CAREER HOTLINE
Avenues for aircraft engineers

Q I have passed plus two in the PCM stream. I want to be an Aircraft Maintenance Engineer. Can you please suggest a few recognised courses?

A The aviation industry has two main branches: The Flying Branch and the Maintenance Branch. While pilots fly the aircraft, aircraft maintenance engineers are concerned with the maintenance of the aircraft. An aircraft maintenance engineer has to obtain a licence from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), GoI.

A course in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering is not a degree but a licence course and only those institutes approved by the DGCA can impart training in this subject.

Training is imparted for servicing and maintenance of aircraft to ensure 100 per cent flight safety. After completing the course and passing the internal exam, you have to clear the licensing exam conducted by the DGCA.

Most flying clubs have training institutions attached to them. If you opt for any of these, do make sure it is recognised by the DGCA. Besides, very few institutions offer training on heavy aircraft and jet engines. Most make do with small aircraft and piston engines. So do watch out before you enrol.

Remuneration in this field is very attractive. In Indian Airlines, Air India, Pawan Hans and other private airlines, engineers get a starting gross salary of about Rs. 25,000 to 40,000 pm. which goes up to Rs. 1.20 lakh, whereas the total training cost is only around Rs 1.25 lakh.

Some of the approved institutes offering courses in aircraft maintenance engineering are:

n School of Aviation Science & Technology, Delhi Flying Club Ltd., Safdarjung Airport, New Delhi 110003

n Rajiv Gandhi Memorial College of Aeronautics, Opp. Sanganer Airport, Jaipur 302011.

n Indian Institute of Aeronautical Science, Sonari Aerodrome, Sonari, Jamshedpur.

n Hindustan Institute of Engineering Technology, 40, G.S.T. Road, St. Thomas Mount, Chennai 600016.

n Hindustan Institute of Aeronautics, 5, Temple View, Near Neori Mandir, Lal Gathi, Bhopal.

n Indian Institute of Aeronautics, Patna Airport, Patna..

n Indian Institute of Aircraft Engineering, A Block, Maurya Lok Complex, Patna 800001.

Alternatively, you can do a BE/BTech in Aeronautical Engineering or an Associate Membership of the Aeronautical Society of India (ASI), which is equivalent to a BE/BTech. For further information, contact: Aeronautical Society of India, 13-B, Indraprastha Estate, New Delhi 110002.

Most flying clubs have training institutions attached to them. If you opt for any of these, do make sure it is recognised by the DGCA.

On completion of first year (2 sems) of training, you should take the Basic Paper I of the AME License Exam, followed by Paper II at the end of year 2, and Paper III on Airframe/Engine/DR Compass on completion of sem 5 (21/2 yrs). By clearing these three papers at the earliest you will get a Basic Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Certificate (BAMEC) from the DGCA which will make you eligible for a job in the aviation industry. That leaves you with Paper IV in your specific area of competence which will fetch you the coveted AME License.

Interest in interiors

Q I am an architect (B.Arch) and presently Q I have completed BAHMS and want to take the IAS exam. Can ayurveda be taken as a subject for this exam? Are B.Pharm graduates eligible?

— Madhur Ahluwalia

A Medical Sciences can be offered as a subject both for the Prelims as well as the Mains. As ayurveda is recognised as a full-fledged medical science, I don’t see why you can’t use your knowledge of medicine as an option for the civil services exam.

While choosing an optional for the Prelims, do keep the Mains in mind. This means that you should preferably opt for the same optional subject in both the Prelims and the Mains. This will not only lead to better understanding of the subject but will also save you extra effort.

The syllabus for the Optional Paper is typically that of the Bachelor’s degree-level.

However, the following subject combination is not permitted in the Mains: Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Science and Medical Sciences. For details log on to: www.upsc.gov.in.

More on Maths

Q I have completed my B.Sc from Panjab University and B.Ed from IGNOU. Kindly tell me the universities that offer M.Sc Maths through correspondence as I want to enhance my teaching career.

A M.Sc in Mathematics is offered through distance at the following universities:

n Alagappa University, Karaikudi. M.Sc (Industrial Math)

n Andhra University, School of Distance Ed, Visakhapatnam,

n Annamalai University, Annamalainagar;

n Bangalore University, Bangalore

n Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirapalli;

n University of Bombay, Mumbai;

n Ch Charan Singh University, Meerut (MA)

n Dr. BR Ambedkar Open University, Hyderabad

n Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla; and

n University of Kashmir, Srinagar;

Branching into biotech

Q I have cleared my plus two this year in medical stream with 73 per cent marks. I am interested in doing a biotechnology course. Please tell me the best institutes in India that are offering the undergraduate courses in biotechnology. Also tell me the entry procedure in these colleges.

— Ajay Chauhan

A Biotechnology essentially entails research-oriented work in diverse fields such as agriculture, animal husbandry, pharmaceuticals, textiles, chemicals, genetics and environmental sciences. With the aid of Biotechnology, researchers have been able to improve the quality, nutritional content and yield of food products, alter genetic defects in animals and humans, create pesticides that protect crops without harming consumers, deal with wastes in an environment friendly manner and so on. As ongoing research keeps extending the horizons of knowledge, the scope of this field remains virtually infinite, making BT the hottest career avenue today, after IT.

Some other major areas of work in this field include Bioinformatics, Industrial Research & Development, Academic Research, Marketing & Planning, Plant Biotechnology and Biomedicine.

You can choose between pursuing B. Sc (Biotech), which is a 3-yr course or an integrated M.Sc (Biotech). B.Tech & Integrated M.Tech level biotech courses are offered at the IITs; & large number of other universities. Selection to all these courses is on the basis of an entrance exam either conducted by the institutions (like IIT-JEE) or a state level eligibility test.

Alternatively, you can opt for any of the life sciences i.e. B. Sc Biol/Zool/Microbiol/Biochem/Agri/Vet Sc) or even Phys/Chem. After which, you can pursue M. Sc Biotechnology at a reputed university like DU, JNU, AMU, BHU, AIIMS, GB Pant Univ of Agri & Tech. Entrance to all these courses is through a competitive entrance exam which essentially tests your basics of biology and biochemistry.

— Pervin Malhotra

Please send in your query, preferably on a postcard, along with your full name, complete address and academic qualifications to: Editor, Jobs and Careers, The Tribune, Sector 29, Chandigarh-160030, or at careers@tribunemail.com