EDUCATION

CAMPUS
Delhi varsity admission merry-go-round 
has just started
Gaurav Choudhury

The first cut-off list is out but the nervous wait has not yet ended for some. While some applicants were fortunate enough to get admitted to the college and course of their choice, some are in a state of dilemma. Should they wait for the second admission list or take admission in the college where they meet the minimum percentage requirement?

As usual, Economics (Hons), B.Com (Hons) and Physics (Hons) attracted students with high grades. There were many students who had applied to several courses in different colleges lest they miss the bus.

However, for many, the first cut-off list has not really helped overcome the dilemma. “I have applied to all colleges on the North Campus and I want to study either Economics (Hons) or B.Com (Hons). I scored 81 per cent in Class XII. Although the first cut-off list will ensure that I get into some college or the other, I am really not sure whether to take admission now or wait for the second list to come out,” said Sandip.

The announcement of the second list depends on the number of seats available after the admission process based on the first list is over. In certain colleges the second list is not announced at all as all available seats are exhausted after the announcement of the first list itself.

Another reason for the uncertainty among students is that colleges keep the original mark-sheets of the admitted students with them for almost three months. In the intervening period, if students want to take back their mark-sheets they can do it only if they forego their admission from the college.

Dean appointed

The sprawling campus of the Indian School of Business.

The Indian School of Business (ISB) announced the appointment of its new Dean. Prof Vijay Mahajan from the University of Texas at Austin will take over as the Dean from Dr Pramath Sinha.

“Pramath has led the school through its critical years of development. We are delighted with the progress that the school has made under his leadership,” said Mr Rajat Gupta, Chairman of the ISB board and Worldwide Managing Director of McKinsey and Company.

“As the ISB readies itself for the next phase of development, it will benefit from the leadership of an eminent academic who will drive a strong academic and research agenda and attract top-drawer faculty. We had planned to have an academic at the helm once the school was set up. The academic programmes have been launched and the infrastructure put in place. I am delighted that Vijay Mahajan has agreed to take up this very challenging role,” Mr Gupta said.

Professor Mahajan holds the John P Harbin Centennial Chair in Business at the McCombs School of Business, University of Texas, Austin.

He is highly regarded in the field of marketing and has received several research and teaching awards.

Prior to joining the university in Austin, he was part of the faculty at the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania.

He received his B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and his M.Sc in Chemical Engineering and Ph.D in Management from the University of Texas at Austin. While at the ISB, Professor Mahajan will concurrently continue to hold his position at the University of Texas, Austin.

“The excellent performance of the ISB in its first year is a testimony of its strong foundations– it has a world renowned governing board, excellent academic collaboration and access to high-quality faculty and a strong management team. It is an honour for me to take up the post of the Dean and work towards taking this institution to even greater heights over the next few years,” Professor Mahajan said.

The ISB started its postgraduate programme in management in July 2001. The first batch of 126 students had an average GMAT score of 690. The second batch of 168 students is currently enrolled and will graduate in April 2003.

The school achieved over 90 per cent placement last year with leading Indian companies such as BCG, Bombardier, Capital One, Citibank, Coke, GE, Gillette, HLL, HSBC, Infosys, Lehman Brothers, McKinsey, Novartis, Reliance, Satyam, Stanchart and Wipro among others.

The first convocation ceremony of the school was held recently with the Presidential candidate, Dr A.P. J. Abdul Kalam, being the guest of honour on the occasion. “The graduation of the first batch is a significant milestone in the history of any institution and we are particularly proud of them,” Mr Gupta said.

NIS diplomas

Education and training major, NIS, has put together state-of-the-art new programmes on sales and marketing and customer relationship management called `Corporate to Classroom’. The academy will offer two new programmes to students–the postgraduate diploma in sales and marketing and postgraduate diploma in customer service.

“We have launched the NIS Academy to provide postgraduate diplomas in sales and marketing and customer relationship management. Besides training, the academy will assist in the recruitment of students to various companies, including blue chip companies such as Coca-Cola, Dabur, Welcomegroup’s Maurya Sheraton, Nestle, etc,” Mr Muralidhar Rao, Chief Operating Officer of the NIS Sparta Ltd, said.

Admissions to these courses are open to students who are currently pursuing graduation or have completed graduation or are employed graduates who would like to enhance their career opportunities.

Teaching them to fly

Trainees at the Air Hostess Academy.

The Air Hostess Academy (AHA), perhaps the first academy of its kind in India, has evolved an indigenous training module to cater to all possible aspects of services in the airline and hospitality industry. The academy excels in producing air and ground hospitality personnel.

The institute provides trained resources to the entire service industry, including aviation, hotels, air catering organisations and ground services.

The institute boasts of a renowned faculty of professionals from the aviation, hotel and tourism industry. Apart from their core faculty, they also have professionals working in various airlines and hotels as visiting faculty. They include professionals from domestic and international airlines and the hotel industry.

According to the institute, during the past five years, it has managed 100 per cent placement of its students across international as well as national flight carriers such as Lufthansa, Swiss Airways, Singapore Airlines, Air France, Jet Airways, Sahara and also in leading hotels such as Taj, Hyatt, The Park, Marriott etc.

Seismology course

The Centre proposes to introduce seismology or earthquake science as a subject in engineering colleges and some technical institutions in view of the lack of understanding of earthquakes and the absence of techniques for predicting them. The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Roorkee, will prepare the syllabi for the course. IIT, Roorkee, which was until recently a Regional Engineering College, has been doing pioneering work in seismology, especially in the study and analysis of earthquakes and their aftermath.

Keeping last year’s massive earthquake at Bhuj in mind, the Centre has also decided to set up a state-of-the-art National Institute of Seismology in Gujarat. The project is estimated to cost about Rs 140 crore and its plans are ready for implementation.

CAMPUS SCENE
Cut-off too high, lament students
Our correspondent

New Delhi, June 26
Thousands of students thronged the Delhi University today, after the first cut off list of various colleges was announced last evening. The first cut off list of Hindu College failed to cheer up the applicants as they found it too high in almost all the subjects.

`` The cut off is just too high. I have 80 per cent in my CBSE examination and the cut off in Hindu College for Mathematics Honors is 81 per cent . I dont think I will be able to pull through,’’ lamented Priyamvada Kumari, almost in tears.

``Who decides the cut off list? I think the colleges do it arbitrarily. It clearly shows that the University is trying to override others,’’ said Swimgada Tripathi, who is applying for Physics honors in Hindu College.

``Colleges don’t decide the cut off list just like that. There is a proper process. This year the number of applicants was more. Also, most of them had scored more than 80 per cent. To blame the college is, therefore, just not right’’ pointed out Dr. Hema Raghavan, Dean, Student Welfare.

`` We haven’t received any complaints so far. At the moment, the students are quite numb. But applicants should not lose hope as the college percentage dips by two to three points in the second and third cut off list. But I am more worried about the physically challenged students as the admission begins on June 29 and most of them prefer to go in hordes. And the colleges, due to the fierce competition, might be reluctant to admit each one of them, which might pose some problems,’’ she added. 

YOUNG VOICE
Hoping to make a difference
Tarun Gill

A confident young lady, Shachi Mathur, is not only determined to make it big in life but also to achieve something, which will make substantial difference to the peoples life. Shachi Mathur is a final year student of Applied Psychology and the president of Gargi College student union.

To be able to do something for the students is a great honour in itself. As the president of the college union, I am trying my level best to do something for the students of the college. Gargi College students union is the only union in the university, which is active throughout the year.

During the admissions process, we not only advice the worried students but also help the concerned parents, as they have little idea about the admission procedure in the college.

I feel this year, the cut-off list is too high, though there has been no formal complaints by the applicants in our college. I feel really sorry for the candidates who has scored less than 70 per cent, as they might not be able to get admission in the top colleges of Delhi University.

It is a myth that students prefer Lady Sri Ram College over Gargi College. I feel Gargi College offers many sought after courses apart from the traditional ones, for instance Applied Psychology. Other colleges have Psychology (Hons), which involves much of theory. However, our college provides more of practical training.