Bapu’s class act
Sai R. Vaidyanathan

From a truthful boy and a shy lawyer, he went on to become the face of the Indian Freedom Struggle. On Gandhi Jayanti, here is a reconstruction of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi’s life for team leaders to draw inspiration from.

Don’t pile on work

When Uttamchand, the Prime Minister of Porbandar and Gandhiji’s grandfather, visited Junagadh, he saluted the Nawab with his left hand. On being asked the reason, he said, ‘My right hand is already pledged to Porbandar."

Team leaders should remember that they lead humans. And men have limits and a life - unlike machines.

Set an example

Despite being the Thakur, Bavajiraj of Rajkot trembled at the sight of Karamchand, his Diwan and Gandhiji's father, as Bavajiraj was wasting away his time in sensory pleasures.

Boss, a Sanskrit saying goes thus: Yatha raja, thatha praja (subjects follow the ruler).

For change, initiate change

In such a family was Mohandas born on October 2, 1869 in Porbandar. On being hit by his brother, little Mohan didn't reply in kind. "Shouldn't you stop him from hitting me, instead of telling me to hit back," he asked his mother Putaliba.

Chief, change begins with the man in the mirror.

You can't cheat yourself

At Rajkot, Mohan joined the Alfred High School. During an inspection by Education Inspector Giles, the only student in the class test who spelt the word "kettle" wrong was 12-year-old Mohandas. Even when the teacher hinted at his mistake, he didn't correct it.

As all are working in close coordination, no façade will stay up for too long in front of juniors, commander.

Don't shy away from truth

As people of different faiths came to discuss various topics with Karamchand, little Mohan developed respect for all religions. "I must know the Truth and always live by it," Gandhi vowed.

Sycophants won't let the truth reach you, manager. And lies will hurt the organiSation and the product. Listen to workers and customers too.

Stick to your word

In 1885, when Mohandas started for England to study law, he promised his mother not to "touch wine, women and meat". Despite freezing conditions, he kept his word.

In school, didn't we say, "Promise-breaker is a shoemaker?"

Play to your strengths

In 1891, he set up practice as a barrister in Bombay. But his shyness had not left him. "What kind of barrister will you make if you cannot utter a word?" the judge said.

In 1893, he got an offer to go to South Africa to represent some merchants. There, he was thrown off a train at Pietermaritzburg, called a "coolie", refused admission in hotels at Johannesburg and kicked for walking on the footpath in front of President Kruger's house in Pretoria.

During the war between England and the Boer colonies in 1899 and the Zulu revolt in 1906, he tended to the injured whom the European volunteers and nurses refused to look after.

Recognizing that speaking was not his strength and his strategy of non-violence and his spirit of service were, he took on the British rulers. The sophistication that the British were projecting to lord over us "savage" Indians came crashing down when Gandhiji made the British confront non-violent protesters with lathis and bullets.

In a world full of choices, the customer will not buy a mediocre product. So recognize your strong points and market those.

Wear the opposition down

Against a humiliating law that required all Indians to give their finger impressions on a registration certificate - like a criminal, Mohandas announced a satyagraha campaign on September 11, 1906 at the Empire Theatre, Johannesburg. In July 1907, the first satyagraha was launched.

The three-year-long second satyagraha was ended in May 1911 and the third started in September 1913. Finally, Home Minister General Smuts conceded to all the demands of Gandhiji.

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Only if you try and try, will you succeed, General.

Create a brand and live up to it

After his release during the third satyagraha, Mohandas adopted a mourning dress, shaved his head and began wearing a prisoner's cap - which later became renowned as "Gandhi cap".

On his return to India, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore gave him a title of "Mahatma" and farmers of Champaran, Bihar, began calling him "Bapu" for pleading their case in front of the British authorities "like a father". The father of the nation lived up to all these till the end of his life.

Every team needs a leader. Can you deliver, chief?

Take a revision course

On January 9, 1915, Gandhiji returned to India. Gopal Krishna Gokhale advised Mohandas to travel across the length and breadth of the India to know her better. Earlier in England, he had read "The Song Celestial" on the Bhagvad Gita and "The Light of Asia" on Lord Buddha by Sir Edwin Arnold.

Nobody knows it all and for all time. A refresher course can do no harm to you or the team, commander.

Keep disparity low

At the celebrations in February 1916 of the Banaras Hindu University, Gandhiji spoke on the extremes of luxury and poverty in the nation. "Whenever I hear of a great palace rising in any great city, I say that it is the money that has come from the agriculturists."

Among different levels in the hierarchy, there will be difference in perks. But keep it to minimum to avoid heartburn, boss.

Accept your mistakes

During the peaceful Non-Cooperation Movement, riots broke out in Bombay on November 17, 1921. These were followed by violence in Madras in January 1922 and in Chauri Chaura in Uttar Pradesh in February. So Gandhiji suspended the movement and was arrested on March 10. At the trial, he said, "I plead guilty. I wanted to avoid violence. I am deeply sorry. I invite the highest penalty."

To err is human. You too are human, team leader.

Men, misdeeds die; good work lives on

The half-naked fakir summarized the fight against the mighty British Empire thus: "There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time, they seem invincible. But in the end, they always fall."

On January 30, 1948 at Birla House, Delhi, Nathuram Godse shot Gandhiji at 5.10 pm. Jawaharlal Nehru said, "The light has gone out and yet I was wrong…for that light was no ordinary light. Even a thousand years later, that light will be seen in this country."

Only those who leave a legacy of good deeds live on till eternity, captain.

The writer can be contacted at svaidyanathan@tribunemail.com

Career Hotline
Pervin Malhotra

What is the difference between CA and CWA?

Q. I am currently pursuing BCom (Hons) course and am looking to go for CA or CWA. Are these two distinctly different courses or are they quite similar? Also tell me about the entry requirements and procedures for both these courses. — Pradeep Kumar

A. To become a CA you have to clear the tough three-tier exam conducted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) as well complete three years of ‘Articleship’ or practical training. You are required to complete a minimum of 24 months of Articleship before you can sit for your final set of exams.

The process of becoming a Cost and Management Accountant (new name for Cost and Work Accountants) is quite similar. To become a Cost Accountant, you have to clear the exam conducted by the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI), and also complete three years of practical training. However, unlike the CA course, you only need to complete six months of your practical to be eligible to give the final set of exams. The CMA course also has provisions for exemption from practical training. Furthermore, relevant work experience prior to joining the course also counts towards the practical training requirement.

In terms of work profile, while a CA is empowered to verify and certify all accounts including the balance sheet of an organisation, a Cost Accountant or Cost Manager isn’t. His focus lies in analysing and determining organisational and management costs — across all functions and at all levels.

There is a fair degree of similarity between the topics/subjects at foundation and intermediate levels of the CA and CMA courses. These include subjects such as fundamentals of accounting, auditing and taxation; business mathematics; business laws and ethics. After covering the basics, the CA course focuses more on direct and indirect taxation, auditing, and financial reporting whereas the CMA courses focuses on areas such as management accounting, financial management, financial analysis and business valuation.

What is the eligibility for joining Merchant Navy?

Q.  I want to make my career in the Merchant Navy. Please guide me as to how I can do this, which courses do I need to do, which institutes, eligibility and admission details.

— Jatin Makhija

A. Getting into Merchant Navy requires either a three-year BSc degree in nautical science or a four-year marine engineering degree. There are over a dozen different entry routes into the Merchant Navy depending upon your qualification.
You have not mentioned your academic qualifications, so it’s difficult to suggest whether you should opt for the marine engineering or the Deck Cadet route, but over 120 institutes offer a variety of short and long-term courses in India. Like AICTE/UGC, there’s a separate accreditation body, the Director General of Shipping (DGS), that certifies the candidates as well as the Institutes that offer courses for Merchant Navy. Just log on to the DGS website: www.dgshipping.com to view the complete details.

To join the Merchant Navy as a marine engineer you can either join a BE in Marine Engineering course at institutes such as MERI, Kolkata or TS Chanakya, or then you can opt to join a one-year Graduate Marine Engineer programme after completing your BE/ BTEch in Mechanical Engineering or Naval Architecture with minimum 50 per cent in graduation and should have scored atleast 50 per cent in English in Class XII.

To join the Merchant Navy as a Deck Cadet, you need to have passed Class XII in the science stream (PCM). This is a one-year diploma programme leading to a BSc in Nautical Sciences. To be eligible you should have scored a minimum of 55 per cent in physics, chemistry and maths, and have English in Class XII. Even BSc (physics, chemistry, maths, electronics) graduates are eligible if they fulfil the requirements at the Plus II level.

Shipping companies directly recruit cadets and send them for the mandatory pre-sea training before taking them aboard for further on-the-job training that qualifies them for the Certificate of competence issued by the DGS.

I want to go for PG in population studies

Q. I am in my final year of geography (Honours) course. I would like to do a postgraduate degree or a diploma-level course in population studies. Could you please tell me about the courses and prospects in this field? — Tarini Singh

A. With global population growth having reached dangerous levels, population studies has gained increasing significance. Specialising in this field offers opportunities to work with international aid agencies like USAID, Population Council, Ford Foundation, UNFPA, Care, etc on their various surveys and research projects. Central Government offices like the Census Office, Registrar General and Census Commission and Ministry of Family Welfare also employ specialists in Population Studies as do some NGOs and professional bodies such as the Indian Association of Population Studies.

You could do your master’s in Population Studies at the following universities:

• International Institute of Population Sciences, Mumbai

Scholarship roundup

Human Rights Watch Fellowships

Human Rights Watch is offering international fellowship that will begin in September 2014 in USA. The fellowship is provided to recent graduates of law, journalism, international relations, area studies or other relevant disciplines from universities. Two types of fellowship are awarded restricted and unrestricted fellowships. Human Rights Watch Fellows typically works full-time in Human Rights Watch’s New York or Washington, D.C. office or in some instances in another location. The NYU, Sandler, and Finberg Fellows work full-time for one year with Human Rights Watch. Fellows monitor human rights developments in various countries, conduct on-site investigations, draft reports on human rights conditions, and engage in advocacy and media outreach aimed at publicizing and curtailing human rights violations.

Eligibility: Applicants must demonstrate a strong background in international human rights and be committed to building a career in human rights.

• Research experience, including experience conducting interviews, ideally in the context of human rights research, is required.
• Field experience in human rights work is strongly desirable.
• Applicants must have exceptional analytical skills and excellent oral and written communication skills in English.
• Proficiency in one language in addition to English is strongly desired as is familiarity with countries or regions where serious human rights violations occur.
• Depending on the fellowship for which they wish to apply, prospective fellows must be recent graduates of law, journalism, international relations, or other relevant studies, or must provide evidence of significant, comparable, relevant work experience.

Number of awards: Four

Details: The salary of 2013-2014 fellows are $55, 000, plus excellent employer-paid benefits. The salary of 2014-2015 is currently under review and may be increased.

How to apply: Electronically.

Deadline: October 16, 2013.

Check out:

head

The Confederation of Indian Industry and Science and Engineering Research Board, Government of India jointly offer 100 prime minister fellowships each year under the PPP mode.

Study subjects: Areas of research should be in science, technology, engineering, agriculture or medicine.

Eligibility:

• One doctoral fellow and one industry will apply jointly. The application has to be filled by the doctoral fellow
• Doctoral fellow should be have registered for full-time PhD programme in the academic year in 2013-14 in any recognised Indian University or Institution or Research Laboratory in India -Doctoral fellow should obtain ‘No Objection’ from his/her Institution before applying
• Doctoral fellow should have identified (before applying) an industry partner/co-applicant who should be ready to support the research project financially and also lend technical and intellectual support
• The selected doctoral fellow should be willing to work with / in industry as and when required by the industry partner during the project period

Wall of fame
Young environmental envoys from India

Soumyajit Paul and Vaibhav Pratap Singh

The Bayer Group in India recently announced the winners of the Bayer Young Environmental Envoy 2013 (BYEE 2013) competition from participants across the country. In cooperation with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Bayer organises and promotes a number of specific projects which aim to improve knowledge about the environment among young people and support them in their environmental commitment.

The environmental champions from India — Soumyajit Paul and Vaibhav Pratap Singh along with 48 winners from 18 other countries will travel to Germany from November 10-15, 2013, on a week-long all-expenses-paid study tour sponsored by Bayer. On this field trip, the students will get a first-hand experience of how sustainable environmental practices are pursued jointly by the people, government and industry. The excursion entails visits to various waste management and recycling sites as well as workshops on nature monitoring and conservation.

Vaibhav Pratap Singh is 23 years old and is pursuing M.S. by Research in Electrical Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras.

Soumyajit Paul is 20 years old and is pursuing Civil Engineering at SRM University, Kancheepuram. Soumyajit’s project is “TRANS-CONS” which is based on a green-building project and is about producing a light transmitting concrete structure (such as walls, columns and beams) which brings about savings in electricity during the day. This project can save up to 35-40 per cent electrical energy consumption per year per sector.

This new kind of building material can integrate the concept of green energy saving with usage of self-sensing properties of functional materials. 

RECOGNITION FOR CITY TEACHER

Sandeep Tripathi, a lecturer of Physics/Maths at DAV-15, Chandigarh, has been selected as an Area Editor for an International Scientific Journal, JAMT, accredited to the EAI (European Alliance for Innovation, Belgium). Tripathi, who has received many awards and citations for his scientific work, will now be assessing and analysing the latest discoveries, studies and research papers of scientists from all over the world for this journal. He is currently working on a new class of particles/waves called “Aum'ons”, christened on the revered Aum.

Newsboard

PTU signs MoU with ISTE for training of faculty and students

Punjab Technical University (PTU) will collaborate with the Indian Society for Technical Education (ISTE) for training of faculty and students. Under this arrangement, ISTE shall be organising Faculty Development Programmes (FDP) in different streams of engineering for PTU faculty. These programmes, designed to keep PTU faculty abreast with the latest developments in the respective domains, shall be conducted within Punjab and elsewhere.

Besides this, ISTE will also organise several workshops, for faculty as well as students, on ethical and human values. A joint committee involving members from University Grants Commission (UGC), Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), PTU and ISTE shall be formed for designing these programmes and content of the workshops. — TNS

Course cruising
Rural development programmes

Applications from aspiring candidates are invited by the National Institute for Rural Developemnt, Hyderabad, for admission to Post Graduate Diploma in sustainable Rural Development (PGDSRD) Programme and Second Batch of Post Graduate Diploma in Tribal Development Management (PGDTDM) in distance mode. The admission of candidates in the above two programmes will be done twice in a year (Janu ary and July). For the Academic Year which starts from January, 2014 the admission process will be completed by December, 2013. The candidates who are admitted in the month of January will have to complete the Programme by December. For those admitted in Second Semester second Academic Year will be from July, 2014 to June, 2015.

Eligibility: Candidates having a graduate degree in any discipline from a university recognised by UGC are eligible for Admission. .

Check out: www.nird.org.in

Deadline: November 29,2013 for admission in the month of January, 2014 and May 30, 2014, for admission in the month of July

Construction management programmes

The National Institute of Construction Management, invites applications for admissions to:

• Two-year Post Graduate Programme in Advanced Construction Management (PGP ACM): Offered from Pune, Hyderabad, Goa and Indore Campuses
• Two Year Post Graduate Programme in Project Engineering and Management (PGP PEM): Offered from Pune Campus
• Two Year Post Graduate Programme in Real Estate and Urban Infrastructure Management

Gear up for your first Job
Usha Albuquerque

This is that time of the year when students in their final year of college start scouring the job market anxiously. With the global recession curtailing job opportunities across the world anxiety levels are naturally high. Lakhs of students pour out of colleges every year — around 3 lakh MBAs, 15 lakh engineers and larger numbers of graduates from different disciplines. As campus placement outside the top 20-30 colleges is barely 10 per cent, this means that thousands remain unemployed or end up with jobs they did not expect and get salaries they might have even got without the degree.

Simply having good marks and completing a professional degree are not enough to get a job in today’s rapidly changing economy. It is estimated that about 30 per cent of engineering and MBA capacity is unfilled because students are unhappy with the package of quality, price and job outcomes. But it is also true that industry finds that only 24 per cent of students are employable.

So what should a student completing graduation do to prepare for the job market? For a start, be sure of why you have decided to start working rather than continue further studies. If you have completed a general bachelor’s degree you may be better off specialising in a professional stream at post-graduate level before plunging into the work scene.

However, if you are heading for an MBA, you must get three to five years of work experience after graduation. Those who are confused and don’t really know which field to get into, can also benefit from some years of work experience.

In today’s job market in order to effectively manage your career, you not only need to improve your hiring quotient in the workplace, but position yourself to recognise and pre-empt the changes that may take place in the future. So what is it that you should do under these circumstances to stay ahead in the race?

There are two major qualities that matter to a prospective employer. The first is academic achievements, and the second personal development.

All employers would ideally like to have ‘A’ grade students with good personal qualities. But as most realise that this is a tall order, even among those coming out of the IITs and IIMs, they invariably have to trade off academic performance against personal development when assessing candidates. Sometimes good candidates with excellent academic qualifications are rejected, only because they cannot demonstrate the personality and skills required of them at work. So while academic performance certainly plays a large role in ensuring employer attention, there are other factors that can mark the difference between success and failure.

Academic performance

Ensure your degree is relevant to the job you are applying for — or one that will give you the skills needed to be suitable for the post. If your marks are good, you are already at an advantage, and any additional achievements such as awards, scholar badge, competitive prizes, participation in events such as MUN, debates dramatics etc will give you added brownie points.

If you are just an average student academically, see if you can offset your academic background with strong personal qualities and skills. Often these non-technical ‘soft’ skills are not that clearly spelt out in job ads, but they are the non-technical skills, abilities, and traits that all employees need, to function effectively in a work environment. These skills are “transferable skills” meaning they are portable from one job to the next. They will serve you well no matter what position or career field you seek.

Communication skills

Personal development for today’s candidate means various things — a good personality, communication skills, inter-personal skills, organisational and decision making abilities among others. Of these by far the most important requirement in the current working environment, is communication, and that too, in English — the universal language of the working world. The ability to verbalise, write, listen, give presentations, facilitate discussions, and share knowledge effectively is possibly the most important skill required in every job.

Today English is less a language and more an operating system like Windows. Speaking and writing good English ensures 200 per cent higher employment outcomes for entry level jobs.

Getting involved in co-curricular activities and actively participating in activities can help you develop stronger communication skills. Interpersonal and teamwork skills are other qualities that employers look for.

Involvement in extra-curricular activites that develop your personal skills in organising, planning, communication, business acumen, influencing & negotiating are highly valued.

Work experience

So also is any student internship or work experience you may have gained during your study years. Any and all work experience is well regarded, whether waiting tables at McDonalds, sales work at a retail store or answering calls at a BPO. However, the more relevant it is to the job for which you are applying, the more value will be placed on it, eg: jobs that have a lot of customer service involvement are considered highly, particularly if they are applying for a role that requires dealing with others.

What you need to sell in your resume are the skills you have learned from the experience and how you can utilise them for the job at hand.

Impressive CV

Your CV (Curriculum Vitae or resume) is an important part of this job search campaign, it is how you present yourself in print, and the first important aspect of the job search.

A good CV is like an advertisement for you. If the ad prompts a prospective buyer to check out more about the product — that is you — it has done its job. So a good CV should reveal information about you and stimulate enough interest in the person reading it to decide to call you for an interview. You literally have 30 seconds to make an impact before you get put into the bin.

Prudent selection

When thinking seriously about your work you must carefully evaluate specific organisations that you may have selected in the context of your career success and what best facilitates that success.

Often students fail to look at this larger picture when student placements convert into real-life job situations. It is important to identify the kind of organisation you wish to work for and the environment you would prefer to work in. So do some undercover work — find out more about the organisation, get some data on the products it deals in, the turnover, position in the industry, its growth and organisation structure.

Every organisation has a distinctive culture, a personality of its own, which has significant implications for your career. Each has its own aura and attraction, and you should identify the one which makes you most comfortable, for unless you are, you cannot enjoy your work.

And finally select your first job based on how much you will learn from the experience rather than how much you will earn, valuable not only for admission to a good B school, but to future employers. Even as you post your twenty-fifth or fiftieth application form, think positive. There is a job out there for you - you just need to position yourself so as to get to the interview stage in the recruitment process. The issue for most potential candidates is not whether or not you will get a job, it is whether or not you will get the job you really want.

So you should begin asking yourself how do you rate against the hundreds of other candidates applying for the job. What makes you different? If you haven't given much thought to career development, this is surely the time to start!

Technical skills

Other useful job skills include some technical skills such as computer skills. The ability to appropriately apply technology and effectively use major software and the web to accomplish job responsibilities is essential in today’s workplace. Employers expect fresh college graduates to be familiar with standard business computer applications, including word processing, spreadsheets, data management, presentation software and web research. If you do not have computer skills, pick up some basic computer courses and learn software programmes.

— The writer is Director, Careers Smart Pvt Ltd, New Delhi

Yale global leaders programme

Yale University is now accepting applications for the Yale Young Global Scholars Programme, which will bring together talented rising high school juniors and seniors from India and around the world to live and study at Yale for two weeks in the summer of 2014.

The programme features intensive undergraduate-level coursework and interaction with renowned Yale faculty and practitioners in the fields of history, political science, law, economics, international affairs, public health, and environmental science.

Students learn to recognise and understand some of the most pressing global challenges of the 21st century, strategise responses, and innovate solutions, gaining valuable leadership skills both inside and outside the classroom.

This coming summer, the programme is introducing a new session focused on science policy, particularly with respect to global health, energy, and climate. The session takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining scientific research and development with public policy applications, and it is designed for students who have broad interests in science and technology, whether they plan to pursue careers in those fields or wish to be science-literate entrepreneurs and policymakers.

“We are looking for 21st-century problem-solvers who relish a challenge and who are eager to work with like-minded colleagues from across the globe,” said programme director Ted Wittenstein.

Students may apply to any of the three, two-week summer sessions offered: “Science, Policy, and Innovation” (June 16-29) examines interdisciplinary approaches to global health, energy and environment, and climate change; “Politics, Law, and Economics" (July 7-20) focuses on important ideas and thinkers in the American political and intellectual tradition; and "Studies in Grand Strategy” (July 26-August 8) explores strategic lessons from history and their application to contemporary international affairs.

How to apply: The application for summer 2014 is now available online,

Deadline: February 20, 2014.

Selection criteria: Admission to the programme is very selective and need-based financial aid available to students who qualify.

Check out: http://globalscholars.yale.eduContact: global.scholars@yale.edu

Field in focus: sericulture
The silk route
Preetinder Kaur

Sericulture refers to the mass-scale rearing of silk producing organisms to obtain silk. Mulberry sericulture involves the cultivation of mulberry to produce leaf rearing of silkworm to convert leaf to the cocoon, reeling of the cocoon to obtain silk yarn and weaving to convert the yarn to fabric.

The industry comprises reeling, silk preparatory and weaving, silk knitting, silk wet and processing consisting of degumming, dyeing, printing and finishing besides garment manufacturing.

China and Japan were the two main producers of silk yarn, together producing over 50 per cent of the total world production each year . But now Japan has been relegated to the third position ever since India has doubled its production of silk. The trends in international silk production suggest that sericulture has better prospects for growth in the developing countries rather than in the developed countries. Being one of the largest exporters of silk, chances for boost in the economic field is comparatively high for our country, which in turn give new openings to the job seekers.

Eligibility

To get a degree in this field one has to pass four years degree from Sericulture College of state agricultural universities or Silk Institutes of various universities. There are two types of degrees, B.Sc. (Sericulture) and B.Sc. Silk Technology (Sericulture).

For a course leading to a degree in Sericulture, the basic qualification required for admission is Plus II with subjects such as biology and chemistry. The course duration for the degree course is four years while that for post-graduation is two years. BSc (Sericulture) and BSc Silk Technology (Sericulture) involves courses on Silk Worm Rearing and Grainage, S/W Breeding and Genetics, Silk Reeling and Spinning, Silk Grading and Testing, Seed Technology, Arboriculture and Moriculture, Diseases and Pests of Silk Worm and Food Plants, Production Planning and Exterision, Costing and Management, Silk Weaving Technology, Silk Dying and Printing Technology.

Job prospects and options

Sericulture, in recent times, has begun to offer a wide variety of employment and entrepreneurship options. Most importantly, every state in India has a sericulture department to focus on rearing of silk worms, production of fibre and marketing. There are many laboratories that conduct experimentation on this natural fibre and these serve as excellent avenues for those inclined towards technology and scientific experimentation. Demand for Kashmiri silk carpets has been on the rise constantly. All this has created additional avenues for Seri culturists. With research institutions devising new technological processes, Sericulture is now being recognised as a mainstream profession. It offers career opportunity in governemnt research centers, silk boards, academic fields, sericulture units, agriculture sector banks etc. One can get jobs in Central Government agencies like Central Silk Board/Silk Export Promotion Council/FAO/NABARD, Krishi Vigyan Kendra etc. Candidates with M.Sc sericulture can apply for the post of lecturer, professor and lab assistant. Seri culturists can find employment as officers, managers in the agricultural loan sector of nationalised as well as private banks. In short, there are endless opportunities in this field. They can work as a manager in Sericulture Farm, Grainage, Silk Reeling (Filature), Silk weaving mill, Dyeing, Printing and Spinning mill etc. as well as in various central government sponsored schemes

Remuneration

Professionals who undergo proper training can earn starting salaries as high as Rs 18000 per month in public sector and even higher in private sector and NGOs. This grows in accordance with the experience gained. Entrepreneurs, especially those who set up business as exporters of silk products, can look forward to excellent gains.

Inject some passion into your career
D. C. Sharma

Have you ever tried to make your career a cause? Job is something you do for money, while a cause is something you work at just because you believe in it. Employees often talk about their vocations. They don’t talk about their careers. The literal meaning of vocation is ‘calling.’ That is, in fact, a cause you are driven to serve. Something that is based on deep conviction and commitment and working for a cause or your conviction is the only worthwhile way to achieve any aim or objective in any job or career.

The benefits of that difference, once realised, can put you on the royal road to scintillating success and enviable achievements.

Mahatma Gandhi is still praised for his worthwhile achievements. He could makes things happen not simply by fighting for a cause, but by igniting a similar kind of fire among the masses. It was always his well thought of cause which would prompt him to move ahead with poise and vigour. And millions of people would follow him only because he knew how to ignite the fire of passion among them.

Perfect bosses are always those who make their employees make their jobs the cause to perform miracles. That’s why they pat their achievers and inspire others to follow them. They are the ones who not only make their own position a cause, but also do so providing a similar passion to their subordinates.

Today so many job seekers are hankering after jobs. Why is it that they never get the jobs that want so badly? The reason is simple! They lack the fire within. They lack the stamina to make achievements.

But why do they lack all these ingredients? The reason for this is also pretty simple. They are not passionate about what they want to achieve. They are rather anxious about how to get that said job by hook or by crook. That’s what makes them get stuck!

Once they change their mindset, and start turning what they want into a cause, things would be other way round and there will be no lack of jobs for them. You might have seen certain employees who always seem to get selected for any job that they apply for. Their speciality is that they treat their career as a cause, not as a job. The habit of making your job a cause is so rewarding that you won’t ever think of changing it ever. But you must have to delve deep into your own self and apply the concept with diligence.

Spirit of volunteering

To initiate the process, never think of yourself as an employee. Think of yourself as a volunteer. An employee is the one who has a job description. He has a concept of his work as to what he is supposed to do. But a volunteer has a cause. He has an inner craving to reach somewhere. He has a will to stand apart. He has a desire to satisfy not only his boss and the company, but his own inner craving. He has the curiosity to land somewhere where distinction looms large to build his enviable image.

Choose the right cause

To begin with, never think of earth-shaking causes. Just initiate with humble beginnings. The purpose of this initiation is simply to make your cause instrumental in building your mindset. It is just to make you passionate to do and achieve.

Once that surging passion takes a root in your mind you have virtually put your career in the proper gear. To control the speed is always the next step. Once the passion to do something marvellous wells up in you, you have to be cautious to take hold of the reins. The earlier you learn to channelise that surge of passion into achieving worthwhile targets is of utmost importance.

So now is the time to act. Just ignite the flame of that fire of cause and passion and move ahead in your career.

Make work your reward

The most important ingredient of a cause is that it is internal, not external. The employee pursuing a cause doesn’t care for praise or appreciation. He does not bother whether he is duly rewarded, or duly compensated. His achievements themselves propel his boss and his seniors to think of ways and means to duly reward him with due care and diligence lest they lose such an indispensable employee.

— The writer is a Kangra- based psychologist and motivational career expert

Happiness @ work
Gems of ancient wisdom
Find another way

In this world, there are no readymade answers. At best, someone who is good enough to connect the dots may find clues to solutions.

Indian revolutionaries wanted to stick a notice on the walls of the police station. As the area was heavily guarded, no one dared to volunteer. Finally, 15-year-old Chandra Shekhar Azad stepped forward. He smeared a thick layer of gum on the back of the notice and a little on the face. Then, sticking the face of the notice on his back, he went and leaned against a pillar at the police station — job done!

To escape the British authorities’ eye, patriot Bagha Jatin Mukherji first became a stenographer to the Governor’s secretary. Later, he set up an import/export firm so that he could — without suspicion — import arms from Russia, Germany and Japan.

After bombing the procession of Lord Hardinge, Viceroy of India, at Chandni Chowk, Delhi on December 23, 1912, Rash Behari Bose went underground and changed his name to Narendranath Sen. To get the support of Indian soldiers in the British India army for the uprising on February 21, 1915, he visited several cantonments disguised as an army officer.

The Barisal incident on April 14, 1906, in which non-violent volunteer Chittaranjan Guha was thrown into a tank of water and beaten with lathis, had electrified the nation. Alarmed, Viceroy Lord Minto issued an ordinance restricting the right to hold meetings. So, singer Liakat Husain said, “Only meetings are banned. Not singing, festivals or plays.” Boys trained by him started singing patriotic songs. Similarly, Mukunda Das composed Jatras (folk theatre) with similar themes.

Mughal Emperor Akbar found himself in a dilemma after hearing praise about the devotional songs of Mirabai. Even when he knew that the Rajputs and Mughals had a long history of enmity, he desired to hear Mirabai in person. So he and court musician Tansen — disguised in the saffron robes of sadhus — went to Chittor. Mira’s prayers left Akbar in a trance. He touched her feet and placed a necklace at the feet of Krishna’s idol.

Ranu, a “low-caste” follower of saint Ekanath, invited him home for lunch one day. Hearing this, the Brahmins in Paithan decided to catch Ekanath red-handed while defying Brahminical customs. After seeing him eating at Ranu’s place, they decided to wait in front of Ekanath’s house and confront him. But a miracle happened. The Brahmins saw the seer giving a discourse there. How can Ekanath be at two places, they thought and dropped the idea of ostracising him — for the moment. At the end of it, Ekanath reasoned, “Lord Pandurang must have taken my form and given the discourse outside my house.”

Losers tread on the beaten path, winners make their own.

— Sai R. Vaidyanathan

The writer can be contacted at svaidyanathan@tribunemail.com

Training time at India Inc
Corporate training workshops promise to make a difference

Budgets are becoming tight for many companies during the current economic scenario, but some companies like Aircel, Vodafone, Nestle, and Cipla are still investing in corporate training workshops that promises to teach ways to enhance profitability.

In economic slowdown conditions, companies like Aircel, Vodafone, ISCI, Nestle, Craft and Cipla among many others have realised the need for strengthening and sharpening business acumen of the existing manpower in their organisations.

Specialised corporate training companies like Elements Akademia is conducting such workshops for big corporates and MNCs. The strategy lies in making the non-performing staff productive through such kind of workshops.

Elements Akademia CEO and Founder Nishant Saxena said: “A customised workshop — talking of specific cost pressures within the company, benchmarking best practices with peers and an action planning module on what individuals can do to ease that cost pressure — can help operational managers find out exactly where they are ‘wasting’ money, and hence save cash.” Saxena further said that the “potential saving is much much bigger than the small amount spent on training”.

According to Aircel Manager Learning and Development Namrata Wakhloo, corporate training workshop has helped the company upskill our circle leadership teams’ acumen on cost optimisation and create a mindset and attitude that focuses on shareholder return perspective.

Echoing similar views, Cipla Global Head, Learning and development Shyamashree Rudra said, “these modules are helping our people become better ‘general managers’ in understanding the ‘big picture’ and thus, enabling them to take decisions which enhance profitability and value creation for Cipla.

Meanwhile, HR managers in a panel discussion on the topic ‘skill development’ at the recently held SHRM India’s Annual Conference 2013 said organisations should focus on designing appropriate training programmes for their employees which will further yield important benefits for the organisation. — PTI

Bookshelf
Managing performances

Performance management has emerged as an important factor for increasing productivity in organisations. Performance management system — Reading and cases by Dr. Bhupen Srivastava and Dr. Mamta Mohapatra, both professors at IMI B-School, takes up different aspects of this concept and highlight its relevance in the current scenario.

The book comprises articles from renowned academicians and practitioners who have put forward their thoughts and views to facilitate the readers with the best techniques of Performance Management System (PMS) and their application in Indian organisations.

Keeping the competitive scenario in mind and the urge for every organisation to lead the charts, performance management system will help as a guide to understand the multi-dimensional aspects of managing performance and creating a culture of performance excellence.

The book consists of four sections that deal with issues, challenges and trends with various facets of performance management system. In the section on Application in Organisations the authors give readers cases from the Indian organisations that involve issues having universal applicability which would help them learn and understand the theoretical precepts and the problems encountered in the process of implementation.

Winning the right way

Today’s professional wishes to be successful but is in a dilemma — should he be honest and play by the rules or should he follow the example of the negative critical mass which is in abundance today. Every other successful person he meets seems to have achieved success by being dishonest, unethical or manipulative. In fact, being ethical and principled is considered a weakness today.

Through Corporate Safari Raj Pillai tries to restore faith in the power of Good with a first hand account of simple management tools which can be used by any professional struggling in the “big bad corporate” world.

Test to gauge employability levels

The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), human resource organisation – People Strong and talent assessment company Wheebox.Com have joined hands to launch India’s largest employability skills test on Wheebox.com in 16 states and 1800 educational campuses across the country.

This will be for the first time that such report will be addressing potential skill gap that is scientific in nature and validated using reliable talent assessment tool across 244 domain areas. The outcome of the report will create standard reporting guidelines for corporate on potential skill gap involving all leading players of the Industry, supported by CII and active government participation.

India Skills Report 2014 study will bring to light the job demand and potential hiring, through assessment on English Language, Aptitude and Domain Skills for Sectors such as Manufacturing, Retail, Infrastructure, ITES/IT, Health Care & BFSI. The study will be conducted amongst 150,000 final year students across 16 states.

The first India Skill Report 2014 will be released in November 2013 in New Delhi. Colleges and Students can register themselves by visiting www.wheebox.com.

Fortnightly quiz 448

1. Name the German leader who recently secured a hat-trick of wins in the country’s parliamentary elections.

2. To which country does Miss World 2013 belong?

3. Name Pakistan’s teen activist, shot in the head last year by the Taliban for campaigning for girl’s education, who recently received the highest honour from rights group Amnesty International.

4. Name the President of Iran.

5. In which province of Pakistan did a new island emerge recently from the Arabian Sea, 2 km off the coast, following a recent earthquake?

6. Name Haryana’s class I wonderkid who has an IQ of 150, the same as that of Albert Einstein.

7. What is the height and length of the world’s smallest car that recently entered the Guinness Book of World Records?

8. Which Indian state is top on youth unemployment, as per the Labour Bureau?

9. At what height is Hemkunt Sahib situated?

10. With which sport is Sandeep Tulsi Yadav associated?

— Tarun Sharma

Winners of quiz 447: The first prize by draw of lots goes to Ishta Goyal; Class VII; Mind Tree School; Panjokhra, Ambala Cantt; Pin Code -134011
Second: Rihtik Sharma; Class VIII; Chitkara International School, Sector 25, Chandigarh; Pin Code - 160015 
Third: Pahulpreet Kaur; Class VI-A; School Address: Divine Light International School; Shamsher Nagar, Sirhind- 140406

Answers to quiz 447: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf; Bashar Assad; NASA’s Voyager 1; Ray Dolby; Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment; Tokyo; Wrestling; Rohit Sharma; Thirteen; Leander Paes
Cash awards of Rs 400, 300 and 200 are given to the first, second and third prize winners, respectively. These are sent at the school address.
Note: Kindly mention the pincode of your place on the letter/postcard to facilitate the delivery of the prize money.

Answers can also be sent at quiz@tribunemail.com

Name……………….…………......................................
Class....………….......….…….....................................
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