Justice league
Usha Albuquerque

With a shortage of over 55,000 judicial officers, this field offers ample scope for those looking for a career in Law

The Judiciary has been much in the news in recent months due to high profile cases such as the 2G scam, the Nirbhaya case and several others. In fact, the third estate has come to the succor of the common man to such an extent that becoming a judge, bringing about justice and rectifying the wrongs of the social, economic and political system has become an inspiration for many.

For those with an inclination towards public service and a government job, the judiciary can be a worthwhile option.

A magistrate or judge is a prestigious calling that not only has all the trappings of power and authority, but also provides an opportunity to do good in the larger interest.

Scope

Today with the tremendous pace of development and the increase in population, there has been a huge increase in legal cases with a backlog of 30 million cases, which is calculated to take almost 300 years to cover. There is a huge need for more judges — against a requirement of 75,000 judicial officers, the sanctioned strength of judges in subordinate courts, where we have the maximum backlog of cases, remains just 17,151. The country’s 21 high courts are short of 200 judges while the Supreme Court has around 24 judges when it requires a full strength of 31.

The work

The work of a judge is to preside over a court of law. The judge or magistrate has to overseer legal proceedings and apply Central, state or local laws. Every offence, whether it be a traffic offence, criminal proceeding or business dispute, is presided over by a judge. A judge has to hear all witnesses and examine the evidence presented by the litigating parties in a case, assess the credibility of the charges made and then issue a ruling on the matter based on his or her judgment. Judges must also ensure that protocol is followed, determine the amount of bail, or time an accused must spend in jail in criminal cases. Judges also determine guilt and pass sentence, or mandate compensation or relief where required.

For handling legal cases, judges need to read attorney’s briefs, do research on cases and write legal opinions.

For such a position you not only need to know the law thoroughly, have sound knowledge of various issues and subjects, and hear out the various parties in the case, but also be a person who can be objective and prepared to listen to both points of view.

Getting in

Each state High Court has its own judicial service, known as the Provincial Civil Service-Judicial PCS (J). You can join the judicial service directly as a fresh law graduate through an entrance exam conducted by the respective state public service commissions (Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan etc.) or the High Court (Delhi).

The exam tests you on law subjects along with English, GK and the local language of the state. An entry through this avenue assures one of time-based promotions and a secured employment early on in your career.

You can also join the Higher Judicial Service (HJS). This service is open for lawyers with a minimum of seven years of litigating practice, and below the age of 30-35 years.

Applicants have to appear for a competitive examination for entry to the HJS the syllabus for which is similar to the one for freshers. Those who join through this selection are straight away posted as an additional district judge which significantly hastens promotional prospects. Lawyers of repute and with years of experience can also be elevated to the Bench.

Lawyers selected through the legal service exam are appointed as munsif (sub-magistrate) in a district court, and move up in time to the post of district and sessions judge, or to senior positions in the judiciary and revenue departments. While a magistrate presides over a district court, a munsif delivers judgment in civil cases. Promotions can take you up to the post of a sub-judge, a district and sessions judge and to posts in the High Court and Supreme Court.

You can be appointed as public prosecutor, who represents the state in sessions court and lends advice to officers in districts in all legal matters; solicitors — who advise government on legal matters; attorney — general, who is appointed by the President and advises the Union government on legal matters; or as Advocate General — appointed in the state by the state Governor and advises the state government. Each state has its own Advocate General.

Remuneration

Initially low salaries dissuaded young people from signing up for this profession. But as the compensation has increased substantially after the 6th Pay Commission, the judicial service offers attractive employment for those interested in a legal profession.

In addition, there are several attractive features of these judicial services, including handsome perks and privileges which include among others — rent-free accommodation, fuel allowances, subsidised electricity and water supplies, telephone allowances and bursaries for children’s education.

Moreover, unlike administrators or police officers, judicial officers never have to serve in remote areas as the postings are always in district headquarters.

Once the All-India Judicial Service comes into force, such incentives will not only increase, but there will also be large scale vacancies for the right candidates. An apex court committee examining the new AI Judicial Service has set a target of recruiting more than 18,000 judges in the next five years taking the total strength of the judiciary to 37,000. So you don’t need to wait for judgment day —the jury is out on this one.

Wait for all India judicial service Currently the judiciary is the only service that does not have a national-level selection process of its own to attract the top talent, as in the case of other all-India services. There is, therefore, a strong move by the government to introduce such a service. If the proposal to introduce All-India Judicial Service (AIJS) on the lines of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) is to fructify, this career will attract the best and the brightest minds in the country.

How the system works

Magistrates and judges are officials responsible for interpreting, administering and applying laws incorporated in the Constitution or legislated by the state or Centre.

They are part of the Indian Judicial system that has the Supreme Court of India at its helm, and high courts in every state.

The Supreme Court is presided by the Chief Justice of India and has many Benches for litigation. It is the final court of appeal and also deals with Constitutional, inter-state matters, and matters between the Union Government and the states.

Every state has a High Court, that works under the direct guidance and supervision of the Supreme Court, and is the highest court in that state, and generally the last court for regular appeals. High Courts frame their own rules, and arrange to implement them. All high courts have different division Benches in different parts of the states for speedier, cheaper and effective dispensing of justice.

The courts of the District Judge are essentially Civil Courts. These hear appeals from the courts in the Districts and Tehsils (Talukas). There are also Sessions Courts presided over by Sessions Judge that handle criminal cases with jurisdiction to revise the orders from the subordinate magistrates as well as to try serious offences, as prescribed by law.

In addition there are Appellate courts, for co-operative or labour-related cases; Excise, Income Tax and Sales Tax Tribunals primarily administrative in nature, hearing appeals and dealing with matters concerning excise and income tax and sales tax laws.

There are also Civil and Sessions courts in Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata, which are civil courts, handling higher monetary value suits, and criminal cases which come from the subordinate metropolitan magistrates, among other cases.

There are also revenue courts and tribunals handling land revenue matters, and courts to handle accident cases, including motor accident cases, and other such litigations, and many others, including Special courts, for trying special cases, consumer courts for handling consumer issues and special tribunals set up from time to time to handle high profile cases or those of particular note.

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

Career Hotline
Can I have job security as a wildlife photographer?
Pervin Malhotra

Q. I love animals. I want to do a course in wildlife photography and want to know whether I can have a secure job as a wildlife photographer? — Avneesh Meghraj

A. Exciting…? Yes. Adventurous…? Yes. Secure…? No!

Wildlife photography is ideally suited for someone who thrives on adventure, has an impeccable sense of composition, colour and can capture images that speak a thousand words.

It’s a profession based on passion of photography and the outdoors. You must love wildlife, animals, be curious about nature.

However, establishing yourself as a professional wildlife photographer is no cakewalk, which is why, many talented photographers remain amateurs. The climb can be hard and long, and the financial returns, not very satisfactory in the beginning. Only those with tenacity and a never-say-die attitude coupled with a real passion stick on and go on to become celebrity shutterbugs like Mike Pandey or the Bedi brothers (both recipients of the Wildscreen Panda Award, better known as the Green Oscar).

Apart from learning photography, you should also study and learn about wildlife, their habitats, ecology, etc. Read books, attend short-term programmes from World Wildlife Federation, or Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun or Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History if you are interested in birds.

Be prepared to lug heavy equipment — which incidentally does not come cheap. Depending on your assignment — a travel photo-feature — it may take three or four days or even a year or more. You need oodles of patience for that perfect moment and quicksilver reflexes not to miss it as unlike models in a fashion shoot, animals and nature wait for no man.

Since just a handful of full-fledged courses are available in this field, it would be a good idea to work with an established photographer as an understudy before starting out on your own. You’ll gain invaluable learning experience and master some very useful ‘insider’ tips and tricks of the trade.

Although most of the known names in photography are self-taught, change is in the air. A number of photography schools have mushroomed all over the country.

While there are many things a course won’t teach you, you’ll learn how to handle a camera along with some essential tricks of the trade to get you started.

Here are some institutes that you could check up:

• Symbiosis School of Photography, Symbiosis International University, Pune www.ssp.ac.in,
• Academy for Photographic Excellence (APEx), New Delhi (http://apexindia.net)
• Camera Art Institute, New Delhi,
• Film & Television Institute of India, Pune (www.ftiindia.com),
• India International Photographic Council, New Delhi,
• Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi (www.jmi.nic.in),
• JJ Institute of Applied Art, Mumbai,
• Light & Life Academy, Ooty (www.llacademy.org), National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, (www.nid.edu),
• Asian Academy of Film & Television, Noida (www.aaft.com);
• Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan (multi-location).

Are there entrance exams for medical colleges abroad?

Q. Apart from state and national level entrances are there any foreign medical colleges that conduct their entrance exam in India? — Sangram Desai

A. Admission to foreign medical colleges is dependant on you achieving the minimum qualification requirements.

A fairly large number of Indian students go to Russia, CIS countries like Ukraine and Kyrgyzstan, other European countries and even China. Beware: language can be real problem at several of these universities, despite them claiming to teach in English! Make sure you check the credibility of these courses. The onus of finding out if the course and institute you have picked is recognised by World Health Organisation (WHO) and the regulatory body of the given country is entirely yours.

Apart from the shortage of good medical seats in the country, part of the reason for the popularity of these foreign medical courses is the cost factor. Tuition and staying costs combined at some of the places can be half of that charged at private medical colleges in India.

The Medical Council of India does not recognise any medical course offered by foreign universities as a matter of policy. So, if you want to get a foreign medical degree and practice in India, you need to clear two hurdles:

First, get an eligibility certificate from the MCI. That will also ensure that you are not going for a fake medical programme. Then, on returning to India, you have to clear the Foreign Medical Graduate Exam or Screening Test conducted by the National Board of Examinations (under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare). The purpose of the screening test is to enable candidates to register with the MCl or any State Medical Council in order to practice in India. The exam is an objective type test (300 Multiple choice questions) conducted in March and September in Delhi every year.

Which field should I choose for master’s in architecture?

Q. I have completed my BArch with interior branch. Now I want to do MArch but am confused which field to opt for? Please suggest. — Aadya Rohtgi

A. Catering to the dwelling needs of fellow beings and creating structures that cater to individual needs, an architect is a designer, environmental expert, artist, visualiser and creator rolled into one! Which other field blends art, science and technology and provides you the thrill of translating your dream design on paper into a grand reality?

In the two-year MArch program, you can choose from the following specialisations: Architectural Conservation, Industrial Design, Interior Design, Urban Design, Landscape Architecture & Planning, Sustainable Architecture, and Construction Management.

Your choice of specialisation will depend on a combination of factors. First and foremost is your interest – think of the subjects and assignments you enjoyed and excelled in during your BArch. Also, consider your strengths and temperament and accordingly, your suitability for different specialisation areas. Lastly, understand the kind of work each area entails, its future scope and quantitative and qualitative rewards.

Given your B Arch specialisation the most obvious choices would be to look at either Interior Design or Industrial Design.

What I would really recommend is for you work for a year or two first, get a taste of the practical aspect of architecture, explore the future prospects in the different area, speak to senior architects and veterans in the field and then take a call as to your choice of specialisation.

Email your queries to careers@tribunemail.com

Newsboard
Young environmental leader award

Soumyajit Paul — environmental champion from India – was felicitated with the Young Environmental Leader Award in Germany earlier this week for his innovative project “TRANS-CONS”. The project 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. As many as 50 young people from 19 emerging and developing countries in Latin America, Africa and Asia were invited to Bayer AG in Germany last week.

One prize valued at EUR 1,000 was given to Wallace Chwala (23) from Kenya for his novel composting system by re-using plastic bags. The plastic bags increase the temperature and reduce the time it takes to compost organic waste.

IIT Kharagpur wins Sweden India Nobel Memorial Quiz

IIT Kharagpur won the Grand Finale of Sweden India Nobel Memorial Quiz 2013, held at Jesus and Mary College, New Delhi earlier this week. The team of three comprising Somsish Ghosh, Ajaya Biswanathan and Saswata Panigrahi had won their Kolkata round held on October 28, 2013.

The Inter-College quiz competition is organised every year as a part of the Sweden India Nobel Memorial Week that celebrates the spirit of the Swedish innovator, entrepreneur and philanthropist Alfred Nobel through knowledge, innovation and creativity. National winners have won an all-expense paid trip to Sweden, where they will get to visit the headquarters of partner companies, universities and the Nobel Museum.

Mobility device for visually impaired

Students of IEC college of Engineering and Technology, Greater Noida, have developed a portable device that promises to assist visually impaired people by providing them with directions.

Roshni — the device that can be worn on waist — comprises a receiver for detecting user movement and an interface in the form of a mobile phone application. By turning on the device, the user can obtain directions to any desired location on the map from the current position. The device is currently installed in Bharti building IIT, Delhi and is undergoing user evaluation. The project led by Abhinav Saksena and Akash Guautam of the college and guided by M. Balakrishnan, head assistive technology group, IIT Delhi, won its first award at I CARE 2013, a competition organised by IBM. The IEC project won the honour by beating competitors from BITS Pilani and IIT Roorkee. The project is funded and supported by leading mobile companies. The device was pilot tested at the National Science Centre, Pragati Maidan. Roshini is currently in the process of getting patented. Druv jain, research associate, is the initiator of the project.

'Greenest university’ award

TERI University, instituted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), has won the ‘Greenest University and Research Institution’ award in a competitive assessment, edging out other prestigious global institutions like Copenhagen University, Denmark, University of Plymouth, UK, Deakin University, Australia, and Unity College, Maine, USA, among others. The award is among 10 inaugural Climate Change Awards organised by Responding to Climate Change (RTCC) — a news and analysis website. The awards will be presented in Warsaw, Poland.

ACCA signs MoU with CII

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) recently signed an MoU with CII to promote excellence in the sphere of higher education and support university-industry linkages for better human resource and research.

The MoU was signed by Anjan Das, Executive Director, CII and Ms Lucia Real-Martin, Director, Emerging Markets (Asia), ACCA.

The MoU aims at enhancing the availability of skilled workforce in the country by raising awareness among the academia to collaborate with the industry. A closer collaboration between industry and institutions of higher education will ensure better skill sets and job-oriented training for students.

SMART conference

Teerthanker Mahaveer University, Moradabad, organised a two-day international conference on the theme of System Modeling & Advancement in Research Trends (SMART) last week. As many as 199 national and international research papers were included in the conference. Bahrul Islam's paper from Bangladesh was declared the best paper of the conference." — TNS

Cool Counsel
Adapt intelligently
D. S. Cheema

We live and operate in a dynamic environment which is changing at a very fast pace, thanks to technology development. Today we have opportunities that never existed earlier, but one must be prepared to experience a lot more changes. This will be possible only if you have the capacity to adjust to new and changing conditions, i.e foresee and make changes according to the demand of the situation. That is what adaptability is all about.

Many thinkers feel that man is a pliant animal who can get used to anything. Those who support this theory quote the ‘Boling Frog Syndrome’. If you placed a frog in a pot of very hot water, it will quickly jump out of it. But if you placed it in room-temperature water, it will stay there. If you now keep increasing the temperature, the frog will stay put in the pot as it gets acclimatised to the increasing temperature. And if you keep increasing the temperature, the frog will eventually boil to death. The premise is that all creatures, including humans, can get used to almost anything over a period of time. But the truth is that we don’t get used to everything every time even after making special efforts. And that is the challenge of adaptation.

You must know the following facts about change and adaptability:

• Change is inevitable and it has far-reaching consequences.
• Adaptability can help you manage any situation, however crucial the circumstances may be.
• Adaptability reinforces every other skill.
• Adaptability can help you in being tolerant and sharing and increases your self-confidence.
• Adaptability can help you in feed-forward and anticipate possible new directions in your careers.
• Adaptability can be a positive force for a fruitful life.
• Physical adaptation and psychological adaptations have different patterns.

Scholarship roundup
Young India Fellowship Programme

Applications are invited for the Young India Fellowship programme for 2014-15 academic year. This is a one-year postgraduate residential programme. Scholarships are being offered in multi-disciplinary programme focused on the Liberal Arts and are run in association with the School of Engineering and Applied Science. This fellowship is provided by the International Federation for Research and Education (IFRE) and University of Pennsylvania. The Young India Fellowship Programme is the precursor to Ashoka University, India’s first specialist Liberal Arts university, which is under development at Rajiv Gandhi Education City in Sonepat, Haryana.

Eligibility: YIF programme is open to all Indian citizens with:

• Applicants who are 28 years of age or less on 31st May, 2014
• A recognised undergraduate or postgraduate degree
• Not more than three years of work experience

Check out: www.youngindiafellowship.com

Teach For India Fellowship

The Teach For India is offering a fellowship programme for students and professionals with a bachelor’s degree. It is a two-year full-time paid programme in which the most promising graduates and professionals are placed as full-time teachers in under-resourced and low-income schools. The fellowship will help in developing leadership skills that are critical in today’s dynamic global work environment. Teach For India Fellows will be placed in low-income schools in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad.

Eligibility: The candidate must have completed all coursework required for his undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university by the last week of May, 2014.

Candidates should be fluent in English as Teach For India fellows will be placed in English-medium schools and will be expected to conduct training in English.

Details: Teach For India Fellowship is a paid programme. Throughout the Fellowship, Teach For India Fellows help close the achievement gap by leading their students to significant academic gains. In the second year of the Fellowship, Fellows implement a community-wide or school-wide project to address one major obstacle to learning in their community.

How to apply: Online.

Deadline: Contact employer

Check out: www.teachforindia.org/fellow-ship

The business of paying back to society
Increasing CSR thrust in corporates has opened a host of opportunities for professionals in this field
Gauri Chhabra

The financial tsunami of 2008-2009 taught us some lessons; we not only need to change the way we do business but also the way we teach business.

That marked an inflection point in our education. ‘Business Ethics’ became an integral subject in the B-school curriculum. The expectations from the corporates and businesses increased.

In addition to providing good quality products at reasonable prices, companies today, also strive to make their operations environmentally sound, adhere to high labour standards, reduce human rights abuses and mitigate poverty.

Corporates feel more responsible towards society and have separate wings for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities. This has accelerated the demand for individuals who can feel for and serve the society.

Expanding Footprint Many corporate firms like IBM, ITC , Infosys, Wipro have dedicated CSR initiatives. These companies are doing work in the field of environment care, healthcare, education, community elfare, women’s empowerment and girl child. Companies like Hindustan Unilever started work onconceptual framework as a basis to develop a company’s CO2 reduction also. In the IT sector, IBM is one company that has a separate CSR department and is known for its CSR initiatives. It sets IBM Centres of Excellence (CoE) in educational institutions to promote research activities. It also has the Indian women's leadership council the main objective ofthis council is to provide, technical, professional and personal development to the women. IBM has been producing a Corporate Responsibility Report annually that summarises its corporate responsibility performance with various financial and non-financial metrics, or key performance indicators (KPIs), which define and measure progress toward our goals. As a leading software company Infosys has worked to support the underprivileged in society and enrich their lives. Since its inception, the Foundation has initiated several activities that benefit the rural and urban poor. Apart from constructing hospital wards, donating hi-tech equipment and organising health camps, the Foundation also distributes medicines to economically-weaker sections in remote areas. Today, CSR is being done part of your reputation management strategy to drive business growth, customer loyalty, and employee alignment. Aanchal Kapoor, who joined TCS Bangalore as a trainee says, “It is imperative to have a CSR stint in the organisation. It does not impact your appraisal directly but sends a positive message that you are cohesively aligned to company's goals, and these things matter.” Institute watch The premier institutes offering degrees/diplomas in Social work and Rural Development is as follows Master of Social Work (MSW)/MA Social Work Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Trombay Road, Deonar, Mumbai TERI University, New Delhi. Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra Lucknow University, Lucknow Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore Agra University, Agra University of Delhi, Delhi Punjabi University, Patiala Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Udaipur

Getting in

There are no specific qualifications required for this field but there are an increasing number of qualifications becoming available at master's Level and as part of MBA courses. The professional courses like Master of Social Works (MSW), MBA in rural development and Post Graduate Diploma in Rural development offered by different universities and reputed institutions may be the right option for career in CSR. The incorporation of Business Ethics as a discipline in Management Curriculum is also an added help.

Due to the diversity of roles and range of disciplines involved, the skills cannot be crystallised. However, the major skills are business skills, including building insight, communication skills, decision making, commercial awareness, IT, innovation, leadership, out-of-the-box thinking and problem solving, People skills including adaptability and empathy and technical skills.

Career pathways

Most of the MNCs have their CSR wing exclusively dedicated for doing community development and CSR activities directly or indirectly in the vicinity of their operations. In other companies CSR is running under HR or Environment Department.

They recruit professionals from social work, rural development and other developmental fields to undertake and manage the CSR activities of company. It has been observed that companies whose operations directly impact nature like mining, manufacturing, power generations have CSR wing quite active to tackle the grievances of nearby population and engage the stakeholders.

In green field projects we have seen corporate giants and government struggling hard to get the land acquisitions and Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) here also CSR professionals are in great demand. Larger companies may have CSR departments or have CSR functions located within particular areas, including marketing, communications, environmental management, public affairs, investor relations, finance, operations and human resources. Opportunities are also opening up in the large accounting and consulting firms, many of which are trying to compete with the niche CSR consulting firms by offering their own CSR client services.

CSR, essentially, comes in three different forms. Companies contribute to society with cash or products, giving away grants, goods, or their services to schools, homeless shelters, hospitals, and the like. Second, companies focus on community involvement, by supporting employees who mentor students or volunteer for a myriad of causes. And third, companies put CSR into their product and service strategies, focusing on green initiatives, for instance, or factoring environmental concerns into their manufacturing processes.

CSR career options can be found in national government agencies, PSUs and international organisations.

Teaching

Most of the companies, especially those that are into mining go in for setting up of education institutions for the lesser privileged members of the society. If you feel you have a flair for teaching and have an empathy for those who lie on the fringes, you can opt for teaching bringing these sections into an inclusive society.

Environment and Sustainability Officer

With the companies increasing their carbon footprint, they have separate departments that work to enhance the image of the company with a diverse range of internal and external audience. Specifically, you will be required to manage the company's environmental programme guiding the company's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, educating employees about environmental needs, partnering with business teams, seeking and evaluating new opportunities and representing the company with a variety of external stakeholders. It would also include collaboration with internal departments to develop and track strategies to reduce the company's impact on the environment via energy strategy, waste reduction efforts.

Community organiser

Here, you will be responsible for facilitation of government schemes, entitlement rights, procedures, rules and regulations. Your MBA would help you in the documentation of the Basic Service Facilitation (BSF) processes and maintaining Management Information Systems MIS. Besides, you may be also imparting trainings to communities on various government schemes.

Nonprofit organiser

Most of the CSR jobs are done by NGOs, so be on the lookout for NGOs having linkages with big corporate houses. There are a wide variety of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), industry associations, think tanks and academic institutions engaging in learning and advocacy within the CSR arena. Such groups promote and examine the use of CSR concepts within the private and public spheres.

Rights analyst

If you have a law degree you will be the main protector of all Intellectual property of the company. You will act as rights authority and interpreter of proprietary rights data from signed documents in a corporate rights system and advise others of same.You will also be responsible for co-developing sound rights strategy through active collaboration with Business Affairs and Legal Department to ensure proactive product planning and persistent project delivery. You will interact with internal peer level groups and services to ensure that a proper workflow is put in place for rights and will own the workflow. Diplomacy, knowledge and interpersonal skills are essential for this kind of a role.Rights Analyst is a collaborative, highly trusted team member who can handle confidential material and sensitive matters discreetly and accurately.

The road ahead

Both in downswing and the upswings of economy, there is an increasing awareness towards repaying to the society, the modern era is a locomotive of fulfilling careers in Corporate Social Responsibility.

— The writer is a Ludhiana-based career consultant

Smart strategy: employee engagement
The balancing act
Jappreet Sethi

Use of an effective leadership model is essential for effective employee engagement. The leader has to have good intentions, be a motivator and a role model

Everyone knows that an inefficient leader produces dissatisfied, unproductive employees. On the other hand, good leaders produce committed, engaged and productive employees. A study of 160,576 employees working under 30,661 leaders in different organisations around the world showed that the average commitment level of employees under bad leaders was very low whereas the average commitment level of employees under the best leaders was very high. The ratings were given by bosses, colleagues, etc. using a 360-degree assessment of leadership abilities.

What is employee engagement?

In the human resources training and development industry, there are two different approaches for leadership. In one approach, the leaders are called the ‘drivers’ and in the other approach the leader is the ‘enhancer’.

The drivers set high standards for employees. They make employees expand their goals by getting them to aspire for things beyond their original goals. They keep the employees focussed on the highest priority goals and objectives and also help them in achieving those goals and objectives.

The enhancer type of leader helps in solving the issues and concerns of the employees, and also acts as a role model for them. They give essential feedback in an honest and helpful way, develop people and build trust.

Which of these two approaches of leadership works best?

In an informal survey about this, the Enhancer type of leader got the maximum approval. Also, most leaders believe that employee commitment can be enhanced if the leader is a nice person.

However, the actual numbers tell a different story. In a survey, employees were asked about their level of engagement on a scale of 1 to 5, and also if their leaders were enhancers or drivers.

The leaders who scored 75 per cent were judged as effective drivers or enhancers. From this data, it was found that 8.9 per cent of employees, who judged their leaders to be effective drivers, and not enhancers, rated themselves in the top 10 per cent in terms of employee engagement.

This analysis shows that being a just driver or an enhancer is not sufficient. Both approaches are needed for successful employee engagement. As many as 68 per cent of employees under leaders who were both enhancers and drivers scored in the top 10 per cent in terms of overall satisfaction and engagement within the organisation.

It is clear that just determining which approach is better is not sufficient. Instead, leaders should include both approaches to create highly engaged employees and also be considerate, trustworthy and collaborative in their interactions with them. In simple terms, this means that a ‘driver’ type leader should also try to be a nice guy, and the ‘enhancer’ type of leader — already a nice guy — should be firmer and set more demanding goals for his employees.

Both approaches of leadership should be used together like the oars of a boat, and with equal force, so that maximum employee engagement is achieved.

— The writer is a Human Resources and business strategy professional and a consultant for start-up ventures in South Asia.

Work station
Chair trauma
Khushwant S. Gill

According to one estimate, average humans spend approximately 20-25 years working during their lives. And approximately the same time sleeping (varying greatly, as we all know, from person to person). Now, where we sleep, and the comfort levels of our beds, are usually under our control. We buy comfy mattresses and pillows and are usually able to stretch out for a great night’s sleep. For insomniacs there are sleeping aids and for snorers we have sprays and nose strips. Yes, those 20 odd years spent sleeping are comfortable ones.

But what about the almost quarter century spent at work? Does it compare with the bedroom in ergonomic comfort? The obvious answer would be a resounding ‘no’. And we’re not talking about the difference in the general atmosphere between home informality and office formality here.

Office chairs have been classified in numerous ways by those who have to ‘restrict’ themselves for several hours on these. So accordingly these can be like the medieval torture machines or the modern “moving” experiences that can be more unstable than the recession-hit economy. In spite of all that talk of employee comfort and the extra milethat managements claim to cover through the swish-looking offices, erognomics remain a largely neglected aspect.

A new arrival in a former company had a particularly harrowing experience. His chair, to start with, leaned to the left and no amount of wadding paper and stuffing it under its legs helped. To complement this ‘rocking chair’, the table’s keyboard tray was too low and constantly banged against his knees and thighs. By the end of his first week on the job, he was hobbling around like a sailor on a ship in rough seas.

But workstation misery doesn’t end there. Most of us become unwitting victims of CTD — Cumulative Trauma Disorders — a self explanatory, if rather pompous sounding, term.

The computer screen is usually set too low on the table, below eye level, as a result one has to crane your neck forward and look down on the screen. This, as you can imagine, has the ‘desired’ effect on the back of the neck. To start with it’s just a slight twinge; soon it develops into a full-blown pain. Yes, it’s too obvious and easy, but I dare say it anyway — most workstations are a real pain in the neck.

And though we talk of it in a lighthearted fashion, all this does have some serious consequences. Finger and wrist pain, numbness, acute shooting pains can soon turn into carpal tunnel syndrome — a painful condition that makes approaching the keyboard a fearsome thought.

Improper sitting posture due to an inappropriate chair results in chronic back pain and even severe spondylitis problems.

But most problems can be solved easily. Many companies now regularly advise and hold sessions for correct posture. Many companies in Silicon Valley now have adjustable desks where one can stand and work if need be. Studies have revealed that moving the mouse farther away from your body helps relax the right hand, and it will not be cramped so often. Even a slight relaxation of the pressure on the mouse helps. Other changes like not leaning forward towards the screen, and putting a small cushion behind the back for lumbar support, help greatly. You are advised even to remove the keyboard from its tray and put it on the desk at a suitable height if required. Even putting some large books under the monitor to raise its level works.

It all helps. Of course, being desk-bound jockeys, we’re going to be faced with some kind of problem or the other in the long term. The key is to minimise the effects through good posture and having the minimum basic requirements of a functioning workstation.

— The writer is an organisational productivity and personnel development consultant

Course chat
Tea tasting and marketing

Indian Institute of Plantation Management (IIPM), Bangalore, will be launching a Professional Certificate Programme on Tea Tasting and Marketing (PCP-TTM) under the sponsorship of Tea Board of India, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Govt. of India, for tea industry personnel and public in general, in the global academia.

This program combines the discipline of professional tea tasting and tea marketing. The PCP-TTM has been crafted out of an industry-academia interface, with greater focus on practical inputs to address the emerging needs of tea industry.

The program will cover the modern principles of tea business management, market information and techniques and practices of tea tasting skill to prepare a dynamic group of world class professional tea tasters with managerial capabilities.

PCP-TTM offers excellent career opportunities, nationally and globally, in reputed tea companies, brokerages, tea buyers and blenders, Beverage Industry as well as on the tea gardens.

Eligibility: Graduate in any discipline, recognised by UGC/ AIUs.

Proficiency in written and oral communication in English is essential.

Candidates will be selected on the basis of psychometric test and blind (sensory) test on tea tasting.

Sponsored candidates by planters, plantation associations, Brokerages, tea manufacturers, tea buyers, Beverage sector and blenders will be given special consideration in eligibility norms.

Foreign Nationals / NRIs / PIO candidates can also apply.

Duration: 45-day intensive phase-I programme, starting from May 2014.

Highlights: The learning methodologies of the programme include tasting different profile of tea which produced within the country and from major tea producing countries. The participants will get hands on experience in tea tasting from the state-of-the-art tea tasting lab at the institute and expert tasters from national and international tea tasting units. The institute will also facilitate the participants to sharpen their skills on palate memory and tea business management in real time tea business centers.

The participants will be imparted with market information on tea, opportunities, consumption preferences, etc to develop a sense of market driven tea tasting.

Certification: The participants will be awarded Certificate Programme on Tea Tasting and Marketing on successful completion of the programme

Fee: The tuition fee is Rs 65,000

How to apply: online or by post.

Deadline: April 19, 2014.

Check out: www.iipmb.edu.in

Synergy of neuroscience and psychology

University of Glasgow has introduced a combined degree in Neuroscience and Psychology from this academic session and will also be offering a range of scholarships to international students, including from India.

The programme is jointly being offered by the Schools of Psychology and Life Sciences, with teaching being informed by research inputs from the Institutes of Neuroscience and Psychology, according to a PTI report.

“We believe this programme will be popular and we had already have a good number of students on the course which started in September,” said David Maxwell, a professor of Neuroscience.

He said it is a nice merging of the two fields, so students can understand the brain at different levels, from how molecules operate within nerve cells to how individuals interact with each other.

Neuroscience is a growing subject across the world and increasing in popularity as it is seen as an area of cutting edge research.

The programme costs £16,500 (Rs 16.4 lakh) and the university is extending a range of scholarships to interested foreign students.

Career opportunities for graduates exist in research and medicine, as well as a range of other jobs where knowledge of psychology and neuroscience would be useful, such as marketing and computer sciences.

Campus notes: PAU

PAU inks MoUs

Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has entered into an agreement with the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Shimla, to intensify research on potato improvement in Punjab. Dr S.S. Gosal, Director of Research, PAU, and Dr B.P. Singh, Director, CPRI, signed the memorandum of understating (MoU) on the behalf of their respective institutes. The inked pact is the result of several discussions held between the scientists of PAU and CPRI for over a year. The PAU VC, Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon said that under the signed agreement, PAU aimed at strengthening research work on potato, which is a predominant vegetable crop of Punjab.

Dr Gosal said this collaboration would facilitate the flow of germplasm, including new varieties/advance hybrids to PAU. The university will also get one voluntary ICAR centre on potato, he informed. The university has also signed MoUs with AB Engineers, Ludhiana, and GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare Ltd (GSKCH), R and D Centre, Gurgaon, Haryana, for the licensing of farm machines and for the development of instant cereal-based porridge. The machines include a farm-level fruit and vegetable washing machine and a honey heating-cum-filtration system.

Dean attends international workshop

Dr Gursharan Singh, Dean, Postgraduate Studies, PAU, represented India at a workshop on "Raising Productivity in Higher Education" held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, recently. He was selected and sponsored by the Asian Productivity Organisation, Tokyo and National Productivity Organisation, India, for participation in the workshop. Dr Singh also contributed a paper and delivered a talk on "Indian Higher Education System: Challenges and Opportunities."

Training course on management technologies

A three-week national-level advance training course on "Management Technologies for Improving Soil Quality and Crop Productivity" was organised by the PAU's Department of Soil Science under the aegis of the Centre of Advanced Faculty Training (CAFT), ICAR. Participants from different ICAR institutes/state agricultural universities of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Punjab attended the course. The chief guest, Dr H.S. Dhaliwal, Dean, College of Agriculture, highlighted the importance of managing the precious natural and indispensable resources, i.e., soil and water for farm sustainability.

Conservation agriculture

An advance course on “Conservation Agriculture (CA): Gateway for Productive and Sustainable Cropping Systems” was jointly organised by the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), ICAR and PAU. The participants from Afghanistan, Iran and Indian states like MP, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, New Delhi and Punjab attended the course. In his remarks, the chief guest, Dr Baldev Singh Dhillon, VC, PAU, stressed on the conservation of natural resources in view of teeming population, rising food demand, and climate variations. The adoption of CA technologies can play a vital role in this direction, he said.

A regional workshop on "Precision Agriculture - Concepts, Tools and Implementation Road Map in Small-Holder Systems in South Asia" was also held at PAU. The workshop was jointly coordinated by the International Plant Nutrition Institute (IPNI) - South Asia Programme; International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), Borlaug Institute for South Asia (BISA), and PAU. 

Happiness @ work
Gems of ancient wisdom
For gen-next

Many gardeners don’t get to eat the fruit of their efforts but that doesn’t prevent them from planting seeds. Similarly, start a project for future generations to build on.

Emperor Ashoka was drawn to Buddhism by the savagery of the Kalinga war; Vidisha, his Buddhist wife who later joined the Sangha; and Nigrodha Kumar, his nephew who had become a Buddhist monk at a very tender age. Following in Ashoka’s footsteps, his children Mahindra and Sanghamitra joined the Sangha to spread Buddhism beyond the shores of India.

Hiriya Abbakka, Queen of Ullal in Karnataka, refused to pay tribute to the Portuguese. After a brief victory over the Europeans, she had to sign a humiliating treaty with them. Her daughter Abbakka Devi promised to continue the fight after her mother’s death. When the Portuguese intercepted her ships on the high seas, she led an attack on the Mangalore fort. Ullal won and Portuguese Commander Ribero escaped with his life. Portuguese reinforcements under Coutinho came from Goa and laid siege to Ullal. But within four days, Abbakka and her men made them forget about capturing Ullal ever again.

Ramji Sakpal, a subedar in the army, was blessed by his sanyasi uncle that he would have a son who would achieve worldwide fame. By the time his son Bhimrao was born on April 14, 1891, Ramji had become a Subedar-Major. Despite being of a ‘low caste’ and thereby suffering tremendous discrimination, Ramji saw to it that his son graduated in 1912 before passing away on February 2, 1913. The boy was none other than Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of the Indian Constitution.

The audacious 60,000 sons of King Sagara and Queen Sumati were charred to death by sage Kapila. The touch of the Ganga was needed for them to achieve salvation, but the mighty river was, at that time, in heaven. Sagara, his grandson Ansuman and great grandson Dilipa tried but failed in the mission. Finally, Bhagirath, Dilipa’s son, brought down the Ganga from heaven with Lord Shiva’s help.

On December 22, 1901, Rabindranath Tagore inaugurated a school in Shanti Niketan - a “peaceful” place that his father Maharshi Debendranath Tagore had bought years ago.

Before passing away, pass on a dream.

— Sai R. Vaidyanathan

The writer can be contacted at svaidyanathan@tribunemail.com

Course cruising
Hospitality training programme

Manovikas Institute of Higher Education invites applications for admission to Certified Credit Course in Hospitality Training Programme for persons with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. This innovative IGNOU recognised programme is a first of its kind in the learning system. The programme provides learners with specific courses on social communication, understanding customer behaviour, and food and beverage management.

Duration: 1 year to 4 year.

Eligibility: The applicants should be aged 17 years or more with borderline to mid-level developmental disability such as autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, learning disabilities, hearing impairment etc. Above average results on the Multiple Intelligence Disabilities test in the areas of Linguistic, Interpersonal, and Bodily Kinesthetic Intelligence.

How to apply: The forms for admission are available on the website manovikas.co.in or you can write to Manovikas Institute of Higher Education, A-267, Surajmal Vihar, Delhi-110092.

Deadline: December 15, 2013.

Check out:

www.manovikas.co.in/mcc

Diploma in communications

Mudra Institute of Communications Ahmedabad (MICA), Ahmedabad has invited applications for two-year Post Graduate Diploma in Management — Communications (PGDM-C).

Eligibility: Graduation in any discipline from a recognised university.

How to apply: The completed form should be sent along with a crossed demand draft for Rs 1750 in favour of Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad, payable at Ahmedabad. The same can also be obtained from the Admissions Office, MICA.

Selection process: The candidates have to take a written test which is conducted through internet/Email and successful candidates will be shortlisted for a campus interview to be held at MICA. The final selection of candidates will be based on overall performance.

Deadline: March 15, 2014

Date for online written test: March 19, 2014

Personal Interview: April 21,22 23, 2014

Final list of the candidates: April 28, 2014

Book shelf
Uncommon stories of common men
Geetu Vaid

The Start Up Diaries By Neeti Jain & Gagan Jain Cinnamon Teal Publishing Price Rs 249. Pages 235

Entrepreneurship is the magic wand that millions of youngsters in our country today strive to possess. Young minds in our colleges and on the threshold of a new career nurture the dream of doing something on their own and traverse along a path different from the 9 to 5 grind. While some move on in this direction to pursue their goals, for several others the dream remains a far-fetched one as they “fit” tamely into the run-of-the-mill job scenario. What the ‘venturers’ and the ‘dreamers’ both need is a shot of inspiration, an assurance that anyone can strike it big with hard work and perseverance.

The Start Up Diaries is an attempt to provide this motivation to wannabe entrepreneurs through the stories of successful young entrepreneurs. The authors Neeti Jain and Gagan Jain have presented six inspirational and gripping stories in an episodic format. The narrative moves like cinematic shots from one stage to another, from one struggle to another to the final victory. Though each of the stories presents a different field and a different face, the soul remains the same. Conviction, passion, willingness to take risks, hard work and perseverance remain the underlying threads in each of the success stories.

So here we have a young and bright engineer Ashish Dev Kapoor who left a lucrative job in the US to start Yo China chain of restaurants in India, and an average student Abhishek Sinha, who along with his brother Abhinav Sinha, set up their branchless banking venture EKO by taking a huge risk.

Each of these is the uncommon story of a common person. These are no super heroes or geniuses or super rich individuals or the “lucky” ones for whose success the universe conspires, rather these are the men who made mistakes, suffered deceit and setbacks and fought against all odds to come up trumps.

The book also brings forth the true picture of the Indian start up landscape.

One keeps down the book with a feeling that the spirit of entrepreneurship is worth giving a try.

An interesting read for all those who are dreaming of setting up their own ventures and also those who are struggling with the challenges of being an entrepreneur.

Tardiness can get you fired

Arriving late is not the norm for workers and employers alike, but according to a survey 42 per cent of employers in the country seem to have fired an employee for being late — the highest average in the world.

According to a survey by CareerBuilder, among the nine surveyed countries, India is the strictest when it comes to tardiness, Brazil came in second, where 26 per cent of employers have fired a staff member for coming late.

Commenting on the findings, CareerBuilder India Managing Director Premlesh Machama said most bosses understand when your alarm doesn’t work or you get stuck in traffic.

“Tardiness is a problem when it becomes a habit and your boss can’t rely on you to be on time. On the rare occasion that you are running late, let your employer know as soon as possible. Then ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” he told PTI.

Echoing similar sentiments, Unison International MD Udit Mittal said, “When it comes to employee work place satisfaction, it is important for them to get leverages at times but not always. If this becomes a habit, it can turn out to be really worst or may lead to the employee getting fired.” France and Russia shared the third place where 22 per cent bosses said they had fired their staff for coming late.

The top five reasons for coming late include traffic (33 per cent), public transportation (22 per cent), bad weather (18 per cent), lack of sleep (14 per cent), taking the kids to nursery or school (6 per cent).