 42 are departmental units. In all, more than 48,000 jawans are engaged in TA. There are quite a few IT professionals who work as Commissioned Officers. They train their TA unit for eight hours every weekend while continuing with their regular jobs.

All you need to do is train for 46 days in a year on weekends and enjoy all the privileges of being an officer.

Eligibility: Anyone between the age group of 18 - 42, who clears the Services Selection Board test and the medical exam, can join TA.

Career confusion

Q. I am a Class-VIII student. I am finding it very confusing to choose my career. Can you please suggest me the best way to decide, so that I don’t have any confusion after Class X?— Jayant Laroya

A. It’s wonderful that you’re already thinking about careers! Though, it’s a bit too early for you to be deciding on a career while you’re still in Class VIII.

However, here are some things you can start doing right now to kick-start the process:

Explore your interests (things you like doing) further — inside your classroom and outside.

Read, read, read — about careers you’re aware of or are thinking about, about your role models, about what studying different subjects leads to.

Participate in extra-curricular activities — in school and independently as well.

Seek to excel in at least one area. Any area, be it academics, sports or extra-curricular.

email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com

career compass: emergency medical technician 
The skill of saving lives
Vikas Tripathi

With a billion-plus population India needs an extensive healthcare infrastructure and huge work force of healthcare professionals. Despite a spurt in the setting up of new hospitals and medical facilities across the country, we are yet to get an adequate number of medical personnel. Currently India has 0.9 beds per 1,000 persons, which is far below the global average of 2.9 beds. By 2022, it is estimated that India would require over 27 lakh additional beds.

Along with a huge dearth of these regular healthcare services, our country also lacks emergency medical response services. In a country where 1,60,000 persons die every year in road accidents and millions other die due to cardiovascular problems — both scenarios where emergency medical assistance is required — only about 10,000 medical emergency response technicians have been trained since 2005. By contrast, the US has 2,40,000 for a population that is a fourth of India’s.

Paramedics can be defined as a practice in the field of medical science that deals with pre-hospital emergency services. A person working in this field is referred to as paramedic. This medical professional works as an emergency medical care provider, who administers primary medical and trauma care.

Opportunities galore

There are over 1 lakh vacancies available for trained Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) in India who can be deployed in ambulances, hospital emergencies and trauma care centers. Apart from this there are over 65 lakh vacancies in allied healthcare also such as dental technicians and hygienists, medical laboratory technicians, radiographers among others.

The increasing demand of skilled paramedical professionals has opened up several career opportunities for young aspirants. To cater to the growing demand of trained paramedics, some institutes have started offering courses in this field at both degree and diploma levels.

Getting in

The students of science with biology at Plus II level can make a rewarding career as emergency medical technicians (EMT). Short-term courses for Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) are available for working professionals also. For healthcare professionals, the duration of Emergency Medical Technician (basic) course is two months while it is four months for Plus II students.

Work profile

The EMT is trained to provide basic emergency medical care to critical and emergency patients. They are skilled in all levels of Basic Life Support procedures, use of an Automated External Defibrillators (AED) and the administration of some emergency medications. The EMT performs initial medical assistance with the basic equipment typically found on an ambulance by providing Basic Emergency Care to patients who access the EMS system.

Remuneration

The beginners can expect to get anywhere between Rs 2 and 2.25 lakh per annum.

 

Difference in definition Emergency Medical Technician An Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) is an entry-level healthcare provider in the field of Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Many paramedics, doctors, nurses and firefighters have used their EMT education and experience as a stepping stone to new careers. EMTs have the knowledge and skills to provide emergency care and transportation of patients in a pre-hospital setting. Their skills are critical in attending to emergencies, accidents and disasters. Medical Technician The term medical technician can apply to people who work in X-ray labs, people who work as dental hygienists, helpers in surgery, pharmacy and veterinary assistants, and a plethora of other work environments. On-the-job responsibilities depend upon the career path and specialty of the technician, and most medical technicians are also called allied health professionals.

— The writer is Assistant Vice President, Vivo Healthcare

Happiness @ work
Gems of ancient wisdom
In all fairness

As Women’s Day approaches, let’s renew our pledge to accord due respect to fairer half of the human population.

Right to be born: When trader Masud Khan found a deserted newly born girl in a jungle, he took her along. On overtaking another caravan — that of nobleman Ghiyas Beg’s family who were fleeing from Persia to India — the baby’s cry attracted the attention of Ghiyas Beg’s wife. The family had abandoned the baby as they had been robbed of all their possessions and had nothing to eat. Reunited by God’s grace (mehr), they named her Mehr. She later became renowned as Empress Noor Jahan.

Right to respect: The Pharisees took a ‘fallen’ woman to Jesus for his judgment. When Jesus saw that the gathering wanted her stoned, he said, “Let the one who hasn’t sinned once be the first to cast a stone at her.” Hearing this, the gathering dispersed.

Right to equality: When Arul Mozhi Verman ascended the throne of the Chola Empire as Raja Raja Chola, his sister Kundavai was sworn in as co-ruler. Raja Raja Chola, one of the greatest rulers of medieval India, ruled the Chola Empire for 30 years.

Right to dignity: In front of Virgin Mary of Nazareth stood Gabriel, the messenger of God, who told her that she had been chosen to bear Jesus. But when her fiancé Joseph thought of breaking the engagement as she was “with child”, Gabriel stopped him by apprising him of God’s plans.

Right to pleasure: On marrying sage Agastya, princess Lopamudra of Vidarbha desired to “live as I did in my father’s house”. So Agastya defeated Asura Ilvala and got 20,000 cows, 20,000 gold coins, golden chariot and horses from him.

Right to opportunity: On seeing Ahmednagar in peril with the deaths of her brother Burhan-ul-Mulk and his son and successor Ibrahim, Chand Bibi crowned Ibrahim’s infant son Bahadur and took over as Regent. The people supported her as they wanted a good ruler — man or woman.

Right to be heard: Along with an SOS to save Chittor from Bahadur Shah of Gujarat, Rani Karmavati of Chittor sent Mughal Emperor Humayun a ‘rakhi’. When he reached Chittor, Humayun got to know that Karmavati had committed ‘jauhar’. On seeing the Mughal forces, Bahadur Shah fled from Chittor to Champaner to Cambay to Diu.

Right to contribute: When King Harsha of Thaneshwar had donated his all among his subjects, one man was found wanting. As he could then only donate the clothes on his body, he asked his sister Rajyashri to loan him a garment so that he could donate his dress.

Right to excel: Gandhiji said, “If by strength is meant moral power, then woman is immeasurably man’s superior.”

— Sai R. Vaidyanathan

The writer can be contacted at svaidyanathan@tribunemail.com

course cruising
Executive MBA

XLRI, announces admission to the 'Post-Graduate Diploma in Business Management (PGDM-BM) programme for Working Executives and Business Owners' for the batch 2013 to 2016. The three-year, part-time, evening programme, approved by AICTE, imparts the rigor of a full-time programme through 900 plus hours of classroom interaction, but spread over three academic years to accommodate the time-constraints of a working executive or a business owner.

Deadline: February 28, 2013 and the interviews will take place from 3rd to 14th April, 2013. Admissions are on for Bachelor of Architecture (B.Arch) course at IEC University, Baddi.

Duration: 5 years

Eligibility: Minimum aggregate of 50 per cent or equivalent in Plus II with science/commerce/arts or equivalent.

How to apply: Admission can be obtained by filing application form of IEC university by paying Rs 200 submitted in cash or demand draft in favour of " Finance Officer, IEC University, Baddi " payable at New Delhi / Baddi , Himachal Pradesh. The application form can be downloaded from http://iecuniversity.com.

Deadline: March 15, 2013

Check out: www.iecuniversity.com

E-mail: admission2012@iecuniversity.com

Bachelor’s course in physical sciences

Macquarie University, Australia, has announced admission to Physical Science and Environmental Sciences courses. While physical sciences provides students a deeper understanding of astronomical and space sciences, atomic, molecular, nuclear, particle and plasma physics, classical physics, condensed matter physics, optical physics, quantum physics and other physical sciences. Similarly environmental sciences keep the students engaged in ecological applications, environmental science and management, soil sciences and other environmental sciences.

The course: The three-year full-time/ equivalent part-time bachelor degree programmes are suitable for the students who wish to enhance their problem-solving skills to the environment, physical sciences and are interested in science, sustainability and environmental management.

Eligibility Criteria: Plus II

How to apply: Apply through the Universities Admission Centre (UAC).

• Select your UAC Code:
• Go to the UAC website and select “Apply". This link will open in a new window.

Check out: http://www.mq.edu.au/

MSc in Entrepreneurship

The University of Sheffield’s Management School invites applications for its newly launched MSc in Entrepreneurship programme.

The course: This 12-month programme aims to bring together theoretical and applied aspects of entrepreneurship in different contexts. The school provides students pursuing this one-year full time programme with course content that has been drawn upon the expertise of a range of current entrepreneurs to provide an insight into the theory and practice of transforming business acumen, financial investment and innovation into a successful product or service. Applicants will also have the opportunity to explore their own ideas and develop entrepreneurial skills through a student project which could translate into starting an own venture.

Eligibility: Holders of a three-year bachelor degree with a minimum of 60 per cent or first class from a recognised university will be considered for direct admission or holders of a four-year bachelor degree in science, engineering or technology degrees with a minimum of 55 per cent or second class from a reputable university combined with a desire to learn about the principles and practices of entrepreneurship.

Prior management or entrepreneurship experience is not mandatory.

IELTS is the preferred test of language. One needs an IELTS score of 7, with at least 6 in all the component tests. If one is unable to sit the IELTS, then one should take TOEFL.

Fee: £16,500.

Deadline: June 2013

scholarship roundup
Commenwealth distance learning

Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, UK, funded by the UK Government, the Scottish Government, CSC and BIS, is offering Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholarships for master’s degree courses at UK universities. The distance education programmes offered by selected top UK Universities provides scholarship support via Commonwealth Scholarships to international students wanting to enroll for one of the mentioned online courses.

Study subject(s): The scholarship is provided to study in Tropical Forestry, Clinical Optometry, Palliative Medicine/Care, Education and International Development, Public Health — Health Promotion, Clinical Trials, Epidemiology, Global Health Policy, Infectious Diseases, Public Health, Education for Sustainability, Development Management, Veterinary Epidemiology and Public Health, Poverty Reduction: Policy and Practice, International Construction Management, Nursing, Health and Medicine, Public Health, Education, International Human Rights Law, Gerontology, Public Administration – International Development.

Eligibility: The candidates should:

• Be Commonwealth citizens of a developing Commonwealth country, refugees or British protected persons
• Be permanently resident in a developing Commonwealth country
• Normally hold a first degree of upper second-class standard, or higher qualification

Deadline: May 28, 2013.

Cargill global scholarships

Interested students can check out the Cargill Global Scholarships Programme for Brazil, China, India, Russia and the USA. The scholarship is available in food, agriculture and risk management. At least 10 students from each country are selected for this programme. Cargill Global Scholars are high performing undergraduate first or second year university students. The programme is a distinctive scholarship opportunity that not only provides financial support, but offers leadership development opportunities through seminars, networking events, and a one-on-one mentoring programme.

Eligibility: Applicant must:

• Be a citizen or permanent legal resident of Brazil, China, India, Russia or the United States.
• Attend a partner university in the country of citizenship or permanent legal residency
• Be a first or second year university student
• Demonstrate high academic performance
• Demonstrate leadership potential

Deadline: March 15, 2013