Q I am a student of Class XI (Science). It is my dream to be a pilot in the armed forces. Please tell me how I can pursue my dream.

A The Indian Air Force was the first among the three wings to recruit women into its officer cadre. Its path-breaking induction to a combatant role in the flying, technical and ground duty branches has reinforced the image of the IAF as a futuristic, forward looking and progressive force.

The IAF has 600 plus of women officers, of which 200 are pilots, mainly flying transport planes and helicopters.

Each year, about 100 women are inducted into the IAF as officers in all branches, of which about 12 are selected as pilots after rigorous training.

And now for the first time a woman officer has assumed the post of Air Vice-Marshal. Padma Bandhopadhyay, an Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Indira Priyadarshini Award winner and the country’s first aviation medicine specialist, holds the proud distinction of storming this long-held male bastion.

Eligibility: Single Indian women 19-23 years (25 years if you are a CPL holder). You should not be colour/night blind or a habitual wearer of glasses.

Academic qualifications: BE/BSc (Phys and/or Math) or B.Sc (Gen) with Math and Physics in all 3 years.

Advertisements are published in January and July each year in leading newspapers/‘Employment News’.

Selection: If you clear the PABT (Pilot Aptitude Battery Test), you will be sent for the Personality Tests (Psychological Tests, Group Tests and Interview) at any of the Air Force Selection Boards located at Dehra Dun, Mysore or Varanasi for a period of 4-6 days (IAF will take care of the costs).

After you are shortlisted by the AFSB, you will be sent for a detailed medical examination either at the AFCME (Air Force Central Medical Establishment), New Delhi, or at the Institute of Aviation Medicine (IAM), Bangalore.

A merit list is prepared of candidates who have cleared the medical exam, and selection is strictly based on merit.

You will be paid a stipend of Rs 8000 p.m. during training. After which you will be commissioned in the rank of Flying Officer in the pay scale of Rs 2 lakh pa (Rs 18,118 p.m). In addition, you will be entitled to several allowances, including free ration and medical facilities, canteen facilities, subsidised accommodation, insurance cover of Rs 10 lakh, etc.

The initial commission (SSC) has now been extended to 14 years. For further details, log on to: www.careerairforce.nic.in

Nurse big dreams Q I am doing a course in nursing in Haryana. But I have learnt that my institute is not registered with the Indian Nursing Council. Is this necessary? — Pooja A Yes, it is mandatory that your institute be registered with the Indian Nursing Council (INC). Otherwise, you will not be allowed to register as a nurse/ midwife outside the state within which your institute is located. A number of nursing schools recognised by the State Nursing Councils are functioning on the basis of affiliations granted by the universities concerned. However, the INC does not recognise this qualification at the national level. The INC has advised all candidates who wish to register and practice outside their state to ensure that their institute is recognised/ approved by the INC before enrolling for such courses.

Not a beast-ly choice

Q I am a Class XII science student with PCB subjects. Please guide me about admission to courses in veterinary science. Also, is there any quota for NRIs?

— Harvinder Singh

A The Veterinary Council of India, "A" Wing, 2nd Floor, August Kranti Bhawan, Bhikaji Cama Place, New Delhi- 110066 conducts an All-India Entrance Test for filling up 15 per cent of the total number of seats in State Agricultural Universities, and in Central Agricultural University, Imphal, in different fields of agriculture including Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry.

Eligibility: 50 per cent (PCB & Eng). Min. age: 17 years (on Dec 31 ‘06)

Incidentally, the notification for VCI’s All India Common Entrance Test for admission to BVSc & AH course (51/2 years including internship) is out. The exam is scheduled for May 13, 2006. Make sure your application reaches the Council latest by February 28, next.

You can procure the Information Bulletin from the VCI or specified Vijaya Bank branches. For further details: log onto their website: www.vci.nic.in).

For NRI seats, contact the following Institutes that offer seats to NRI/NRI-sponsored candidates:

GB Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar, Distt Udham Singh Nagar- 263145.

Jawaharlal Nehru Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Jabalpur 492012 (MP)

Guru Nanak Dev University. To tide over its financial crunch, GNDU created an additional quota of up to 50 per cent of the existing number of seats for foreign, foreign-sponsored, NRI and NRI sponsored candidates in all courses). Admission is on the basis of merit in the entrance test conducted by the co-ordinator of the department.

Q I am a 19-year old B.Com student studying at one of Chandigarh’s leading colleges. I am in a dilemma right now regarding the importance of work experience in one’s resume. I don’t know what kind of job I should take up to help my portfolio to look better. As per my knowledge, most of the part-time jobs which undergraduates get are those that involve direct selling or roadside product promotion. According to some people such jobs don’t constitute job experience. Is that true?

— Gurmeet Kaur

A I would imagine that the key thing here is not just any work experience but experience that’s relevant to your career plan. Thus, for instance, if you plan on becoming a CA, part-time sales experience is of little value for your resume.

So, start at the right place: work out a career plan for, say, the next 5 years and then decide whether — and what kind of - part-time work might help you achieve your goals. In fact, suppose your goal is to go to a top B-School, focussing on academics may be a better bet at this point. The only work-experience they are interested in is full-time work after graduation.

In a nutshell, work out your goals first, action will then automatically become evident.

However, a brief stint in a BPO or any other job, be it in sales or event management, for that matter will give you valuable exposure, boost your confidence, besides fetching you some pocket money. But make sure, it doesn’t interfere with your studies.

Q Whenever we see admission notices of several institutions, they use terms like NRI and international students. Could you please explain who all come under this category?

— Devender Narula

A Under the UGC guidelines, ‘International Students’ include the following:

Foreign students: Students holding passports issued by foreign countries, including people of Indian origin who have acquired the nationality of foreign countries.

Non-Resident Indians (NRIs): Only those Non Resident Indian students who have studied and passed the qualifying exams from schools or colleges in foreign countries are termed as international students. This includes students studying in schools or colleges in foreign countries even if affiliated to the Boards of Secondary Education or Universities located in India. However, this does not include students studying in schools or colleges (situated in India) and affiliated to the Boards of Secondary Education or Universities of foreign countries. Students passing the qualifying exams from boards or universities located in foreign countries as external students and dependants of NRIs studying in India are not included in the category of international students.

Q I have heard that some colleges in the US require foreign students to take SAT II subject tests before they seek admission to their Bachelor’s-level courses. Can you please tell me something about this?

— Anil Kumar Ghelot

A While several colleges in the US are satisfied with SAT Reasoning test scores, many others request that SAT Subject Test (SST) scores be submitted.

The best schools usually receive a large number of applications from students with excellent SAT scores and GPAs. So they often fallback on SSTs as an academic barometer to measure students’ competencies in particular subject areas, as well as their ability to apply that knowledge.

Some colleges may specify the subject tests they need for admission or placement; others allow applicants to choose which tests to take.

SSTs fall into five general subject areas: English (Literature), History and Social Studies (US History/ World History) Mathematics (Level 1/ 2), Science (Biology Ecological/ Molecular, Chemistry & Physics).

Language: French, German, Spanish are available with a reading and listening format. Korean and Japanese are available only with an audio option. The multiple-choice test takes an hour to complete. Because the SAT Reasoning Test now includes a writing section, the Subject Test in Writing and the ELPT Subject Test have been discontinued.

Subject Test scores are reported on a scale from 200 to 800 while SST sub-scores are reported on a scale from 20 to 80.

The SATs are administered in India by USEFI. While SAT costs $ 41.50, SAT SST costs $ 17 plus additional test fee of $ 18 for Language Test and Listening and $ 8 for other subjects) plus $ 20 for international application processing charges and now another $ 20 as security surcharge for Indian and Pakistani students. The last, driven by western paranoia about Indo-Pak war is an utterly ridiculous (and deplorable) move. As it is, the visa restrictions act as a virtual barrier for students wishing to study in the US.

Payment has to be made by dollar draft. International credit cards are also accepted.

For further details, contact the nearest USEFI office or check out the official SAT website: www.collegeboard.com.

Q I am in my final year of B.Sc (Agri). Due to unavoidable family circumstances, I cannot study further. Can you please tell me how I could utilise my degree and start earning without further delay?

— Harish Patwardhan

A Don’t worry. With a Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, you could become a consultant, thereby earning both money as well as respect in the farming community.

And the best part is that you could do so straight after college (or even while working)!

The M/o Agriculture, in association with NABARD, launched a unique program in 2002 to tap the expertise available in the large pool of agriculture graduates or those in allied fields. The government has green signalled the setting up of at least 10 agri-clinics and agribusiness centres in each district..

Irrespective of whether you are a fresh graduate or currently employed, you could open your own agriclinic or agribusiness centre to provide professional extension services to farmers like advising them on crop selection, best farm practices, post-harvest value-added options, key agricultural information like prices, safe pesticides, etc

NABARD has also asked companies like state seed, fertiliser and processed food corporations to consider extending franchising facilities to agri-graduates. So do explore business opportunities of setting up a dealership/ service centre, franchise of established brands.

The government provides a free 2-month start-up-training programme comprising of Entrepreneurship, Business Management and Skill Improvement modules in your chosen area of expertise.

The RBI has asked commercial and co-operative banks to offer loans on a priority basis to graduates such as yourself. Liberal packages have been specially designed for projects undertaken on a group or individual basis. For details on model projects that qualify for loans you can log onto www.cab.rbi.org.in.

The good news is that rate of return on the capital employed is fairly high ranging from 15-120 per cent.

For information regarding modules, enrolment criteria, the institute closest to you, and the business potential in the field of your choice, contact:

Agriclinic and agribusiness Centres Cell, National Institute of Agriculture Extension Management (MANAGE), Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500030 (AP) or log onto: www.manage.gov.in/ www.agriclinics.net or www.kvk.pravara.com.

The Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Babhaleshwar and MITCON Consultancy Services also provide training facilities for ‘agri-preneurs’.

Also, do make it a point to visit agriculture melas/fairs conducted by the agriculture universities in your area or log on to www.agrijobsindia.com, the country’s first agricultural job portal. This will help you gain invaluable knowledge about the industry and other opportunities in this field.

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