This school teaches students how to fail

Schools are stepping stones to success. But this school teaches you to fail in order to succeed in life.

This may come as a surprise for many. But in this school, many high scoring students who join class XI are often made to face failure. "Students are taught to accept failure and then they are taught how to succeed. Our school's philosophy is that failure is part of success and students must learn to accept both as part of life," said Mohan Kumar, principal, senior secondary, The School of the Good Shepherd, Thiruvananthapuram.

"They score high marks and have never seen failure. We have many students who can't accept failure, rejection or defeat. In most cases, even parents find it difficult to accept a situation when their child scores less, though they are not really bothered about how little they gain in terms of knowledge", added Kumar.

To test the student's true potential and knowledge, the school sets a question paper focusing on the prescribed textbooks. Not a single question is taken from the previous years' question papers. "Often students who have grown up reading reference books and tuition material find it difficult to answer until they read the textbook thoroughly. Due to this, initially lots of students fail," said Kumar.

According to the school authorities, the textbooks prepared by NCERT is complete and a student who reads, grasps and understands the content in the textbooks can not only score high marks in the Board exams but easily clear entrance exams for medicine and engineering without any extra coaching. So the school asks students to reading their textbooks thoroughly from standard VIII.

"Preparing for competitive exams is not different from what you learn in the Board exams. Time and again it has been proved that 90% of the questions asked in competitive exams are from textbooks," said Kumar. However, to achieve this each student has to strictly follow the timetable and revise whatever they learn in the class within 24 hours.

The school has a master-timetable from Monday to Saturday for senior students, according to which the students should sleep for seven hours, watch TV or read newspaper for an hour, take care of personal matters within two hours, attend seven hours of school and study from the textbooks for eight hours.

"We also encourage the students to scribble on the textbooks itself so that they don't feel the need to refer to any other book or material," added Kumar.

IP University to setup a design institute

The Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University (popularly known IP University), Delhi is setting up an Institute of design at its East campus which will be Asia's biggest centre of its kind said Dr A K Walia, minister for higher education, government of NCT of Delhi.

Walia was addressing the ninth convocation of the University at its Dwarka campus on Monday, he also said that at a time public private partnership(PPP) model is not working so well is other countries, IP University has set an example of success of this model of governance.

In his address Lt Governor of Delhi and chancellor of the University, Tejendra Khanna said that academic ambiance plays vital role in the growth of any academic institution besides good teachers, receptive students and state-of-the-art infrastructure. "Domain knowledge combined with human values is need of hours. Learning is a life long process," he said.

Delivering the convocation address, chairman of Tata Communication Limited, Subodh Bhargava said "As far as learning process is concerned, we will always be a student through out our life. We can learn many things from our life and experiences. Values are those boundaries within which we think and ponder. Some values do not change even with time like honesty, empathy for others, compassion etc. We should be realistic as well optimistic for our growth."

Vice chancellor of IP University, D K Bandyopadhyay, informed on the occasion that the University is planning to start three new centres of studies in the University- Centre of Study of Indigenous Literature, Centre for Film and Culture Studies and Centre for Development and Planning. "There are three types of skills that are needed in this century- cognitive skills such as analytical and critical thinking, non-cognitive skills such as attitude like honesty, team work, leadership etc, technical skills such as accountancy, tourism, IT, management, construction among others."

In all 15,945 students of the university were awarded degree on the occasion and 67 students were conferred with Gold Medals(including Essar Power Gold Medal). 15 students were awarded with plaque/citation for their exemplary performance(for obtaining 90% and more marks) in studies. Moreover, 21 students of the University were conferred with PhD degree on the occasion.

Top 10 IT Certifications for 2012

Global Knowledge, a US-based IT and business skills training company, releases an annual IT Skills and Salary report. Based on their latest release, they have come up with Top paying IT certifications that open up several job opportunities for certified professionals.

Certain certifications like CCIE (Cisco Certified Internet-working Expert) and VCDX (VMware Certified Design Expert) have not been included in the report because of their exclusivity.

Top 10 IT Certifications for 2012 are as follows:
1. PMP (Project Management Professional): Project Management is meant to complete a complex project in a cost-effective manner and on time. From planning to hiring resources to delegating tasks and delivering the final product, project managers have to handle multiple tasks. In this field, the certifications offered by Project Management Institute (PMI) certifications are widely respected worldwide. See details

2. CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional): If you have at least five years of experience in the field of Information Security and want to be a globally recognised expert in the field, opt for CISSP. CISSP professionals define and implement the architecture, design and management of the security of business environments. See details

3. CCDA (Cisco Certified Design Associate): CCDA is a CISCO certification for network professionals who have verifiable skills needed to design routed and switched network infrastructures and services involving LAN, WAN, and broadband access for businesses and organizations. Valid for three years, the CCDA certification curriculum encompasses designing basic campus, data center, security, voice, and wireless networks. See details

4. ITIL v3 Foundation (Information Technology Infrastructure Library): ITIL certification denotes Best Practice in IT Service Management. It covers documented, proven processes to cover the entire Service Lifecycle of the quality IT services, which makes it easy for organisations to learn, modify, and implement it to suit their corporate aims. See details

5. MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer): The MCSE is the most recognized industry certification in the world. It helps professionals expand their skills both on-premise and in the cloud. Constantly in touch with the latest industry trends, MCSE professionals are thought to be forward-thinking industry leaders in IT certifications. See details

6. VCP (VMware Certified Professional): Certifying IT professionals for their skills in datacenter virtualization, VCP certification is recognised by the industry. It signifies completion of a VMware-authorized training course and at least six months of hands-on experience with VMware technologies that teaches professionals to successfully install, deploy, scale and manage VMware vSphere environments. See details

7. CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional): CCNP Certification is for those who have at least one year of networking experience and would learn the necessary skills to work on complex network solutions. This IPv6 Forum Gold Education Certification validates the professional's ability to plan, implement, verify and troubleshoot local and wide-area enterprise networks. They are apt for enterprise roles such as network technician, support engineer, systems engineer or network engineer. See details

8. CompTIA Server+: CompTIA Server+ certification is a vendor neutral certification for professionals that have at least 18 to 24 months of experience in the Information Technology field. It validates knowledge of server hardware and software. The certified professionals possess skills and knowledge in the field of server issues and technology, including disaster recovery and troubleshooting. See details

9. MCITP (Microsoft Certified IT Professional): MCITP certification assesses the individual's skills for a particular job role in IT, such as database administrator or enterprise messaging administrator. The certifications are not updated for future versions of Microsoft products. However, MCITPs are eligible for special upgrade paths to new Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) certifications, which access an experienced professional’s ability to design and build technology solutions in the cloud and on premise. See details

10. CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate): Validating the professional's ability to install, configure, operate, and troubleshoot medium-sized route and switched networks, CCNA curriculum includes implementation and verification of connections to remote sites in a WAN, basic mitigation of security threats, introduction to wireless networking concepts and terminology, and performance-based skills. It also includes various protocols like IP, Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP), Serial Line Interface Protocol Frame Relay, Routing Information Protocol Version 2 (RIPv2), VLANs, Ethernet, and access control lists (ACLs). See details

Expert Advice
Rutul Naik from Jetking Infotrain Ltd points out, "CCNA, CCNP, MCSE, MCITP, and RHCE are some certifications which are most popular among Indian students who wish to pursue a successful career in IT. The first four are there in this list too. Students who wish to make a career in Networking can get Cisco certifications (CCNA or CCNP) and students who wish to make a career in server on Windows platform, can go for Microsoft certifications (MCSE or MCITP)."

At Jetking, top companies have approached the institute to specifically ask for CCNA certified students even at fresher levels. Naik says, "Recruiters always prefer someone who is certified. Advanced Certifications are quite helpful in career progression too."

MAAC Manifest 2012

Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics (MAAC) recently conducted an educational seminar, MAAC Manifest 2012 in Mumbai. The seminar catered to over 900 students, informing them about the various facets of animation as a career.

Experts from the industry including Arnab Chaudhary, Creator of Arjun - The Warrior Prince, Arpan Gaglani, Creative Director at Krayon Pictures and Kirtish Tharthare, Lead Lighting Artist, at Rhythm and Hues Studios graced the event. Providing insights on the use of modern software to bring life into characters, Chaudhary and Gaglani took students through the making of Arjun and glimpses of the movie, Delhi Safari. The use of images of digital paintings in the making of films caught the audience's attention.

The event was followed by an interactive session with students that focused on the scope of Indian animation industry and how India at par with international counterparts.

Ram Warrier, business head, MAAC said, "We have entered the 3D age of animation and this is clearly visible from the kind of animated movies being created. Through the event, we plan to educate and create awareness of the ample job opportunities that the sector provides."

Greener pastures

Horticulture today is more than just planting and maintaining trees. With a range of opportunities in both the public and private sector, this could be the right time to pursue a career in this field, says Nishant Kumar.

Horticulture , the science and art of gardening, has today emerged as a field, which offers a range of job options. Thanks to the green consciousness and due attention from the government on food security and productivity, the scope for employment and entrepreneurship in horticulture is growing.

"India is the second largest producer of fruits and vegetables in the world. Today, horticulture alone accounts for 30% of India's agricultural GDP from 8.5% of the cropped area. It is playing a pivotal role in strengthening the country's nutritional security besides generating employment avenues," says KR Dhiman, vicechancellor , Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Himachal Pradesh.

>> Career Prospects
Be it cold storage chains, ripening chambers or horti-clinics , ample prospects are available for horticulture graduates. Several schemes initiated by the government through National Horticulture Mission, National Horticulture Board, Horticulture Technology Mission for North-East and National Mission on Food Processing have opened up new avenues. Besides, the entry of private players has increased the scope manifold.

"Every year, more than half of the fruit and vegetable produce in India goes waste due to lack of proper retailing and adequate storage capacity. To deal with post-harvest losses, government agencies and corporate houses are setting up cold storage chains, which demand skilled manpower for operations. In addition, several environmental-friendly ripening chambers are being set up across India," says Navin Nainwal, assistant director, Amity Institute of Horticulture Studies and Research.

Another important aspect is the change in consumption patterns. Dhiman points out, "Owing to high nutritional value, health components and vitamins , non-cereal items are getting preference over grains, thus increasing its share in the food basket. This has put the spotlight on horticulture."

>> Fertile Ground
Huge potential in this field lies in plantation, nursery, orchards, contract farming, seed production, pest management , procurement, landscape designing , green houses, botanical gardens , post-harvest management, food processing, teaching, marketing and research.

"Research is an important aspect of this field. A trained horticulture professional has to work to improve plant quality, food safety and health benefits from fruits and vegetables. This is one of the best paid areas in the field," says HR Gautam, senior horticulture scientist.

Work profile in public sector includes maintenance of parks, botanical gardens , official lawns, etc, with employment opportunities in departments like PWD, forestry, irrigation, town planning , archaeology, banks, cooperatives and community centres, etc.

>> Growing Opportunities
With time, several new segments have emerged in horticulture. For instance, therapeutic horticulture has emerged as a popular career choice. Floriculture is another emerging area. Likewise, the growing fondness for ayurveda, naturopathy and aromatherapy has opened new vistas for horticulture graduates.

"Today, there is a lot of scope for students in floriculture, food processing , landscaping, orchards, and tea and coffee gardens. Also, there is a demand for skilled manpower in countries like Ethiopia and Kenya, which are focusing on floriculture," says N Kumar, dean, horticulture, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University. Mustaq Mohammad, who did his MSc in floriculture and landscaping, is a leading horti-entrepreneur with an annual turnover of Rs 1.25 crore from protected cultivation of lilium, carnation and rose.

"While protected cultivation is a profitable venture for horticulture professionals , polyhouse cultivation (protected cultivation) and tissue clinics are futuristic prospects," says Dhiman.

The growing concept of green homes and urban landscaping has changed the outlook of horticulture as a career choice. Ritika Bansal, a horticulture graduate, who works as a landscape designer says, "If outdoors and greenery is what fascinates you, a career in horticulture may be a perfect fit for you. From landscaping to setting up nurseries , there are several options in the market."

>> At a Glance
Students can opt for a BSc in horticulture after they have cleared their +2. Those looking for specialisation in any of the preferred subjects can go for an MSc. And if you are looking for a career in research, PhD programmes are on offer at several universities. TNAU, Coimbatore, Kerala Agricultural University , Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth, Dapoli, Marathwada Krishi Vidyapeeth (MAU), Parbhani, College of Agriculture, Mysore, Akola, Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore, and Dr YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Solan, are amongst the popular institutes in India to pursue horticulture education.

Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) also conducts a common entrance exam for admission into various institutes . Over the years, new courses like BTech horticulture and MBA horti-business have been introduced . Horticulture courses are also on offer at several private institutes.

Actuarial sciences

Hindu College, Delhi University , is introducing an addon course in actuarial sciences from the current academic year. A certificate course, it is aimed at enhancing the employability of students in the insurance sector by equipping them with extra skills.

Actuarial sciences involve financial and risk management in the insurance sector, including areas like banking, investment , healthcare, etc. To practice as an actuarial scientist in India, one has to be a member of the Institute of Actuaries of India (IAI) and qualify for the various academic programmes.

"The idea behind introducing the programme is to enhance skills and increase employability of students in the insurance sector, which is an emerging industry in India. The industry is growing at present, with a lot of opportunities for aspiring students ," says Pradumn kumar, acting principal, Hindu College. The college has collaborated with MetLife Insurance India Ltd to offer the course, which will train students during the internship period. The course has 12 papers including financial economics, statistical methods, financial mathematics, business economics, business awareness models, etc.

"The course prepares students to qualify for the exams conducted by IAI. An actuary is a professional who is right behind the financial strength of an insurance company. The programme will open up a number of employment avenues for students. Also, the qualification for becoming actuaries is the same in India and abroad, which will be an added advantage as aspirants will have options to practice anywhere in the world," says Rajesh Relan, managing director, MetLife India.

However, with a total number of 30 seats in each batch, students can enroll in two batches — the first, which started August 16 onwards, the other, which is scheduled to start in January 2013 (last date for registration is December 31).

Eligibility
The course is open to students across universities. Eligible candidates should have cleared +2 with at least 85% in mathematics/statistics . Graduates and postgraduates must have a minimum aggregate of 55% in mathematics or statistics, mathematical statistics, econometrics , computer sciences, etc.

Course Duration
There is no fixed duration for completion of the course. Students have to clear all the papers before being awarded the certificate. At the end of each semester, the college will conduct its own exam.

IGNOU opens admission for three visual arts courses

The Indira Gandhi National Open University ( IGNOU) has started the admission process for three courses in visual arts with an aim to develop creative and aesthetics sensibilities of the students, an official said on Thursday.

The three visual arts certificate programmes in painting, applied art and sculpture can be pursued by those who have passed their 10th standard board exam, said the varsity.

"The programmes aim at imparting basic knowledge and skill of drawing, developing applied and design skills and understanding and use of material and technique to create expressive sculptures in turn inculcating creativity, precision and use of tool and materials," it said.

"The programme also helps to develop self-observation, visualisation and self-motivation to create an art work."

The last date to submit forms for the courses is Jul y 30, 2012.

Soon, a course in rainwater harvesting

If the acute water crisis during summer months is any indication, the city may soon be in dire need of rainwater harvesting experts. Keeping this concern in mind, Jamia Hamdard University has decided to introduce a course in rainwater harvesting.

The board of studies at the university has said the PG diploma will begin from January 2013. Experts feel that as the demand for decentralized options like rainwater harvesting spikes, an automatic need arises for specialists who can cater to residents' requirements.

"The course recently got a nod from the academic council. Rainwater harvesting is a profession that is soon going to be in demand. Students need expertise in installing rainwater harvesting structures and maintaining them every monsoon. The course will be of a one-year duration and will include theory and practical sessions," said professor Javed Ahmed, head of the botany department at the varsity.

The idea of starting this unique course stemmed from the university's own experience of the water crisis. The campus functions without a Delhi Jal Board (DJB) connection and has been sustaining with the rainwater collected every monsoon.

In the one-year course, students will be taught how to construct various kinds of harvesting structures. They will also have access to laboratory facilities to test the rain and groundwater quality. The course fee adds up to Rs 25,000.

Meanwhile, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), which already offers a rainwater harvesting course, has witnessed a spurt in the number of applicants this year. "Every year during the peak summer months people wake up to the water shortage and the demand shoots up. But this year we started getting enquiries much earlier and they were more in number. In fact, we had participants from Bangladesh and Nepal too," said Sushmita Sengupta, deputy programme manager, water unit, CSE.

At CSE, students fulfill multiple roles of architects, contractors and consultants, all pitching in to conserve water. Unlike Jamia Hamdard University, CSE organizes short courses of about a week's duration. The course content involves traditional rainwater harvesting structures, understanding basics of groundwater, hydrogeology, designing, construction process, maintenance and monitoring mechanisms.

IGNOU launches three courses on Mahatma Gandhi and Peace Studies

The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has launched three new modular programmes on Mahatma Gandhi and Peace Studies.

Admissions to the courses -- MA in Gandhi and Peace Studies (MAGPS), PG Diploma in Gandhi and Peace Studies (PGDGPS) and PG Certificate in Gandhi and Peace Studies (PGCGPS) -- will commence from next month, a IGNOU release said.

According to the University, the MAGPS programme, which can be completed between two and five years, provides in-depth knowledge in Gandhian thoughts, peace studies and conflict resolution. A graduate in any discipline is eligible to join the programme for July 2012 session.

The PGDGPS programme, which can be completed between one to three years, imparts knowledge particularly on the ideas of Gandhi on social, economic, political, sustainable and environmental issues.

"It develops peace methods from the inter-disciplinary perspectives to train the participants in peace making and conflict resolution in real life situations. The diploma holders can then join media, NGOs or opt for teaching and research," the release said.

The PGCGPS programme is of minimum six months and maximum two years duration which shall comprehend Gandhi's vision of peace and non-violent activism. "It shall widen the horizon of student to understand the Gandhi's concept of world order for global peace and security," the University said.

The last date to apply for all these programmes is July 30 without late fee, and August 14 with late fee of Rs 200.

More students opting for specialised courses now

Micro-specialisation, cutthroat competition and multiple course options offer the new generation of graduates a range of career choices beyond traditional options. Following their class XII boards, an increasing number of students are opting for specialised courses that focus on developing specific skill-sets for emerging careers in various sectors.

Retail India is considered as one of the top 10 rising retail markets in the world. As a fast growing industry, there is a demand for nearly 3.25 million trained professionals in this field, both in India and abroad. Aspirants in this sector can consider pursuing Bachelor of Business Administration (retail marketing) as an option.

The BBA programme charts the basics of retail as a business along with an indepth study of retail marketing. Successful BBA graduates can pursue jobs in supply chains, supermarkets etc. Retail managers are required in manufacturing companies as well and are also hired by companies such as insurance and banking to sell their commodities directly to customers.

Entertainment The 2011 FICCI- KPMG report states that the media and entertainment industry is expected to grow steadily over the next five years and that the industry is looking at tapping newer target segments, geographies and mediums, while tapping the potential of the existing ones. Entertainment today has gone beyond the traditional modes of entertainment — radio, television, theatre — to incorporate newer forms of technologies.

Freshers entering the industry have many job opportunities in technical as well as non-technical areas. Technical jobs for freshers include video, audio and light engineering, among others, and non-technical jobs include stage crew to manage stage co-ordination during an event, make-up and costumes, department sales and marketing, human resource, finance, engineering and housekeeping.

Designing The field of designing opens doors to various specialisations such as animation, interior designing, product designing, web designing, graphic designing, etc. Each specialisation can be a promising career option for talented and creative individuals. For instance, according to recent reports, the Indian animation industry is poised to grow by about 23%, while the Indian gaming industry is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 32% by 2014. Both industries are likely to provide ample job options.

A strong sense of aesthetics, innovation, drawing and fine arts are some of the key skills that an aspirant in this field must possess. Various institutes across the country offer courses in designing.

Pharmacy The Indian pharmaceutical industry, with over 750,000 chemist shops, handles revenue of Rs 90,000 crore and is one of the fastest growing industries in India with a CAGR of over 13% in the last five years. The various areas that students can explore after graduation can broadly be categorised as medical pharmacists, retail pharmacists, industrial pharmacists and research pharmacist. To become a pharmacist, you have to clear class XII boards with a background in science. After completing a diploma in pharmacy, you have to undergo mandatory practical training for 500 hours in a government dispensary/hospital to get registered under the pharmacy council. For a BA in Pharmacy, you have to undergo two months of industrial training in production/quality control, though not mandatory.

The healing touch

If you are in search of knowledge and enlightenment then you'll firstly seek material tools that aid ones evolution. And as people walk the spiritual path it becomes more than just buying a few products — it actually turns into an entire lifestyle. Metaphysical, Occult, Wiccan, Pagan, or New Age stores — call it by any name — these stores are now manifesting across the human realm. "This concept is gaining popularity all over the world today. The term 'metaphysical' refers to spiritual. Earlier these stores were called occult, but the shadows on occult are now removed and it is no longer required that we use this term. Therefore , the term metaphysical or spiritual is preferred for stores selling spiritual products or services," says Swati Prakash, witch and president of Tarot India Network. 

"An ideal metaphysical store will house crystals and gemstones, divination cards like the tarot decks, runes, i-ching , angel oracles, incense and incense burners, essential oils (gem scents, herbal blends, psychic oils, pure oils), epsom salt, Moroccan lamps, coloured candles, herbs such as sage, cedar (smudge sticks), metaphysical books, and relaxation music, among many other things," says Vinay Nasta, managing director, The Laughing Buddhaa in Mumbai. 

EMERGING AREAS 

As more Indians travel abroad they are learning various spiritual practices. And Wicca among the many is gaining in popularity. "Wicca is the only religion in the world that has a policy of 'harm none' as per the Wiccan Rede or code of ethics. Wiccans do not use prayers, spells or thoughts that are harmful to anyone. In no other spiritual system or religion will you find this," says Prakash. In India we often see only the sale of fengshui items, crystals for reiki or incense. We are increasingly seeing the demand for angel cards, and other similar items. "As we are opening to embracing the worshipping of feminine energy we begin to read literature about witches who are actually evolved souls and protectors, unlike portrayed in popular media as being evil. As individuals equip themselves with more knowledge there is a growing market that wants spell kits, wands, athames, brooms, ritual supplies and books on Wicca," says Vrushali Nadkerni , angel therapist and metaphysical goods supplier based in Dubai. 

INVESTMENT 

The start of any store requires capital: capital for land, interiors, initial stock, operational costs, cost of human resources including your own, cost of technology and systems , and cost of brand building and promotions. "In metaphysical stores you need to invest a little more because people are still unaware and, therefore, a lot of promotions may be required for its success," says Prakash. 

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES 

According to Delhi-based Neelam Verma of Cosmic Rhythms, spirituality is an abstract concept and, therefore, running a store like this is a matter of 'serendipity.' "My aim is to heal people and the store that I happen to run now is just an incidental outcome." Excellent spiritual healing skills and qualifications are a must, says Prakash. "Such a store needs someone who is a leader and is renowned in the field." She also lists charisma and brand building skills because such a store requires spreading awareness and correct information to the public. And finally excellent management skills and qualification are a must because such a store requires impeccable policies and practices of running, according to Prakash. 

FUTURE PROSPECTS 

As lot more people turn towards spirituality they prefer to surround themselves with positive things deliberately selected and bought. "People are now interested in knowing the symbolic meaning of things. Even if they choose an object to decorate their home they prefer to go as per fengshui and place it in the right area because they know that everything has an energy effect. As people begin to learn the real meaning of everyday things and gain awareness that everything is ultimately 'energy' as proven by science — the phenomena of metaphysical or spiritual store is a force to reckon with," says Prakash who runs the metaphysical store Magick in Mumbai.

New areas of Learning

Everything that doesn't happen by accident, happens by design, says Sudhakar Nadkarni, quoting the celebrated designer, Frank Dudas. "Design, as a profession, is young in our country, and there is a shortage of designers nationally," says Nadkarni, who pioneered design education in India by setting up the Industrial Design Centre at IIT-Bombay in 1969 and the Department of Design at IIT-Guwahati in 1997.

In the 1990s and the early 2000, design, especially industrial design, was an unknown area and few industries were ready to invest in this area. The current scenario is different. "Industry is recognising design and it is being reflected in the several partnerships between industry and academia. Also, the government has several national design policies in place. India Design Council, under the ministry of commerce and industries, is promoting the importance of design," says Ravi Mokashi Punekar, faculty member, department of design, IIT-Guwahati.

New Areas

Application areas of design are endless, says Nadkarni, who is at present dean of business design at Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research, Mumbai.

Today, there is a congruence of technology and design. The product and user interface is coming together. As Narendra Ghate, head, Innovation Labs at Tata Elxsi, explains, some of the new areas that students can look at are 'India Price Points' where a technology produced in the foreign market has to be suited for India.

User Interface (UI) design is an area where designers are sought-after. "You will find different genres of designers — graphic designers, industrial designers and even architects being absorbed by the industry, because there is a shortage of UI specialised designers," says Vijay Kumar, CEO & Principal Designer at Ergoform — industrial design and product development studio based in Bangalore. He also includes craft as an area where there is scope for good design. Decision-makers in the industry are recognising that design is an important component for success in business endeavours. "Design, both in private as well as public sectors, is becoming a centrally focused activity," says Achutha Rao, co-ordinator, industry relations, Design Clinic Scheme, NID.

Automotive attracts designers and with more automotive studios setting up shop in India, it is another growing area. But, according to Vinay Rao, director, Bang Design, automobile designing is not an emerging trend. He, however, says that there is a growing industry in automobile design 'support.' Stylists in other parts of the world are dependent on colleagues with technical skills to translate a design to computer-aided design. This form of outsourcing is already a large employer of designers and those with related skills, in India.

Software Skills

Skills in digital design are also in demand. Design studios require digital sculptors who can convert pencil sketches into computerised formats. They must also have knowledge of 2D and 3D visuals and software like Alias, Adobe, Corel, Unigraph, Pro E, Catia, Rhino, explains Prakash Unakal, industrial designer from IDC, IIT, Mumbai. The future lies not in technology revolution but rather in innovation. A designer, experts in the field believe, is also a problem-solver and not merely a product decorator. The designer brings his talent and experience to bear upon every aspect of a problem.

Jetking to Go Cloud Way with Its Training Courses !

First of its kind initiative in the computer hardware training segment. 

Jetking Infotrain Ltd, India’s No. 1 Computer Hardware & Networking Institute has done it again ! The institute will soon change its traditional method of training in flagship courses like JCHNE and JCHNP to a digitized and cloud platform in its 100 plus centers across the country. With cloud computing based training ‘JCHNE’ courses become all the more powerful with adapting latest technology.

The Cloud technology based training at Jetking has multiple advantages such as:

• Further improvement in Students’ learning and memory retention.
• Standardisation in syllabus and teaching method in all centres across the country.
• Uniform Curriculum ensuring nothing is missed out.
• Making student the latest technology savvy thus most sought after in the job market.

While commenting on the use of Cloud platform in the training Mr Suresh Bharwani – Chairman & Managing Director, Jetking Infotrain Ltd said “The digital push here aims to go far beyond whiteboards, power points, computers and other gadgets. It aims to transform the very nature of the classroom, turning the teacher into a guide instead of a lecturer, guiding and helping students who learn at their own pace on a digitized platform. Equipped with audio video content along with graphical tutorials makes learning fun, faster and easier. A lot of time and skill has been invested to set up the necessary infrastructure to make the complete transition from traditional method to the Cloud based digitized training. With all the necessary softwares and infrastructure tried and tested we are now fully ready to roll out cloud technology based training in our flagship course ‘Computer Hardware & Networking’at our all centres so that the students joining in this academic year can reap the benefits of it”.

“Jetking’s JCHNE course of a one year becomes all the more powerful and effective in achieving our objective : To create maximum number of employable youths with an exposure to the latest technology like Cloud Computing . This new development has certainly taken Jetking at a different level thereby hopping to attract the cream of the industry during our placement season next year” added Mr Siddarth Bharwani – Head, Marketing at Jetking Infotrain Ltd.

Jetking Infotrain Ltd. listed on BSE is  well-known for innovations and has always been pioneer in adding new features to its courses that make students job ready in the market on the completion of the course, for example JetEdge – Smart Learn English Program introduced two years ago has benefited students immensely in securing the desired jobs. Then added ‘Genuine 100% Job Guaruntee’to its course.

JCHNE course now with Cloud technology based training covers four prime modules:
Module 1: Basic Electronics and Office Tool (138 hours)
Module 2: Computer Hardware (166 hours)
Module 3: Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Technician (196 hours)
Module 4: Network Administrator (124 hours).   

Toll Free : 1800 209 4010 or write at ho@jetkinginfotrain.com

Ethical Hacking

A workshop conducted by the Heritage Institute of Technology educates students on the ethics of hacking and data information security

A two-day workshop on 'Ethical Hacking and Data Information Security' was conducted by the Student Council of Heritage Institute of Technology Kolkata on March 31.

Hardeep Singh and Aarshdeep Chaggar, corporate trainers and business managers of Infi-zeal Technologies Pvt Ltd were present on the occasion to address the students.

The workshop focused on topics like detecting a fake mail, creating a fake mail, creating duplicate web pages of important email websites, where a person can copy the user-id and password of another individual and many other such functions.

Apart from these, the workshop also focused on educating the students on a variety of information security techniques, which are used by IT companies in the recent times.

During the workshop, Singh gave a wonderful example by creating a fake web page of gmail.com and hacked the e-mail account of a participant in the workshop.

"Hacking has become a common trend in the new IT world and many people are misusing it to hack reputed websites. Moreover if a student knows the different techniques of hacking, it would be easier for him to detect a fake mail. Such workshops are really a value-ad not only to the career but also in practicality," said Singh.

Around 23 students from Heritage Institute of Technology, Techno-India College and Meghnath Saha Institute of Technology attended this two-day workshop which provided them with an insight into and an in-depth knowledge of the latest techniques of hacking and information security.

"We enjoyed this two-day workshop at Heritage which is a student -led event and we hope to conduct one more in wired, manual and wireless robotics," said Shaoni, a B Tech student of Heritage who was also one of the organisers of the workshop.